cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic structure and differentiation in cultivated fig (Ficus carica L.)

One hundred ninety-four germplasm accessions of fig representing the four fig types, Common, Smyrna, San Pedro, and Caprifig were analyzed for genetic diversity, structure, and differentiation using genetic polymorphism at 15 microsatellite loci. The collection showed considerable polymorphism with observed number of alleles per locus ranging from four for five different loci, MFC4, LMFC14, LMFC22, LMFC31 and LMFC35 to nine for LMFC30 with an average of 4.9 alleles per locus. Seven of the 15 loci included in the genetic structure analyses exhibited signifi- cant deviation from panmixia, of which two showed excess and five showed deficiency of heterozygote. The cluster analysis (CA) revealed ten groups with 32 instances of synonymy among cultivars and groups differed significantly for frequency and composition of alleles for different loci. The principal components analysis (PCA) confirmed the results of CA with some groups more differentiated than the others. Further, the model based Bayesian approach clus- tering suggested a subtle population structure with mixed ancestry for most figs. The gene diversity analysis indicated that much of the total variation is found within groups (HG/HT = 0.853; 85.3%) and the among groups within total component (GGT = 0.147) accounted for the remaining 14.7%, of which *64% accounted for among groups within clusters (GGC = 0.094) and *36% among clusters (GCT = 0.053). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed approximately similar results with nearly 87% of variation within groups and *10% among groups within clusters, and*3% among clusters. Overall, the gene pool of cultivated fig analyzed possesses substantial genetic poly- morphism but exhibits narrow differentiation. It is evident that fig accessions from Turkmenistan are somewhat genetically different from the rest of the Mediterranean and the Caucasus figs. The long history of domestication and cultivation with widespread dispersal of cultivars with many synonyms has resulted in a great deal of confusion in the identification and classification of cultivars in fig.
Engineering economic decision issues in environmentally conscious design and manufacturing

ABSTRACT Environmentally conscious design and manufacturing significantly increase the complexity of design decision making. This paper describes several aspects of environmentally conscious design, approaches taken, and research needs for developing engineering economic and decision analytic standards to address their limitations.
Properties of nervous tissue proteoglycans relevant to studies on Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Our comments concern certain properties of nervous tissue proteoglycans which were not emphasized in the review by Snow and Wight, with particular attention to the proposed relation of the amyloid β protein precursor to a heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein.
The role of birds in reducing overwintering populations of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella (Lepidoptera : Crambidae), in Mississippi.

Research was initiated in the fall of 1967 to determine the role of birds in reducing overwintering populations of Diatraea grandiosella Dyar in Mississippi. The Yellow-Shafted Flicker, Colaptes auratus (L.), was the only bird observed removing overwintering larvae from the base of undisturbed corn stalks. Yellow-Shafted Flicker predation occurred from October to March. January, the coldest month of the winters, was the month of heaviest predation. These birds removed 64.0% of the overwintering larvae during the winter of 1967–68 and 81.8% during the winter of 1968â–69 from the study fields. Evidence of bird predation was observed in all fields examined in the spring surveys of 1968 and 1969. An average of 54.4% of the stalks in all fields was infested with overwintering larvae, and an average of 63.7% of these larvae was removed by the Yellow-Shafted Flicker.
Middle Knowledge and Classical Christian Thought

To say that God is omniscient, most philosophers and theologians agree, is to say that he knows all true propositions and none that are false. But there is a great deal of disagreement about what is knowable. Some believe that God's knowledge is limited to everything that is (or has been) actual and that which will follow deterministically from it. He knows, for example, exactly what Caesar was thinking when he crossed the Rubicon and how many horses he had in his army that day. And he knows exactly how Gorbachev feels about the use of nuclear weapons. And since he knows how the ‘laws of nature’ (which he has purportedly created) function, he knows, for example, how certain weather systems will develop and what their effects will be on certain natural environments. But with respect to any future state of affairs which includes free human decision-making as a causal component, God is said not to know what will occur. God, as the ultimate psychoanalyst or behaviourist, can with great accuracy predict what we will freely decide to do in the future in many cases. He might well, for example, be able to predict quite accurately who will win the 1988 Presidential election. But a God who possesses only ‘present knowledge’ (PK) cannot know who will win. Given that the election in question is dependent on free choices which have yet to be made, there is presently nothing for God to know.
Acid-soluble proteins of normal, regenerated, and periodontally diseased gingivae.

The purpose of the study was to characterize the noncollagenous acid-soluble proteins of gingiva and to determine their function. Gingival tissues of healthy adult dogs and those with spontaneously occurring advanced periodontitis were studied. The dental laminac from newborn puppies and skin of newborn and adult animals were also analyzed. Tissues were extracted with buffered salt at neutral pH followed by 0.5 M acetic acid. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that salt extracts of all of the tissues contained collagens and several more rapidly migrating components; the latter cross-reacted with an antiserum to whole dog serum and were, therefore, derived from serum and tissue fluids. The acid extracts of normal gingiva contained a family of collagenase-resistant, pepsin-sensitive components ranging in size from about 32 kD to 75 kD. These components did not cross-react with the antiserum and appeared to be components of the connective tissues. They were partially purified by DEAE-cellulose chromarography and shown to be similar to the acidic structural glycoproteins of other connective tissues. These acid-soluble proteins were present in moderate to large amounts in extracts of healthy gingival tissues and in trace amounts in dental lamina. The amount in extracts of regenerated gingiva was much greater than in extracts of normal gingiva. Only traces were found in the extracts of gingivae from animals with spontaneous periodontitis. The data indicate that these proteins may be important structural components of the normal connective tissue matrix, and their loss during the early stages of periodontitis may be an important event in progressive tissue destruction.
Heterogeneity in the familial aggregation of fasting serum uric acid level in five North American populations: the Lipid Research Clinics Family Study.

This study represents the first formal examination for heterogeneity in the familial aggregation of fasting serum uric acid (UA) levels. Data from 5 clinics (Cincinnati, Stanford, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oklahoma) participating in the Lipid Research Clinics (LRC) family study, which included a total of 685 nuclear families (N = 2, 146), were analyzed. Heterogeneity among the clinics in familial resemblance was detected. However, this heterogeneity could not be attributed to differences in distributional properties (such as means and variances) or to path model parameters representing latent genetic or cultural (environmental) components associated with UA levels. Intergenerational differences in genetic heritabilities were found, with higher offspring (h2 = 43%) than parent (h2z2 = 16%) estimates, but no generational differences were detected for cultural heritability (c2 = 0.09). Equal maternal and paternal cultural transmission was found, and effects due to extra sibling environments and to marital resemblance were both significant. These results show no clear indication as to the source of the heterogeneity observed for familial resemblance of UA levels in randomly selected data. This question should be further investigated, especially in clinical samples such as dyslipoproteinemic families.
Coagulopathy predicts poor outcome following head injury in children less than 16 years of age.

The authors examined the relationship between fibrin degradation products (FDP) and outcome in children with isolated head injury by reviewing the records of 69 children who met the following criteria: (1) less than 16 years of age; (2) diagnosis of isolated head injury and (3) FDP levels. Outcome was evaluated using the following Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS): 1 = death; 2 = vegetative state; 3 = functionally impaired; 4 = minimal dysfunction; 5 = premorbid level of functioning. Poor outcome was defined as GOS 1-3. Twenty-nine of 33 patients with FDP > 1000 (g/mL had GOS scores 12. In patients with GCS 7-12, however, 4/6 with FDP >1000 microg/mL had a poor outcome and all 12 patients with FDP 1000 microg/mL predicts poor outcome in children with isolated head injury. Fibrin degradation products are a strong independent prognosticator of outcome in children when GCS is between 7 and 12.
The Growth-Suppressive Function of the Polycomb Group Protein Polyhomeotic Is Mediated by Polymerization of Its Sterile Alpha Motif (SAM) Domain

Polyhomeotic (Ph), a member of the Polycomb Group (PcG), is a gene silencer critical for proper development. We present a previously unrecognized way of controlling Ph function through modulation of its sterile alpha motif (SAM) polymerization leading to the identification of a novel target for tuning the activities of proteins. SAM domain containing proteins have been shown to require SAM polymerization for proper function. However, the role of the Ph SAM polymer in PcG-mediated gene silencing was uncertain. Here, we first show that Ph SAM polymerization is indeed required for its gene silencing function. Interestingly, the unstructured linker sequence N-terminal to Ph SAM can shorten the length of polymers compared with when Ph SAM is individually isolated. Substituting the native linker with a random, unstructured sequence (RLink) can still limit polymerization, but not as well as the native linker. Consequently, the increased polymeric Ph RLink exhibits better gene silencing ability. In the Drosophila wing disc, Ph RLink expression suppresses growth compared with no effect for wild-type Ph, and opposite to the overgrowth phenotype observed for polymer-deficient Ph mutants. These data provide the first demonstration that the inherent activity of a protein containing a polymeric SAM can be enhanced by increasing SAM polymerization. Because the SAM linker had not been previously considered important for the function of SAM-containing proteins, our finding opens numerous opportunities to manipulate linker sequences of hundreds of polymeric SAM proteins to regulate a diverse array of intracellular functions.
The effect of fluoride on the citrate content of the bones of the growing rat

Abstract The vertebra, tibia-fibula and mandible of 47 day old rats receiving 0, 10, 50 and 100 p.p.m. F in the drinking water for 25, 55 and 114 days were analysed for fluoride and citrate. The concentration of citrate decreased with age in control rats receiving no supplemental fluoride. The bones of rats receiving 10, 50 and 100 p.p.m. F showed a progressive decrease in citrate concentration related to the fluoride content at each period of sacrifice (25, 55 and 114 days on experiment). The total citrate content increased with age in the three bones examined but less total citrate was deposited as the concentration of fluoride administered was increased. Possible mechanisms to explain the inverse relation between the fluoride and the citrate content of bone are discussed.
The Texas Cryogenic Oxy-Fuel Cycle (TCO): A Novel Approach to Power Generation With CO2 Options

A novel oxy-fuel based power cycle is presented that combines conventional oxy-fuel cycle technology with novel mixed gaseous compression and liquid pumping of CO2 to produce both useable power and provide transportable CO2 for transportation via pipeline for use in sequestration or enhanced oil recovery (EOR). CO2 emissions reduction is a central focus of climate change initiatives. Therefore, it is desired to have a power plant process cycle that reduces CO2 emissions associated with producing power. Once captured CO2 must be transferred to a sequestration site for long term storage or utilized in EOR operations. Recent research has demonstrated that CO2 is most efficiently transported as a liquid at high pressures via pipelines. A Cryogenic Oxy-Fuel cycle will be presented that captures all CO2 produced during combustion and inherently converts that CO2 to a sequestration-ready state that can be immediately placed into transportation pipelines and stored at the desired sequestration site. The proposed cycle deviates from conventional cycles in that during part of the process the CO2 is in cooled liquid form which allows; 1) Decreased power demand to increase the CO2 pressure because pumping has lower power requirement than compression, 2) The take-off of the CO2 is optimized for pipeline transport and no further compression or expansion is required, and 3) A high overall thermodynamic cycle efficiency can be reached with relatively low firing temperatures in the oxy-burner (around 1000°F). This significantly simplifies the combustor and expander designs required for the process. Additional benefits of the cycle include predicted efficiencies near state of the art IGCC’s, applicability to multiple fuel sources, and cost reduction associated with reduced component sizes utilized in the cycle. This presentation will focus on the overall operational and technological requirements of the novel cycle, a breakdown of the individual components utilized, and simulations demonstrating predicted performance. Technological challenges of implementing a working version of the cycle will be discussed and suggested development required for overcoming the challenges will be presented. This paper will include recent research and development of an oxy-fuel combustor utilized in the cycle as well as implementation of compression and pumping apparatus of recent development.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Cancellous bone architecture: Advantages of nonorthogonal trabecular alignment under multidirectional joint loading

Abstract Wolff proposed that trabeculae align at 90° angles (orthogonal). However, nonorthogonal alignment of trabeculae has been observed near many joints, including the proximal femur. We propose that nonorthogonal alignment is an adaptation to multidirectional joint loads. When the loading direction does not correspond with the trabecular alignment, warping or shear coupling occurs leading to large shear strains within the cancellous structure. Using a simplified continuum model for trabecular bone, we demonstrate that shear coupling caused by multidirectional joint loads is reduced 33–75% when trabeculae are aligned 60° from one another (as is observed in regions of the proximal femur), as opposed to 90° from one another (as was predicted by Wolff). The results suggest that an optimal cancellous structure may appear differently under multidirectional joint loads than the “trajectorial’ organization proposed by Wolff, which was based upon assumptions drawn from unidirectional loading.
Litigating Challenges to Executive Pay: An Exercise in Futility?

This paper is an empirical analysis of plaintiffs' success rates in executive compensation litigation. Using data from publicly available files, this study examines a sample of 124 cases where shareholders have challenged executive compensation levels and practices at public and closely held corporations. This data set shows that shareholders are successful in at least some stage of this litigation in a significant percentage of these cases. Our most robust result is that plaintiffs win a greater percentage of the time in compensation cases against closely held companies than against publicly held companies. This result is consistent for every stage of these cases - motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, trial and appeal. We also find that, on average, plaintiffs fare better in compensation cases in courtrooms outside of Delaware than in Delaware. However, once we control for the different composition of the Delaware Courts' caseload, these differences disappear and the overall success rates in executive compensation litigation are surprisingly similar. When we look at the procedural and substantive claims being made in the cases, we find some other interesting results. Demand futility is a significant barrier to getting such suits off the ground. Plaintiffs lose on a motion to dismiss for failure to make demand about half the time. In Delaware, motions to dismiss for failure to make demand are much more frequently raised since the Delaware Supreme Court's decisions in Aronson v. Lewis, although plaintiffs today seem to succeed in overcoming them a greater percentage of the time. The picture is more complicated with respect to the substantive claims made in these cases. Plaintiffs average about 30% success in maintaining duty of care claims at the various stages of these suits with slightly higher success rates in non-Delaware cases. However, since the Delaware Supreme Court's decision in Smith v. Van Gorkom, the number of these claims has increased and their likelihood of success at least at some stage of the litigation appears to have increased. With waste claims, plaintiffs succeed about 40% of the time, while for duty of loyalty claims, they win about 35% of the time. Plaintiffs are consistently more successful at close corporations than at public corporations for both types of claims.
Unpredictable Voters in Ideal Point Estimation

Ideal point estimators are typically based on an assumption that all legislators are equally responsive to modeled dimensions of legislative disagreement; however, particularistic constituency interests and idiosyncrasies of individual legislators introduce variation in the degree to which legislators cast votes predictably. I introduce a Bayesian heteroskedastic ideal point estimator and demonstrate by Monte Carlo simulation that it outperforms standard homoskedastic estimators at recovering the relative positions of legislators. In addition to providing a refinement of ideal point estimates, the heteroskedastic estimator recovers legislator-specific error variance parameters that describe the extent to which each legislator's voting behavior is not conditioned on the primary axes of disagreement in the legislature. Through applications to the roll call histories of the U.S. Congress, the E.U. Parliament, and the U.N. General Assembly, I demonstrate how to use the heteroskedastic estimator to study substantive questions related to legislative incentives for low-dimensional voting behavior as well as diagnose unmodeled dimensions and nonconstant ideal points.
Applications of Fibrin Sealant in Surgery

Fibrin sealant has been used with increasing frequency in a variety of surgical field for its unique hemostatic and adhesive abilities. Fibrin sealant mimics the last step of the coagulation cascade and takes place independently of the patient's coagulation status. With rapid advances in minimally invasive surgery, the potential uses for this type of biologic and synthetic material are expanding exponentially. This article reviews the data associated with the application of fibrin sealant in various surgical procedures. From reinforcing gastrointestinal anastomosis to repair perforated duodenal ulcers to mesh fixation in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, fibrin sealant is gaining increasing acceptance among surgeons. The applications of fibrin sealant are expanding, and new preparations of fibrin sealant are currently being evaluated.
Sources of bias in studies of time to pregnancy

Among sexually active couples who are not using contraception, there is considerable heterogeneity in fertility, even among those who eventually achieve pregnancy. The number of menstrual cycles required, measured in integer time, is greatly overdispersed compared to the geometric, suggesting that the per cycle probability of conception varies considerably among couples. Some of this variability may reflect the effect of reproductive toxicants on fertility, and studies of time to pregnancy can be useful in identifying such toxic effects. We describe models for analysing time-to-pregnancy data, and discuss seven sources of bias that can lead the reproductive epidemiologist to spurious conclusions. Certain analytic and design strategies can help protect against some of the pitfalls.
Functional Communication Training and Chained Schedules of Reinforcement to Treat Challenging Behavior Maintained by Terminations of Activity Interruptions

In this article, the authors evaluated functional communication training (FCT) and a chained schedule of reinforcement for the treatment of challenging behavior exhibited by two individuals diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and autism, respectively. Following a functional analysis with undifferentiated results, the authors demonstrated that challenging behavior was occasioned by interruptions of ongoing activities and maintained by terminations of interruptions. Next, they demonstrated the effectiveness of a treatment consisting of FCT with a chained schedule of reinforcement. Last, they modified the chained schedule procedure to increase ease of implementation and promote toleration of activity interruptions, and academic tasks were incorporated into the treatment.
Imaging in Bariatric Surgery: A Guide to Postsurgical Anatomy and Common Complications

OBJECTIVE. This article reviews the various bariatric surgical techniques and the associated imaging findings of normal postoperative anatomy and of common complications.CONCLUSION. Bariatric surgery is increasingly performed to control morbid obesity secondary to failed medical approaches. As a result, imaging plays an important role in postoperative evaluation and management. Practical knowledge of postsurgical anatomy allows accurate interpretation of imaging findings related to normal postsurgical anatomy and common postsurgical complications.
Experimental Study of the Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator

The physics of the beat-excited, relativistic electron plasma wave, a candidate for a laser particle accelerator, is studied in experiments at UCLA. Preliminary experiments have shown waves excited up to 1-3% of the cold wavebreaking amplitude, corresponding to longitudinal electric fields of 0.3-1.0 GeV/m. Issues addressed here include possible experimental limitations on the length, growth time, and amplitude of this plasma wave. Plans for future experiments on the acceleration of test charges will also be presented.
Transverse effects associated with the propagation of coherent optical pulses in resonant media

Analytical and numerical methods are used to study the transverse reshaping that occurs when ultrashort optical pulses propagate through media resonant to the pulse-carrier frequency. The field is described by the scalar quasi-optic equation, and the material system by the full Bloch equations describing a distribution of homogeneously broadened two-level molecules. Transverse derivatives in the field equation provide the coupling leading to the development of radially dependent frequency variations and phase curvature. We have studied the origin and evolution of transverse energy flow and investigated the conditions under which this leads to significant coherent self-focusing. The physical mechanisms responsible for the onset and development of the focusing phenomenon are discussed and related to other types of self-confinement of optical pulses.
Prefrontal Cortex, Emotion, and Approach/Withdrawal Motivation

This article provides a selective review of the literature and current theories regarding the role of prefrontal cortex, along with some other critical brain regions, in emotion and motivation. Seemingly contradictory findings have often appeared in this literature. Research attempting to resolve these contradictions has been the basis of new areas of growth and has led to more sophisticated understandings of emotional and motivational processes as well as neural networks associated with these processes. Progress has, in part, depended on methodological advances that allow for increased resolution in brain imaging. A number of issues are currently in play, among them the role of prefrontal cortex in emotional or motivational processes. This debate fosters research that will likely lead to further refinement of conceptualizations of emotion, motivation, and the neural processes associated with them.
DGIdb: mining the druggable genome

The Drug-Gene Interaction database (DGIdb) mines existing resources that generate hypotheses about how mutated genes might be targeted therapeutically or prioritized for drug development. It provides an interface for searching lists of genes against a compendium of drug-gene interactions and potentially 'druggable' genes. DGIdb can be accessed at http://dgidb.org/.
Characterizing preclinical models of ischemic heart failure: differences between LAD and LCx infarctions

Large animal studies are an important step toward clinical translation of novel therapeutic approaches. We aimed to establish an ischemic heart failure (HF) model with a larger myocardial infarction (MI) relative to previous studies, and characterize the functional and structural features of this model. An MI was induced by occluding the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD; n = 15) or the proximal left circumflex artery (LCx; n = 6) in Yorkshire pigs. Three pigs with sham procedures were also included. All pigs underwent hemodynamic and echocardiographic assessments before MI, at 1 mo, and 3 mo after MI. Analyses of left ventricular (LV) myocardial mechanics by means of strains and torsion were performed using speckle-tracking echocardiography and compared between the groups. The proximal LAD MI approach induced larger infarct sizes (14.2 ± 3.2% vs. 10.6 ± 1.9%, P = 0.03), depressed systolic function (LV ejection fraction; 39.8 ± 7.5% vs. 54.1 ± 4.6%, P < 0.001), and more LV remodeling (end-systolic volume index; 82 ± 25 ml/m2 vs. 51 ± 18 ml/m2, P = 0.02, LAD vs. LCx, respectively) compared with the LCx MI approach without compromising the survival rate. At the papillary muscle level, echocardiographic strain analysis revealed no differences in radial and circumferential strain between LAD and LCx MIs. However, in contrast with the LCx MI, the LAD MI resulted in significantly decreased longitudinal strain. The proximal LAD MI model induces more LV remodeling and depressed LV function relative to the LCx MI model. Location of MI significantly impacts the severity of HF, thus careful consideration is required when choosing an MI model for preclinical HF studies.
Vaccines and Autism

10. Peters A. Experiments on the mechanism of silver staining. II. Development. Quart J Microsc Sci. 1955;96:103-115. 11. Kiernan JA. Silver staining of axons in subcellular fractions of nervous tissue. Experientia. 1970;26:1352. 12. Grizzle WE. Theory and practice of silver staining in histopathology. J Histotechnol. 1996;19(3):183-195. 13. Clark G. Staining Procedures used by the Biological Stain Commission. 4th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1981. 14. Garvey W. Silver impregnation techniques to identify spirochetes and other bacteria. J Histotechnol. 1996;19:203-209. 15. Churukian CJ. Manual of the Special Stains Laboratory. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Medical Center, 2000. 16. Holmes W. Silver staining of nerve axons in paraffin sections. Anat Rec. 1943;86:157-187. 17. Samuel EP. The mechanism of silver staining. J Anat. 1953;87:278-287. 18. Peters A. Experiments on the mechanism of silver staining. III. Electron microscope studies. Quart J Microsc Sci. 1955;96:317-322. 19. James TH, ed. The Theory of the Photographic Process. 4th ed. New York: Macmillan, 1977. 20. Giolli RA. A note on the chemical mechanism of the Nauta-Gygax technique. J Histochem Cytochem. 1965;13:206-210. 21. Wolman M. Studies of the impregnation of nervous tissue elements. II. The nature of the compounds responsible for the impregnation of axons; practical considerations. Quart J Microsc Sci. 1955;96:337-341. 22. Horobin RW, Bancroft JD. Troubleshooting Histology Stains. Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone, 1998.
The Perception of Representational Content

How can it be true that one sees a lake when looking at a picture of a lake, since one's gaze is directed upon a flat dry surface covered in paint? An adequate contemporary explanation cannot avoid taking a theoretical stand on some fundamental cognitive science issues concerning the nature of perception, of pictorial content, and of perceptual reference to items that, strictly speaking, have no physical existence. A solution is proposed that invokes a broadly functionalist, naturalistic theory of perception, plus a double content analysis of perceptual interpretation, which permits non-supervenient, culturally autonomous modes of reference to be generated and artistically exploited even in a purely physical world. In addition, a functionalist concept of broad or 'spread' reference replaces the traditional precise intentional concept of reference, which previously made reference to non-existent items theoretically intractable.
Interconnect and Thermal-aware Floorplanning for 3D Microprocessors

Interconnects are becoming an increasing problem from both performance and power consumption perspective in future technology nodes. The introduction of 3D chip architectures, with their intrinsic capability of reducing wire length, is one of the promising solutions to mitigate the interconnect problem. While interconnect power consumption reduces due to the adoption of 3D designs, the stacking of multiple active layers leads to higher power densities. Thus, high peak temperatures are of major concern in 3D designs. Consequently, we present a thermal-aware floorplanner for 3D architectures. In contrast to most prior work, our floorplanner considers the interconnect power consumption in exploring a thermal-aware floorplan. Our results show that excluding interconnect power can result in peak temperatures being underestimated by as much as 15/spl deg/C in 90nm technology. Finally, we demonstrate that our floorplanner is effective in lowering peak temperatures using a microprocessor design and four MCNC designs as benchmarks.
bcl-2 and p53 Oncoprotein Expression during Colorectal Tumorigenesis

Apoptosis or programmed cell death represents a mechanism by which cells possessing DNA damage can be deleted. The bcl-2 proto-oncogene is a known inhibitor of apoptosis that may allow the accumulation and propagation of cells containing genetic alterations. To determine if and when the bcl-2 gene is activated during colorectal tumorigenesis and its relationship to p53, we analyzed normal mucosa, hyperplastic and dysplastic epithelial polyps, and carcinomas for the expression of these markers using immunohistochemistry. Whereas bcl-2 staining was restricted to basal epithelial cells in normal and hyperplastic mucosa, bcl-2 expression was detected in parabasal and superficial regions in dysplastic polyps and carcinomas. An inverse correlation was found between bcl-2 and p53 expression in adenomas, suggesting that these markers may regulate a common cell death pathway. Furthermore, carcinomas with a high percentage of bcl-2-positive cells were significantly more likely to have low rates of spontaneous apoptosis, as determined histologically, than those cancers with low or absent bcl-2 expression. Abnormal activation of the bcl-2 gene appears to be an early event in colorectal tumorigenesis that can inhibit apoptosis in vivo and may facilitate tumor progression.
A time for reliability: the growing importance of being always on

When a new technology reaches the market, we typically focus on the want or need that it can fulfill. As the technology becomes a commodity and its market matures, reliability often become a key differentiating factor between competing products. We posit that as broadband capacities continue to improve and users migrate to over-the-Internet services, such as on-demand video and voice-over-IP services, we will see this common pattern emerge for broadband services. In this poster, we present the first study of reliability in broadband networks. Using data collected from residential gateways (via FCC/SamKnows), we study the availability and reliability of fixed-line broadband services across the US. Using natural experiments, we look at the impact of increased network downtime on user network demand. We use traditional metrics (e.g. failure rate, MTBF, MTTR) to quantify broadband services, as well as each ISP's configured DNS. Since the impact of a network outage will depend on when it occurred (e.g. time of day), we compare ISP services by the annual average number of bytes lost, based on typical user demand during periods of network downtime.
The role of ease of use, usefulness and attitude in the prediction of World Wide Web usage

1. ABsmcp‘ The ‘I’echndogy Acceptance Model (TAM) proposes that ease of use and usefulness predict atit~des toward information systems applications, and that these attitudes predict appkaticpm usage. Previous research has not tested TAM with the WorkI Wide Web as the appkatbn. The cm-rent research tested TAM in that context for work-related tasks. One hndred and sixty-three subjects who use the Web in their jobs responded to an e-mail survey. The results provide some support for TAM. They also help identify guidelines for develop-@ Web sites. 1-I
n-Cube network: node disjoint shortest paths for maximal distance pairs of vertices

In parallel and distributed systems many communications take place concurrently, so the routing algorithm as well as the underlying interconnection network play a vital role in delivering all the messages efficiently. Fault tolerance and performance are often obtained by delivering the messages through node disjoint shortest paths. In this paper we present two efficient algorithms to construct, under certain conditions, pairwise node disjoint shortest paths for pairs of vertices in an n-cube in the presence of faulty nodes. The first algorithm has O(m^2) time complexity, where m is the number of input bits, and the second one takes O(m^3), but it solves more general problem instances. We also present an efficient algorithm for the extreme version of the edge disjoint shortest paths problem when n is odd.
Local corrections: a profile of inmate concerns

The present study is an assessment of detainee preferences as observed within three jail settings. Individuals were sampled who, prior to the dates of testing, had been detained for five days or less. To assess these individuals' preferences, a modified version of Toch's "Prison Preference Inventory" was employed. This instrument was administered to groups of sampled inmates during a series of weekly sessions held at each facility. The responses of the detainees surveyed revealed a pattern of preferences similar to that which has been obtained among prison inmates. This similarity was also revealed in the analyses conducted across detainees' backgrounds, in that preferences were found to vary as a function of respondents' race and prior exposure to confinement. Yet in spite of these differences according to background, little variation in preference was revealed across the three facilities surveyed. Of additional note is the finding that among the eight concerns assessed, support via program opportunities was the most highly preferred factor. This greater preference for support was observed within each facility surveyed as well as in each category of detainee that was compared. Language: en
A fast and flexible one-dimensional image processing implementation for visual feedback control

A simple and efficient image processing system is described which can provide one-dimensional image processing for sample rates approaching video rates. The system is utilized for visual feedback where guidance and process controls are required, such as for arc-welding robots. >
Strange Order of Things!: The Journey to Chaos in 'Letters from an American Farmer'

When Hector St. John de Cr?vecoeur first published Letters from an American Farmer in England in 1782, an advertise ment described the letters as "the genuine production of the American farmer whose name they bear. They were privately writ ten to gratify the curiosity of a friend and are made public because they contain much authentic information little known on this side of the Atlantic: they cannot therefore fail of being highly interest ing to the people of England at a time when everybody's attention is directed toward the affairs of America" (27). For the next one hundred and seventy-five years the American reading public?at least that portion that remembered Letters at all?viewed Cr?ve coeur 's work largely as a straightforward natural and social his tory of young America. Such an attitude is, however, the product of a distorted view of Letters: it stresses the early, optimistic epis tles at the expense of the bleaker closing sections of the work, and it fails to distinguish between Cr?vecoeur and his protagonist, Farmer James. More recent critics have come to understand the complex?and darker?nature of this supposedly simple work.1 Among the rich est suggestions made are the largely undeveloped claims by Albert Stone, Jr., that Letters is a "prototypical romance" (208) and by Harry B. Henderson III that it is "an epistolary romance of ideas" (4). Cr?vecoeur 's work is, in fact, a germinal romance and needs to be examined as such. To make such a claim is not, of course, to argue that Cr?vecoeur was necessarily fully conscious of romance archetypes as he wrote. Nevertheless, those points of contact be tween the structure and devices of Letters and those of romance in
BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing in young women with breast cancer

Importance BRCA testing is recommended for young women diagnosed as having breast cancer, but little is known about decisions surrounding testing and how results may influence treatment decisions in young patients. Objectives To describe the use of BRCA testing and to evaluate how concerns about genetic risk and use of genetic information affect subsequent treatment decisions in young women with breast cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional analysis of data collected following the opening of the study to accrual from October 10, 2006, through December 31, 2014, as part of the Helping Ourselves, Helping Others: Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study. Study participants included 897 women aged 40 years and younger at breast cancer diagnosis from 11 academic and community medical centers. Main Outcomes and Measures Frequency and trends in the use of BRCA testing and how genetic information is used to make treatment decisions among women who test positive vs negative for a BRCA mutation. Results A total of 780 (87.0%) of 897 women reported BRCA testing by 1 year after breast cancer diagnosis (mean age at diagnosis, 35.3 vs 36.9 years for untested women; P BRCA testing ( P P Conclusions and Relevance Rates of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing are increasing in young women with breast cancer. Given that knowledge and concern about genetic risk influence surgical decisions and may affect systemic therapy trial eligibility, all young women with breast cancer should be counseled and offered genetic testing, consistent with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.
Distribution and abundance of early-season wild host plants and bollworm and tobacco budworm populations (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in an intensively cropped area of the mid-delta of Mississippi

An intensively cropped area of the Mississippi Delta located in Washington County, Mississippi was sampled to determine distribution and abundance of early-season wild host plants of Heliothis virescens (F.) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and F1 larval populations on them. The area sampled was approximately 6.4 km square with an approximate area of 4,146 ha. Wild host plants were most numerous along roadsides, ditch and field margins, and in small (usually dry) ditches and their margins. The total area of suitable habitat for these wild hosts was estimated as 98.8 ha which represented approximately 2.4% of the total area. Species of Geranium were the most abundant wild hosts found. Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens were estimated to average a combined total of 62 larvae per ha of wild host plants. These data demonstrate that experiments on the control of both pest species on wild hosts on an area-wide basis in the Delta are possible due to the confinement of these pests and their wild host plants to ...
Watershed Partnerships in California and Washington: Final Report for the Watershed Partnerships Project

This report documents the achievements of the Watershed Partnerships Project (WPP) at the University of California, Davis as of January 2002. Given the limitations of command-and-control regulation by federal and state bureaucracies, stakeholder-based planning and management has become an increasingly popular strategy nationwide for resolving local environmental conflicts. The primary goal of the WPP is to understand the factors affecting the ability of partnerships to resolve resource management controversies within the watershed and then to implement those decisions through restoration projects or other means. In the original proposal, we identified five related objectives, reprinted below. 1. To use established scientific methods — including explicit theoretical assumptions and intersubjectively-reliable methods of data acquisition and analysis — to improve our understanding of the factors affecting the ability of stakeholder negotiating processes to reach formal agreements and to implement those agreements. 2. To ascertain whether consensus-based negotiating processes have been more successful than other approaches in developing and implementing concrete projects. We also wish to explore their ability to achieve desired environmental and economic outcomes. 3. To compare the strengths and weaknesses of the three theoretical frameworks in explaining both the conditions under which stakeholder negotiations will be successful and their relative success in actually implementing restoration and monitoring projects. The three frameworks are (a) Elinor Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework for the management of common property resources, (b) Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith’s Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) of policy change, and (c) a framework for understanding the role that social capital plays in solving collective action problems, based on the work of Robert Putnam, James Coleman, and others. We intend to look at the same phenomena through multiple theoretical lenses (Platt, 1964; Stinchcombe, 1968; Allison 1971). 4. To provide concrete guidance to agency managers about how they might assist local partnerships, and how to decide when to support partnerships and when to simply leave them alone. Collaborators responsible for allocating restoration and bond monies in California already use the UC Davis watershed groups and projects databases underlying this proposal, and plan to take advantage of our results to improve evaluation of future stakeholder-driven proposals. 5. To identify which watershed characteristics are most amenable to rehabilitation.
Monitoring and Estimating Medication Abuse

Prescription medication abuse is a major healthcare problem and can lead to addiction syndrome, higher healthcare cost, and serious harm to patients. Smart health can play a major role in addressing medication abuse by monitoring patient's health conditions and medication consumption, and, by connecting with healthcare professionals and utilizing suitable interventions. More specifically, medication behavior can be analyzed using information from smart medication systems, specialized wearable sensors and/or mobile devices with patient-entered consumption data. In this paper, we study monitoring systems to predict current abuse and near-future addiction and provide interventions to reduce medication abuse. The future work involves development and evaluation of Ab-Med mobile app for monitoring medication consumption and comprehensive cost effectiveness of interventions for medication abuse.
On the Mechanism of Modification of the Aluminum-Silicon Eutectic by Strontium: The Role of Nucleation

The purpose of this contribution is to demonstrate that the presence of strontium in hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys significantly influences the kinetics of nucleation of eutectic silicon; and therefore, contrary to current belief, a complete theory for the mechanism of modification of the eutectic phases in hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys by strontium must address not only the Growth aspects of the process, but also its Nucleation aspects.
Exciton Bandwidth and Coupling to Intramolecular Phonons in PTCDA

A Holstein model is introduced for PTCDA stacks forming a one-dimensional exciton system and analyzed using Merrifields's variational method. The bandwidth and hopping integral V = 0.15 eV are obtained by comparing the absorption, emission, and fluorescence excitation of PTCDA films to solution spectra.
Simultaneous Measurements of Droplet Size and Temperature Distribution Within a Water Droplet by using Molecular Tagging Thermometry Technique

We present the research progress made in developing and implementing a novel lifetime-based molecular tagging thermometry (MTT) technique for achieving simultaneous measurements of droplet size and spatially-and-temporally resolved temperature distribution within small water droplets over solid surfaces for aircraft icing studies. For MTT measurement, a pulsed laser is used to “tag” phosphorescent 1-BrNp⋅Mβ-CD⋅ROH molecules premixed within a water droplet. Long-lived laser-induced phosphorescence is imaged at two successive times after the same laser excitation pulse. While the size and contact angle of the water droplet can be determined from the acquired phosphorescence images, the temperature measurement is achieved by taking advantage of the temperature dependence of phosphorescence lifetime, which is estimated from the intensity ratio of the acquired phosphorescence image pair. The feasibility and implementation of the lifetimebased MTT technique were demonstrated by conducting simultaneous measurements of droplet size and spatially-and-temporally resolved temperature distribution within a convectively-cooled water droplet over an aluminum test plate to quantify the unsteady mass and heat transfer processes within the small water droplet to elucidate underlying physics to improve our understanding about microphysical phenomena associated with aircraft icing studies.
Predictive Value of CA 125 Level for Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis in Endometrial Cancer

Objective : The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical usefulness of preoperative CA 125 levels in determining the need for lymphadenectomy in patients with endometrial carcinoma. Methods : CA 125 levels were measured in 100 patients diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma who underwent surgery at Kangnam St. Mary´s Hospital between October 1992 and October 2002. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-whitney U test and -Fisher's exact test. Results : Univariate analyses showed that elevated CA 125 levels were significantly correlated with an advanced stage, increasing depth of myometrial invasion, cervical invasion, adnexal involvement, high grade hystology and lymph node metastases (p