cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leakage-aware intraprogram voltage scaling for embedded processors

With scaling of technology feature sizes, the share of leakage in total power consumption of digital systems continues to grow. Conventional dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) techniques fail to accurately address the impact of scaling on system power consumption and hence, are incapable of achieving energy efficient solutions. To overcome this problem, we utilize adaptive body biasing (ABB) to adjust transistors' threshold voltage at runtime. We develop a leakage-aware compilation methodology that targets embedded processors with both DVS and ABB capabilities. Our technique has the unique advantage of jointly optimizing active and leakage energy dissipation. Considering the delay and energy penalty of switching between operating modes of the processor and under deadline constraint, our compiler improves the energy consumption of the generated code by average of 13.07% and up to 30.26% at 90nm. While our technique's improvement in energy dissipation over conventional DVS is marginal (4.54%) at 130nm, the average improvement continues to grow to 7.8%, 15.94% and 29.56% for 90nm, 65nm and 45 technology nodes, respectively.
Effects of hydrophobic polymer content in GDL on power performance of a PEM fuel cell

Abstract Effects of hydrophobic polymer content within a carbon paper, used as the cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL), on power performance of a H2/air proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) have been studied. Electrochemical methods are used in conjunction with morphology and wetting property characterization. Surface contact angle of wet-proof-treated GDL as a function of temperature is measured by a novel capillary rise method. It is shown that the contact angle generally decreases with the temperature, and that there is insignificant difference in contact angle on carbon papers treated with different contents of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) ranging from 10 to 40 wt.%. Under all humidification conditions in this study, a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) consisting of 10 wt.% FEP-impregnated GDL shows higher power densities than 30 wt.% FEP-impregnated one. Surface morphology of the hydrophobic polymer-treated carbon paper has been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and is identified as playing a crucial role in affecting the power performance of such treated GDL in the PEM fuel cell.
Towards Political Stability in Ghana: A Rejoinder in the Union Government Debate

One of the stated aims of the coup of 13 January 1972 was the restoration of a consultative democracy responsive to the needs of the people of Ghana. Thus the NRC (and later the SMC) government led by Colonel (now General) I. K. Acheampong from its inception was committed to a return to some form of democratic government at an unspecified future date. Demands for a return to civilian government started being voiced again in 1974 when it became apparent that, despite its initial appearance of decisive action (particularly in the matter of foreign debts), the NRC government was no more able to solve pressing economic problems than any other post-independence government had been. In the face of demands from the professional sector that civilian rule be restored by 1 July 1977, in January 1977, General Acheampong established a council to discuss what form a new civilian government should take. On 1 July 1977, faced with a strike by several professional groups, General Acheampong pledged to return Ghana to civilian rule on 1 July 1979, the format of civilian government to be determined on the basis of a referendum fixed for 30 March 1978, to be followed by a constitutional commission that would work out the details of the constitutional form chosen by the people in the referendum.
Linking the diversity and abundance of stream biota to landscapes in the mid-Atlantic USA

Abstract The amount of human altered land surface within a watershed has long been known to influence the biota of receiving streams and waterways. In contrast, vegetation in riparian zones can filter pollutants and reduce flow velocities that incise stream channels. We examined the relationship between the built environment and water quality for streams (1st through 4th order) across three physiographic provinces of the State of Maryland, USA, including 59 watersheds with some 865 stream sampling locations. We used image data products capable of discriminating fine-scale information of the land surface, including proportional impervious, tree, grass and crop cover. Stepwise multiple linear regression and decision tree statistical approaches were used to assess the relationship between the land cover predictors and benthic indices of biological integrity (BIBI) and number of sensitive invertebrate taxa (NEPT), response variables derived from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS). Impervious and tree cover were found to be the best predictors of stream biota, although this varied with physiographic province and the response variable of interest. The best multivariate models predicted 65% of variability in BIBI and 62% of NEPT (p
Polarization-Based Diffuse Reflectance Imaging for Noninvasive Measurement of Glucose

Background:The ability to measure glucose concentration through noninvasive approaches would impact the treatment of diabetes significantly. Polarization-based optical approaches have received cons...
A W-Band tunable Push-Push oscillator with 128X frequency division for frequency synthesis applications

This paper presents a W-Band Push-Push VCO with a 64X static frequency divider, for a total frequency division of 128X, using InP/InGaAs DHBT technology. The oscillator operates around a center frequency of 77.75 GHz with a measured phase noise of &#60; −94 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset, and employs a unique tuning methodology that uses only the intrinsic parasitics of the DHBTs to give a tuning range of 1.3 GHz. The oscillator, which includes buffers to drive the divider chain, has a power dissipation of 84 mW, one of the lowest power dissipations reported for a III–V DHBT based push-push oscillator.
Tuberculosis Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome: Drug Resistance and the Critical Need for Better Diagnostics

Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV infection are the 2 leading causes of infectious diseasesrelated mortality worldwide. An estimated one-third of the world's population (~2 billion people) are currently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, 8 million new cases of active TB are estimated to occur worldwide annually, with more cases seen currently than at any time in history [1, 2]. The collision of TB and HIV infection has resulted in an estimated
Evaluation of new monoclonal antibodies in detection of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and Her2 protein expression in breast carcinoma cell block sections using conventional microscopy and quantitative image analysis.

Accurate assessment of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Her2 status of breast carcinomas is critical for predicting response to systemic therapies. Recently, developed rabbit monoclonal antibodies (RMab) are reported to have higher sensitivity than murine monoclonal antibodies (Mab). This study compares RMabs against FDA-approved Mab (FMab) in breast carcinoma cell block sections using visual and image quantification. Cell blocks from 52 breast cancers were studied. Immunohistochemistry using RMab (ER, PR, and Her2) was compared with FMabs (ER, PR, Dako) and HercepTest (HerFDA). Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used as a reference standard for Her2. Slides were later scanned and reanalyzed with an automated cellular imaging system (ACIS III, Dako). Frequency of ER (38.5% vs. 36.5% for visual; 55.8% vs. 57.7% for image) and PR (28.8% vs. 36.5% for visual; 50% vs. 51.9% for image), and concordance (overall agreement is 71.2% and 75% for visual and image ER; and 84.6% and 59.6% for visual and image PR) were similar for both FMab and RMab, respectively. Overall agreement (53.8% vs. 77.1% for visual and image detection, respectively, using HerFDA and RMab) is poor to moderate for Her2. Visual Her2 (RMab) has the highest concordance (94.1%), and visual HerFDA has the lowest concordance (35.3%) with FISH. ER and PR analysis (FMab vs. RMab) are almost comparable using both detection methods with good overall agreement. For Her2 overexpression, RMab proved to be superior to HerFDA and showed excellent agreement with FISH results with both quantitative detection methods. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009;37:251–257. ' 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Agent and Spatial Based Parallelization of Biological Network Motif Search

Most graph algorithms are challenging in parallelization, in particular executing fine-grain computation at each graph node in parallel from both programmability and performance viewpoints. To bridge the semantic gap between the original sequential algorithms and their corresponding parallelized programs, we have been developing MASS: a parallel library for multi-agent spatial simulation. The library allows software agents to crawl a distributed array, e.g., a graph mapped over a cluster system. To demonstrate the MASS library's fitness to graph parallelization, we have focused on biological network motif search. This paper compares three different parallelizing approaches such as the MASS agent-based, MASS array-based, and the conventional MPI parallelizations, and discusses the MASS library's applicability to graph algorithms.
Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of Sphacelotheca reiliana Infection in Maize (Zea mays) Seedlings and Evaluation of Seed Treatment Efficacy

Head smut of maize, caused by the fungus Sphacelotheca reiliana, is an economically important disease in all major maize-producing countries. Although seed treatments are commonly used for management purposes, evaluating these treatments for efficacy is both time consuming and inefficient. Therefore, in order to improve the capacity for evaluating seed treatment fungicides, we developed a real-time PCR-based seedling assay for S. reiliana infection. We optimized growth chamber conditions and inoculation methods to achieve infection incidence of 60 to 80% in inoculated, nontreated controls. The effects of five commercially available fungicidal seed treatment formulations on seedling infection incidence were compared by PCR analysis of root and mesocotyl tissues. Tebuconazole, fludioxonil, sedaxane, and Maxim Quattro (fludioxonil+mefenoxam+azoxystrobin+thiabendazole) reduced the incidence of infection (P < 0.05) compared with the control, but no difference was found between the azoxystrobin treatment and the control. All rates tested for both sedaxane and tebuconazole were equally effective for seeds coated with 106 teliospores∙seed-1. Sedaxane, at a rate of 0.1 mg/kernel, eliminated seedling infection if seeds were infested with a low inoculum concentration (101 teliospores∙seed-1). The assay developed here is a valuable tool not only for the detection of fungal infection at the seedling stage, but also for testing the relative efficacies of seed treatments for reducing incidence of infection.
Stress-Voiding and Electromigration in Multilevel Interconnects

Stress-voiding and electromigration have become urgent reliability concerns at the decrease of interconnect dimensions to submicron size. Severe stress voiding may arise in multilevel metallizations, particularly at contact and via regimes where the thermal stresses are highest. Via and contact structures with the attached refractory layers usually block entirely the electromigration flux; hence, EM voids are likely to form here. In this paper we first model the migration of atoms due to gradients in composition, stress, and electric potential. We seek a formulation in the spirit of irreversible thermodynamics, i.e. without reference to any specific micromechanisms of diffusion. We then apply the general developments to predict the stress evolution and void growth in Al based interconnect lines confined between entirely blocking Wstuds. We also analyze the effects of Cu depletion at vias, either by interfacial or grain boundary diffusion, on the stress evolution and void growth. Finally we demonstrate that the change in the line resistance due to void growth will display apparent incubation times even if the void grows linearly with time.
A Preliminary Comparison of Three Dimensional Particle Tracking and Sizing using Plenoptic Imaging and Digital In-line Holography

Digital in-line holography and plenoptic photography are two techniques for single-shot, volumetric measurement of 3D particle fields. Here we present a preliminary comparison of the two methods by applying plenoptic imaging to experimental configurations that have been previously investigated with digital in-line holography. These experiments include the tracking of secondary droplets from the impact of a water drop on a thin film of water and tracking of pellets from a shotgun. Both plenoptic imaging and digital in-line holography successfully quantify the 3D nature of these particle fields. This includes measurement of the 3D particle position, individual particle sizes, and three-component velocity vectors. For the initial processing methods presented here, both techniques give out-of-plane positional accuracy of approximately 1-2 particle diameters. For a fixed image sensor, digital holography achieves higher effective in-plane spatial resolutions. However, collimated and coherent illumination makes holography susceptible to image distortion through index of refraction gradients, as demonstrated in the shotgun experiments. On the other hand, plenotpic imaging allows for a simpler experimental configuration. Furthermore, due to the use of diffuse, white-light illumination, plenoptic imaging is less susceptible to image distortion in the shotgun experiments. Additional work is needed to better quantify sources of uncertainty, particularly inmore » the plenoptic experiments, as well as develop data processing methodologies optimized for the plenoptic measurement.« less
Life plans and family-building options for women with primary ovarian insufficiency.

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) compromises a woman's chance of conceiving with her own oocytes. Although biomarkers such as serum follicle-stimulating hormone, serum antimullerian hormone, and assessment of antral follicle count by transvaginal ultrasound can give some general idea about ovarian activity and perhaps fertility potential, no marker will definitively predict if and when childbearing will be possible for women with POI. No medical therapy has yet been definitively proven to improve ovarian function and fertility for women with overt POI. Fertility preservation, with cryopreservation of ovarian tissue, oocytes, or embryos, can be considered for some women with POI if oocytes are retrievable and current childbearing is not desired, with the caveat that data regarding long-term safety and efficacy are not available for women with POI. Options with a high chance of success are oocyte donation, embryo donation, and adoption. Child-free living may be a reasonable choice for some women. It is beneficial for women with POI to hear all life-plan and family-building options presented in a balanced manner.
Finding Meaning in a Rough Country

Alexander, Michelle. 2010. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York: The New Press. Baumer, Eric P. 2013. ‘‘Reassessing and Redirecting Research on Race and Sentencing.’’ Justice Quarterly 30(2):231–261. Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2013. Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America. Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield. Bushway, Shawn and Brian Forst. 2013. ‘‘Studying Discretion in the Processes that Generate Criminal Justice Sanctions.’’ Justice Quarterly 30(2):199–222. Frase, Richard. 2013. ‘‘Research on Race and Sentencing: Goals, Methods, and Topics.’’ Justice Quarterly 30(2):262–269. Platt, Anthony. 1969. The Child Savers: The Invention of Delinquency. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. Savelsberg, Joachim. 1992. ‘‘Law That Does Not Fit Society: Sentencing Guidelines as a Neoclassical Reaction to the Dilemmas of Substantivized Law.’’ American Journal of Sociology 97(5):1346–81. Ulmer, Jeffery T. 1997. Social Worlds of Sentencing: Court Communities under Sentencing Guidelines. Albany: State University of New York Press. Ulmer, Jeffery T. 2012. ‘‘Recent Developments and New Directions in Sentencing Research.’’ Justice Quarterly 29(1):1–40.
Animate Objects are Detected More Frequently than Inanimate Objects in Inattentional Blindness Tasks Independently of Threat

ABSTRACTInattentional blindness occurs when individuals are engaged in an attention-demanding task and fail to detect unexpected objects in their visual field. Two experiments examined whether certain unexpected objects are more easily detected than others. The unexpected objects were animate and threatening (e.g., snake), animate and nonthreatening (e.g., bird), inanimate and threatening (e.g., gun), or inanimate and nonthreatening (e.g., bed). Three hypotheses were tested: the snake detection hypothesis (snakes will be detected more frequently than all other objects), the animate monitoring hypothesis (animate objects will be detected more frequently than inanimate objects), and the threat superiority hypothesis (threatening objects will be detected more frequently than nonthreatening objects). Only the animate monitoring hypothesis was supported in both experiments. These results suggest that animate objects capture attention in the absence of task-relevant goals and that snakes do not show an advantag...
AFTER THE WALL: EXPLAINING THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE FORMER GDR*

Abstract The economic and political transformation of the German Democratic Republic rapidly became a process of unification with the Federal Republic of Germany, a process that has had a disproportionately negative effect on women. Particularly in the economic realm, women have suffered greater than average losses of jobs and of benefits, leaving many women excluded or marginalized from the labor force. These losses are traced to three interrelated but distinct sources: the legacy of discrimination that arose from the “mommy politics” of the GDR, the unequal division of labor of competitive capitalism generally, and the specific policy environment of the Federal Republic, which permits considerable gender and age discrimination. Ex-GDR women are not, however, passively enduring these losses. They are actively struggling as individuals to remain in the labor force, and organizing collectively to resist the policies and practices that disadvantage them.
Modern Technology, Leaky Copyrights and Claims of Harm: Insights from the Curious History of Photocopying

Over the last half century, as each new technology that facilitates private, noncommercial copying of copyrighted works has emerged, segments of the copyright-owning community have predicted destruction of their markets. Not only has this not happened, but in fact it has been quite difficult to substantiate much, or even, any harm to the financial incentive system that copyright supports. The oldest of these technologies is photocopying, and it is also the one that was subject to intense scrutiny over the decades. It makes, therefore, an interesting case study with the potential to throw light on why harm from noncommercial copying has been so difficult to demonstrate. This Article follows the photocopying dispute from its inception, and concludes that virtually all the evidence that was used to support claims of harm to the publishing industry from its use turned out to be from other, often less sympathetic, causes. The Article concludes not only that private and noncommercial copying of text should be given far more generous treatment as a fair use than it currently receives, but that both courts and Congress have reason to scrutinize with far greater rigor than they have shown thus far claims of harm from personal and noncommercial copying using other technologies.
Urinary Diversion: Adjunctive Tube Gastrostomy

AbstractA series of 98 patients who had undergone construction of ileal conduits is discussed. Of the 76 patients who had gastrostomy drainage 2 had complications related to the procedure. Complications occurred in 6 of the 22 patients who had nasogastric drainage. The advantages and disadvantages of postoperative gastric decompression by tube gastrostomy and the nasogastric tube are discussed. We conclude that the gastrostomy tube has a definite place in pediatric and adult urological cases in which postoperative ileus may be expected.
Novel regulations in steroid action: role of receptor subunits and chromosomal proteins in nuclear binding

The steroid hormones, including those secreted by the adrenal cortex (corticosteroids), the male sex hormones (androgens), and the female sex hormones (oestrogens and progestins), modify the metabolism of many cellular components in their respective target cells. Corticosteroids alter energy metabolism in a number of tissues and mineralocorticoids control electrolyte balance. The sex hormones are responsible for development and maintenance of reproductive tissue and secondary sexual characteristics. Controlling these functions at the cellular level requires that the hormones alter the production and activities of different cellular macromolecules. Regulation of steroid levels in the serum, of steroid actions on target cells, and of the mutual interactions of one steroid on another at the cellular level create the necessary balance in the above-mentioned steroid functions. This chapter briefly reviews recent investigations of the function of certain non-histone chromosomal proteins and DNA in the binding of the chick oviduct progesterone receptor (P-R) to nuclear binding sites (or nuclear ‘acceptor’ sites). During the course of these studies, significant modulations in the capacity of various preparations of the receptor to bind to these nuclear acceptor sites were observed. These modulations in nuclear binding were found to correlate with changes in one of the two subunits (monomers) of the P-R. No other physicochemical parameter, for example affinity of the steroid for the receptor, changes in sedimentation patterns, etc., was identified which distinguished the receptor with nuclear binding capacity from the receptor with no such activity.
Increasing the efficiency and efficacy of second‐order blind identification (SOBI) methods

Summary This paper proposes a new technique to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of second-order blind identification (SOBI) methods by reducing the number of time-lagged covariance matrices required to produce highly accurate mixing matrix estimates. The technique is based on randomly selecting the time-lagged covariance matrices as opposed to choosing them sequentially, which takes advantage of a property of independence with regard to the selection of time-lagged covariance matrices, while simultaneously reducing the correlation between selected covariance matrices. The proposed randomized approach is first applied to undamped and damped sinusoids to demonstrate its effectiveness. The randomized method is then applied to a three-degree-of-freedom linear structure subjected to random excitation. Finally, the proposed method is incorporated into a modified version of the SOBI method and applied to perform identification of the UCLA Factor building from recorded earthquake responses. In each case, the performance of the randomized approach is compared with the traditional sequential selection of time-lagged covariance matrices, and the randomized approach consistently demonstrates superior performance both in terms of accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, the proposed randomized SOBI approach was easily inserted into the modified SOBI method demonstrating its malleability for SOBI variants and other blind source separation methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing Azorella (Apiaceae) and its allies: Phylogenetics and a new classification

Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear rDNA spacers (ITS and ETS) from Azorella and five closely related genera confirm earlier plastid results indicating that Azorella, Huanaca, Mulinum, and Schizeilema are all polyphyletic, and that the monotypic genus Laretia is nested within one of the six subclades of Azorella. Only Stilbocarpa is monophyletic, but that genus is embedded within a larger clade that includes representatives of three other genera (Azorella, Huanaca, and Schizeilema). Both nuclear and plastid datasets identify the same 10 clades, but the placement of these clades remains unstable. A new classification is presented in which these six genera are reduced to a single genus (Azorella) comprising 58 species arranged in 10 sections, one of which is newly described here (Azorella sect. Ranunculus), and one lectotypified (Azorella sect. Glabratae). A total of 13 new combinations are made (A. albovaginata, A. allanii, A. boelckei, A. burkartii, A. colensoi, A. echegarayi, A. echinus, A. hallei, A. lyallii, A. polaris, A. prolifera, A. robusta, A. ulicina), along with three replacement names (A. atacamensis, A. ruizii, A. schizeilema). For each of the 58 accepted species, a full synonymy is provided along with geographic ranges (and nomenclatural notes, where useful).
Building the Green Economy

En Amerique du Nord, l’economie verte est a la croisee des chemins : favorisera-t-elle,a l’echelle de l’ensemble de l’economie, une nouvelle vague d’innovation, de creation d’emplois et de croissance verte, ou les secteurs verts resteront-ils une simple niche a l’interieur d’une economie « brune » ? Cela dependra pour beaucoup de ce qui remplacera le « vide politique » que l’on observe depuis la mise en place de politiques de relance vertes au moment de la Grande Recession. Actuellement, trois elements sont nuisibles sur ce plan : des subventions prejudiciables a l’environnement, des mesures incitatives axees sur le marche inadequates et un soutien public insuffisant de la R et D privee. Dans cet article, nous expliquons qu’une veritable strategie de croissance verte necessite l’elimination progressive et la rationalisation des subventions, la mise en place d’instruments axes sur le marche efficaces et une repartition des revenus ainsi obtenus qui permettra de faire croitre l’innovation verte. Abstract: The green economy in North America is at a critical crossroads. Will it foster a new wave of economy-wide innovation, employment, and green growth, or will green sectors remain a niche within an overall ‘‘brown’’ economy? Much will depend on what replaces the current ‘‘policy void’’ since the green stimulus policies of the Great Recession. Currently, three major market disincentives remain: environmentally harmful subsidies, inadequate market-based incentives, and insufficient public support for private R&D. A policy strategy for green growth requires phasing out and rationalizing subsidies, instigating effective market-based instruments, and allocating the revenues raised to enhance green innovation.
Abstract 1502: DCLK1 labeling a unique pancreatic cellular lineage contributes to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm development

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recently DCLK1 has been controversial as a biomarker of progenitor cells in both intestinal tract and pancreas. Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), in contrast to pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), has been relatively less investigated. Here, we explored whether DCLK1-expressing cells were involved in the genesis of pancreatic IPMNs using mouse models. METHODS: We compared the incidence of DCLK1-positive cells in pancreatic tissue samples derived from mouse models for IPMNs, PanINs, acinar to ductal metaplasia (ADM), and human IPMN samples by immunohistochemistry. And how the DCLK1+ cells engage ADM and IPMNs and its origin were investigated by in vitro culture and in vivo lineage tracing. RESULTS: The DCLK1+ cells were identified exclusively in the pancreatic tissues with activated oncogene compared to wild-type. Mouse lineage tracing experiments showed that DCLK1+ cells might originate from a cell lineage distinct from pancreatic PDX1 (+) progenitors. The pancreatic DCLK1+ cells shared the features of tuft cells but absence of IPMN tumor biomarkers. DCLK1+ cells presented in the acinar clusters prior to formation of metaplastic ductal cells, and enriched in the “IPMN niches”. Oncogenic signaling pathways such as SHH and DLL4 were activated or upregulated in the tumor cells but not the DCLK1+ cells of IPMNs. DCLK1 was also expressed in a subpopulation of tumor cells in 20% of human IPMN patients. CONCLUSIONS: DCLK1 labels a unique pancreatic cellular lineage in mouse. The clustering of DCLK1+ cells is an early event in oncogene-induced tumorigenesis. Pancreatic DCLK1+ cells may contribute to the initiation of ADM and its progression to IPMNs. Key words: Pancreatic IPMN; ADM; DCLK1; SOX9. Citation Format: Wanglong Qiu, Gloria Su. DCLK1 labeling a unique pancreatic cellular lineage contributes to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm development. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1502. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1502
Optimized Point Robot Path Planning Using Hybrid Genetic Algorithm in Cluttered Environment

Abstract-In this paper, we present an optimized path planning for mobile robot by using genetic algorithm. We extend our previous paper which describes the visible midpoint algorithm by imposing genetic algorithm for finding shortest path. The combination of both the algorithms provides a better solution in case of shortest and safest path. Here the visible approach is efficient for avoiding local minima and generates the paths which are always lying on free trajectories. Genetic algorithm optimizes the path and provides the shortest route from source to destination.
How Positive Success Curves Enable Private Rule Following

Two more isolated rule-following Robinson Crusoes are discussed. Crusoe 4 still recognizes himself to be speaking a disposition-meaning language because he has introspective access to the dispositions that generate his meaning-urges. But because those dispositions change relatively continuously, he cannot think of himself as speaking distinct languages. Instead, he thinks of his language as one in which he has better and worse dispositions at different times. Crusoe 5, however, has no or little introspective access to the dispositions that generate his meaning-urges. I show that, therefore, he must be like us: he must think of the terms of his language as obeying standards due to the way objects are in the world instead of as due to his dispositions. In this chapter, I explore what this means.
COMPARISON OF ACUTE ELASTIC RECOIL BETWEEN COREVALVE AND SAPIEN 3 VALVES IN TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

Background: The Medtronic CoreValve, a self-expanding (SE) valve is comprised of trileaflet porcine pericardial tissue sutured into a nitinol frame, as opposed to the balloon-expandable (BE) Edwards SAPIEN 3, a trileaflet bovine pericardial valve mounted in a cobalt chromium stent. We sought to
Chronic Kidney Disease Is More Common in Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

Objective To retrospectively evaluate clinical predictors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients to identify associations between patient- and tumor-specific factors with poorer renal function. CKD and RCC are interrelated, with 26%-44% of RCC patients having concomitant CKD at diagnosis. Patients and Methods Institutional registries from Spectrum Health and University of California, San Diego, were queried for preoperative glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria status before radical or partial nephrectomy. Preoperative clinical and tumor factors were recorded; proteinuria was classified as A1 ( 300 mg). CKD was grouped by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes classification (low, moderately increased, high, very high). Results We evaluated 1569 patients undergoing surgery for renal cortical tumors. CKD status was low risk in 860 (55%), moderately increased in 381 (24%), high in 194 (12%), and very high in 134 (9%) patients. Increased radius, exophytic or endophytic properties, nearness of tumor to the collecting system or sinus in millimeters, anterior or posterior, location relative to polar lines score, tumor size, and clinical tumor stage were strongly associated with increased CKD risk at baseline. Clinical stage T3/T4 disease had more at-risk patients than stages T2 and T1 disease (39.5% vs 22% and 19%, P = .0001). Clinical tumor stage and gender were the only predictors of proteinuria, lower glomerular filtration rate, and higher CKD risk group in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusion Forty-five percent of patients with RCC had moderate or higher CKD before treatment. A positive correlation between pretreatment CKD and locally advanced RCC (cT3/T4) was present. This likely relates to increased loss of functional parenchyma with increasing tumor size or stage, with important implications in patient management.
Quenching of vector boson-tagged jets at the LHC

Abstract Electroweak boson-tagged jet measurements provide a promising experimental channel to accurately study the physics of jet production and propagation in dense QCD medium. In this talk, we present theoretical predictions for the nuclear-induced attenuation of the differential cross section for isolated photon-tagged and Z0-tagged jet production in heavy ion collisions, and provide theoretical interpretations to the recent LHC data. We demonstrate quantitatively the significance of collisional and radiative energy losses, as revealed in the strong momentum asymmetry d σ / d x V J and nuclear modification IAA in central lead-lead reactions.
Empirical Investigation of Temporal Association between Architecture Billings Index and Construction Spending Using Time-Series Methods

AbstractConstruction spending (CS) represents the level of construction activities in the United States. It has been widely used for evaluating and tracking the construction market. Evaluation of t...
Commentary: Participatory Consultation for International Research and Development

ABSTRACTIn a series of three articles, O’Neal and colleagues describe the application of Participatory Culture-Specific Consultation (PCSC) with mixed methods research to explore the needs of a hidden population of teachers serving Burmese refugee students in unauthorized schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and develop and evaluate a culturally relevant and sustainable professional development program to prepare teachers in classroom management and self-care. Their work exemplifies the benefits of partnership, cultural humility, and reflective integration of research and practice in systems consultation. The scope and depth of their work presented across three articles provides a rich source for consultants who want to engage in similar work both at home and abroad.
Convex Formulation and Exact Global Solutions for Multi-phase Piecewise Constant Mumford-Shah Image Segmentation

Abstract : Most variational models for multi-phase image segmentation are non-convex and possess multiple local minima, which makes solving for a global solution an extremely difficult task. In this work, we provide a method for computing a global solution for the (non-convex) multi-phase piecewise constant Mumford-Shah (spatially continuous Potts) image segmentation problem. Our approach is based on using a specific representation of the problem due to Lie et al. [27]. We then rewrite this representation using the dual formulation for total variation so that a variational convexification technique due to Pock et al. [30] may be employed. Unlike some recent methods in this direction, our method can guarantee that a global solution is obtained. We believe our method to be the first in the literature that can make this claim. Once we have the convex optimization problem, we give an algorithm to compute a global solution. We demonstrate our algorithm on several multi-phase image segmentation examples, including a medical imaging application.
Impact of Mitochondrial Permeability on Endothelial Cell Immunogenicity in Transplantation.

Background Microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) are central to an allograft's immunogenicity. Cold ischemia and reperfusion injury associated with static cold storage and warm reperfusion activates ECs and increases the immunogenicity of the allograft. After reperfusion, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in the allograft, which correlates to alloimmune rejection. Current understanding of this relationship, however, centers on the whole allograft instead of ECs. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between EC mPTP opening and their immunophenotype. Methods Mitochondrial metabolic fitness and glycolysis in ECs were assessed in parallel with metabolic gene microarray postreperfusion. NIM811 was used to inhibit mPTP opening to rescue mitochondrial fitness. The immunogenicity of NIM811-treated ECs was determined via levels of EC's proinflammatory cytokines and allogeneic CD8 T cell cocultures. Finally, EC surface expression of adhesion, costimulatory, coinhibitory, MHC-I molecules, and MHC-I machinery protein levels were characterized. Results Genes for glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis were upregulated at 6 hours postreperfusion but either normalized or downregulated at 24 hours postreperfusion. As mitochondrial fitness was reduced, glycolysis increased during the first 6 hours postreperfusion. Endothelial cell treatment with NIM811 during the early postreperfusion period rescued mitochondrial fitness and reduced EC immunogenicity by decreasing CCL2, KC release, and VCAM-1, MHC-I, TAP1 expression. Conclusions Static cold storage and warm reperfusion leads to a reduction in mitochondrial fitness in microvascular ECs due to mPTP opening. Further, mPTP opening promotes increased EC immunogenicity that can be prevented by NIM811 treatment.
Structure-Function Studies of Murine MIP-2, the Homologue of Melanoma Growth Stimulating Activity/gro-α and IL-8

Members of the chemokine superfamily of proteins, particularly inteiieukin-8 and melanoma growth stimulating activity/gro-α, are autocrine growth factors for human melanoma cells. The expression of these proteins correlates with the metastatic potential of human melanoma cells in nude mice. An understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of these proteins may provide the basis for development of anti-melanoma compounds.
Some Nonlinear Properties of Pulse Propagation

Nonlinear properties of pulse propagation are considered in relation to frequency pulling and pushing of the average carrier frequency of pulses applied off-resonance from the center of absorbing and emitting lines. The average frequency is analyzed as a function of distance of propagation. Some characteristics of propagating pulses in purely homogeneously broadened absorbers are discussed. By means of optical path delay and phase shift, zero-area pulses from a ruby laser are observed to propagate through many absorption lengths in a resonant inhomogeneously broadened ruby sample with anomalously large power outputs.
MEASUREMENT AND PREDICTION OF ROUGHNESS ELEMENT SHAPE EFFECTS ON TURBULENT HEAT TRANSFER

1. ABSTRACT Measurements and calculations are presented for heat transfer in the rough-wall turbulent boundary layer. Experiments were conducted using 2 surfaces roughened with 1.27 mm base diameter by 0.635 mm high truncated cones spaced 2 and 4 base diameters apart in a staggered array. These data are compared with data from previously reported experiments using 2 surfaces roughened with hemispheres with the same height, base diameter, and spacing as the truncated cones. The experiments show that the roughness element shape has a measurable effect on the Stanton number distributions. For the case with elements spaced 2 base diameters apart, the hemisphere roughness gives Stanton numbers that are about 10% greater than those for the cones. The Stanton number measurements are compared with predictions using the discrete element method with good results.
Overexpression of aromatase leads to development of testicular Leydig cell tumors: An in vivo model for hormone-mediated testicular cancer

Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer, its causes remain unknown. The most common conditions known to be associated with testicular cancer are cryptorchidism, infertility, and overexposure to pesticides or radiation. Recent studies also indicate hormones may play a crucial role in testicular tumorigenesis. Our studies show that about half of the male transgenic mice overexpressing aromatase in testis were infertile and/or had larger than normal testicles. Gross pathology and histological analysis showed the mice to have Leydig cell tumors, unilaterally or bilaterally. Serum estradiol levels for transgenic mice were at least twice as high as those for nontransgenic mice. Expression of aromatase and estrogen receptor were also very high in testicular tissue of transgenic mice compared to nontransgenic mice. Consistent with increased estrogenic activity in the testicular tissue, we also saw an increase in the levels of genes involved in cell cycle that are regulated by the estrogen. To obtain a better understanding of the biological significance of testicular tumorigenesis, a reliable animal model is necessary to clarify the mechanisms and correlations associated with human cancers. Here we describe such a model, which shows that overexpression of aromatase results in increased estrogen production and a changed hormone milieu, leading to the induction of testicular cancer (Leydig cell tumors). This predictable and useful model is a potential tool for the study of testicular tumorigenesis, hormonal carcinogenesis, synergistic action of other carcinogens on hormone-induced tumors, and tumor dependency on endocrine factors.
OP0122 Validation of remission and lupus low disease activity state as predictors of organ damage in sle

Background Outcome measures that combine control of SLE activity and prednisone reduction are clinically relevant. A clinical goal in SLE is to reduce risk of long-term organ damage. Objectives We assessed whether two recently proposed disease activity outcomes were predictive of future damage. Methods For each month of follow-up in a large SLE cohort, we determined whether the patient was in Clinical Remission (as defined by the DORIS working group) or lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) (as defined by Franklyn et al). Clinical Remission was defined as a PGA Results There were 81 118 person-months observed among 2026 patients (92% female, 53% Caucasian, 39% African-American). table 1 shows the rates of damage, per person month, in subgroups defined by Remission or LLDAS. Damage rates were relatively low when LLDAS was achieved at least 50% of the time. These rates were similar to those experienced by patients who met a more stringent treatment restriction with Remission on Treatment at least 50% of the time. Conclusions Percent time in LLDAS had a clear dose response for rate ratios of organ damage. The equivalence of LLDAS and DORIS remission on treatment is welcome news, as LLDAS on treatment >50% of the time is an easier goal to achieve (3 times more person-months observed in our cohort) and more realistic as a clinical trial outcome. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Mixing-Limited Reactions in Porous Media

Mixing-driven reactions in porous media are ubiquitous and span natural and engineered environments, yet predicting where and how quickly reactions occur is immensely challenging due to the complex and nonuniform nature of porous media flows. In particular, in many instances, there is an enormous range of spatial and temporal scales over which reactants can mix. This paper aims to review factors that affect mixing-limited reactions in porous media, and approaches used to predict such processes across scales. We focus primarily on the challenges of mixing-driven reactions in porous media at pore scales to provide a concise, but comprehensive picture. We balance our discussion between state-of-the-art experiments, theory and numerical methods, introducing the reader to factors that affect mixing, focusing on the bracketing cases of transverse and longitudinal mixing. We introduce the governing equations for mixing-limited reactions and then summarize several upscaling methods that aim to account for complex pore-scale flow fields. We conclude with perspectives on where the field is going, along with other insights gleaned from this review.
Impact of Engineered Nanoparticles on the Phytoextraction of Environmental Pollutants

Phytoremediation has become a mainstream remediation technology for mildly contaminated soil and groundwater. Plants are at the core of this technology, and their ability to phytoextract various environmental pollutants dictates the performance of phytoremediation in many applications. Numerous previous studies have investigated the mechanisms of plant uptake and accumulation of a wide variety of environmental pollutants, ranging from organic compounds to heavy metals. In addition to the intrinsic properties of environmental pollutants and specific characteristics of the chosen plant species, phytoextraction is affected by various environmental factors including the presence of coexisting environmental pollutants. With the rapid advancement of nanotechnology and continued buildup of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment, their potential impacts on plant uptake of coexisting environmental pollutants have attracted some attentions. Even though the investigation on the ENPs’ effects on phytoextraction of environmental pollutants is still in its fledging stage, available information indicates a strong effect of ENPs on plant uptake of co-present environmental pollutants. This chapter summarized most available results with regard to ENPs’ effects on the plant uptake of both organic compounds and heavy metals and discussed the potential mechanisms for the altered plant uptake of these environmental pollutants by ENPs. Finally, the chapter provided suggestions on some future research needs and discussed the implications of emerging ENPs on the performance of phytoremediation.
A question of scale: Weak evidence for broad regional synchrony in fish year-class strength within or among species in inland lakes

Abstract Spatially-correlated abiotic and biotic conditions can potentially induce synchrony in the dynamics of disparate populations or species. However, such potential synchrony among species or populations may be tempered by dynamics operating at finer temporal and spatial scales, as well as species-specific responses to environmental conditions. We examined within- and among-species synchrony in year-class strength across 130 lakes in northern Indiana over 30 years to evaluate the relative scale of potential synchrony and its possible ecological mechanisms in five recreationally important fish species: black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), redear sunfish (L. microlophus), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Bluegill and black crappie recruitment was significantly positively correlated when the species coexisted, and relative year-class strength of both species was positively related to mean annual wind speed. However, there were few other instances of recruitment synchrony between or within species, regardless of whether synchrony was assessed within or among lake systems. In addition, habitat similarity and regional weather patterns also played a limited and inconsistent role in shaping recruitment strength or synchrony in these small inland systems. These results suggest that fish recruitment dynamics in small, inland systems are most often a function of system-specific biotic interactions that mask limited input from broader climatological influences, and that understanding recruitment in small lakes will require examinations on appropriately fine spatial and temporal scales.