cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loop optimization techniques on multi-issue architectures

This work examines the interaction of compiler scheduling techniques with processor features such as the instruction issue policy. Scheduling techniques designed to exploit instruction level parallelism are employed to schedule instructions for a set of multi-issue architectures. A compiler is developed which supports block scheduling, loop unrolling, and software pipelining for a range of target architectures. The compiler supports aggressive loop optimizations such as induction variable detection and strength reduction, and code hoisting. A set of machine configurations based on the MIPS R3000 ISA are simulated, allowing the performance of the combined compiler-processor to be studied. The Aurora III, a prototype superscalar processor, is used as a case study for the interaction of compiler scheduling techniques with processor architecture. Our results show that the scheduling technique chosen for the compiler has a significant impact on the overall system performance and can even change the rank ordering when comparing the performance of VLIW, DAE and superscalar architectures. Our results further show that, while significant, the performance effects of the instruction issue policy may not be as large as the effects of other processor features, which may be less costly to implement, such as 64 bit wide data paths or store buffers.
Evidence for the Interrelated Actions of Auxin, Ethylene, and Arabinogalactan-Proteins on the Transition from Non-Apical to Apical Growth of Physcomitrella patens Hedw.(Funariaceae)

We are investigating the role and control of the spacial-temporal suppression of cell proliferation and/or cell enlargement in plant morphogenesis. A prime example of this phenomenon is the suppressed development of every third leaf primordium in a large proportion of the species of leafy liverworts (Jungermanniales, Hepatcae). Through a series of experiments, it was found that the correlative inhibition of the development of these leaves past a primordial stage was regulated by the interrelated actions of auxin, ethylene, and certain arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) (see Basile 1990, Basile and Basile 1990 1993 1994, for reviews). In addition, it became evident from experiments with species of Streptocarpus, a flowering plant (Rosenblum and Basile 1984), that this correlative control system was not restricted to determining whether or not leaves developed in liverworts at a specific place and time. The results of more than 25 years of research in this area indicated that the auxin-ethylene-AGP system played a critical role in three important aspects of pattern formation and pattern change in leafy liverworts, and probably all plants (Basile and Basile 1993). One aspect, already mentioned, is to stop (suppress) the further development of specific organ primordia as soon as they are established. The failure of primordia to develop into mature organs is the basis for the recurrent trend in leafy liverwort families toward “reductive” or “recessive” evolution via “loss” in the numbers (i.e., leaves) and/or kinds (i.e., branching-types) of parts. A second aspect is the modulation in the size and shapes of leaves. The third aspect is the setting apart of the apical meristematic regions during the transition from a diffuse (e.g., protonemal, prothallial, or embryogenic) growth pattern to one that is strictly apical/polar. This transition from diffuse to polar/apical growth is characteristic of the early stages of development of both the gametophytes and sporophytes of all land plants. It is this third hypothesized role for suppression that the experiments reported here were designed to test.
Palladium/Rhodium Cooperative Catalysis for the Production of Aryl Aldehydes and Their Deuterated Analogues Using the Water–Gas Shift Reaction

A novel Pd/Rh dual-metallic cooperative catalytic process has been developed to effect the reductive carbonylation of aryl halides in moderate to good yield. In this reaction, water is the hydride source, and CO serves both as the carbonyl source and the terminal reductant through the water-gas shift reaction. The catalytic generation of the Rh hydride allows for the selective formation of highly hindered aryl aldehydes that are inaccessible through previously reported reductive carbonylation protocols. Moreover, aldehydes with deuterated formyl groups can be efficiently and selectively synthesized using D2 O as a cost-effective deuterium source without the need for presynthesizing the aldehyde.
La combinación de negocios y los inversionistas: caso de estudio D&S / Walmart (2008-2011)

El presente articulo presenta el analisis de los cambios en la participacion y retornos de los accionistas producto de la combinacion de negocios, aplicando un caso de estudio D&S, tras su combinacion con Walmart, entre el ano 2008-2011. Ademas, identificar los posibles cambios en los porcentajes de participacion y retornos de los mayores accionistas del caso de estudio, comparar las utilidades distribuibles y los dividendos repartidos de los accionistas mayoritarios, categorizar a los accionistas mayoritarios, de acuerdo a sus porcentajes de participacion, antes y despues del proceso de adquisicion, ano 2008 – 2011 y, por ultimo, contrastar la participacion y los retornos de los accionistas, producto de la combinacion de negocios a traves del caso de estudio. Se finalizara concluyendo que una combinacion de negocios es un medio que le permite a la empresa obtener beneficios competitivos, una nueva forma de reestructuracion, teniendo cambios en los porcentajes de participacion y en las decisiones de los accionistas.
Jack of all trades and master of knowledge: The role of diversification in new distant knowledge integration

Research Summary We consider the role of individual‐level diversification as a mechanism through which skilled researchers engage in successful exploration—recognizing and integrating new knowledge external to one's domains of expertise. To approach an ideal experiment, we (a) employ a matching procedure and (b) exploit the unexpected adoption of Microsoft Kinect as a motion‐sensing technology in research. We evaluate the impact of Kinect and its embodiment of new knowledge on a set of ability‐matched, diversity‐varying researchers without prior experience in motion‐sensing and find that diversified researchers explore more successfully than their more specialized peers. We also examine the role of personal preferences and professional incentives as antecedents of diversification and find that culture, age and intellectual freedom are positively associated with the propensity to diversify successfully. Managerial Summary Organizations where R&D is core to driving competitive advantage face important tradeoffs when hiring researchers. Specifically, diverse combinations of knowledge generate the most impactful discoveries. Yet, coordinating such combinations increasingly requires larger teams as knowledge accumulation causes researchers to specialize in narrower areas. How should organizations achieve the best balance? We argue and show evidence that diversified researchers, individuals routinely criticized for their lack of knowledge depth, are more likely than specialized researchers of similar ability to integrate new knowledge from beyond their domains of expertise to create impactful innovations. Therefore, organizations aiming to create competitive advantage by pushing the boundaries of knowledge should carefully consider the nuanced tradeoffs between specialized and diversified researchers when strategizing about hiring the optimal types of expertise.
Investigating the Impact of Healthcare Environmental Design on Staff Security: A Systematic Review:

Objective:To systematically review the literature regarding the role of the physical environment in preventing or mitigating aggressive behavior toward healthcare professionals in acute care, outpa...
Development and validation of a duplex real-time PCR assay with locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes for the specific detection of allergenic walnut in complex food matrices

Abstract Walnut is one of the most widely consumed and highly allergenic tree nuts in North America. The two species most frequently consumed in the United States are English walnut (Juglans regia) and black walnut (Juglans nigra). Ensuring accurate labeling to protect allergic individuals from accidental consumption demands methods that accurately identify the presence of walnut in food. We developed a novel real-time PCR assay that targets two chloroplast regions (rbcL-accD and psbM-trnD) and implements LNA probes to specifically detect walnut in three types of foods: baked goods, salad greens, and creamy dips. This is the first assay for walnut detection that uses LNA oligos to increase specificity and prevent significant cross-reactivity with pecan and other tree nuts by blocking their amplification signal. Food matrices were spiked separately with English and black walnut at concentrations that ranged from 0.1 to 105 mg/kg (parts per million, or ppm). Reaction efficiencies within the optimal range of 100 ± 10% were obtained across 6 to 7 orders of magnitude with a limit of detection of 0.1 ppm. Our results show that real-time PCR assays using chloroplast markers and LNA probes are an effective and accurate tool for allergenic walnut detection.
Detachable circles and temperature-inversion dualities for CFT d

We use a Weyl transformation between S1 × Sd−1 and $$ {S}^1\times {\mathrm{\mathscr{H}}}^{d-1}/\mathbb{Z} $$ to relate a conformal field theory at arbitrary temperature on Sd−1 to itself at the inverse temperature on $$ {\mathrm{\mathscr{H}}}^{d-1}/\mathbb{Z} $$ . We use this equivalence to deduce a confining phase transition at finite temperature for large-N gauge theories on hyperbolic space. In the context of gauge/gravity duality, this equivalence provides new examples of smooth bulk solutions which asymptote to conically singular geometries at the AdS boundary. We also discuss implications for the Eguchi-Kawai mechanism and a high-temperature/low-temperature duality on Sd−1.
Financial Evaluation of Kidney Transplant With Hepatitis C Viremic Donors to Uninfected Recipients.

Kidney transplantation with hepatitis C viremic (dHCV+) donors appears safe for recipients without HCV when accompanied by direct acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. However, US programs have been reluctant to embrace this approach due to concern about insurance coverage. While the cost of DAA treatment is currently offset by the reduction in waiting time, increased competition for dHCV+ organs may reduce this advantage. This analysis sought to demonstrate the financial benefit of dHCV+ transplant for third-party health insurers to expand coverage availability. Methods An economic analysis was developed using a Markov model for 2 decisions: first, to accept a dHCV+ organ versus wait for a dHCV uninfected organ; or second, accept a high kidney donor profile index (KDPI) (>85) organ versus wait for a better quality dHCV+ organ. The analysis used Medicare payments, historical survival data, cost report data, and an estimated cost of DAA of $29 874. Results In the first analysis, using dHCV+ kidneys reduced the cost of end-stage kidney disease care if the wait for a dHCV uninfected organ exceeded 11.5 months. The financial breakeven point differed according to the cost of DAA treatment. In the second analysis, declining a high-KDPI organ in favor of a waiting dHCV+ organ was marginally clinically beneficial if waiting times were <12 months but not cost effective. Conclusions dHCV+ transplant appears to be economically and clinically advantageous compared with waiting for dHCV-uninfected transplant but should not replace high-KDPI transplant when appropriate. Despite the high cost of DAA therapy, health insurers benefit financially from dHCV+ transplant within 1 year.
Transition Strengths and Needs of High School Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

A strengths-based approach to transition assessment and planning can ensure that special education services are person-centered. To better understand the strengths and needs of students with emotio...
Site-Specific Cross-Linking of Galectin-1 Homodimers via Poly(ethylene glycol) Bismaleimide.

The promise of the natural immunoregulator, Galectin-1 (Gal1), as an immunomodulatory therapeutic is challenged by its unstable homodimeric conformation. Previously, a Gal1 homodimer stabilized via covalent poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) cross-linking demonstrated higher activity relative to the non-covalent homodimer. Here, we report Gal1 homodimers formed using an alternative thiol-Michael addition linker chemistry. Poly(ethylene glycol) bismaleimide (PEGbisMal) reacted with Gal1 at multiple sites with greater efficiency than PEGDA. However, multiple PEGbisMal molecules were conjugated to Gal1 C130, a Gal1 mutant with one surface cysteine (cys-130) and two cysteines thought to be buried in the solvent-inaccessible protein core (cys-42 and cys-60). Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that cys-60 was the site at which additional PEGbisMal molecules were conjugated onto Gal1 C130. Compared to WT-Gal1, Gal1 C130 had low activity for inducing Jurkat T cell death, characterized by phosphatidylserine exposure and membrane permeability. PEG cross-linking could restore the function of Gal1 C130, such that at high concentrations Gal1 C130 cross-linked by PEGbisMal had higher activity than both WT-Gal1 and Gal1 C130 cross-linked by PEGDA. Mutating cys-42 and cys-60 to serines in Gal1 C130 did not affect the cell death signaling activity of the Gal1 C130 homodimer cross-linked by PEGbisMal. PEGylated Gal1 C130 variants also eliminated the need for a reducing agent, such as dithiothreitol, which is required to maintain WT-Gal1 signaling activity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that thiol-Michael addition bioconjugation leads to a PEG-cross-linked Gal1 homodimer with improved extracellular signaling activity that does not require a reducing environment to be functional.
Achievable Error Exponents for Two-Way AWGN Channels

We present achievable error exponent regions for the Two-Way AWGN channel under an expected block power constraint and variable-length coding (VLC). We propose an achievability scheme that allows terminals to cooperate via interaction to detect decoding errors and request re-transmissions. Under this scheme, in certain rate-pair regimes both directions are able to simultaneously attain error exponent pairs larger than the feedback-free point-to-point random coding error exponents1.
Variation in bariatric surgery utilization by state from 2010 to 2019: analysis of the PearlDiver Mariner database.

Abstract Background Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity and its associated complications, but it remains underutilized. The degree to which bariatric surgery utilization varies by state is unclear. Objectives The aim of this study was to quantify variation in bariatric surgery utilization across U.S. states. Setting United States. Methods Patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass and patients with body mass index (BMI) >40 or BMI >35 with comorbidities between 2010 and 2019 were identified with Current Procedural Terminology, International Classification of Diseases-9 and -10 codes using the PearlDiver Mariner insurance claims database. Patients living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories were excluded. Results A total of 99,173 bariatric surgery patients were identified out of 1,789,457 patients eligible for bariatric surgery between 2010 and 2019 (5.5%). Bariatric surgery patients were more likely to be female (78.8% versus 65.6%) and have commercial insurance (81.4% versus 69.6%) compared with eligible patients who did not undergo bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery utilization varied widely between states, from 10.4% in New Jersey to 2.1% in Vermont. The Northeast region had the highest rates at 7.95%, and the Midwest had the lowest at 4.47%. The proportion of bariatric surgeries that were sleeve gastrectomies also varied from 80% in New Jersey, Nevada, and Mississippi. Conclusion There is significant variation in bariatric surgery utilization between states, with almost a 5-fold difference between the states with the highest and lowest utilization.
Thermogravimetry and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Study of Heated V 2 O 5 ⋅ n H 2 O Aerogels and Ambigels

We have used thermogravimetry and X-ray absorption spectroscopy to examine the water content, oxidation state, and local structure of V for V 2 O 5 .nH 2 O aerogels and ambigels in the pristine state and after heating under vacuum (100 μTorr) at 114 and 220°C for 25 h. On the basis of thermogravimetric analysis, the composition of the aerogels and ambigels consists of about 2 and I mol of H 2 O per mole of V 2 O 5 in the pristine state and after heating at 114°C, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals the absence of loosely bound H 2 O in the network of the aerogels and ambigels heated at 220°C. Analyses of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra reveal that the oxidation state of V for aerogels and ambigels in the pristine state (V 2 O 5 .2.0H 2 O) as well as those heated at 114°C (V 2 O 5 .1.0H 2 O) is similar to that of V in V 2 O 5 ; that is to say +5 (pentavalent V). Heat-treating the aerogels and ambigels at 114°C does not lead to a measurable change in the oxidation state of V. The local structure of V under these conditions is similar to that of V in orthorhombic V 2 O 5 except for a higher degree of local symmetry within the structure of the VO 5 square pyramid. Analyses of XANES and EXAFS spectra of aerogels and ambigels heated at 220°C, on the other baud, reveal the presence of both tetravalent and pentavalent V. The fractions of tetravalent V are estimated to be 0.29 ± 0.08 and 0.26 ± 0.08 for the aerogels and ambigels, respectively. The mixed valency can be in the form of a single phase with a solid solution of tetravalent and pentavalent V sites or a two-phase system with one phase containing tetravalent V and the other phase containing pentavalent V.
Welcome to the Journal of Neuroinflammation

Welcome to the Journal of Neuroinflammation, an open-access, peer-reviewed, online journal that focuses on innate immunological responses of the central nervous system, involving microglia, astrocytes, cytokines, chemokines, and related molecular processes. 'Neuroinflammation' is an encapsulization of the idea that microglial and astrocytic responses and actions in the central nervous system have a fundamentally inflammation-like character, and that these responses are central to the pathogenesis and progression of a wide variety of neurological disorders. This concept has its roots in the discoveries of inflammatory cytokines and proteins in the plaques of Alzheimer disease, and these ideas have been extended to other neurodegenerative diseases, to ischemic/toxic diseases, to tumor biology and even to normal brain development. The Journal of Neuroinflammation, published by BioMed Central, will bring together work focusing on microglia, astrocytes, cytokines, chemokines, and related molecular processes in the central nervous system. All articles published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation will be immediately listed in PubMed, and access to published articles will be universal and free through the internet.
The Secret Life of the Trust: The Trust as an Instrument of Commerce

In the culture of Anglo-American law, we think of the trust as a branch of the law of gratuitous transfers. That is where we teach trusts in the law school curriculum,1 that is where we locate trusts in the statute books,2 and that is where American lawyers typically encounter the trust in their practice. The trust originated at the end of the Middle Ages as a means of transferring wealth within the family,3 and the trust remains our characteristic device for organizing intergenerational wealth transmission when the transferor has substantial assets or complex family affairs. In the succinct formulation of Bernard Rudden, Anglo-American lawyers regard the trust as "essentially a gift, projected on the plane of time and so subjected to a management regime."4
Cancer-epigenetics comes of age

The discovery of numerous hypermethylated promoters of tumour-suppressor genes, along with a better understanding of gene-silencing mechanisms, has moved DNA methylation from obscurity to recognition as an alternative mechanism of tumour-suppressor inactivation in cancer. Epigenetic events can also facilitate genetic damage, as illustrated by the increased mutagenicity of 5-methylcytosine and the silencing of the MLH1 mismatch repair gene by DNA methylation in colorectal tumours. We review here current mechanistic understanding of the role of DNA methylation in malignant transformation, and suggest Knudson's two-hit hypothesis should now be expanded to include epigenetic mechanisms of gene inactivation.
Paracka Daniel Jr. The Athens of West Africa: A History of International Education at Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone . New York: Routledge, 2003. ix + 324 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $135.00. Cloth.

Daniel Paracka Jr. The Athens of West Africa: A History of International Education at Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone. New York: Routledge, 2003. ix + 324 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $135.00. Cloth. Until recently, higher education as a field of study within African scholarship was scant at best. Prior to that, with their close relationship to never-ending literacy campaigns, primary and secondary systems claimed center stage, leaving higher education in scholarly oblivion. However, given the global economic importance of the current knowledge revolution, the study of higher education has gained prominence the world over, and Africa is no exception. Therefore, a book that traces the roots of higher education in Africa, delineating its role in the colonial project - as well as the postcolonial and neocolonial vicissitudes - is quite timely. And the focus on Fourah Bay College, the only institution of higher learning in West Africa from 1827 to 1948, is commendable. Although Paracka neither defines nor posits his rationale for choosing "International Education" as the book's subtitle, nonetheless he broaches a crucial component of higher education research today. Multinational approaches to higher education have become a major driving force in today's technology-driven and highly competitive global economy. In this impassioned but densely packed book, Paracka positions Fourah Bay as the archetypical West African university. Located at the intellectual heart of often controversial and shifting political patterns, Fourah Bay has a history that is closely intertwined with the emergence and consolidation of the modern state. Using largely original sources, Paracka manages to historicize the college within the country's sociopolitical problematic, identifying it as "a social-cultural microcosm of the political, racial, religious, and social tensions that characterized the colonial and post-colonial revolutions in West Africa..." (3). In this way Paracka debunks the persistent myth of university autonomy. Unfortunately, Paracka provides no conceptual framework for his approach to writing about higher education, and his target audience remains difficult to determine. Nevertheless he addresses critical issues of great interest to higher education researchers today: institutional history and mission; politics of education; access, equity, and affordability; faculty and curriculum; and education and nation-building, among other topics. …
Alpha-secondary tritium kinetic isotope effects for the hydrolysis of alpha-D-glucopyranosyl fluoride by exo-alpha-glucanases.

Abstract alpha-Secondary tritium kinetic isotope effects ranging from 1.17 to 1.26 were measured for the hydrolysis of alpha-D-glucopyranosyl fluoride (forming beta-D-glucose) catalyzed by several glucoamylases and a glucodextranase. These results indicate that cleavage of the C-F bond is slow and that the enzymic transition state has significant oxo-carbonium ion character. Strong support for this conclusion is provided by the agreement found in the case of Rhizopus niveus glucoamylase (alpha-TV/K 1.26; Km 26 mM) between measured values of the alpha-secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects (alpha-DV/K 1.16; alpha-DV 1.20) and those calculated from the tritium isotope effect. The data are consistent with the promotion of an intramolecular elimination of fluoride by the present exo-alpha-glucanases based on their ability to stabilize, perhaps with a counter ion, the development of a carbonium ion-like transition state. Although the oxo-carbonium ion is formally denoted as an intermediate it could represent a transition state along a reaction pathway to a covalent glucosyl intermediate.
Simulations of the radiation-flow within a silica-aerogel target

Summary form only given. The interaction of a silica-aerogel target with a source of soft X-rays is calculated using two-dimensional Lagrangian and Eulerian codes. The radiation is generated by a Z-pinch contained within a vacuum hohlraum at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. The source has been well-characterized using both experiments and simulations. Burn-through foils are used to shield the targets during the implosion phase of the pinch, generation of x-rays and equilibration of the radiation within the hohlraum. The impact of the foils on the experiments that are fielded is still under study. One of the issues under consideration in the present work is the effect of the radiation on the immediate environment of the target (including the burn-through foil). Parameter studies on the target itself have been done using different radiation-flow models. The effects of uncertainties in EOS's and opacities are presented as well.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Congenital Heart Disease: Beyond Eisenmenger Syndrome

Patients with adult congenital heart disease have an increased risk of developing pulmonary hypertension. There are several mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension in patients with adult congenital heart disease, and understanding them requires a systematic approach to define the patient's hemodynamics and physiology. This article reviews the updated classification of pulmonary hypertension in patients with adult congenital heart disease with a focus on pathophysiology, diagnostics, and the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension in special adult congenital heart disease populations.
Sortase enzymes in Gram‐positive bacteria

In Gram-positive bacteria proteins are displayed on the cell surface using sortase enzymes. These cysteine transpeptidases join proteins bearing an appropriate sorting signal to strategically positioned amino groups on the cell surface. Working alone, or in concert with other enzymes, sortases either attach proteins to the cross-bridge peptide of the cell wall or they link proteins together to form pili. Because surface proteins play a fundamental role in microbial physiology and are frequently virulence factors, sortase enzymes have been intensely studied since their discovery a little more than a decade ago. Based on their primary sequences and functions sortases can be partitioned into distinct families called class A to F enzymes. Most bacteria elaborate their surfaces using more than one type of sortase that function non-redundantly by recognizing unique sorting signals within their protein substrates. Here we review what is known about the functions of these enzymes and the molecular basis of catalysis. Particular emphasis is placed on 'pilin' specific class C sortases that construct structurally complex pili. Exciting new data have revealed that these enzymes are amazingly promiscuous in the substrates that they can employ and that there is a startling degree of diversity in their mechanism of action. We also review recent data that suggest that sortases are targeted to specific sites on the cell surface where they work with other sortases and accessory factors to properly function.
Atmospheric responses to the redistribution of anthropogenic aerosols

The geographical shift of global anthropogenic aerosols from the developed countries to the Asian continent since the 1980s could potentially perturb the regional and global climate due to aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions. We use an atmospheric general circulation model with different aerosol scenarios to investigate the radiative and microphysical effects of anthropogenic aerosols from different regions on the radiation budget, precipitation, and large-scale circulations. An experiment contrasting anthropogenic aerosol scenarios in 1970 and 2010 shows that the altered cloud reflectivity and solar extinction by aerosols results in regional surface temperature cooling in East and South Asia, and warming in US and Europe respectively. These aerosol induced temperature changes are consistent with the relative temperature trends from 1980 to 2010 over different regions in the reanalysis data. A reduced meridional streamfunction and zonal winds over the tropics as well as a poleward shift of the jet stream suggest weakened and expanded tropical circulations, which are induced by the redistributed aerosols through a relaxing of the meridional temperature gradient. Consequently, precipitation is suppressed in the deep tropics and enhanced in the sub-tropics. Our assessments of the aerosol effects over the different regions suggest that the increasing of Asian pollution accounts for the weakening of the tropics circulation, while the decreasing of pollution in Europe and US tends to shift the circulation systems southward. Moreover, the aerosol indirect forcing is predominant over the total aerosol forcing in magnitude, while aerosol radiative and microphysical effects jointly shape the meridional energy distributions and modulate the circulation systems.
Reducing The Process "k" Factor With Surface Imaging Techniques

The standard Rayleigh relation for the resolution of an optical system states that the resolution is proportional to the exposure wavelength divided by the numerical aperture of the system. The constant of proportionality "k" is directly effected by processing techniques and may be reduced depending on the chosen photoitsist process. Reducing the "k" factor directly impacts the manufacturing of advanced integrated circuits since it implies the ability to resolve finer features without the ever larger capital expenditures required for new exposure tools. It also allows the execution of current processes with increased processing latitude. This paper reports on the results obtained using a surface imaging technique to reduce the "k" factor for standard and advanced processing applications.
Sterically encumbered terphenyl substituted primary pnictanes ArEH2 and their metallated derivatives ArE(H)Li (Ar=C6H3-2,6-Trip2; Trip=2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl; E=N, P, As, Sb)

Abstract A series of sterically crowded primary pnictanes of formula ArEH2 (Ar=C6H3-2,6-Trip2; Trip=C6H2-2,4,6-i-Pr3; E=N, 2; P, 4; As, 5; Sb, 6) and their lithiated pnictide salts ArE(H)Li (E=N, 7; P, 8; As, 9; Sb, 10) have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography (2-6), NMR, IR spectroscopy, and by combustion analysis. Details of the synthesis and structures of the azide derivative ArN3 (1) and the arylphosphinic acid ArP(O)(OH)H (3) are also given. The amine compound 2 displays a planar geometry (within the limits of experimental error) at nitrogen which is attributable to interactions between the NH moieties and the ortho-aryl rings. The antimony compound 6 is a rare instance of a stable primary stibane and its X-ray crystal structure represents the first structural determination of such a species.
Predictors of major ischemic complications after coronary dissection following angioplasty

Abstract Coronary dissection is a major cause of abrupt arterial closure after coronary angioplasty but may also be associated with no discernible event. Deciding which dissections should receive further treatment is often a dilemma if the artery remains patent. This case-control study examined predictors of major ischemic complications after coronary dissections. Fifty-eight patients with coronary dissections, but a patent artery at the completion of the angioplasty procedure, subsequently had in-hospital abrupt arterial closure, acute myocardial infarction, emergency coronary bypass surgery, or died; they were matched to 58 control subjects with dissection but no event. Analysis of each angiogram was performed with the examiner unaware of patient's history. Baseline angiographic and clinical characteristics of cases and controls were similar except for an excess of current smokers among the cases (31 vs 16%; p = 0.048). Residual luminal diameter at the dissection site was 1.2 ± 0.6 mm (cases) versus 1.6 ± 0.6 mm (controls; p = 0.001) with relative stenosis of 59 ± 21% vs 43 ± 21%, respectively (p = 0.0001). Dissections among cases were longer than among controls (11 ± 7 mm vs 7 ± 4 mm; p = 0.001). No significant difference was found in dissection morphology using 2 classification schemes or in final Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction study flow grade. Transient occlusion during the procedure, however, occurred in 47% of cases versus 5% of controls (p = 0.0001). Transient occlusion, residual percent stenosis ≥ 70%, and dissections ≥ 6 mm were independently predictive of major ischemic events.
Intestinal obstruction in a premature infant treated by resection and primary end-to-end anastomosis.

Summary 1. An infant with intestinal obstruction associated with volvulus and duplication of the ileum treated by surgical resection and primary end-to-end anastomosis is described. She is one of the smallest patients to survive such a procedure. 2. The advantages and disadvantages of various types of bowel surgery in infants with intestinal obstruction are discussed.
Price discovery in restructured electricity markets

We empirically investigate the degree of integration that existed prior to the cost increases that caused emergency conditions in the Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC), particularly California, during the summer of 2000. Evidence from Granger causality tests and common features analysis over the period from December 1994 to September 1999 indicates a moderate degree of integration among these markets. However, price effects throughout the region were often only unidirectional, did not exhibit the characteristics of perfect substitutability, and were significantly influenced by institutional changes in the California market. Most importantly, our research suggests that these markets were not as highly integrated as earlier research had indicated.
Efficient broadcast for wireless ad hoc networks with a realistic physical layer

In this paper, we investigate the low coverage problem of efficient broadcast protocols in wireless ad hoc networks with realistic physical layer models. To minimize energy consumption, efficient protocols aim to select small set of forward nodes and minimum transmission radii. In ideal physical layer model, nodes within forward nodes' transmission ranges can definitely receive packets; therefore energy efficient protocols can guarantee full coverage for broadcasting. However, in networks with a realistic physical layer, nodes can only receive packets with probability. We present an analytical model to show that the transmission radii used for nodes can be used to establish a tradeoff between minimizing energy consumption and ensuring network coverage. We then propose a mechanism called redundant radius, which involves using two transmission radii, to form a buffer zone that guarantees the availability of logical links in the physical network, one for broadcast tree calculation and the other for actual data transmission. With this mechanism, we extend well-known centralized protocols, BIP and DBIP, and corresponding localized protocols, LBIP and LDBIP. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme in improving network coverage is validated analytically and by simulation.
Mutations in Specific Codons of the KRAS Oncogene are Associated with Variable Resistance to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy in Patients with Rectal Adenocarcinoma

Mutations in KRAS and TP53 are common in colorectal carcinogenesis and are associated with resistance to therapy. Rectal cancers carrying both mutations are less likely to respond to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) compared with wild-type tumors. Codon-specific KRAS mutations are associated with variable resistance to targeted therapies, but their association with rectal cancer response to CRT remains unclear. Our objective was to establish a correlation between specific KRAS mutations and rectal cancer response to CRT and to investigate if the correlation was related to a different association between KRAS and TP53 mutations. A total of 148 stage II–III rectal cancer patients underwent preoperative CRT followed by surgery. DNA was extracted from pretreatment tumor biopsies and paired normal surgical tissues and KRAS and TP53 genotyping was performed. Specific KRAS mutations were then correlated with tumor response and with concurrent TP53 mutation. A total of 60 patients had KRAS mutation, 12 in codon 13 and 48 in other locations. Also, 80 patients had TP53 mutation; 27 had concurrent KRAS/TP53 mutations. Tumors with any KRAS mutation were less likely to have a pCR compared with wild-type KRAS (p = 0.006). Specifically, no tumors with KRAS codon 13 mutations had a pCR (p = 0.03). Tumors with KRAS codon 13 mutations also had a higher incidence of concurrent TP53 mutation compared with tumors with other KRAS mutations (p = 0.02). Mutations in different KRAS codons may have different effects on rectal cancer resistance to CRT. This variable resistance may be related to a different frequency of TP53 mutations in KRAS mutant tumors.
Securing wireless systems via lower layer enforcements

Although conventional cryptographic security mechanisms are essential to the overall problem of securing wireless networks, these techniques do not directly leverage the unique properties of the wireless domain to address security threats. The properties of the wireless medium are a powerful source of domain-specific information that can complement and enhance traditional security mechanisms. In this paper, we propose to utilize the fact that the radio channel decorre-lates rapidly in space, time and frequency in order to to establish new forms of authentication and confidentiality that operate at the physical layer and can be used to facilitate cross-layer security paradigms. Specifically, for authentication services, we illustrate two channel probing techniques that can be used to verify the authenticity of a transmitter. Similarly, for confidentiality, we examine several strategies for establishing shared secrets/keys between two communicators using the wireless medium. These strategies range from extracting keys from channel state information, to utilizing the channel variability to secretly disseminate keys. We then validate the feasibility of using physical layer techniques for securing wireless systems by presenting results from experiments involving the USRP/GNURadio software defined radio platform.
Superoxide production by neutrophils in a model of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

• Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMNs]) are thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by the release of toxic oxygen metabolites. This study investigated superoxide production by circulating and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) PMNs in a rat model of ARDS induced by chronic Escherichia coli (lipopolysaccharide) endotoxemia. Superoxide production was stimulated by fmet-leu-phe, opsonized zymosan, and phorbol myristate acetate. Circulating and BAL PMNs from lipopolysaccharide-infused rats compared with PMNs from control rats are primed for nonselective increased superoxide production. The BAL PMNs are not only partially primed to release superoxide on adherence, they concomitantly have a depressed superoxide response to a phagocytic (opsonized zymosan) stimulus. These PMN responses may partially explain both the pulmonary injury and the increased susceptibility to pulmonary infection seen in patients with ARDS. ( Arch Surg 1988;123:1491-1495)
Neurotrophin-3 modulates breast cancer cells and the microenvironment to promote the growth of breast cancer brain metastasis

Metastasis, which remains incompletely characterized at the molecular and biochemical levels, is a highly specific process. Despite the ability of disseminated cancer cells to intravasate into distant tissues, it has been long recognized that only a limited subset of target organs develop clinically overt metastases. Therefore, subsequent adaptation of disseminated cancer cells to foreign tissue microenvironment determines the metastatic latency and tissue tropism of these cells. As a result, studying interactions between the disseminated cancer cells and the adjacent stromal cells will provide a better understanding of what constitutes a favorable or unfavorable microenvironment for disseminated cancer cells in a tissue-specific manner. Previously, we reported a protein signature of brain metastasis showing increased ability of brain metastatic breast cancer cells to counteract oxidative stress. In this study, we showed that another protein from the brain metastatic protein signature, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), has a dual function of regulating the metastatic growth of metastatic breast cancer cells and reducing the activation of immune response in the brain. More importantly, increased NT-3 secretion in metastatic breast cancer cells results in a reversion of mesenchymal-like (EMT) state to epithelial-like (MET) state and vice versa. Ectopic expression of NT-3 in EMT-like breast cancer cells reduces their migratory ability and increases the expression of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) and E-cadherin at the cell–cell junction. In addition, both endogenous and ectopic expression of NT-3 reduced the number of fully activated cytotoxic microglia. In summary, NT-3 appears to promote growth of metastatic breast cancer cells in the brain by facilitating the re-epithelialization of metastatic breast cancer cells and downmodulating the cytotoxic response of microglia. Most importantly, our results provide new insights into the latency and development of central nervous system macrometastases in patients with HER2-positive breast tumors and provide mechanistic rationale to target HER2 signaling for HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastasis.
A Universal Array Approach for Finite Elements With Continuously Inhomogeneous Material Properties and Curved Boundaries

The advent of technologies such as photo-lithography and holography has lead to accurate fabrication of devices such as the Luneburg lens. Furthermore, many real life applications involve spatial changes in material property tensors (MPTs). Clearly, integration of continuously inhomogeneous MPTs (CIMPT) inside individual finite elements (FEs) adds to the flexibility and efficiency of finite elements methods (FEMs). Curved FEs have been extensively used to mitigate geometrical non-conformities associated to rectilinear approximation of curvilinear features while CIMPT are conventionally handled by element-wise constant approximation. FE matrices are traditionally evaluated through 1) numerical cubature or 2) universal matrices (UMs). In essence, both methods rely on polynomial integration. Furthermore, complications associated with evaluation of FE matrices on elements with curved boundaries or CIMPTs are identical in nature, i.e., integrals with non-constant Jacobian or MPT terms. In this work, a generalized UM approach is proposed, which reduces the cost associated with evaluation of FE matrices with curvilinear features and CIMPTs. Motivated by a non-graded Luneburg lens, the conventional element-wise constant MPTs are replaced with polynomial representations yielding: a) more accurate physical models for problems with CIMPTs and curvature; and, b) better utilization of computer resources when higher-order curved elements replace smaller lower-order elements.
SU‐E‐T‐365: Respiratory Motion‐Induced Dose Uncertainty in Step‐And‐Shoot IMRT

Purpose: The objective of this study was to quantify respiratory motion induced dose uncertainty at the planning stage for step and shoot intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using a novel analytical technique. Methods: Ten patients with stage II/III lung cancer who had undergone a planning 4DCT scan and step and shoot IMRT planning were selected with a mix of motion and tumor size for this study. The maximum and minimum doses with respiratory motion were calculated for each plan, and the mean deviation from the 4D dose was calculated, taking delivery time, fractionation, and patient breathing cycle into consideration. Results: For all patients evaluated in this study, the mean difference between the total delivered dose and the 4D dose in the planning target volume (PTV) was <2.5%, with a standard deviation <1.2%, and maximum point dose variation from the 4D dose was <6.2% in the PTV with delivery dose rate (DR) of 200 MU/min and patient breathing cycle of 8 seconds. The motion induced dose uncertainty is a function of fractionation, MU (plan modulation), dose rate, and patient breathing cycle. Conclusion: Respiratory motion induced dose uncertainty varies from patient to patient. Patient specific respiratory motion induced dose uncertainty quantification could be useful for plan evaluation and treatment strategy determination.
Influence of phased array element size on beam steering behavior

Certain characteristics of linear phased arrays were studied by investigating the influence of element width on the ultrasonic beam steering properties. The beam directivity patterns were analyzed and used as the criteria for determining optimal transducer design parameters. An approximate value of the critical interelement spacing, whilst squelching undesirable grating lobes, was obtained analytically using a Taylor's series expansion. The effect of element size on the pressure in the steering direction was also studied. This work showed that the influence of element size on steering characteristics is marginal and a simple solution for discrete point sources can be used as a very close approximation to that of phased arrays. It was recommended to use the largest possible element width to produce the highest pressure while suppressing the grating lobe amplitude.
Language intervention and disruptive behavior in preschool children with autism

Disruptive behaviors are often exhibited by children with severe disabilities during difficult teaching tasks. Because learning verbal communication can be a difficult task for nonverbal children with autism, disruptive behaviors are common during such interventions. The purpose of this experiment was to assess whether the incorporation of parameters of natural language interactions and motivational techniques might reduce disruptive behavior during language teaching tasks. Within a repeated reversals design with order of conditions and number of sessions varied within and across children, treatment was conducted for two language teaching conditions. During one condition trials were presented serially in a traditional analog clinical format where the therapist presented instructions, prompts, and reinforcers for correct responses. The other condition incorporated parameters of natural language interactions and motivational techniques, such that stimulus items were functional and varied; natural reinforcers were employed; communicative attempts were reinforced; and trials were conducted within a natural interchange. Results showed that greater improvements in responding and considerably less (often negligible) disruptive behavior occurred during the natural language teaching conditions. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for improving language interventions, and with respect to reducing disruptive behavior without the need for specialized or severe interventions focused specifically on the disruptive behavior.