cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

It is now well established that among patients with the clinical syndrome of heart failure (HF), approximately half have preserved systolic function, known most commonly as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Although originally considered to be predominantly a syndrome that pathophysiologically involves abnormalities in diastolic function (relaxation and/or stiffness), ongoing investigation suggests that, although diastolic abnormalities may be present in many patients, other aspects of pathophysiology likely also contribute to symptoms. Many recent articles have continued to explore aspects of this fascinating clinical syndrome. This review will summarize advances in understanding of the HFpEF syndrome, focusing on epidemiology, pathophysiology, and therapeutics. Lewis and colleagues1 examined data on >8000 patients enrolled in the Prevention of Events With Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibition (PEACE) trial, a randomized trial of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor trandolapril for prevention of adverse events in patients with stable coronary artery disease and normal systolic function, to assess predictors of incident HF over a median of 4.8 years of follow-up after randomization. Several factors were associated with an increased risk of incident HF hospitalization or HF death, including older age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, whereas randomization to trandolapril reduced risk. A risk score was developed that showed good discrimination for incident HF with a C statistic of 0.80. Although this study did not report a reevaluation of left ventricular (LV) function at the time of the incident HF event, the data suggest that among patients with stable coronary artery disease and preserved ejection fraction (EF), clinical factors can risk-stratify patients in regard to the possibility of future HF for potential preventive strategies. Of great interest are possible differences in risk factors and underlying disease states in patients with HFpEF compared with those with HF and reduced EF. The Framingham Study investigators examined clinical characteristics and risk …
Risk of hip fracture in disabled community-living older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the rate of hip fracture and risk factors associated with hip fractures in disabled older persons who enroll in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a program providing comprehensive care to community-living nursing-home-eligible persons. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study between January 1990 and December 1997. SETTING: The twelve PACE demonstration sites: San Francisco, California; Columbia, South Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Denver, Colorado; East Boston, Massachusetts; El Paso, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Rochester, New York; Sacramento, California; and the Bronx, New York. PARTICIPANTS: Five thousand one hundred eighty-seven individuals in PACE; mean age 79, 71% female, 49% white, 47% with dementia. MEASUREMENTS: Functional status, cognitive status, demographics, and comorbid conditions were recorded on all the participants, who were tracked for occurrence of a hip fracture. The goals were to determine the rate of hip fracture and identify risk factors. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-eight hip fractures (4.6%) occurred during follow-up. The rate of hip fracture was 2.2% per person-year. Four independent predictors of hip fracture were identified using Cox proportional hazard analysis: age of 75 and older (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4–2.8); white ethnicity (HR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.6–2.8); ability to transfer independently to and from bed, chair, and toilet (HR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2–7.2); and five or more Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire errors (HR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.3–2.1). The incidence of hip fracture ranged from 0.5% per person-year in persons with zero to one independent risk factors to 4.7% per person-year in those with all four independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of hip fracture in this cohort of disabled community-living older adults was similar to that reported in nursing home cohorts. Older age, white race, ability to transfer independently, and cognitive impairment were independent predictors of hip fracture. Persons with these risk factors should be targeted for preventive interventions, which should include strategies for making transferring safer.
THE APPLICATION OF SPECTRAL REFLECTANCE TO THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY.

Abstract The components of dye mixtures resolved on thin-layers plates were identified by direct examination of the plates by spectral reflectance The amounts of adsorbed dye were determined at the same time with a precision of approximatel ± 5%. Reflectance measurements carried out on spots removed from the plates and packed in an appropriate cell afforded a degree of precision identical to that attained with transmittance.
Primary and overall success rates for clinical outcomes after laparoscopic, endoscopic, and open pancreatic cystgastrostomy for pancreatic pseudocysts.

Internal drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts can be accomplished by traditional open or minimally invasive laparoscopic or endoscopic approaches. This study aimed to evaluate the primary and overall success rates and clinical outcomes after laparoscopic, endoscopic, and open pancreatic cystgastrostomy for pancreatic pseudocysts. Records of 83 patients undergoing laparoscopic (n = 16), endoscopic (n = 45), and open (n = 22) pancreatic cystgastrostomy were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. There were no significant differences (p < 0.05) in the mean patient age (years), gender, body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), etiology of pancreatitis (% gallstone), or size (cm) of pancreatic pseudocyst between the groups. Grade 2 or greater complications occurred within 30 days of the primary procedure for 31.5% of the laparoscopic patients, 15.6% of the endoscopic patients, and 22.7% of the open patients (nonsignificant differences). The follow-up evaluation for 75 patients (90.4%) was performed at a mean interval of 9.5 months (range, 1–40 months). The primary compared with the overall success rate, defined as cyst resolution, was 51.1% vs. 84.6% for the endoscopic group, 87.5% vs. 93.8% for the laparoscopic group, and 81.2% vs. 90.9% for the open group. The primary success rate was significantly higher (p < 0.01) for laparoscopic and open groups than for the endoscopic group, but the overall success rate was equivalent across the groups (nonsignificant differences). Primary endoscopic failures were salvaged by open pancreatic cystgastrostomy (n = 13), percutaneous drainage (n = 3), and repeat endoscopic drainage (n = 6). Laparoscopic and open pancreatic cystgastrostomy both have a higher primary success rate than endoscopic internal drainage, although repeat endoscopic cystgastrostomy provides overall success for selected patients.
Genetic variability in endoparasitic helminths

Biochemical genetic studies have revealed high levels o f polymorphism and heterozygosity in natural populations of endoporasitic helminths. With few exceptions, these parasitic helminths appear just as genetically variable as free-living invertebrates. But this finding is not consistent with the idea that the internal environment o f the host represents a stable and homogeneous habitat which selects for parasite homozygosity. In this article, Steven Nadler examines alternative explanations drawn from the perennial 'selectionist-neutralist' debate-do all genes necessarily confer selective advantages or disadvantages, or are some effectively neutral?
Hepatic proprotein convertases modulate HDL metabolism.

Summary The risk of atherosclerosis is inversely associated with plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). However, HDL metabolism is incompletely understood, and there are few effective approaches to modulate HDL-C levels. Here we show that inhibition in the liver of the classical proprotein convertases (PCs), but not the atypical PCs S1P and PCSK9, decreases plasma HDL-C levels. This metabolic effect of hepatic PCs is critically dependent on expression of endothelial lipase (EL), an enzyme that directly hydrolyzes HDL phospholipids and promotes its catabolism. Hepatic PCs reduce EL function through direct inactivating cleavage of EL as well as through activating cleavage of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3), an endogenous inhibitor of EL. Thus, inhibition of hepatic PCs results in increased EL activity, leading to reduced HDL-C as well as impaired reverse cholesterol transport. The hepatic PC–ANGPTL3–EL–HDL pathway is therefore a novel mechanism controlling HDL metabolism and cholesterol homeostasis.
A phenomenological study of meniscus lines on the surfaces of GaAs layers grown by LPE

Abstract The phenomenon of “meniscus lines” on the surfaces of liquid phase epitaxial layers of GaAs is described, and it is shown that these are associated with a “stick-slip” motion of the edge of the liquid as it is removed from the surface. Mechanisms which may account for the creation of this phenomenon are postulated.
Extracellular Na+ inhibits Na+/H+ exchange: cell shrinkage reduces the inhibition.

Na+/H+ exchangers (NHE) are ubiquitous transporters participating in regulation of cell volume and pH. Cell shrinkage, acidification, and growth factors activate NHE by increasing its sensitivity t...
Expectations hypotheses tests at Long Horizons

Summary Many rational expectations models state that an economic variable is determined as the present value of future variables. These restrictions have traditionally been tested on VARs where variables appear either in levels (or cointegrating relationships) or first differences. When variables are highly persistent, commonly used test statistics may lead to overrejections in small samples. We propose an alternative method based on local-to-unity asymptotic approximations that has good coverage properties, and can be applied to jointly test across horizons. We apply this method to the Term Structure of Interest Rates, the Uncovered Interest Rate Parity condition, and the Permanent Income Hypothesis. The method can also be used to perform inference in long-horizon predictive regressions.
The case for software warranties

Although increased computing power has placed ever more incredible computational tasks within users' reach, typical users who want to keep their information secure usually aren't sure ifthey can do so, even with the most powerful computing technologies at their.
LXI. Results of tests of materials subjected to combined stresses

(1908). LXI. Results of tests of materials subjected to combined stresses. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 16, No. 95, pp. 720-725.
Dynamics of a transportation pollution permit system with stability analysis and computations

Abstract In this paper, we develop a dynamic model of a link-based pollution permit system for congested urban transportation networks, whose set of stationary points coincides with the set of solutions to the variational inequality formulation of a previously proposed static model. We then conduct stability analysis and establish both local and global stability results and, in particular, asymptotical stability, under assumptions solely underlying the user link travel cost and origin/destination pair travel disutility functions. Finally, we propose an algorithm for the discrete time approximation of the trajectories, establish convergence, and provide numerical examples. This work is the first to study the dynamics and stability of a pollution permit system for transportation networks.
Concordance between emergency department and discharge diagnoses in patients admitted with right lower quadrant abdominal pain

Study objectives: We compare emergency department (ED) diagnosis to discharge diagnosis in patients presenting with right lower quadrant pain and examine factors influencing agreement. Methods: We conducted a 7-month prospective observational study enrolling patients with right lower quadrant pain in an urban ED. Exclusion criteria were recent trauma or previous appendectomy. Patients discharged from the ED were followed up for 7 days (none required later admission). ED diagnosis, discharge diagnosis, demographic data, diagnostic studies, and inhospital management were recorded. Primary outcomes were agreement between ED diagnosis and discharge diagnosis (excluding discharged patients). Secondary outcome was ED diagnosis accuracy in appendicitis, controlling for age, race, sex, and insurance (sensitivity/specificity calculated with discharged patients). Data are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Four hundred twenty-nine patients enrolled; 269 patients were admitted (63%). Agreement of ED diagnosis and discharge diagnosis was 80% (95% CI 75% to 85%). There was no difference in age groups (>65 versus ED diagnosis of appendicitis with CT scan (n=243) was as follows: accuracy 90% (95% CI 86% to 94%), sensitivity 91% (95% CI 87% to 95%), and specificity 90% (95% CI 86% to 94%). Patients not scanned were more likely to be triaged to the most critical category, to have a fever, and to have a WBC count outside the 95% CI for age-specific norms. For patients who ultimately required operative treatment (n=120), ED diagnosis had 90% agreement with discharge diagnosis (95% CI 85% to 95%). ED appendicitis diagnosis in those who required surgery was as follows: accuracy 94% (95% CI 89% to 99%), sensitivity 96% (95% CI 91% to 100%), and specificity 90% (95% CI 85% to 95%). Conclusion: ED diagnosis and discharge diagnosis have higher concordance in right lower quadrant pain in male patients and in patients requiring surgery. There may be less agreement in female patients, especially with obstetric and gynecologic pathology. Agreement does not appear to be affected by age, race, or insurance status.
Repair of daughter strand gaps in nascent DNA from mouse epidermal cells treated with dihydrodiol epoxide derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene.

Abstract Alkaline sucrose gradient analysis of [methyl-3H]thymidine-pulse-labeled DNA was used to study the effect of (±)-7β,8a-dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide I), a potent mutagen and carcinogen, and (±)-7β,8α-dihydroxy-9β,10β-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide II), a weaker mutagen and carcinogen, on the size of newly synthesized DNA in primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells. Both isomers caused a dose-dependent decrease in the size of newly synthesized DNA and in the rate of [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. When the pulse time was increased in the treated cells so that the amount of [methyl-3H]thymidine incorporation was equal to the control, newly synthesized DNA from exposed cells was still considerably smaller than DNA from control cells. The low molecular weight of the nascent DNA from treated cells was consistent with, but not indicative of, the presence of gaps in the nascent DNA from the treated cells. Evidence of gapped DNA synthesis was obtained by treatment of extracted DNA with a single-strand specific endonuclease from Neurospora crassa. The endonuclease treatment did not significantly alter the profile of [methyl-3H]thymidine prelabeled DNA from benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide-treated cultures but did introduce double-strand breaks in pulse-labeled DNA from treated cultures. The numbers of [14C]benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide I or [3H]benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide II-DNA-bound adducts and daughter strand gaps were compared at several dose levels. Treatment with either isomer yielded one gap in the nascent DNA DNA-bound adduct. Pulse-chase experiments showed that gaps in the nascent DNA were closed with time.
Percutaneous liver biopsy in difficult cases simplified by CT or ultrasonic localization.

Repeat liver biopsy guided by CT and ultrasound was performed in ten prospectively selected patients with chronic liver disease, small liver size, and a previous unsuccessful biopsy. Biopsy sites selected by both radiographic techniques were essentially similar and within 1 cm of each other. The bulk of the liver was located more posteriorly and superiorly than expected, explaining the failure of the previous unsuccessful biopsies. Adequate cores of liver 1–2.5 cm in length were easily obtained with radiologic guidance. This technique is especially useful in patients with chronic active hepatitis complicated by cirrhosis.
Organizational capacity for change and firm performance in a transition economy

This study explored some human resource and human systems' aspects of the competitive dynamics for firms attempting to survive and prosper within Russia, a highly volatile transition economy. Overall, this study adds to our understanding of international strategic human resource management, dynamic capabilities, and the generation of competitive advantage within transition economies. We found that a relatively new construct derived from the dynamic capabilities and organizational change literatures, known as ‘organizational capacity for change,’ is positively associated with firm performance within a wide variety of Russian firms. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between organizational capacity for change and firm performance is stronger when there are relatively high levels of uncertainty with the task environment. Finally, we found that organizational capacity for change is an important attribute in all sizes of organizations, not just for large organizations as hypothesized.
Incorporation of Different Types of n-3 Fatty Acids Into Tissue Lipids of Poultry

The objective of the present study was to compare the incorporation of different types of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids into thigh muscle lipids of poultry. Nine groups of broiler chicks were fed diets supplemented with three levels (1.0, 2.5, and 5.0%) of either corn, linseed, or menhaden oil. Birds supplemented with linseed oil, rich in linolenic acid (C18:3n-3), had significantly higher levels of n-3 fatty acids and higher n-3:n-6 ratios than those supplemented with the same level of menhaden oil, primarily due to an accumulation of C18:3n-3. Levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) were increased (P less than .05), compared with the controls fed the same level of corn oil, in the groups fed the two higher levels of linseed oil, and in all the groups fed menhaden oil. Linolenic acid is less susceptible to auto-oxidation, and is less likely to impart an off-flavor to the muscle. Thus, if it is desirable to increase the n-3:n-6 ratio in poultry, seed meals or oils with a high content of C18:3n-3 could be used in poultry feeds.
Reinforcing the Safety Net: Explaining the Propensity for and Intensity of Nonprofit-Local Government Collaboration

This article uses data from a survey of nonprofit executive directors in Boston, Massachusetts to address the question: which factors influence the propensity for and intensity of nonprofit-local g...
Diagnosis of an underestimation of summertime sulfate using the Community Multiscale Air Quality model

We evaluate the simulations of SO2 and sulfate using the Community Multiscale Air Quality model (CMAQ) version 4.6 with the observations over the United States in 2002. MM5 was used for meteorological simulations. While the general seasonal cycles of SO2 and sulfate are simulated well by the model, we find significant systematic biases in the summer. The model low bias in sulfate is considerably more severe than the model bias in SO2. Both ACM and RADM schemes are used in the model to test the sensitivities of simulated sulfate to cloud processing. We carry out detailed modeling analysis and diagnostics for July 2002. Compared to satellite observations of cloud liquid water path, CMAQ cloud modules greatly overestimates convective (sub-grid) precipitating clouds, leading to large overestimation of sulfate wet scavenging. Limiting convective precipitating cloud fraction in the cloud modules to <10% and hence significantly reducing wet scavenging lead to much improved agreement between simulated and observed sulfate. The average lifetime of sulfate in the model increases from 1e2 days to 3e4 days for July. We show that a potential model problem of excessive wet scavenging of sulfate does not necessarily lead to apparent problems in model simulations of sulfate wet deposition rate compared to surface observations. In general, there is still a lack of direct observational constraints from air quality monitoring measurements on model simulated cloud processing of SO 2 and sulfate.
Editorial: baclofen and transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations – the band plays on

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currentlythe most common cause of abnormal liver biochemistry.At the clinic setting, the diagnosis is usually based ontypical bright liver echotexture with deep attenuation,after judicious exclusion of other liver diseases. Whenmore than one-third of the hepatocytes are steatotic, thesensitivity of ultrasonography exceeds 90%.
Feature-based elimination : Model and empirical comparison

Experimental and verbal protocol research suggest that consumers appear to use noncompensatory screening strategies to remove alternatives and simplify complex choice situations prior to making a choice. Existing multi-phased choice models assume that the consumer initially evaluates each alternative to determine whether it should pass the first-stage screen and enter the choice set. The feature-based elimination model proposed in this study allows the consumer to avoid processing information for each alternative when forming the choice set. The consumer is assumed to apply a sequence of noncompensatory screens, similar to the elimination-by-aspects strategy, to form the choice set. An empirical application of the model demonstrates that cross-sectional heterogeneity in screening strategies can also be accommodated. One finding from this application is that heterogeneity in screening strategies may be at least as prevalent as heterogeneity in preferences. A comprehensive empirical comparison of the proposed model with existing two-stage models for scanner panel data shows that the model performs at least as well as all existing models and substantially better than most. The empirical performance of the model, coupled with its theoretical appeal and consistency with actual accounts of decision making in complex situations, make the proposed model an appealing alternative to existing multi-phased choice models.
Accelerating a paricle -in-cell simulation using a hybrid counting sort

Abstract In this article, performance limitations of the particle advance in a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation are discussed. It is shown that the memory subsystem and cache-thrashing severely limit the speed of such simulations. Methods to implement a PIC simulation under such conditions are explored. An algorithm based on a counting sort is developed which effectively eliminates PIC simulation cache thrashing. Sustained performance gains of 40 to 70 percent are measured on commodity workstations for a minimal 2d2v electrostatic PIC simulation. More complete simulations are expected to have even better results as larger simulations are usually even more memory subsystem limited.
Effects of Alloying on the Strain Response of Critical Currents in Nb3Sn Conductors

In recent years an explanation of the strain tolerance of Nb3Sn conductors has evolved that is based upon an understanding of the composite nature of these materials, specifically, the presence of residual strains in as-fabricated wires [1]. Residual compressive strains, which are induced by thermal contraction of the matrix, exist on the A15 compound and must first be overcome by applied strains, e, before significant degradation in critical current, Jc, can occur. The amount of compressive strain present in as-fabricated conductors varies with factors such as the volume ratio of matrix to filament, R v, and any accommodating plastic deformation that may occur in the matrix or filament during cooldown from heat-treatment temperatures. The results of critical current measurements as a function of tensile and bending strains on monofilament wires alloyed to improve their tolerance to mechanical straining are presented.
Occurrence and persistence of non-native Cichlasoma urophthalmus (family Cichlidae) in estuarine habitats of south-west Florida (USA) : environmental controls and movement patterns

The geographic scope of species introductions has increased dramatically in the last 200 years. One of the greatest challenges to understanding the ecological consequences of non-native species is that it has been difficult to identify the attributes that allow them to become established outside their native range. This challenge is compounded by anthropogenic habitat alteration that often enhances the establishment and expansion of non-native species. Fishes in the family Cichlidae are notoriously adaptive, and contribute more non-native species to North America than any other fish family. This is especially true in Florida (USA), where 18 cichlid species have become established. The Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus) was first documented in south Florida in 1983, and is present in many freshwater and estuarine habitats. This study reports a northward range expansion by C. urophthalmus, demonstrates the connectivity between altered freshwater habitats and tidal estuarine habitats, and suggests that the estuarine populations are ephemeral and dependent upon colonisation from populations in altered freshwater habitats.
Optical/Acoustic Radiation Imaging in tissue-mimicking bladder wall phantoms

This article explores the feasibility of utilizing Optical/Acoustic Radiation Imaging (OARI) to gain information about the mechanical and optical properties of the urinary bladder for monitoring and detecting changes due to the onset or progression of cancer. OARI was demonstrated on tissue-mimicking bladder wall phantoms. Imaging was performed using Optical Coherence Tomography. Tissue displacements were induced in phantoms via acoustic radiation force using a 5 MHz focused transducer. Phantom images before and after displacement were used to create displacement maps. With an acoustic intensity ranging from 0 – 112.12 W/cm2, we observed displacements of 6 – 120 µm for the 11.54 kPa phantom, 0 – 84 µm for the 17.12 kPa phantom, and 0 – 24 µm for the 21.19 kPa phantom. Increases in acoustic intensity resulted in higher displacements in phantoms, with stiffer phantoms exhibiting less displacement. OARI could become a valuable tool in early bladder cancer detection.
Comparison of parenchymal and ventricular intracranial pressure readings utilizing a novel multi-parameter intracranial access system

Introduction Both ventricular and parenchymal devices are available for measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP). The Hummingbird® Synergy Ventricular System is a novel device allowing multi-parametric neurological monitoring, including both ventricular and parenchymal ICP. The purpose of this study is to compare the congruence of the device’s ventricular and parenchymal ICP readings.
Guidelines for implantation of primary prevention defibrillators: Who is listening?

i r a p i m m m a b r w m S t c c Pivotal trials over the past decade have established that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) prevent sudden death and improve overall survival in high-risk groups, identified broadly on the basis of low left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and heart failure. In 2005, the Center or Medicare & Medicaid Services extended the US national overage determination for ICD implantation to include rimary prevention indications based on the results of these ivotal trials. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services estricted coverage for patients with recent myocardial inarctions and newly diagnosed heart failure, since these ere exclusions from the pivotal trials and other studies ailed to demonstrate benefit in these situations. Guidelines rom ACC/AHA/HRS identify specific class I indications or ICD implantation in patients with left ventricular dysunction (ejection fraction 35% and class II/III heart failre; ejection fraction 30% and class I heart failure in schemic cardiomyopathy). Why then are primary prevenion ICDs implanted in only a minority of eligible recipints? Barriers to ICD implantation occur at several levels. The treating physician may not understand the indications for ICD implantation or may believe that implantation is not warranted. The patient may decline to have the implantation, particularly if he or she cannot expect symptomatic improvement from a purely prophylactic device. In some localities, access to an implanting physician may be difficult or cumbersome. Highly publicized generator and lead recalls have probably eroded the enthusiasm of some physicians and patients for prophylactic ICDs. It also has been shown that wide variations exist in ICD utilization, depending on geographical region, practice setting, availability of electrophysiologists, race, and insurance status. Just as puzzling as the failures to refer high-risk patients are the implantations that clearly fall outside of current guidelines. This issue was highlighted by an analysis of the US ICD Registry that found that 23% of the ICD implantations were “non–evidence-based.” Arguably, many of
A Massively Parallel Digital Learning Processor

We present a new, massively parallel architecture for accelerating machine learning algorithms, based on arrays of vector processing elements (VPEs) with variable-resolution arithmetic. Groups of VPEs operate in SIMD (single instruction multiple data) mode, and each group is connected to an independent memory bank. The memory bandwidth thus scales with the number of VPEs, while the main data flows are local, keeping power dissipation low. With 256 VPEs, implemented on two FPGAs (field programmable gate array) chips, we obtain a sustained speed of 19 GMACS (billion multiply-accumulate per sec.) for SVM training, and 86 GMACS for SVM classification. This performance is more than an order of magnitude higher than that of any FPGA implementation reported so far. The speed on one FPGA is similar to the fastest speeds published on a Graphics Processor for the MNIST problem, despite a clock rate that is an order of magnitude lower. Tests with Convolutional Neural Networks show similar compute performances. This massively parallel architecture is particularly attractive for embedded applications, where low power dissipation is critical.
Do Nonhuman Primates Comprise Appropriate Experimental Models for Studying the Function of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G?

Abstract The expression and function of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ia genes, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B, and -C, is well-established; they are expressed in most nucleated cells and present endogenous peptides to CD8+ T cells. However, MHC class Ib genes are poorly characterized and have unknown functions. In humans, the best-characterized class Ib gene is HLA-G. This gene has a restricted tissue expression of the mRNA and a unique pattern of protein expression; it is expressed mainly in the extravillous cytotrophoblast cells in the placenta. The function of HLA-G is not clear, but its presence at the maternal-fetal interface suggests a role in protection of the semiallogeneic fetus. Whereas functional studies using in vitro models and transgenic mice provide useful insights regarding the potential function of this molecule, in vivo studies cannot be performed in humans. Nonhuman primates that are closely related to humans phylogenetically contain homologues of HLA-G. T...
Enhanced kinetics of genetically engineered Burkholderia cepacia: the role of vgb in the hypoxic metabolism of 2‐CBA

Application of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) technology to 2-CBA degradation by Burkholderia cepacia strain DNT under hypoxic conditions was studied in continuous culture chemostats. Dechlorination abilities of both recombinant (VHb gene (vgb) containing) and untransformed cells were investigated at various dilution rates to ensure complete degradation of 2-CBA. As the dilution rate increased from 0.025 to 0.25 h 1 , the ratios of chloride release to degraded 2-CBA concentration decreased from 0.95 to 0.72 and from 0.89 to 0.39 for recombinant and untransformed cells, respectively. A nonstoichiometric relationship between chloride release and 2-CBA degradation was more pronounced for untransformed cells. Recombinant cell densities were 0.1 -0.2 g L 1 greater than untransformed cell densities for a range of dilution rates. As the dilution rate increased, the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and the substrate utilization rate (SUR) decreased for both strains. The OUR/SUR ratio increased as the dilution rate increased for both strains but was much higher for the recombinant strain compared to untransformed cells. The specific 2-CBA degradation rate of recombinant cells was greater than that of untransformed cells (1.17 vs. 0.46 mg CBA (mg) -1 day -1 , and half-saturation constants for recombinant cells were lower than those of untransformed cells (0.18 and 0.32 mg CBA L -1 , respectively). The pseudo-first-order degradation constants, k 1CBA and k 1ACE , were higher for recombinant cells (6.5 L (mg cells) 1 day 1 and 95.6 L (mg cells) -1 day 1 , respectively) than those of untransformed cells (1.44 L (mg cells) 1 day 1 and 73.7 L (mg cells) 1 day 1 , respectively).
Recent advances of laser-spectroscopy-based techniques for applications in breath analysis

Laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) in the mid-infrared region offers a promising new effective technique for the quantitative analysis of trace gases in human breath. LAS enables sensitive, selective detection, quantification and monitoring in real time, of gases present in breath. This review summarizes some of the recent advances in LAS based on semiconductor lasers and optical detection techniques for clinically relevant exhaled gas analysis in breath, specifically such molecular biomarkers as nitric oxide, ammonia, carbon monoxide, ethane, carbonyl sulfide, formaldehyde and acetone.
Distribution-based aggregation for relational learning with identifier attributes

Identifier attributes--very high-dimensional categorical attributes such as particular product ids or people's names--rarely are incorporated in statistical modeling. However, they can play an important role in relational modeling: it may be informative to have communicated with a particular set of people or to have purchased a particular set of products. A key limitation of existing relational modeling techniques is how they aggregate bags (multisets) of values from related entities. The aggregations used by existing methods are simple summaries of the distributions of features of related entities: e.g., MEAN, MODE, SUM, or COUNT. This paper's main contribution is the introduction of aggregation operators that capture more information about the value distributions, by storing meta-data about value distributions and referencing this meta-data when aggregating--for example by computing class-conditional distributional distances. Such aggregations are particularly important for aggregating values from high-dimensional categorical attributes, for which the simple aggregates provide little information. In the first half of the paper we provide general guidelines for designing aggregation operators, introduce the new aggregators in the context of the relational learning system ACORA (Automated Construction of Relational Attributes), and provide theoretical justification. We also conjecture special properties of identifier attributes, e.g., they proxy for unobserved attributes and for information deeper in the relationship network. In the second half of the paper we provide extensive empirical evidence that the distribution-based aggregators indeed do facilitate modeling with high-dimensional categorical attributes, and in support of the aforementioned conjectures.
States, scales and households: limits to scale thinking? A response to Brenner

Neil Brenner’s response (this issue) to ‘The social construction of scale’ (Marston, 2000) raises a host of excellent points that might, as he intends, help focus and refine the blossoming discussion of geographical scale. His larger argument, that the popularity of scale theories has led to a certain ‘analytical blunting’ of this sharply defined concept and that scale is increasingly conflated with broader discussions of space, is surely correct. Yet two aspects of Brenner’s response are troubling: first, the idiosyncratic genealogy of scale theories he wishes to assert; and second, the refusal of feminist arguments about the scale of the household. Both moves compound and exemplify rather than resolve the problem he identifies. In the hope of sharpening the analytical debate, therefore, we would like to offer a brief sympathetic critique of these two foundations of Brenner’s approach to scale theory. Our argument is that the analytical blunting of scale can best be countered through the constant reinvention of scale theory ahead of the fetishist juggernaut. For exactly this reason the original article insisted on the constitutive but largely unheralded role of social reproduction and consumption, in conjunction with social production, in the production of geographical scale. It seems to us that Brenner’s commitment to a politics of scale is, following Lefebvre, only ‘spacedeep’. Brenner argues quite astutely that in the current literature there is a ‘noticeable slippage’ between ‘notions of geographical scale’ and other geographical concepts such as ‘place, locality, territory, and space’. At least methodologically, he wants to establish a radical separation between arguments concerning the production of space and the production of scale to retard any morphing of scale into space and vice versa. This argument makes sense, up to a point: scale is a produced societal metric that differentiates space; it is not space per se. Yet ‘geographical scale’ is not simply a ‘hierarchically
A model for contact center analysis and simulation

In this paper we depart from a set of simple assumptions regarding the behavior of a pool of customers associated with an enterprise's contact center. We assume that the pool of customers can access the contact center through an array of communication modalities (e.g., email, chat, web, voice). Based on these assumptions we develop a model that describes the volume of demand likely to be observed in such an environment as a function of time. Under the simple initial assumptions, the model we develop corresponds to a mean-reverting process of the type frequently used in energy options pricing. When independence assumptions are relaxed and correlations between user behavior are included, a jump-diffusion component appears in the model. The resulting model constitutes the potential foundation for key simulation-based analyses of the contact center, like capacity modeling and risk analysis.
Designing for the global community

This paper presents a plan for the development of a global design strategy. In support of this position, the paper summarizes numerous variables that are central to a successful internationalization effort and offers a process for implementing this strategy within a product development cycle. With international sales representing a huge potential for growth and profit, corporate America must make a concerted effort to establish comprehensive internationalization policies and procedures.
Identification of SLR tool needs - results of a community workshop

Context: With the increasing popularity of the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) process, there is also an increasing need for tool support. Objective:The goal of this work was to consult the software engineering researchers who conduct SLRs to identify and prioritize the necessary SLR tool features. Method: To gather information required to address this goal, we invited SLR authors to participate in an interactive 2?h workshop structured around the Nominal Group Technique. Results: The workshop outcomes indicated that Search & Selection and Collaboration are the two highest priority tool features. The results also showed that most of the high-priority features are not well-supported in current tools. Conclusion: These results support and extend the results of prior work. SLR tool authors can use these findings to guide future development efforts.
Estimation and tracking of knee angle trajectory using inertial sensors and a smartphone application

We demonstrate a practical solution to track the 2-D knee angle trajectory of a user in real-time using inertial sensors embedded in a wearable knee-band wirelessly coupled with a mobile device, by mathematically modeling the knee as a hinge joint. We show how the bias of gyroscopes can be automatically computed to eliminate manual calibration and combined with a computationally simple Kalman filter model for tracking the knee-angle on a power-constrained mobile device. Finally, we visualize the 2-D knee motion trajectory in real-time using an avatar on an Android phone.
System Architecture and Control of Vast DOF Array Actuators

Systems with a large number of actuators can be built more efficiently by reducing the number of drive amplifiers. System architecture and control strategies of such systems with a reduced number of drive amplifiers are presented. Switch matrix network architecture is used to reduce the number of drive amplifies. The system with network drive architecture has a limited capacity in terms of power related resources. In order to deal with such systems, a limited power resource problem is converted to a problem of transmitting signals through a channel with limited capacity. Pulse Width Modulators change the analog outputs of the conventional controller of each actuator to digital signals, and a Network Modulator encodes those signals into signals suitable for networked drive amplifies. Different control strategies based on different modulation protocols are presented. The performance of the protocol is analyzed with a limit of the duty ratio where the instability occurs.© 2003 ASME
REDUCED PRESTRESSABILITY CONDITIONS FOR TENSEGRITY STRUCTURES

This paper presents a derivation of the prestressability conditions for a general class of tensegrity structures and a methodology for the investigation of these conditions. The prestressability conditions are derived from the principle of virtual work. The methodology proposed for their investigation combines symbolic and numerical computation and it is aimed at identifying particular prestressable configurations for which the prestressability conditions are expressed in a simpler form. The paper includes examples of the application of the methodology to a class of particular tensegrity structures, called tensegrity towers.
Permalex® II insulation system

The insulation system known as Permalex I and used in distribution transformers has served the industry very well since its introduction in 1959. However, new requirements, applications, and the ever changing needs of the industry have created a threefold incentive to improve the system. The first is the desire of some distribution transformer users to increase the permissible overload which can result in higher coil hot spot temperatures. Second, the new and rapidly expanding market for underground application has meant in some instances higher operating temperatures because of less efficient cooling than for the conventional pole type. And last, the continual industry goal for reducing transformer size and cost as might be accomplished by an insulation system which can operate at higher temperatures without additional sacrifice of life or operating characteristics.
Early diagnostic and predictive value of antikeratin antibody,anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody,and rheumatoid factors in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objective To investigate the value of antikeratin antibody(AKA),anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody(anti-CCP)and rheumatoid factor(RF-IgG,RF-IgM)in early diagnosis and prediction of juvenile idiopathic arthritis(JIA).Methods Seventy-six patients with JIA were enrolled and follow-up at least 6 months.The blood samples were collected to measure AKA,anti-CCP,RF-IgG,RF-IgM upon admission.The frequency of positive AKA,anti-CCP,RF-IgG and RF-IgM in different subtype and refractoriness were compared.Forty-nine healthy children were enrolled as control group.Results Compared with control group,the positive rates of AKA,anti-CCP,RF-IgG and RF-IgM were significantly higher in polyarticular subgroup,but there were no difference in other subtypes.The sensitivity was AKA anti-CCP,RF-IgG RF-IgM.The specificity was RF-IgM AKA RF-IgG anti-CCP.The positive rate of AKA was significantly higher in refractory JIA than that in common JIA.The relative risk estimate(OR)was 3.514.Conclusions AKA,anti-CCP,RF-IgG,RF-IgM have different values in early diagnosis and the subtype of JIA.AKA,anti-CCP are sensitive and specific in distinguishing polyarticular subgroup.AKA may predict refractory JIA.
Output Property on All-Solid-State Laser of 885nm LD High-Frequency Side-Pumped Nd∶YAG

The output properties on all-solid-state laser of 885 nm LD high-requency side-pumped Nd∶YAG under the different refuetivities and the injedion currents are researched.The output energy of the 1 064 nm laser pulse increases with the injection current increasing.The pumped frequency is higher,the output energy growth of pulse is slower.When the frequency is 60 Hz or 80 Hz,the injection current is 130 A,we gain that the best reflex rate of the output couplers is 73%,the output energies of pulse are 62.1 mJ and 47.9 mJ,the optical efficiencies are 13.2% and 10.2% by using the pulse side-pumped Nd∶YAG.
Comparison of continuous step-and-shoot versus step-and-shoot acquisition SPECT.

UNLABELLED This study compared the quality of SPECT images obtained with step-and-shoot mode (SSM) and continuous step-and-shoot mode (CSSM). METHODS Computer simulations of SSM and CSSM were performed with a two-dimensional Shepp-Logan head phantom and a high-resolution parallel-hole collimator. The effects of noise and photon attenuation were examined. RESULTS Without noise and without attenuation, small structures in reconstructed images obtained using fast CSSM (less than 4 sec per view plus the moving time from one view to the next) were slightly blurred and rotated in the opposite direction of detector motion. With both noise and attenuation, these artifacts were not visible, and the image quality obtained from CSSM, especially from fast CSSM, was improved as compared to that resulting from the corresponding SSM due to the increasing number of counts. The improvement of image quality became less significant with increasing acquisition time and in the presence of attenuation. CONCLUSION For fast SPECT, CSSM provided better image quality than the corresponding SSM, especially when attenuation effects were not present. For relatively long time SPECT without attenuation compensation that is typical for clinical studies, the image quality of CSSM was similar to that of SSM.
A dynamic data source selection system for smartwatch platform

A novel data source selection algorithm is proposed for ambulatory activity tracking of elderly people. The algorithm introduces the concept of dynamic switching between the data collection modules (a smartwatch and a smartphone) to improve accuracy and battery life using contextual information. We show that by making offloading decisions as a function of activity, the proposed algorithm improves power consumption and accuracy of the previous work by 7 hours and 5% respectively compared to the baseline.
Asymptotic efficiency of distributed estimation from constant modulus sensor transmissions

A distributed estimation problem using sensor networks is considered. A parameter is observed in noise by sensors, phase-modulated using complex exponentials and transmitted over a Gaussian multiple-access channel to a fusion center. The received signal is used to estimate the parameter under observation. The system is evaluated using the asymptotic variance of the estimate. The relationship between the Fisher information and the characteristic function is presented and used to show that the estimator is efficient if and only if the sensing noise is Gaussian.