cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
State-based power analysis for systems-on-chip

Early power analysis for systems-on-chip (SoC) is crucial for determining the appropriate packaging and cost. This early analysis commonly relies on evaluating power formulas for all cores for multiple configurations of voltage, frequency, technology and application parameters, which is a tedious and error-prone process. This work presents a methodology and algorithms for automating the power analysis of SoCs. Given the power state machines for individual cores, this work defines the product power state machine for the whole SoC and uses formal symbolic simulation algorithms for traversing and computing the minimum and maximum power dissipated by sets of power states in the SoC.
A Simple, Effective Method to Create Laparoscopic Renal Protective Hypothermia With Cold Saline Surface Irrigation: Clinical Application and Assessment

Purpose: We previously described the use of cold saline surface irrigation to achieve protective renal hypothermia in a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy porcine model. We now present our clinical application of this technique and characterization of the hypothermic effect during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: Seven patients underwent elective laparoscopic partial nephrectomy augmented with our hypothermia technique. Parenchymal temperature sensors were placed to confirm cooling efficacy and efficiency. After transperitoneal exposure of the kidney we performed temporary hilar vascular occlusion. Surface cooling with almost freezing normal saline was delivered with a laparoscopic suction/irrigation device. Tumor laparoscopic resection and renal reconstruction were completed. Outcome measures included intraoperative changes with hypothermia and postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate changes.Results: All patients successfully underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy with...
An 80/160 GHz broadband, fixed-tuned, balanced frequency doubler

We report on the development of a high-power, broadband, fixed-tuned 80/160 GHz frequency doubler. The design is based on a similar 40/80 GHz doubler which exhibited a measured 3 dB bandwidth of 17% and peak efficiency of 48% at an output power of 100 mW. Simulations for the new 80/160 GHz doubler indicate similar bandwidth and efficiency. The focus of this paper is the design and simulation of the 80/160 GHz doubler. Test results will be presented at the conference.
Oviposition Site Selection by Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in an Isolated Wetland

Abstract Oviposition site selection is an important aspect of reproduction for species such as amphibians that breed in dynamic environments. We examined predictors of oviposition site selection of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) at Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. We conducted egg mass surveys and checked 40 minnow traps for potential predators every 2 days along transects, sampling a subset of all representative habitat within the wetland. Random points were generated for each egg mass to compare microhabitat conditions in areas where egg masses were present versus undetected. We constructed a paired logistic regression model and used Akaike information criterion to rank the associations between oviposition site and water depth, temperature, predator density, and vegetation. Ambystoma maculatum egg mass location was best predicted by deeper water and denser submergent vegetation. Our study suggests that A. maculatum select oviposition sites actively, rather t...
Anisotropic Nature of Mouse Lung Parenchyma

Lung parenchyma is normally considered to be isotropic, that is, its properties do not depend upon specific preferential directions. The assumption of isotropy is important for both modeling of lung mechanical properties and quantitative histologic measurements. This assumption, however, has not been previously examined at the microscopic level, in part because of the difficulty in large lungs of obtaining sufficient numbers of small samples of tissue while maintaining the spatial orientation. In the mouse, however, this difficulty is minimized. We evaluated the parenchymal isotropy in mouse lungs by quantifying the mean airspace chord lengths (Lm) from high-resolution histology of complete sections surrounded by an intact continuous visceral pleural membrane. We partitioned this lung into 5 isolated regions, defined by the distance from the visceral pleura. To further evaluate the isotropy, we also measured Lm in two orthogonal spatial directions with respect to the section orientation, and varied the sample line spacing from 3 to 280 μm. Results show a striking degree of parenchymal anisotropy in normal mouse lungs. The Lm was significantly greater when grid lines were parallel to the ventral–dorsal axis of the tissue. In addition the Lm was significantly smaller within 300 μm of the visceral pleura. Whether this anisotropy results from intrinsic structural factors or from nonuniform shrinkage during conventional tissue processing is uncertain, but it should be considered when interpreting quantitative morphometric measurements made in the mouse lung.
Reduced opsin gene expression in a cave-dwelling fish

Regressive evolution of structures associated with vision in cave-dwelling organisms is the focus of intense research. Most work has focused on differences between extreme visual phenotypes: sighted, surface animals and their completely blind, cave-dwelling counterparts. We suggest that troglodytic systems, comprising multiple populations that vary along a gradient of visual function, may prove critical in understanding the mechanisms underlying initial regression in visual pathways. Gene expression assays of natural and laboratory-reared populations of the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) revealed reduced opsin expression in cave-dwelling populations compared with surface-dwelling conspecifics. Our results suggest that the reduction in opsin expression in cave-dwelling populations is not phenotypically plastic but reflects a hardwired system not rescued by exposure to light during retinal ontogeny. Changes in opsin gene expression may consequently represent a first evolutionary step in the regression of eyes in cave organisms.
Children's body mass index, participation in school meals, and observed energy intake at school meals

Background: Data from a dietary-reporting validation study with fourth-grade children were analyzed to investigate a possible relationship of body mass index (BMI) with daily participation in school meals and observed energy intake at school meals, and whether the relationships differed by breakfast location (classroom; cafeteria). Methods: Data were collected in 17, 17, and 8 schools during three school years. For the three years, six, six, and seven of the schools had breakfast in the classroom; all other schools had breakfast in the cafeteria. Information about 180 days of school breakfast and school lunch participation during fourth grade for each of 1,571 children (90% Black; 53% girls) was available in electronic administrative records from the school district. Children were weighed and measured, and BMI was calculated. Each of a subset of 465 children (95% Black; 49% girls) was observed eating school breakfast and school lunch on the same day. Mixed-effects regression was conducted with BMI as the dependent variable and school as the random effect; independent variables were breakfast participation, lunch participation, combined participation (breakfast and lunch on the same day), average observed energy intake for breakfast, average observed energy intake for lunch, sex, age, breakfast location, and school year. Analyses were repeated for BMI category (underweight/healthy weight; overweight; obese; severely obese) using pooled ordered logistic regression models that excluded sex and age. Results: Breakfast participation, lunch participation, and combined participation were not significantly associated with BMI or BMI category irrespective of whether the model included observed energy intake at school meals. Observed energy intake at school meals was significantly and positively associated with BMI and BMI category. For the total sample and subset, breakfast location was significantly associated with BMI; average BMI was larger for children with breakfast in the classroom than in the cafeteria. Significantly more kilocalories were observed eaten at breakfast in the classroom than in the cafeteria. Conclusions: For fourth-grade children, results provide evidence of a positive relationship between BMI and observed energy intake at school meals, and between BMI and school breakfast in the classroom; however, BMI and participation in school meals were not significantly associated.
A user mobility-pattern-based location strategy for next generation wireless multimedia networks

For a wireless network to effectively deliver services to the mobile users, it must have an efficient way to keep track of them. For the next generation wireless multimedia networks which can provide wide bandwidth services, the radio resource becomes more competitive. Many strategies have been proposed to reduce the spectrum consumption of the users location update and paging messages, such as the PBS scheme. In this paper, we study the PBS scheme performance under various conditions by simulations. We also propose a new scheme - MPBS which includes user time information in the profile. The user location is computed by the system based on not only the distribution probability but also the system current time. The simulation results suggest that the MPBS scheme can generate far less signaling traffic and paging delay than the PBS scheme does.
From planning to execution monitoring control for indoor mobile robots

It is pointed out that the purpose of an autonomous mobile robot is to achieve various tasks while adapting its behavior to the variations of its environment. Therefore, such a robot needs both reflexive and planning capabilities. It appears that combining these is difficult; indeed, some robot architectures exhibit a high degree of reactivity, but poor planning abilities, or vice versa. The authors attempt to show that the integration of reflexive and planning capabilities is feasible. A novel generic architecture, composed of three levels, functional, control, and planner, is proposed. It provides important features such as progressive and programmable reactivity, robustness, and versatility. All these features are described at each level. A complete implementation in an experimental mobile robot is described, and an actual example is presented. >
Primary Solid Tumors of the Colon and Rectum in the Pediatric Patient: A Review of 270 Cases

Objective To study the outcomes of solid tumors of the colon and rectum in pediatric patients. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973–2005) was queried for patients less than 20 y of age. Results Overall, 270 patients with malignant tumors of the lower gastrointestinal tract were identified. The annual incidence was 1.04 cases per million in 2005. Overall, equal distribution between boys (50.7%) and girls (49.3%) was observed. The majority of tumors arose in adolescents (68.1% were older than 15 y). Tumors were more commonly seen in white (77.8%) and non-Hispanic (78.9%) patients. Tumors were identified in the right colon (45.9%), transverse colon (9.3%), left colon (20.4%), rectum (15.2%), and anal canal (1.1%). The most common histology of these tumors was adenocarcinoma (35.6%), followed by carcinoid (34.1%). Disease specific 5- and 10-y-survival for the entire cohort was 61.0% and 57.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis of the cohort identified tumor stage (HR 8.39, P < 0.001 for distant disease), tumor type (signet ring HR 2.12, P = 0.025, and carcinoid HR = 0.14, P = 0.001), and surgical resection (no surgery HR 2.98, P = 0.010) as independent predictors of worse outcome. Conclusion In the pediatric population, solid tumors of the colon and rectum occur more frequently in the right side of the colon in teenagers. Surgical resection significantly improves survival for most pediatric tumors of the lower gastrointestinal tract.
Protecting Against Cerebrovascular Injury Contributions of 12/15-Lipoxygenase to Edema Formation After Transient Focal Ischemia

Background and Purpose— The concept of the neurovascular unit suggests that effects on brain vasculature must be considered if neuroprotection is to be achieved in stroke. We previously reported that 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) is upregulated in the peri-infarct area after middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice, and 12/15-LOX contributes to brain damage after ischemia–reperfusion. The current study was designed to investigate 12/15-LOX involvement in vascular injury in the ischemic brain. Methods— In cell culture, a human brain microvascular endothelial cell line was subjected to either hypoxia or H2O2-induced oxidative stress with or without lipoxygenase inhibitors. For in vivo studies, mice were subjected to 90 minutes middle cerebral artery occlusion, and the effects of either 12/15-LOX gene knockout or treatment with lipoxygenase inhibitors were compared. Expression of 12/15-LOX and claudin-5 as well as extravasation of immunoglobulin G were detected by immunohistochemistry. Edema was measured as...
A possible post-streptococcal movement disorder with chorea and tics

A 14-year-old girl developed a movement disorder after a streptococcal infection. In the acute phase of the illness she exhibited simple and complex motor tics and chorea, but all abnormal movements ceased over the following eight months, without recurrence. This case raises questions about the relationship between tics, chorea and auto-immune reactivity.
Influence of flow variability on floodplain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota

Resolving observations of channel change into separate planimetric measurements of floodplain formation and destruction reveals distinct relations between these processes and the flow regime. We analyzed a time sequence of eight bottomland images from 1939 to 2003 along the Little Missouri River, North Dakota, to relate geomorphic floodplain change to flow along this largely unregulated river. At the decadal scale, floodplain formation and destruction varied independently. Destruction was strongly positively correlated with the magnitude of infrequent high flows that recur every 5–10 yr, whereas floodplain formation was negatively correlated with the magnitude of frequent low flows exceeded 80% of the time. At the century scale, however, a climatically induced decrease in peak flows has reduced the destruction rate, limiting the area made available for floodplain formation. The rate of destruction was not uniform across the floodplain. Younger surfaces were consistently destroyed at a higher rate than older surfaces, suggesting that throughput of contaminants would have occurred more rapidly than predicted by models that assume uniform residence time of sediment across the floodplain. Maps of floodplain ages produced by analysis of sequential floodplain images are similar to maps of forest ages produced through dendrochronology, confirming the assumption of dendrogeomorphic studies that riparian tree establishment in this system is limited to recent channel locations.
Holocaust Memory and Germany

Abstract This revised version of the author9s NCPH presidential address explores Holocaust memory and Germany as a travelogue, a meditation, an exploration of family, and a critical inquiry. It chronicles the trip that the author and his daughter made to Germany in 2011 to participate in Heidelberg9s program for its former Jewish citizens, as well as visits to Munich and Berlin. The article pays special attention to the phenomenon of Stolpersteine or stumbling stones in the cultural landscape of Holocaust memory. It is a follow-up to the author9s 2002 essay in The Public Historian , “Holocaust Memory and Heidelberg,” which documents his visit to the Heidelberg program in 2001 with his mother.
Taxonomy of the Species of Isoachlya Possessing Single Oospores

The presence of either glomerulate or clustered oogonia, and the predominance of a single oospore are characteristics which Isoachlya intermedia (Coker and Harvey) Coker (2, 4), /. unispora Coker and Couch (1), /. subterranea Dissmann (3), /. itoana Nagai (6), and /. glomerata Richter (7), have in common. If the original descriptions and illus? trations of these species are compared, other features of similarity are apparent: general configuration of the oogonia, oospore type, oogonial wall pitting, position of the oogonia on the hyphae, and shape and mode of discharge and renewal of the zoosporangia. Furthermore, there is a rather close intergradation of oogonia and oospore sizes of at least three of these taxa.
Political and Occupational Barriers to the Implementation of Affirmative Action: Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Attitudes toward Representative Bureaucracy1

This article reports the results of a five-state survey of administrators, executives, and legislators from Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, and Wisconsin. The survey was conducted in 1979 regarding...
The Reform and Innovation on Theoretical Medical Physics Course System

The question-and-answer investigation on medical physics course teach ing conditions had been undertaken among sixteen colleges and universities in so uthwest China. This theoretical course teaching state and remaining questions we re analyzed. Then the reform and innovation suggestions of teaching materials, c ontent, methods and evaluation on this theoretical course system are put forward .
Study on Stability Region of Real-time RK Formulae

Real-time simulation often requires a computer to interact with external hardware in a dynamic loop. Data must be sampled from input signals and incorporated into the numerical integration algorithm to calculate the state variables. Also, data from the integration process must be outputted in time. Thus, the ability for choosing larger integration step-size is often demanded, so as to guarantee enough time for computation. The definition of computation ratio of stability region was introduced, and the analysis of stability region from real-time first-order Runge-Kutta formula to the sixth-order one was carried, and the conclusion of the real-time RK4 formula with maximum stability region having the best character of real-time was gotten. To deal with the circumstances that system eigenvalues gather near real axis or imaginary axis, a real-time RK4 formulae which has maximum real stability region and another one which has maximum imaginary stability region were proposed. The simulation results show that the formulae are feasible and effective.
Modern management of cutaneous bacterial infections.

Curing bacterial skin infections depends on identifying the pathogens and giving the right antibiotics in adequate amounts by the most effective route. But the host as well as the infecting organism must be considered. All cutaneous infections are breaches of the host defense system. If they recur often or are severe, the fault may lie in a breakdown of this system.
Construction of the Intestinal Stoma with an Intraluminal Stapling Device

AbstractWe have used the intraluminal circular stapler to facilitate construction of the intestinal conduit stoma. We have encountered no complications related to the stapled stoma construction technique in 8 patients. The stoma is circular, uniform in size and is fitted easily with an appliance. The circular staple line provides a watertight seal that prevents contamination of the subcutaneous tissues. The technique is rapid, reliable and reproducible. (J. Urol., 142: 1279–1281, 1989)
Fluid resuscitation with O2 vs. non-O2 carriers after 2 h of hemorrhagic shock in conscious hamsters

Efficacy of a cell-free o-raffinose cross-linked and oligomerized hemoglobin (Hemo-link) solution in restoring macro- and microcirculatory conditions after 2 h of hemorrhagic shock (40 mmHg) was co...
Genomic profiling of breast cancer in African-American women using MammaPrint

Breast cancer in African-American females (AAF) has a less favorable outcome than that in Caucasians. More information is needed regarding its biology. We evaluated gene expression in tumors from AAF presenting with early stage or locally advanced breast cancer using MammaPrint®, BluePrint ® (molecular subtype) and TargetPrint ® [estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor, and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) mRNA levels]. Genomic information was correlated with clinical and pathologic characteristics and Oncotype DX® Recurrence Score® (RS). One hundred Patients were enrolled, 1 not evaluable by BluePrint. The median age was 60 years (range 22–98), and eighty-four (84 %) patients had stage I or II disease. High Risk MammaPrint was present in 66 % of patients and in 52 % of patients with stage I disease. High Risk MammaPrint was associated with young age (p = 0.02), high grade (p < 0.0001), HER2 expression (p = 0.016), and triple-negative phenotype (p < 0.001). Sixty-four tumors (65 %) were Luminal type (47 % of these were classified as High Risk), 26 (26 %) were Basal type, and 9 (9 %) HER2 type. Twenty-two cancers were triple negative (TN) by IHC and 19 (90 %) Basal type. Among the 15 tumors HER2 positive by IHC/FISH, 8 (53 %) were HER2 type by BluePrint. Eleven tumors with ER expression of 1–9 % were ER negative by TargetPrint and none of these was Luminal type. None of the seven tumors HER2 positive by IHC/FISH but negative by TargetPrint was HER type. RS results were available in 29 patients: two had High Risk both by RS and MammaPrint; eight had intermediate RS, with four High Risk by MammaPrint; 19 had a low RS, with eight High Risk by MammaPrint. AAF with stage I to III breast cancer often present with High Risk disease. Molecular heterogeneity is present within TN, HER2-positive, and ER-positive breast cancer. RS and MammaPrint offer different prognostic information.
The Transition from Classical to Quantum Mechanics

Since our physical intuition is so firmly grounded in classical mechanics, we have little choice but to advance as far as we can into quantum mechanics along the trails that can be laid out with the help of classical mechanics. To be of help in our context, they have to be usable for regular as well as chaotic dynamical systems, and, therefore, they differ from the ones in most textbooks. The two main guideposts are the classical approximation for the quantum-mechanical propagator in position space and time, as first proposed by Van Vleck in 1928, and the consistent use of the stationary phase method whenever an integral has to be evaluated.
College Students' Satisfaction and Involvement with the Recreation Center Based on Perceived Service Quality: The Moderating Effects of Health and Weight Consciousness:

A university recreation center is a service provided for students benefiting their physical health while offering relief from some stress from an academic life. Understanding students' perceptions ...
Developing expert political judgment: The impact of training and practice on judgmental accuracy in geopolitical forecasting.

The heuristics-and-biases research program highlights reasons for expecting people to be poor intuitive forecasters. This article tests the power of a cognitive-debiasing training module (â€œCHAMPS KNOWâ€ ) to improve probability judgments in a four-year series of geopolitical forecasting tournaments sponsored by the U.S. intelligence community. Although the training lasted less than one hour, it consistently improved accuracy (Brier scores) by 6 to 11% over the control condition. Cognitive ability and practice also made largely independent contributions to predictive accuracy. Given the brevity of the training tutorials and the heterogeneity of the problems posed, the observed effects are likely to be lower-bound estimates of what could be achieved by more intensive interventions. Future work should isolate which prongs of the multipronged CHAMPS KNOW training were most effective in improving judgment on which categories of problems.
Predicting the Allergenicity of Novel Proteins in Genetically Modified Organisms

The allergenicity assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) crops or GM organisms (GMOs) is one of the important steps in evaluating whether food and feed products from new varieties of plants and animals developed using biotechnology should be safe to eat or would pose a real health risk to the consumer. However, if the introduced gene encoded a major allergen that was transferred into a different food crop, the risk would be substantial for individuals with existing allergies to that protein. This chapter is devoted primarily to evaluating whether the introduced protein is an allergen or is sufficiently similar to suspect potential cross-reactivity, with strong emphasis on the use of computer sequence comparisons between the introduced protein and known allergens. A critical step in the assessment is the use of computer sequence comparisons or bioinformatics to evaluate the similarity of the introduced protein to those of known allergens. Food and Drug Administration (1992) recommended that the allergenicity assessment of GM crops focus on testing to ensure that the allergenicity of the GM variety is not greater than that of the traditionally produced varieties of the same crop. As described, the assessment of each new GM crop should evaluate the known allergenicity of the source of the gene, to help design an appropriate testing strategy. The allergenicity assessment and our understanding of allergenic cross-reactivity in general may be improved by additional studies of clinically responsive subjects with clear histories of allergic reactions to multiple related foods.
Patient change attributions in self-management of severe chronic fatigue syndrome

Purpose: To identify patient change attributions arising from a home self-management intervention in severe chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).Methods: This multi-method study of 126 participants with ...
Energy balance in dynamic fracture, investigated by a potential drop technique

A puzzling question in dynamic fracture has been why cracks in amorphous brittle materials always travel at velocities smaller than the Rayleigh wave speed. The answer is that the energy per length needed for the crack to propagate depends strongly on velocity. As the energy flux to the crack tip increases, the crack chooses new modes of dissipation such as micro-cracking and the creation of subsurface damage zones to dissipate this energy. In this paper we use a potential drop technique to measure length and velocity of a crack with high spatial precision and time resolution so as to investigate the modes of dissipation in Homalite-100 and make qualitative comparisons with PMMA. The technique is capable of resolving crack initiation, run, and arrest. Using this technique we search for a 'forbidden band' of velocities in PMMA, Homalite-100, and glass, and we show that no such velocity gap exists in these amorphous materials at room temperature.
Evaluation of bioMérieux's Dissociated Vidas Lyme IgM II and IgG II as a First-Tier Diagnostic Assay for Lyme Disease

ABSTRACT The recommended laboratory diagnostic approach for Lyme disease is a standard two-tiered testing (STTT) algorithm where the first tier is typically an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) that if positive or equivocal is reflexed to Western immunoblotting as the second tier. bioMerieux manufactures one of the most commonly used first-tier EIAs in the United States, the combined IgM/IgG Vidas test (LYT). Recently, bioMerieux launched its dissociated first-tier tests, the Vidas Lyme IgM II (LYM) and IgG II (LYG) EIAs, which use purified recombinant test antigens and a different algorithm than STTT. The dissociated LYM/LYG EIAs were evaluated against the combined LYT EIA using samples from 471 well-characterized Lyme patients and controls. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the performance of these EIAs as first-tier tests and when used in two-tiered algorithms, including a modified two-tiered testing (MTTT) approach where the second-tier test was a C6 EIA. Similar sensitivities and specificities were obtained for the two testing strategies (LYT versus LYM/LYG) when used as first-tier tests (sensitivity, 83 to 85%; specificity, 85 to 88%) with an observed agreement of 80%. Sensitivities of 68 to 69% and 76 to 77% and specificities of 97% and 98 to 99% resulted when the two EIA strategies were followed by Western immunoblotting and when used in an MTTT, respectively. The MTTT approach resulted in significantly higher sensitivities than did STTT. Overall, the LYM/LYG EIAs performed equivalently to the LYT EIA in test-to-test comparisons or as first-tier assays in STTT or MTTT with few exceptions.
A hybrid coil system for high frequency electromagnetic induction sensing

Intermediate electrical conductivity (IEC, 100-105 S/m) objects are increasingly important to properly detect and classify. For the US Military, carbon fiber (CF) "smart bomb" unexploded ordnance (UXO) are contaminating training ranges. Home-made explosives (HME) may also fit in this conductivity range. Objects in this conductivity range exhibit characteristic quadrature response peaks at high frequencies (100 kHz-15 MHz). Previous efforts towards electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensing of IEC targets have required single-turn, small-diameter transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) loops. These smaller loops remain electrically short in the high frequency EMI (HFEMI) range (100 kHz-15 MHz), a necessary feature, but provide low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), especially at low frequencies (1000 Hz-10 kHz). We propose a modification to our pre-production HFEMI instrument which has a hybrid low frequency/high frequency transmit coil. This hybrid system uses many turns in the traditional range, and a single wire turn at HFEMI frequencies, to maximize SNR across a wider EMI band. The turns which are not current carrying in high frequency mode must have negligible inductive coupling to the single current-carrying turn, low enough that any coupling is suitable for background subtraction. This is enforced by mutually disconnecting every turn from every other turn. The instrument uses the same calibration techniques as previously introduced,1 namely background subtraction and ferrite compensation. This paper dis- cusses engineering tradeoffs, compares results to numerical models and actual data from an advanced induction sensor, shows improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at traditional EMI frequencies, and shows the same ability to detect IEC targets in the HFEMI band.
Removing Cerebrospinal Fluid Antibody Orders from the Test Menu Results in a Dramatic Decrease in Order Volume.

Background: Antibody tests for Borrelia burgdorferi (agent of Lyme disease), Toxoplasma gondii, and cytomegalovirus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are rarely useful. One reason for misutilization of laboratory tests is simply the convenience offered by a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system. Methods: The cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies-CSF, B. burgdorferi antibodies-CSF, and T. gondii antibodies-CSF orders were removed from the test menu. A provider could still order these tests using a miscellaneous order. We collected monthly volumes of test orders before and after the tests were removed from the CPOE. Results: Orders for CSF antibody testing for B. burgdorferi, T. gondii, and CMV decreased by 91%, 93%, and 98%, respectively (P Conclusions: Removal of test orders from the CPOE dramatically decreased test order volume, which led to substantial cost savings and availability of CSF for more useful tests. There was no compensatory increase in order volume for related tests, indicating that providers were not looking for alternate tests.
Decreased IGF1-R and EGFR expression by the thioredoxin inhibitor PX12 is mediated by SP-1 inhibition

2296 Thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) is a 14 kD redox protein that is often over expressed in cancer cells. Trx-1, as part of the thioredoxin redox system, has been shown to reduce oxidized transcription factors resulting in restoration of transcription factor activity and increased gene expression. Recently, Trx-1 has been implemented in the redox regulation and activation of the transcription factor Specificity protein 1 (Sp-1). Sp-1 binds GC rich sequences in promoters and regulates a number of genes involved in cancer progression, including growth factor such as the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1-R) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Both receptors have been shown to play an important role in cancer cell development and growth. Expression of these genes is correlated to increased cellular size and resistance to apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that treatment of HT29 colon cancer cells with either PX-12, a pharmacological inhibitor of Trx-1, or siRNA against TRX-1 deceases Sp-1:DNA binding as measured by EMSA. Real time RT PCR analysis indicates that inhibition of Trx-1, with 50 μM PX12 for 72 hours, results in a 2.3 fold decrease in IGF1-R expression and a 3.6 fold decrease in EGFR expression. Western blot analysis indicates that inhibition of TRX-1, with 50 μM PX12 for 48 hours, results in 2.1 fold decrease in IGF1R protein levels and a 1.5 fold decrease in EGFR protein levels. These studies show the importance of Trx-1 redox activation of transcription factors and offer a novel mechanism for PX12’s ability to inhibit cancer cell growth.
“We made the choice to stick it out”: Negotiating a stable home in the rural, American Rust Belt

• Home is a combination of material resources, social construction, and embodied experiences.
Planning for Sea Level Rise and Shore Protection Under Climate Uncertainty

Attention is focused here on the effect of additional sources of uncertainty derived from climate change on the cost-benefit procedures applied by coastal planners to evaluate shoreline protection projects. The largest effect would be felt if planners were trying to achieve the first best economic optimum. Given the current view that the seas will rise by significantly less than one meter through the year 2100, present procedures should work reasonably well assuming (1) informed vigilance in monitoring the pace of future greenhouse induced sea level rise, (2) careful attention to the time required for market-based adaptation to minimize the economic cost of abandonment, and (3) firm support of the credibility of an announced policy to proceed with plans to retreat from the sea when warranted. Assumptions (1) and (2) might be satisfied in reality, even cursory review of existing policy makes it clear that meeting (3) is a "long shot" at the very best. In any case, planners should periodically revisit potential protection sites, especially in the wake of catastrophic events, to assess the impact of the most recent information on sea level rise trajectories, local development patterns, and protection costs on the decision calculus.
Data-efficient methods for multi-channel x-ray CT reconstruction

The superiority of iterative reconstruction techniques over analytical ones is documented in a variety of CT imaging applications. However, iterative reconstruction techniques generally require a substantial increase in data processing time and required resources, slowing adoption of the state of the art. This problem is exacerbated in multi-channel CT reconstruction problems (e.g. dynamic and spectral CT) where the gap between the amount of data acquired and to be reconstructed is often exaggerated. To facilitate adoption of iterative reconstruction techniques, we propose methods which seek to improve data efficiency. Specifically, we define data-efficient methods as those that produce reliable results with respect to task-specific metrics while managing the total x-ray exposure, sampling time, computation time, and computational resources required. The development of such methods unifies several themes in CT research, including dose management, task-based optimization, clinically relevant timelines for data processing, and reconstruction from undersampled data. In this paper, we present complementary, data-efficient methods for cardiac CT reconstruction. We present a reconstruction algorithm which requires minimal parameter tuning to solve temporal reconstruction problems. The algorithm exploits spatially localized, voxel-centric, distance-driven projection and backprojection operators to promote computational efficiency. We validate the algorithm with numerical simulations, using the MOBY mouse phantom, and with in vivo mouse data. For the in vivo data, localized reconstruction reduces computation time by 50% and system RAM requirements by 60% relative to non-localized reconstruction. Following validation of our algorithm, we present preliminary in vivo temporal denoising results using a convolutional neural network which promise to further improve the fidelity and speed of our reconstructions in future work.
Chugging in patients on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An under-recognized driver of intravenous fluid administration in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome?

Abstract Background Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is increasingly utilized in the management of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Providers who care for patients on VV-ECMO should be familiar with common circuit complications. Objectives To provide an example of a common complication, circuit “chugging,” and suggest a management algorithm which aims to avoid excessive fluid administration to patients with ARDS. Methods We use a clinical case to illustrate chugging and discuss potential management strategies. Results Our patient received frequent boluses of albumin for intermittent circuit chugging contributing to a net positive fluid balance of roughly 6 liters 4 days after cannulation. Conclusions Chugging is a common complication for patients on VV ECMO. A thoughtful approach to management may help limit potentially harmful fluid administration for patients with ARDS.
Facial Implant Cosmetic Augmentation Using Digital Technologies

Facial beauty has been studied since ancient times and has been recorded in various art forms, whether as classical sculpture, modern art, or scientific analysis. Surgeons who perform facial cosmetic procedures need to have an understanding of both visual and radiographic images that can help them to properly evaluate and diagnose patient’s facial form to allow the development of a treatment plan that will provide the appropriate cosmetic result that will be satisfactory to the patient. Facial beauty is objective to the surgeon and objective to the patient, and there needs to be a high level of communication and understanding in the relationship to ensure a satisfactory outcome. Facial implants are an important aspect of facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and they are available as both stock and custom types. This chapter will review various methods for the fabrication of custom facial implants based on stereolithographic anatomic models for the chin, mandibular angles, and zygomas. Custom facial implants have many advantages over stock implants in that they are preplanned, are patient specific, usually require no further shaping, reduce operating time, and can have superior cosmetic outcomes when compared to stock implants. Different materials can be utilized, but solid silicone has many advantages which includes flexibility for placement into the surgical site, improved feathering of edges, decreased cost, low rate of infection, and durability. Custom facial implants can be used as individual, in combinations, and simultaneous to other procedures such as orthognathic surgery or facial esthetic soft tissue procedures.
Using Genetic Algorithms to Encourage Engineering Design Creativity

This paper discusses how a genetic algorithm searches through a design space to generate highly fit designs for an example engineering design problem. The problem used herein is the design of a stiffened composite panel, combining discrete, integer and continuous variables. The GA process is examined and compared to an accepted view of creative engineering design practices. Examples from the stiffened composite panel problem are used to illustrate how the genetic algorithm may encourage creativity and / or act as a creative agent in engineering design. To be successful, a genetic algorithm search still requires intelligent, creative design engineers; this need is also discussed.
The Brain and Sense Organs of the Earliest Vertebrates: Reconstruction of a Morphotype

Speculations on the nature of the brain and sense organs in the earliest vertebrates have traditionally been based on two different strategies. One approach has been to examine the brain and sense organs in living hagfishes and lampreys, with the assumption that these taxa are primitive and thus represent the starting point of vertebrate phylogeny (Worthington, 1906; Ariens Kappers, 1929; Heier, 1948; Stahl, 1977). This approach is confounded by considerable differences in the organization of the brain and sense organs in hagfishes and lampreys themselves, so that a single pattern of organization can not be recognized, and it also ignores the fact that these living taxa have a long evolutionary history during which many changes have obviously occurred.
Associated Bony Malformations and Instability in the Chiari I Malformation

The incidence of craniovertebral junction (CVJ) bony abnormalities in Chiari I malformations is between 7 and 11 %. However, the incidence of CVJ bony abnormalities having a hindbrain herniation is 33–38 %.
The pathophysiological functions mediated by D1 dopamine receptors.

Pharmacological and biochemical studies have established the presence of at least two types of central dopamine (DA) receptors. The D1 DA receptors are positively linked to the DA sensitive adenylate cyclase system, whereas the D2 DA receptors are probably negatively linked. The D2 DA receptors have been generally recognized as mediating the action of antipsychotic drugs as well as a variety of behaviors such as rotation and stereotypy. However, until recently, the D1 DA receptor was regarded as a receptor whose function is unknown and awaiting future discovery. The availability of selective D1 DA agonists (e.g. SKF 38393) and of D1 DA antagonists (e.g. SCH 23390) has made it possible to determine some behavioral effects which are associated with D1 or with both D1 and D2 DA receptors. In this presentation we will describe some behavioral responses which might be mediated by D1 and/or by both D1 and D2 DA receptors, and we will discuss their clinical relevance.
The Marginalization of Feminist Epistemology and What That Reveals About Epistemology ‘Proper’

Though feminist epistemology has been in place for a quarter century, it still remains marginalized, if not invisible, in ‘mainstream’ epistemology. An implicit, if not explicit, assumption that feminist epistemology is not epistemology ‘proper’ regularly underwrites this marginalization. The construction of feminist work as ‘other’ to epistemology ‘proper’ reflects the legacy of a philosophical history of sexism and racism more than it reflects a uniform coherent project or area of inquiry that has been in place under the rubric ‘epistemology.’ Specific epistemological as well as political insights into the development of epistemology (of knowledge about knowledge) are available when we critically examine the relationship between feminist epistemology and mainstream epistemology. These epistemological or, in many cases, metaepistemological insights merit particular attention and development at this time. The proliferation of different approaches or directions in epistemology in recent decades provides rich ground for advantageous feminist intervention. Such intervention is necessary for the recovery of epistemology as a central philosophical discipline attuned to worlds of moral and political complexity.
Timers and Time Service

This chapter covers timers and timer services. It explains the principle of hardware timers and the hardware timers in Intel x86 based PCs. it covers CPU operations and interrupts processing. It describes timer related system calls, library functions and commands for timer services in Linux. It discusses process interval timers, timer generated signals and demonstrates process interval timers by examples. The programming project is to implement timer, timer interrupts and interval timers in a multitasking system. The multitasking system runs as a Linux process, which acts as a virtual CPU for concurrent tasks inside the Linux process. The real-time mode interval timer of the Linux process is programmed to generate SIGALRM signals periodically, which acts as timer interrupts to the virtual CPU, which uses a SIGALRM signal catcher as the timer interrupt handler. The project is for the reader to implement interval timers for tasks by a timer queue. It also lets the reader use Linux signal masks to implement critical regions to prevent race conditions between tasks and interrupt handlers.
MCAT: Motif Combining and Association Tool

De novo motif discovery in biological sequences is an important and computationally challenging problem. A myriad of algorithms have been developed to solve this problem with varying success, but it can be difficult for even a small number of these tools to reach a consensus. Because individual tools can be better suited for specific scenarios, an ensemble tool that combines the results of many algorithms can yield a more confident and complete result. We present a novel and fast tool ensemble MCAT (Motif Combining and Association Tool) for de novo motif discovery by combining six state-of-the-art motif discovery tools (MEME, BioProspector, DECOD, XXmotif, Weeder, and CMF). We apply MCAT to data sets with DNA sequences that come from various species and compare our results with two well-established ensemble motif-finding tools, EMD and DynaMIT. The experimental results show that MCAT is able to identify exact match motifs in DNA sequences efficiently, and it has a significantly better performance in practice.
MALDI-MSI of Immunotherapy: Mapping the EGFR-Targeting Antibody Cetuximab in 3D Colon-Cancer Cell Cultures

Immunotherapies are treatments that use a patient's immune system to combat disease. One important type of immunotherapy employed in cancer treatments is the delivery of monoclonal antibodies to block growth receptors. In this manuscript, we develop a methodology that enables accurate and simple evaluation of antibody-type drug delivery using MALDI-MSI. To overcome the mass-range limitation that prevents the detection of large therapeutic antibodies, we used in situ reduction and alkylation to break disulfide bonds to generate smaller fragments. These smaller fragments are more readily ionized and detected by MALDI-MSI without loss of spatial information on the parent drug. As a proof of concept study, we evaluated the distribution of cetuximab in 3D colon cell cultures. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the extracellular domain of epidermal-growth-factor receptor (EGFR), which is often overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and mediates cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Cetuximab directly inhibits tumor growth and metastasis and induces apoptosis. By performing on-tissue reduction followed by MALDI-MSI analysis, we successfully mapped the time-dependent penetration and distribution of cetuximab in spheroids derived from two different colon-cancer cell lines (HT-29 and DLD-1). The localization patterns were further confirmed with IF staining of the drug. Changes in other biomolecules following drug treatment were also observed, including the elevation of ATP in spheroids. The developed method has also been applied to map cetuximab distribution in patient-derived colorectal-tumor organoids (CTOs). Overall, we believe this powerful label-free approach will be useful for visualizing the heterogeneous distribution of antibody drugs in tissues and tumors and will help to monitor and optimize their use in the clinic.