cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ventricular reshaping with a beating heart implant improves pump function in experimental heart failure.

Abstract Objective The left ventricle remodels from an ellipsoidal/conical shape to a spherical shape after a myocardial infarction. The spherical ventricle is inefficient as a pumping chamber, has higher wall stresses, and can lead to congestive heart failure. We sought to investigate if restoring physiological ventricular shape with a beating heart implant improves pump function. Methods Rats were induced with a myocardial infarction, developing left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction, and becoming spherical over 3 weeks. Thereafter, they were randomized to undergo left ventricular reshaping with a beating heart implant (n = 19) or continue follow-up without an implant (n = 19). Biweekly echocardiography was performed until 12 weeks, with half the rats euthanized at 6 weeks and remaining at 12 weeks. At termination, invasive hemodynamic parameters and histopathology were performed. Results At 3 weeks after the infarction, rats had a 22% fall in ejection fraction, 31% rise in end diastolic volume, and 23% rise in sphericity. Transventricular implant reshaping reduced the volume by 12.6% and sphericity by 21%, restoring physiologic ventricular shape and wall stress. Over the 12-week follow-up, pump function improved significantly with better ventricular-vascular coupling in the reshaped hearts. In this group, cardiomyocyte cross-section area was higher and the cells were less elongated. Conclusions Reshaping a postinfarction, failing left ventricle to restore its physiological conical shape significantly improves long-term pump function.
A gratitude intervention to improve clinician stress and professional satisfaction: A pilot and feasibility trial:

ObjectiveResilience training combined with medical system changes have the potential to reduce clinician burnout. We sought to estimate effects and assess feasibility of a brief gratitude intervent...
The Influence of Speaker Pitch on Inferring Semantic Valence

Research on metaphors has shown that individuals form associations between the verticality, brightness, and distance of stimuli and their valence. Building on the literature on conceptual metaphor ...
To a Promised Land: Viral Dreams and Collective Trauma in the Era of COVID-19

As of this writing, most therapists in the United States and in many places throughout the world are working exclusively via telehealth as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been excruci...
Review of approaches, opportunities, and future directions for improving aerodynamics of tall buildings with smart facades

Abstract The demand for tall buildings has increased over the past decades for cultural, financial, and technological reasons. Such slender structures are more flexible and vulnerable to wind-induced vibrations. Additionally, wind speed exponentially increases with height, resulting in larger wind loading on higher levels and complex turbulent regimes. Such effects call for more innovative approaches to enhance the resilience of tall buildings while accounting for the sustainability implications. Current methodologies to control the vibrations using auxiliary dampers are typically limited in their applicable bandwidth. The aerodynamic modifications are specific to a particular wind direction and characteristics and cannot adapt to the changing climate or that of flow regimes due to the new construction in the proximity of the target building. There have been major advances in using secondary facades to achieve sustainability through ventilation and energy-saving applications around the world. These advances have resulted in the development of adaptive facades for architectural and energy applications. This review paper discusses the available approaches and potential opportunities to utilize the existing adaptive facade system capabilities (for energy applications) to alter building aerodynamics. For this purpose, the paper concisely discusses aerodynamic modification, surface roughness effects, available bio-inspired approaches, and potential morphing material capabilities to provide valuable insights into understanding the flow-control mechanism of such systems, potentially leading to innovative designs of facade systems. Opportunities have been identified to combine this concept with smart technologies to develop smart facades with the aerodynamic performance that leads to mitigating wind-induced vibration in tall buildings. The review of existing research on this topic opens up opportunities for enhancing the use of facades as active, dynamic, and smart systems that not only enhance the performance of the tall buildings under wind-induced vibrations but also can result in long term energy saving, leading to more resilient and sustainable communities.
Computation at the Edge with WebAssembly

The introduction of WebAssembly in 2017 opened a new door for performing computation in the browser at 0.9 the speed of C/C++ code (Haas et al. ACM SIGPLAN Notices 52(6), 185–200, 2017). As browsers are the most ubiquitous software, it is now possible to build universal applications that run on every machine that has a web browser installed on it. In this paper we propose a design to build web applications that take advantage of the new performance capabilities in the browser. We also implemented this design and showed that it increases the overall performance of the web applications in our experiment.
Evidence that a novel transdiagnostic eating disorder treatment reduces reward region response to the thin beauty ideal and high-calorie binge foods.

BACKGROUND Findings from brain imaging studies with small samples can show limited reproducibility. Thus, we tested whether the evidence that a transdiagnostic eating disorder treatment reduces responsivity of brain valuation regions to thin models and high-calorie binge foods, the intervention targets, from a smaller earlier trial emerged when we recruited additional participants. METHODS Women with DSM-5 eating disorders (N = 138) were randomized to the dissonance-based body project treatment (BPT) or a waitlist control condition and completed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans assessing neural response to thin models and high-calorie foods at pretest and posttest. RESULTS BPT v. control participants showed significantly greater reductions in responsivity of regions implicated in reward valuation (caudate) and attentional motivation (precuneus) to thin v. average-weight models, echoing findings from the smaller sample. Data from this larger sample also provided novel evidence that BPT v. control participants showed greater reductions in responsivity of regions implicated in reward valuation (ventrolateral prefrontal cortex) and food craving (hippocampus) to high-calorie binge foods v. low-calorie foods, as well as significantly greater reductions in eating disorder symptoms, abstinence from binge eating and purging behaviors, palatability ratings for high calorie foods, monetary value for high-calorie binge foods, and significantly greater increases in attractiveness ratings of average weight models. CONCLUSIONS Results from this larger sample provide evidence that BPT reduces valuation of the thin ideal and high-calorie binge foods, the intervention targets, per objective brain imaging data, and produces clinically meaningful reductions in eating pathology.
Lower Body Negative Pressure Counters Internal Jugular Vein Engorgement during Simulated Microgravity

Recent ophthalmic evaluations of seven astronauts after six-month missions to International Space Station (ISS) show unexpected vision problems. A microgravity induced cephalad fluid shift during l...
Converter topological and solid state protective device trade-offs for future shipboard MVDC systems

The search for the optimum architecture for Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) Integrated Power Systems must take into account the short circuit protection in addition to overarching goals of efficiency, survivability and cost effectiveness. A comparison study is performed for architectures with a suitable combination of protective devices and power conversion. This leads also to an optimum MVDC bus voltage somewhere between 15kVdc and 20kVdc. Hardware implementation using packaged SiC devices, currently under development, is explored. The inherent speed of operation of Solid state protective devices will also play a role in fault isolation, hence reducing stress level on all system components.
Maisonneuve fracture in an adolescent

We present an atypical case with a rare combination of Maisonneuve and triplane fracture A Maisonneuve injury can present with external rotation of foot in the absence of signs and symptoms of a proximal injury. Pre-operative CT scans of the growth plate injury facilitates planning open reduction and internal fixation; it is vital to check the syndesmotic stability by intra-operative imaging. This rare combination of fracture pattern illustrates the need for awareness of the dual pathology and to provide adequate stability to prevent chronic ankle pain.
A Console Driver for a PDP-11

A typical function in embedded systems is performed by a device driver that provides a convenient interface between a system and the particular hardware requirements of an input/output device. Some of the functions performed by this program are buffering of requests for the device, ensuring the integrity and validity of these requests, and fielding interrupts from the hardware.
Finding a subset of stimulus-response pairs with minimum total confusion: a binary integer programming approach

Confusion matrices are a convenient and widely accepted means of tabulating results from experiments in which subjects choose responses to various stimuli. This paper is relevant to studies in which the recognition and confusability characteristics of a large set of possible stimuli are tested in order to select the smaller subset of stimuli that will eventually be presented to the user (e.g., selecting sculpted pushbuttons or command words for voice-interactive systems). Rather than applying cluster analyses, this paper demonstrates how to formulate optimization models from the information contained in a confusion matrix. Four binary integer programming models are proposed that when solved, yield the subset of stimuli exhibiting minimum total confusion. The models are solvable using widely available software on a microcomputer. A sizable example from the literature is solved and discussed, and directions for algorithmic research are recommended.
Primary effusion lymphoma presenting as a cutaneous intravascular lymphoma

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare and aggressive lymphoma that arises in the context of immunosuppression and is characterized by co-infection with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus-8/Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (HHV-8/KSHV). It was originally described as arising in body cavity effusions, but presentation as a mass lesion (extracavitary PEL) is now recognized. Here, we describe a case of PEL with an initial presentation as an intravascular lymphoma with associated skin lesions. The patient was a 53-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with fevers, weight loss and skin lesions concerning for Kaposi sarcoma (KS). A skin biopsy revealed no evidence of KS; however, dermal vessels contained large atypical cells that expressed CD31 and plasma cell markers but lacked most B- and T-cell antigens. The atypical cells expressed EBV and HHV-8. The patient subsequently developed a malignant pleural effusion containing the same neoplastic cell population. The findings in this case highlight the potential for unusual intravascular presentations of PEL in the skin as well as the importance of pursuing microscopic diagnosis of skin lesions in immunosuppressed patients.
THE ROLE OF SERUM COMPLEMENT IN CHEMOTAXIS OF LEUKOCYTES IN VITRO

By the use of chambers containing two compartments with an interposed micropore filter, chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's) in vitro was studied employing various agents that fixed serum complement (C'). Antigen-antibody complexes, zymosan, and aggregated human gamma globulin, in the presence of fresh rabbit, guinea pig, or mouse serum resulted in the migration of PMN's through the micropore filter. Pepsin-degraded rabbit antibody or unaltered duck serum containing antibody did not exhibit such activity after addition of antigen. Heating of the serum before treatment or the presence of EDTA prevented the generation of the chemotactic factor. The chemotactic factor could not be generated in whole serum from rabbits genetically deficient in C'. However, the defect in this rabbit serum could be corrected by addition of rabbit or human C'6. Serum of B10.D2 mice deficient in hemolytic C' also yielded poor chemotactic activity. Interaction of the first four reacting components of guinea pig C' did not result in significant chemotactic activity unless guinea pig euglobulin with heat labile components was also present. In rabbit serum, C'5 and C'6, when "activated" by interaction with the first four reacting components, behaved like a protein-protein complex and exhibited marked chemotactic activity. By employing conditions favoring dissociation of the complex, the individual components were isolated and shown to be chemotactically inactive. Upon recombination of the two components, however, activity reappeared. Using another approach, the C'5-C'6 complex was isolated intact, and shown to be chemotactically active while other fractions not containing these components were not active. It is postulated that the C'5-C'6 complex is the active chemotactic factor generated in serum after the addition of C'-fixing agents.
Effects of orally ingested aflatoxin B1 on nucleic acids and ribosomes of housefly ovaries.

Abstract Aflatoxin B 1 was administered orally to adult Musca domestica L., and its effects on ovarian nucleic acids and ribosomes were investigated. In the ovaries of treated flies, the total rRNA content was less than normal and the rate of synthesis was slowed, as measured by the incorporation of [ 14 C]orotic acid. The metabolism of DNA was also altered as shown by the lowered incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine 5-triphosphate into the ovarian DNA. On the other hand, the content and the synthesis of tRNA in the ovaries from aflatoxin-treated females appeared to be normal. Sedimentation analysis of fly ovarian ribosomes indicated that there was a preponderance of polymeric forms containing at least 3 ribosomal subunits. Aflatoxin B 1 did not cause disaggregation of ovarian polyribosomes. However, the incorporation of [ 14 C]orotic acid into rRNA and [ 3 H]leucine into ribosomal protein was reduced in the ovaries of aflatoxin-treated flies. Sedimentation analysis of the rRNA revealed that synthesis of the 28 S rRNA was more susceptible to the inhibition by aflatoxin B 1 than the 18 S rRNA.
Inactivation of Salmonella spp. on tomatoes by plant molecules

The efficacy of carvacrol (CAR), trans-cinnamaldehyde (TC), eugenol (EUG) and β-resorcylic acid (BR) as a wash treatment for reducing Salmonella spp. on tomatoes was investigated. Plum tomatoes inoculated with a six-serotype mixture of Salmonella (10⁸CFU) were subjected to washing in sterile deionized water (control) or deionized water containing chlorine (100 ppm), CAR (0.25 and 0.75%), TC (0.5 and 0.75%), EUG (0.25 and 0.75%), or BR (0.75 and 1.0%) for 15 sec, 1 min, and 3 min. The plant molecules were more effective (P 0.05). Results indicate that CAR, TC, EUG and BR could effectively be used to kill Salmonella on tomatoes, but additional studies on sensory and quality characteristics of tomatoes treated with plant molecules are warranted.
Prospective peer review quality assurance for outpatient radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose We implemented a peer review program that required presentation of all nonpalliative cases to a weekly peer review conference. The purpose of this review is to document compliance and determine how this program impacted care. Methods and materials A total of 2988 patients were eligible for peer review. Patient data were presented to a group of physicians, physicists, and dosimetrists, and the radiation therapy plan was reviewed. Details of changes made were documented within a quality assurance note dictated after discussion. Changes recommended by the peer review process were categorized as changes to radiation dose, target, or major changes. Results Breast cancer accounted for 47.9% of all cases, followed in frequency by head-and-neck (14.8%), gastrointestinal (9.9%), genitourinary (9.3%), and thoracic (6.7%) malignancies. Of the 2988 eligible patients, 158 (5.3%) were not presented for peer review. The number of missed presentations decreased over time; 2007, 8.2%; 2008, 5.7%; 2009, 3.8%; and 2010, 2.7% ( P P Conclusions Compliance with this weekly program was satisfactory and improved over time. The program resulted in decreased treatment plan changes over time reflecting a move toward treatment consensus. We recommend that peer review be considered for patients receiving radiation therapy as it creates a culture where guideline adherence and discussion are part of normal practice.
Influence of topographic aspect, precipitation and drought on radial growth of four major tree species in an Appalachian watershed

This study used dated and measured tree-ring data to examine relationships between radial growth, topographic aspect, and precipitation for four hardwood species, yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.), and red maple (Acer rubum L.), growing on contrasting aspects in north-central West Virginia (39839 0 43 00 N, 79845 0 28 00 W). The main objectives of the study were to determine variation in growth between northeast and southwest aspects, examine changes in annual growth related to changes in precipitation and Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), and test for the existence of an interaction between species’ growth response to drought and topographic aspect. The study found that all species except northern red oak showed significant differences in growth between the northeast and southwest aspects (P < 0:05). Where significant differences were found, all except chestnut oak exhibited higher growth rates at the northeast aspect. The largest and the least difference in growth between the northeast and southwest aspects were found for yellow-poplar and northern red oak, respectively. Among the four species studied, yellow-poplar showed a sharp decline in growth from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, which was evidently caused by several years of below-average precipitation. The more conservative species, red oak, chestnut oak and red maple, showed a mild response to the drought compared to yellow-poplar which experienced 30‐40% less growth relative to its peak growth in the late 1950s. A rapid growth recovery, in the early 1970s, following the decline in the late 1960s was associated with wetter than average conditions of the early 1970s. Analysis of drought effects in 1953, 1966, 1988 and 1991 indicated that most species experienced below-average growth although drought-related growth declines lasted only for a few years and recovery following drought was rapid. Regarding the interaction of aspect and response to drought, yellow-poplar displayed greater response to periodic droughts at the southwest aspect while the oaks showed little evidence of an aspect-related interaction with drought response. The results of this study are logical in terms of the ecological strategies of the species; yellow-poplar is widely known to be site specific and exploitive, whereas oaks and maples are more conservative. # 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Neurosurgery, 1941-1950.

Surgical Intracranial Infection Brain Abscess As was to be expected with the advent of the sulfonamide drugs and the antibiotics, interest in the strictly neurosurgical infections of the central ne...
An innovative orders-of-magnitude approach to AHP-based mutli-criteria decision making: Prioritizing divergent intangible humane acts

An innovative Analytic Hierarchy Process-based structure is developed to capture the relationship between various levels of activities contributed by people to society. Physical objects have widespread extension and degrees of importance that often differ by many orders of magnitude. Similarly, mental thoughts and criteria occur in widely heterogeneous entities that have to be sorted and arranged into homogeneous groups of few elements in each group so that one can evaluate the relationships among them accurately, from the smallest to the largest. It is through such a framework for organizing factors with smooth transition that it is possible to derive reliable priorities from expert judgments. The proposed model enables one to make decisions and allocate resources in as detailed and fine a way as possible. In addition to the traditional approach of structuring criteria into multiple clusters, the alternatives of a decision are also organized into the lowest multiple levels of that hierarchy. This arrangement and evaluation of alternatives differs from one criterion to another, which adds to the complexity of the undertaking when the alternatives are heterogeneous. The coherent approach to structuring complex decisions with the Analytic Hierarchy Process enables one to transcend the complexity of dealing in a scientific way with the problem of widespread orders of magnitude of criteria and alternatives in a complex decision. When the magnitudes are actually very small or very large, the accuracy of rating alternatives one at a time instead of comparing them in pairs involves much guessing, and can lead to a questionable outcome. Alternatively, comparisons, which are necessary for the measurement of intangibles, have greater and better justified accuracy.
Voter Turnout in Undergraduate Student Government Elections

The research on voter turnout in America is impressive in quantity and quality, but it lacks breadth. National and state elections have received most of the attention, while the myriad of other elections, from municipal contests to policy referenda, have often been ignored. As a result, we know a great deal about turnout in state and national elections, and much less about turnout in other races. The temptation is to generalize the state and national conclusions to other elections, but this is risky. For example, in a recent aggregate-level study of small town elections in Iowa, Rice and Schlueter (2004) report a relationship that runs contrary to virtually all of the state and national literature: education and turnout are negatively correlated; that is, the citizens in better-educated communities vote in local elections at lower rates than the citizens in less-educated communities. This finding exposes the limitations in our understanding of voter turnout. If all we want is to speak with assurance about turnout in state and national elections, then the current literature is very helpful. If, however, we want to be able to speak more generally about turnout (and speak more specifically about turnout in elections other than state and national contests), then we need to study more types of elections.For a copy of the data, contact Professor Tom W. Rice, department of political science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52241 (tom-rice@uiowa.edu).
A simple statistical model for predicting the efficiency of photocrosslinking in polymers containing groups which undergo [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions

Abstract A simple model has been devised to predict the number of chromophores which are photoreactive in polymers which contain groups that undergo [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions. The model utilises typical molecular dimensions and considers the possible permutations of photosensitive groups in specific sections of three adjacent polymer chains.
Proposed Role of Calcium and Dairy Food Components in Weight Management and Metabolic Health

Dietary calcium and dairy foods have demonstrated an antiobesity effect in animal studies, observational and population studies, and randomized clinical trials. Moreover, there is a strong theoretical framework to explain the effects of dietary calcium on energy metabolism. The supporting mechanisms include dietary calcium-correcting suboptimal calcium intakes, thereby preventing the endocrine response (parathyroid hormone [PTH] and calcitriol), which favors adipocyte energy storage and inhibits adipocyte loss via apoptosis. Dietary calcium appears to further promote energy loss via formation of calcium soaps in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby modestly reduces net energy absorption. Dietary calcium appears to be responsible for approximately 50% of the antiobesity bioactivity of dairy foods. The additional dairy bioactivity has not been fully identified, but is primarily localized in whey protein. The major components are the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activity of whey proteins and the high concentration of leucine in whey. This high leucine content appears to be primarily responsible for the repartitioning of dietary energy from adipose tissue to skeletal muscle during weight loss, resulting in greater preservation of skeletal muscle and accelerated loss of adipose tissue during negative energy balance. Finally, high-calcium diets suppress obesity-induced oxidative and inflammatory stress independently from its role in modulating adiposity; these effects are similarly augmented by other dairy food components. However, the number of randomized clinical trials conducted is still modest, and a small number have not confirmed significant effects in weight management. Thus, the protective effects of dairy foods against obesity and its comorbidities are promising, but warrant further large-scale studies.
Tricuspid valve replacement after cardiac transplantation.

Background Tricuspid valve insufficiency (TI) is common after orthotopic heart transplantation. However, tricuspid valve replacement or repair (TVR) is rare. The aim of this study is to evaluate our experience with TVR in cardiac transplant recipients. Methods The Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals (UTAH) Cardiac Transplant Program database was queried for TVR in all adult and pediatric heart transplant recipients. Pre-operative parameters and cardiac hemodynamics were compared with post-operative findings. Results Since 1985, we identified in our database 17 patients who had 16 TVR, and 2 tricuspid valve repair procedures. Thirty-four heart transplant recipients from the same period were used as controls. The indication for TVR was symptomatic right heart failure (RHF) in 89% of cases, and there was no significant difference between the control group and the surgery group in the average number of biopsies. A flail leaflet was found in 16 cases (89%). One patient died post-operatively due to cardiogenic shock, and 1 patient died 8 months after TVR due to progressive RHF. Improvement in heart failure symptoms was seen in 12 cases. The central venous pressure (CVP) decreased from 17.8 ± 4.1 mm Hg to 11.0 ± 7.3 mm Hg ( p = 0.013). There was no significant change in cardiac output or renal function. However, the furosemide dose decreased significantly from 47.69 ± 56.44 mg/day to 26.54 ± 46.43 mg/day ( p = 0.009). Conclusions After orthotopic heart transplantation, TVR is a safe and effective procedure to alleviate RHF symptoms. Flail leaflets are the most common operative finding, suggesting that biopsy-induced trauma is the likely cause of severe TI in these patients.
Trust-Based Service Composition and Binding for Tactical Networks with Multiple Objectives

Tactical networks must select service providers to meet service requirements of an operation while facing resource constraints and high security vulnerability. In such an environment nodes provide services to support various operations and/ may request services to support the operations as well. We formulate the problem of service composition and service binding as a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem, minimizing the service cost, while maximizing the quality of service (QoS) and quality of information (QoI). The MOO problem is essentially a node-to-service assignment problem such that by dynamically formulating service composition, and selecting the right nodes to provide requested services, the network can support concurrent operations while achieving multiple system objectives. We develop a trust-based service composition and binding protocol. We demonstrate that the trust-based scheme outperforms the counterpart non-trust-based scheme. Furthermore, our trust-based scheme can effectively penalize malicious nodes performing self-promotion attacks, thus filtering out malicious nodes and can ultimately lead to high user satisfaction.
Heavy leptons in trimuon events

We calculate (analytically) from trimuon data the masses of neutral (${M}^{0}$) and charged (${M}^{\ensuremath{-}}$) heavy leptons in a sequential cascade decay for arbitrary (left-, right-handed) couplings. The ${M}^{0}$ and ${M}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ masses are in the ranges 2.4-4.6 and 6.9-8.1 GeV, respectively. Different theories indicate specific values within these ranges.
ASLAN: synthesis of approximate sequential circuits

Many applications produce acceptable results when their underlying computations are executed in an approximate manner. For such applications, approximate circuits enable hardware implementations that exhibit improved efficiency for a given quality. Previous efforts have largely focused on the design of approximate combinational logic blocks such as adders and multipliers. In practice, however, designers are concerned with the quality of outputs generated by a sequential circuit after several cycles of computation, rather than an embedded combinational block.We propose ASLAN (Automatic methodology for Sequential Logic ApproximatioN), the first effort towards the synthesis of approximate sequential circuits. Given a sequential circuit and an output quality constraint, ASLAN creates an approximate version of the circuit that consumes lower energy, while meeting the specified quality bound. The key challenges in approximating sequential circuits are (i) to model how errors due to approximations are generated, re-circulate through the combinational logic over multiple cycles of operation, and eventually impact quality of the final output, and (ii) to select the most beneficial approximations, i.e., those that result in higher energy savings for smaller impact on quality. ASLAN addresses the first challenge by constructing a virtual Sequential Quality Constraint Circuit (SQCC) and utilizing formal verification techniques to ensure that the selected approximations meet the quality constraint. To address the second challenge, ASLAN identifies combinational blocks in the sequential circuit that are amenable to approximation, generates local quality-energy trade-off curves for them, and uses a gradient-descent approach to iteratively approximate the entire sequential circuit.We used ASLAN to automatically synthesize approximate versions of ten sequential benchmarks, resulting in energy reductions of 1.20X-2.44X for tight quality constraints, and 1.32X-4.42X for moderate quality constraints. We present case studies of using the approximate circuits generated by ASLAN in two popular applications --- MPEG Encoding and K-Means Clustering --- obtaining 1.32X energy savings with 0.5% PSNR degradation, and 1.26X energy savings with 0.8% increase in mean cluster radius, respectively.
Class II Division 2 deep overbite malocclusion correction with nonextraction therapy and Class II elastics.

The patient presented at the Postdoctoral Orthodontic Clinic at Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery as a 12 year and 10 months old boy from the Dominican Republic whose chief complaint was “I don’t like the way my two top teeth are ahead in relation to the other ones.” The patient’s medical history was noncontributory and his dental history included routine dental check-ups. Other findings and history were unremarkable and perverse habits were not present.
Abstract 5020: Potential lifestyle intervention in inner city women with endometrial cancer: A pilot study

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Hypothesis: Evidence suggests that modification of diet and exercise practices may prevent cancer recurrence. It may also decrease the risk factors for the leading causes of death in women including heart disease and stroke. Methods: 100 patients with previously diagnosed endometrial cancer were enrolled in a pilot study to collect data regarding current lifestyle, willingness to change and preferred programs of nutrition and exercise. All enrolled subjects were verbally asked to respond to a questionnaire that included validated and novel instruments. Results: Mean age was 64 (39-86 years) and mean body mass index was 34 kg/m2 (17-55). 38% of the responders were Black/African American, 33% were Caucasian, and 21% were Hispanic. Of these, 69% were born in the United States of America. 75% described themselves as “overweight”. The most common mode of current exercise was walking (54%). 89% of the patients responded that they would be interested in participating in a diet or exercise program. The most common reason that women stated they would want to participate was to improve overall health (48%). Only 4% stated that they thought it would prevent recurrence of their cancers. Diabetes mellitus was previously diagnosed in 30% of participants. Eighty three percent of diabetic patients had body mass index over 30 kg/m2 and 30% had body mass index over 40 kg/m2. Eleven patients currently on therapy for diabetes had hemoglobin A1C values greater then 6.5 and are at risk for microvessel damage and end-organ dysfunction including kidney failure and impaired vision Discussion: These data present the opinions of a racially heterogeneous group of women at risk for cancer recurrence, as well as the morbidity and mortality related to obesity and diabetes. These data suggest that women at our center should participate in a dietary and exercise intervention program and our patients would benefit from the additional health education. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5020. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5020
Applications of Game Theory in Agricultural Economics: Discussion

Overall, the papers cover a broad range of applications, issues, and constraints concerning the use of game theory in agricultural economics. Horowitz, Just, and Netanyahu (HJN) provide a fine overview, within the confines here, and an example to illustrate both the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. Abbott and Kallio (AK) focus on trade, while Bullock focuses on political economy, the two specific areas in which the organizer felt game theory is most applicable. The slight qualm I have with this organization lies more in what I view the field to be than in content per se. The HJN paper omits special mention of the application of game theory to the household and to organizations more complex then the single owner-operated firm when it appears that the family farm is becoming a smaller part of commercial agriculture. Primary agriculture accounts for less than 2% of U.S. GDP. Farms with sales under $40,000 accounted for less than 7% of total sales in 1992 and earn over 75% of their income from nonfarm sources. The average U.S. household spends a larger share of disposable income on health than on food. As farms continue to expand in organizational complexity, design issues common to the industrial organization literature become more important. Questions arise as to the sequence of decision making, and lines of responsibility in circumstances where the decisions of one de-
Ultracapacitors for use in power quality and distributed resource applications

Double-layer electrochemical capacitors (EC), also known as ultra-capacitors or super-capacitors, are an emerging storage technology already being used for applications such as DC motor drives, UPS systems, and electric vehicles. The latest EC store enough energy to rival a lead-acid battery and can outperform batteries in several key performance parameters such as power density, cycle life and temperature sensitivity. Many EC designs are also more efficient and can be manufactured with metals such as nickel and carbon that are environmentally benign relative to the metals in lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries. As the EC technology improves further, an impressive world of applications should emerge. These applications include intermittent renewable energy storage, bulk power system peak shaving, load leveling, and various other distributed resource possibilities. This paper reviews the fundamentals of EC, their status, and expectations for future deployment.
Arboreal insects associated with herbicide-stressed Pinus resinosa and Pinus sylvestris used as Sirex noctilio trap trees in New York.

ABSTRACT In September of 2004, Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) was detected in New York State and later found to be established over a larger area, including parts of southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States. A key component of S. noctilio detection and management plans in other parts of the world where S. noctilio has become established are chemically girdled trap trees. Trap tree usage in North America is confounded by the presence of diverse communities of organisms that inhabit dead and dying trees. We trapped a portion of the arboreal insect community arriving at Pinus resinosa Ait. and Pinus sylvestris L., trap trees girdled 3 mo before (April), one month before (June), and at S. noctilio flight (July) in central New York. Multiple-funnel traps attached to trap trees captured 30,031 individuals from 109 species of Scolytinae, Cerambycidae, and Siricidae. Ipspini (Say) and Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) accounted for almost 50% of the scolytines captured at trap trees and were p...
Applying Adult Learning Theory to the Online Classroom

This study measured adult learners' satisfaction with the new online Master's Degree in Library and Information Science program at the University of Pittsburgh. Student feedback gathered through focus groups is categorized into five themes: (a) general program issues, (b) course issues, (c) communication/interaction issues, (d) on-campus orientation issues, and (e) technology issues. The feedback is analyzed based on adult learning theory, and ten recommendations for future course development are suggested. Traditional adult learning theory offers valuable guidelines for online course development and teaching. However, interaction, a major theme in the focus groups, is not addressed in traditional adult learning theory.
SU‐GG‐T‐91: Effect of Edema on Survival Fraction and Biologically Effective Dose in 131Cs Prostate Permanent Seed Implants

Purpose: To investigate the effect of edema on Survival Fraction(SF), and Biologically Effective Dose(BED) in 131Cs prostate permanent seed implants. Materials and Methods: To account the effect of edema decay on SF and BED with post implant time, the following relations were derived S ( D ) = 1 V ∑ i =1 n [{ V pi + Δ V i exp (−λ e t )}S i (D)] and BED = −(1/α) ln [ S ( D )] Where V, Vpi, ΔVi, λe and t are the initial tumor volume with edema, pre‐edema volume of ith voxel, amount of edema at day 0 in ith voxel, edema decay constant and post implant time, respectively. S i (D) is the SF of cells in ith voxel with dose protraction factor which consists decay constant of radioactive source and repair constant of sublethal damage. Dose volume histograms(DVH) of 31 patients with prostate cancer, who underwent 131Cs implantations, were used to computeS(D) and BED using values of LQ model parameters given in the AAPM TG‐137 report, and edema decay constant λe=0.0713d−1. Results: S(D) and BED values, obtained for reference dose without edema correction, with edema decay to CTimages at 0 day and individual CTimages at 14 and 28 days, are 9.45×10−6 and 77.13Gy, 1.52×10−5±3.92×l0−5 and 74.05±4.99Gy, and 1.048×10−5±4.96×10−6 and 80.33±4.20Gy at day 14, and 1.57×10−7 and 104.46Gy, 1.31×10−6 ±5.24×10−6 and 90.35±6.38Gy, and 1.082×10−6±8.023×10−7 and 99.96±6.69Gy at day 28, respectively. There is statistically significant differences between the reference values and edema corrected values(p 0.05) were found. Conclusions: The described equations with an account of edema decay provides accurate values of S(D) and BED at different post implant times. It can be concluded that the effect of edema must be accounted at the time of implant, and implants should not be performed based on pre‐implant volume study in 131Cs implants.
Characterization of an adenovirus early protein required for viral DNA replication: A single strand specific DNA binding protein

1. The human adenoviruses types 2, 5 and 12 code for the production of a single strand specific DNA binding protein. The molecular weights of these proteins were 72,000 for types 2 and 5 and 60,000 for type 12. In all three cases proteolytic breakdown fragments of these binding proteins (48,000 MW) were also observed. 2. Analysis of the methionine containing tryptic peptides of these proteins indicate that the types 2 and 5 proteins are similar and clearly distinguishable from the type 12 protein. The peptide maps of these three viral proteins are clearly different from a similar protein found in mock infected cells. 3. Temperature sensitive mutants of type 5 (H5ts125) and type 12 (H12tsA275) adenoviruses fail to produce these proteins at the nonpermissive temperature. H5ts125 infected cells grown at the permissive temperature produce a 72,000 MW protein that is thermolabile, for continued binding to DNA, when compared to type 5 wild type adenovirus 72,000 MW protein. An analysis of the phenotype of this adenovirus mutant indicates that it codes for a viral function at early times after infection that is required for viral DNA replication. 4. Thein vitro translation of adenovirus specific m-RNA results in the synthesis of a small amount of a 72,000 MW protein that binds to single stranded DNA just like the authentic adenovirus DNA binding proteins produced in infected cells. 5. Adenovirus anti-Tumor antigen (T) antiserum from hamsters carrying independently derived adenovirus tumors, have been tested for the presence of antibody to purified DNA binding proteins. One antiserum is positive for these antibodies while the other is negative. These results indicate that some, but not all, adenovirus tumors contain large enough levels of the DNA binding proteins to elicit an antibody response. 6. The type 5 adenovirus temperature sensitive mutant, H5ts125, that codes for a thermolabile DNA binding protein, was complemented or suppressed at the nonpermissive temperature, for the replication of adenovirus DNA, by SV40. SV40tsA temperature sensitive mutants, defective in SV40 DNA replication, do not suppress or complement H5ts125 at the nonpermissive temperature.
SOME BAYESIAN STRATIFIED TWO-PHASE SAMPLING RESULTS.

Abstract : In this paper we obtain some results concerning the optimum allocation of sampling effort among k strata at the second phase of a two phase sampling procedure, using information obtained from the first phase. Two different approaches are employed; a Bayesian posterior analysis and a Bayesian preposterior analysis. Two different allocation methods are derived and illustrated with some numerical examples, for cases where some or all of the nuisance parameters are unknown. The problem when all nuisance parameters are known has been discussed by Ericson (1965). (Author)
Quantitative analysis of synaptic input to gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in normal mice and hpg mice with preoptic area grafts.

Mutant hypogonadal (hpg) mice with a truncated gene for the precursor to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) show certain aspects of recovery of reproductive function after receiving grafts of normal preoptic area into the third ventricle. We have previously shown that GnRH neurons from within the grafts can innervate the appropriate neural-hemal target in the host. To determine if in turn these exogenously derived neurons receive a synaptic input comparable to the GnRH neurons in the normal aminal we ahve now carried out a quantitative ultrastructural analysis to compare the synaptic input to GnRH neurons in the normal preoptic area and in the grafts. In almost all cases GnRH cells or dendrites in normal brains and within the grafts received a synaptic input. In normal animals, input to GnRH dendritic profiles was significantly greater (P < 0.001) than to the somatic plasma membrane and this trend was also observed within the grafts though the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, no statistically significant difference was found between the input to GnRH structures within the grafts and in normal preoptic area. However, a substantial variability in input among grafted animals was evident which was not observed in normal animals. The sources of variability within the grafts are discussed and we suggest that the deficiencies and differences that exist in regulation of gonadotropin secretion among grafted hpg animals may be reflected in aberrant synaptic input.
High-throughput, semi-automated determination of a cyclooxygenase II inhibitor in human plasma and urine using solid-phase extraction in the 96-well format and high-performance liquid chromatography with post-column photochemical derivatization-fluorescence detection.

Compound I, 5-chloro-3-(4-methanesulfonylphenyl)-6'-methyl-[2,3']bipyridinyl, has been found to be a specific inhibitor of the enzyme cyclooxygenase II (COX II). The anti-inflammatory properties of this compound are currently being investigated. HPLC assays for the determination of this analyte in human plasma and human urine have been developed. Isolation of I and the internal standard (II) was achieved by solid-phase extraction (SPE) in the 96-well format. A C8 SPE plate was used for the extraction of the drug from human plasma (recovery >90%) while a mixed-mode (C8/Cation) SPE plate was used to isolate the analytes from human urine (recovery approximately 71%). The analyte and internal standard were chromatographed on a Keystone Scientific Prism-RP guard column (20 x 4.6 mm) connected to a Prism-RP analytical column (150 x 4.6 mm), using a mobile phase consisting of 45% acetonitrile in 10 mM acetate buffer (pH = 4); the analytes eluted at retention times of 5.2 and 6.9 min for I and II, respectively. Compounds I and II were found to form highly fluorescent products after exposure to UV light (254 nm). Thus, the analytes were detected by fluorescence (lambda(ex) = 260 nm, lambda(em) =375 nm) following post-column photochemical derivatization. Eight point calibration curves over the concentration range of 5-500 ng/ml for human plasma and human urine yielded a linear response (R2>0.99) when a 1/y weighted linear regression model was employed. Based on the replicate analyses (n = 5) of spiked standards, the within-day precision for both assays was better than 7% C.V. at all points on the calibration curve; within-day accuracy was within 5% of nominal at all standard concentrations. The between-run precision and accuracy of the assays, as calculated from the results of the analysis of quality control samples, was better than 8% C.V. and within 8% of nominal. I was found to be stable in human plasma and urine for at least 8 and 2 months, respectively. In addition, the human plasma assay was semi-automated in order to improve sample throughput by utilizing a Packard liquid handling system and a Tom-Tec Quadra 96 SPE system. The precision and accuracy of the semi-automated procedure were comparable to the manual procedure. Over 5000 clinical samples have been analyzed successfully using these methods.