cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pancreatic Steatosis Promotes Dissemination and Lethality of Pancreatic Cancer

Background Obesity is a worldwide epidemic. Clinical and basic studies have shown obesity to be associated with an increased incidence and progression of pancreatic cancer. The precise role that pancreatic fat plays in this process has remained undefined. We tested the hypothesis that pancreatic steatosis would be associated with increased dissemination and reduced survival in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Study Design A case-control analysis was conducted in patients who had undergone resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Twenty lymph node-positive patients and 20 node-negative patients were matched for age (59 versus 63 years), gender (70% male versus 60% male), body mass index (24.5 versus 25.6), medical comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia), tumor size (2.8 versus 2.6 cm), and resection status (Ro 80% versus 85%). Pancreatic neck margins were reviewed in a blinded fashion by two trained investigators. Pancreatic fat (number of cells/5 high power field) and degree of fibrosis (0 to 4+) were recorded. Results Node-positive patients had significantly more fat cells in the pancreas compared with node-negative patients (46.4 ± 8.7 versus 21.4 ± 4.8; p Conclusions These data show that increased pancreatic fat promotes dissemination and lethality of pancreatic cancer. We conclude that pancreatic steatosis alters the tumor microenvironment, enhances tumor spread, and contributes to the early demise of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Experimental herpes simplex infection in the owl monkey.

SummaryThe owl monkey, Aotus trivir-gatus, was found to be extremely susceptible to infection with a strain of Herpesvirus hominis. The infection was established by ocular inoculation without corneal scarification, rapidly involved the upper respiratory tract, blood, and became widespread, systemically. Generally animals died within a period of 6 days after inoculation and virus was recovered from all organs and the CNS. Exposure of well to sick animals resulted in similar generalized disease and death in a majority of those exposed. The pathology of generalized infection closely resembled H. hominis infection of the human new born infant.
Logistics education: a look at the current state of the art and science

Purpose – This paper aims to provide the results of a large‐scale survey of courses dedicated to the field of logistics in higher education. This research is unique because it represents the first large‐scale study of both undergraduate and graduate logistics courses.Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis was performed on each syllabus to identify the actual course coverage: requirements, pedagogy and content emphasis. Content analysis is a descriptive approach to categorize data and the results may be limited by the categorizations used in analysis. This aggregated information was utilized to compare historical research findings in this area with the current skills identified as important for career success. These data provide input for gap analysis between offerings in higher education and those needs identified by practitioners.Findings – Data gathering efforts yielded a sample of 118 logistics courses representing 77 schools and six different countries. The aggregate number of topics covered i...
Improving secondary CS education: progress and problems

The Institute for Computing Education (ICE) was created in the spring of 2004. ICE is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The goals for this partnership are to increase the number and quality of computer science teachers and increase the number, quality, and diversity of computer science students. One specific goal is to increase the number of students taking the CS-Advanced Placement (AP) course. In this paper we report on both the progress we have made towards these goals and the problems we have encountered. We hope that other states will create similar partnerships and leverage our experience.
Evaluation of CCR3 as a basophil activation marker.

Objectives: Recent reports have provided conflicting evidence on the stability of CCR3 expression on the surface of basophils. Hence we wanted to independently evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of CCR3 as a surrogate marker of basophil activation and function. Methods: We examined the correlative relationship between CCR3 expression on the surface of donor basophils and histamine release after donor basophils were treated with agonistic antibodies directed against the high-affinity IgE-Fc receptor and serum samples from 80 individuals displaying symptoms of chronic urticaria (CU). Results: We observed that CCR3 was significantly downregulated on donor basophils treated with the agonistic antibody and CU-patient serum that demonstrated positive “histamine-releasing activity” (HRA scores >10). However, CCR3 downregulation was also observed on donor basophils incubated with more than 40% of CU-patient serum samples with HRA scores less than or equal to 10. Conclusions: Overall our data show that CCR3 demonstrates adequate sensitivity (83%) but weak specificity (59%) in its ability to reliably identify histamine-releasing activated basophils.
The U.S.–Soviet Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities

(1991). The U.S.–Soviet Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities. Security Studies: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 109-131.
Bounding graphical t-wise balanced designs

Abstract Let X be the edges of the complete graph Kn on n vertices, provided with the natural action of Sn, the automorphism group of Kn. A t-wise balanced design (X, B) with parameters t-((2n), K, λ) is said to be graphical if B is fixed under the action of Sn. We show that for any pair (t, λ) with t > 1 or λ odd, there cannot exist a non-trivial graphical t-((2n), K, λ) design with n ⩾ 2t + λ + 4. Thus, in particular, for each such pair (t, λ) there are only a finite number of non-trivial graphical t-(v, K, λ) designs. If we further assume no repeated blocks, then for all cases with t > 1 or λ ≠ 2, there do not exist non-trivial graphical t-((2n), K, λ) designs with n ⩾ 2t + λ + 4.
Effects of the Escherichia coli recF suppressor mutation, recA801, on recF-dependent DNA-repair associated phenomena.

Abstract In recB recC sbcB mutants genetic recombination is dependent upon the recF gene. recA801, recA802 and recA803 (formerly called srfA mutations) were originally isolated as mutations that suppress recombination deficiency caused by a recF mutation in a recB recC sbcB genetic background. Since the recA801 mutation also suppressed some of the UV sensitivity due to recF143 , we sought to determine what DNA-repair pathways were actually being restored by the recA801 mutation in this genetic background. In this paper we show that the suppression of recF143 by recA801 does not extend to the recF143 -mediated defects in induced repair of UV-damaged phages. In addition, we show that recA801 suppresses only slightly the recF143 -associated defect in induced expression of the SOS-regulated muc genes of pKM101. These results suggest that recA801 suppresses primarily the RecF pathway of recombinational repair.
Natural Controls Involved in Shallow Aquifer Contaminationa

Shallow aquifers, commonly the most important sources of ground water, are also those most susceptible to contamination. The mode of entry of contaminants to shallow aquifers is (1) directly, via wells or secondary openings in consolidated rocks, (2) percolation through the zone of aeration, (3) induced infiltration through the zone of saturation, and (4) interaquifer leakage or flow through open holes. Natural removal or degradation of contaminants is by filtration, dispersion, sorption, ion exchange, oxidation, and various biochemical processes. These phenomena are controlled by the physical environment, structure; mineralogy, and hydraulic characteristics of the earth materials contacted by the liquid wastes. When liquid wastes enter an aquifer directly, there is little or no natural treatment by filtration, sorption, or oxidation. Purification is only by those processes that operate within the aquifer under anaerobic conditions. Contaminants from natural sources that enter aquifers under saturated-flow conditions are degraded primarily by dilution. The natural processes effective in reducing contamination from surface-water sources depend on the hydraulic regimen involved, which vary with individual cases. Liquid wastes percolating through the zone of aeration are those most likely to be purified by natural environment processes. Natural processes, however, do not effectively remove or degrade all contaminants, especially some of the many highly stable compounds that have gained widespread use in recent years, such as synthetic detergents. Comprehensive interdisciplinary research into the ability of various earth materials to remove many types of contaminants under varying hydrologic conditions is needed.
Efficient quasi-phase-matched second harmonic generation in a polymer waveguide

Efficient phase matched second harmonic generation has been observed in a polymer waveguide over a distance of 0.5 cm. Phase matching is accomplished by periodic poling of a nonlinear optical polymer. The observed efficiency of 0.01 % /W is in good agreement with calculations.
Downregulation of RNA polymerase III transcription of the hY3 gene in vitro

The human RoRNP is a complex of the Ro polypeptide(s) with small RNAs, designated hY RNAs 1 through 5. These RNAs, found in low abundance, were shown to be transcribed by RNA polymerase III, albeit poorly (Wolin and Steitz, 1983). Sequence analysis of the flanking regions of the hY3 gene revealed putative regulatory elements highly homologous to those found flanking the genes for both mouse and human U6 RNAs, also transcribed by RNA polymerase IH (Kunkel et al. 1986, Reddy et al. 1987). These rather unusual polymerase III elements comprise a TATA box, a proximal sequence element (PSE) and an enhancer-like octamer sequence further upstream (see figure1). In addition, an octamer motif is present in the 3' flanking region of the hY3 gene and not the U6 gene.
Human Capital, Social Collaboration, and Patent Renewal Within U.S. Pharmaceutical Firms

Human capital has received much attention as the microfoundation for a firm to achieve competitive advantage. For knowledge-intensive firms, inventors’ human capital plays an important role in developing intellectual assets such as patents. Little research, however, has explored how inventors’ human capital influences the firm’s decisions of which patent to maintain or to abandon. This study investigates the effects of inventors’ human capital and collaboration characteristics on patent renewal decisions in the context of U.S. pharmaceutical firms. The results show that having star inventors on the inventor team, having more coinventors, and having inventors from multiple locations significantly increase chances of patent renewal. In addition, having more coinventors positively moderates the effects of star inventors on patent renewal. Implications for research are discussed.
Coupled-oscillator theory of dispersion and Casimir-Polder interactions.

We address the question of the applicability of the argument theorem (of complex variable theory) to the calculation of two distinct energies: (i) the first-order dispersion interaction energy of two separated oscillators, when one of the oscillators is excited initially and (ii) the Casimir-Polder interaction of a ground-state quantum oscillator near a perfectly conducting plane. We show that the argument theorem can be used to obtain the generally accepted equation for the first-order dispersion interaction energy, which is oscillatory and varies as the inverse power of the separation r of the oscillators for separations much greater than an optical wavelength. However, for such separations, the interaction energy cannot be transformed into an integral over the positive imaginary axis. If the argument theorem is used incorrectly to relate the interaction energy to an integral over the positive imaginary axis, the interaction energy is non-oscillatory and varies as r −4, a result found by several authors. Rather remarkably, this incorrect expression for the dispersion energy actually corresponds to the nonperturbative Casimir-Polder energy for a ground-state quantum oscillator near a perfectly conducting wall, as we show using the so-called “remarkable formula” for the free energy of an oscillator coupled to a heat bath [G. W. Ford, J. T. Lewis, and R. F. O’Connell, Phys. Rev. Lett.55, 2273 (1985)]. A derivation of that formula from basic results of statistical mechanics and the independent oscillator model of a heat bath is presented.
Different hormonal requirements of pig oocyte–cumulus complexes during maturation in vitro

Cytoplasmic maturation as determined by male pronuclear formation following fertilization in vitro was examined in pig oocytes cultured under different hormonal conditions during either the first or second 20 h period of in vitro maturation. Exposure to several combinations of pregnant mares' serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) (10 IU ml-1), hCG (10 IU ml-1) and oestradiol (1 microgram ml-1) for a second 20 h period following culture in a medium supplemented with these hormones for 20 h did not result in differences among treatment groups in maturation rates, penetration rates or polyspermy rates. However, supplementation with PMSG and oestradiol for the last 20 h of culture reduced male pronuclear formation rates significantly. When oocyte-cumulus complexes were cultured in hormone-free media for 20 h after culture in several combinations of supplemental hormones for the first 20 h period, germinal vesicle breakdown rates and maturation rates were lower in oocytes previously exposed to oestradiol alone or no hormonal supplements (68-70% and 45-49%, respectively) than in oocytes previously exposed to PMSG or hCG (89-99% and 71-89%, respectively). Exposure of oocytes to oestradiol alone also reduced the penetration rate (61%) compared with PMSG or hCG (86-99%). Supplementation of media with PMSG alone or together with other hormones increased the male pronuclear formation rate (63-72%) compared with supplementation with oestradiol (33%) or no hormonal supplements (32%). The concentration of oestradiol in maturation medium decreased at filtration (to 216.5 +/- 72.6 ng ml-1) before culture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synthetic Cells, Synthetic Life, and Inheritance

In May 2010, J. Craig Venter and his team announced the creation of a “synthetic cell,” or as the team described it, a process of “synthesis, assembly, cloning, and successful transplantation [of a synthetic genome] to create a new cell controlled by this synthetic genome.” They chose to start with a simple bacterium, Mycoplasma genitalium (“M. genitalium”) because it has “the smallest complement of genes of any known organism capable of independent growth in the laboratory.” Using chemical enzymes and live bacteria, they were able to replicate the genome sequence of M. genitalium and then transplant it into a natural cell controlled by the synthetic genome. Although the team had not created a new cell entirely from chemicals, their research demonstrates progress towards that end.The creation of a synthetic genome is an important advancement in synthetic biology, “an emerging field of research that combines elements of biology, engineering, genetics, chemistry, and computer science.” Synthetic biology research often begins with a “[t]op-down” approach, using existing genes and other materials as parts to be analyzed or possibly reconfigured. For Venter’s team, that included sequencing the genome of M. genitalium in 1995. Synthetic biology also includes “[b]ottom-up” research to create new organisms using only chemical reagents.Synthetic biology is used today in the field of assisted reproduction to analyze existing genes. An example of such “top-down” synthetic biology is preimplantation genetic diagnosis (“PGD”) to screen for human immunodeficiency virus, cystic fibrosis, or other diseases. This Article will focus on the “bottom-up” use of synthetic biology in the context of assisted reproduction. One day, scientists may be able to create synthetic human gametes or embryos for purposes of assisted reproduction. It is impossible to forecast when this may occur; as the 2010 Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues noted, “the pace of discovery is unpredictable.” But instead of deferring the discussion until synthetic sperm or ova actually appear, we should anticipate the risks and benefits now. This Article will focus on the practical and regulatory issues that may encourage or inhibit the use of Venter’s technology to create synthetic gametes and the legal issues of parentage and inheritance for a synthetically created child.Part II of this Article sets the stage by briefly discussing infertility in the United States, the development of assisted reproduction technologies to counteract infertility, and other additional uses of assisted reproductive technologies (“ART”) such as PGD, which is also used by fertile couples. Part III examines the existing laws and regulations that may apply to the development of synthetic human gametes or embryos. With the market demands from Part II and the regulatory structure from Part III in mind, Part IV will look at the parentage and inheritance issues if a synthetic gamete results in a living child. Part V concludes the Article by exploring two approaches to regulatory issues.
A Conserved Proline in the Last Transmembrane Segment of Gaa1 Is Required for Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) Recognition by GPI Transamidase

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins are synthesized as precursor proteins that are processed in the endoplasmic reticulum by GPI transamidase (GPIT). Human GPIT is a multisubunit membrane-bound protein complex consisting of Gaa1, Gpi8, phosphatidylinositol glycan (PIG)-S, PIG-T, and PIG-U. The enzyme recognizes a C-terminal signal sequence in the proprotein and replaces it with a preformed GPI lipid. The nature of the functional interaction of the GPIT subunits with each other and with the proprotein and GPI substrates is largely unknown. We recently analyzed the GPIT subunit Gaa1, a polytopic protein with seven transmembrane (TM) spans, to identify sequence determinants in the protein that are required for its interaction with other subunits and for function (Vainauskas, S., Maeda, Y., Kurniawan, H., Kinoshita, T., and Menon, A. K. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 30535–30542). We showed that elimination of the C-terminal TM segment of Gaa1 allows the protein to interact with Gpi8, PIG-S, and PIG-T but renders the resulting GPIT complex nonfunctional. We now show that GPIT complexes containing C-terminally truncated Gaa1 possess a full complement of subunits and are able to interact with a proprotein substrate but cannot co-immunoprecipitate GPI. We go on to show that mutation of a conserved proline residue centrally located within the C-terminal TM span of Gaa1 is sufficient to abrogate the ability of the resulting GPIT complex to co-immunoprecipitate GPI. We suggest that the putative dynamic hinge created by the proline residue provides a structural basis for the interaction of GPI with GPIT.
Objective Measurement of Sperm Motility Based Upon Sperm Penetration of Accudenz

When a suspension of rooster sperm was overlaid upon 6% (wt/vol) Accudenz, immotile sperm did not enter but motile sperm entered rapidly. The absorbance of the Accudenz layer increased as a result. These phenomena were used to measure sperm motility objectively at body temperature. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 2.6% (n = 3). When roosters (n = 36) were ejaculated repeatedly and sperm motility data analyzed by two-way ANOVA, a male effect was observed (P < or = 0.001). When roosters were ranked by mean motility scores (n = 3 evaluations per male) and representative males selected as semen donors, a difference in fertility (P < or = 0.001) was observed between males characterized by minimal and maximal sperm motility. Frequency analysis with data from a second flock of roosters (n = 100) revealed a normal distribution. Roosters categorized by average sperm motility (n = 18) or sperm motility greater than one standard deviation above the mean (n = 17) were selected for further analysis by repeated measurements. A split-plot ANOVA revealed a difference between categories (P < or = 0.0001) and variation among males within a category (P < or = 0.0001). In contrast, sperm motility was independent of time and there was no interaction between category and time. Thereafter, five roosters from each group were ejaculated weekly and interassay CV estimated with semen pooled by category (n = 3 observations per category). During this interval, sperm motility of average roosters was 55 +/- 5.9% of that of roosters within the high motility category. Interassay CV were 18.1 and 9.2% for roosters originally categorized by average and high sperm motility, respectively. The assay described has potential for: 1) selecting males based on sperm motility, and 2) standardizing the measurement of poultry sperm motility.
Conservation of epigenetic regulation, ORC binding and developmental timing of DNA replication origins in the genus Drosophila.

There is much interest in how DNA replication origins are regulated so that the genome is completely duplicated each cell division cycle and in how the division of cells is spatially and temporally integrated with development. In the Drosophila melanogaster ovary, the cell cycle of somatic follicle cells is modified at precise times in oogenesis. Follicle cells first proliferate via a canonical mitotic division cycle and then enter an endocycle, resulting in their polyploidization. They subsequently enter a specialized amplification phase during which only a few, select origins repeatedly initiate DNA replication, resulting in gene copy number increases at several loci important for eggshell synthesis. Here we investigate the importance of these modified cell cycles for oogenesis by determining whether they have been conserved in evolution. We find that their developmental timing has been strictly conserved among Drosophila species that have been separate for ∼40 million years of evolution and provide evidence that additional gene loci may be amplified in some species. Further, we find that the acetylation of nucleosomes and Orc2 protein binding at active amplification origins is conserved. Conservation of DNA subsequences within amplification origins from the 12 recently sequenced Drosophila species genomes implicates members of a Myb protein complex in recruiting acetylases to the origin. Our findings suggest that conserved developmental mechanisms integrate egg chamber morphogenesis with cell cycle modifications and the epigenetic regulation of origins.
Western diet changes cardiac acyl-CoA composition in obese rats: a potential role for hepatic lipogenesis

The “lipotoxic footprint” of cardiac maladaptation in diet-induced obesity is poorly defined. We investigated how manipulation of dietary lipid and carbohydrate influenced potential lipotoxic species in the failing heart. In Wistar rats, contractile dysfunction develops at 48 weeks on a high-fat/high-carbohydrate “Western” diet, but not on low-fat/high-carbohydrate or high-fat diets. Cardiac content of the lipotoxic candidates—diacylglycerol, ceramide, lipid peroxide, and long-chain acyl-CoA species—was measured at different time points by high-performance liquid chromatography and biochemical assays, as was lipogenic capacity in the heart and liver by qRT-PCR and radiometric assays. Changes in membranes fluidity were also monitored using fluorescence polarization. We report that Western feeding induced a 40% decrease in myocardial palmitoleoyl-CoA content and a similar decrease in the unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio. These changes were associated with impaired cardiac mitochondrial membrane fluidity. At the same time, hepatic lipogenic capacity was increased in animals fed Western diet (+270% fatty acid elongase activity compared with high-fat diet), while fatty acid desaturase activity decreased over time. Our findings suggest that dysregulation of lipogenesis is a significant component of heart failure in diet-induced obesity.
Unified Theories and Unified Science

Section A of this chapter contains a brief review of some previous conceptions of the unity of science. In Section B I present and discuss some conditions which must be satisfied by a dynamic theory in order for that theory to be unified. In Section C an argument is presented to justify the use of microreductions as a unifying procedure. The principal conclusion is: If T2 can be micrareduced to T1, then the only satisfactory way to unify these two theories is by a microreduction to T1, or to a theory which is a modified formulation of T1, This result provides a rational foundation for a program for the unification of science based on successive microreductions of various theories.
Analytical Solutions to H2 and H∞ Optimizations of Resonant Shunted Electromagnetic Tuned Mass Damper and Vibration Energy Harvester

When optimized, tuned mass dampers (TMDs) can effectively mitigate the vibration of the primary structure, because additional resonance and damping are introduced by the auxiliary mass-spring-damper system. Similar effect can be realized without auxiliary mass when an electromagnetic transducer shunt with the R-L-C resonant circuit is placed between the primary structure and the base. This paper is to analytically optimize the parameters of the R-L-C circuits for vibration mitigation. Both H2 and H∞ optimization criteria are investigated, which are to minimize the root-mean-square (RMS) vibration under random excitation and the peak magnitude in the frequency domain, respectively. The concise closed-form solutions of the optimal parameters are then summarized together with the ones obtained the using fixed-point method, for practical implementation convenience. The H2 and H∞ optimizations of energy harvesting are also discussed in this paper. Furthermore, we also investigate the sensitivity of system performances to the tuning parameter changes of the electromagnetic shunt circuit.
Chronic kidney disease in patients with cognitive impairment: a marker of microvascular damage or an independent risk factor?

Evaluation of: Yaffe K, Ackerson L, Tamura MK et al.: Chronic kidney disease and cognitive function in older adults: findings from the chronic renal insufficiency cohort cognitive study. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 58, 338–345 (2010). The effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on cognition is unclear, especially in less severe forms of the disease. Studies are needed to clarify whether CKD is associated with a particular pattern of cognitive dysfunction, to understand the cognitive domains affected, and to clarify the mechanisms through which CKD might be affecting brain function. The authors comment on a cross-sectional study in a well-characterized cohort of patients with CKD that examined the effect of different levels of kidney function on cognitive impairment. The methodology of the study and the potential mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment seen in patients with CKD are discussed.
Trends and risk factors for prostate biopsy complications in the pre-PSA and PSA eras, 1980 to 1997.

Objectives. To assess the secular trends in postbiopsy complications and to identify the risk factors for complications. Methods. Olmsted County residents who underwent a prostate biopsy between 1980 and 1997 were identified. All community medical records for the study subjects were reviewed to identify prostate biopsy-related complications, including gross hematuria, infection, pain, hematospermia, and acute urinary retention. Results. Of the 2258 prostate biopsies, 377 (17%) were associated with at least one complication. The total complication rate per biopsy remained relatively consistent at about 17% from 1980 to 1986, 1987 to 1992, and 1993 to 1997 (P for trend = 0.8). The age-adjusted complication rate (per 100,000 men) increased from 26 to 60 in 1980 to 1986 and 1993 to 1997, respectively (P <0.001). This paralleled the increase in prostate biopsy use from 138 to 374 per 100,000 men in the same periods. The prevalence (per biopsy) of gross hematuria increased, 7.5% to 12.8% (P = 0.04); postbiopsy infection declined, 4.6% to 1.4% (P = 0.001); and hospitalization for infection declined, 1.2% to 0.2% (P = 0.06) between 1980 to 1986 and 1993 to 1997. A urogenital infection 6 weeks before biopsy was associated with an increased risk of a postbiopsy complication (odds ratio = 1.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.0 to 2.8) and an increased risk of a postbiopsy infection (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval = 2.2 to 13.8). Conclusions. Although the complications per biopsy have stayed constant, the prevalence of postbiopsy complications in the community has increased tremendously because of the increased use of prostate biopsies. Specific strategies may be needed to reduce the incidence of postbiopsy infection in men with a recent urogenital infection before biopsy.
Ipilimumab for advanced metastatic melanoma.

The June issue of Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy (EOBT) contains a review article entitled ‘Ipilimumab in the Treatment of Melanoma’ [1]. I highly recommend this excellent paper to all colleagues interested in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma, because it provides detailed information without neglecting open questions in a field where rapid change is just taking place and where new orientation is urgently needed. Among the white population, malignant melanoma is one of the malignancies with the currently highest increase in incidence worldwide, and even adolescents and young adults are more and more involved. Despite enormous efforts over many decades, the prognosis of stage IV melanoma remained very poor until 2010, characterized by median survival periods of about half a year and 2-year survival rates around 10%. Now, the struggle against melanoma has entered a new era. This was highlighted by two presentations about new therapies of advanced melanoma during the plenary session of the ASCO annual meeting 2011 in Chicago. Vemurafenib, a selective BRAF inhibitor, has become an option for about 50% of advanced melanoma patients, namely for those with V600 mutations of the BRAF gene in their metastatic melanoma cells [2]. Ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody binding to the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4, successfully pioneers the immunotargeted therapy for advanced melanoma [3,4]. The same strategy, namely blocking negative regulators of immune activity, appears to be as well successful in early trials with programmed death 1 antibodies not only in the fight against metastatic melanoma, but also against other advanced malignancies [5]. Interestingly, the breakdown of immune tolerance appears to result in more efficient anti-tumor therapies than previous attempts to stimulate the immune system with vaccinations or with cytokines [6-8]. Regarding ipilimumab, two successful phase-III trials brought both the approval of the FDA in the U.S.A. and that of the EMA in Europe for the treatment of stage-4 and of unresectable stage-3 melanoma. In Europe, however, this approval is reserved for the second-line therapy following the failure of another first-line treatment. At the first glance, this restriction seems to be hardly tolerable for patients, who urgently need an efficient therapy and who may not have good alternatives to ipilimumab. On the other hand, ipilimumab is efficient only for a minority of melanoma patients. These patients, who indeed tend to have long-term benefits, can unfortunately not yet be identified a priori. On the contrary, it may take 4 months, until such benefits----or the failure----of this highly expensive therapy become apparent, and even the detection of an increased T-cell infiltrate in a melanoma metastasis during the treatment is not a reliable predictor of clinical success [9]. Furthermore, severe adverse events resulting from the activation of auto-immunity, cannot be disregarded in the competition of ipilimumab with other therapeutic options for the priorities how to treat patients with advanced melanoma [10]. But is not a
Tilted Pillars on Wrinkled Elastomers as a Reversibly Tunable Optical Window

We demonstrate the design and fabrication of tilted micropillar arrays on wrinkled elastomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) as a reversibly switchable optical window. Upon re-stretching the as-prepared (opaque) film to the original pre-strain, the grating color is restored and ∼ 30% transmittance is recovered. Further stretching beyond the pre-strain makes the film more transparent. This process is fully reversible and repeatable for many cycles.
Improving spectrum-based fault localization using proximity-based weighting of test cases

Spectrum based fault localization techniques such as Tarantula and Ochiai calculate the suspiciousness score of a program statement using the number of failing and passing test cases that execute the statement. These techniques implicitly assume that all test cases are equally important. However, research on test case generation and selection techniques has shown that using certain test cases can lead to more effective fault localization than others. The proposed research aims to improve the effectiveness of spectrum based fault localization by incorporating the relative importance of different test cases in the calculation of suspiciousness scores.
Using Bilinear Models for View-invariant Action and Identity Recognition

Human identification from gait is a challenging task in realistic surveillance scenarios in which people walking along arbitrary directions are imaged by a single camera. In this paper, motivated by the view-invariance issue in the human ID from gait problem, we address the general problem of classifying the "content" of human motions of unknown "style". Given a dataset of sequences in which different people walking normally are seen from several wellseparated views, we propose a three-layer scheme based on bilinear models, in which image sequences are mapped to observation vectors of fixed dimension using Markov modeling. We test our approach on the CMU Mobo database, showing how bilinear separation outperforms other approaches, opening the way to view- and action-invariant identity recognition, as well as subject- and view-invariant action recognition.
We have the technology: rebuilding a department from the ground up

It is always important for departments - at all levels, from staff to managers to directors - to constantly evaluate how well their structure matches the needs of the institution. Sometimes changes are needed, and sometimes the transition from one model to the next can be less than smooth. At Menlo College, because of a number of staff changes - including departmental leadership - a strategic plan to increase specialization has had a ripple effect through the entire IT organization. For instance, taking two of three Help Desk staff and diverting them to other operations and relying more on students for support has had its ups and downs. Additionally, bringing an Administrative Systems manager on board has resulted in knowledge transfer issues. This presentation will cover the programmatic and strategic planning that went into these changes as well as how the process has gone, is going, and what we hope to do as we move forward.
On Single and Coupled Tuned Circuits Having Constant Response-Band Characteristics

The gain characteristic of a two-stage amplifier, one stage of which works into coupled tuned circuits while the other works into a single tuned circuit, is discussed. It is shown that this combination is capable of giving a flat response over a satisfactory band of frequencies and that the required circuit constants are easily computed.
Period frequency of iliofemoral venous occlusive disease by Doppler ultrasound and corresponding treatment in a tertiary care facility

Background Patients with iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT) are at highest risk for the postthrombotic morbidity including all aspects of the postthrombotic syndrome. Invasive therapies such as catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) and/or mechanical thrombectomy with or without angioplasty and stenting and in some cases open operative thrombectomy improves venous patency, venous valve function, and quality of life in patients with acute iliofemoral DVT. What is the current frequency of acute iliofemoral DVT and how aggressively is it being treated? We hypothesize that the 10-year period frequency of iliofemoral DVT among acute DVT cases is greater than previously reported. Further, we hypothesize that thrombus removal to treat acute iliofemoral DVT is little utilized in current practice. Methods Indiana University (IU) vascular laboratory records from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2008 were searched by CPT code for venous Doppler ultrasound study (n = 7240). A random sample based on the IU medical record number of lower extremity Doppler studies was then selected (n = 1020) for retrospective chart review. Corresponding clinical information was gathered from the patients' electronic medical record. Results Acute DVT occurred in 6.8%, and chronic DVT in 8.8% of patients studied (25.7% inpatient, 61.7% female; median age, 56.0 years [range, 4-91 years, 1.1% less than 16 years]). History of previous DVT (33.3%) and cancer (30.4%) were the most common risk factors in patients with acute DVT. Iliofemoral DVT defined as having an iliac or common femoral vein component was identified in 49.3% of acute DVT and in 36.0% of chronic DVT. CDT was utilized in 14.3% and mechanical thrombectomy in 4.8% of acute iliofemoral DVT, and was never used with distal DVT. Warfarin anticoagulation + unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin overlap was the most common treatment for acute iliofemoral DVT (100.0%). In 2008, the referral base of our laboratory increased significantly. Acute DVT occurred significantly less often during the 1-year period 2008 (5.3%) than the 10-year period 1998-2007 (7.6%), but iliofemoral + common femoral DVT as a component of acute DVT did not differ significantly. Conclusions Iliofemoral DVT may be more frequent than previously reported and represents a significant portion of acute DVT. Current recommendations of acute thrombus removal for the treatment of iliofemoral DVT is underutilized suggesting that perhaps greater education of clinicians and patients regarding invasive therapy for iliofemoral DVT is required.
Mapping for better than worst-case delays in LUT-based FPGA designs

Current advances in chip design and manufacturing have allowed IC manufacturing to approach the nanometer range. As the feature size scales down, greater variability is experienced, forcing designers to reduce performance requirements in order to reserve larger margins. Better than worst-case design can be used to address the variability problem, as well as breaking the performance limit set by the worst-case delay in the conventional design style, even without the consideration of delay variation. In this paper we will present a novel methodology for measuring and optimizing the performance of circuits to operate with the clock period smaller than the worst-case delay. We also develop a novel technology mapping algorithm that optimizes circuits under such a metric. Using our novel mapping algorithm named BTWMap (Better Than Worst-case Mapper) and its area-optimized version named BTWMap+area, we are able to improve the overall circuit latency by 13% and 11%, respectively
DESIGN OF CAZENOVIA CREEK ICE CONTROL STRUCTURE

Cazenovia Creek, in Western New York, is the largest tributary of the Buffalo River. Breakup-ice jams form nearly every year, and ice-jam flooding occurs in Buffalo and West Seneca every 23 years. ...
Impact of medium noise correlation on various partial response channels

This work investigates the impact of correlated medium noise at high recording densities to various advanced recording channels. Based on spin-stand measurements, noise spatial correlations of dibit transitions at small bit intervals is characterized as two statistically independent correlation modes: the coherent amplitude fluctuation of the dipulse and shift-in-unison of the entire dipulse waveform. In the density region where supralinear noise enhancement is relatively pronounced, the amplitude fluctuation mode dominates the noise spatial correlation. It is found that the correlated medium noise can degrade the performance of a (0, k) coded PR4-ML channel by 5-6 dB over white Gaussian noise. However, (1, k) coded EPR4 and EEPR4 channels are much more immune to the coherent amplitude fluctuation mode noise. It is concluded that in the supralinear noise region, (1, k) coded EPR4 and EEPR4 channels could have much improved performance over (0, k) coded PR4 channel in the medium noise dominated environment.
Rapid language model development using external resources for new spoken dialog domains

The paper addresses a critical problem in deploying a spoken dialog system (SDS). One of the main bottlenecks of SDS deployment for a new domain is data sparseness in building a statistical language model. Our goal is to devise an efficient method to build a reliable language model for a new SDS. We consider the worst, yet quite common, scenario where only a small amount (/spl sim/1.7 K utterances) of domain specific data is available for the target domain. We present a new method that exploits external static text resources that are collected for other speech recognition tasks as well as dynamic text resources acquired from the World Wide Web (WWW). We show that language models built using external resources can be used jointly with a limited in-domain (baseline) language model to obtain significant improvements in speech recognition accuracy. Combining language models built using external resources with the in-domain language model provides over 20% reduction in WER over the baseline in-domain language model. Equivalently, we achieve almost the same level of performance by having ten times as much in-domain data (17 K utterances).
Characterizing Lateral Contraction Behavior of Spunbonded Nonwovens During Uniaxial Tensile Deformation

An experimental method based on video recording and image analysis is presented to characterize the lateral contraction of spunbonded nonwoven fabrics during uniaxial tensile deformation. A systema...
Morphing Bodies and Mechanicial Eyes: A Reassessment of the Photographic Iconography of the Salpêtrière

Photography’s unique ability to render visible what is ordinarily invisible lends it to scientific observation and artistic expression alike. Jean-Martin Charcot and his colleagues exploit this capacity of the photograph in their documentation of hysteria—work that is located at a blurry intersection between art and science. The photographs taken at the Salpetriere women’s asylum in Paris, France, for their original publication in La Nouvelle Iconographie de la Salpetriere (1881), came to my attention through Georges Didi-Huberman’s book, the Invention of Hysteria (2003). They depict, through a clinical eye, patients that are mid-gesture, in the throes of hysterical fits. The hysteria documents exemplify an instance where the power of the performed gesture is focalized by doctors in the production of identities, and where the power of the photographic apparatus is deployed in the production of gestures. I intend to show how the body and its gestures might have been understood in the field of neuropsychiatry at the time these photographs were exposed, and then I will look at the means by which machines produce gestures with some degree of autonomy. Given a new understanding of the independent functions of imaging technologies, it will be possible to argue that there are some manners in which the technologies of representation actually participate in the production of bodies.
Charge and spin currents in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions

We determine, using a self-consistent method, the charge and spin currents in ballistic Josephson junctions consisting of several ferromagnetic ($F$) layers sandwiched between superconducting ($S$) electrodes (SFS-type junctions). When there are two $F$ layers, we also consider the experimentally relevant configuration where a normal ($N$) nonmagnetic spacer layer separates them. We study the current-phase relationships as functions of geometrical parameters that are accessible experimentally including particularly the angles that characterize the relative orientation of the magnetization in the $F$ layers. Our self-consistent method ensures that the proper charge conservation laws are satisfied, and that important proximity effects are fully and properly accounted for. We find that as we vary the phase difference $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\varphi}$ between the two outer $S$ electrodes, multiple harmonics in the current-phase relations emerge, the extent of which depends on the interface scattering strength and on the relative $F$ layer widths and magnetization orientations. By manipulating the relative $F$ layer magnetization orientations, we find that the charge supercurrent can reverse directions or vanish altogether. These findings are discussed in the context of the generation and long-range nature of triplet pair correlation within these structures. We also investigate the spin currents and associated spin-transfer torques throughout the entire junction regions. For noncollinear relative magnetizations, the nonconserved spin currents in a given $F$ region give rise to net torques that can switch directions at particular magnetic configurations or $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\varphi}$ values. The details of the spin current behavior are shown to depend strongly on the degree of magnetic inhomogeneity in the system, including the number of $F$ layers and the relative widths of the $F$ and $N$ layers.
Towards Attentive, Bi-directional MOOC Learning on Mobile Devices

AttentiveLearner is a mobile learning system optimized for consuming lecture videos in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and flipped classrooms. AttentiveLearner converts the built-in camera of mobile devices into both a tangible video control channel and an implicit heart rate sensing channel by analyzing the learner's fingertip transparency changes in real time. In this paper, we report disciplined research efforts in making AttentiveLearner truly practical in real-world use. Through two 18-participant user studies and follow-up analyses, we found that 1) the tangible video control interface is intuitive to use and efficient to operate; 2) heart rate signals implicitly captured by AttentiveLearner can be used to infer both the learner's interests and perceived confusion levels towards the corresponding learning topics; 3) AttentiveLearner can achieve significantly higher accuracy by predicting extreme personal learning events and aggregated learning events.