cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A case study of computer gaming for math: Engaged learning from gameplay?

Employing mixed-method approach, this case study examined the in situ use of educational computer games in a summer math program to facilitate 4th and 5th graders' cognitive math achievement, metacognitive awareness, and positive attitudes toward math learning. The results indicated that students developed more positive attitudes toward math learning through five-week computer math gaming, but there was no significant effect of computer gaming on students' cognitive test performance or metacognitive awareness development. The in-field observation and students' think-aloud protocol informed that not every computer math drill game would engage children in committed learning. The study findings have highlighted the value of situating learning activities within the game story, making games pleasantly challenging, scaffolding reflections, and designing suitable off-computer activities.
Correction to article “Estimating HIV Incidence Based on Combined Prevalence Testing”

After this paper appeared online, we noticed a need to clarify our reference in Section 3.3 to the incidence rate estimator λJ proposed by Janssen et al. (1998). The incidence rate estimator proposed by Janssen et al. (1998) is λJ = n−10/(n−10 + n−00)E[L2]. The estimator referred to as λJ in Section 3.3 is in fact the snapshot estimator derived by Kaplan and Brookmeyer (1999), when the target region is assumed to be S2 and the time between infection and seroconversion is assumed to be 0 (i.e., E[L1] = 0). In typical HIV settings, the number of subjects testing negative on both the sensitive and detuned ELISA assays (i.e., n−00) is approximately two orders of magnitude larger than the number of subjects testing positive on the sensitive and negative on the less sensitive ELISA assays (i.e., n−10). Thus, in practice the snapshot estimator derived by Kaplan and Brookmeyer (1999) and the Janssen et al. (1998) estimators are only negligibly different.
Prolactin cooperates with loss of p53 to promote claudin-low mammary carcinomas

TP53 is one of the most commonly mutated genes in cancer. In breast cancer, it is mutated in about 40% of primary clinical tumors and is associated with poor survival. The mammotrophic hormone, prolactin (PRL), and/or its receptor are also expressed in many breast cancers, and accumulating epidemiologic data link PRL to breast cancer development and progression. Like TP53 mutations, evidence for PRL activity is evident across several molecular cancer subtypes, and elevated PRL expression and loss of p53 have been observed in some of the same clinical tumors. In order to examine the interaction of these factors, we used genetically modified mouse models of mammary-specific p53 loss and local overexpression of PRL. We demonstrated that mammary PRL decreased the latency of tumors in the absence of p53, and increased the proportion of triple-negative claudin-low carcinomas, which display similarities to human clinical metaplastic carcinomas. Moreover, PRL/p53(-/-) carcinomas displayed higher rates of proliferation and more aggressive behavior. Transcripts associated with cell cycle progression, invasion and stromal reactivity were differentially expressed in carcinomas that developed in the presence of elevated PRL. PRL/p53(-/-) carcinomas also exhibited selectively altered expression of activating protein-1 components, including higher levels of c-Jun and FosL1, which can drive transcription of many of these genes and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The ability of PRL to promote claudin-low carcinomas demonstrates that PRL can influence this subset of triple-negative breast cancers, which may have been obscured by the relative infrequency of this cancer subtype. Our findings suggest novel therapeutic approaches, and provide a preclinical model to develop possible agents.
A comparison of the variable-abstraction and constant-abstraction methods for associative-commutative unification

The constant-abstraction and variable-abstraction methods for associative-commutative unification were proposed by Herold, Livesey, and Siekmann and by Stickel, respectively. These methods are compared here for efficiency and conceptual purity. The pure variable-abstraction method is easier to implement but less efficient for the variables and constants case than the constant-abstraction method. With obvious refinements, the former method can be made comparably efficient and similar in behavior to the latter. The refined method uses solutions of homogeneous linear Diophantine equations under additional constraints, instead of the conceptually simpler homogeneous or inhomogeneous linear Diophantine equations without additional constraints of the pure variable-abstraction method or the constant-abstraction method.
Passing on the Right: Conservative Bioethics is Closer Than it Appears:

Like automobiles in the passenger side mirror, conservative bioethics is closer than it appears, and it has joined forces with the neo-conservative movement's rejection of moral relativism and moral pluralism. Leon Kass and about half of the current bioethics council appointed by President Bush form an interlocking world of journals, conferences, presidential advisors and, most notably, bioethics commission staff, all working to promote and extend federal regulation of public morals in the name of preserving real and romanticized societal norms in the face of social evolution wrought by technological change.
Multiple Selves and Multiple Sites of Influence: Perceptions of Young Adult Literature in the Classroom

Young adult literature (YAL) is one of the most engaging and effective tools to promote the goal of lifelong literacy for middle and high school students. This article addresses the stakes of exploring—or failing to explore—common perceptions and misperceptions of YAL. Readers' lives as family members, consumers, and students play roles in their judgment of the validity of YAL and in turn its validity for classroom study. Similarly, perceptions of YAL can depend on the various settings, or sites, of learning, including libraries, homes, and school settings. This article encourages all educators—those of preservice teachers as well as pre-K–12 teachers—to be aware of how their students' and their own perceptions of classroom materials are influenced by multiple selves as well as multiple sites of influence.
Vibrationally Resolved Fluorescence Excited with Submolecular Precision

Tunneling electrons from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) were used to excite photon emission from individual porphyrin molecules adsorbed on an ultrathin alumina film grown on a NiAl(110) surface. Vibrational features were observed in the light-emission spectra that depended sensitively on the different molecular conformations and corresponding electronic states obtained by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The high spatial resolution of the STM enabled the demonstration of variations in light-emission spectra from different parts of the molecule. These experiments realize the feasibility of fluorescence spectroscopy with the STM and enable the integration of optical spectroscopy with a nanoprobe for the investigation of single molecules.
Carbon Nanotubes-Based Label-Free Affinity Sensors for Environmental Monitoring

Nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanobelts, nanosprings, and nanotubes, are receiving growing interest as transducer elements of bio/chemical sensors as they provide high sensitivity, multiplexing, small size, and portability. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are one such class of nanostructure materials that exhibit superior sensing behavior due to its large-surface carbon atoms that are highly responsive to surface adsorption events. Further, their compatibility with modern microfabrication technologies and facile functionalization with molecular recognition elements make them promising candidates for bio/chemical sensors applications. Here, we review recent results on nanosensors based on SWNTs modified with biological receptors such as aptamers, antibodies, and binding proteins, to develop highly sensitive, selective, rapid, and cost-effective label-free chemiresistor/field-effect transistor nanobiosensors for applications in environmental monitoring.
The effects of turbulence on the pressure distribution around a rectangular prism

Abstract Pressure fields around a rectangular prism were studied using a new turbulence-generation technique. Employing jets blowing laterally to the main flow and stationary obstacles, the technique generates turbulent flows of varying scales. Results reported here constitute the first stage in a study of the effects of turbulence on the aeroelastic stability of long-span bridges. Past research in bridge stability has shown inconclusive results with respect to the scales of turbulence. Measurements were thus conducted in a host of flows holding the turbulence intensity constant while varying the integral scale. The integral scales of the incident flow had significant effects on the flow structure resulting in changes in the mean, rms, and negative peak pressure distributions.
Development Of Polymeric Nonlinear Optical Materials

New requirements for communications, computing, medical, and dedicated military systems stress the need for increasing speed, information content, and the controlled delivery of optical energy in specific forms. It is obvious that to meet these requirements, lightwave technology must be developed. Laser developments have satisfied many of the source requirements for these needs. Nonlinear optical (NLO) devices are desirable to process light derived from lasers so that systems capable of rapid, high information content communications or computing may be developed. NLO devices are needed for controlled delivery of energy at appropriate wavelengths. Currently available NLO inorganic crystalline materials are not adequate for the desired device characteristics. The intrinsic properties of organic NLO materials offer significant advantages in the magnitude of NLO effects over a broad range of wavelengths and the speed of NLO processes. Although organic crystalline materials eliminate these two major inadequacies of inorganic crystalline materials, fabrication requirements for NLO devices make single crystal technology unacceptable for most device designs.
Software Safety Standards: Evolution and Lessons Learned

As safety issues occur in many domains, software safety standards provide guidelines for development of software systems that operate in safety-critical environments. However, evolution of existing software safety standards diverges under various circumstances and environments. To understand the purpose of these standards on their domains and the effect of changing the environment on evolution of these standards, we conducted a survey on the history of the families of DO-178 (Commercial avionics), MIL-STD-882 (US Department of Defense), and DEF-STAN 00-56 (UK Ministry of Defense). Additionally, we learned that even in different environments, there are certain features in common that are preferred by industry and would likely be added to newer versions of the standard. In other words, these features are very likely to be must-haves when constructing new standards in the future.
Welcome from the CDC general chair

Welcome to Atlanta and the 49th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control. The CDC is the IEEE Control Systems Society's premier annual event and is organized in cooperation with the European Union Control Association (EUCA), the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and the Japanese Society for Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE). This is the first time that the CDC has been held in Atlanta and we hope that the southern charms of the city, the ease of access, and the many activities we have planned in addition to the strong technical program will make this an enjoyable and memorable event for you.
Ultraphyllonite origin for slate, mid-Atlantic Piedmont, USA

Abstract Structural, petrographic, and geochemical criteria are applied in combination to determine the petrologic origins of slaty rocks in polydeformed metasedimentary terranes. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the Peach Bottom slate (PBs), mined over several centuries, is an ultraphyllonite. It occurs within an Alleghanian dextral retraining bend within the Appalachian Piedmont, as a segment of the Pleasant Grove-Huntington Valley shear zone system (>200 km long). The PBs differs markedly from other slates, in that, it contains abundant, micro-scale remnant porphyroclasts of higher-grade minerals. The PBs has major, trace and rare earth element geochemistry and 147 Sm/ 143 Nd ratios that are similar to the surrounding pelitic rocks. When compared to average slates, the geochemistry of the PBs exhibits depletion in alkali earth and alkali elements. It is concluded that the PBs belt formed by ductile shear within a strike–slip duplex and is the low-grade metamorphic product derived by shearing higher-grade upper greenschist facies schists. This origin explains its extreme hardest, high density, and chemical homogeneity. With across strike thickness of ultraphyllonite approaching a kilometer and a strike length >30 km, its volume is similar to mylonite zones developed in granitoid rocks of higher grade terranes. Compared to these rocks, the PBs differs in composition, compositional homogeneity, fabric, and strain across the entire belt. The PBs cannot be a unique occurrence of a slate-belt that formed through deformation processes, therefore raising question about the origin of some pelitic slate-belts that occur within a similar tectonic setting in other orogens.
The Contours of the Messiah in Pesiqta Rabbati

Jewish messianic expectations have had multiple expressions. One such expression was Messiah Ephraim. The midrashic work Pesiqta Rabbati contains numerous messianic passages, as well as entire homilies, that focus mainly upon Messiah Ephraim. Ephraim, a son of Joseph, was adopted by Jacob (Gen 48:5). In Jewish texts other than Pesiq. Rab., the Ephraimite Messiah was consistently portrayed as a militant figure, a warrior. The objective of this article is to examine the messianic contours that apply both to Messiah Ephraim in Pesiq. Rab. and to Jesus in order to determine whether there are any Christian elements in the composition of certain passages in Pesiq. Rab.
The perception of multiple simultaneously presented forms as a function of foveal spacing)

Using five capital letters as the form stimuli and tachistoscopic presentation, an exposure duration was determined for each S that yielded 80% identification accuracy when single letter displays were presented. Then the increment in exposure duration necessary for a correct identification of all letters on a display on 80% of the trials was determined for 2, 3, and 4 letter displays. In view of evidence that perceptual independence breaks down when stimuli are spaced much closer than 1° apart in the fovea, the effect of different foveal spacing of the form stimuli in the display was studied. Spacings of 1/2, 3/4, and 1° of angle were employed. Less than a 30% increment in exposure duration was necessary to recognize 2 form displays at the same accuracy level as single form. But no further increase in exposure duration was necessary to recognize 3 and 4 form displays at the same accuracy criterion. Evidence for positive correlation of sensory perceptual error for forms spaced less than 1° apart in the fovea was found.
Combating fraud in health care: an essential component of any cost containment strategy.

Federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, are under attack by dishonest people who lie to the government and exploit its programs to steal taxpayers’ money. The full extent of health care fraud cannot be measured precisely. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimates that fraudulent billings to public and private health care programs are 3–10 percent of total health spending, or $75–$250 billion in fiscal year 2009. Successful efforts to stop such abuses, without unduly burdening legitimate providers, require aggressive, innovative, and sustained attention to protect taxpayers and beneficiaries.
Nonequilibrium and hysteretic low temperature dielectric response to strain in glasses

We present data on the nonequilibrium ac dielectric response of amorphous insulators to the application of a quasi-dc mechanical strain field below 150 mK. The behavior of the system after perturbation by a strain field is analogous to that observed after the application of a dc electrical field. In the current theoretical framework the nonequilibrium response is due to a time dependent density of states correction resulting from TLS-TLS interactions. In addition, an anomalous hysteresis in fast strain and electric field sweeps is reported which may represent the predicted dynamical response of relaxing independent TLS.
Discrete product systems and their C∗-algebras

Continuous product systems, or product systems over R+, were recently introduced by Arveson to develope an index theory for continuous semigroups of ∗-endomorphisms of B(H). In this paper, we continue his work by studying discrete product systems, or product systems over G+ where G is a countable dense subgroup of R. We give examples of discrete product systems and compute their automorphism groups. To each discrete product system E over G+, we associate a separable C∗-algebra OE(G) whose non-degenerate ∗-representations correspond bijectively to representations of E. This family of C∗-algebras may be regarded as analogues of Cuntz algebras or CAR algebras. In some degenerate cases, these C∗-algebras are the generalized Toeplitz algebras. We show that OE(G) is simple and study its gauge automorphisms, quasi-free automorphisms, and Fock state.
Community Technology Centers: Narrowing the Digital Divide in Low-Income, Urban Communities

As access to information technology (IT) and the ability to use it increasingly become part of the toolkit necessary to participate and prosper in an information-based society, many fear that the IT revolution is bypassing low-income, urban communities. In the absence of comprehensive public or private efforts to close the technology gap, community technology centers (CTCs) have emerged at the grassroots level. The purpose of this article is to describe the work CTCs are doing to address the economic and social impacts of the shift to an information society. In addition, we develop a typology of CTCs by organizational type and programmatic goal that is helpful in conceptualizing CTCs. This exploratory work is an important first step that must occur before answering tougher questions concerning their effectiveness, outcomes, and capacity.
Sensor saturation effects on NLTS measurements [of magnetoresistive sensors]

The effects of sensor saturation on measurements of nonlinear transition shift (NLTS) are compared for the harmonic elimination and extracted dibit methods. The error in the fifth harmonic method is sensitive to the normalized pulse width and to the amount of saturation; the NLTS measured by this technique underestimates the actual NLTS value, and the reduction can be more than 30% for reasonable values of PW/sub 50//T and sensor saturation. The NLTS calculated from the /spl epsiv//sub 1/ echo in the extracted dibit method is relatively insensitive to the amount of saturation, with errors typically less than 5%.
Activating action tendencies: The influence of action priming on alcohol consumption among male hazardous drinkers.

Objective: Despite the importance of action components in information processing models of substance-use motivation, there has been relatively little research that has specifically examined the effects of behavioral cues on motivation to use alcohol. The current study examined the effects of action priming on alcohol-use motivation. Method: One hundred and eighty-eight hazardous drinkers completed a cue-exposure procedure followed by a beer-tasting task. Participants were exposed to their preferred alcohol beverage while they either lifted the beverage (action prime) or leaned toward the beverage (control). Following alcohol-cue exposure, participants completed a taste-test procedure in which they sampled three glasses of beer. Urges to drink following cue exposure and volume of beer consumed during the taste test were the primary dependent variables. Results: Ratings of urge to drink increased in both prime conditions following alcohol-cue exposure and predicted the amount of beer consumed. The priming c...
Acoustics management for server debug validation platforms

Combination of higher cooling power with the introduction of fully buffered dual in-line memory module (FBD) memory technology and accessibility requirements for server validation platform have driven cooling fan selection at relatively high speeds resulting in high acoustic noise. Most validation platforms are open systems and hence the acoustic noise becomes worse without system walls to act as sound barriers. This paper presents the implementation of the dynamic and hard-coding fan control schemes for validation platforms based on analyses from thermal simulations to reduce the noise. The studies showed that these acoustic management schemes can reduce the noise by 6-15dB depending on the fan choice.
The use of knowledge management in telemedicine and perceived effects on patient care activities

This study investigates the relationship between telemedicine Knowledge Management (KM) activities and nurses' perceived efficiency and effectiveness of telemedicine in home health. Drawing from KM concepts, we propose that nurses who engage more frequently in telemedicine KM activities perceive telemedicine to contribute to efficiency and effectiveness of care. Primary data were collected from 917 nurses from 2004-2005. Results indicate a significant association between combined explicit and tacit KM activities using telemedicine and perceived efficiency and effectiveness of telemedicine. We conclude that telemedicine KM activities have a positive impact on perceived efficiency and effectiveness of care in home health.
Short-Lived Climate Pollution

Although carbon dioxide emissions are by far the most important mediator of anthropogenic climate disruption, a number of shorter-lived substances with atmospheric lifetimes of under a few decades also contribute significantly to the radiative forcing that drives climate change. In recent years, the argument that early and aggressive mitigation of the emission of these substances or their precursors forms an essential part of any climate protection strategy has gained a considerable following. There is often an implication that such control can in some way make up for the current inaction on carbon dioxide emissions. The prime targets for mitigation, known collectively as short-lived climate pollution (SLCP), are methane, hydrofluo-rocarbons, black carbon, and ozone. A re-examination of the issues shows that the benefits of early SLCP mitigation have been greatly exaggerated, largely because of inadequacies in the methodologies used to compare the climate effects of short-lived substances with those of CO...
Collective Experience: A Database-Fuelled, Inter-Disciplinary Team-Led Learning System

We describe the framework of a data-fuelled, interdisciplinary team-led learning system. The idea is to build models using patients from one’s own institution whose features are similar to an index patient as regards an outcome of interest, in order to predict the utility of diagnostic tests and interventions, as well as inform prognosis. The Laboratory of Computational Physiology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed and maintains MIMIC-II, a public deidentified high- resolution database of patients admitted to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. It hosts teams of clinicians (nurses, doctors, pharmacists) and scientists (database engineers, modelers, epidemiologists) who translate the day-to-day questions during rounds that have no clear answers in the current medical literature into study designs, perform the modeling and the analysis and publish their findings. The studies fall into the following broad categories: identification and interrogation of practice variation, predictive modeling of clinical outcomes within patient subsets and comparative effectiveness research on diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions. Clinical databases such as MIMIC-II, where recorded health care transactions - clinical decisions linked with patient outcomes - are constantly uploaded, become the centerpiece of a learning system.
Associations of Physiological Factors, Age, and Sensory Over-Responsivity with Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among physiological factors, age, sensory over-responsivity (SOR) and food selectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). METHODS: One hundred forty-one parents of children with ASD were recruited through a national autism organization, Autism Speaks, to fill out a survey regarding their child’s mealtime behavior. Survey contained items to measure the severity of food selectivity behavior, the presence of physiological factors (i.e., reflux, constipation, food allergies and the need for a specialized diet) and sensory over-responsivity (SOR). Results were analyzed using Chi Square, ANOVA and logistic regression. RESULTS: No relationship between physiological factors and level of food selectivity was found. Older children in the 3-9 year old range did not have more foods in their diet repertoire than younger children. Finally, children with fewer than 10 and those with 11-20 foods in their diet (i.e., severe food selectivity and moderate food selectivity respectively) were found to have significantly higher scores on a measure of SOR when compared to children with 21+ foods (typical selectivity). CONCLUSIONS: When addressing food selectivity in children with ASD, consideration of the possibility that the child may not outgrow restricted diets is warranted. Also, treatment for food selectivity may be more effective if SOR is included in protocol.
Suppressing Secrecy Through Metacognitive Ease Cognitive Fluency Encourages Self-Disclosure

Understanding when people reveal unfavorable information about themselves is both practically and theoretically important. Existing research suggests that people tend not to adopt stable disclosure strategies, and consequently disclose too much information in some situations (e.g., embarrassing personal information on Facebook) and too little in other situations (e.g., risky sexual behavior to a physician during diagnosis of a possible sexually transmitted disease). We sought to identify a domain-general cue that predicts self-disclosure patterns. We found that metacognitive ease, or fluency, promoted greater disclosure, both in tightly controlled lab studies (Studies 1a, 1b, and 3) and in an ecologically valid on-line field study (Study 4). Disfluency tended to prime thoughts and emotions associated with risk, which might be one reason why people who experience disfluency are less comfortable with self-disclosure (Studies 2 and 3). We conclude by discussing the implications of these results for theory and clinical practice.
Comparison of models including cytoplasmic effects for traits of Rambouillet sheep

The objective was to determine appropriate analytical models considering cytoplasmic inheritance for birth weight (BWT, n=35,604), weaning weight (WWT, n=34,114), fleece weight (FWT, n=38,113) and number born (NB, n=39,029) for Rambouillet sheep. For BWT, models that included dam by year, dam by number born, and sire by dam effects, in addition to direct and maternal effects, were significantly better than the basic maternal effects model. For WWT, variances due to direct, maternal, and maternal permanent environmental effects (0.05 of variance) were not zero. For FWT, heritability was 0.55 for all models, but models with dam by year (0.02), sire by dam (0.05), and sire by cytoplasmic line (0.02) were jointly significantly better than models with permanent environmental effects. For NB, only direct heritability (0.08) and relative permanent environmental variance (0.04) were not zero. No trait showed evidence of variation due to cytoplasmic effects. Adding seldom considered effects to the model did not change estimates of variance due to direct and maternal genetic effects. Variance due to dominance effects may be important for BWT and FWT. The basic direct-maternal effects model seems sufficient for genetic evaluations for WWT and FWT but models for BWT and NB may need to include other effects.
Reflection coefficient of a parallel-plate waveguide illuminating a conducting sheet

The TEM mode reflection coefficient is analyzed for a symmetric parallel-plate waveguide composed of adjacent conducting wedges and radiating into a perfectly reflecting sheet oriented normal to the guide axis. Using the wedge diffraction method, the reflection from the conducting sheet is treated in terms of successive contributions or bounces that describe the interacting waves between the waveguide wedges and the reflecting sheet. For guides with small wedge angles (less than 75 degrees), the interacting waves can be treated as plane waves, and thus the reflection coefficient can be obtained through what is referred to as the self-consistent procedure. For guides with large wedge angles each of the interacting bounce waves can be resolved into component cylindrical waves. The total reflection from the sheet is then obtained by summing these iterative contributions. Calculated results from this analysis are in good agreement with measurements.
Castration reduces platelet thromboxane A2 receptor density and aggregability.

Background: Exogenously administered testosterone upregulates platelet thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptors and increases aggregation response to thromboxane mimetics in healthy male volunteers. However, the biological impact of endogenous testosterone on platelet TXA2 receptor expression, especially in older men at risk of coronary artery disease, is unclear. Aim: To investigate the impact of reduction in circulating testosterone on platelet TXA2 receptor expression in older men. Design: Cross-sectional case-control study. Methods: We studied surgically and/or medically castrated men with prostate cancer (group A, n = 8, aged 71 ± 8 years) and age-matched, uncastrated urology patients (group B, n = 7, aged 67 ± 9 years). Plasma testosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay. Platelet TXA2 receptor expression was assessed by radioligand binding studies using radioactive 125I-BOP. Platelet aggregation responses to TXA2-mimetic I-BOP, and to thrombin, were also studied. Results: Group A had significantly lower plasma testosterone than group B (16 ± 5 ng/dl vs. 308 ± 47 ng/dl, p <0.001). Platelet TXA2 receptor density (Bmax) but not affinity (Kd) was lower in group A (0.50 ± 0.12 vs. 1.01 ± 0.17 pmol/mg protein, p = 0.03). Maximum platelet aggregation response to I-BOP (Emax), but not sensitivity (EC50) was lower in group A (53 ± 2% vs. 63 ± 2%, p = 0.003 ANOVA). In vitro , high concentrations of hydroxyflutamide (100 μM) competitively inhibited U46619-induced platelet aggregation in washed platelets, without affecting the binding of 125I-BOP to platelet TXA2 receptors. Discussion: Endogenous testosterone regulates platelet TXA2 receptor Bmax and the Emax aggregation response to thromboxane mimetic I-BOP. Blockade of androgen receptors or inhibition of testosterone production may reduce platelet aggregation responses. Preliminary evidence suggests the presence of functional androgen receptors on human platelets, which may regulate TXA2 receptor expression.
A Parallel Implementation of a Hidden Markov Model with Duration Modeling for Speech Recognition

Abstract Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are currently the most successful paradigm for speech recognition. Although explicit duration continuous HMMs more accurately model speech than HMMs with implicit duration modeling, the cost of accurate duration modeling is often considered prohibitive. This paper describes a parallel implementation of an HMM with explicit duration modeling for spoken language recognition on the MasPar MP-1. The MP-1 is a fine-grained SIMD architecture with 16384 processing elements (PEs) arranged in a 128 × 128 mesh. By exploiting the massive parallelism of explicit duration HMMs, development and testing is practical even for large amounts of data. The result of this work is a parallel speech recognizer that can train a phone recognizer in real time. We present several extensions that include context dependent modeling, word recognition, and implicit duration HMMs.
Phenotype/genotype correlations in a DFNB1 cohort with ethnical diversity.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to 1) determine the prevalence of DFNB1 in a cohort of children with prelingual nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss (HL), 2) study phenotype/genotype correlations, and 3) establish guidelines for genetic counseling of DFNB1. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 119 unrelated children (107 sporadic and 12 familial cases) with prelingual nonsyndromic HL underwent mutational screening for DFNB1 in the noncoding and coding exons of GJB2, in addition to the del(GJB6-D13S1830) mutation of GJB6. Information regarding demographics, HL, developmental milestones, inner ear high resolution computed tomography, hearing habilitation, and associated phenotypic manifestations were collected in probands with biallelic pathogenic mutations. Results: The prevalence of DFNB1 in cases of prelingual nonsyndromic HL was 26% (25% in sporadic and 50% in familial cases). In regards to ethnicity, 19 probands were white and 12 probands of Hispanic ancestry had a mixed racial origin (black, Native-American, white). Greater allelic heterogeneity was shown with Hispanics of mixed descent exhibiting 10 of 12 GJB2 allelic variants, whereas whites had 4 of 10 allelic variants (Fisher exact test, P = .033); both ethnic groups had theGJB6 deletion. The frequency of deaf carriers of the most commonly found mutation (c.35delG) was 8% and higher than that of expected for the general population (Fisher exact test, P = .015). The hearing phenotype was variable in terms of degree of impairment (from mild to profound),onset, symmetry and progression, and there was no correlation with any specific genotype class. DFNB1 probandshad normal gross motor development, and the frequency of computed tomography abnormalities of the inner ear was low at 8%. No other specific associated phenotypic manifestations were identified. Conclusions: DFNB1 is the most common identifiable etiology of nonsyndromic prelingual deafness both in sporadic and familial cases in this cohort with ethnic diversity. The greater allelic variability observed in Hispanics and the high frequency of deaf probands carrying a single allelic variant of DFNB1 support extending the screening to noncoding regions of GJB2 and to the remaining DFNB1 locus. Most probands have a congenital HL that is stable, symmetrical and without associated manifestations, but the audiometric profile should not be the only criteria for offering mutational screening of DFNB1 because of the observed variability. These data can be applied to direct the clinical evaluation and effectively counsel families of children with DFNB1.
Integrating aquatic and terrestrial components to construct a complete carbon budget for a north temperate lake district

The development of complete regional carbon (C) budgets for different biomes is an integral step in the effort to predict global response and potential feedbacks to a changing climate regime. Wetland and lake contributions to regional C cycling remain relatively uncertain despite recent research highlighting their importance. Using a combination of field surveys and tower-based carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) flux measurements, modeling, and published literature, we constructed a complete C budget for the Northern Highlands Lake District in northern Wisconsin/ Michigan, a ~6400km 2 region rich in lakes and wetlands. This is one of the first regional C budgets to incorporate aquatic and terrestrial C cycling under the same framework. We divided the landscape into three major compartments (forests, wetlands, and surface waters) and quantified all major C fluxes into and out of those compartments, with a particular focus on atmospheric exchange but also including sedimentation in lakes and hydrologic fluxes. Landscape C storage was dominated by peat-containing wetlands and lake sediments, which make up only 20% and 13% of the landscape area, respectively, but contain > 80% of the total fixed C pool (ca. 400 Tg). We estimated a current regional C accumulation of 1.1 ± 0.1 Tg yr -1 , and the largest regional flux was forest net ecosystem exchange (NEE) into aggrading forests for a total of 1.0 ± 0.1 Tg yr -1 . Mean wetland NEE (0.12 ± 0.06Tg yr -1 into wetlands), lake CO 2 emissions and riverine efflux (each ca. 0.03 ± 0.01 Tg yr -1 ) were smaller but of consequence to the overall budget. Hydrologic transport from uplands/wetlands to surface waters within the region was an important vector of terrestrial C. Regional C fluxes and pools would be misrepresented without inclusion of surface waters and wetlands, and C budgets in heterogeneous landscapes open opportunities to examine the sensitivities of important fluxes to changes in climate and land use/land cover.
The enhancement of hemodynamic performance in Fontan circulation using pain free spontaneous ventilation

Objective: Positive pressure ventilation is known to have a deleterious effect on pulmonary blood flow in patients with Fontan physiology. We evaluated the hemodynamic effects of pain free, spontaneous, non-positive pressure ventilation in patients undergoing Fontan staging procedures or completion. Fontan procedures, with creation of low pressure passive pulmonary circulation. Methods: Between May 1997 and May 1999 50 consecutive patients undergoing either bi-directional Glenn (BDG, n = 23) or completion Fontan (n = 27), were managed with early extubation. Anaesthetic management included continuous narcotics, caudal block, epidural block, or hyperbaric spinal. Post-operative management included low dose dopamine (3 mcg/kg per min), nitro-glycerine (0.3 mcg/kg per min) and nitroprusside (0.3 mcg/kg per min). Post-operative management was identical for all patients. Twelve patients were randomly selected to undergo continuous cardiac output and cardiac index (CI) determinations utilizing extra vascular Doppler probes placed on the ascending aorta, allowing for continuous aortic diameter and Doppler wave form velocity recordings. All patients were extubated either in the operating room or within one hour postoperatively. There were no deaths and no complications in the series. Mean length of stay (LOS) for BDG was 4.3 ± 0.5 days. Mean LOS for Fontan patients was 11 ± 4 days. Results: Mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) fell from 19 ± 3.464 pre-extubation to 14 ± 3.271 immediately post-extubation, 13.2 ± 2.261 6 h post-extubation, and 11.7 ± 2.146 12 h post-extubation. All decreases in MPAP post-extubation were significant (P = < 0.05). CI pre-extubation was 3.25 ± 1.09, immediately post-extubation 5.05 ± 1.297, 12 h post-extubation 6.225 ± 1.19, All increases in CI post-extubation were significant (P= <0.05). Conclusion: Resumption of pain free, spontaneous, non-positive pressure ventilation enhances hemodynamic performance in patients with Fontan circulation and clearly improves outcome.
Active rehabilitation with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation in a pediatric patient

Background Active physical rehabilitation while bridged to lung transplantation with venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an evolving treatment option in adults with limited published experience in pediatric patients.
Lung cancer—a fractal viewpoint

Fractals are mathematical constructs that show self-similarity over a range of scales and non-integer (fractal) dimensions. Owing to these properties, fractal geometry can be used to efficiently estimate the geometrical complexity, and the irregularity of shapes and patterns observed in lung tumour growth (over space or time), whereas the use of traditional Euclidean geometry in such calculations is more challenging. The application of fractal analysis in biomedical imaging and time series has shown considerable promise for measuring processes as varied as heart and respiratory rates, neuronal cell characterization, and vascular development. Despite the advantages of fractal mathematics and numerous studies demonstrating its applicability to lung cancer research, many researchers and clinicians remain unaware of its potential. Therefore, this Review aims to introduce the fundamental basis of fractals and to illustrate how analysis of fractal dimension (FD) and associated measurements, such as lacunarity (texture) can be performed. We describe the fractal nature of the lung and explain why this organ is particularly suited to fractal analysis. Studies that have used fractal analyses to quantify changes in nuclear and chromatin FD in primary and metastatic tumour cells, and clinical imaging studies that correlated changes in the FD of tumours on CT and/or PET images with tumour growth and treatment responses are reviewed. Moreover, the potential use of these techniques in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of lung cancer are discussed.
Low-Income Housing Subsidies

In Sinai and Waldfogel’s (2005) paper, “Do low-income housing subsidies increase the occupied housing stock?”, the effect of housing subsidies on the supply of housing stock is dissected. The purpose of the authors’ research was to determine if the quantity of occupied housing per capita increases due to subsidized housing. Are more people finding housing or are they just being housed less densely? However, if subsidized housing is crowding out low-income housing of similar quality instead, then the housing policies have little effect on housing consumption. Of two different types of housing subsidy programs, which is most effective? Sinai and Waldfogel delve into the different types of subsidies, propose a simple framework for analyzing their effect, define and analyze the data, and provide evidence of the impact that subsidized housing policies have on housing consumption as a whole.
Disruption of Planetary Orbits Through Evection Resonance with an External Companion: Circumbinary Planets and Multiplanet Systems

Planets around binary stars and those in multiplanet systems may experience resonant eccentricity excitation and disruption due to perturbations from a distant stellar companion. This "evection resonance" occurs when the apsidal precession frequency of the planet, driven by the quadrupole associated with the inner binary or the other planets, matches the orbital frequency of the external companion. We develop an analytic theory to study the effects of evection resonance on circumbinary planets and multiplanet systems. We derive the general conditions for effective eccentricity excitation or resonance capture of the planet as the system undergoes long-term evolution. Applying to circumbinary planets, we show that inward planet migration may lead to eccentricity growth due to evection resonance with an external perturber, and planets around shrinking binaries may not survive the resonant eccentricity growth. On the other hand, significant eccentricity excitation in multiplanet systems occurs in limited parameter space of planet and binary semimajor axes, and requires the planetary migration to be sufficiently slow.
Venous air embolism: an unusual complication of atlantoaxial arthrodesis: case report.

Study design A unique case of a patient with intraoperative venous air embolism (VAE) during atlantoaxial arthrodesis has been discussed. Objective To describe an uncommon complication of atlantoaxial arthrodesis, VAE. Summary of background data Although several techniques for atlantoaxial arthrodesis have proven effective, lateral mass or pedicle screw constructs have been shown to have superior strength with acceptable morbidity. Placement of lateral mass or pedicle screws into the C1 or C2 vertebrae requires consideration of relevant local anatomy, including vascular and nervous structures. We present a rare complication of surgery in this anatomic distribution, VAE. To the authors' knowledge, there has been no similar report described. Methods A previously healthy 38-year-old man was found to have os odontoideum with atlantoaxial instability; arthrodesis was thus planned, with C1 lateral mass and C2 pedicle screws. Intraoperatively, during dissection of the C1-C2 joint capsule, the patient experienced a precipitous drop in blood pressure, end-tidal CO2, and oxygen saturation. Shortly thereafter, the patient was noted to be asystolic. Result With suspicion for air embolus, the surgical field was flooded with irrigant, the incision closed with haste, and the patient rolled to the supine position. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated with return of pulse within minutes. A transesophageal echocardiogram was performed approximately 15 minutes after the onset of suspected air embolus, revealing increased atrial pressures consistent with VAE. Following echocardiogram, the patient was returned to prone position for completion of arthrodesis. Remaining surgery and arousal were uneventful. Conclusion This is the first report of intraoperative VAE occurring with atlantoaxial arthrodesis. Enlarged venous anastomoses present at the atlantoaxial junction should be taken into consideration during surgical dissection, and the potential danger of VAE with atlantoaxial arthrodesis should be understood. With aggressive intraoperative treatment, this patient suffered no long-term complications.
Pu(V)O2+ adsorption and reduction by synthetic magnetite (Fe3O4).

Changes in aqueous- and solid-phase Pu oxidation state were monitored over time in magnetite (Fe3O4) suspensions containing 239Pu(V)-amended 0.01 M NaCl. Oxidation state distribution was determined by leaching of Pu into an aqueous phase followed by an ultrafiltration/solvent extraction technique. The capability of the technique to measure Pu oxidation state distribution was verified using 230Th(IV), 237Np(V), and 233U(VI) as oxidation state analogues. Reduction of Pu(V) was observed at all pH values (pH 3 to 8) and magnetite concentrations (10 to 100 m2 L-1). In the pH range 5 to 8, adsorption was a rate-limiting step, and reduction was mediated by the solid phase; at pH 3 reduction occurred in the aqueous phase. The overall reaction (describing both adsorption and reduction of Pu(V)) was found to be approximately first order with respect to the magnetite concentration and of order −0.34 ± 0.02 with respect to the hydrogen ion concentration. Assuming first order dependence with respect to Pu, the overall...
One-cycle Controlled Three-level Active Power Filter with the i_p-i_q Detecting Method

A shunt active power filter(APF)is a device that compensates reactive power and harmonic currents from a group of nonlinear loads.In order to not only compensate harmonic component,reactive power component,both harmonic and reactive power component,respectively,but also apply APF to higher voltage,higher power and lower distortion of output current waveform applications,a one-cycle controlled APF with neutral-point-clamped(NPC)converter and the ip-iq detecting method is presented for the first time.With the ip-iq detecting algorithm,reference signals for different compensation objectives are generated by calculating load harmonic component and reactive power component,respectively.The theoretical analysis and circuit simulation results verify that this APF can fulfill harmonics compensation,reactive power elimination,both harmonic and reactive power component compensation effectively.In addition,there is no influence on compensating results under distorted voltage circumstance.Therefore,applying the ip-iq detecting method to one-cycle controlled three-level APF has merits of multiple compensating objectives,no influence on compensating results,simplicity of one-cycle control strategy and lower distortion of output current waveform.