cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correction prediction: Reducing error correction latency for on-chip memories

The reliability of on-chip memories (e.g., caches) determines their minimum operating voltage (V min ) and, therefore, the power these memories consume. A strong error correction mechanism can be used to tolerate the increasing memory cell failure rate as supply voltage is reduced. However, strong error correction often incurs a high latency relative to the on-chip memory access time. We propose correction prediction where a fast mechanism predicts the result of strong error correction to hide the long latency of correction. Subsequent pipeline stages execute using the predicted values while the long latency strong error correction attempts to verify the correctness of the predicted values in parallel. We present a simple correction prediction implementation, CP, which uses a fast, but weak error correction mechanism as the correction predictor. Our evaluations for a 32KB 4-way set associative SRAM LI cache show that the proposed implementation, CP, reduces the average cache access latency by 38%–52% compared to using a strong error correction scheme alone. This reduces the energy of a 2-issue in-order core by 16%–21%.
Boner-II an On-Line Multi-Laboratory Data Acquisition System

BONER-II, a revision of BONER, a programmed on-line multi-laboratory data acquisition system implemented on Bonner Nuclear Laboratories' IBM 1800 Computer, supported by IBM's Time-Sharing Executive (TSX), and interfaced with Bonner Laboratories' Experiment Control Unit (ECU), incorporates the following features: i) independent concurrent acquisition and analysis of data from a maximum of eight laboratories; ii) dynamic real-time storage allocation of data input/output buffer blocks, processed or unprocessed data analysis buffer blocks, and program blocks; iii) garbage collection and relocation of core blocks to optimize usage of core; iv) dynamic allocation and release of peripheral equipment to accommodate the varying needs of the various laboratories; v) selective program-controlled display of data analysis buffers; vi) queueing of non-process function programs to operate on displayed data analysis buffers; vii) partial or total real-time data analyses (the percentage of which can be varied by the experimenter); viii) non-process time-sharing of program compilation and debugging, or data analyses as coordinated by TSX when BONER-II is not in control. This paper will discuss the software implementation of BONER-II to a multi-laboratory environment for the purpose of maximizing usage of computer resources while minimizing the experimenter's need to interact with the computer data acquisition system.
Early and late recurrence of ischemic lesion on MRI: Evidence for a prolonged stroke-prone state?

Background: Based on previous observations of a high rate of ischemic lesion recurrence on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) within 1 week after an acute ischemic stroke, the authors hypothesized that silent new ischemic lesions are common between 1 week and 90 days after index stroke and that early lesion recurrence may be associated with late lesion recurrence. Methods: The authors studied 80 acute ischemic stroke patients who had initial MRI performed within 48 hours, and follow-up scans at 5 days and at 30 or 90 days after onset. Early lesion recurrences were defined as new ischemic lesions on 5-day DWI, and late lesion recurrences were defined as those on 30- or 90-day DWI or fluid attenuation inversion recovery image. Early lesion recurrence occurring outside the initial perfusion deficit was termed distant lesion recurrence. Results: Late lesion recurrence occurred in 26%, more frequently observed on 30-day MRI than 90-day MRI ( p = 0.016). Early lesion recurrence (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.3 to 11.7) and distant early lesion recurrence (OR 6.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 32.2) were independently associated with late lesion recurrence by multiple logistic regression analyses. Conclusions: There may be a continued risk for recurrent ischemic lesions in the weeks following the clinically symptomatic stroke. Future studies are needed to investigate whether MRI-defined ischemic lesion recurrences predict subsequent clinical recurrence and thus may be a potential surrogate endpoint in stroke secondary prevention trials.
Isolation and expansion of human natural T regulatory cells for cellular therapy

Abstract Natural T regulatory cells (nTregs) play a key role in inducing and maintaining immunological tolerance. Cell-based therapy using purified nTregs is under consideration for several conditions, but procedures employed to date have resulted in cell populations that are contaminated with cytokine secreting effector cells. We have established a method for isolation and ex vivo expansion of human nTregs from healthy blood donors for cellular therapy aimed at preventing allograft rejection in organ transplants. The Robosep instrument was used for initial nTreg isolation and rapamycin was included in the expansion phase of cell cultures. The resulting cell population exhibited a stable CD4 + CD25 ++bright Foxp3 + phenotype, had potent functional ability to suppress CD4 + CD25 negative T cells without evidence of conversion to effector T cells including TH17 cells, and manifested little to no production of pro-inflammatory cytokines upon in vitro stimulation. Boolean gating analysis of cytokine-expressing cells by flow cytometry for 32 possible profile end points revealed that 96% of expanded nTregs did not express any cytokine. From a single buffy coat, approximately 80 million pure nTregs were harvested after expansion under cGMP conditions; these cell numbers are adequate for infusion of approximately one million cells kg −1 for cell therapy in clinical trials.
Learning to Understand Descartes

Books reviewed in this article: Janet Broughton, Descartes's Method of Doubt Joseph Almog, Who Am I? Descartes and the Mind-Body Problem
A SENSITIVE METHOD FOR SPECTROPHOTOFLUOROMETRIC ASSAY OF CATECHOLAMINES.

Abstract A method for the assay of catecholamines in tissues is described. The advantage of this method, which is essentially a combination of the butanol extraction with aluminum adsorption, is the rapidity of execution and high sensitivity (10–20ng). This greater sensitivity is mainly due to the very low fluorescence reading of tissue blanks.
Interrelationships of the thyroid and pituitary in embryonic and premetamorphic stages of the frog, Rana pipiens.

The following is a summary of the pattern of development of pituitary-thyroid interrelations in the amphibian as they have been determined in this study: The earliest effect observed is the binding of I131 in the stage 24 thyroid in response to exogenous mammalian TSH. At stage 25 the thyroid first responds to an autotransplanted juxta-thyroid pituitary primordium indicating that the transplanted undifferentiated primordium is first capable of producing endogenous TSH at this stage. The first concentration of I131 by the normal or hypophysectomized tadpole occurs at late stage 25-I. Concurrently with the onset of normal thyroid function at late stage 25-I, body tissues first visibly respond to artificial high levels of thyroid hormone (thyroxine, triiodothyronine, triiodothyropropionic acid). From the time responses first appear the different body tissues react in varying degrees and in different ways to the specific hormones used. Circulating endogenous TSH is first indicated by the difference in thyroid function between normal and hypophysectomized tadpoles at stage III. Depression of thyroidal I131 uptake at stage III by excess exogenous thyroxine or triiodothyronine demonstrates the first sensitivity of the pituitary or hypothalamic feedback control mechanisms to excess thyroid hormone. At stage III the anterior pituitary first shows a cytological response of increased basophilia to a lower than normal level of circulating thyroid hormone brought about by thiourea treatment. At stage VI excess triiodothyronine, in addition to depressing thyroidal uptake, also causes an increased basophilia in the anterior pituitary. Excess thyroxine depresses uptake but does not produce the cytological effect in the anterior pituitary. This may be related to a differential sensitivity of a higher control center to these agents. The first sudden increase in the level of thyroid hormone production, observed as an increase in the 48-hr per cent uptake of I131 from 1 to 12%, occurs between stages XII and XIV. Also during stages XII–XIV the first signs of rapid metamorphosis appear. Endogenous hormone levels are high enough to produce these signs (rapid leg length increase; tail size, body size, and weight decrease). This is the first easily recognizable sign of thyroid hormone release. By stages XV–XIX the maximal level of thyroid function is reached, the mean 48-hr thyroidal I131 uptake being 43%. This high rate of activity may be under an as yet underfined hypothalamic control.
Effects of two types of feeding on the weight and open-field behavior of rats

Rats were fed either in their cages or by placing food in receptacles outside but attached to the cage. The method of feeding had a significant effect on the ad lib weights of the rats but did not affect their open-field behavior.
Endoglin Promotes Transforming Growth Factor β-mediated Smad 1/5/8 Signaling and Inhibits Endothelial Cell Migration through Its Association with GIPC

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signals through two distinct pathways to regulate endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, the ALK-1/Smad 1/5/8 and ALK-5/Smad2/3 pathways. Endoglin is a co-receptor predominantly expressed in endothelial cells that participates in TGFβ-mediated signaling with ALK-1 and ALK-5 and regulates critical aspects of cellular and biological responses. The embryonic lethal phenotype of knock-out mice because of defects in angiogenesis and disease-causing mutations resulting in human vascular diseases both support essential roles for endoglin, ALK-1, and ALK-5 in the vasculature. However, the mechanism by which endoglin mediates TGF-β signaling through ALK-1 and ALK-5 has remained elusive. Here we describe a novel interaction between endoglin and GIPC, a scaffolding protein known to regulate cell surface receptor expression and trafficking. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence confocal studies both demonstrate a specific interaction between endoglin and GIPC in endothelial cells, mediated by a class I PDZ binding motif in the cytoplasmic domain of endoglin. Subcellular distribution studies demonstrate that endoglin recruits GIPC to the plasma membrane and co-localizes with GIPC in a TGFβ-independent manner, with GIPC-promoting cell surface retention of endoglin. Endoglin specifically enhanced TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Smad 1/5/8, increased a Smad 1/5/8 responsive promoter, and inhibited endothelial cell migration in a manner dependent on the ability of endoglin to interact with GIPC. These studies define a novel mechanism for the regulation of endoglin signaling and function in endothelial cells and demonstrate a new role for GIPC in TGF-β signaling.
Dynamics of MRI lesion development in an animal model of viral-induced acute progressive CNS demyelination.

Abstract Theiler's murine encephalitis virus (TMEV) infection in mice is an established model of CNS demyelinating diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the chronological pattern of lesion development in this model of monophasic fulminant demyelinating disease. We followed six highly susceptible interferon-gamma receptor knockout mice with serial in vivo brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies to determine changes in overall T2 lesion load and gadolinium enhancement. Altogether, 163 individual lesions were followed over 52 days. The number of lesions increased linearly with time. Four chronological patterns of lesion development were seen: (a) expanding lesions (48.5% of all lesions, 54.05% volume contribution); (b) expanding–retracting lesions (20.85% of all lesions, 15.03% volume contribution); (c) fluctuating lesions (16.6% of all lesions, 28.8% volume contribution); (d) stable lesions (14.05% of all lesions, 2.12% volume contribution). Gadolinium enhancement was not seen in the evolution of every lesion. Enhancement was both time- and lesion type-dependent. Early in the disease course ( 43 days after infection) it was only seen in 8% of new lesions. All of fluctuating, 85.3% of expanding, 83.5% of expanding–retracting, and 56.5% of stable lesions were associated with gadolinium enhancement. We conclude that the MRI features of TMEV-induced demyelination in this model showed four unique chronological patterns, and inconsistent gadolinium enhancement. These novel findings may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of acute fulminant multiple sclerosis (MS).
Nanostructured carbon–metal oxide composite electrodes for supercapacitors: a review

This paper presents a review of the research progress in the carbon–metal oxide composites for supercapacitor electrodes. In the past decade, various carbon–metal oxide composite electrodes have been developed by integrating metal oxides into different carbon nanostructures including zero-dimensional carbon nanoparticles, one-dimensional nanostructures (carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers), two-dimensional nanosheets (graphene and reduced graphene oxides) as well as three-dimensional porous carbon nano-architectures. This paper has described the constituent, the structure and the properties of the carbon–metal oxide composites. An emphasis is placed on the synergistic effects of the composite on the performance of supercapacitors in terms of specific capacitance, energy density, power density, rate capability and cyclic stability. This paper has also discussed the physico-chemical processes such as charge transport, ion diffusion and redox reactions involved in supercapacitors.
Control of Grain Boundary Microstructures in Liquid-Phase Sintered Alumina

The elimination of the grain boundary liquid in liquid-phase sintered materials is examined for the case of anorthite liquid in alumina grain boundaries. It is shown that under suitable conditions the liquid can exude from the grain boundary to the free surface. The proposed driving force is provided by the difference in energies and wetting behavior of the grain boundary and the free surface at high temperatures. The results emphasize the importance of the crystallography of the boundary and the nature of free surfaces (i.e., the surface energies) on the exudation behavior.
Layered priority encoded transmission for video streaming to heterogeneous clients

A scheme based on priority encoded transmission (PET), in which a movie is encoded and transmitted in parallel over multiple layers is presented in this paper. Clients can "tune in" to a suitable number of layers according to their bandwidth constraints, and begin watching the movie with commensurate delays. This scheme is extended to layered PET transmissions over multiple channels to support heterogeneous clients. The schemes can be implemented both using MDS block codes or the recently discovered fountain codes. For a movie of segments the layers and the channels will be having an algorithm to determine the optimal channel-to-layer mapping
Rapid Degradation of Neurotensin by Intact Murine Neuroblastoma Cells (Clone N1E‐115)

Murine neuroblastoma clone N1E-115, which possesses receptors for neurotensin mediating the formation of intracellular cyclic GMP and the stimulation of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, exhibited only partial desensitization to neurotensin. This result led to the observation that neurotensin was very rapidly degraded by intact N1E-115 cells. In experiments measuring the time course of [3H]neurotensin degradation, a minimum of six major tritiated products were found, with the breakdown peptides formed and the degree of proteolysis of [3H]neurotensin being dependent upon the length of incubation and the concentration of cells. Clone N1E-115 degraded [3H]neurotensin in an apparently sequential fashion; the primary initial cleavage of intact neurotensin was at the peptide bond between residues Arg8 and Arg9. Initial degradation peptides from the active carboxyl-terminal portion of neurotensin were more rapidly degraded, after formation, than were the peptides from the inactive amino-terminal half of neurotensin. The final two degradation products found were tyrosine, from the carboxyl-terminal portion of neurotensin, and an as yet unidentified peptide from the amino-terminal half of neurotensin. [3H]Neurotensin(8–13) was more rapidly hydrolyzed under identical conditions than was [3H]neurotensin itself. A combination of the protease inhibitors 1, 10-phenanthroline and Z-Pro-Prolinal was able to inhibit almost completely the degradation of neurotensin by clone N1E-115.
Spectral Analysis of Optimal and Suboptimal Gyro Monitoring Filters

Gyro monitoring filters are used to estimate and correct gyro drift rates of local-level inertial navigation systems. Conventional gyro monitoring filters are usually designed based on a simplified model of gyro drift rate. Furthermore, the effectiveness of these filters-and of many filters of the "Kalman" type-is often measured in terms of the root mean square (rms) criterion in contrast to the spectral content criterion typical of classical Wiener filtering theory. This paper has two objectives: to propose a gyro monitoring filter which is based on a more detailed model of gyro drift rate; and to propose a method of filter performance evaluation which uses as criterion a measure of the spectral content of the error process. The proposed gyro monitoring filter is shown to have improved spectral contents resulting in superior navigation performance for the gyro error models used in the calculations (comparable to commercial-grade aircraft gyros).
Reflections on integrative and comparative movement neuroscience

Abstract Integrative movement neuroscience involves blending "inside-out" and "outside-in" approaches in the study of posture and movement. The former is characterized by determining the properties of single cells within the central nervous system (CNS) and then ascertaining how these properties influence the operation of CNS microcircuits, single reflexes, groups of reflexes, and generators of central pattern. This information is then used to theorize about CNS control of overt motor behavior. In contrast, the outside-in approach begins with analysis of the biomechanics of posture and movement and then uses this information to theorize how the mechanics are solved by the CNS and its pathways, circuitry, and even single cells. Studies conducted in the 1960s on CNS circuitry generating locomotor patterns in several invertebrate and vertebrate species, together with work on the treadmill locomotion of brain-stimulated decerebrate cats, led to a subsequent convergence of inside-out and outside-in understanding of the neural control of locomotion in invertebrates, nonmammalian vertebrates, and mammalian vertebrates, even including humans. This convergence of integrative and comparative approaches has been facilitated by modeling and simulation studies. These developments have important implications for doctoral and postdoctoral training programs in movement neuroscience. They can profit greatly by use of a multidisciplinary university-wide faculty who place a strong emphasis on integrative and comparative biology. Furthermore, the next generation of movement neuroscientists will require more familiarity with modeling and simulation than are being provided in most current training programs. To achieve the above, it will be advantageous if university culture and structure truly champion university-wide interdisciplinary research.
Localization and function of ATP and GABAA receptors expressed by nociceptors and other postnatal sensory neurons in rat

The role of endogenous GABA and ATP in regulating transmitter release from primary afferent terminals in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord is still controversial. ATP is co-released with GABA from some inhibitory dorsal horn neurons raising the possibility that ATP could act in concert with GABA to regulate transmitter release from primary afferent terminals if receptors to both transmitters are expressed there. Using electrophysiology together with immunocytochemistry, we have investigated the expression of ATP-gated P2X and GABAA receptors by identified subpopulations of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons known to project primarily to the superficial dorsal horn. Expression of the heat-sensitive vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1) and sensitivity to capsaicin were used to characterize DRG neurons sensitive to noxious heat. Both P2X and GABAA receptors were expressed on the majority of DRG neurons examined. Recording compound action potentials (CAPs) from dorsal roots in the presence of muscimol, α,β-methylene-ATP (α,β-meATP) or capsaicin resulted in depression of CAP in the slow and medium conducting fibres, indicating cognate receptor expression on the small diameter axons. Dorsal root-evoked dorsal root potentials (DR-DRPs), reflecting depolarization of primary afferent terminals by endogenously released substances, were depressed by the GABAA receptor antagonist SR95531 and α,β-meATP. These results suggest that GABAA and P2X receptors are expressed on DRG cell bodies and slow fibre axons, many of which are heat-nociceptive. These fibres project to the superficial lamina of the dorsal horn where the receptors may function to modulate transmitter release near their central terminals.
Model choice in time series studies of air pollution and mortality

Summary. Multicity time series studies of particulate matter and mortality and morbidity have provided evidence that daily variation in air pollution levels is associated with daily variation in mortality counts. These findings served as key epidemiological evidence for the recent review of the US national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter. As a result, methodological issues concerning time series analysis of the relationship between air pollution and health have attracted the attention of the scientific community and critics have raised concerns about the adequacy of current model formulations. Time series data on pollution and mortality are generally analysed by using log-linear, Poisson regression models for overdispersed counts with the daily number of deaths as outcome, the (possibly lagged) daily level of pollution as a linear predictor and smooth functions of weather variables and calendar time used to adjust for timevarying confounders. Investigators around the world have used different approaches to adjust for confounding, making it difficult to compare results across studies. To date, the statistical properties of these different approaches have not been comprehensively compared. To address these issues, we quantify and characterize model uncertainty and model choice in adjusting for seasonal and long-term trends in time series models of air pollution and mortality. First, we conduct a simulation study to compare and describe the properties of statistical methods that are commonly used for confounding adjustment. We generate data under several confounding scenarios and systematically compare the performance of the various methods with respect to the mean-squared error of the estimated air pollution coefficient.We find that the bias in the estimates generally decreases with more aggressive smoothing and that model selection methods which optimize prediction may not be suitable for obtaining an estimate with small bias. Second, we apply and compare the modelling approaches with the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study database which comprises daily time series of several pollutants, weather variables and mortality counts covering the period 1987–2000 for the largest 100 cities in the USA. When applying these approaches to adjusting for seasonal and long-term trends we find that the Study’s estimates for the national average effect of PM10 at lag 1 on mortality vary over approximately a twofold range, with 95% posterior intervals always excluding zero risk.
A Modified Wright's Method for Staining Blood Smears

After the blood smear is treated for the proper length of time with Wright's stain, neutral distilled water is used for diluting the stain. After the slide has been treated with neutral distilled water until the smear becomes pinkish it is then treated with pure absolute methyl alcohol which destains the plasma. Neutral distilled water is again kept on the mount until the corpuscles are well stained. Then the slide is dehydrated with absolute ethyl alcohol, cleared with clove oil and completed in the usual way.Blood smears of different groups of vertebrates were uniformly brilliantly stained with the above technic.Several lots of Wright's dry stain have been tested with the modified technic and no difficulties have been encountered in its application.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid and Related Chelating Agents

The article contains sections titled: 1. Introduction 2. Physical Properties 3. Chemical Properties 4. Production 5. Chemical Analysis 6. Storage and Transportation 7. Uses 8. Trade Names 9. Economic Aspects 10. Toxicology and Occupational Health
Style learning and transferring for facial animation editing

Most of current facial animation editing techniques are frame-based approaches (i.e., manually edit one keyframe every several frames), which is ineffective, time-consuming, and prone to editing inconsistency. In this paper, we present a novel facial editing style learning framework that is able to learn a constraint-based Gaussian Process model from a small number of facial-editing pairs, and then it can be effectively applied to automate the editing of the remaining facial animation frames or transfer editing styles between different animation sequences. Comparing with the state of the art, multiresolution-based mesh sequence editing technique, our approach is more flexible, powerful, and adaptive. Our approach can dramatically reduce the manual efforts required by most of current facial animation editing approaches.
Voices, boxes, and sources of messages: Computers and social actors.

Can adults be induced to use social rules distinguishing “self” and “other” to respond to the behaviors of technologies? In a 2×2×2 between-subjects laboratory experiment involving the use of multiple computers with voice output, 88 computer-literate college students used a computer for tutoring and a different computer for testing. The performance of the tutoring session was either praised or criticized (Manipulation 1) in the same voice as the tutoring session or a distinct voice (Manipulation 2) via the computer (box) that performed the tutoring or a distinct computer (box; Manipulation 3). Respondents were shown to use voices but not boxes to distinguish “self” from “other” behavior in applying the social rules “Performance evaluations from others are more accurate than are performance evaluations of self,”“Praise from others is friendlier than praise from self,” and “Criticism from self is friendlier than is criticism from others,” to evaluate the tutoring and evaluation session.
Theory of tunneling magnetoresistance for epitaxial systems

The tunneling current for electrons tunneling between crystalline ferromagnetic electrodes through an epitaxial crystalline barrier can be calculated from first principles. These calculations show that the wave function symmetry can be exploited to achieve very high tunneling magnetoresistance. For the Fe(100)|MgO(100) |Fe(100) system, the calculated conductance is much higher and its decrease with MgO thickness is much slower than has been estimated using a simple free electron-barrier model.
Optimum High-k Oxide for the Best Performance of Ultra-Scaled Double-Gate MOSFETs

A widely used technique to mitigate gate leakage in ultrascaled metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors ( mosfet s) is the use of high-k dielectrics, which provide the same equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) as $\rm SiO_2$ , but thicker physical layers. However, using a thicker physical dielectric for the same EOT has a negative effect on the device performance due to the degradation of 2D electrostatics. In this paper, the effects of high-k oxides on double-gate (DG) mosfet with gate length under 20 nm are studied. All the devices are modeled using an effective mass quantum transport approach based on the quantum transmitting boundary method, where only ballistic transport is considered. We find that there is an optimum physical oxide thickness ( $\rm T_{OX}$ ) to achieve the best performance in terms of on-current for each gate stack, including $\rm SiO_2$ interface layer and one high-k material. For the same EOT, $\rm Al_2O_3$ (k = 9) over 3- $\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$ $\rm SiO_2$ provides the best performance, while for $\rm HfO_2$ (k = 22) and $\rm La_2O_3$ (k = 30), $\rm SiO_2$ thicknesses should be 5 $\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$ and 7 $\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$ , respectively. The effects of using high-k oxides and gate stacks on the performance of ultrascaled mosfet s are analyzed. While thin oxide thickness increases the gate leakage, the thick oxide layer reduces the gate control on the channel. Therefore, the physical thicknesses of gate stack should be optimized to achieve the best performance.
Measuring Boundary-Spanning Behaviors in Community Engagement.

Community engagement professionals and partners serve as, work with, study, and build the capacity of boundary spanners. To augment knowledge about these functions, the Weerts– Sandmann Boundary Spanning Conceptual Framework (2010) has been operationalized through a survey instrument to examine community engagement boundary-spanning behaviors by campus-based actors—leaders, faculty, staff, and students—as well as by community-based spanners in different contexts. This article provides an explication of the underlying theoretical constructs and the development and testing process of the instrument, along with applications for multiple audiences. Implications are presented concerning contextual issues of boundary spanning and generalization of boundary-spanning roles across a variety of potential subjects.
Reevaluating the prognostic significance of age in differentiated thyroid cancer.

ObjectiveTo determine the impact of age on disease-specific survival in differentiated thyroid cancer.Study DesignRetrospective analysis of a large population database.SettingSurveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database/multiple settings.Subjects and MethodsThe SEER database was examined to identify patients diagnosed with either papillary or follicular carcinoma of the thyroid between the years 1988 and 2003. Information obtained included patient age, sex, tumor type, size, extension, and nodal or distant metastases. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to estimate disease-specific survival based on patient age range, and the log-rank test was used to assess for statistical differences between survival curves. A multivariate analysis was performed including the variables listed above to determine disease-specific hazard ratios of death for various age cutoffs.ResultsA total of 42,209 patients were identified. Patients 45 years and older had significantly worse survival than younger pat...
Clinical trials in North America

: Majority of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma are cured with current therapy. The short and long-term toxicity of therapy is a current issue, most especially the radiation-induced second tumors and cardiac abnormalities. Optimal therapy of advanced disease is being compared to ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine). More intensive chemotherapy may result in higher response but greater toxicity. Regimens requiring radiotherapy are also at risk of long-term toxicity. New targeted biologic therapy is under current investigation.
Adaptation of the Vestibular System to Microgravity

The sections in this article are: 1 Overview of the Vestibular System 2 Adaptation in the Vestibular System 3 Functional Evidence of Adaptation to Microgravity 3.1 Control of Eye Movements 3.2 Control of Posture 3.3 Perception of Orientation and Motion 3.4 Space Motion Sickness 4 Physiological and Morphological Evidence of Adaptation 4.1 Peripheral Vestibular System 4.2 Central Nervous System 5 Summary and Conclusions
Students' use of time in a problem-based learning surgery clerkship

In a 12-week, third-year surgery clerkship, students participated in either problem-based learning (PBL) or Socratic instruction (SI) sessions as the educational method. All other components of the clerkship were made as similar as possible. Students were allowed maximum unscheduled time for obtaining, exploring, and reflecting on medical information. During one week, students kept a log of the time spent in 13 activities. Significant group differences existed on seven of the 13 variables. The SI students spent significantly more time in teaching sessions, waiting, in the operating room and in patient care. The PBL group spent more time on other clerkship activities, reading and personal time. The seven variables in the discriminant function model could correctly classify 94% and 89% of the SI and PBL groups, respectively. Previous studies of the effect of PBL on the clinical reasoning process use data that do not allow unequivocal conclusions. This study demonstrates a change in students' behaviour docum...
Philosophical-Anthropological Considerations for an Existential-Humanistic Ecopsychology

In this article, the question of human nature is confronted from what may be called an existential-humanistic ecopsychological perspective. From this perspective, human nature is interpreted to be a synthetic, bipolar human–animal boundary form. The global character of this living form is noted to be a dynamic, oscillating hermeneutical-dialectical interplay between humanitas and animalitas. This appropriation of the human–animal boundary idea provides a wide-open, welcoming space for diverse conceptualizations of human life. At the same time, it maintains that human beings and nonhuman animals are indubitably embedded in a natural world within which we are active coparticipants in the development of experiential perspectives on our own bodies, those of others, and the natural environment at large.
Development and Validation of a Method to Estimate Insulin Sensitivity in Patients With and Without Type 1 Diabetes.

Context: People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have markedly reduced insulin sensitivity (IS) compared to their nondiabetic counterparts, and reduced IS is linked to higher cardiovascular risk. Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate an improved method for estimating IS in people with T1D. Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: Adults (36 with T1D, 41 nondiabetic) were recruited from the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 Diabetes (CACTI) study for measurement of IS by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp to develop a clinically useful IS prediction equation (eIS) for T1D and nondiabetic individuals. These equations were then compared with previously published equations from the SEARCH and Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications studies for the ability to predict measured IS in test sets of adults and adolescents from independent clamp studies. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measure: Comparison of clamp-measured IS to estimated IS. Results: The best-fit prediction model (eIS) differed ...
Responses of Three Natural Enemy Species to Contact and Systemic Insecticide Exposures in Confined Assays

Abstract Chemical pesticides can efficiently control insect pests and are often relied upon by nursery producers. With increased consumer concerns regarding insecticides, growers may choose to limit insecticide applications by incorporating natural enemies into their pest management program. This study assessed the effects of commonly used contact (bifenthrin and carbaryl) and systemic (imidacloprid and dinotefuran) insecticides on adult Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister), adult Hippodamia convergens (Guerin-Meneville), and adult Orius insidiosus (Say) to evaluate their safety for use with natural enemies. Insects were confined in experimental arenas either with leaves sprayed to provide insecticide residues or leaves treated with only water and then air-dried prior to use. Both systemic and contact insecticides caused mortality in all three insect species. The contact insecticide bifenthrin was the least toxic to C. rufilabris, and the systemic insecticide, dinotefuran, was not toxic to H. convergens. ...
LANDSCAPE INDICATORS OF WETLAND CONDITION IN THE NANTICOKE RIVER WATERSHED, MARYLAND AND DELAWARE, USA

We developed relationships for estimating wetland condition from remotely sensed data and digital maps. Assessment methods relying on maps rather than field sampling (level 1 assessment) are often expert systems summarizing the best professional judgments of wetland scientists. We instead developed level 1 assessment relationships by statistically analyzing results from field sampling. The field campaign applied the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment approach to sample 143 freshwater flat and riverine wetlands in the Nanticoke River watershed, Maryland and Delaware, USA. Functional condition index (FCI) scores for five wetland functions were calculated from the field observations. We used geographic information system (GIS) analysis of digital maps to derive candidate landscape indicators for the sampled points. We tested which indicators correlated strongly with the field condition scores, and then we used stepwise multiple regression and regression tree analysis to identify the most effective combinations of landscape metrics for predicting the condition measurements. The best multiple regressions combined information from land-cover, road, and stream maps, especially a stream map resolving natural stream reaches from channelized or ditched reaches. For riverine wetlands, we obtained statistically significant regressions explaining 63%–85% of the variance of measured FCI scores for all five HGM functions (hydrology, biogeochemistry, habitat, plant community, and landscape). Comparable models for flat wetlands were also statistically significant but explained less (48%–54%) of the variance. Regression tree analysis produced more parsimonious models than did stepwise multiple regression. A tree model explained the same amount of variability as the multiple regression model for two flat and two riverine functions, but the tree model explained less variability for two flat and three riverine functions. Our level 1 relationships can be applied to estimate condition scores for unsampled wetlands and to provide confidence limits for those estimates. The uncertainty in predicting a condition scores for individual assessment points is high for most HGM functions, but the models can still help prioritize field visits to select sites for management action. Confidence limits are narrower for predicting mean scores across many wetlands, so the relationships are more powerful for predicting average wetland condition across an assessment area, such as a watershed.
Adhesion Enhancement Via Crystalline-Embedded Entanglements in Melt-Processed Layered Structures

Improving the adhesion of polyolefins to glassy polymers is complicated by the semicrystalline nature of the polyolefins. Traditional methods used in glassy polymers to increase the interlayer adhesion, including the addition of a diblock copolymer or the formation of a copolymer through in situ reaction, are still successful with semicrystalline polymers. However, melt miscibility of the adhesion promoting molecules is not the only consideration; co-crystallization can also be significant. Even when co-crystallization is achieved, the reactive method is shown to provide greater fracture toughness than the addition of a pre-made diblock copolymer. In the latter case, the formation of micelles limits the efficiency of the diblock copolymer. Finally, significant adhesion enhancement is attainable in reactive systems with contact times as short as 45 seconds as demonstrated through a multilayer coextrusion of amorphous nylon against a polypropylene-maleated polypropylene blend.
The presence of crystals in the cytoplasm of large cells adjacent to sites of bone absorption.

The size, location, and characteristics of these vacuolated cells lead us to believe that they are osteoclasts and that they contain mineral in crystalline form which they have removed from the neighboring bone.
Michael Livingston, Francesco Parisi, Piergiuseppe Monateri, Cappelletti Merryman and Perillo's the Italian Legal System (2nd Ed.)

Prefaces and Table of Contents for Second Edition of the classic treatise on Italian Law, and a major influence on comparative law generally. The full edition is available from Stanford Press.
Estimation algorithm for missing data in wireless sensor network

In order to improve the accuracy of the estimated missing data in Wireless Sensor Network(WSN),a selfdecision interpolation algorithm was proposed. The algorithm selected different estimation strategies of missing data according to the spatial correlation of the data sets and the continuity of missing data,then introduced the Auto-Regressive and Moving Average(ARMA) model into the study of missing data interpolation. In corresponding to the traditional missing value estimation algorithm,the proposed algorithm not only considered the characteristics of wireless sensor networks,but also took the characteristics of the data themselves into account. The experimental results on the real data sets show that the proposed algorithm improves the precision of the estimation for missing data.
Unusual causes of vaginitis (excluding trichomonas, bacterial vaginosis, and Candida albicans).

SUMMARY When patients consult a gynecologist with repeated symptoms that cannot be diagnosed and do not respond to usual therapies, unusual causes of vaginitis should be considered. These include hormonal considerations, such as increased leukorrhea, and possibly amebiasis. Careful travel history should be taken in such patients. The less common sexually transmitted diseases that may cause unusual symptoms and sores should also be considered. Noninfectious allergic contact will continue to be a problem owing to the continued marketing of vaginal products for a variety of cosmetic indications. The simple of dictum of “seek and you will find” will also exclude retained tampons and other foreign objects. Psychosocial support should be given to patients when all likely causes have been excluded or all our scientific diagnostic approaches have been exhausted.
The Privacy Preferences of Americans

Most Americans are in a transactional frame of mind as they consider whether to share personal information in return for a benefit or surveillance. They care about who is collecting data about them; with whom it is being shared; how it is being used; and the bargain they are being offered. Many think they have lost control of their information and that frustrates them because many believe they cannot reclaim key parts of their identities once their information has been collected. They are divided about whether the legal system is protecting them well enough and many would like to see more laws to protect them. Those who work with big data would benefit from understanding these realities and by disclosing what they are doing; alerting users and companies when they find deficiencies in personal data protection; being explicit about the insights they are gaining from their analysis and the benefits those insights yield; and pressing for legal regimes that minimize potential harms that could emerge from big data.
Current Advances and Future Directions in Behavior Assessment.

Multi-tiered problem-solving models that focus on promoting positive outcomes for student behavior continue to be emphasized within educational research. Although substantial work has been conducte...
Collaborative science learning in an immersive flight simulation

This mixed methods study examined the effect of Astronaut Challenge, an immersive, flight-simulation-based learning program, on the collaborative learning process and science knowledge development of high-school students. The study findings suggested that simulation-based collaborative learning activities significantly promoted students' scientific understanding about the dynamics of the space flight system. The knowledge test and STEM attitudes survey results did not indicate a significant difference between two immersive contexts of the simulation (exclusive-space flight simulation versus classroom flight simulation) in influencing the learning outcomes. Qualitative findings suggested that the higher level of the sensory immersion in a simulation-based learning environment may foster task engagement and procedural practice but not collaborative conceptual processing. Immersive simulation promotes science learning about the space flight system.There was no differential effect of immersion levels on learning outcomes.Higher level of sensory immersion may impede collaborative conceptual processing.
Choosing an Appropriate Alliance Governance Mode

We identify a variety of R&D alliance modes in a knowledge-intensive industry (i.e., Pharmaceuticals), and classify them into four ordered categories which go beyond the traditional binary equity vs. non-equity alliance classification. This enriches our understanding of alliance governance structures and broadens the application of alliance modes in what is today a more complicated international R&D collaboration setting. We then explore national, industry and firm factors that determine the selection of an appropriate R&D alliance governance mode, using a sample of 237 international alliance deals. The likelihood of using a more-integrated alliance governance mode decreases as the difference or "distance" between nations of the partner firms increases in terms of human capital and cultural distance. On the other hand, a greater geographic and institutional difference is positively associated with the selection of more integrated alliance governance modes. Furthermore, firms in the research stage are more...
Sensitivity of White and Opaque Candida albicans Cells to Antifungal Drugs.

ABSTRACT White and opaque cells of Candida albicans have the same genome but differ in gene expression patterns, metabolic profiles, and host niche preferences. We tested whether these differences, which include the differential expression of drug transporters, resulted in different sensitivities to 27 antifungal agents. The analysis was performed in two different strain backgrounds; although there was strain-to-strain variation, only terbinafine hydrochloride and caspofungin showed consistent, 2-fold differences between white and opaque cells across both strains.
Effects of Vocal Function Exercises: A Systematic Review

Summary Objectives The purpose of the present review was to systematically analyze the evidence for the effectiveness of vocal function exercises (VFEs) in improving voice production. Methods A systematic literature search was performed by two independent reviewers using PubMed and EBSCOHost to access relevant databases and to locate outcome studies that used VFEs as an intervention. Articles that met inclusion criteria were appraised based on the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association's levels of evidence. Effect sizes for outcomes were calculated using Hedge's g. Voice outcomes were categorized according to the five domains of voice assessment: visual perceptual analysis, acoustic analysis, aerodynamic analysis, auditory-perceptual analysis, and patient self-report measures. Results Twenty-one articles were included for the final appraisal. All studies demonstrated positive effects of VFEs as demonstrated by effect sizes across selected voice parameters. Effect sizes across parameters ranged from −0.59 to 1.55. None of the included studies reported adverse voice outcomes as a result of VFEs. Conclusions Outcome studies demonstrate that VFEs are efficacious in enhancing vocal function in individuals with normal and disordered voices, presbylaryngeus, and professional voice users. The available research suggests moderate to strong evidence to support the use of VFEs for a variety of voice disorders.