cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MARS-a multilevel full-chip gridless routing system

This paper presents MARS, a novel multilevel full-chip gridless routing system. The multilevel framework with recursive coarsening and refinement allows for scaling of our gridless routing system to very large designs. The downward pass of recursive coarsening builds the representations of routing regions at different levels while the upward pass of iterative refinement allows a gradually improved solution. We introduced a number of efficient techniques in the multilevel routing scheme, including resource reservation, graph-based Steiner tree heuristic and history-based iterative refinement. We compared our multilevel framework with a recently published three-level routing flow . Experimental results show that MARS helps to improve the completion rate by over 10%, and the runtime by 11.7/spl times/.
Quantitative computed tomography-based finite element models of the human lumbar vertebral body: Effect of element size on stiffness, damage, and fracture strength predictions

This study investigated the numerical convergence characteristics of specimen-specific "voxel-based" finite element models of 14 excised human cadaveric lumbar vertebral bodies (age: 37-87; M = 6, F = 8) that were generated automatically from clinical-type CT scans. With eventual clinical applications in mind, the ability of the model stiffness to predict the experimentally measured compressive fracture strength of the vertebral bodies was also assessed. The stiffness of "low"-resolution models (3 x 3 x 3 mm element size) was on average only 4% greater (p = 0.03) than for "high"-resolution models (1 x 1 x 1.5 mm) despite interspecimen variations that varied over four-fold. Damage predictions using low- vs high-resolution models were significantly different (p = 0.01) at loads corresponding to an overall strain of 0.5%. Both the high (r2 = 0.94) and low (r2 = 0.92) resolution model stiffness values were highly correlated with the experimentally measured ultimate strength values. Because vertebral stiffness variations in the population are much greater than those that arise from differences in voxel size, these results indicate that imaging resolution is not critical in cross-sectional studies of this parameter. However, longitudinal studies that seek to track more subtle changes in stiffness over time should account for the small but highly significant effects of voxel size. These results also demonstrate that an automated voxel-based finite element modeling technique may provide an excellent noninvasive assessment of vertebral strength.
Balancing ischaemia and bleeding with dual antiplatelet therapy: a resolute endeavour

This editorial refers to ‘Modifying effect of dual antiplatelet therapy on incidence of stent thrombosis according to implanted drug-eluting stent type’[†][1], by E. Camenzind et al. , on page 1932 and ‘Lack of association between dual antiplatelet therapy use and stent thrombosis between 1 and 12 months following Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation’[‡][2], by S. Silber et al. , on page 1949. The most devastating complication after stent implantation is sudden, thrombotic coronary occlusion, which results in myocardial infarction (MI) in 80–90% of patients and death in 20–30%. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and an ADP receptor antagonist is the foundation to prevent stent thrombosis (ST).1 Whereas drug-eluting stents (DES) are more effective than bare metal stents (BMS) in preventing restenosis and recurrent ischaemia, DES susceptibility to ST is increased by delayed endothelialization, polymer hypersensitivity, and other mechanisms,2 necessitating prolonged DAPT. Long-term DAPT may have additional benefits by preventing atherothrombotic events in patients with vascular disease.3 However, DAPT increases major bleeding, the occurrence of which is strongly associated with subsequent mortality.4 Striking the right balance between ischaemic and bleeding complications by fine-tuning the potency and duration of DAPT is essential to optimize DES outcomes. First-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) were approved based on the basis of double-blind randomized trials in which DAPT was used for 3–6 months. Thereafter, reports of late ST resulted in recommendations for DAPT for 1 year or longer, without randomized evidence to support this endorsement. These guidelines have been carried forward to newer generation DES, despite randomized trials demonstrating enhanced safety and effectiveness with these devices compared with their earlier … [1]: #fn-2 [2]: #fn-3
In the Name of Democracy: U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in the Reagan Years

This is the first comprehensive, even-handed examination of U.S. policy in Latin America during the Reagan era. Drawing on interviews with United States officials and his own perspective as a former State Department lawyer, Carothers sheds new light on the much-discussed U.S. involvements in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Panama, and turns up varied and often unexpected findings in less-studied countries such as Bolivia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Chile.
Ankle-brachial index screening to improve health outcomes: where is the evidence?

This issue includes the updated USPSTF recommendation on ABI screening for PAD and CVD risk assessment, as well as the systematic review used to inform it. The USPSTF concluded that the current evi...
Distinguishing Afrocentric Inquiry From Pop Culture Afrocentrism

The mainstream publicity garnered from Molefi Kete Asante’s Afrocentric paradigm has led to an often anti-intellectual and nonacademic misappropriation of its constructs. This approach fashioned out of mainstream sound bytes, commonly characterized as “Pop Culture Afrocentrism,” suggests that a discourse need only feature or mention people of African descent to be considered Afrocentric. Such an approach has often led to the application of base intellectual offerings by scholars claiming to utilize Afrocentric methodology. This article discusses how mainstream media sound byte–type approaches toward Afrocentricity has (a) led to a dearth of understanding of the concept and (b) created the need for contemporary intellectuals to produce research that critically applies the Afrocentric paradigm in alignment with Asante’s conceptualization in order to prevail over typical anti-Black mainstream contributions. To distinguish pop culture Afrocentrism from the Afrocentric paradigm, focus is placed on Asante’s loc...
When does the Michaelis-Menten equation hold for fluctuating enzymes?

Enzymes are dynamic entities: both their conformation and catalytic activity fluctuate over time. When such fluctuations are relatively fast, it is not surprising that the classical Michaelis−Menten (MM) relationship between the steady-state enzymatic velocity and the substrate concentration still holds. However, recent single-molecule experiments have shown that this is the case even for an enzyme whose catalytic activity fluctuates on the 10-4−10 s range. The purpose of this paper is to examine various scenarios in which slowly fluctuating enzymes would still obey the MM relationship. Specifically, we consider (1) the quasi-static condition (e.g., the conformational fluctuation of the enzyme−substrate complex is much slower than binding, catalysis, and the conformational fluctuations of the free enzyme), (2) the quasi-equilibrium condition (when the substrate dissociation is much faster than catalysis, irrespective of the time scales or amplitudes of conformational fluctuations), and (3) the conformati...
223 MRI Evaluation of the Right Ventricle in Pediatric Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Purpose: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) causes maladaptive changes in the right ventricle (RV), affecting RV size and function, ultimately leading to death. Survival in children is worse than adults with PAH. Using cardiac MRI in pediatric patients with PAH, we examined how RV size and function (1) compares to normal data, (2) changes over time, and (3) correlates with clinical markers. Methods and Materials: Data from two institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects with PAH and a cardiac MRI were included. Right and left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were measured offline from ECG-gated, SSFP sequences at 1.5T from both institutions. Cardiac MRI variables, indexed for body-surface area, were compared to cardiac catheterization data, six-minute walk distance (6MWD), and serum BNP levels. Results: Twenty-six subjects (16 female), 1-16 years (mean 10), with idiopathic PAH were included. All patients were on PAH medication; 65% on IV or subcutaneous prostacylcin therapy. The baseline mean 6MWD (590 159 m) was normal. RV volumes and ejection fraction (EF) were markedly abnormal compared to normal data (p 0.001). All patients (n 11) who had myocardial delayed enhancement imaging had positive findings at the RV insertion point, indicating myocardial disarray. Follow-up MRIs were done in 15 patients, and RV volumes and function showed no significant change over one year. There was no correlation of RV volumes and function with cardiac catheterization data, 6MWD or BNP levels. Conclusions: Despite markedly abnormal right ventricular findings by cardiac MRI, pediatric patients with PAH have normal walk distances. RV volume and function does not significantly improve or deteriorate over one year while on medication, and does not correlate with available clinical markers for this disease. MRI may prove useful in risk stratification and disease monitoring, but longitudinal studies are needed.
Differences in perceived difficulty in print and online patient education materials.

Context: Written patient education materials frequently exceed the reading ability of the general public. Patients are often intimidated by the task of reading patient education materials, perceiving the materials’ difficulty levels as prohibitive, even when they do not exceed the patients’ reading abilities. It is unclear how the delivery mechanism—print or a computer screen—affects a patient’s reading experience through his/her perception of its difficulty. Objective:� To determine whether first-year college students perceived online or print-based patient education materials as more difficult to read. Design:�Convenience sampling of first-year college students. Results:�Some first-year college students perceived online patient education materials to be more difficult to read than print-based ones—even when the reading level of the patient education materials was similar. Demographic information about this sample’s high levels of digital literacy suggests that other populations might also perceive online patient education materials as more difficult to read than print-based equivalents. Pa tients’ perceptions of the difficulty of patient education materials influenced their ability to effectively learn from those materials. Conclusion: This article concludes with a call for more research into patients’ perceptions of difficulty of patient education materials in print vs on a screen.
Trapping Mocis spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) adults with different attractants

Experiments conducted in a pasture agroecosystem in central Florida showed that two-component lures composed of acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol placed in Unitraps collected adults of three species of grass looper. Mocis disseverans (Walker), M. latipes (Guenee), and M. marcida (Guenee) males and females were collected from July through November, with peaks from late September through late October. Other noctuid moths also were captured, but constituted less than 33% of the total moths collected. In 2001 and 2002, 67.7 and 72.4% of the Mocis spp. moths collected were females, respectively. Phenylacetaldehyde-baited traps collected fewer Mocis spp. moths. The trapping system suggested by our results will aid growers in monitoring for a pest complex that lacks commercially-available sex pheromone lures.
Biophysical and Biochemical Studies of Pichinde Virus

Pichinde virus, a member of the arenavirus group, was found to contain single-stranded RNA. The RNA consisted of 5 discernible components corresponding to 31S, 28S, 22S, 18S and 4 to 6S. The 28S and 18S RNA’s appeared to be of host cell origin and the 4 to 6S RNA was probably from the same source. The 31S and 22S RNA’s appeared to be components which coded for viral products. The virus was found to contain 4 structural polypeptides. Two were glycopeptides and 2 were polypeptides. One polypeptide (VI) and 1 glycopeptide (VII) remained associated with the viral RNA after treating the virus with nonionic detergent, while the other glycopeptide (VIII) was removed with such treatment. VIV was a minor peptide and its fate following treatment of the virus with nonionic detergent could not be determined.
Averaging of Stochastic Equations for Flow and Transport in Porous Media

Author(s): Shvidler, Mark; Karasaki, Kenzi | Abstract: It is well known that at present exact averaging of the equations of flow and transport in random porous media have been realized for only a small number of special fields. Moreover, the approximate averaging methods are not yet fully understood. For example, the convergence behavior and the accuracy of truncated perturbation series are not well known; and in addition, the calculation of the high-order perturbations is very complicated. These problems for a long time have stimulated attempts to find the answer for the question: Are there in existence some exact general and sufficiently universal forms of averaged equations? If the answer is positive, there arises the problem of the construction of these equations and analyzing them. There are many publications on different applications of this problem to various fields, including: Hydrodynamics, flow and transport in porous media, theory of elasticity, acoustic and electromagnetic waves in random fields, etc. Here, we present a method of finding some general form of exactly averaged equations for flow and transport in random fields by using (1) some general properties of the Green s functions for appropriate stochastic problems, and (2) some basic information about the random fields of the conductivity, porosity and flow velocity. We present general forms of exactly averaged non-local equations for the following cases: (1) steady-state flow with sources in porous media with random conductivity, (2) transient flow with sources in compressible media with random conductivity and porosity; and (3) Nonreactive solute transport in random porous media. We discuss the problem of uniqueness and the properties of the non-local averaged equations for cases with some type of symmetry (isotropic, transversal isotropic and orthotropic), and we analyze the structure of the nonlocal equations in the general case of stochastically homogeneous fields.
Factors Determining Gender of the Figure in Tat Card 3BM

Earlier work has shown that subjects commonly view the figure on Card 3BM of the TAT as female rather than male. This study supports that finding and presents the specific qualities of the 3BM card that lead to such perception of the 3BM figure.
The Role of Laminar-Turbulent Transition in Gas Turbine Engines

A critical study of laminar-turbulent transition phenomena and its role in aerodynamics and heat transfer in modern and future gas turbine engines is presented. In order to develop a coherent view of the subject, a current look at transition phenomena from both a theoretical and experimental standpoint are provided and a comprehensive state-of-the-art account of transitional phenomena in the engine’s throughflow components given. The impact of transitional flow on engine design is discussed and suggestions for future research and developmental work provided.Copyright © 1991 by ASME
A preliminary study of the effects of auricular acupuncture on alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms

Substance abuse remains one of the leading health care problems in the United States. Traditional treatment efforts are costly and patients continue to suffer high attrition and relapse rates. Alternative treatment interventions have increasingly gained popularity among Americans. Auricular acupuncture, one category of alternative treatment, has been used to ease many stress related physical and emotional disorders. Sixty patients presenting for substance abuse treatment were administered the Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal Questionnaire at baseline and after receiving their first acupuncture intervention. Twenty‐three patients were primarily cocaine dependent and 25 patients were primarily alcohol dependent. The remainder were dependent on opiates, cannabis, benzodiazapines, or amphetamines. Subjects were asked to rate their current level of general distress and symptomatology on a scale from 1 (indicating none) to 10 (indicating extreme). After post hoc corrections, there were statistically significant impr...
Determinants of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in middle-aged, premenopausal women

Controversy exists regarding the relative importance of adiposity, physical fitness, and physical activity in the regulation of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. To address this issue, we measur...
Comparison of Utilization and Clinical Outcomes for Belatacept‐ and Tacrolimus‐Based Immunosuppression in Renal Transplant Recipients

The performance of belatacept in a real clinical setting has not been reported. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using registry data comparing 1-year clinical outcomes between belatacept- and tacrolimus-treated adult kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) from January 6, 2011, through January 12, 2014. Of 50 244 total patients, 417 received belatacept plus tacrolimus, 458 received belatacept alone, and 49 369 received tacrolimus alone at discharge. In the overall study cohort, belatacept alone was associated with a higher risk of 1-year acute rejection, with the highest rates associated with non-lymphocyte-depleting induction (adjusted hazard ratio 2.65, 95% confidence interval 1.90-3.70, p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in rejection rates between belatacept plus tacrolimus and tacrolimus alone. In KTRs who met inclusion criteria for the Belatacept Evaluation of Nephroprotection and Efficacy as First-line Immunosuppression Trial-Extended Criteria Donors (BENEFIT-EXT), 1-year kidney function was higher with belatacept plus tacrolimus and belatacept alone versus tacrolimus alone (mean estimated GFR 65.6, 60.4 and 54.3 mL/min per 1.73 m2 , respectively; p < 0.001). The incidence of new-onset diabetes after transplantation was significantly lower with belatacept plus tacrolimus and belatacept alone versus tacrolimus alone (1.7%, 2.2%, and 3.8%, respectively; p = 0.01). Despite improved graft function and metabolic complications with belatacept alone, it may be advisable to add short-term tacrolimus in the first year after transplant and to consider lymphocyte-depleting induction in patients with high rejection risk, as the risk-benefit ratio allows.
Neural Mechanism of the Biological Motion Perception

The perception of biological motion is crucial for the survival of human beings.By examining the neural mechanism of biological motion perception,it is helpful to understand how people communicate at a distance and learn of complex motor actions by imitation.The neural network comprising superior temporal sulcus,fusiform gyrus,lingual gyrus and middle temporal area might be the potential neural basis of biological motion perception.Other brain areas,such as amygdala,cerebellum,premotor cortex and extrastriate body areas may also be involved in the processing of biological motion.The hierarchical neural model and template-matching model were proposed to explain the key experimental results and new experiments were designed relating to the recognition of biological movements.The paper also points to issues that cannot be answered by these two models and by the existing experimental results.
Dielectric Embedded Patch Symmetric Element Antenna

For the study of new dielectric embedded Yagi antenna to provide an experimental and theoretical basis,a configuration of the Dielectric Embedded Patch Symmetric Element Antenna(DEPSEA) is given,using microstrip line technology and antenna theory as well as microstrip patch antenna theory.The antenna is made by a layer of dielectric the same as the substrate of microstrip line seamlessly covered in the positive of deformation microstrip line.The metal parts of the antenna are completely embedded in the dielectric.There are many performance characteristics the same as in microstrip unit antenna.Besides,it clearly shortened the length of the antenna.The configuration and performance parameters of DEPSEA are determined by numerical simulation.It is proved that this kind of structure is reasonable by tests.
Exploration of Hospital Information Integration Platform Construction Based on HL7 Standard

Objective:To optimize the integration pattern among existing business application systems of hospital,and explore the construction of hospital information integration platform which supports the rapid integration of business system.Method:With reference to HL7,the international medical information exchange standard,the standardization transformation of the original business system interface is carried out,hospital information integration platform is constructed,and data exchange and sharing among business systems is realized through the integration platform.Results:With HL7 as the data exchange standard,using the hospital information integration platform,optimized integration and business synergy of medical service resources are realized.Conclusion:The construction of hospital information integration platform based on HL7 standard can gready reduce the coupling between the business systems,make the system easy to upgrade,maintain and expand,and improve the flexibility of the hospital's overall information system.
Abstract P4-04-18: High serum miR-19a levels correlated with favorable prognosis in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer and might result from effective antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) induced by trastuzumab and Th1-mediated antitumor immune response

Introduction HER2 amplification is found in up to 20% of breast cancer and is associated with poor survival. To date, no predictive biomarker has been validated for clinical practice in patients with HER2+ breast cancer. Type 1 T helper lymphocytes (Th1) are required to activate antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) necessary for tumor clearance. Particularly, IFN-γ secreted by Th1 cells is necessary for the development of CTL-mediated antitumor response. Trastuzumab can induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by natural killer (NK) cells. In turn, trastuzumab-activated NK cells can trigger Th1 cells by driving their differentiation and maturation. Furthermore, NK-mediated ADCC can increase tumor cell membrane permeability through pore formation induced by perforin secreted by NK cells. We found that: 1) high serum miR-19a levels in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer were predictive of favorable prognosis; 2) Th1 cells expressed and secreted high miR-19a levels; 3) and breast cancer tissue expressed higher miR-19a levels than normal adjacent tissue. Therefore, the high serum miR-19a levels in patients with good prognosis may derive from tumor cells killed by NK-mediated ADCC and secretion from Th1 cells. MiR-19a may represent a marker of effective anti-tumor immune response. Results HER2+ metastatic breast cancer patients with high serum miR-19a levels (n=27) had longer PFS (7.9 vs. 4.1 months; p=0.003) and OS (median not reached vs. 13.1 months; p Conclusion High serum miR-19a levels in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer may result from an increased ability of trastuzumab to induce an effective NK-mediated ADCC and activation of Th1-mediated immune response. This may explain the different clinical outcome between patients with high and low serum miR-19a levels. Our results suggest that miR-19a may potentially represent a novel serum biomarker to evaluate trastuzumab response and Th1-mediated anti-tumor immunity in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. Citation Format: Anfossi S, Huo L, Woodward WA, Ueno NT, Valero V, Calin GA, Reuben JM. High serum miR-19a levels correlated with favorable prognosis in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer and might result from effective antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) induced by trastuzumab and Th1-mediated antitumor immune response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-04-18.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV infected cells in saliva and salivary glands of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and about 6 years later developed persistent bilateral parotid gland enlargement. It was unclear whether this represented salivary gland involvement as a component of her SLE (secondary Sjogren's syndrome) or the initial clinical manifestation of her HIV-1 infection. HIV proviral DNA was found in individual salivary glandular secretions and in whole saliva. Additionally, cells positive for HIV RNA were isolated from whole saliva. A parotid gland biopsy revealed infiltrating lymphocytes containing large amounts of HIV RNA.
Permanent pacing following cardiac transplantation.

Permanent pacemakers were inserted in 20 of 439 patients who had received 453 orthotopic cardiac allografts since 1980 at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Mean age at transplantation was 45 + 4 (SEM) years (range 10 to 64). Pacemakers were inserted an average of 2.4 ± 1 months after transplantation (range 0.4 to 29), 16 of 20 (80%) within the first month. Indications included sinus bradycardia or sinus arrest in 15 (75%), third-degree heart block in 2 (10%), and both sinus node and atrioventricular node dysfunction in 3 (15%). Rejection episodes and pacemaker insertion were associated in 8 patients (40%). Pacing modes included DDD (7 patients, 35%), AAI,R (7 patients, 35%), VVI,R (3 patients, 15%), DDD,R (2 patients, 10%), and VVI (1 patient, 5%). There was no pacing-related morbidity or mortality. Fourteen of 20 patients (70%) are alive and well 3 to 48 months (mean 24 ± 4) after transplantation. Late follow-up indicated that atrioventricular node dysfunction resolved in one of two patients, sinoatrial node dysfunction improved or resolved in 7/13 patients, and no atrioventricular block developed in 11 (8 to 37 months, mean 22 ± 3). Permanent pacing can be safely performed following orthotopic cardiac transplantation, predominantly for sinus node dysfunction. The requirement for pacing may reflect ongoing or new onset rejection and patients should therefore be evaluated accordingly. Dual-chamber pacing is probably not necessary unless atrioventricular node dysfunction is coexistent. Further, as most transplant recipients return to an active life-style, AAI,R may be the preferred mode of pacing. (J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992;104:812-6)
Study role of climate change in extreme threats to water quality

Record-breaking harmful algal blooms and other severe impacts are becoming more frequent. We need to understand why, says Anna M. Michalak.
Knowledge and Certainty

Are any of us ever certain of anything? In one sense, we clearly are. Being certain often means nothing more than having a confident belief, and there is no question that we are often confident about what we believe. This is a very weak and uninteresting sense of certainty, however, and not the one philosophers have usually had in mind when they asked whether we are ever certain. This stronger, philosopher’s sense is often referred to as ‘absolute certainty’. Unfortunately, it is not very clear what this term means or even, I think, whether ‘certainty’ is ever used in this sense in ordinary language. Ordinary speakers might use the term in the weaker sense to mean firm belief while the stronger sense is a technical notion of philosophers. Since one of the issues I wish to deal with here is whether philosophers have been correct in claiming that we are sometimes absolutely certain (a doctrine I will call ‘infallibilism’), we must attempt to clarify the philosopher’s use of the term. The question whether this is also the ordinary sense of ‘certain’ can be left to one side. How then might we clarify ‘absolute certainty’?
Methods for Dynamic Fracture Resistance Testing

The principal need for a dynamic fracture tests is to define the ductile-brittle transition in the fracture resistance of conventional ferritic steels and irons as a function of temperature and size. Dynamic criteria of fracture resistance have also been used for structural metals with a limited sensitivity to strain rate due to the economy of conducting an impact test. Because of the general availability of impact machines for conducting a Charpy test, much research effort has been expended on attempts to make that test a more quantitative tool. For some materials, Charpy test results are difficult to interpret, and new tests have been developed and standardized that more readily provide information related to structural performance. Modified Charpy tests, the Drop-Weight NDT test, the Drop-Weight Tear test, and the Dynamic Tear test are discussed with respect to their attributes and their limitations.
Middleware and multicore architecture: Challenges and potential enhancements from software engineering perspective

An empirical study that examines challenges middleware software systems have to take full advantages of multicore technology is presented. The study is conducted on 9 open source middleware systems containing over 3.39 million lines of code. Each system is analyzed and the inhibitors to parallelization are detected and presented. Additionally, some challenges in analyzing, adapting, and re-engineering middleware systems to better utilize modern multi-core architectures are determined including function side effects. Function side effects categorized based on their types and the complexity they pose in conducting inter-procedural static analysis. The data shows that the most prevalent inhibitor by far is functions called within for-loops that have side effects. Moreover, the study shows that parameters by reference and global variables modification are the most prevalent side effects that poses the greatest challenges in re-engineering middleware systems to improve their parallelizability to better utilize multi-core architectures. That is, conducting accurate program analysis with existing software engineering tools becomes exigent and impractical with those side effects. The study suggests some software engineering techniques (e.g., refactoring) that have the potential to improve the parallelizability of middleware systems.
Application of fuzzy sets to the diagnosis of glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. There are several methods of treatment which can impede glaucoma's progression, but there is no way to reverse the damage already done. For this reason, if is important to diagnose glaucoma as early as possible to minimize the damage to the optic nerve. While there are many different tests used to detect the damage caused by glaucoma, there is no one test that looks at all of the possible effects. A methodology for using fuzzy set theory to combine these results into one diagnosis was developed. The methodology included two variations of three different techniques resulting in six different algorithms. The algorithms were verified with a set of patient data and the accompanying physician's diagnosis. The results of the algorithms were compared to determine the ones with a higher degree of correlation to the physician's diagnosis.
Dynamical Systems Modeling of Acoustic and Physiological Arousal in Young Couples

Well-being and mental health are directly associated with relationship status particularly in the context of relatedness and support. A key factor in relationship functioning is emotional arousal. We examine the interplay between emotional arousal manifested through acoustic and physiological cues and its association to relationship satisfaction. We propose a dynamical systems model to infer the within- and across-modality as well as the between-partner relations. Our results suggest that increased emotional regulation is negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and indicate that the proposed system consists a viable framework for analyzing such multimodal interrelations within romantic partners.
The impact of tumor biology on survival and response to radiation therapy among patients with non–small cell lung cancer brain metastases

Abstract Purpose To investigate the natural history and response to radiation therapy among ALK -rearranged, EGFR- mutated, wild-type adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastases. Methods and materials Patients with NSCLC brain metastasis diagnosed from 1989 through 2014 at a single tertiary-care institution were included. The primary outcome was overall survival, whereas secondary outcomes included local failure, distant intracranial failure, and radiation necrosis. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model overall survival; multivariate competing risks regression was used to model secondary outcomes. Results Within the study period, 1920 patients presented with 6312 brain metastases. Squamous histology was associated with poorer median survival compared with adenocarcinomas (5.4 vs 8.8 months, P .01). Median survival was greatest among ALK+ patients (49.2 months), followed by EGFR+ (20.3 months), and wild-type adenocarcinomas (10.0 months, P .01). Treatment with estimated glomerular filtration rate inhibitors (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; P .01) and vascular endothelial growth factor antibodies (HR, 0.65; P .01) increased survival independent of mutational status. Among 2056 lesions treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, the 12-month cumulative incidence of local failure was significantly greater among squamous cell carcinomas relative to adenocarcinomas (15% vs 10%, HR, 1.26; P = .04). Patients with ALK+ metastases experienced higher rates of local failure (10%; HR, 2.00; P = .05), distant failure (39%; HR, 2.94; P .01), and radiation necrosis (18%; HR, 5.77; P .01), whereas EGFR+ patients experienced the lowest rates of local failure (5%; HR, 0.46; P = .04) and distant failure (3%; HR, 0.13; P = .04). Conclusions Advances in precision medicine have increased survival among select patients with NSCLC. In the present investigation, ALK + and EGFR + status were associated with improved survival. However, patients with ALK + metastases have poor intracranial control relative to EGFR + metastases, possibly because of limited intracranial penetration of crizotinib compared with estimated glomerular filtration rate inhibitors. Future investigations are warranted to determine the optimal management of ALK + brain metastases with the introduction of second-generation ALK inhibitors.
Palette: A cache leakage energy saving technique for green computing

With each CMOS technology generation, leakage energy has been increasing at an exponential rate. Since modern processors employ large last level caches (LLCs), their leakage energy consumption has become an important concern in modern chip design. To address this issue, several techniques have been proposed. However, most of these techniques require offline profiling and hence, cannot be used in real-life systems which run trillions of instructions of arbitrary applications. In this paper, we propose Palette, a technique for saving cache leakage energy using cache coloring. Palette uses a small hardware component called reconfigurable cache emulator, to estimate performance and energy consumption of multiple cache configurations and then selects the configuration with least energy consumption. Simulations performed with SPEC2006 benchmarks show the superiority of Palette over existing cache energy saving technique. With a 2MB baseline cache, the average saving in memory sub-system energy and EDP (energy delay product) are 31.7% and 29.5%, respectively.
A Second Amendment Right to Be Negligent

Professor Andrew Jay McClurg maintains that the Second Amendment has been used to create a right to store firearms negligently. It is conceivable that some such thing could happen, just as the Supreme Court has used the First Amendment to require plaintiffs who are public figures to prove more than negligence in defamation actions. But Professor McClurg presents no evidence to support his claim. To accept his claim that the Second Amendment has caused courts to distort the application of standard tort principles, we would have to believe that they secretly relied on the Second Amendment and that they undertook this insidious project before they believed there was a legal basis for what they were doing. This is completely implausible. Professor McClurg, however, makes two additional claims that require a more extended response.First, he maintains that courts have misapplied well-established tort principles in refusing to hold the victims of gun thefts liable for injuries subsequently inflicted with the stolen weapons. This is wrong. Courts are simply applying traditional tort doctrines — including proximate cause and limits on duties to protect strangers from wrongdoing by others — when they refuse to impose liability on a gun owner whose unsecured gun is stolen and subsequently used to commit a crime. Second, Professor McClurg contends that legislatures have irresponsibly failed to impose objectively reasonable safe-storage duties on gun owners. Unfortunately, he has conflated his personal policy preferences with what is objectively reasonable. He advocates a rule requiring gun owners to store their guns in a sturdy, non-portable gun safe whenever they are not within the owner’s immediate control. This rule simply assumes away the costs of safe-storage practices, which include the expense of gun safes and the risk of being unable to quickly access the gun in an emergency. Furthermore, the imposition of such a duty — whether by courts or legislatures — would raise serious Second Amendment questions.
A template-projection approach to decode higher-order vision in realtime and at the perceptual threshold

The link between object perception and neural activity in visual cortical areas is a problem of fundamental importance in neuroscience. We measured brain surface physiology with implanted electrocorticography (ECoG) electrodes in humans. Physiological responses to visual stimuli in object-specific ventral temporal loci are highly polymorphic in different cortical loci, for both broadband and raw potential trace changes. To address this, we developed a template-projection method, where averaged responses from a localizer task are projected into the continuous datastream recorded from the brain. These projections are used to build a feature space. A classifier for decoding visual perception is applied to this feature space during training periods, and is applied to plain images, as well as noise masked images. This enables robust classification of visual perceptual state.
Hyperspectral remote sensing of vegetation: knowledge gain and knowledge gap after 50 years of research (Conference Presentation)

This presentation summarizes the advances made over 40+ years in understanding, modeling, and mapping terrestrial vegetation as reported in the new book on “Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Vegetation” (Publisher:Taylor and Francis inc.). The advent of spaceborne hyperspectral sensors or imaging spectroscopy (e.g., NASA’s Hyperion, ESA’s PROBA, and upcoming Italy’s ASI’s Prisma, Germany’s DLR’s EnMAP, Japanese HIUSI, NASA’s HyspIRI) as well as the advances made in processing when handling large volumes of hyperspectral data have generated tremendous interest in advancing the hyperspectral applications’ knowledge base to large areas. Advances made in using hyperspectral data, relative to broadband data, include: (a) significantly improved characterization and modeling of a wide array of biophysical and biochemical properties of vegetation, (b) ability to discriminate plant species and vegetation types with high degree of accuracy, (c) reducing uncertainties in determining net primary productivity or carbon assessments from terrestrial vegetation, (d) improved crop productivity and water productivity models, (e) ability to assess stress resulting from causes such as management practices, pests and disease, water deficit or water excess, and (f) establishing more sensitive wavebands and indices to study vegetation characteristics. The presentation will discuss topics such as: (1) hyperspectral sensors and their characteristics, (2) methods of overcoming the Hughes phenomenon, (3) characterizing biophysical and biochemical properties, (4) advances made in using hyperspectral data in modeling evapotranspiration or actual water use by plants, (5) study of phenology, light use efficiency, and gross primary productivity, (5) improved accuracies in species identification and land cover classifications, and (6) applications in precision farming.
Regulation and Exploitation of Enzyme Biosynthesis

Enzymes are valuable in manufacturing because of their rapid and efficient action at low concentrations under mild pH values and temperatures, their high degree of substrate specificity (which reduces side production formation), their low toxicity, and the ease of stopping their action by mild treatments.
Cadmium May Predispose Mice to Immune Complex-Mediated Renal Injury: Another Possible Mechanism for Cadmium-Induced Nephrotoxicity

There is strong evidence that chronic ingestion of cadmium results in tubulointerstitial nephritis with a Fanconi-type syndrome in both humans and animals (2,4). There are fewer reports of glomerulonephritis associated with cadmium exposure (1–4) . Those reports that mention glomerular damage usually attribute it to autoantibody production against tissue damaged by cadmium (1,2,4). Our laboratory has accumulated evidence that chronic cadmium ingestion can inhibit clearance of immune complexes by the mononuclear phagocytic system of mice. Such abnormalities may allow the persistence of soluble antigen antibody complexes in the circulation which in turn might lead to greater deposition of the complexes in the glomeruli of the kidney and possibly other sites potentially injurious to organ function.
A Challenging Case of Poorly Differentiated Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Kidney

When describing carcinomas, poorly differentiated defines how little the tumor tissue resembles the normal tissue it came from. The origin of these types of tumors cannot be determined by histologi...
Paecilomyces Rot: A New Apple Disease

Paecilomyces niveus is an important food spoilage fungus that survives thermal processing in fruit products, where it produces the mycotoxin patulin. Spoilage of products has been attributed to soil contamination; however, little is known about the ecology of this organism. In this study, orchard soils and culled apple fruit were surveyed and the ability of P. niveus to infect apple was tested on two popular apple varieties. P. niveus was found in 34% of sampled orchard soils from across New York. Completing Koch's postulates, P. niveus was demonstrated to cause postharvest disease in Gala and Golden Delicious apple. Symptoms of this disease, named Paecilomyces rot, resemble several other apple diseases, including black rot, bitter rot, and bull's-eye rot. External symptoms of Paecilomyces rot include brown, circular, concentrically ringed lesions, with an internal rot that is firm and cone-shaped. Both Gala and Golden Delicious apple fruit inoculated with P. niveus developed lesions ≥43 mm in size at 22 days after inoculation. There is some evidence that the size of lesions and rate of infection differ between Gala and Golden Delicious, which may indicate differing resistance to P. niveus. This work shows that P. niveus is common in New York orchard soil and can cause a novel postharvest fruit disease. Whether infected fruit can serve as an overlooked source of inoculum in heat-processed apple products requires further study.
Clinical and biomarker results from phase I/II study of PI3K inhibitor BYL 719 (alpelisib) plus nab-paclitaxel in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

1018Background: Activation of Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway may confer resistance to taxanes and in preclinical models concomitant inhibition of the PI3K pathway enhances efficacy of...
Detection of and Awareness on Increasing Climate Variability and the Elevated Risk to Forestry

The conclusion in the introduction to PART III of this book, that the potential for world-wide economic and social disruption is possibly enormous (NOAA 2007) is certainly a disconcerting prediction for agriculture and forestry. It undermines what farmers and foresters perceive as the natural state of the world. Not only will agriculture become less predictable but markets will also become less predictable. Historical examples of natural climate variability demonstrate that the consequences of climate variability can be both beneficial or dire (see Box III.4.12).
Agile Sensor Networks: Adaptive Coverage via Mobile Nodes.

Advances in sensing and communication technology make sensor networks a convenient and cost effective tool for collecting data in hard to reach and hazardous areas Increasingly, sensor networks are used to monitor the environment and enable swift and accurate intervention. Environmental monitoring is characterized by the facts that the area under surveillance tends to be large whereas incidents tend to be both sparse in time and localized. In this research, we investigate means by which we get good coverage, so that we do not miss events of interest, and we reduce cost, so that we do not deploy too many sensors in areas where nothing is happening. We propose to use a combination of static and mobile sensors. Initially, the nodes are randomly deployed. While the static sensors remain in place until they die out, mobile sensor nodes are constantly evaluating their position, scouting for interesting events. They move to areas where they can contribute useful and relevant information. As the dynamics of the events move, so do the mobile nodes. In this paper, we present the decision making process mobile nodes go through in order to adaptively adjust coverage. This process is simulated and the results presented.
DD46: Sag lieber nix! (August 2007)

„Der Uberbringer der schlechten Nachricht wird getotet. Deshalb sag ich nichts. Wer kritisiert, kommt um. Wer etwas von sich preisgibt, wird ausgenutzt. Wer hilft, wird hineingezogen. Ich bleibe stumm, alle mussen ihr Ungluck selbst erkennen, ich warne niemanden.“
Resources for new research directions in speaker recognition: the mixer 3, 4 and 5 corpora.

This paper describes new language resources designed to support research in speaker recognition. It begins with a brief overview of collections protocols, motivates the shift from the Switchboard protocol to the Mixer protocol, summarizes yields from the earliest phase of Mixer collection and then describes more recent phases, yields and expected yields and lessons learned.