cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative effectiveness of robot-assisted vs. open radical cystectomy.

Abstract Objectives Over the past decade, robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has gained traction as an alternative to the conventional open approach open radical cystectomy (ORC). However, the benefits of RARC over ORC remain unclear. Our objective was to conduct a comparative effectiveness analysis between RARC and ORC using data from the National Cancer Data Base. Materials and methods Within the National Cancer Data Base, we identified patients with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent RC between 2010 and 2013. Patients were stratified according to surgical approach: ORC vs. RARC. Intraoperative endpoints included: the presence of positive surgical margins, the performance of a pelvic lymph node dissection, and number of lymph nodes (LN) removed. Postoperative endpoints included: length of stay (LOS), 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality (POM) rates, 30-day readmission rate, and overall survival (OS). To minimize selection bias, observed differences in baseline characteristics between RARC vs. ORC patients were controlled for using weighted propensity scores. Binary endpoints and OS were assessed using propensity score-adjusted logistic and Cox regression analyses, respectively. POM was assessed using propensity score weighted Kaplan-Meier survival estimates at 30 and 90 days after RC. Results Of 9,561 patients who underwent RC, 2,048 (21.4%) and 7,513 (78.6%) underwent RARC and ORC, respectively. The use of RARC increased over time, from 16.7% in 2010 to 25.3% in 2013. With regard to intraoperative outcomes, RARC was associated with equivalent rates of positive surgical margins (9.3% vs. 10.7%, odds ratio [OR] = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.72–1.03; P = 0.10), higher rates of pelvic lymph node dissection (96.4% vs. 92.0%, OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.67–3.16; P Conclusions Our large contemporary study found an increased adoption of RARC between 2010 and 2013, with more than 1 out of 4 patients undergoing RARC by the end of the study period. We found that RARC was associated with higher LN counts, shorter LOS, and lower POM. Our results allude to potential benefits of RARC while we wait for more definitive answers from randomized trials.
The omega number: irreducible complexity in pure math

We discuss the halting probability Ω, whose bits are irreducible mathematical facts, that is, facts which cannot be derived from any principles simpler than they are. In other words, you need a mathematical theory with N bits of axioms in order to be able to determine N bits of Ω. This pathological property of Ω is difficult to reconcile with traditional philosophies of mathematics and with traditional views of the nature of mathematical proof and of mathematical knowledge. Instead Ω suggests a quasi-empirical view of math that emphasizes the similarities between mathematics and physics rather than the differences.
Melanoma risk after in vitro fertilization: A review of the literature.

Background The role of female sex hormones in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma (MM) remains controversial. Although melanocytes appear to be hormonally responsive, the effect of estrogen on MM cells is less clear. Available clinical data does not consistently demonstrate that increased endogenous hormones from pregnancy or increased exogenous hormones from oral contraceptive pills and hormone replacement affect MM prevalence and outcome. Objective We sought to examine potential associations between in vitro fertilization (IVF) and melanoma. Methods A literature review was conducted. Primary outcomes were reported as associations between IVF and melanoma risk compared with the general population. Secondary outcomes included associations stratified by type of IVF regimen and subgroup, such as parous versus nulliparous patients. Results Eleven studies met our inclusion criteria. Five studies found no increased risk for MM among IVF users compared with the general population. Two studies found an increase in MM in clomiphene users, and 4 studies found an increase in MM among patients who were gravid or parous either before or after IVF. Conclusion The reviewed studies do not reveal consistent patterns of association between IVF and MM among all infertile women. However, the data indicates a potential increased risk for MM in ever-parous patients treated with IVF. High-quality studies including a large number of MM cases that control for well-established MM risk factors are needed to adequately assess the relationship between IVF and MM, particularly among ever-parous women.
Use of Immortalized Human Keratinocytes for the Study of Squamous Differentiation and Mutagenesis

We have used human keratinocyte (HK) multistep models of neoplastic transformation developed by Rhim, Durst and coworkers to: 1) develop an epithelial system for quantification of DNA damage at a defined genetic locus and 2) determine new epithelial-specific phenotypes associated with malignant conversion. HK lines RHEK-1 and HPK-1A were established by immortalization by a hybrid of adenovirus 12 and simian virus 40 (Ad12-SV40) (1) or human papillomavirus type 16 DNA (HPV16) (3), respectively. Malignant conversion was achieved by transfection with an activated ras oncogene (2,4). RHEK-1 and HPK-1A are immortal but nontumorigenic, whereas RHEK-1/ras and HPKlA/ras produce aggressively growing tumors in nude mice (Table 1).
The Comparative Efficiency of Speech Sound Interventions That Differ by Delivery Modality: Flashcards Versus Tablet:

Although speech–language pathologists increasingly make use of tablets in clinical practice, little research to date has evaluated the effectiveness or efficiency of tablet use for targeting speech...
Dispersion Forces: Neither Fluctuating Nor Dispersing

Dispersion forces are ubiquitous in chemistry, yet they are often misunderstood. This article provides background into why they are called dispersion forces and explains how to describe them in terms of time-independent quantum mechanics. The article also describes the breakdown of the multipole series that is often used to describe dispersion forces, and it comments on the representation of dispersion forces in molecular mechanics. In general, the article tries to provide a proper framework for understanding and describing dispersion forces.
The Effects of Parental Warmth on Adolescent Delinquency in the United States and South Korea: a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Despite the prevalence of delinquency during adolescence and the influence of culture on parenting behaviors and adolescent outcomes, few studies have examined the association between parental warmth and adolescent delinquency cross-culturally. Thus, this study sought to identify cultural differences in the levels of delinquency and their associations with parental warmth. First, the levels of delinquency and the protective effect of parental warmth on delinquency were examined using a U.S. sample from the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Next, the same two research questions were investigated using a Korean sample from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS). Finally, differences in such associations were examined between the samples from the U.S. and South Korea. The findings from the independent sample t-test revealed that the levels of delinquency were lower for Korean adolescents than American adolescents. The results from multiple regression also demonstrated the protective effect of parental warmth on delinquency for American adolescents. Further, parental warmth by country interaction suggested that the protective effect of parental warmth was statistically stronger for American adolescents than Korean adolescents. Implications of the findings suggested cultural differences in perceptions of parental warmth and its role in reducing adolescent delinquency.
State Estimation for Large-Scale Power Systems and FACTS Devices Based on Spanning Tree Maximum Exponential Absolute Value

This paper proposes a new state estimation approach for large-scale power systems called spanning tree maximum exponential absolute value (ST-MEAV). The novel state estimator is developed based on the combination of the maximum exponential absolute value (MEAV) and a fast-linear solver. An overall algorithm is presented to show the process. A modified ST-MEAV called ST0-MEAV is also proposed to improve computational efficiency. Furthermore, the state estimation of the two FACTS devices called interphase power controllers (IPC) and unified interphase power controllers (UIPC) is addressed. The new formulations minimize the number of additional variables needed for the state estimation to reduce the computational load and to simplify implementation compared to previous methods presented in the literature for similar FACTS devices like UPFC or IPFC. The state estimation approach incorporates detailed steady-state models of the devices including IPC and UIPC constraints. The ST-MEAV algorithm is modified based on the new formulations for IPC and UIPC. Two modified IEEE test systems are used to verify the performance of ST-MEAV in the presence of IPC and UIPC. Application tests of ST-MEAV on two real power grids are also presented to evaluate the state estimator performance in large-scale power systems. The simulation results of the proposed method compare favorably with those for weighted least square-largest normal residual (WLS-LNR) and MEAV with reduced correction equation (MEAV-RCE).
Antecedents of Technology Selection for Project Use

The adoption and use of technology have been an important topic of research in Information Systems. However, projects create a different environment for technology adoption in that they are tempora...
The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope.

The Shuttle is scheduled to carry the Hopkins UV Telescope (HUT) aloft in 1986. HUT will be one of three telescopes on the mission and will be sensitive to the 450-1800 A interval. Its primary goals will be observations of Halley's Comet, the planets, distant galaxies and quasars. It will be controlled by Spacelab personnel and features a 0.9 m primary mirror, a spectrograph on the focal plane, and an Si intensified image television camera for on-line image monitoring. The main component of the spectrograph will be a 1024 channel self-scanning Reticon photodiode array coupled by optic fibers to the microchannel detector plates. HUT is presently undergoing qualification testing.
Risk and Protective Factors to LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide: A Review of the Literature

LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of suicidal ideation and behavior than their cisgender, heterosexual peers, and these disparities have created a need for academic exploration of the risk factors and protective factors surrounding LGBTQ+ youth suicide (Taliaferro and Muehlenkamp in Acad Pediatr 17:715–722; Toomey et al. in J Youth Adolesc 48:788–801; Ybarra et al. in: Espelage et al. (eds) Youth suicide and bullying: challenges and strategies for prevention and intervention, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014). This paper reviews the research that has been completed on these topics in the last 10 years. A variety of risk factors have contributed to higher rates of suicidal ideation, attempts, and completion: minority stress, interpersonal constructs, race, transgender identity, partner violence, homelessness, school victimization, and a lack of school support (Joiner in Why people die by suicide, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2005; Meyer in Psychol Bull 129:674–697; Mustanski and Liu in Arch Sex Behav 42:437–448; Van Orden et al. in Psychol Rev 117:575–600). Furthermore, a range of protective factors have been connected with lower rates of suicidal ideation and behavior: gender and sexuality alliances, LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum, LGBTQ+ affirming school policies, familial support, peer support, and mental health interventions (Poteat and Rivers in Youth suicide and bullying: challenges and strategies for prevention and intervention, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014; Stone et al. in Suicide Life Threat Behav 45:415–430; Whitaker et al. in J Adolesc Health 58:63–68). Areas for future research are recommended, including examining diverse LGBTQ+ subpopulations and developing standard measurements for LGBTQ+ identities. The paper concludes with highlights from the past 10 years of research.
Agency, genuine support, and emotional connection: Experiences that promote relational permanency in foster care

Abstract Child welfare systems focus on achieving legal permanency within specific timeframes. Once a child has achieved legal permanency, there is an assumption that youth develop loving, lasting, and supportive relationships that are essential for successfully navigating adulthood. However, extant research suggests that legal permanency does not equate relational permanency, and little is known about the factors that help youth achieve it. This study uses grounded theory methods to generate a deeper understanding of the experiences that help youth achieve relational permanency, regardless of whether they emancipate from care or are adopted. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 young adults with lived foster care experience and examined the quality and continuity of their relationships. Participants’ accounts of their relationships with caregivers and child welfare professionals coalesced around three core qualities: a) sense of agency (disempowering or empowering), b) perception of support (transactional or transformational), and c) emotional connection (guarded or mutually meaningful). Our findings suggest a clear link between the quality of relationships while in care, including those that are by definition temporary, and the participants’ ability to achieve relational permanency. Participants who felt empowered and experienced genuine support and connection while growing up in foster care or adoptive homes, also described more extensive, emotionally connected, and mutually meaningful relationships in adulthood that provided stability and support. By increasing foster youth’ sense of agency, providing trauma-informed foster parenting, and supporting youth’ connections with kin, friends, and mentors the child welfare system can increase the chances of youth to achieve relational permanency.
The Evolution of PET/MR is Hindered by our Field's Reluctance to Provide Critical Evaluation

Over the last 10 years, our field has been able to review and develop opportunities for integrating commercially available PET/MR into clinical practice. We have done so with a coalition of industry, academia, and health-care providers. Although the intention to deliver better technology to patients
COVID-19 vaccine impact on rates of SARS-CoV-2 cases and post vaccination strain sequences among healthcare workers at an urban academic medical center: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background COVID-19 vaccine trials and post-implementation data suggest vaccination decreases SARS-CoV-2 infections. We examine COVID-19 vaccination’s impact on SARS-CoV-2 case rates and viral diversity among healthcare workers (HCW) during a high community prevalence period. Methods A prospective cohort study from Boston Medical Center (BMC)’s HCW vaccination program, where staff received two doses of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273. We included PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases among HCWs from December 09, 2020 to February 23, 2021. Weekly SARS-CoV-2 rates per 100,000 person-day overall and by time from first injection (1-14 and >14 days) were compared with surrounding community rates. Viral genomes were sequenced from SARS CoV-2 positive samples. Results SARS-CoV-2 cases occurred in 1.4% (96/7109) of HCWs given at least a first dose and 0.3% (17/5913) of HCWs given both vaccine doses. Adjusted SARS-CoV-2 infection rate ratios were 0.73 (95% CI 0.53-1.00) 1-14 days and 0.18 (0.10-0.32) >14 days from first dose. HCW SARS-CoV-2 cases >14 days from initial dose compared to within 14 days were more often older (46 versus 38 years, p=0.007), Latinx (10% versus 8%, p=0.03), and asymptomatic (48% versus 11%, p=0.0002). SARS-CoV-2 rates among HCWs fell below those of the surrounding community, with a 18% versus 11% weekly decrease respectively (p=0.14). Comparison of 48 SARS-CoV-2 genomes sequenced from post-first dose cases did not indicate selection pressure towards known spike-antibody escape mutations. Conclusions Our results indicate a positive impact of COVID-19 vaccines on SARS-CoV-2 case rates. Post-vaccination isolates did not show unusual genetic diversity or selection for mutations of concern. Main Point Cases of SARS-CoV-2 among health care workers dropped rapidly with COVID-19 vaccination. Sequencing 48 breakthrough infections (overwhelmingly in 14 days after 1st dose) showed no clear sign of any differences in spike protein compared with time-matched, unvaccinated control sequences.
PremiUm-CNN: Propagating Uncertainty Towards Robust Convolutional Neural Networks

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have surpassed human-level accuracy in various learning tasks. However, unlike humans who have a natural cognitive intuition for probabilities, DNNs cannot express their uncertainty in the output decisions. This limits the deployment of DNNs in mission-critical domains, such as warfighter decision-making or medical diagnosis. Bayesian inference provides a principled approach to reason about model's uncertainty by estimating the posterior distribution of the unknown parameters. The challenge in DNNs remains the multi-layer stages of non-linearities, which make the propagation of high-dimensional distributions mathematically intractable. This paper establishes the theoretical and algorithmic foundations of uncertainty or belief propagation by developing new deep learning models named PremiUm-CNNs (Propagating Uncertainty in Convolutional Neural Networks). We introduce a tensor normal distribution as a prior over convolutional kernels and estimate the variational posterior by maximizing the evidence lower bound (ELBO). We start by deriving the first-order mean-covariance propagation framework. Later, we develop a framework based on the unscented transformation (correct at least up to the second-order) that propagates sigma points of the variational distribution through layers of a CNN. The propagated covariance of the predictive distribution captures uncertainty in the output decision. Comprehensive experiments conducted on diverse benchmark datasets demonstrate: 1) superior robustness against noise and adversarial attacks, 2) self-assessment through predictive uncertainty that increases quickly with increasing levels of noise or attacks, and 3) an ability to detect a targeted attack from ambient noise.
ESTIMATING EQUATIONS FOR A CLASS OF TIME-IRREVERSIBLE MULTI-FACTOR MODELS

The standard operator approach to the identiflcation problem of difiusions and more general Markov processes relies on the variational principles for self-adjoint operators. If the process is not time reversible, equivalently, the inflnitesimal operator of the process is not self-adjoint, these principles are not applicable. We develop the spectral decomposition for multi-factor time-irreversible OU processes, ATSMs and QTSMs, and use it to construct new estimating equations. Using these equations, we construct identiflcation schemes for the leading eigenfunction, stationary distribution, gap between the leading eigenvalue and the real part of the rest of the spectrum, and more involved schemes for all parameters of the process. Finally, we use the variational principles for the self-adjoint operator associated to an appropriate quadratic form to construct the leading eigenfunction and a basis in the vector space of unobserved factors from observed yields in a QTSM, and provide the reduction of the identiflcation problem of a QTSM to the identiflcation problem of an OU model.
Effect of Processing on Aflatoxin

Naturally occurring toxicant contamination of foods with mycotoxins is unavoidable and unpredictable and poses a unique challenge to food safety. Aflatoxins are toxic mold metabolites produced by toxigenic strains of Aspergillus species. Primary commodities susceptible to aflatoxin contamination include corn, peanuts and cottonseed and animal-derived foods such as milk when the animal is fed aflatoxin-contaminated feed. Risks associated with aflatoxin-contaminated foods can be reduced through the use of specific processing and decontamination procedures. Factors, which influence the effectiveness of a specific process or procedure, include the chemical stability of the mycotoxin(s), nature of the process, type and interaction with the food/feed matrix and interaction with multiple mycotoxins if present. Practical decontamination procedures must: 1) inactivate, destroy, or remove the toxin, 2) not produce or leave toxic residues in the food/feed, 3) retain the nutritive value of the food/feed, 4) not alter the acceptability or the technological properties of the product, and, if possible, 5) destroy fungal spores. For aflatoxins, multiple processing and/or decontamination schemes have been successful in reducing aflatoxin concentrations to acceptable levels. Physical cleaning and separation procedures, where the mold-damaged kernel/seed/nut is removed from the intact commodity, can result in 40-80% reduction in aflatoxins levels. Processes such as dry and wet milling result in the distribution of aflatoxin residues into less utilized fractions of the commodity. The ammoniation of aflatoxin-contaminated commodities has altered the concentrations as well as toxic and carcinogenic effects of aflatoxin by greater than 99%. Nonbiological materials such as selected anticaking agents covalently bind aflatoxins from aqueous suspensions, diminish aflatoxin uptake by animals, prevent acute aflatoxicosis, and decrease aflatoxin residues in milk. Ultimately, the best processing or decontamination process is one that is approved by regulatory agencies, cost-effective, and reduces the mycotoxin concentration to acceptable levels.
How to Model a Negligible Probability Under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement

Since the 1997 EC--Hormones decision, World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Panels have wrestled with the question of what constitutes a negligible risk under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. More recently, the 2010 WTO Australia--Apples Panel focused considerable attention on the appropriate quantitative model for a negligible probability in a risk assessment. The 2006 Australian Import Risk Analysis for Apples from New Zealand translated narrative probability statements into quantitative ranges. The uncertainty about a "negligible" probability was characterized as a uniform distribution with a minimum value of zero and a maximum value of 10(-6) . The Australia - Apples Panel found that the use of this distribution would tend to overestimate the likelihood of "negligible" events and indicated that a triangular distribution with a most probable value of zero and a maximum value of 10⁻⁶ would correct the bias. The Panel observed that the midpoint of the uniform distribution is 5 × 10⁻⁷ but did not consider that the triangular distribution has an expected value of 3.3 × 10⁻⁷. Therefore, if this triangular distribution is the appropriate correction, the magnitude of the bias found by the Panel appears modest. The Panel's detailed critique of the Australian risk assessment, and the conclusions of the WTO Appellate Body about the materiality of flaws found by the Panel, may have important implications for the standard of review for risk assessments under the WTO SPS Agreement.
Relative utility of EBG based plan reuse in partial ordering vs. total ordering planning

This paper provides a systematic analysis of the relative utility of basing EBG based plan reuse techniques in partial ordering vs. total ordering planning frameworks. We separate the potential advantages into those related to storage compaction, and those related to the ability to exploit stored plans. We observe that the storage compactions provided by partially ordered partially instantiated plans can, to a large ex1ent, be exploited regardless of the underlying planner. We argue that it is in the ability to exploit stored plans during planning that partial ordering planners have some distinct advantages. In particular, to be able to flexibly reuse and extend the retrieved plans, a planner needs the ability to arbitrarily and efficiently "splice in" new steps and sub-plans into the retrieved plan. This is where partial ordering planners, with their least-commitment strategy, and flexible plan representations, score significantly over state-based planners as well as planners that search in the space of totally ordered plans. We will clarify and supporll this hypothesis through an empirical study of three planners and two reuse strategies.
Thermodynamics of Highly Supersaturated Aqueous Solutions of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs—Impact of a Second Drug on the Solution Phase Behavior and Implications for Combination Products

There is increasing interest in formulating combination products that contain two or more drugs. Furthermore, it is also common for different drug products to be taken simultaneously. This raises the possibility of interactions between different drugs that may impact formulation performance. For poorly water-soluble compounds, the supersaturation behavior may be a critical factor in determining the extent of oral absorption. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the maximum achievable supersaturation for several poorly water-soluble compounds alone, and in combination. Model compounds included ritonavir, lopinavir, paclitaxel, felodipine, and diclofenac. The "amorphous solubility" for the pure drugs was determined using different techniques and the change in this solubility was then measured in the presence of differing amounts of a second drug. The results showed that "amorphous solubility" of each component in aqueous solution is substantially decreased by the second component, as long as the two drugs are miscible in the amorphous state. A simple thermodynamic model could be used to predict the changes in solubility as a function of composition. This information is of great value when developing co-amorphous or other supersaturating formulations and should contribute to a broader understanding of drug-drug physicochemical interactions in in vitro assays as well as in the gastrointestinal tract.
An efficient algorithm for lattice filter/Predictor

An efficient method for updating the lattice filter/predictor coefficients using the sign algorithm is introduced. The pertinent coefficients are updated using only the signs of the estimation errors at each stage. This method requires less number of multiplications than other adaptive lattice filter algorithms. The performance of this method is compared with that of the lattice filter using the LMS algorithm for the problems of spectrum estimation and adaptive interference cancellation.
Zidovudine pharmacokinetics in HIV-positive women during different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Study Objective. To examine the pharmacokinetics of zidovudine during the menstrual cycle in human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) positive women. Design. Open, unblinded study. Setting. A women's clinic for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) at a large medical center. Patients. HIV-positive women with a CD4+ cell count above 200/mm3, receiving long-term zidovudine therapy, with a history of regular menstrual cycles. Interventions. All patients received a 100-mg dose of zidovudine in the fasted state on three occasions. Measurements and Main Results. Zidovudine and zidovudine-glucuronide plasma concentrations were measured with radioimmunoassay to determine the pharmacokinetic characteristics during each menstrual phase. The drug's mean peak plasma concentrations (range 233–808 ng/ml) were 556 ± 145, 385 ± 132, and 495 ± 143 ng/ml during the menstrual, late follicular-ovulatory, and luteal phases, respectively. Initially, plasma concentrations declined in a linear fashion from 0 to 4 hours, with a prolonged elimination phase in many patients after 4 hours. The mean zidovudine area under the curve was 886 ± 156, 845 ± 268, and 775 ± 167 ng·hour/ml. The mean percentage of dose recovered was 44.2 ± 26.0, 56.9 ± 19.1, and 42.2 ± 16.6, respectively. Conclusions. The pharmacokinetics of zidovudine were not different during the three phases of the menstrual cycle; however, considerable intrapatient and interpatient variability was noted for many of the values.
Addressing Standardized Testing through a Novel Assesment Model.

The No Child Left Behind legislation of 2001 spawned a plethora of standardized testing services for the high stakes testing required by the law. We argue that one-size-fits-all assessments disadvantage a wide range of students in the United States, including those who are English Language Learners, have limited economic resources, are designated as special needs, or are not reading on grade level. The SAVE Science project was developed to explore whether and how contextually driven assessments support these students in demonstrating their understanding of science content in grades 6–8. Preliminary findings from this 6-year study (not reported here) suggest that situating assessment in virtual environments may help students in answering content questions correctly and better understand their own science knowledge and learning process.
Why favour simplicity

Among theories which fit all of our data, we prefer the simpler over the more complex. Why? Surely not merely for practical convenience or aesthetic pleasure. But how could we be justified in this preference without knowing in advance that the world is more likely to be simple than complex? And isn’t this a rather extravagant a priori assumption to make? I want to suggest some steps we can take toward reducing this embarrassment, by showing that the assumption which supports favouring simplicity is far more modest than it first seems.
Lactobezoar and gastric perforation in a neonate.

Summary A lactobezoar and gastric perforation are described in a premature infant with multiple ulcers and pneumatosis of the stomach occurring during the recovery phase of hyaline membrane disease.
Granzyme A: the road less traveled.

Cellular parasites have evolved clever anti-apoptosis strategies to avoid being killed by CTLs. However, CTL release of granzyme A inactivates a key repair enzyme, Ape1, ensuring death of infected cells.
PGM structures in self-organized healing for small cell networks

As the popularity of dense small cell deployments grows so does the need for self-organizing features. This paper looks at how with hidden, unobservable conditions, probabilistic graphical models (PGMs) can be used to successfully predict which networks resources are better suited to recover from a fault. This results in having a self-healing function that does not require extensive backhaul signaling to operate. The paper first shows how temporal PGMs can be used in the context of fault detection and then extends its proposals to the self-healing realm. The results show how in a majority of cases it is feasible to predict basic characteristics of user distribution and load in a failed site and use this information to determine a path to fault compensation.
The contribution of crassulacean acid metabolism to the annual productivity of two aquatic vascular plants

Net annual productivity and annual carbon budgets were determined for populations of Littorella uniflora var. americana and Isoetes macrospora in a mesotrophic and oligotrophic lake in northern Wisconsin, to assess the contribution of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) to annual productivity of the species in their natural environment. Nocturnal carbon accumulation (CAM), daytime uptake of external CO2 via the C3 mechanism, and refixation of endogenously generated CO2 from daytime respiration were the sources of carbon income. CAM activity as diurnal acid rhythms reached maxima of 89 to 182 μeq·g-1 leaf fresh weight for the various populations.
Challenges of Reforming the Civil Service in the Post-Soviet Era The Case of Kyrgyzstan

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kyrgyzstan went through radical economic reforms to transition from a command to a market-based economy. The governance system had to be rebuilt t...
Stress-temperature-time correlation for high temperature creep curves

Abstract A universal law for high-temperature diffusion controlled transient creep is used to correlate with experimental data. The dispersal of dislocation entanglements during primary creep is assumed to follow unimolecular reaction kinetics with a rate constant that depends on stress and temperature in the same way as does the secondary creep rate. The analysis shows that the strain (ϵ) versus time (t) relation can be represented by ϵ = ϵ 0 + ϵ s t + (β − 1)/K[1 − exp (−K ϵ s t)] where ϵ0 is the instantaneous strain on loading, ϵ s the secondary creep rate, K ϵ s the rate constant and β the ratio of initial to secondary creep rates. The experimental creep data on stainless steel, plain carbon steel, Ag, Cu, Pt, low carbon Ni, Mo and W correlate favorably with the proposed equation.
Cultural China: the periphery as the center

The inscription of the Tang's basin reads, "If one day you truly renew yourself day after day you will renew yourself; indeed, renew yourself every day." In the "Announcement to the Prince ofKang" it is said, "You shall give rise to a renewed people" in the Book of Poetry it is said, "Though Zhou is an old state, the Mandate it holds is new" For this purpose, the profound person exerts himself to the utmost in everything. ?The Great Learning1
Subjective familiarity of English word/name homophones

The subjective familiarity of 40 homophone pairs was examined. The homophones consisted of monosyllabic English words (on one reading) and male first names (on the other)—for example,art andArt. Subjects heard these homophones embedded in two kinds of lists, one with 40 unambiguous words and one with 40 unambiguous names. Ratings were made for familiarity as words and as names. These correlated significantly with the log of printed frequency (.63 for words, .53 for names). In a final task, just the homophones were presented, and the subjects were asked for a comparative rating of whether the word usage or the name usage was more familiar. This direct comparison correlated well (.91) with the difference between the ratings for the name and word familiarities, but less well (.55) with the differences between the printed frequencies of the word and name meanings. This indicates either consistent biases in the judgments or true differences between printed frequencies and subjective familiarity.
Virtual business: An Enron email corpus study

Abstract The word virtual is an exceptional technology oriented neologism deserving explanation. It is commonly accepted as referring to computer simulation or indicating lack of authenticity. However, the increasing polysemic nature of the word virtual has resulted in a much broader range of use within natural language. Many of these meanings appear to increasingly conflict with previously recognized meanings. The author explores contemporary natural language use of the word virtual in the context of the Enron email dataset. This dataset has been selected for three reasons: it represents the largest authentic collection of email available to date, Enron was a tech savvy company with high proclivity for use of neologisms, and Enron has been referred to by some as a virtual company. Examples of virtual in this study indicate broad reference to nearly anything computer related, including computer business, computer based simulation and varied forms of computer mediated communication. It is also observed illustrating inauthenticity, hyperbole and potential deception. This study demonstrates a lack of confidence that suggests an underlying concern about the potential ambiguity of the word virtual, resulting from the increasing polysemic nature of this word.
Interneuronal connections of the mammalian spinal cord and their examination by experimental degeneration; a review of more recent findings.

The structure of the interneuronal connections of the mammalian spinal cord is considered and the degeneration of the boutons or endfeet of Held and Auerbach is described. Degeneration of the boutons provides a method that has been advocated and used for tracing fiber tracts to their termination wuhin the central grey matter. The validity of this method has been questioned by some and these objections are discussed. Evidence is presented that the bouton represents a locus of especial sensitivity to forward degeneration and is protected from retrograde changes, and bouton degeneration is shown to be correlated with functional and biochemical disturbances.
Comparative susceptibilities of pregnant, nonpregnant, and lactating hamsters to infections with H-1 and reoviruses†

Pregnant and lactating hamsters were inoculated with reovirus type 3 and H-1 virus to determine whether they had any special susceptibility as compared with nonpregnant controls; whole blood, liver, and uterus were tested for virus on successive days after inoculation. Results showed that both agents proliferated to highest titers in pregnant as well as in lactating animals. These results were most striking with reovirus, which propagated to only a limited extent in controls and hamsters in the first half of gestation, although developing to high titers in the second half. A feature of the experiments was the ability of both agents to infect the postpartum uterus. Uterine infections, which appear to have importance for both rubella and cytomegaloviruses, should it would seem, be considered in relation to any viruses capable of inducing fetal infections or congenital anomalies.
Approaches to the superior mediastinum for the head and neck surgeon

Abstract The objective was to evaluate approaches to the anterior and posterior superior mediastinum to facilitate resection of mediastinal thyroid disease as a retrospective review. The setting was a head and neck surgery referral center and the participants were 53 patients with mediastinal thyroid disease. A suprasternal approach was used in 27 patients, resection of the medial third/half clavicle in 15 patients, a median sternotomy in 6 patients, a combination of median sternotomy/clavicle resection in 4 patients, and a resection of the manubrium sterni in 1 patient. The outcome measures were satisfactory operative exposure with lack of complications. The results were excellent exposure with minimal morbidity and no operative/postoperative mortality. These approaches yielded excellent exposure of the anterior and posterior superior mediastinum without the necessity of unilateral or bilateral thoracotomy.
A Nonlinear Leg Damping Model for the Prediction of Running Forces and Stability

Despite the neuromechanical complexity underlying animal locomotion, the steady-state center-of-mass motions and ground reaction forces of animal running can be predicted by simple spring-mass models such as the canonical spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model. Such SLIP models have been useful for the fields of biomechanics and robotics in part because ground reaction forces are commonly measured and readily available for comparing with model predictions. To better predict the stability of running, beyond the canonical conservative SLIP model, more recent extensions have been proposed and investigated with hip actuation and linear leg damping (e.g., hip-actuated SLIP). So far, these attempts have gained improved prediction of the stability of locomotion but have led to a loss of the ability to accurately predict ground reaction forces. Unfortunately, the linear damping utilized in current models leads to an unrealistic prediction of damping force and ground reaction force with a large nonzero magnitude at touchdown (TD). Here, we develop a leg damping model that is bilinear in leg length and velocity in order to yield improved damping force and ground reaction force prediction. We compare the running ground reaction forces, small and large perturbation stability, parameter sensitivity, and energetic cost resulting from both the linear and bilinear damping models. We found that bilinear damping helps to produce more realistic, smooth vertical ground reaction forces, thus fixing the current problem with the linear damping model. Despite large changes in the damping force and power loss profile during the stance phase, the overall dynamics and energetics on a stride-to-stride basis of the two models are largely the same, implying that the integrated effect of damping over a stride is what matters most to the stability and energetics of running. Overall, this new model, an actuated SLIP model with bilinear damping, can provide significantly improved prediction of ground reaction forces as well as stability and energetics of locomotion.
Superfluorescence from high-density magneto-plasmas: Mixing, temperature, and excitation pulsewidth dependence

Ultrafast cooperative recombination from dense electron-hole plasmas in quantum wells is reported as a function of energy level mixing, temperature, and excitation pulse width under strong magnetic fields (up to 31 T).
Minimal criteria for the diagnosis of prostate cancer on needle biopsy

Increased clinical screening of men at risk for prostate cancer, and the realization of the benefits of performing multiple biopsies per prostate, have facilitated early detection of malignancy, while presenting the pathologist with a growing array of diagnostic findings. Interpretation of these findings requires discussion of the minimal criteria required for the diagnosis of cancer on needle biopsy within a wide spectrum of related histologic findings. This spectrum includes small acinar proliferations suspicious for but not diagnostic of cancer, benign mimics of cancer, the preinvasive entity of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and various treatment effects. Clinical implications of these findings and other prognostic factors are detailed.
Malathion toxicity and carboxylesterase activity in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Adults from nine strains of Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to a residual film of malathion. The LC50 values indicated that there was a fourfold difference in susceptibility to malathion among the strains. 3-Nonylthio-1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-one (NTFP), a carboxylesterase inhibitor, synergized the toxicity of the insecticide when four fly strains were exposed to a mixture of the inhibitor and malathion. Whole-body homogenates of adults were analyzed by wide-range isoelectric focusing (IEF). Carboxylesterase activities on the gels were stained using common substrates such as α- and β-naphthyl acetate and p-nitrophenyl acetate. Less conventional substrates, ethyl and isobutyl carbonates of α-naphthol and p-nitrophenol, were synthesized and used for staining gels and kinetics in solution. Two major bands of activity (pI 4.4 and 4.0) were detected with naphthyl substrates. A major peak of malathion hydrolytic activity (pI 6.3) was detected by running spectrophotometric assays for carboxylesterase activity on malathion using IEF gel slices and a rapid, semiautomated assay method. The peak region of activity on malathion did not coincide with bands obtained when naphthyl substrates were used to stain the gels. NTFP inhibited malathion hydrolysis in a solution from the IEF peak of activity and also inhibited esterase activity on α-naphthyl acetate on the gels. Recovered carboxylesterase activities on malathion and O-ethyl carbonate of p-nitrophenol were higher in the cytosolic than in the microsomal or mitochondrial cell fractions.
Process group management in cross-layer adaptation

Our previous MMCN03 paper reported a cross-layer adaptation framework, GRACE-1, that coordinates the adaptation of CPU frequency/voltage, CPU scheduling, and application quality. GRACE-1 assumes that all application processes (or threads) are independent from each other and adapt individually. This assumption, however, is invalid for multithreaded applications that include dependent and cooperative processes. To support the joint performance requirements of such dependent processes, this paper extends GRACE-1 with a process group management mechanism. The enhanced framework, called GRACE-grp, introduces a new OS abstraction, group control block, to provide the OS-level recognition and support of process groups. Through a group control block, dependent processes can explicitly set up a group and specify their dependency in the OS kernel. Consequently, GRACE-grp schedules and adapts them in a synchronized and consistent manner, thereby delivering joint performance guarantees. We have implemented and evaluated the GRACE-grp framework. Our experimental results show that compared to GRACE-1, GRACE-grp provides better support for the joint quality of dependent processes and reduces CPU energy consumption by 6.2% to 8.7% for each process group.
Cogency in Motion: Critical Contextualism and Relevance

If arguments are to generate public knowledge, as in the sciences, then they must travel, finding acceptance across a range of local contexts. But not all good arguments travel, whereas some bad arguments do. Under what conditions may we regard the capacity of an argument to travel as a sign of its cogency or public merits? This question is especially interesting for a contextualist approach that wants to remain critically robust: if standards of cogency are bound to local contexts of evaluation, then how may arguments legitimately travel at all? The key to a contextualist conception of cogent travel, I argue, lies in the way local contexts are linked to broader contexts of evaluation by relations of relevance. The burden of the article is to elaborate the different forms these relations can take in the travel of scientific arguments.
Spacecraft Coupled Tracking Maneuver Using Sliding Mode Control with Input Saturation

AbstractThis paper presents a sliding mode control scheme on for autonomous spacecraft formation flying via a virtual leader state trajectory. The configuration space for a spacecraft is the Lie group SE(3), which is the set of positions and orientations of the rigid spacecraft in three-dimensional (3D) Euclidean space. A virtual leader trajectory, in the form of natural attitude and translational (orbital) motion of a satellite, is generated offline. Each spacecraft tracks a desired relative configuration with respect to the virtual leader in a decentralized and autonomous manner to achieve the desired formation. The relative configuration between each spacecraft and the virtual leader is described in terms of exponential coordinates on SE(3). A new feedback control scheme is proposed for coupled translational and rotational maneuver using a new sliding surface, which is defined as the exponential coordinates and velocity tracking errors such that the sliding surface converges to zero without explicit re...