Unified computer codes: Properties data for low cost nozzle materials

The development of the analytic capability to predict the thermal ablation response of promising low cost materials for rocket nozzles is presented

Automated patient monitoring system

Radio-linked patient monitoring system collects several channels of physiological data from as many as 64 hospital patients and transmits the data in digital form to a central control station. The system consists of a central control station and battery-operated patient units comprising small strap-on electronics packages

Development of intuitive rules: Evaluating the application of the dual-system framework to understanding children's intuitive reasoning

This is an author-created version of this article. The original source of publication is Psychon Bull Rev. 2006 Dec;13(6):935-53 The final publication is available at www.springerlink.com Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF0321390

Mid-childhood fat mass and airflow limitation at 15 years: The mediating role of insulin resistance and C-reactive protein

Background: We previously reported an association of high fat mass levels from age 9 to 15 years with lower forced expiratory flow in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (i.e., increased risk of airflow limitation) at 15 years. Here, we aimed to assess whether insulin resistance and C-reactive protein (CRP) at 15 years partially mediate this association. Methods: We included 2263 children from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children population-based cohort (ALSPAC). Four fat mass index (FMI) trajectories (“low,” “medium-low,” “medium-high,” “high”) from 9 to 15 years were previously identified using Group-Based Trajectory Modeling. Data on CRP, glucose, insulin, and post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC were available at 15 years. We defined insulin resistance by the homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). We used adjusted linear regression models and a causal mediation analysis to assess the mediating role of HOMA-IR and CRP. Results: Compared to children in the “low” FMI trajectory, children in the “medium-high” and “high” FMI trajectories had lower FEV1/FVC at 15 years. The percentage of the total effect explained by HOMA-IR was 19.8% [−114.1 to 170.0] and 20.4% [1.6 to 69.0] for the “medium-high” and “high” trajectories, respectively. In contrast, there was little evidence for a mediating role of CRP. Conclusion: The association between mid-childhood fat mass and FEV1/FVC ratio at 15 years may be partially mediated by insulin resistance

OCTANE (Ontario-Wide Cancer Targeted Nucleic Acid Evaluation): A Platform for Intraprovincial, National, and International Clinical Data-Sharing

Cancer is a genetic disease resulting from germline or somatic genetic aberrations. Rapid progress in the field of genomics in recent years is allowing for increased characterization and understanding of the various forms of the disease. The Ontario-wide Cancer Targeted Nucleic Acid Evaluation (octane) clinical trial, open at cancer centres across Ontario, aims to increase access to genomic sequencing of tumours and to facilitate the collection of clinical data related to enrolled patients and their clinical outcomes. The study is designed to assess the clinical utility of next-generation sequencing (ngs) in cancer patient care, including enhancement of treatment options available to patients. A core aim of the study is to encourage collaboration between cancer hospitals within Ontario while also increasing international collaboration in terms of sharing the newly generated data. The single-payer provincial health care system in Ontario provides a unique opportunity to develop a province-wide registry of ngs testing and a repository of genomically characterized, clinically annotated samples. It also provides an important opportunity to use province-wide real-world data to evaluate outcomes and the cost of ngs for patients with advanced cancer. The octane study is attempting to translate knowledge to help deliver precision oncology in a Canadian environment. In this article, we discuss the background to the study and its implementation, current status, and future directions

OCTANE (ontario-wide cancer targeted nucleic acid evaluation): A platform for intraprovincial, national, and international clinical data-sharing

Cancer is a genetic disease resulting from germline or somatic genetic aberrations. Rapid progress in the field of genomics in recent years is allowing for increased characterization and understanding of the various forms of the disease. The Ontario-wide Cancer Targeted Nucleic Acid Evaluation (octane) clinical trial, open at cancer centres across Ontario, aims to increase access to genomic sequencing of tumours and to facilitate the collection of clinical data related to enrolled patients and their clinical outcomes. The study is designed to assess the clinical utility of next-generation sequencing (ngs) in cancer patient care, including enhancement of treatment options available to patients. A core aim of the study is to encourage collaboration between cancer hospitals within Ontario while also increasing international collaboration in terms of sharing the newly generated data. The single-payer provincial health care system in Ontario provides a unique opportunity to develop a province-wide registry of ngs testing and a repository of genomically characterized, clinically annotated samples. It also provides an important opportunity to use province-wide real-world data to evaluate outcomes and the cost of ngs for patients with advanced cancer. The octane study is attempting to translate knowledge to help deliver precision oncology in a Canadian environment. In this article, we discuss the background to the study and its implementation, current status, and future directions

Emergent complex neural dynamics

A large repertoire of spatiotemporal activity patterns in the brain is the basis for adaptive behaviour. Understanding the mechanism by which the brain's hundred billion neurons and hundred trillion synapses manage to produce such a range of cortical configurations in a flexible manner remains a fundamental problem in neuroscience. One plausible solution is the involvement of universal mechanisms of emergent complex phenomena evident in dynamical systems poised near a critical point of a second-order phase transition. We review recent theoretical and empirical results supporting the notion that the brain is naturally poised near criticality, as well as its implications for better understanding of the brain