cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using molecular testing to improve the management of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology: an institutional experience with review of molecular alterations.

Introduction Molecular testing has helped clinicians and cytopathologists to further categorize indeterminate thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of commercially available molecular tests, review their effects on patient treatment, and correlate the molecular alterations with the histologic findings. Materials and methods A pathology laboratory information system search identified thyroid FNAs performed at our institution between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2020. The results of surgical follow-up and ancillary molecular testing were collected. We evaluated the accuracy of these tests and whether they could reduce the number of surgeries performed. Results Our laboratory information system search identified 510 cases reported as atypia of undetermined significance, 94 as suspicious for follicular neoplasm, and 44 as suspicious for follicular neoplasm, Hurthle cell type. Of the specimens, 343 had no ancillary molecular testing, 146 were sent for ThyGenX/ThyraMIR, and 136 were sent for ThyroSeq. Of the patients without molecular testing, 50.4% had undergone follow-up surgery compared with 30.8% after ThyGenX/ThyraMIR and 38.2% after ThyroSeq testing, resulting in 38.9% and 24.2% fewer surgeries and an odds ratio of 0.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.00-0.33) and 0.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.95), respectively. For ThyGenX/ThyraMIR testing, the risk of malignancy for high and moderate to high risk alterations was 80%, 28.6% for moderate and low to moderate risk alterations, and 23.1% for low risk alterations. For ThyroSeq, the risk of malignancy was 87.5% for high risk alterations, 36.8% for intermediate to high risk alterations, 27.3% for intermediate risk alterations, and 0% for low risk alterations. The areas under the curve for ThyGenX/ThyraMIR and ThyroSeq testing were 0.65 and 0.85, respectively. Conclusions These findings suggest that, at our institution, both ThygenX/ThyraMIR and ThyroSeq can be used to effectively stratify cytology specimens based on the risk of malignancy and reduce the number of surgeries performed at our institution.
Surgical palliative care disparities

Surgical palliative care is an interdisciplinary treatment modality that aims to decrease suffering and improve the quality of life of seriously ill surgical patients. Although surgical palliative care is increasingly being found to positively impact patient quality of life, disparities in surgical palliative care remain poorly defined. While the field of medical palliative care has demonstrated certain racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic groups are at higher risks for receiving worse palliative care, there is no analogous consensus in the field of surgical palliative care. This is largely secondary to a paucity of research focus in this field. Given that the aforementioned disparities experienced by minoritized patient populations has led to significant morbidity, it is important to understand and call attention to disparities existing within the field of surgical palliative care as well. To advance the knowledge of current healthcare shortcomings and progress towards equitable surgical palliative care, this paper reviews the current state of surgical palliative care disparities evidence, details gaps in knowledge, and highlights priorities for future surgical palliative care research. The articles identified in this review noted disparate surgical palliative care access and outcomes across various racial/ethnic groups, age ranges, socioeconomic classes, hospital populations, and regions. However, evidence scarcity necessitates more robust research be performed to adequately identify at risk groups and understand the factors supporting disparity development.
China’s Evolving “Double-Track” Socio-Legal System in Conflict Resolution

Contemporary China's sociolegal control system is built upon a unique organizational arrangement which differs not only from other countries in the world but also from its own past. The very core of this organizational arrangement is what I define as a “double-track” socio-legality with laws and codified regulation mainly concentrated on economic and commercial sectors with the ruling party focusing its administrative control on political and ideological sectors. This institutional context is critical to understanding the nature of social control mechanism in China. The fact is that with all the laws and regulations promulgated in recent years, the newly developed “legal space”. if examined carefully, only indicates a long-term strategic effort of the Chinese government to adjust rather than abandon its existing socio-legality of conflict meditation and resolution, making it more adaptable to the new social environment shaped by the forces of globalization.
T Cell-dependent Antitumor Immunity Mediated by Secondary Lymphoid Tissue Chemokine: Augmentation of Dendritic Cell-based Immunotherapy

Secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC) is a CC chemokine that is selective in its recruitment of naive T cells and dendritic cells (DCs). In the lymph node, SLC is believed to play an important role in the initiation of an immune response by colocalizing naive T cells with DC-presenting antigen. Here, we used SLC as a treatment for tumors established from the poorly immunogenic B16 melanoma. Intratumoral injections of SLC inhibited tumor growth in a CD8+, T cell-dependent manner. SLC elicited a substantial infiltration of DCs and T cells into the tumor, coincident with the antitumor response. We next used SLC gene-modified DCs as a treatment of established tumors. Intratumoral injections of SLC-expressing DCs resulted in tumor growth inhibition that was significantly better than either control DCs or SLC alone. Distal site immunization of tumor-bearing mice with SLC gene-modified DCs pulsed with tumor lysate elicited an antitumor response whereas control DCs did not. We also found that s.c. injection of lysate-pulsed DCs expressing SLC promoted the migration of T cells to the immunization site. This report demonstrates that SLC can both induce antitumor responses and enhance the antitumor immunity elicited by DCs.
Pesticide Use and Residual Occurrence in Thailand

This paper addresses pesticide use, environmental problems, and regulations in Thailand. Annually, Thailand imports several thousand metric tons of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. Agricultural goods are among the country's primary exports. Over the past decade, Thailand's agricultural sector has shifted from labor- to machine-intensive farming practices. Pressures to sustain high crop yields have led to heavy usage of pesticides. Residues, especially organochlorine and organophosphate compounds, have been found in soil, water, and agricultural products throughout the country. Occupational exposure and suicide are the main causes of pesticide poisoning to Thailand's residents. Recognizing the growing problem, Thailand's government has enacted environmental laws and education programs aimed at minimizing adverse effects of pesticides.
Is there a strange attractor in a fluidized bed

Fluidized beds have long been used as multiphase reactors in the chemical processing industries and as fossil-fuel combustion beds in the energy production industries.[1] They operate on the principle of fluidization in which a fluid is allowed to flow through a solid phase (usually a system of particles of varying sizes) at a velocity above a minimum value Umf at which the drag exceeds the net particle weights. At that stage the particles “fluidize,” which is a state of motion in many ways similar in a reverse manner to sedimentation. The process provides efficient mixing among the phases in the system, resulting in good mass/heat transfer characteristics.
Votive Panels and Popular Piety in Early Modern Italy

1. Dialogues of devotion: an introduction 2. Tavolette votive: form, function, context 3. Determining functional value: attestations of fact and faith 4. Narrative modes 5. Signs of faith, signs of superstition.
House Prices, Mortgage Interest Rates, and Security of Legal Claim: An Investigation of Deed Types

When houses are sold, they come with a deed attached that spells out the legal guarantees the seller makes about the house. The deed sometimes contains guarantees of good title, freedom from encumbrances, and protection from competing claims against the property; other deeds make no such guarantees. We find that the type of deed attached to a housing sale can have a dramatic correlation with the sale price, often reflecting the degree of security of property rights. Warranty deeds are the most common type, but ten deed types command a discount and one commands a premium relative to warranty deeds. The 27% discount for guardian deeds is larger than expected: a principal-agent problem may be responsible. Mortgage rates for sheriff's deeds and foreclosure deeds are lower than for warranty deeds, indicating more sophisticated buyers. The Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act forbid charging different mortgage interest rates in different neighborhoods, but we find higher mortgage interest rates in racially heterogeneous neighborhoods.
Supporting source code difference analysis

The paper describes an approach to easily conduct analysis of source-code differences. The approach is termed meta-differencing to reflect the fact that additional knowledge of the differences can be automatically derived. Meta-differencing is supported by an underlying source-code representation developed by the authors. The representation, srcML, is an XML format that explicitly embeds abstract syntax within the source code while preserving the documentary structure as dictated by the developer. XML tools are leveraged together with standard differencing utilities (i.e., diff,) to generate a meta-difference. The meta-difference is also represented in an XML format called srcDiff. The meta-difference contains specific syntactic information regarding the source-code changes. In turn this can be queried and searched with XML tools for the purpose of extracting information about the specifics of the changes. A case study of using the meta-differencing approach on an open-source system is presented to demonstrate its usefulness and validity.
A Performance Comparison of NFS and iSCSI for IP-Networked Storage

IP-networked storage protocols such as NFS and iSCSI have become increasingly common in today's LAN environments. In this paper, we experimentally compare NFS and iSCSI performance for environments with no data sharing across machines. Our micro- and macro-benchmarking results on the Linux platform show that iSCSI and NFS are comparable for data-intensive workloads, while the former outperforms latter by a factor of two or more for meta-data intensive workloads. We identify aggressive meta-data caching and aggregation of meta-data updates in iSCSI to be the primary reasons for this performance difference and propose enhancements to NFS to overcome these limitations.
Abstract Morality for an Abstract Order

The first part of this Article outlines a conception of “the market” as an abstract and complex emergent order that is unplanned and has no specific ends. I draw on major classical liberal thinkers to elaborate this picture in order to emphasize the role that such a description plays in the liberal case for a market order. The second part describes in broad outline the kinds of rules needed to sustain the market. These rules can be reasonably described as “abstract.” The third part connects abstract moral and legal rules with a psychological framework known as construal-level theory. This framework usefully connects the degree of abstraction or level at which a problem is construed with the evaluation and judgments of agents, including judges, litigants and the general public. I argue that beneficence (generosity) is a concrete virtue and justice is an abstract one. In a concrete construal of a moral or legal problem the tendency is to evaluate and decide on the basis of the concrete virtue rather than the abstract. The fourth and last part illustrates the general issues by discussing two relevant legal examples: the police power and the contract doctrine of unconscionability. I also illustrate the interplay between special interests and the benevolent attitudes of people spurred on by low-levels of problem construal.
2,6‐Dinitroaniline

2,6-Dinitroaniline product: 2,6-dinitroaniline Keywords: hydrolysis, miscellaneous; nitration; replacement reactions, halogen by amino; sulfonation, C-sulfonation; filter aids
Meal Skipping Patterns Among Children and Adolescents

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: Participants will be able describe the proportion of young people skipping meals and their attitudes about food consumption. These data are from an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and USDA to develop and test potential survey instruments that could be used to monitor school-based nutrition efforts. The instrument was developed using focus groups of 740 children. This report is from 392, 4-11 th grade children in 12 schools in central Texas who volunteered to provide self-report information regarding their dietary intake habits, attitudes, and knowledge. The focus of this report is on meal skipping patterns. Students were asked if they skipped any meals yesterday and also whether skipping a meal affects their ability to do well with their classes and activities. Of the overall sample, 23% reported having missed breakfast yesterday with greater frequency in older grades. Only 11% reported having missed lunch and all the students reported having had dinner yesterday. Interestingly, greater than 60% of students agreed that skipping meals affects their school and activity performance, and this varied significantly depending on whether they skipped breakfast (73% breakfast eaters vs. 52% for skippers). Trying to lose weight was also associated with skipping breakfast and lunch with 42% and 47% of breakfast and lunch skippers, respectively, trying to lose weight compared to 33% for both non-skipping groups. Finally, of those having breakfast, 45% felt their eating habits were much or somewhat healthier than their peers compared to only 32% of breakfast skippers. Even though most students believe that skipping a meal will decrease their performance, this attitude is in conflict with their behavior.
Copolymerization of nonconjugated diolefins: General composition relationships

The copolymerization of nonconjugated diolefins with vinyl monomers involves departures from conventional vinyl copolymerization kinetics and the standard forms of the binary or ternary copolymerization composition equations are inadequate. These departures include intramolecular cyclization reactions and generally the formation of some pendent double-bonds. A general treatment of the copolymerization of symmetrical nonconjugated diolefins with vinyl monomers gives closed form relationships which take such reactions and their consequences into account. The general relationships may be approximated by a new series of composition equations which take into account the formation of both cyclized and noncyclized units in the chain and are simple enough for experimental use. The latter expressions are: where: αc = kc/k11, α4 = k14/k11, δ1 = k41/k44, and β4 = k24/k21, and [M1], [M3], and [M4] refer to the concentrations of diolefin double bonds, pendent double bonds, and comonomer, respectively.
Comparison of common lignin methods and modifications on forage and lignocellulosic biomass materials.

BACKGROUND: A variety of methods have been developed for estimating lignin concentration within plant materials. The objective of this study was to compare the lignin concentrations produced by six methods on a diverse population of forage and biomass materials and to examine the relationship between these concentrations and the portions of these materials that are available for utilisation by livestock or for ethanol conversion. RESULTS: Several methods produced lignin concentrations that were highly correlated with the digestibility of the forages, but there were few relationships between these methods and the available carbohydrate of the biomass materials. The use of Na2SO3 during preparation of residues for hydrolysis resulted in reduced lignin concentrations and decreased correlation with digestibility of forage materials, particularly the warm-season grasses. CONCLUSION: There were several methods that were well suited for predicting the digestible portion of forage materials, with the acid detergent lignin and Klason lignin method giving the highest correlation across the three types of forage. The continued use of Na2SO3 during preparation of Van Soest fibres needs to be evaluated owing to its ability to reduce lignin concentrations and effectiveness in predicting the utilisation of feedstuffs and feedstocks. Because there was little correlation between the lignin concentration and the biomass materials, there is a need to examine alternative or develop new methods to estimate lignin concentrations that may be used to predict the availability of carbohydrates for ethanol conversion. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Atom-resolved surface chemistry using scanning tunneling microscopy.

We use scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate the reactivity of the dangling-bond states of Si(111)-(7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7). The reaction with ${\mathrm{NH}}_{3}$ is used as a prototype. We find that Si rest atoms are more reactive than Si adatoms and that center adatoms are more reactive than corner adatoms. Using atom-resolved electronic spectra, we probe the dangling-bond states on both clean and ${\mathrm{NH}}_{3}$-exposed surfaces. We find significant interactions and charge transfer between sites which strongly influence surface reactivity.
Gravity-driven two-layer flow down a slightly wavy periodic incline at low Reynolds numbers

Gravity-driven two-layer flow down a slightly wavy periodic incline at low Reynolds numbers is studied by a perturbation approach. Amplitude ratios and phase shifts of the fluid-fluid interface and the fluid-air free surface relative to the wavy wall are obtained as functions of the incline angle, wavelength of the roughness, and the ratios of film mean thickness, density and viscosity. Effects of surface tension and interface are included, and wall-shear-stress distributions are also discussed.
Acyl protein thioesterase inhibitors as probes of dynamic S-palmitoylation

Protein palmitoylation describes the hydrophobic post-translational modification of cysteine residues in certain proteins, and is required for the spatial organization and composition of cellular membrane environments. Certain palmitoylated proteins are processed by acyl protein thioesterase (APT) enzymes, which catalyze thioester hydrolysis of palmitoylated cysteine residues. Inhibiting APT enzymes disrupts Ras trafficking and attenuates oncogenic growth signaling, highlighting these enzymes as potential therapeutic targets. As members of the serine hydrolase enzyme family, APT enzymes can be assayed by fluorophosphonate activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) methods, allowing rapid profiling of inhibitor selectivity and potency. In this review, we discuss recent progress in the development of potent and selective inhibitors to APT enzymes, including both reversible and irreversible inhibitor chemotypes. These examples highlight how ABPP methods integrate with medicinal chemistry for the discovery and optimization of inhibitors in complex proteomes.
Kinetics of Oxide Film Growth on Metal Crystals: Electron Tunneling and Ionic Diffusion

Growth rate of oxide and other dielectric contact films on metal crystals computed for ionic diffusion and electron tunneling
MaTT, an automatic toolpath generator for laser-patterning high-aspect-ratio microstructures in photosensitive materials

Although software exists to support the design of microelectromechanical systems fabricated with mask-based photolithography, software to generate the Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) toolpath instructions to direct-write-pattern with lasers lags behind. This lack has slowed the development of Photostructurable Glass-Ceramics (PSGCs) for aerospace applications. A new software package, MaTT (Mask-To-Toolpath), translates designs represented in an industry-standard mask format, Caltech Interchange Format (CIF), into toolpaths for laser-patterning photosensitive materials. PSGC structures fabricated using MaTT illustrate the process. MaTT will soon be harnessed for a major research effort on glass nanosatellites. MaTT is freely available by email request.
Using a genetic algorithm-based classifier system for modeling auditor decision behavior in a fraud setting

This paper addresses a classification problem involving the decisions of Defense Contractor Audit Agency (DCAA) auditors when they are estimating the likelihood of fraud by contractors developing bids for government contracts. The objective of the study is to investigate if this decision involves non-algebraic processes associated with a posited simultaneous decision model or algebraic processes posited by sequential decision processes. We propose that in classification decision models involving simultaneous processing, genetic algorithms represent an innovative heuristic approach, which may produce improved models when compared to traditional mathematical approaches. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A microscale mechanical stimulator for generating identical in-plane surface strains toward live cells on multiple loading sites

Abstract To investigate complicated mechanobiological events at the cellular level, microdevices that are capable of delivering controlled and identical mechanical signals to multiple loading sites are of imperative need. Although current devices in this field can generate identical loads under static conditions, parallel delivery of dynamic loads with identical loading parameters often requires the use of a multi-channel pump or multiple pumps to avoid the differential patterns of load magnitudes caused by the compliant fluidic channels. This however increases the complexity of the devices and somewhat compromises the miniaturization nature. In this study, we design and fabricate a bi-layered microfluidic device driven by a single external pump that can simultaneously deliver identical strain profiles to all the loading membranes (each with 500 μm in diameter). The loading performances under both static and cyclic loading conditions were experimentally examined. The influences of the total membrane number and the loading frequency were also examined. By minimizing the number of external pumping units for parallel operation, this device allows further miniaturization of on-chip mechanical stimulators for various studies in the field of cellular mechanobiology.
The Euthyphro Objection to Divine Normative Theories: A Response

The ethical theories often called divine command theories have a long philosphical history. As early as Plato's dialogue Euthyphro , persons – in this case, Euthyphro – were advocating theories that claim such things as whatever is morally obligatory is obligatory because and only because God commands it. There is a range of such theories, however, and offering one description that adequately characterizes them all is very difficult. Some theorists focus on the moral obligatoriness of actions, others on the moral virtue of traits of character, and still others on the moral goodness of states of affairs. Some theorists take God's commanding as creating the obligation (or whatever), others think God's willing an action creates the obligation. Theories concentrating on God's loving, his preferring, and perhaps other states, too, could be advanced. Paul Helm in the introduction to his anthology Divine Commands and Morality regards this sort of theory as holding’…that God does issue commands and that these commands are to form the basis of a believer's morality.…’ And Janine Marie Idziak in the introduction to her Divine Command Morality: Historical and Contemporary Readings writes, ‘Generally speaking, a ‘divine command moralist’ is one who maintains that the content of morality (i.e. what is right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust, and the like) is directly and solely dependent upon the commands and prohibitions of God.’ Rather than spend much time attempting to develop necessary and sufficient conditions characterizing all such theories, however, let us label them all ‘divine normative theories’ and hope that the basic nature of divine normative theories is relatively clear.
Determination of melt-onset and refreeze timing on southeast Alaskan icefields using SSM/I diurnal amplitude variations

Timing of snowmelt and freeze-up was estimated for glaciers in the Coast and St Elias Ranges of Alaska, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada, using twice-daily brightness temperatures (Tb) from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Programs Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I). Melt and freeze-up were determined for a 37 GHz vertically polarized time series using changes in the average daily Tb and high-amplitude Tb diurnal amplitude variations (DAV). DAV are the running difference between the early-morning (usually minimum) and late-afternoon (usually maximum) Tb observations. Year-round temperatures taken at 2 hour intervals on the Juneau Icefield (58°4N, 134°15 W) validated the microwave response to melt. A bimodal distribution of Tb corresponding to frozen or melting snow helped estimate the Tb at which the transition from frozen to melting snow occurred on pixels without ground observations. Thresholds of Tb (>246 K) and DAV (>±10 K) were used to refine the selection of melt and refreeze timing for southeast Alaska. Melt timing correlates with stream discharge. In general, melt onset occurred progressively earlier and refreeze later in the season between 1988 and 1998. It is not known whether this is related to regional warming or to one of the shorter decadal-scale oscillations in the Gulf of Alaska.
Toward a Science of Transdisciplinary Action Research

This paper offers a conceptual framework for establishing a science of transdisciplinary action research. Lewin's (1951) concept of action research highlights the scientific and societal value of translating psychological research into community problem-solving strategies. Implicit in Lewin's formulation is the importance of achieving effective collaboration among behavioral researchers, community members and policy makers. The present analysis builds on Lewin's analysis by outlining programmatic directions for the scientific study of transdisciplinary research and community action. Three types of collaboration, and the contextual circumstances that facilitate or hinder them, are examined: (1) collaboration among scholars representing different disciplines; (2) collaboration among researchers from multiple fields and community practitioners representing diverse professional and lay perspectives; and (3) collaboration among community organizations across local, state, national, and international levels. In the present analysis, transdisciplinary action research is viewed as a topic of scientific study in its own right to achieve a more complete understanding of prior collaborations and to identify strategies for refining and sustaining future collaborations (and their intended outcomes) among researchers, community members and organizations.
A simple and practical model for combined wave-current canopy flows

Laboratory experiments were used to evaluate and improve modelling of combined wave–current flow through submerged aquatic canopies. Horizontal in-canopy particle image velocimetry (PIV) and wavemaker-measurement synchronization allowed direct volume averaging and ensemble averaging by wave phase, which were used to fully resolve the volume-averaged unsteady momentum budget. Parameterizations for the drag, Reynolds stress, vertical advection, wake production and shear production were tested against the laboratory measurements. The drag was found to have small errors due to unsteadiness and the finite aspect ratio of the canopy elements. The Smagorinsky model for the Reynolds stress showed much better agreement with the measurements than the quadratic friction parameterization used in the literature. A proposed parameterization for the vertical advection based on linear wave theory was also found to be effective and is much more computationally efficient than solving the pressure Poisson equation. A simple 1D 0-equation Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model was developed to use these parameterizations. The basic framework of the model is an extrapolation from previous 2- and 3-box models to boxes. While the resolution of the model is flexible, the filter length for the Smagorinsky parameterization has to be chosen appropriately. With the proper filter length, the -box model demonstrated good agreement with the measurements at both low and high resolution. Scaling analysis was used to establish a region of parameter space where the -box model is expected to be effective. The following conditions define this region: the wave-induced velocity is of similar or greater magnitude than the background current, the drag to shear length ratio is small enough to produce canopy behaviour, the wave orbital excursion is not much larger than the drag length, the Froude number is small and the canopy is under shallow submergence, yet far from emergent. Under these assumptions, the dominant balance is between pressure and unsteadiness, the drag is secondary, and the other terms are small. The simple Reynolds stress parameterization in the -box model is appropriate under these conditions because the Reynolds stress is unlikely to be the dominant source of error. This finding is important because the Reynolds stress is typically one of the dominant drivers of computational cost and model complexity. Based on these findings, the -box model is expected to be a practical tool for a wide range of combined wave–current canopy flows because of its simplicity and computational efficiency.
Hypercalcemic hyperparathyroidism in hypophosphatemic rickets.

A 25-year-old white woman with sporadic hypophosphatemic rickets presented with a 7 year history of chronic mild hypercalcemia, osteitis fibrosa cystica and hypercalcemic nephropathy.Serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone was elevated by greater than 100-fold and a 3.5 gparathyroid tumor was found at operation. Survey of the literature reveals that of 9 previous cases in which hypercalcemic hyperparathyroidism occurred in as sociation with hypophosphatemic rickets, onlytwo had classical x-linked familial hypophosphatemic rickets. It appears more than likely that this unusual combination of skeletal diseases represents the chance occurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism in patients with underlying x-linked familial hypophosphatemic rickets rather than a complication of phosphate therapy.
Cellular Retinol-binding Protein-supported Retinoic Acid Synthesis: RELATIVE ROLES OF MICROSOMES AND CYTOSOL (∗)

This study shows that microsomal retinol dehydrogenases, versus cytosolic retinol dehydrogenases, provide the quantitatively major share of retinal for retinoic acid (RA) biogenesis in rat tissues from the predominant substrate available physiologically, holo-cellular retinol-binding protein, type I (CRBP). With holo-CRBP as substrate in the absence of apo-CRBP microsomal retinol dehydrogenases have the higher specific activity and capacity to generate retinal used for RA synthesis by cytosolic retinal dehydrogenases. In the presence of apo-CRBP, a potent inhibitor of cytosolic retinol dehydrogenases (IC50 = approximately 1 microM), liver microsomes provide 93% of the total retinal synthesized in a combination of microsomes and cytosol. Cytosolic retinol dehydrogenase(s) and the isozymes of alcohol dehydrogenase expressed in rat liver had distinct enzymatic properties; yet ethanol inhibited cytosolic retinol dehydrogenase(s) (IC50 = 20 microM) while stimulating RA synthesis in a combination of microsomes and cytosol. At least two discrete forms of cytosolic retinol dehydrogenase were observed: NAD- and NADP-dependent forms. Multiple retinal dehydrogenases also were observed and were inhibited partially by apo-CRBP. These results provide new insights into pathways of RA biogenesis and provide further evidence that they consist of multiple enzymes that recognize both liganded and nonliganded states of CRBP.
Trabecular Metal™ Cups for Acetabular Defects With 50% or Less Host Bone Contact

Acetabular component revision in the context of large contained bone defects with less than 50% host bone contact traditionally have been treated with roof reinforcement or antiprotrusio cages. Trabecular Metal cups (Zimmer, Inc, Warsaw, IN) may offer a reasonable treatment alternative. We evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcome of this mode of treatment. We prospectively followed 53 hip revision acetabular arthroplasty procedures performed with Trabecular Metal cups for contained defects with 50% or less contact with native bone. All patients were clinically and radiographically evaluated for evidence of loosening or failure. Minimum followup was 24 months (average, 45 months; range, 24-71 months). Contact with host bone ranged from 0% to 50% (average, 19%). The mean postoperative Merle d'Aubigne-Postel score was 10.6 (range, 1-12), with a mean improvement of 5.2 (range, -4-10) compared to the preoperative score. Two failed cups (4%) were revised. Two additional cups (4%) had radiographic evidence of probable loosening. Complications included four dislocations and one sciatic nerve palsy. The data suggest treatment of cavitary defects with less than 50% host bone contact using Trabecular Metal cups, without structural support by augments or structural bone grafts, is a reasonable option.
Building your yield of dreams [review of Design for Manufacturability and Yield for Nano-Scale CMOS by Charles Chiang and Jamil Kawa; 2007]

This is a review of Design for Manufacturability and Yield for Nano-Scale CMOS (by Charles Chiang and Jamil Kawa). DFM is a rapidly growing field that uses design techniques to improve manufacturing yield. However, the dilution in the interface between design and manufacturing implies that today, to build a circuit with enhanced yield, a designer must know more about manufacturing than ever before. The first step to embracing yield considerations is to learn about them, and this book portrays the landscape of this area in an excellent way. It describes methods for modeling variations, optimizing them, and learning to design around them when they occur. The overall structure of this book is well thought out and logical, and the reader who peruses it will be rewarded with an excellent view of the field.
Counterfactual thinking about one’s birth enhances well-being judgments

Previous research demonstrates that thinking counterfactually about life experiences facilitates meaning making about those events. Two studies extend this work into the well-being domain by examining the effects of writing factually or counterfactually about one’s birth on well-being. In Study 1, participants (N = 252) were randomly assigned to write factually or counterfactually about their births or the election of Barack Obama and then completed measures of meaning in life and life satisfaction. Writing counterfactually about one’s birth led to higher evaluations of life relative to all other groups. In Study 2, (N = 98) participants wrote factually or counterfactually about their births and again completed well-being measures. Fate attributions, probability estimates, and feelings of luck were explored as potential mediators. The effect on well-being from Study 1 replicated, but was not driven by any of the measured variables. Implications for existential psychology and well-being research are discussed.
Sea ice and polar climate in the NCAR CSM

The Climate System Model (CSM) consists of atmosphere, ocean, land, and sea-ice components linked by a flux coupler, which computes fluxes of energy and momentum between components. The sea-ice component consists of a thermodynamic formulation for ice, snow, and leads within the ice pack, and ice dynamics using the cavitating-fluid ice rheology, which allows for the compressive strength of ice but ignores shear viscosity. The results of a 300-yr climate simulation are presented, with the focus on sea ice and the atmospheric forcing over sea ice in the polar regions. The atmospheric model results are compared to analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and other observational sources. The sea-ice concentrations and velocities are compared to satellite observational data. The atmospheric sea level pressure (SLP) in CSM exhibits a high in the central Arctic displaced poleward from the observed Beaufort high. The Southern Hemisphere SLP over sea ice is generally 5 mb lower than observed. Air temperatures over sea ice in both hemispheres exhibit cold biases of 2‐4 K. The precipitationminus-evaporation fields in both hemispheres are greatly improved over those from earlier versions of the atmospheric GCM. The simulated ice-covered area is close to observations in the Southern Hemisphere but too large in the Northern Hemisphere. The ice concentration fields show that the ice cover is too extensive in the North Pacific and subarctic North Atlantic Oceans. The interannual variability of the ice area is similar to observations in both hemispheres. The ice thickness pattern in the Antarctic is realistic but generally too thin away from the continent. The maximum thickness in the Arctic occurs against the Bering Strait, not against the Canadian Archipelago as observed. The ice velocities are stronger than observed in both hemispheres, with a consistently greater turning angle (to the left) in the Southern Hemisphere. They produce a northward ice transport in the Southern Hemisphere that is 3‐4 times the satellite-derived value. Sensitivity tests with the sea-ice component show that both the pattern of wind forcing in CSM and the air-ice drag parameter used contribute to the biases in thickness, drift speeds, and transport. Plans for further development of the ice model to incorporate a viscousplastic ice rheology are presented. In spite of the biases of the sea-ice simulation, the 300-yr climate simulation exhibits only a small degree of drift in the surface climate without the use of flux adjustment. This suggests a robust stability in the simulated climate in the presence of significant variability.
Measurements of an expanding surface flashover plasma

A better understanding of vacuum surface flashover and the plasma produced by it is of importance for electron and ion sources, as well as advanced accelerators and other vacuum electronic devices. This article describes time-of-flight and biased-probe measurements made on the expanding plasma generated from a vacuum surface flashover discharge. The plasma expanded at velocities of 1.2–6.5 cm/μs, and had typical densities of 1010–1012 cm−3. The expansion velocity of the plasma leading edge often exhibited a sharp increase at distances of about 50 mm from the discharge site. Comparison with biased-probe data suggests that, under most conditions, the plasma leading edge was dominated by negative ions, with the apparent increase in velocity being due to fast H− overtaking slower, heavier ions. In some cases, biased-probe data also showed abrupt discontinuities in the plasma energy distribution co-located with large changes in the intercepted plasma current, suggesting the presence of a shock in the leading edge of the expanding plasma.
Osteochondral Lesions of the Elbow

Osteochondral lesions of the elbow are injuries that disrupt the cartilage and subjacent bone, and they most commonly involve the capitellum. The staging, prognosis, and treatment of osteochondral lesions in the elbow are based on a combination of radiographic, magnetic resonance imaging, and arthroscopic findings. Radiographic staging includes the radiolucent, separation, and free (advanced) stages. MR imaging features of instability include cysts, osteochondral fracture, T2 hyperintense rim, subchondral plate defects, and fluid-filled osteochondral defects. Finally, arthroscopic grading of osteochondral lesions increases in severity based on findings of softened cartilage, cartilage fissuring, exposed bone, loose but nondisplaced fragments, and eventually displaced fragments resulting in intra-articular bodies. This pictorial review focuses on osteochondral lesions in the capitellum and trochlea including osteochondritis dissecans, Panner disease, and acute trauma.
Methods for Device Applications Debugging

During device applications being debugged, communications with device are need. Combining with real device brings inconvenience on debugging, and even hides bugs. Techniques and methods for debugging device applications combined with virtual device are discussed in this paper, and already proved to be feasible and effective by projects’ decrease of cost and increase of efficiency.
Critical flux of surface-patterned ultrafiltration membranes during cross-flow filtration of colloidal particles

Abstract Previous work has suggested that membrane patterning is a promising approach to fouling mitigation. In this systematic study, we describe performance metrics for the cross-flow filtration of colloidal suspensions through ultrafiltration membranes with lithographically patterned surfaces. The effects of particle size, cross-flow velocity, pattern size, and flow configuration on membrane performance are specifically considered. Using an unpatterned membrane as a reference, results show that the presence of surface patterns increases the critical flux associated with filtration of colloidal feed solutions. For the patterned membranes, the critical flux increases with particle size, cross-flow velocity, the angle between the feed flow and the pattern lines, and the pattern height. These experimental findings can be correlated with a back-transport mechanism such as shear-induced diffusion, which ultimately increases the threshold permeation flux associated with the onset of particle deposition.
RNAi as Random Degradative PCR: siRNA Primers Convert mRNA into dsRNAs that Are Degraded to Generate New siRNAs

Abstract In posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS), "quelling," and RNA interference (RNAi), 21–25 nucleotide RNA fragments are produced from the initiating dsRNA. These short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) mediate RNAi by an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that GFP and Pp -Luc siRNAs, isolated from a protein complex in Drosophila embryo extract, target mRNA degradation in vitro. Most importantly, these siRNAs, as well as a synthetic 21-nucleotide duplex GFP siRNA, serve as primers to transform the target mRNA into dsRNA. The nascent dsRNA is degraded to eliminate the incorporated target mRNA while generating new siRNAs in a cycle of dsRNA synthesis and degradation. Evidence is presented that mRNA-dependent siRNA incorporation to form dsRNA is carried out by an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity (RdRP).
Carbon disulfide in the estuarine, coastal, and oceanic environments

Abstract The concentration of carbon disulfide (CS2) in surface water and relevant hydrographic parameters were determined in coastal waters of the eastern USA (Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac River; 7–11 September 1986). The CS2 concentration varied extensively along the cruise track, from 4 to 510 pmol S(CS2) l−1 (n = 103). The average values in estuarine, shelf, and oceanic waters were found to be 118 ± 100 pmol S(CS2) l−1 (n = 54), 51 ± 34 pmol S(CS2) l−1 (n = 14), and 28 ± 12 pmol S(CS2) l−1 (n = 35), respectively. To help interpret the geochemical behavior of CS2, we analyzed the depth distribution of CS2 in the North Atlantic Ocean during an earlier cruise (23 April–2 May 1986). In most cases, these depth profiles show a near-surface maximum at about 10–20 m depth and a relatively steep gradient below this maximum. Based on the distribution pattern in the water column and evidence provided by earlier workers, we propose that diffusion of CS2 from bottom sediments may contribute to CS2 levels in surface seawater. The atmospheric concentration of CS2 was also investigated at some locations during the September cruise. Except during periods when there was a significant anthropogenic input, the concentration of CS2 in air was generally in the range of 4–15 pptv (parts per trillion by volume) with a mean of 10.4 ± 4.0 pptv (n = 10). The calculated sea-to-air emission rates of CS2 at each of our sampling stations show a decreasing trend across estuarine, shelf, and oceanic areas, in agreement with the trend in surface water concentrations.
THE POLITICS OF AIR BAG SAFETY: A COMPETITION AMONG PROBLEM DEFINITIONS

In view of 121 deaths attributed to air bag deployments, mainly to children and adults of small stature, recent policy debate has focused on modifying current U.S. federal automotive air bag regulations. In this article, a problem definition perspective is used to help understand the nature of this debate. Utilizing a content analysis of the official record of 1 House and 2 Senate hearings, it is argued that 4 problem definitions characterize the debate over air bag safety: behavioral, regulatory, technological, and corporate greed. Furthermore, it is also argued that a problem definition perspective offers a better explanation of recent changes to federal air bag regulations than do pluralist, elitist, or principal-agent models.
Computing Equilibria in Bimatrix Games by Parallel Vertex Enumeration

Equilibria computation is of great importance to many areas such as economics, control theory, and recently computer science. We focus on the computation of Nash equilibria in two-player general-sum normal form games, also called bimatrix games. One efficient method to compute these equilibria is based on enumerating the vertices of the best response polyhedrons of the two players and checking the equilibrium conditions for every pair of vertices. We design and implement a parallel algorithm for computing Nash equilibria in bimatrix games based on vertex enumeration. We analyze the performance of the proposed algorithm by performing extensive experiments on a grid computing system.
IN WHAT SENSE MUST GOD BE OMNIBENEVOLENT

In response, other philosophers and theologians have argued that the concept of a 'best possible world' is meaningless since for every possible world God can create, there exists another actualizable world with a higher degree of perfection. They conclude, accordingly, that since God cannot be faulted for not creating that which cannot exist, the fact that he fails to create the best possible world certainly cannot be said to count against his omnibenevolence.1 I have argued elsewhere that this line of reasoning is not convincing.2 But let us assume that I am wrong. What then can we say about an omnibenevolent God's creative obligations? I shall first argue that even if there exists no single possible world which is better than all the rest, there is still a meaningful, important sense in which it can be claimed that an omnibenevolent God is obligated to maximize the quality of life for those beings he chooses to create. I shall then defend this concept of omnibenevolence against Robert Adams' contention that an omnibenevolent God need only insure that the beings he creates lead lives which are on the whole worth living.