cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of drusen area detected by spectral domain optical coherence tomography and color fundus imaging.

PURPOSE To compare the measurements of drusen area from manual segmentation of color fundus photographs with those generated by an automated algorithm designed to detect elevations of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. METHODS Fifty eyes with drusen secondary to nonexudative age-related macular degeneration were enrolled. All eyes were imaged with a high-definition OCT instrument using a 200 × 200 A-scan raster pattern covering a 6 mm × 6 mm area centered on the fovea. Digital color fundus images were taken on the same day. Drusen were traced manually on the fundus photos by graders at the Doheny Image Reading Center, whereas quantitative OCT measurements of drusen were obtained by using a fully automated algorithm. The color fundus images were registered to the OCT data set and measurements within corresponding 3- and 5-mm circles centered at the fovea were compared. RESULTS The mean areas (± SD [range]) for the 3-mm circles were SD-OCT = 1.57 (± 1.08 [0.03-4.44]); 3-mm color fundus = 1.92 (± 1.08 [0.20-3.95]); 5-mm SD-OCT = 2.12 (± 1.55 [0.03-5.40]); and 5-mm color fundus = 3.38 (± 1.90 [0.39-7.49]). The mean differences between color images and the SD-OCT (color - SD-OCT) were 0.36 (± 0.93) (P = 0.008) for the 3-mm circle and 1.26 (± 1.38) (P < 0.001) for the 5-mm circle measurements. Intraclass correlation coefficients of agreements for 3- and 5-mm measurements were 0.599 and 0.540, respectively. CONCLUSIONS There was only fair agreement between drusen area measurements obtained from SD-OCT images and color fundus photos. Drusen area measurements on color fundus images were larger than those with SD-OCT scans. This difference can be attributed to the fact that the OCT algorithm defines drusen in terms of RPE deformations above a certain threshold, and will not include small, flat drusen and subretinal drusenoid deposits. The two approaches provide complementary information about drusen.
Fanconi anemia complementation group A (FANCA) protein has intrinsic affinity for nucleic acids with preference for single-stranded forms.

The Fanconi anemia complementation group A (FANCA) gene is one of 15 disease-causing genes and has been found to be mutated in ∼60% of Fanconi anemia patients. Using purified protein, we report that human FANCA has intrinsic affinity for nucleic acids. FANCA binds to both single-stranded (ssDNA) and double-stranded (dsDNA) DNAs; however, its affinity for ssDNA is significantly higher than for dsDNA in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. FANCA also binds to RNA with an intriguingly higher affinity than its DNA counterpart. FANCA requires a certain length of nucleic acids for optimal binding. Using DNA and RNA ladders, we determined that the minimum number of nucleotides required for FANCA recognition is ∼30 for both DNA and RNA. By testing the affinity between FANCA and a variety of DNA structures, we found that a 5′-flap or 5′-tail on DNA facilitates its interaction with FANCA. A patient-derived FANCA truncation mutant (Q772X) has diminished affinity for both DNA and RNA. In contrast, the complementing C-terminal fragment of Q772X, C772–1455, retains the differentiated nucleic acid-binding activity (RNA > ssDNA > dsDNA), indicating that the nucleic acid-binding domain of FANCA is located primarily at its C terminus, where most disease-causing mutations are found.
Quantum Cryptography For Secure Optical Networks

Dense wavelength division multiplexing optical networks transport a huge aggregate traffic exceeding Tbps per single fiber, and passive optical network technology has been extended to include the residential and enterprise network layer with fiber-to-the premises. Because this network allows for multimedia and extremely high data rates to end-users, optical communications security is important not only on the client and the node management layers, but also on the physical layer. Thus, cyber-security becomes also important in optical networks, including unbreakable cipher keys, cipher key distribution, identification of malicious actors, source authentication, physical link signature, and countermeasure strategies. In this paper we overview the security of the WDM optical network. We discuss advanced cryptographic methods that stem from quantum mechanics, known as quantum cryptography, and we identify specific vulnerabilities. We also look into the security of the next-generation optical network.
Dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) is an ETS-regulated negative feedback mediator of oncogenic ERK signaling in lung cancer cells

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway signaling plays an important role in the majority of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). In a prior microarray analysis of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition in NSCLC cell lines, we noted that several dual specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) were among the most highly and immediately regulated genes. DUSPs act as natural terminators of MAPK signal transduction and therefore, we hypothesized a tumor suppressive role via feedback mechanisms. In the current study, we focus on the assessment of DUSP6, a cytoplasmic DUSP with high specificity for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). We demonstrate that DUSP6 expression tracks in tandem with ERK inhibition and that regulation of DUSP6 is mediated at the promoter level by ETS1, a well-known nuclear target of activated ERK. Small interfering RNA knockdown in DUSP6-high H441 lung cancer cells significantly increased ERK activation and cellular proliferation, whereas plasmid-driven overexpression in DUSP6-low H1975 lung cancer cells significantly reduced ERK activation and cellular proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Also, DUSP6 overexpression synergized with EGFR inhibitor treatment in EGFR-mutant HCC827 cells. Our results indicate that DUSP6 expression is regulated by ERK signaling and that DUSP6 exerts antitumor effects via negative feedback regulation, pointing to an important feedback loop in NSCLC. Further studies assessing the tumor suppressive role of DUSP6 and strategies aimed at modulation of its activity are warranted.
Mortality and growth of dwarf mistletoe-infected red and white fir and the efficacy of thinning for reducing associated losses

In managed forests dominated by true fir (Abies) species, stands are often restocked using understory trees retained during timber harvest, making the effects of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.) infestation on small true fir a concern. This study examined the response of small red (A. magnifica) and white (A. concolor) fir and their dwarf mistletoes (A. abietinum f.sp. magnificae and A. abietinum f.sp. concoloris, respectively) to precommercial thinning treatments in fir-dominated stands in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Tree diameters and dwarf mistletoe ratings were monitored from 1981 to 2001, and mortality was observed from 1981 to 2006. Red and white fir survival and radial growth decreased significantly with greater mistletoe ratings and increased with larger diameters and live crown ratios. Thinning significantly increased survival and growth of white, but not red fir. Over the course of the study, mistletoe ratings for both fir species did not change significantly in unthinned stands, but increased in thinned stands. However, while statistically significant, increases in mistletoe ratings in thinned stands were gradual and mistletoe ratings did not statistically differ between treatments 20 years post-thinning. Additionally, thinning did not significantly influence mistletoe spread to uninfected trees, indicating that precommercial thinning in lightly infested red and white fir stands will not likely result in substantial increases in dwarf mistletoe abundance over typical harvesting intervals. Overall, while severe dwarf mistletoe infection ratings reduced tree survival and growth, because ratings remained low, actual losses resulting from mistletoes during this study were minor and will not likely result in substantial economic losses over normal harvesting intervals. This finding indicates that precommercial thinning treatments designed specifically to compensate for mistletoe-associated losses may not be necessary when managing red and white fir for timber production.
Ionized and total serum magnesium concentrations in feline renal transplant recipients.

Objective— To measure the blood concentrations of total and ionized serum magnesium in feline renal transplant recipients and to determine if there was a correlation between these concentrations and the development of neurological disorders after renal transplantation. Study Design— Prospective clinical study. Animals— Fourteen client-owned cats undergoing renal transplantation as a treatment for renal failure. Ten healthy adult cats were used to establish normal electrolyte concentrations. Methods— Total and ionized serum magnesium as well as potassium and ionized calcium concentrations were measured in 14 renal transplant recipients at five intervals: preoperatively; immediately postoperatively; and 24, 48, and 120 hours postoperatively. The mean values from all 14 cats over each time interval were compared with the normal range. The serum concentration of these electrolytes, particularly magnesium, was evaluated in relation to the occurrence of neurological complications. Results— Ninety-four percent of all ionized serum magnesium concentrations measured in clinical patients were below normal. Ninety percent of all total serum magnesium concentrations were within the normal range, and no cats had abnormally low total serum magnesium concentrations at any time. All clinical patients were hypocalcemic at all intervals. Sixty-six percent of all serum potassium concentrations were below normal. One cat in the study group experienced neurological problems, including seizures, in the immediate postoperative period. The signs appeared to be related to hypertension and responded to appropriate therapy. All electrolyte concentrations in this cat, including ionized magnesium, were within the same range of values as other clinical patients. Conclusions— Ionized serum magnesium concentrations are decreased in feline renal transplant recipients in the perioperative period; however, hypomagnesemia would not appear to be directly related to the development of neurological disorders. None of the study patients were hypomagnesemic when total serum magnesium concentrations were measured over the same intervals. In addition, ionized serum calcium concentrations and serum potassium concentrations are below normal in the perioperative period. Clinical Significance— The specific clinical significance of these abnormalities is unknown. It is possible that the profound weakness and depression that is commonly seen in feline renal transplant recipients in the immediate postoperative period may be improved by supplementation with these electrolytes. Further work is needed to understand the implications of these abnormalities.
Conditional activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 1, but not FGFR2, in prostate cancer cells leads to increased osteopontin induction, extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation, and in vivo proliferation.

Changes in the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) axis are often associated with prostate cancer (CaP) progression. We have used chemically induced dimerization (CID) to elucidate the individual contributions of FGFR1 and FGFR2 to tumor etiology. Novel CaP cell lines stably expressing CID/AP20187-inducible FGFR1 (iFGFR1) and iFGFR2 were made using the tumorigenic transgenic adenocarcinoma of the murine prostate (TRAMP)-derived clone, TRAMP-C2N (C2N), to generate C2N.iFGFR1 or C2N.iFGFR2 cells. To test the effects of iFGFR activation on tumor growth, mice bearing s.c. C2N.iFGFR1- or C2N.iFGFR2-derived tumors were treated biweekly with CID. Activation of iFGFR1 led to rapid tumor growth as a result of increased proliferation. In contrast, expression of iFGFR2 inhibited tumor growth. Furthermore, we have ascertained that FGFR1 activation appears to be most important during the early stages of tumor development, but once established, tumors become rapidly CID independent. In these C2N-based lines, quantitative signaling differences were seen between the two receptors, with iFGFR1 leading to more robust extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Additionally, activation of iFGFR1, but not iFGFR2, led to strong up-regulation of osteopontin, a secreted glycoprotein involved in integrin activation and associated with CaP progression and metastasis. These studies support the hypothesis that observed changes in the FGFR axis in mammals during CaP progression are causally important.
Artificial Whiskers Suitable for Array Implementation: Accounting for Lateral Slip and Surface Friction

The exquisite tactile sensing ability of biological whiskers has recently led to increasing interest in constructing robotic versions with similar capabilities. Tactile extraction of three-dimensional (3-D) object shape poses several unique challenges that have only begun to be addressed. The present study develops a method for estimating the contact location of a robotic whisker rotating against an object based on small changes in moment at the whisker base. Importantly, the method accounts for lateral slip as well as surface friction, making it particularly well suited for implementation on an array of robotic whiskers. Array implementation would permit simultaneous extraction of multiple contact points and enable highly parallel, efficient 3-D object feature extraction. A simple, scalable array design is suggested to fulfill this approach.
Hilbert's program relativized; Proof-theoretical and foundational reductions

In the Symposium on Hilbert's Program to which the following was contributed, I was asked to talk about the metamathematical aspects of Hilbert's Program (H.P.), while the other two speakers (Simpson and Prawitz) were to deal with the mathematical and philosophical aspects respectively. However, more so than for other foundational schemes, these three aspects of H.P., both as originally conceived and in its subsequent developments, are intimately linked.Here I shall survey a body of proof-theoretical results stemming from H.P., but organized in a way that is closely tied to various reductive foundational aims, albeit going beyond those advanced by Hilbert. I believe this view of reductive proof-theory (not original with me) helps one to better understand what has been achieved thereby than other, more familiar accounts.
A gene encoding an intestinal-enriched member of the Krüppel-like factor family expressed in intestinal epithelial cells

The Kruppel-like factors make up a multigene family of transcription factors that have discrete patterns of expression, implying they play important biological roles in the tissues in which they are expressed. We have identified and characterized the cDNA for a novel murine transcription factor that is an additional member of the Kruppel-like family of transcription factors, named intestinal-enriched Kruppel-like factor (IKLF). This gene appears to be a homolog of the human BTEB-2 gene, although it exhibits a different pattern of tissue expression and the translated product is larger. IKLF is expressed in a limited number of tissues; the highest levels of IKLF expression are found in the digestive tract. IKLF shows temporal changes in expression during embryogenesis indicating that this gene is developmentally regulated. In addition, IKLF expression is limited to the epithelial lining of the intestine and is localized primarily to the base of the crypts in the adult intestine. The IKLF cDNA encodes for a 446 amino acid protein and is able to transactivate by binding specific DNA elements that are also recognized by other members of the Kruppel-like family. In addition, mutations in the activation domain attenuate the ability of this protein to function as a transcription factor. Collectively, these findings show that we have identified a transcription factor that is expressed predominantly in the epithelial crypt cells of the gastrointestinal tract and is a member of the Kruppel-like family of transcription factors.
AURED Autonomous Random Early Detection for TCP Congestion Control

Congestion control is widely used in the Internet to prevent congestion collapse. Because data are inherently bursty, routers are provisioned with large buffers to absorb this burstiness and to achieve high link utilization. At the same time, large buffers lead to high queuing delays at congested routers. RED (random early detection) was introduced to relieve this problem so as to achieve high link utilization and low queue delay. Several adaptive techniques have also been proposed to allow for better parameter adjustment under different situation settings. However, parameter adjustment approaches in these techniques are usually based on an assumption that there exists a known combination of optimal parameter setting based on which techniques are to adjust to. Whereas, optimality of the setting very much depends on circumstantial factors which cannot be universally true, and thus the ensuing adjustment may not be even beneficial. In this paper, we propose an autonomous random early detection (AURED) technique to allow for a complete autonomous adjustment process without having to assume the aforementioned association. By tuning the packet drop probability variable according to the performance variation between two consecutive sampling periods, this technique does not require a target setting value to adapt to, thus allowing for more flexibility to accommodate for various situations.
Testing for triaxiality with kinematic data

Des modeles cinematiques simples de galaxies elliptiques sont utilises pour montrer que si les galaxies sont triaxiales, les vitesses de rotation suivant leurs axes principaux apparents doivent etre associees a des mouvements similaires suivant leurs petits axes apparents. Application a l'analyse des donnees relatives a 10 galaxies
Transdermal ethinyl estradiol and norelgestromin for contraception

Combination hormonal contraception, particularly the oral contraceptive, is one of the most widely used reversible methods worldwide. However, improper use contributes significantly to unintended pregnancy. The purpose of this article is to review relevant clinical data to support the use of the transdermal contraceptive patch as a method of birth control. The transdermal contraceptive patch provides a weekly dosing approach without sacrificing efficacy. The frequency of side effects is similar to that experienced by oral contraceptive users, although certain side effects, for example, breast tenderness and skin irritation, are more common among patch users. Although there has been concern that the transdermal contraceptive patch may be associated with higher rates of venous thromboembolism than other combination contraceptive methods, study results are not consistent, and the rates of venous thromboembolism are significantly lower than those experienced by pregnant women.
Metal complexes of cyanocarbons VIII. Dicyanoacetylene complexes of platinum

Abstract Reactions of the cyanocarbon, dicyanoacetylene, with some Pt 0 and Pt II substrates have been studied under preparative conditions, and several new, very stable complexes have been isolated and characterized. The compound Pt(Ph 3 P) 2 (C 4 N 2 ) is obtained from the reaction of C 4 N 2 with either Pt(Ph 3 P) 4 , Pt(Ph 3 P) 2 (PhCCH), or PtHCl(Ph 3 P) 2 , and the tertiary arsine analog Pt(Ph 3 As) 2 (C 4 N 2 ) is obtained from Pt(Ph 3 As) 4 . Reaction of the alkyl phosphie complex PtHCl(Et 3 P) 2 with C 4 N 2 in tetrahydrofuran gives Pt(Et 3 P) 2 (C 4 N 2 ), but when the reaction is carried out in benzene a dicyanovinyl complex, PtCl[C(CN)CHCN](Et 3 P) 2 , is obtained. Also described are reactions of Pt(Ph 3 P) 2 (C 4 N 2 ) with several reagents, including Br 2 and HX (X = Cl, Br) which give Pt(Ph 3 P) 2 (C 4 N 2 Br 2 ) and PtX[C(CN)CHCN](Ph 3 P) 2 respectively. Analogous chemical characteristics of Pt(PPh 3 ) 2 (C 4 N 2 ) and cyclopropenes are discussed.
Whiteboard Content Extraction and Analysis for the Classroom Environment

We describe whiteboard content capture system from Presentations Automatically Organized from Lectures(PAOL) that captures content within the setting of a classroom environment. The system acquires a sequence of images from high-resolution, fixed view cameras and extracts a series of content-rich key frames. The key frames are derived by analyzing the camera images of the front of the room, selecting images that show the progression of the presented material (writing, projected images), digitally removing the speaker's image, and enhancing the images for greater legibility. These images can be distributed in real time or stored and later synchronized with other content (video, computer capture). The system requires no specialized hardware other than fixed-field-of-view cameras, is transparent to the lecturer, and handles both whiteboard and projected presentations. The system extracts on average approximately 70 key frames from roughly 70000 images captured during a 75-minute presentation and runs at close to real time.
Cardiac surgery in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract Background Highly active antiretroviral therapy has dramatically impacted the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and may be associated with lipodystrophy and accelerated coronary artery disease. Patients with HIV are consequently increasingly likely to present for cardiac surgery. Methods A retrospective review of 37 consecutive patients at two integrated centers from 1994 to 2000 was conducted. Standard database and follow-up information was supplemented with data on opportunistic infections, CD4 count, viral load, New York Heart Association status, and angina status. Risk to operating room personnel was also reviewed. Results Median age was 41 years; 34 of 37 patients were male. Operations performed were coronary artery bypass graft ([CABG] 27), aortic valve replacement ([AVR] 4), AVR/CABG (2), AVR/mitral valve repair (1), mitral valve repair (1), excision of atrial masses (1), and tricuspid valve repair (1). Complications included death in 1 of 37 (2.7%), sepsis in 2 of 37 (5.4%), deep sternal infection in 1 of 37 (2.7%), bleeding in 2 of 37 (5.4%), prolonged ventilation in 2 of 37 (5.4%), and readmission in 8 of 37 (21.6%). Actuarial freedom from a composite end point of angina, death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and congestive heart failure was 81% at 3 years with no late deaths. Preoperative and follow-up CD4 counts and viral loads were not significantly different at a mean follow-up of 28 months. No patients progressed from HIV positive status to AIDS during the study period. Six "needle stick" injuries requiring antiretroviral prophylaxis occurred in 5 caregivers without seroconversion. Conclusions In selected patients infected with HIV, risks and outcomes of cardiac surgery are acceptable. With concomitant highly active antiretroviral therapy, intermediate HIV and cardiac status appear to be favorable. Needle stick injuries occur at a rate mandating optimal reduction of patient viral loads preoperatively.
Pressure-dependent damping characteristics of microsilicon beam resonators for different resonant modes

This paper is to investigate (experimentally and model-based) the resonant-mode dependence of microcantilevers' damping characteristics and how this dependence changes for different pressure ranges: air pressure (100Torr and higher), high vacuum (~ 1mTorr) and pressures in between. In air pressure, we focus on the damping caused by the fluid drag force. A frequency dependent fluid damping model is proposed and experimentally validated. At high vacuum, thermo-elastic damping (TED) is demonstrated to be the main damping source experimentally, for frequency range from 10Khz to 2MHz and up to 6 resonant modes. By proper design we are able to tell that the "effective" viscous damping is dominant in the transition pressure regime
Measuring Genuine Progress by Scaling Economic Indicators to Think Global & Act Local: An Example from the UN Millennium Development Goals Project

Proposals for incorporating information on the quality of human, social, and environmental conditions in more authentic and comprehensive versions of the Gross National Product (GNP) or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) date back to the foundations of econometrics. Typically treated as external to markets, these domains have lately been objects of renewed interest as calls for accountability and transparency have expanded to include their now topical but previously neglected economic implications. Extensive and expensive data systems are underused for a variety of technical and social reasons that could conceivably be successfully addressed via systematic and coordinated efforts. The United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals accountability system is used to illustrate how data quality can be more effectively and efficiently evaluated, how data volume can be reduced with no loss of information, how measures can be made more meaningful, and how they can be made more socially acceptable. Of particular importance are methods for harnessing the energy of the profit motive in national and global efforts aiming to affect these indicators.
Off-Axis Mechanical Properties of A Cellular Al-Al 3Ni Directionally Solidified Eutectic

Ingots having a cross-sectional area of 1.27 cm × 10.8 cm were directionally solidified for testing off-axis tensile properties. To avoid macroscopic banding due to inductive melting and thermal convection, growth rates of 2.2 cm/min were required. The resulting solidification structures were cellular. The macroscopic tensile behavior of the eutectic alloy was similar to that observed for mechanically formed fiberreinforced composite materials; in particular, three distinct modes of fracture occurred. In Region I, where the angle(ϕ) between the growth direction and the tensile axis was small, the tensile strength of the composite was inversely proportional to cos2 ϕ. In Region II (20° ≤ ϕ ≤ 55°) and Region III (60° ≤ ϕ ≤ 90°), the tensile strength of the composite was inversely proportional to sin ϕ, cosϕ, and sin 2ϕ, respectively. For all regions, failure was initiated by the fracture of large Al3Ni intercellular blades. In Region I, fracture was by a combination of tensile overload on a plane perpendicular to the tensile axis or shear on a plane inclined to the tensile axis at approximately 45°. In Region II, failure was by shear in a plane containing the growth direction and in a direction parallel to the fibers. For Region III, failure was by plane strain constraint with shear perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibers. The fracture of large intercellular Al3Ni blades can be explained by the variation of S13 about the tensile axis, and the corresponding intercellular tensile strains which result. In Region II, metallographic examination of tensile specimens shows a Poisson's ratio effect to be contributing to the strength of the composite; occasionally shear between adjacent cells is observed. By using the yield strengths of specimens having fibers oriented parallel to and perpendicular to the tensile axis, an approximate yield surface can be constructed. This yield surface accurately predicts the transition in failure mode from Region II to Region III.
Understanding protocol performance: impact of test performance.

BACKGROUND This is the second of two articles that examine the factors that determine protocol performance. The objective of these articles is to provide a general understanding of protocol performance that can be used to estimate performance, establish limits on performance, decide if a protocol is justified, and ultimately select a protocol. The first article was concerned with protocol criterion and test correlation. It demonstrated the advantages and disadvantages of different criterion when all tests had the same performance. It also examined the impact of increasing test correlation on protocol performance and the characteristics of the different criteria. PURPOSE To examine the impact on protocol performance when individual tests in a protocol have different performance. This is evaluated for different criteria and test correlations. The results of the two articles are combined and summarized. RESEARCH DESIGN A mathematical model is used to calculate protocol performance for different protocol criteria and test correlations when there are small to large variations in the performance of individual tests in the protocol. RESULTS The performance of the individual tests that make up a protocol has a significant impact on the performance of the protocol. As expected, the better the performance of the individual tests, the better the performance of the protocol. Many of the characteristics of the different criteria are relatively independent of the variation in the performance of the individual tests. However, increasing test variation degrades some criteria advantages and causes a new disadvantage to appear. This negative impact increases as test variation increases and as more tests are added to the protocol. CONCLUSIONS Best protocol performance is obtained when individual tests are uncorrelated and have the same performance. In general, the greater the variation in the performance of tests in the protocol, the more detrimental this variation is to protocol performance. Since this negative impact is increased as more tests are added to the protocol, greater test variation indicates using fewer tests in the protocol.
Effect of hypothermia on reflex activity in the anesthetized dog.

SummaryEvidence is presented which indicates that pressor response to injections (2 μg/kg) of epinephrine and nor-ephine-phrine is potentiated in the anesthetized dog at blood temperatures of 27-28°C. The augmented response to nor-epinephrine was greater than that for epinephrine. Evaluation of respiratory and circulatory responses to bilateral carotid occlusion and hypoxic hypoxia indicates that the hypothermic dog retains reflex activity but magnitude of the responses is less than that at normal body temperature.
Efficient Layout Generation and Design Evaluation of Vertical Channel Devices

Vertical gate-all-around (VGAA) structure has been shown to be one of the most promising devices for the scaling beyond 10 nm for its reduced area, large driving current, and good gate control. Moreover, emerging devices such as heterojunction tunneling FETs are more amenable to vertical fabrication. However, past studies of vertical channel devices focused more on regular memory architectures and simple standard cells like inverters. Since naive migration of regular FinFET layouts to vertical FETs yields little benefits, we identify several vertical efficient layout structures and propose novel layout generation heuristics for vertical channel devices. We also compare VGAA with symmetric and asymmetric source/drain architectures and different contact placement strategies. The layout efficiencies of several VGAA structures, vertical double-gate, lateral gate-all-around (LGAA), and FinFET are presented in our experiments. Routing congestion estimation on both cell-level and chip-level after placement and routing are also presented. We observe that even though most vertical channel standard cells have more diffusion gaps than lateral cells do, they still benefit from vertical architectures in area because of the vertically aligned top contacts. For asymmetric architectures, the area is larger than symmetric architectures because of the extra diffusion gaps needed, but our experiments indicate that for both symmetric and asymmetric architectures, vertical channel devices are likely to have a density advantage over lateral channel devices.
Cuban Mothers' Schemas of ADHD: Development, Characteristics, and Help Seeking Behavior

Parents play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one of the most prevalent developmental disorders of young children We report the findings of a qualitative study of Cuban-American mothers of 7 to 10 year old children with ADHD. Results suggest that mothers lacked a cultural model for ADHD and held a cultural model of normal child development which hampered their development of a schema of ADHD. Development of ADHD schemas were motivated by perplexity at their children's behavior and by the high value mothers ascribed to academic achievement. Although the schemas developed by the mothers were labeled as ADHD, their behavioral characterizations of their children, their attributions for the condition and for its causes, and their management strategies were not always in agreement with those of the biomedical model for the condition. However, once mothers classified their children's behavior as atypical, they actively sought assistance from the professional sector.
Le mécanisme de réparation par excision du 5-hydroxyméthyluracile dans l'ADN conduit à l'apoptose dans les lignées de fibroblastes de mammifère

Nous avons deja demontre que la toxicite de la 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-desoxyuridine (hmdUrd) envers les fibroblastes de hamster Chinois (cellules V79) resulte de l'excision d'un grand nombre de residus d'hydroxymethyluracile de l'ADN par l'enzyme hydroxymethyluracile-DNA glysosylase. Nous montrons a present que la mort des cellules V79 liee a ce mecanisme d'excision de la hmdUrd est du type apoptotique dans au moins 25% des cas. L'incubation des cellules V79 en presence de hmdUrd aboutit aux changements caracteristiques de l'apoptose mesures par electrophorese sur gel, cytometrie de flux et microscopie optique. Toutefois, hmdUrd ne provoque pas l'apoptose des cellules V79mut1 qui ne possedent pas de systeme de reparation par excision de la hmUra. L'electrophorese en champ pulse montre que le traitement par la hmdUrd aboutit la formation de fragments d'ADN double brin de haut poids moleculaire (2,2 Mb -4,5 Mb) avant formation de l'echelle internucleosomale dans le cellules V79. L'analyse immunochimique montre que la proteine p53 est mutee dansles cellules V79 et V79mut1, indiquant que l'apoptose obtenue par un mecanisme de reparation par excision des bases de l'ADN est independante de l'action de p53. Ces resultats demontrent donc que l'apoptose secondaire a l'alteration de l'ADN peut etre la consequence d'une activite de reparation de l'ADN.
Die stress in stealth dicing for MEMS

Wafer dicing is a necessary and important process in the microelectronics fabrication. Emerging technologies of IC semiconductor have been utilizing silicon-on-insulation (SOI) wafers. These wafers have made wafer dicing quite challenging. Compared to conventional blade dicing, stealth dicing has advantages such as debris-free and dry process. MEMS dies that are fabricated on a SOI wafer and then undergo stealth dicing is studied in this paper. Cracks were found around the edges of the membrane in the MEMS dies after stealth dicing. The failure causes are to be determined. Three processes in the stealth dicing are studied: IR laser scanning, tape dicing and peeling process. Effects of these three processes on the die stresses were investigated. It is the first time that die stresses in a membrane-structured MEMS on SOI wafer in stealth dicing are analyzed. Thermal/structural stress contours are obtained by finite element analysis. Die stresses caused by these three processes are compared.
Oxide thickness dependence of inverter delay and device reliability for 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS technology

We investigate the tradeoffs and optimisation of gate oxide thickness and power supply voltage for a high-performance nominal 0.25 /spl mu/m gate length CMOS technology and evaluate the reliability design constraints in terms of time-dependent-dielectric breakdown (TDDB), channel-hot-electrons (CHE), and gate-induced-drain leakage. Thinner t/sub ox/ allows higher operating oxide field, higher CHE lifetime, and higher resistance to D/sub it/ generation. An optimal t/sub ox/ exists for a minimal t/sub delay/ (inverter chain delay) with bounds on maximum allowable V/sub DD/ at a given t/sub ox/ determined by CHE lifetime (for thicker t/sub ox/) and by TDDB lifetime (for thinner t/sub ox/). For low inverter fanout FO=1, a minimum t/sub delay/ for our experimental conditions occurs with t/sub ox/=68 /spl Aring/ and V/sub DD/=2.7 V. For higher FO/spl ges/5, a minimum t/sub delay/ occurs for thicker t/sub ox/=88 /spl Aring/ and with V/sub DD/=2.5 V. >
Multivalent Soluble Antigen Arrays Exhibit High Avidity Binding and Modulation of B Cell Receptor-Mediated Signaling to Drive Efficacy against Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

A pressing need exists for antigen-specific immunotherapies (ASIT) that induce selective tolerance in autoimmune disease while avoiding deleterious global immunosuppression. Multivalent soluble antigen arrays (SAgAPLP:LABL), consisting of a hyaluronic acid (HA) linear polymer backbone cografted with multiple copies of autoantigen (PLP) and cell adhesion inhibitor (LABL) peptides, are designed to induce tolerance to a specific multiple sclerosis (MS) autoantigen. Previous studies established that hydrolyzable SAgAPLP:LABL, employing a degradable linker to codeliver PLP and LABL, was therapeutic in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in vivo and exhibited antigen-specific binding with B cells, targeted the B cell receptor (BCR), and dampened BCR-mediated signaling in vitro. Our results pointed to sustained BCR engagement as the SAgAPLP:LABL therapeutic mechanism, so we developed a new version of the SAgA molecule using nonhydrolyzable conjugation chemistry, hypothesizing it would enhance and mai...
Gender stereotyping, training and practice factors related to learning a complex visual motor task

AbstractThis study examines the effect of interpolated tasks and gender on adaptation to two altered task components—compatibility and order of control. Participants (20 men, 16 women of college age) directed a cursor onto a circular target on a monitor as quickly as possible. A joystick directed cursor movements, having either position or velocity control order and compatible or incompatible mapping, depending on the testing conditions. Overall, male participants’ movements were faster and more accurate than movements of the female participants. However, female participants’ performance did not significantly differ from that of the male participants when the participants practiced two task factors simultaneously and females benefited significantly more than males from the practice. The testing conditions (context) significantly contributed to the performance differences in female participants. In conclusion socioeconomic and cultural values and subsequent gender roles influence performance differences be...
Reversal of Magnitude of Reward in Differntial Conditioning

Two groups of rats were given differential conditioning in a pair of straight alleys in which 1 food pellet in one alley and 25 pellets in the other served as reward. Following 40 trials, the rewards were reversed for half the Ss. It was found that Ss showed appropriate changes in performance following the reversal, but these adjustments were more gradual than has usually been observed in simple instrumental conditioning. No reliable evidence of contrast effects was obtained. It was concluded that these differences between reward shifts in instrumental and differential conditioning reflect the reduced discriminability of the shift in the latter.
Drone Transport of Chemistry and Hematology Samples Over Long Distances.

Objectives We addressed the stability of biological samples in prolonged drone flights by obtaining paired chemistry and hematology samples from 21 adult volunteers in a single phlebotomy event-84 samples total. Methods Half of the samples were held stationary, while the other samples were flown for 3 hours (258 km) in a custom active cooling box mounted on the drone. After the flight, 19 chemistry and hematology tests were performed. Results Seventeen analytes had small or no bias, but glucose and potassium in flown samples showed an 8% and 6.2% bias, respectively. The flown samples (mean, 24.8°C) were a mean of 2.5°C cooler than the stationary samples (mean, 27.3°C) during transportation to the flight field as well as during the flight. Conclusions The changes in glucose and potassium are consistent with the magnitude and duration of the temperature difference between the flown and stationary samples. Long drone flights of biological samples are feasible but require stringent environmental controls to ensure consistent results.
Some Remarks on Code Evolution with Genetic Programming

In this chapter we take a fresh look at the current status of evolving computer code using Genetic Programming methods. The emphasis is not so much on what has been achieved in detail in the past few years, but on the general research direction of code evolution and its ramifications for GP. We begin with a quick glance at the area of Search-based Software Engineering (SBSE), discuss the history of GP as applied to code evolution, consider various application scenarios, and speculate on techniques that might lead to a scaling-up of present-day approaches.
Measuring knowledge intensity in manufacturing industries: a new approach

This article presents the methodology and results for measuring the knowledge intensity of manufacturing industries based on the knowledge-related characteristics of their workforce. The measures l...
Agency MBS Prepayment Factors

This analysis of US mortgage-backed pass-through pools issued by US Government Sponsored Entities (GSE) from 2004-2011 explores factors influencing the lifetime Constant Prepayment Rate (CPR). Particularly, to what extent do factors other than interest rates impact prepayment speeds. Factors such as current loan-to-value (LTV) ratios are discussed as negatively impacting a borrower’s ability to refinance a higher rate mortgage, however, the analysis shows that home price values and adjusted LTV ratios have not exhibited an impact on lifetime CPR.
Modeling the Propagation of Public Perception across Repeated Social Interactions

In this paper we develop an operational, quantitative method for the propagation of public perception. The model is presented as an extension of the culture-sanctioned social metric framework. We use the technique to model an extended version of the Spanish Steps flower selling scam, where a seller manipulates the belief of the clients and the public perception to pressure the clients to buy overpriced flowers.
Positioning Readers in One-on-One Conferences:

Over the last few decades, scholars have conceptualized academic struggle, including learning disabilities, as socially constructed. When students, especially students of color, are constructed as ...
Editorial on “current state of empyema management”

The word “empyema” means “a bag of pus” originated from the Greek word “empyein”. In contemporary practice, empyema often referenced to empyema of the chest or empyema thoracis. Surgical principles of empyema management include evacuation of pus and surgical treatment of the dead space by expansion of the lung. Occasionally, surgical procedures such as thoracoplasty and other measures are utilized to eliminate the dead space.
Amorphous Si x Ge y O 1-x-y thin films for uncooled infrared microbolometers

Abstract This paper presents a detailed characterization of Silicon Germanium Oxide (SixGeyO1−x−y) thin films for uncooled infrared microbolometers. The films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using simultaneous deposition from silicon and germanium targets in an argon and oxygen environment. The electrical properties of the films were studied as a function of oxygen (up to 10%) and silicon (up to 30%). The results demonstrated that a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a low corresponding resistivity can be achieved using various compositions, for example, Si0.054Ge0.877O0.069 films have achieved a TCR and a resistivity of −3.5 %/K and 629 Ω -cm, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the films are amorphous, and the broadening of XRD spectra (full width at half maximum, FWHM) is related to the decrease and increase of TCR and resistivity, for example, oxygen and fixed Si concentrations of 6.16% and 4% result in narrow spectra which corresponds to a higher TCR value of −3.6 %/K. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study shows that the absorption peaks corresponding to Ge-O and Si-O are located around 800 cm−1 and 960 cm−1, respectively. The peak intensity of Si-O increases as the Si content increases while Ge-O bond disappears as the Si content increases above 6%. These results are used to explain the TCR and resistivity behavior as the Si concentration increased in the film. In addition, the chemical bonding between Ge-Ge and Ge-Si, measured using the Raman spectroscopy study demonstrates that at a fixed oxygen concentration of 4%, The peak shift of Ge-Ge and Ge-Si are relatively small which corresponds to a small change in TCR and resistivity at this Si concentration range, while at oxygen concentration of 8%, the Ge-Si bond have more effects on increasing TCR values, and the larger peak shift corresponds to a higher TCR values.
Software: Tableau and Microsoft Power BI

Data literacy—the ability to generate, understand, and use data—is a central challenge of design education in the twenty-first century. It is vital to the development of an informed and empowered c...
Examining the Diagnostic Validity of Autism Measures Among Adults in an Outpatient Clinic Sample

Background: Previous research has questioned the validity of diagnostic measures for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among adults. This study examined the correspondence between several measures and...
A Flow Visualization Using Parallel 3D Line Integral Convolution for Large Scale Unstructured Grid Data

One of the greatest challenges facing scientists doing large computation of vector fields in a distributed parallel setting is the need for optimal parallel algorithms for flow visualization. To address this need, we present a new flow visualization method based on parallel 3D line integral convolution (LIC). Our approach uses the fact that 3D LIC only needs limited local information to design an embarrassingly parallel model with a trade-off between the additional memory cost of external cells and the time cost for communication. All data required for each process can be stored in either a local data block or the external cells which are sets of exterior data surrounding the local partition. One problem for parallel LIC is that equal domain size decomposition of the data cannot guarantee balanced parallel processes. To achieve a load-balanced visualization process, we repartition data using an estimate of the LIC computation time. In addition, to minimize the memory cost, we introduce a vector-driven external cell expansion method to reduce the required memory cost. We find that we can use fewer external cells with minimal loss of visual quality.We evaluate the performance of our visualization method by first comparing its parallel scalability with traditional integral field line visualization. Next, we compare our new partition method with other data partition methods to verify that the workload of our model is more balanced. Finally, we compare our external cell expansion method with a traditional layer-based external cell expansion method. Consequently, together with the new partition and external cell expansion methods, our parallel 3D LIC visualization proves to be an efficient and well-balanced parallel flow visualization with limited extra memory cost and a large saving of communication time.