cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Arch Supports on Knee Torques Relevant to Knee Osteoarthritis

Purpose: Changes in footwear and foot orthotic devices have been shown to significantly alter knee joint torques thought to be relevant to the progression if not the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the medial tibiofemoral compartment. The purpose of this study was to determine if commonly prescribed arch support cushions promote a medial force bias during gait similar to medial-wedged orthotics, thereby increasing knee varus torque during both walking and running. Methods: Twenty-two healthy, physically active young adults (age, 29.2 +/- 5.1 yr) were analyzed at their self-selected walking and running speeds in control shoes with and without arch support cushions. Three-dimensional motion capture data were collected in synchrony with ground reaction force (GRF) data collected from an instrumented treadmill. Peak external knee varus torque during walking and running were calculated through a full inverse dynamic model and compared. Results: Peak knee varus torque was statistically significantly increased by 6% (0.01 +/- 0.02 N[middle dot]m[middle dot](kg[middle dot]m)-1) in late stance during walking and by 4% (0.03 +/- 0.03 N[middle dot]m[middle dot](kg[middle dot]m)-1) during running with the addition of arch support cushions. Conclusions: The addition of material under the medial aspect of the foot by way of a flexible arch support promotes a medial force bias during walking and running, significantly increasing knee varus torque. These findings suggest that discretion be employed with regard to the prescription of commonly available orthotic insoles like arch support cushions.
Origin of Corticosteroids in Amniotic Fluid

The rise in amniotic fluid (AF) corticosteroids which occurs towards the end of pregnancy has been shown to correlate with fetal lung maturity. To elucidate the origin ofcorticosteroids in AF, we measured the concentrations of cortisol (F), cortisone (E), F sulfate (SF), E sulfate (SE), and corticosterone sulfate (SB) in samples obtained simultaneously from maternal peripheral vein (MPV), umbilical artery (UA), umbilical vein (UV), AF, newborn urine (Ur), and fetal pulmonary fluid (PF). The mean concentrations of SF, SE, and SB in AF were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in Ur (6- to 8-fold) or those in PF and significantly higher than those in MPV (SF and SB) or those in UA and UV (SF), indicating that fetal urine and PF are the major sources of SF, SE, and SB in AF. The mean concentration of unconjugated cortisol in AF was 26-fold lower than that in MPV and slightly lower than that in PF (P < 0.05) but not different from that in Ur, UA, or UV. The mean concentration of unconjugated cortisone in...
Colloidal magnetic nanocrystals: synthesis, properties and applications

There has been a tremendous research effort in the past few years in colloidal magnetic nanocrystals. New synthetic methods have been developed that enable a wide variety of magnetic materials to be synthesized in nanocrystal form, including ferromagnetic transition metals, intermetallics and metal oxides. These nanocrystals can be obtained with controlled size, shape and composition. Nanocrystal heterostructures, such as core/shell particles and heterodimers can be synthesized. New materials such as doped magnetic semiconductor quantum dots and nanowires have been made. The magnetic properties of these unique nanostructures have been measured and their applications in medicine, information storage and processing and sensing are being developed. This review attempts to provide a summary and a flavor for this exciting research area as it has evolved during the past few years.
Moment-Based Approximations of Distributions Using Mixtures: Theory and Applications

There are a number of cases where the moments of a distribution are easily obtained, but theoretical distributions are not available in closed form. This paper shows how to use moment methods to approximate a theoretical univariate distribution with mixtures of known distributions. The methods are illustrated with gamma mixtures. It is shown that for a certain class of mixture distributions, which include the normal and gamma mixture families, one can solve for a p-point mixing distribution such that the corresponding mixture has exactly the same first 2p moments as the targeted univariate distribution. The gamma mixture approximation to the distribution of a positive weighted sums of independent central χ2 variables is demonstrated and compared with a number of existing approximations. The numerical results show that the new approximation is generally superior to these alternatives.
ATTRACTION OF AEDES AEGYPTI II. VELOCITY OF REACTION TO HOST WITH AND WITHOUT ADDITIONAL CARBON DIOXIDE

The velocity with which Aedes aegypti (L.) reacted to odors from a human arm was the same with and without additional carbon dioxide, and was found to increase asymptotically. The derivative dy/dx = -bϱXlnϱ described the velocity of response and was not different from the derivatives of the actual data. CO2 may exert its main effect within the central nervous system. Zusammenfassung ANLOCKUNG VON AEDES AEGYPTI. II REAKTIONSGESCHWINDIGKEIT AUF DEN WIRT MIT UND OHNE KOHLENDIOXYD-ZUSATZ Die Geschwindigkeit, mit der Aedes aegypti auf den Geruch eines menschlichen Armes reagierte, war mit und ohne Kohlendioxyd-Zusatz die gleiche und nahm asymptotisch zu. Die Ableitung dy/dx = – bϱXlnϱ beschreibt die Geschwindigket der Reaktion und weicht von der Ableitung der aktuellen Versuchsdaten nicht ab. CO2 mag seine Hauptwirkung innerhalb des Zentralnervensystems entfalten.
Digital circulatory testing in primary hypertension with reference to severity of the disease and to drug therapy.

Abstract 1. 1. Digital circulatory tests were carried out prior to treatment in 41 cases of primary hypertension and repeated during a period of treatment with drugs in 8 patients, and during a period of placebo therapy in 5 patients. 2. 2. Intrinsic vascular caliber as derived from the flow-pressure ratio in the vasodilated state was somewhat decreased in the “moderate to severe” as compared to the “mild” cases. 3. 3. Neurogenic vasoconstriction as measured by the work of digital vasoconstriction was somewhat increased prior to treatment as measured in the “good” as against the “fair to poor” responders. The overlap, however, was too great for individual predictions except for the extreme values.
Adenomyotic cyst of the uterus in an adolescent

Cystic adenomyosis is a rare form of adenomyosis of the uterine myometrium that has been described in older adults. This condition has not previously been reported in the pediatric radiology literature. In this case report, we describe an adenomyotic cyst in an adolescent girl that was imaged with US, CT, and MR and proved by surgical pathology. Understanding of the radiologic features of cystic adenomyosis is important for noninvasive diagnosis and effective medical/surgical management.
Basic magma generation and aggregation

Basic magma generation in the mantle at the present stage of earth history probably begins most commonly in metamorphosed garnet peridotite at those points where the four major phases meet; the solidus defines the spatial limits of the region of melting at the site of origin. On the basis of the forsterite-diopside-pyrope system and the melting relations of natural garnet peridotite at high pressures, the melting is invariant-like up to about 30% liquid. If the melt is fractionally removed, melting temporarily ceases after this limit is reached, terminating the production of liquid of invariant-like composition. Because one phase is eventually consumed at the invariant-like point, melting might be resumed at a higher temperature, generating a different liquid of more basic composition at the invariant-like point governing the assemblage of remaining phases. The garnet peridotite becomes permeable to melt almost immediately after the melting process begins, as has been demonstrated by the large increase in measured electrical conductivity. A large volume of relatively homogeneous liquid can, therefore, be extracted as it is produced.
Epidural stimulation of the spinal cord in spinal cord injury: current status and future challenges.

A spinal cord injury can occur at any point along its length and can have a wide range of severities and varying effects on sensory and motor function, depending largely on these two factors. While considerable function can be recovered if the injury is ‘incomplete’ – that is, there remain some functional connections between the brain and the spinal cord segments below the lesion – there has been little success in improving function after a motor and/or sensory complete lesion. Recently reported functional gains in an individual with complete motor paralysis was possible because most of the cellular structure below the lesion remains intact [1]. It is this network of neurons that can actually control very complicated movements when this spinal network (not the brain itself) receives the appropriate sensory input, and when the excitability of this network is enhanced with a very specific pattern of modest levels of stimulation with epidurally placed electrodes. We refer to this intervention as electro-enabling motor control. Based on extensive animal experimentation of this spinal network, the possibility of regaining locomotor function after complete paralysis in human subjects becomes an important issue. To begin to examine this issue, we performed similar experiments in a single subject with complete motor paralysis. The issues are: is the human spinal cord circuitry without any input from the brain as smart as that of the rat or cat, can it be neuromodulated to stand and to step using epidural stimulation as demonstrated successfully in the rat and cat, and can proprioception serve as a source of control of the spinal circuitry? We made a series of observations demonstrating the feasibility of using epidural stimulation to facilitate the recovery of a series of consciously controlled motor functions, as well as other functions, some of which are largely considered to be autonomically controlled. After implanting an electrode array, recovery of several functions occurred following repeated sessions of epidural stimulation and training to stand and to step, and to exert voluntary control of the lower limbs. The subject is a 23-year-old man with paraplegia from a C7–T1 subluxation as a result of a motor vehicle accident who has had a complete loss of clinically detectable voluntary motor function and partial preservation of sensation below the T1 cord segment. After 170 locomotor training sessions over 26 months, a 16-electrode array was surgically placed on the dura (L1–S1 cord segments). The results from this single subject provide a wakeup call for a change in the perception of the potential for recovery of function using activity-dependent interventions [2]. They also highlight the potential advantage of quantitative assessment of multiple parameters in fewer individuals in lieu of the commonly accepted ‘primary outcome’ measure, often with limited objectivity, in many subjects.
Unlocking the mechanisms of HCN channel gating with locked-open and locked-closed channels.

Ion channels are highly specialized to respond to a wide range of environmental stimuli, including transmembrane voltage and chemical ligands ([Hille, 2001][1]). The response of channels to external cues causes a change in their ion conduction, which, in turn, modifies the behavior of excitable and
Distortion over latency: Novel metric for measuring interactive performance in remote rendering systems

A new metric distortion over latency (DOL) is proposed in this paper to overcome the deficiency of the traditional metric interaction latency in measuring the interactive performance of the modern remote rendering systems, which are enhanced with different latency reduction techniques. The proposed metric is novel in combining both latency and rendering quality into one score for measurement. Our experiments validate that in many scenarios, our new metric can effectively distinguish the performance difference between systems while interaction latency can not. The paper also introduces how DOL can be efficiently calculated at runtime.
Hydrothermal reaction of alumina trihydrate

Examination has been made of alumina trihydrates (hydrargillite and bayerite) after being heated with water in an autoclave. In both cases the monohydrate (boehmite) is formed after 2 h. at 200°, the rate of conversion being higher for bayerite than for hydrargillite. Determination of alkali and alumina dissolved in the water during hydrothermal treatment led to the conclusion that the reaction is due to the decomposition of the trihydrate in presence of water rather than its dissolution.
Associated factors and impact of myocarditis in patients with SLE from LUMINA, a multiethnic US cohort

Objective. To examine the factors associated with myocarditis and its impact on disease outcomes in SLE patients. Methods. SLE patients aged � 16 yrs, disease duration � 5 yrs from LUMINA (LUpus in Minorities: NAture vs nurture), a multiethnic US cohort, were studied. Myocarditis was defined as per the category 3 of the pericarditis/myocarditis item of the SLAM-Revised (SLAM-R). Patients with concurrent pericardial involvement were excluded. Patients with myocarditis were compared with those without myocarditis or its sequelae in the preceding year. The association between myocarditis and baseline variables (T0) was first examined. The impact of myocarditis on disease activity over time (SLAM-R), damage accrual [SLICC Damage Index (SDI)] at last visit (TL) and mortality was evaluated. Results. Fifty-three of the 496 patients studied had myocarditis. African American ethnicity [Odds ratio (OR) ¼ 12.6; 95% CI 1.6, 97.8] and SLAM-R at diagnosis (OR ¼ 1.1, 95% CI 1.0, 1.1) were significantly and independently associated with myocarditis. Myocarditis did not predict disease activity over time, but approached significance as a predictor of SDI at TL in multivariable analyses P ¼ 0.051. Kaplan–Meier curves indicated that myocarditis was associated with shorter survival (log-rank ¼ 4.87, P ¼ 0.02), particularly in patients with � 5 yrs disease; however, myocarditis was not retained in the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Conclusions. Ethnicity and disease activity at diagnosis were associated with the occurrence of myocarditis in SLE. Myocarditis did not significantly impact on disease activity over time, but impacts some on damage accrual and survival, reflecting overall the more severe disease those patients experience.
Cognitive Predictors of Everyday Functioning in Older Adults: Results From the ACTIVE Cognitive Intervention Trial

Objective. The present study sought to predict changes in everyday functioning using cognitive tests. Methods. Data from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly trial were used to examine the extent to which competence in different cognitive domains—memory, inductive reasoning, processing speed, and global mental status—predicts prospectively measured everyday functioning among older adults. Coefficients of determination for baseline levels and trajectories of everyday functioning were estimated using parallel process latent growth models. Results. Each cognitive domain independently predicts a significant proportion of the variance in baseline and trajec tory change of everyday functioning, with inductive reasoning explaining the most variance (R 2 = .175) in baseline functioning and memory explaining the most variance (R 2 = .057) in changes in everyday functioning. Discussion. Inductive reasoning is an important determinant of current everyday functioning in community-dwelling older adults, suggesting that successful performance in daily tasks is critically dependent on executive cognitive function. On the other hand, baseline memory function is more important in determining change over time in everyday functioning, suggesting that some participants with low baseline memory function may reflect a subgroup with incipient progressive neurologic disease.
Social pedagogy: heart and head

I think that social pedagogy is an important idea for a journal dedicated to pastoral care in education. Both of these titles provide excellent accounts of a longstanding European education movemen...
A Mechanism for High-Frequency Oscillation in Ramjet Combustors and Afterburners

An experimental investigation was made of the behavior of a small two-dimensional combustion chamber, burning a uniform mixture of air and fuel vapor under conditions of high-frequency oscillation or screech. Measurements were made of the limits of stable screech, the amplitude and frequency of pressure oscillations over a wide range of mixture ratio, inlet air temperature, and combustor flow rate. Spark schlieren photographs and high-speed motion pictures taken of the combustion process showed, in agreement with other investigations, that the high-frequency oscillation is accompanied by vortices shed periodically from the flameholder lip with the same frequency as the oscillation. The following mechanism of exciting the oscillations is suggested. A mode of transverse oscillation is excited as the result of periodic transport of combustible material, associated with the vortices, into the hot wake of the flameholder. The vortices, in turn, are generated at the flameholder lips by the fluctuating transverse velocity. When the ignition time delay lies in the proper range, the phase relationship between oscillations in transverse velocity and combustion intensity is such that the oscillation is amplified.
Predicting the Spatial Distribution of King Rails in an Agricultural Landscape

Abstract. Species distribution modeling is valuable for assessing rare or elusive species and in landscapes where accessibility is limited, such as agricultural lands. While birds' local habitat associations are often well known, knowledge of broad-scale relationships and the spatial patterns of environmental factors is generally lacking. In this study, we develop and validate a predictive habitat model for the King Rail (Rallus elegans) in the rice-growing region of southwestern Louisiana and identify important areas for this elusive bird. In a previous localized study we found it to be associated with canopy cover and ditches/streams around the perimeter of rice fields. Here, we used a geographic information system (GIS) to extrapolate these habitat associations to the region (>940 000 ha). We determined the proportion of rice fields within a 5-km radius and quantified canopy cover and ditches within a 1-km radius. In repeated call-back surveys from 2007 to 2009 we recorded King Rails at 44 of 155 locat...
A Screw Theory Approach for the Type Synthesis of Compliant Mechanisms With Flexures

This paper presents a screw theory based approach for the type synthesis of compliant mechanisms with flexures. We provide a systematic formulation of the constraint-based approach which has been mainly developed by precision engineering experts in designing precision machines. The two fundamental concepts in the constraint-based approach, constraint and freedom, can be represented mathematically by a wrench and a twist in screw theory. For example, an ideal wire flexure applies a translational constraint which can be described a wrench of pure force. As a result, the design rules of the constraint-based approach can be systematically formulated in the format of screws and screw systems. Two major problems in compliant mechanism design, constraint pattern analysis and constraint pattern design are discussed with examples in details. This innovative method paves the way for introducing computational techniques into the constraint-based approach for the synthesis and analysis of compliant mechanisms.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Multiple Micronutrient Interventions Are Efficacious, but Research on Adequacy, Plausibility, and Implementation Needs Attention

Evidence for the efficacy of multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation has been established by state-of-the-art randomized controlled trials (RCT). These efficacy trials have also provided strong evidence of the widespread occurrence of deficiencies. Trials intended to demonstrate a public health benefit must show that the magnitude of benefit is adequate for policy considerations. In the MMN efficacy studies the magnitude of impact was generally inadequate. The extent to which this was due to various factors that affect individuals' potential to respond to MMN supplementation has not been examined, and trials have not been designed to provide insights into why impact is below expectation. For instance, when birth weight was the outcome of concern, impact was not related to presumed need, judged by baseline birth-weight values. Also, contrary to expectations, the impacts were greater among the heavier mothers. Our inability to examine issues of adequacy, plausibility, and implementation with efficacy trial approaches as they are currently conducted, calls into question the present standards for designing and interpreting community RCT in nutrition. Improving the capacity of efficacy studies to yield more meaningful data requires a number of modifications to current practices, such as including measures of the intermediary behavioral and biological steps between intervention and biological outcomes to assess the adequacy and plausibility of the findings. The progression from RCT to program interventions must also extend research to program delivery and uptake to ascertain the full program impact pathway. This in turn requires novel organizations of relationships between research and program development and implementation.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-thyroperoxidase antibody relationships demonstrate that TSH upper reference limits may be skewed by occult thyroid dysfunction.

Context: The setting of the TSH upper reference limit impacts the diagnosis of mild hypothyroidism and is currently controversial. Objective: Our objective was to evaluate factors influencing the TSH reference range. Design: Nonpregnant subjects aged 12 yr and older from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III were used to study the relationships between TSH, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), and thyroglobulin antibodies in different ethnic groups. Results: TPOAb prevalence was lowest (<3%) when TSH was between 0.1 and 1.5 mIU/liter in women and between 0.1 and 2.0 mIU/liter in men and progressively increased to above 50% when TSH exceeded 20 mIU/liter. TSH reference range parameters (2.5th, 50th, and 97.5th percentiles) were analyzed according to thyroid antibody status, race/ethnicity, and age for the 14,202 subjects made up of non-Hispanic Blacks (B), non-Hispanic whites (W), and Mexican-Americans (M) who did not report thyroid disease or taking thyroid-altering medications and whose ...
Transcriptional analysis of differential carbohydrate utilization by Clostridium acetobutylicum.

Transcriptional analysis was performed on Clostridium acetobutylicum with the goal of identifying sugar-specific mechanisms for the transcriptional regulation of transport and metabolism genes. DNA microarrays were used to determine transcript levels from total RNA isolated from cells grown on media containing eleven different carbohydrates, including two pentoses (xylose, arabinose), four hexoses (glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose), four disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose) and one polysaccharide (starch). Sugar-specific induction of many transport and metabolism genes indicates that these processes are regulated at the transcriptional level and are subject to carbon catabolite repression. The results show that C. acetobutylicum utilizes symporters and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters for the uptake of pentose sugars, while disaccharides and hexoses are primarily taken up by phosphotransferase system (PTS) transporters and a gluconate : H+ (GntP) transporter. The transcription of some transporter genes was induced by specific sugars, while others were induced by a subset of the sugars tested. Sugar-specific transport roles are suggested, based on expression comparisons, for various transporters of the PTS, the ABC superfamily and members of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), including the GntP symporter family and the glycoside-pentoside-hexuronide (GPH)-cation symporter family. Additionally, updates to the C. acetobutylicum genome annotation are proposed, including the identification of genes likely to encode proteins involved in the metabolism of arabinose and xylose via the pentose phosphate pathway.
An Algorithm for Data Envelopment Analysis

The standard approach to process a data envelopment analysis (DEA) data set, and the one in widespread use, consists of solving as many linear programs (LPs) as there are entities. The dimensions of these LPs are determined by the size of the data sets, and they keep their dimensions as each decision-making unit is scored. This approach can be computationally demanding, especially with large data sets. We present an algorithm for DEA based on a two-phase procedure. The first phase identifies the extreme efficient entities, the frame, of the production possibility set. The frame is then used in a second phase to score the rest of the entities. The new procedure applies to any of the four standard DEA returns to scale. It also imparts flexibility to a DEA study because it postpones the decision about orientation, benchmarking measurements, etc., until after the frame has been identified. Extensive computational testing on large data sets verifies and validates the procedure and demonstrates that it is computationally fast.
Quantitative Estimates of Motility from Videocapsule Endoscopy Are Useful to Discern Celiac Patients from Controls

Prior work has shown that videocapsule endoscopy image features are a useful tool for quantitatively distinguishing the intestinal mucosal surface of untreated celiac patients from that of controls. The use of dynamic estimates of wall motility may further help to improve classification. Videocapsule endoscopy clips (200 frames each, 2 frames/s, 576 × 576 pixels/frame) were acquired at five small intestinal locations in 11 untreated celiac patients (celiacs) and ten controls. Color images were converted to grayscale and analyzed frame-by-frame. Variations in the position and width of the center of the small intestinal lumen were quantitatively estimated. The darkest grayscale pixels were used as an estimate of the lumen center. Over 200 frames, the standard deviation of the lumen center xy position and the mean and standard deviation in lumen center width were used as dynamic estimates of wall motility. These parameters were plotted in three-dimensional space, and the best discriminant function was used to classify celiacs versus controls at each of the following five locations: (1) duodenal bulb, (2) distal duodenum, (3) jejunum, (4) ileum, and (5) distal ileum. The overall sensitivity for the classification of celiacs versus controls at all five locations was 98.2 %, while the specificity was 96.0 %. From location 1 to 5, there was a tendency for the lumen center width to diminish in terms of frame-to-frame variability by 7.6 % in celiacs (r 2 = 0.4) and 9.7 % in controls (r 2 = 0.7). In addition to examining the mucosal surface, videocapsule endoscopy can assess small bowel intestinal motility and aid in distinguishing celiac patients from controls.
Efficient verification of determinate speed-independent circuits

We present sufficient conditions for the correctness of speed-independent circuits with respect to their state graph (SG) specification, which can be tested in linear-time with respect to the size of the SG. Our correctness conditions consist of one safety condition and one progress condition. The progress condition detects deadlock conditions that are not present in the specification. The SG specifications considered are determinate, allowing input choice (conditionals) but not output choice (arbitration). The circuits considered are a network of basic gates; arbiters and mutual-exclusion elements are not allowed. We present an efficient algorithm to test the correctness conditions, in which false positives are not possible, but false negatives are possible. We have implemented the algorithm and present a table of run-time comparisons between our verification tool and the tool AVER by D. Dill on a large benchmark of asynchronous circuits. The results demonstrate run-times of over an order of magnitude faster than AVER and no false negatives were found. Our speedup is achieved by avoiding the state explosion problem caused by explicitly examining the behavior of internal signals.
NATURE OF FLUIDS WHICH FUNCTIONALLY DISTEND THE KIDNEY

The nature of the fluid draining from the kidney, after its artery was occluded, was investigated. Samples of systemic arterial blood, renal venous blood and urine were also analyzed. It was found that the fluid draining from the kidney after occlusion is a mixture of vascular blood and another fluid designated as "diluting fluid," each contributing half to the composite mixture. In volume the mixture is 26 per cent of the functionally distended kidney. With the assumption that the renal extracellular fluid can be considered a simple mixture of blood plasma and a cell-free fluid, the composition of the "diluting fluid" was deduced from the known compositions of vascular blood and total fluid draining. The ratios of its content in a given substance to that in systemic (or renal venous) plasma are: for Na and Ca, 1.0; K, 1.5; Cl, 1.2; PO4, 2.0; urea, 1.8; plasma protein, 0.3; albumin, 0.4; glucose, 0.4, and osmolarity, 1.2. The fluid bears little or no relation to urine, especially since the urine varied considerably between individual dogs whereas the "diluting fluid" was relatively constant in composition. It was also found that the hematocrit of the fluid draining after arterial occlusion progressively decreased as it flowed out, until the last portion contained only 5 per cent red cells. It is concluded that since renal lymph has approximately the same composition in protein, urea, glucose, and inulin as does "diluting fluid," the latter is, in all probability, renal interstitial fluid. Under the conditions of the experiment, it drains out of the kidney slowly relative to blood drainage. It is large in volume, particularly when compared with the capillaries that nourish it. Its high protein content explains the observation that the kidney is apparently naturally distended with a fluid disproportionately rich in plasma protein.
Recent changes in the age composition of U.S. drivers: implications for the extent, safety, and environmental consequences of personal transportation.

Objective: This study examined the changes in the United States from 1983 to 2008 in the percentage of persons with driver's licenses as a function of age. Method: The analysis used data from the Federal Highway Administration on driver's licenses by age. Results: (1) Over the past 25 years, there was a substantial decrease in the percentage of young people with a driver's license and a substantial increase in the percentage of older people with a driver's license. (2) For cohorts who were between age 20 and 44 in 1983 (and thus between age 45 and 69 in 2008), the percentage of licensed drivers has not changed appreciably between 1983 and 2008. This finding suggests that, for all practical purposes, all those who wanted to obtain a driver's license did so by age 20. (3) For cohorts who were between age 45 and 59 in 1983 (and thus between age 70 and 84 in 2008), this percentage dropped substantially. This finding reflects the surrendering of driver's licenses with advanced age. Conclusion: The age composit...
Shall We Vote on Values, But Bet on Beliefs?

A key question to ask about any social institution is how well it generates, aggregates, and distributes information. Speculative markets seem to do well at this, while familiar democratic institutions, relying in part on academic institutions, seem to fail in many ways. So perhaps we should consider “futarchy,” a form of government where betting markets become our primary common source on matters of fact. Democracy would say what we want, while speculators would say how to get it. That is, elected representatives would formally define and manage an after-the-fact measurement of national welfare, while market speculators would say which policies they expect to raise national welfare. If we are willing to recommend policies that macroeconomic data suggest are causally related to GDP, it seems we should be willing to consider futarchy. Using an qualitative engineering-style approach, this paper considers thirty design issues with futarchy, and then presents a relatively specific proposal which responds to those concerns.
Smart Refresh: An Enhanced Memory Controller Design for Reducing Energy in Conventional and 3D Die-Stacked DRAMs

DRAMs require periodic refresh for preserving data stored in them. The refresh interval for DRAMs depends on the vendor and the de- sign technology they use. For each refresh in a DRAM row, the stored information in each cell is read out and then written back to itself as each DRAM bit read is self-destructive. The refresh pro- cess is inevitable for maintaining data correctness, unfortunately, at the expense of power and bandwidth overhead. The future trend to integrate layers of 3D die-stacked DRAMs on top of a proces- sor further exacerbates the situation as accesses to these DRAMs will be more frequent and hiding refresh cycles in the available slack becomes increasingly difficult. Moreover, due to the implica- tion of temperature increase, the refresh interval of 3D die-stacked DRAMs will become shorter than those of conventional ones. This paper proposes an innovative scheme to alleviate the en- ergy consumed in DRAMs. By employing a time-out counter for each memory row of a DRAM module, all the unnecessary periodic refresh operations can be eliminated. The basic concept behind our scheme is that a DRAM row that was recently read or written to by the processor (or other devices that share the same DRAM) does not need to be refreshed again by the periodic refresh opera- tion, thereby eliminating excessive refreshes and the energy dissi- pated. Based on this concept, we propose a low-cost technique in the memory controller for DRAM power reduction. The simulation results show that our technique can reduce up to 86% of all refresh operations and 59.3% on the average for a 2GB DRAM. This in turn results in a 52.6% energy savings for refresh operations. The overall energy saving in the DRAM is up to 25.7% with an average of 12.13% obtained for SPLASH-2, SPECint2000, and Biobench benchmark programs simulated on a 2GB DRAM. For a 64MB 3D DRAM, the energy saving is up to 21% and 9.37% on an average when the refresh rate is 64 ms. For a faster 32ms refresh rate the maximum and average savings are 12% and 6.8% respectively.
Posttreatment Testosterone Levels Do Not Affect Rates of Biochemical Failure in Men Who Have Undergone Definitive Radiation for Prostate Cancer: Implications for Testosterone Replacement

patient, and the dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were calculated. A SHIM score decline of 5 points or greater from the consult baseline value was considered a moderate-to-significant sexual function decline, whereas a SHIM score decline of 4 points or less was considered a mild-to-no sexual function decline. We compared the DVH differences between these 2 groups of patients. Results: One year after external beam radiation (either definitive or adjuvant), 22 of the evaluable 51 patients (43.1%) have SHIM score declines of 5 points or greater from the baseline value. Twenty-nine patients (56.9%) have SHIM score declines of 4 points or less from the baseline value. Thirteen patients (25.5%) developed severe erectile dysfunction (ED) with 1 year follow-up SHIM scores of 7 or less. The average DVH of penile bulb dose differences between these 3 groups was insignificant. Conclusion: Our study result does not demonstrate a correlation between penile bulb dose and sexual function decline 1 year post-RT for prostate cancer. Author Disclosure: S. Grimm: None. L.J. Scharf: None. M.L. Sobczak: None.
Creative Thoughts as Acts of Free Will: A Two-Stage Formal Integration:

This article integrates two topics usually considered disciplines apart, namely, creativity and free will. In particular, creative thoughts are conceived as acts of free will. This integration begi...
High-fidelity simulations for orthopaedic residents: medical complications and systems challenges.

Surgical training requires acquisition of procedural skills as well as competency in medical management. Changes in training and practice patterns have decreased the operative and nonoperative experiences of trainees. With the introduction of new technologies, more complex procedures, and a host of external constraints, the doctrine of learning primarily through supervised patient-care experiences has been superseded by efforts to teach in nonclinical environments1. Increasingly, simulation is being used to help learners develop essential operative technical skills to compensate for the loss of experience that historically has been obtained through exposure to cases. Hip fixation, osteotomy and fusion, and arthroscopy are some of the orthopaedic procedures that are taught through simulation2-4. Despite the attempts to compensate for decreased opportunities for procedural competency training, to our knowledge no one has developed an alternate method to teach clinical skills needed by orthopaedic residents to manage patients in the postoperative period. Residents develop the ability to manage emergency medical situations through exposure to patient problems, just as motor memory is developed through repetitive performance of a procedure. Feedback from more experienced physicians is another important component of learning proper medical management of patients. Whereas operative skill is supervised, thereby providing opportunities for immediate feedback and improvement, postoperative care receives less scrutiny. The simulated setting is an ideal place to practice handling medical emergencies in a standardized manner. Simulation-based medical education is recognized as a method of boosting medical professional performance while enhancing patient safety5. It is being used at a rapidly expanding rate for training of health-care providers, including pediatrics, internal medicine, and anesthesia residents, and for medical students, but we believe that this is the first description of a simulation-based medical education course focusing on postoperative care by orthopaedic residents. Our hypothesis was that simulation-based …
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and sexual abuse

Abstract Study Objective: To make clinicians aware of the possibility of children being coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) and discuss the clinical dilemmas and legal implications. Design and Participants: Two illustrative case reports of children simultaneously infected by HIV and HPV and evaluated for sexual abuse. Setting: The patients were evaluated in the Child Abuse Pediatric Clinic at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City. Interventions: The patients were treated with topical 5% 5-fluorouracil cream. Results: Sexual abuse transmission of HIV was strongly suggested in one patient. Sexual abuse transmission of HPV could not be proven in either case. Conclusions: Genital condyloma may be a clinical manifestation of progressive immunosuppression secondary to vertically or sexually acquired HIV infection in children. Legal issues of children with sexually transmitted diseases need to be addressed in the future.
Abstract SY30-01: Evolution and dynamics of pancreatic cancer progression

The goal of our laboratory is to understand the extent to which genetic features of a neoplasm influence its metastatic progression. Towards this goal we have focused on human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as it represents an ideal tumor type for study of the metastatic process. For example, the precursor lesions that give rise to PDAC have been described in detail (pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, or PanIN), exomic sequencing has elucidated the major genetic alterations of this tumor type, and the accumulation of these genetic alterations during PanIN formation underlies the well accepted genetic progression model of pancreatic ductal carcinogenesis. Finally, PDAC is a tumor type that is often diagnosed in the advanced stages of disease. We have taken the unique approach of performing rapid autopsies for acquisition of primary and metastatic cancer tissues from a large number of individuals, and have used this resource to make several novel observations. First, not all pancreatic cancers are metastatic; of those that do form metastases the range of deposits seen at autopsy ranges from few ( 100 (widely metastatic). Moreover, loss of the DPC4/SMAD4 tumor suppressor gene that occurs during PanIN formation is highly correlated with widespread metastatic disease. Second, using a whole exome sequencing approach we have defined the clonal evolution of PDAC. This has shown that the majority of genetic alterations are founder mutations in that they are encompassed with the parental clone of cells that give rise to PDAC, upon which are superimposed additional genetic alterations that accumulate during subclonal evolution. Geographic mapping of subclones based on their unique genetic signatures indicates that metastatic subclones originate within the primary carcinoma; moreover, several years are required for development of metastatic subclones beyond initiation of the infiltrating carcinoma by the parental clone. Most recently, we have investigated pancreatic cancer progression by utilizing a mathematical framework of metastasis formation together with comprehensive data of PDAC patients obtained at autopsy. This work indicates that primary and metastatic PDAC growth is initially exponential, and that patients with seemingly early stage disease likely harbor metastases at diagnosis. Furthermore, based on the estimating rates of PDAC growth and dissemination, we analyzed the effects of different treatment modalities and found that therapies which efficiently reduce the growth rate of cells earlier in the course of treatment appear to be superior to upfront tumor resection. These lines of investigation not only shed light on this difficult tumor type but also have implications for other major tumor types for which metastatic progression and treatment failure are common. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY30-01. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-SY30-01
Analysis of Influencing Factor on Teachers' Quality of Higher Vocational Education in Doing Scientific Research

Through analysis of teachers’quality in doing scientific research,the article presents the existing problems and insufficiency and analyzes subjective and objective factors influencing teachers’quality in doing scientific research,expecting to provide the scientific basis for discussion and research on the way and method of developing teachers’quality of scientific research.
CD74 Interferes With The Expression Of Fas Receptor On The Cell Surface

Resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis manifested by hematopoietic cancers interferes with the efficacy of currently available chemotherapy regimens. We identified CD74, that is known to be overexpressed in hematological malignancies, as one of the factors interfering with Fas-mediated apoptosis. Through stable suppression of CD74 expression in BJAB and Raji cells using shRNA technology, we have determined that cells overexpressing CD74 are more resistant to FasL-induced apoptosis than control non-target shRNA expressing cells (super FasL 10 ng/mL; 36 ± 3.3% vs.18 ± 0.1% and 35 ± 0.1% vs. 20 ± 1.5%; P< 0.01). Transfection of mice with plasmid encoding full-length CD74 protected mice from a lethal challenge with agonistic anti-Fas antibody Jo2. All 5 of vector-transfected mice died within 6 hours from challenge, while 5 out of 6 CD74-transfected mice survived the challenge (P< 0.05). Suppression of CD74 expression also sensitized BJAB cells to Fas-signaling dependent chemotherapies. Doxorubicin (125nM) killed 27 ± 4% of control and 48 ± 5% of CD74 knock-down cells (P< 0.001). Edelfosine (10 uM) induced apoptosis in 36 ± 7% of control and 64 ± 1% of CD74 knock-down cells (P< 0.001). A detailed analysis of Fas signaling in cells lacking CD74 and control cells revealed increased cleavage/activation of pro-caspase-8 and corresponding enhancement of caspase-3 activation in the absence of CD74. This result suggested that CD74 affects the immediate early steps in Fas signaling at the plasma membrane. We next analyzed the levels of Fas receptor on the surface of cells by flow cytometry. Cells with suppressed CD74 expression had 30% higher staining of Fas receptor on their surface; the mean fluorescence intensity increased from 4017 ± 704 to 5122 ± 216 (P< 0.003). We anticipate that specific targeting of the CD74 on the cell surface with milatuzumab will sensitize CD74-expressing cancer cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis and thus will increase effectiveness of chemotherapy regimens for hematological malignancies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Predictors of psychological outcomes in a longitudinal study of Latina breast cancer survivors

Objective: This study sought to investigate the unique contributions of socio-ecological, cultural and cancer treatment-related factors in predicting depressive symptoms and cancer-specific distress among Latinas. Design: Participants were 140 English or Spanish-speaking Latinas (Mage = 50.6) with non-metastatic breast cancer who were assessed within two years of diagnosis (Time 1) and three months later (Time 2).Main Measures: Hierarchical regression analyses identified predictors of depressive symptoms and cancer-specific distress at Time 1 and 2.Results: Most women scored above the clinical cut-offs for depressive symptoms and cancer-specific distress. After adjusting for socio-ecological factors, greater Latino enculturation, measured by Latino ethnic identity, was significantly associated with greater cancer-specific distress at Time 1 (β = .20, p < .05). A significant interaction (p < .01) revealed that among women high on Latino identity, lower English language use was associated with more cancer-s...
Quantitation of Leydig Cells in Testicular Biopsies of Oligospermic Men with Varicocele

Leydig cell density was evaluated quantitatively in bilateral testicular biopsies from 16 oligospermic men with varicocele. The method utilized for this quantitation is based on the determination of the total number of Leydig cells, Leydig cell clusters, and seminiferous tubules in the entire histologic section of each biopsy, and the calculation of the following indices: mean Leydig cells per seminiferous tubule, mean Leydig cell clusters per seminiferous tubule, and mean Leydig cells per cluster. A significant correlation between Leydig cells per tubule and Leydig cell clusters per tubule was demonstrated, suggesting that determination of Leydig cell clusters per seminiferous tubule in testicular biopsies is an objective and clinically applicable method for quantitative evaluation of Leydig cell density. An association of varicocele with Leydig cell hyperplasia was not noted for the 16 patients studied. In addition, no significant differences in Leydig cell density between right and left testes were found, and no correlation between Leydig cell density and site or degree of varicocele, or age of the patients could be demonstrated. To our knowledge this is the first report of quantitative analysis of Leydig cell density in men with varicocele.