cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 223: Targeting PDK-1 and EGFR by human umbilical cord blood stem cells reverses Warburg effect in glioblastoma multiforme.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and incurable brain tumor in adults. The overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in GBM is identified as typical oncogenic signature. Due to the functional diversity of proteins that are phosphorylated or complexed with EGFR, it unsurprising that EGFR is involved in multiple interconnected signaling pathways. In GBM, hypoxia drives aggression and malignancy through glycolysis as opposed to oxidation of pyruvate in the mitochondria. This phenomenon, termed the Warburg effect, has a prominent role in oncogenesis. In the present study, we show that hypoxia induces pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK-1) expression, which in turn increases the expression of EGFR and hypoxia inducing factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) in cell lines derived from human GBM. PDK-1 is a HIF-1-regulated gene, and our data suggested that hypoxia-induced PDK-1 expression may promote EGFR activation, thus sustaining a feed-forward loop for malignant progression. PDK-1 and EGFR knockdown, using respective shRNAs or human umbilical cord blood stem cells (hUCBSC), lowers PDK-1-EGFR phosphorylation and decreases HIF-1α expression, which reverts the Warburg phenotype of GBM leading to inhibition of tumor- growth and invasion. Clinically, expression of PDK1, EGFR, and HIF-1α were elevated in GBM specimens when compared to normal brain tissues. Collectively, our studies indicate PDK-1 as a key mediator of tumor growth in GBM and that targeting PDK-1 and its associated molecules such as HIF-1α and EGFR may prove promising for inhibition of the Warburg effect in human GBMs. Citation Format: Kiran Kumar Velpula, Arnima Bhasin, Venkata Ramesh Dasari, Swapna Asuthkar, Dzung H. Dinh, Jasti S. Rao, Andrew J. Tsung. Targeting PDK-1 and EGFR by human umbilical cord blood stem cells reverses Warburg effect in glioblastoma multiforme. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 223. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-223
Description of a Drug Studies Course Taught in a College Camp Setting

For several years the College at Cortland, State University of New York, has offered a course in drug studies through its Health Science Department. During the 1971 summer session a section of this course was limited to people preparing to teach about drugs as a part of the State-mandated course in Health Education. The New York State Education Department provided stipends for students and paid those consultants who requested fees or expenses. One section of this course was conducted at the college's 250-acre Adirondack camp, the Huntington Memorial Camp.Education law in New York State specifies that there be included in grades Kindergarten through 12 the study of Health. Drugs, in particular, are given a prominent part in this study.The refreshing atmosphere of a well-equipped but otherwise unspoiled camp is described. Its probable effect upon learning, especially the development of attitudes toward drug education, is explored in this article. The nature of the course conduct and content are included, as...
Insulin Allergy A Report of Eight Cases with Generalized Symptoms

The problem of insulin allergy has been discussed by Tuft (1), Allen and Scherer (2), Herzstein and Pollack (3), McDaniel (4), and among others and most recently by Harten and Walser (5) and by Yasuna (6). Definition. The terms insulin sensitivity and hypersensitivity have been used frequently as synonyms for allergy, but they also have been applied to describe the rapid and excessive hypoglycemic response to insulin in contradistinction to insulin resistance or insensitivity. In this sense, sensitivity differs from allergy completely, not only in symptomatology but also in its mechanism. It may occur with or without allergic symptoms. An attempt should be made, therefore, to differentiate these two conditions in their terminology. In this paper we propose to use the term ‘allergic’ as referring to symptoms which are due to the antigenic property of insulin as a protein substance (7) and to speak of sensitivity and insensitiv ity as referring to the varying degrees of body response to the specific me tabo...
Theory and applications of the Analytic Element Method

[1] We present a review of the theory and applications of the Analytic Element Method as it exists today. The paper begins with a presentation of analytic elements used for modeling of divergence-free and irrotational flow in both two and three dimensions, including a description of the superblock approach, which makes it possible to deal effectively with very large models both in terms of accuracy and speed. We briefly discuss a particular application of the Analytic Element Method to multiaquifer problems, present the theory of the Analytic Element Method for general vector fields, and discuss the inclusion of source terms (irrotational vector fields with nonzero divergence). We finish the paper with a brief discussion of three major applications on a regional scale.
“De sermone sermonem fecimus”: Alexander of Ashby's De artificioso modo predicandi

Abstract: Alexander of Ashby9s De artifldoso modo predicandi has the distinction of being the first medieval sermon rhetoric since the De doctrina Christiana to apply classical rhetorical terms to preaching. The text ineludes a dedicatory prologue to Alexander9s abbot (of the Augustinian canons at Ashby), the treatise proper on a sermon9s construction, and five sample sermons. In contradistinction to current formalist descriptions of the De artificioso modo predicandi , this essay focuses on its audience awareness. I argue that the historical importance of this treatise lies not merely in its revival of classical terminology, but also in its theorization of rhetorical scenes in which classical teachings might apply to the sermon.
From "Hellstrom Paradox" to anti-adenosinergic cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer therapy by endogenous or adoptively transferred anti-tumor T cells is considered complementary to conventional cancer treatment by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. However, the scope of promising immunotherapeutic protocols is currently limited because tumors can create a ‘hostile–immunosuppressive microenvironment that prevents their destruction by anti-tumor T cells. There is a possibility to develop better and more effective immunotherapies by inactivating mechanisms that inhibit anti-tumor T cells in the tumor microenvironment and thereby protect cancerous tissues from immune damage. This may be now possible because of the recent demonstration that genetic deletion of immunosuppressive A2A and A2B adenosine receptors (A2AR and A2BR) or their pharmacological inactivation can prevent the inhibition of anti-tumor T cells by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and as a result facilitate full tumor rejection [Ohta A, Gorelik E, Prasad SJ et al (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(35):13132–3137]. This approach is based on in vivo genetic evidence that A2AR play a critical role in the protection of normal tissues from overactive immune cells in acutely inflamed and hypoxic areas. The observations of much improved T-cell-mediated rejection of tumors in mice with inactivated A2AR strongly suggest that A2AR also protects hypoxic cancerous tissues and that A2AR should be inactivated in order to improve tumor rejection by anti-tumor T cells.
Microwave Synthesis of Ternary Nitride Materials

Abstract The utility of microwave heating and microwave generated nitrogen plasmas as a synthetic technique toward the synthesis of nitrides is demonstrated. The synthesis of several binary and ternary nitrides, including TiN, AlN, VN, Li 3 FeN 2 , Li 5 TiN 3 , and Li 3 AlN 2 , using either a microwave heating source or a microwave generated nitrogen plasma, are described. Two types of reactions, those between a metal and a nitrogen plasma and those between Li 3 N and either a metal or a metal nitride in a microwave heating system are discussed.
From unit to unity: protozoology, cell theory, and the new concept of life.

In a review of the cell biology and heredity studies of 1900–1910, Bernardino Fantini argues that the choice of an experimental subject or organism was crucial in opening up new discoveries and new theories for specific fields of research.69 Thinking on a broader level, Butschli expressed a similar view when he stated that an understanding of the true nature and structure of the “elementary organism” was crucial to the whole of biology. In this article we have traced the impact of Butschli's unicellular model of protozoa up to the general acceptance of the eukaryotic cell as nature's primary organism. We have also seen that Butschli's vision in the Studien gave birth to Protistenforschung and Zellforschung, sister sciences whose task it was to further and integrate knowledge of the living cell. Of necessity, we have confined ourselves to German scientific developments. However, our attempt to recapture and define the unity and meaning of a biology of the “cell-microcosm” has given us pause to reconsider the development and nature of Wilhelmian biological science.
Fully Coherent X-Ray Pulses from a Regenerative-Amplifier Free-Electron Laser

We propose and analyze a regenerative-amplifier free-electron laser (FEL) to produce fully coherent, hard x-ray pulses. The method makes use of narrow-bandwidth Bragg crystals to form an x-ray feedback loop around a relatively short undulator. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) from the leading electron bunch in a bunch train is spectrally filtered by the Bragg reflectors and is brought back to the beginning of the undulator to interact repeatedly with subsequent bunches in the bunch train. The FEL interaction with these short bunches regeneratively amplifies the radiation intensity and broadens its spectrum, allowing for effective transmission of the x rays outside the crystal bandwidth. The spectral brightness of these x-ray pulses is about 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that from a single-pass SASE FEL.
How Sweet It Is: Identification of Vacuolar Sucrose Transporters

Vacuoles have diverse functions within all plant cells. Vacuoles get rid of wastes, accumulate nutrients, and regulate pressure within a cell. They are also known to store sugars. Many of the compounds within vacuoles are actively transported across the tonoplast membrane against a concentration
Statistical theory of angular distributions and rotational orientation in chemical reactions

For A+BC→AB+C exchange reactions governed by a statistical collision complex, a large class of directional properties dependent on the rotational orientation of reactant or product molecules are shown to be determined by only two parameters, Λ=〈l/(l+j) 〉 and Λ′=〈l′/(l′+j′) 〉. Here l and l′ are the initial and final orbital angular momenta and j and j′ the rotational momenta of the reactant and product molecules. The angular distribution and the spatial orientation or polarization of the rotational momentum of product molecules are treated in detail. A classical form of statistical theory is used in which the directional properties are determined by Legendre moments involving averages over various unobserved angles between angular momentum vectors. Numerical formulas that give these averages in terms of Λ and Λ′ are derived from phase space calculations for a wide variety of reaction systems. Comparisons with previous treatments of product angular distributions involving other parameters show these can likewise be expressed in terms of Λ and Λ′. Methods are discussed for estimating these parameters and relating them to other reaction properties.
Mapping Neuronal Connectivity Using Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (Storm): The Brainstorm Project

The human brain is a highly sophisticated circuit consisting of hundreds of billions of neurons that are interconnected by an even larger number of synapses. This dense network of neurons and their connections holds key information to understanding normal brain function and perhaps what underlies its disorders. Obtaining a physical map of the brain's connectivity, however, is highly challenging due to the small size and high density of neuronal processes within a given volume. Therefore, in order to generate a map of neuronal connectivity a technique that can provide high spatial resolution and molecular specificity is needed.We are using 3D multi-color stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) in order to trace neuronal networks in culture at high spatial resolution. In order to capture an entire network of connections, we are using an automated, motorized piezo stage to image large areas in x-y (≥ 120x120 μm) as well as in z (≥ 2 μm). With this technique we can not only outline neuronal morphology at 30 μm lateral and 50 μm axial resolution, but we can also image synaptic content with high molecular specificity and identify synaptic connections. These techniques will be greatly useful for generating connectional maps of neurons in the mammalian brain and help obtain a physical understanding behind brain function.
Report on the extremely low threshold for the CO2 laser induced multiple photon absorption and dissociation processes in chromyl chloride

Abstract We have studied the behaivior of the CrO 2 Cl 2 molecule upon irradiation with an unfocused, low power (0.45 J/cm 2 pulsed CO 2 laser using a visible dye laser as a probe of the population changes in the vibrationless ground electronic state and various low-lying vibrational levels. Wavelength and time-resolved measurements indicate that the vibrationless ground state is depleted as a result of the CO 2 laser pumping and that the recovery of the ambient population does not take palce even after 5.0 milliseconds. Mass spectroscopic analysis of the CO 2 laser irradiated samples suggests an extremely low thereshold for dissociation in the case of CrO 2 Cl 2 .
Clevidipine for severe hypertension in patients with renal dysfunction: A VELOCITY trial analysis

AbstractIntroduction. Acute and severe hypertension is common, especially in patients with renal dysfunction (RD). Clevidipine is a rapidly acting (t½∼1 min) intravenous (IV) dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker metabolized by blood and tissue esterases and may be useful in patients with RD. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the safety and efficacy of clevidipine in patients with RD. Methods. VELOCITY, a multicenter open-label study of severe hypertension, enrolled 126 patients with persistent systolic blood pressure (SBP) >180 mmHg. Investigators pre-specified a SBP initial target range (ITR) for each patient to be achieved within 30 min. Blood pressure monitoring was by cuff. Clevidipine was infused via peripheral IV at 2 mg/h for at least 3 min, then doubled every 3 min as needed to a maximum of 32 mg/h (non-weight-based treat-to-target protocol). Per protocol, clevidipine was continued for at least 18 h (96 h maximum). RD was diagnosed and reported as an end-organ injury by the investigato...
Convergence and Consistency of Recursive Boosting

We study the convergence and consistency of Boosting algorithms for classification. The standard method, as the sample size increases say from m to m + 1, is to re-initialize the Boosting algorithm with an arbitrary prediction rule. In contrast to this "batch" approach, we propose a boosting procedure that is recursive in the sense that for sample size m + 1, the algorithm is re-started with the composite classifier that was obtained for sample size m at a specific point, the linking point. We adopt the regularization technique of early stopping, which consists in stopping the procedure based on the 1-norm of the composite classifier. We prove that such recursive boosting methods achieve consistency provided certain stopping and linking points criteria are met. We show that these conditions can be satisfied for widely used loss functions.
Propagation of laser beams having an on-axis null in the presence of thermal blooming*

The propagation of focused beams having an on-axis irradiance null is considered in the presence of thermal blooming. Two cases are treated: (a) beam profiles that have an irradiance zero in the beam center at the focal plane as well as the transmitter aperture; (b) beam profiles that have an on-axis irradiance null only at the transmitter. It is demonstrated that none of the beam profiles considered in case (a) has a meaningful advantage over a Gaussian beam profile. Some of the case (b) profiles do produce a larger bloomed irradiance in the focal plane, particularly when the initial intensity distribution is very uniform in its nonzero regions. Addition of a simple central obscuration to a “filled” irradiance distribution is found to have no advantage, however, for the cases considered.
The North Pole Seabed Nature Reserve as a Provisional Arrangement

Abstract That the geographic North Pole is the Arctic Schelling point, is implicit in the Russian submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. I assess this premise vis-a-vis three other approaches to the outer continental shelf delimitation in the Arctic Ocean—the median-line method; a joint submission; and an international zone around the North Pole—and show that both the premise and the alternatives have limitations. Then I explain how an agreement between the Arctic Ocean states (the A5) to establish a seabed nature reserve north of 88°20´N and within 100 nm from the 2,500-meter isobath overcomes those limitations and what positive direct and indirect effects may come from it.
B-type natriuretic peptide: prognostic marker in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has not been evaluated in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We hypothesized that BNP and severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH) would predict clinical outcome in these infants. We measured BNP levels and assessed severity of PH by echocardiography at 1 d and 1 wk of life. Outcome was classified by status at 56 d (or prior discharge): Good (n = 13) if alive on room air and Poor (n = 14) if expired or receiving respiratory support. We estimated area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI). BNP levels were higher at 1 d in newborns with Poor outcome (median 220 pg/ml vs. 55 pg/ml, P < 0.01). At 1 wk, there was no significant difference in BNP level (median 547 pg/ml vs. 364 pg/ml, P = 0.70, for Poor and Good outcomes). At 1 d, BNP level predicted outcome (AUC = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.77–1.0), but this relationship dissipated by 1 wk (AUC = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.31–0.79). Severity of PH did not predict outcome at 1 d (AUC = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.27–0.74), but prediction improved at 1 wk (AUC = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.61–0.99). BNP is a strong predictor of clinical outcome in newborns with CDH at 1 d of life.
A Functional Polymorphism of the μ -Opioid Receptor Gene is Associated with Naltrexone Response in Alcohol-Dependent Patients

This study examined the association between two specific polymorphisms of the gene encoding the mu-opioid receptor and treatment outcomes in alcohol-dependent patients who were prescribed naltrexone or placebo. A total of 82 patients (71 of European descent) who were randomized to naltrexone and 59 who were randomized to placebo (all of European descent) in one of three randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of naltrexone were genotyped at the A(+118)G (Asn40Asp) and C(+17)T (Ala6Val) SNPs in the gene encoding the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1). The association between genotype and drinking outcomes was measured over 12 weeks of treatment. In subjects of European descent, individuals with one or two copies of the Asp40 allele treated with naltrexone had significantly lower rates of relapse (p=0.044) and a longer time to return to heavy drinking (p=0.040) than those homozygous for the Asn40 allele. There were no differences in overall abstinence rates (p=0.611), nor were there differences in relapse rates or abstinence rates between the two genotype groups among those assigned to placebo. These preliminary results are consistent with prior literature demonstrating that the opioid system is involved in the reinforcing properties of alcohol and that allelic variation at OPRM1 is associated with differential response to a mu-receptor antagonist. If replicated, these results would help to identify alcohol-dependent individuals who may be most likely to respond to treatment with naltrexone.
Helical BN and ZnO nanotubes with intrinsic twisting: An objective molecular dynamics study

We investigate helical single-walled nanotubes of BN and ZnO described with density-functional based tight-binding models. The employed objective molecular dynamics computational framework accounts for the helical instead of the translational symmetry and allows for simulating chiral nanotubes as the result of the nanomechanical process of a nearly axial glide [D.-B. Zhang, R. D. James, and T. Dumitric\ifmmode \u{a}\else \u{a}\fi{}, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 071101 (2009)]. At large diameters, by comparing the microscopic strain stored in the tube wall with the continuum predictions, we observe the invalidity of the continuum shell idealization of the one-atom thick layer. At small diameters, comparing the computed Eshelby twist executed by the one-atom thick layers with the one predicted by pure rolling, we find that a large catalog of nanotubes store intrinsic twists. This unusual intrinsic twist effect is shown to be dependent on chirality and diameter, as part of the general trend to depart from the standard rolled-up construction. While changes in the electronic structures and Young's modulus are dominated by curvature, the shear elastic constants vary both with curvature and chirality.
ß1-Adrenergic receptors in human neuroblastoma

Abstract s-Adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase activity were identified and partially characterized in 10 human neuroblastoma tumors obtained from direct biopsy, from human cell lines grown in the athymic, nude mouse or from established tumor cell lines in tissue culture. Particulate membrane fractions of eight of the tumors contained s-adrenergic receptor sites identified by the s-adrenergic antagonists (−)-[3H]dihyroalprenolol ((−)-[3H]DHA) and (−)-[125I]iodohydroxybenzylphindolol ((−)-[125I]HYP). Specific binding of high affinity sites (Bmax) varied greatly among the tumors ranging from non-detectable concentrations to approximately 130 fmol/mg of crude membrane protein. Analysis of the saturation experiments with (−)-[3H]DHA resulted in curvilinear Scatchard plots in the tumors, suggesting the presence of multiple classes of sites and there was no evidence of cooperativity in dissociation experiments with (−)-[3H]DHA. The high affinity class of sites were inhibited by catecholamines, in contrast to the ineffectiveness of catecholamines in inhibiting (−)-[3H]DHA binding at the low affinity class of sites. TheKD of the high affinity site was approximately 1–2 nM for (−)-[3H]DHA and was similar in all the tumors studied. A single class of sites was demonstrated with (−)-[125I]HYP, in several of the tumors studied,KD approximately 120 pM, and the number of sites determined with (—)-[125I]HYP was identical to the number of high affinity sites determined with (−)-[3H]DHA. The properties of the receptor were characterized in several tumor lines: SK-N-MC tumor line contained both a s-adrenergic receptor site and catecholamine sensitive adenylate cyclase activity. Agonists competed for the s-adrenergic sites in the order of potency (−)-isoproterenol > (−)-norepinephrine = (−)-epinephrine > > (−)-dopamine characteristic of a s-adrenergic receptor subtype. The affinity of the receptor for the selective agents, metropol (s1-selective antagonist) and zinterol (s2-selective agonist) was typical of a homogeneous s1-adrenergic site. Guanine nucleotides, guanine triphosphate and guanyl-5′-yl-imidophosphate, decreased catecholamine affinity for the receptor site in several tumors studied and enhanced maximal catecholamine stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in the sensitive cell line. Adenylate cyclase activity in particulate fractions of most of the neuroblastoma tumors was responsive to prostaglandins (PGE1), guanine nucleotide and NaF. While most tumors contained s-adrenergic receptor sites only SK-N-MC was clearly catecholamine responsive as assessed by catecholamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity. Human neuroblastomas, a homogenous tissue of neural crest origin, contained s-adrenergic receptor sites which varied greatly in number (Bmax) and in their ability to stimulate adenylate cyclase activity. Guanine nucleotides decreased agonist affinity for the receptor in the lines tested and enhanced prostaglandin and catecholamine sensitive activity in responsive tumor lines.
Optimization of Novel Women's Lacrosse Headgear

Women's lacrosse has the fourth highest injury prevalence in all sports, male or female. It is estimated that there are over 10, 500 concussion exposures for female high school lacrosse athletes each year which associates to short-term healthcare costs averaging over $413 million. It is the mission of GaLAXy Gear to provide and develop an innovative solution for female lacrosse athletes in order to reduce the risk of head injuries. In this study, the optimal material specifications for a novel partial soft headgear were examined. The objectives of this investigation were to find a force absorbent material, thickness, and hardness that can withstand and reduce the force transmitted to the head of a 60 mph lacrosse shot, yet be soft enough to maintain the integrity and finesse of women's lacrosse.
Unintended Effects of a Domestic Violence Campaign

This paper reports findings from a media intervention designed to raise awareness about domestic violence and to prevent abuse. The campaign included four television advertisements, one billboard, a poster, and newspaper ads. A quasi-experimental, in-field approach was used to assess campaign effects. The study analyzes the effects of campaign exposure on awareness, perceived threat, and efficacy. Results obtained using analysis of covariance indicate that male and female attitudes were significantly different following campaign exposure. Women (but not men) increased their perceived severity of domestic violence and awareness of services from pretest to posttest. The campaign appeared to have effectively reached women. By contrast, male attitudes moved in the opposite direction from pre- to posttest, or did not change. A comparison of means confirmed these findings and also showed that women increased their belief in the effectiveness of services. The authors draw comparisons between male and female reac...
POPULATION SIZE, MILITARY POWER, AND ANTINATAL POLICY

A causal model. relating population size, economic development, military power and antinatal population policy is tested using data from 83 developing nations. The statistical findings are interpreted as supporting two hypotheses: (1) population size is a major determinant of military power; and (2) military power is a minor determinant of anti-natal population policy.
Tumors of the pituitary gland and its neighboring structures

The pituitary gland is a complex organ presiding over the growth of the body, its metabolism and the regulation of function of most of the other endocrine glands. Its position is in close proximity to the vegetative centers of the hypothalamic region, the optic chiasm and the circle of Willis. Tumors of the pituitary and its neighboring structures while presenting many symptoms in common vary in their clinical manifestations according to their origin, character, size, position, and direction of growth. By means of these variations most of them can usually be diagnosed clinically. Such accurate diagnoses are important in guiding the plan of treatment. The treatment is generally of a surgical nature, sometimes in combination with roentgen therapy, although, at times the latter alone may be used to advantage.
Metallic copper oxide as an almost localized fermi liquid

Abstract In view of recent photoemission data, a Fermi liquid description of the metallic copper oxides must be taken as a serious contender for a theory of the normal state. We summarize evidence to support a picture in which the Fermi liquid consists of quasi-localized d electrons. The associated electronic and magnetic structure is discussed.
On the number of switches in unbiased coin-tossing

Abstract A biased coin is tossed n times independently and sequentially. A “head” switch is a tail followed by a head and a “tail” switch is a head followed by a tail. Joint Laplace transforms for the number of “head” switches and “tail” switches are given. For the total number of switches, the central limit theorem and the large deviation principle are established.
A new geometric approach to latent topic modeling and discovery

A new geometrically-motivated algorithm for topic modeling is developed and applied to the discovery of latent “topics” in text and image “document” corpora. The algorithm is based on robustly finding and clustering extreme-points of empirical cross-document word-frequencies that correspond to novel words unique to each topic. In contrast to related approaches that are based on solving non-convex optimization problems using suboptimal approximations, locally-optimal methods, or heuristics, the new algorithm is convex, has polynomial complexity, and has competitive qualitative and quantitative performance compared to the current state- of-the-art approaches on synthetic and real-world datasets.
The cascaded predictor: economical and adaptive branch target prediction

Two-level predictors improve branch prediction accuracy by allowing predictor tables to hold multiple predictions per branch. Unfortunately, the accuracy of such predictors is impaired by two detrimental effects. Capacity misses increase since each branch may occupy many entries, depending on the number of different path histories leading up to the branch. The working set of a given program therefore increases with history length. Similarly, cold start misses increase with history length since the predictor must first store a prediction separately for each history pattern before it can predict branches with that history. We describe a new hybrid predictor architecture, cascaded branch prediction, which can alleviate both of these effects while retaining the superior accuracy of two level predictors. Cascaded predictors dynamically classify and predict easily predicted branches using an inexpensive predictor, preventing insertion of these branches into a more powerful second stage predictor. We show that for path-based indirect branch predictors, cascaded prediction obtains prediction rates equivalent to that of two-level predictors at approximately one fourth the cost. For example, a cascaded predictor with 64+1024 entries achieves the same prediction accuracy as a 4096-entry two-level predictor. Although we have evaluated cascaded prediction only on indirect branches, we believe that it could also improve conditional branch prediction and value prediction.
The Demography of Interest Organization Communities Institutions, Associations, and Membership Groups

Using population data on six state populations of interest organizations from 1980 and 1990, the authors find that (a) organized interests frequently exit the lobbying community; (b) institutions exit at a higher rate than associations or membership groups; (c) exit rates potentially have great influence on the composition of interest organization populations; and (d) exit, but not entry, rates are greatly influenced by the density of interest organization populations. On the basis of these findings, the authors make a number of suggestions for the further study of the demography of interest organization communities.
Reliability-based design optimization of stiffened panels

We explore reliability-based designs of isogrid stiffened panels. Uncertainties in material properties and geometric manufacturing uncertainties are represented by random variables. Due to the multiple failure modes in the stiffened panels, polynomial response surface approximation are fit to the most critical safety margins in the panel. Probability of failure is calculated by Monte Carlo simulation using the polynomial response surfaces. A probabilistic sufficiency factor approach is employed to facilitate the design optimization
Numerical Simulations of Nanodusty RF Plasmas

Results are presented of numerical simulations of the spatiotemporal evolution of nanoparticles that nucleate and grow in a nonthermal radio-frequency plasma. This paper highlights the effects of several operating parameters.
Using Lagrangean Relaxation for Service Location Planning with QoS Constraints in Large-Scale Networks

Current trends in computing indicate that there is a great potential for service oriented computing and similar technologies, such as Cisco's Application Oriented Networks, where services provide a higher-level of abstraction to traditional applications. In such cases, providing and consuming services and establishing a relationship between consumers (users of services) and producers (providers of services) are still challenging and vastly researched aspects. We define a service location planning problem (SLP) that is novel in the approach it takes to match consumers to producers, such that the cost of providing services is minimized while taking into account quality of service constraints of throughput and delay. In previous work, we presented an integer linear programming (ILP) model to formulate the service location planning problem. In this paper, we present Lagrangean Relaxation of the model for large-scale networks. We use the approach of Trick [3] to decrease computational overheads.
Distinguishing positional uncertainty from true mobility in single-molecule trajectories that exhibit multiple diffusive modes.

Although imperfect spatial localization in single-molecule object tracking experiments has long been recognized to induce apparent motion in an immobile population of molecules, this effect is often ignored or incorrectly analyzed for mobile molecules. In particular, apparent motion due to positional uncertainty is often incorrectly assigned as a distinct diffusive mode. Here we show that, due to both static and dynamic contributions, positional uncertainty does not introduce a new apparent diffusive mode into trajectories, but instead causes a systematic shift of each measured diffusion coefficient. This shift is relatively simple: a factor of σ2/Δt is added to each diffusion coefficient, where σ is the positional uncertainty length scale and Δt is the time interval between observations. Therefore, by calculating the apparent diffusion coefficients as a function of Δt, it is straightforward to separate the true diffusion coefficients from the effective positional uncertainty. As a concrete demonstration, we apply this approach to the diffusion of the protein fibrinogen adsorbed to a hydrophobic surface, a system that exhibits three distinct modes of diffusion.
Parkes Weber syndrome: bone involvement visualized by computed tomography angiography:

A 35-year-old man was admitted to our division with pain in his left knee and a peripheral leg ulcer (Panel A). He had been diagnosed during childhood as having Parkes Weber syndrome (PKWS). A computed tomographic angiogram (CTA) with 3-dimensional reconstructions revealed extensive varicosities of the superficial and deep veins of the left leg (Panel B), while the CT scan of the left knee demonstrated a massive presence of arteriovenous fistulae (AVFs) and hemangiomas engaging the soft tissues and the distal femoral diaphysis bone tissue (Panels C and D). The bone appeared rarefied and with altered architecture. PKWS is a congenital malformation characterized by cutaneous blush, AVFs, pulsatile varicose veins, congestive heart failure secondary to a hyperkinetic circulation, and overgrowth of the affected limb.1 It is distinguished from Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome on the basis of the presence of AVFs that must always be present in PKWS.2 Distinguishing these two disorders is clinically relevant because the prognosis among patients with PKWS is worse,3 as arteriovenous malformation and/or AVFs may lead to congestive heart failure and cutaneous ischemia requiring transarterial embolization or limb amputation.4 The patient who presented in this case was managed with repeated coil embolizations, which resulted in partial occlusion of AVFs, in reduction of shunting volume and in clinical improvement. Acknowledgement
Zen and the art of reporting differences in data that are not statistically significant

Professional communicators reporting the results of experiments often need to express the fact that the differences in the data were not statistically significant and that the null hypothesis could not be rejected. It is suggested that communicators may find it difficult to express these results partly because failing to reject a null hypothesis is not the same as accepting a null hypothesis. Writers may report failing to reject a null hypothesis in any of five ways: directly and briefly; directly with the exact level of statistical probability stated; directly with the confidence interval specified; directly with an explanation of not claiming causation; and directly with a discussion of possible reasons. >
Use of Bovine Thrombin to Reduce Blood Loss in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Controlled Randomized Trial

Reducing blood loss during primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can improve outcomes by reducing transfusion requirements and wound complications. We examined the use of bovine thrombin to augment hemostasis during primary TKA. A double-blinded randomized trial was performed with 80 primary TKA patients. Half received intraarticular bovine thrombin at the time of wound closure, and half did not. Hemoglobin levels in the study group did decline less than the control group, but no statistically significant difference was found in rates of transfusion, drain outputs, length of stay, or Knee Society scores. This agent does appear to slightly reduce blood loss, but routine use is not cost effective. Thrombin may be considered for patients who would benefit more from greater blood conservation.
Automatic tuning of scientific applications

Over the last several decades we have witnessed tremendous change in the landscape of computer architecture. New architectures have emerged at a rapid pace with computing capabilities that have often exceeded our expectations. However, the rapid rate of architectural innovations has also been a source of major concern for the high-performance computing community. Each new architecture or even a new model of a given architecture has brought with it new features that have added to the complexity of the target platform. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to exploit the full potential of modern architectures for complex scientific applications. The gap between the theoretical peak and the actual achievable performance has increased with every step of architectural innovation. As multi-core platforms become more pervasive, this performance gap is likely to increase. To deal with the changing nature of computer architecture and its ever increasing complexity, application developers laboriously retarget code, by hand, which often costs many person-months even for a single application. To address this problem, we developed a software-based strategy that can automatically tune applications to different architectures to deliver portable high-performance. This dissertation describes our automatic tuning strategy. Our strategy combines architecture-aware cost models with heuristic search to find the most suitable optimization parameters for the target platform. The key contribution of this work is a novel strategy for pruning the search space of transformation parameters. By focusing on architecture-dependent model parameters instead of transformation parameters themselves, we show that we can dramatically reduce the size of the search space and yet still achieve most of the benefits of the best tuning possible with exhaustive search. We present an evaluation of our strategy on a set of scientific applications and kernels on several different platforms. The experimental results presented in this dissertation suggest that our approach can produce significant performance improvement on a range of architectures at a cost that is not overly demanding.
Time delay for arrival of MR contrast agent in collateral-dependent myocardium

An analysis of the kinetics of myocardial contrast enhancement is an important component of myocardial perfusion studies. The contrast enhancement can be modeled by a linear time-invariant system, and the myocardial impulse response, calculated by deconvolution of the measured tissue response with an arterial input, gives a direct estimate of myocardial blood flow. In this paper, we analyze the effects of delays in the contrast enhancement, that occur in collateral-dependent myocardium, where the tracer reaches the tissue region only through branches from other coronary arteries that form natural bypass vessels. We investigate how the delayed arrival of tracer alters the myocardial impulse response. Model-independent deconvolution is applied to determine the lag between arterial input and tissue enhancement. Experimental data in a porcine model of collateral development indicate that the delayed arrival of an injected tracer, measured at rest, is a useful marker to identify collateral-dependent myocardium, and predict its flow capacitance.
Introducing iteration into the Pure Lisp theorem prover

It is shown how the Lisp iterative primitives PROG, SETQ, GO, and RETURN may be introduced into the Boyer-Moore method for automatically verifying Pure Lisp programs. This is done by extending some of the previously described heuristics for dealing with recursive functions. The resulting verification procedure uses structural induction to handle both recursion and iteration. The procedure does not actually distinguish between the two and they may be mixed arbitrarily. For example, since properties are stated in terms of user-defined functions, the theorem prover will prove recursively specified properties of iterative functions. Like its predecessor, the procedure does not require user-supplied inductive assertions for the iterative programs.
Introducing PROFESS: A new program for orbital-free density functional theory calculations☆

We present PROFESS (PRinceton Orbital-Free Electronic Structure Software), a new software package that performs orbital-free density functional theory (OF-DFT) calculations. OF-DFT is a first principles quantum mechanics method primarily for condensed matter that can be made to scale linearly with system size. We describe the implementation of energy, force, and stress functionals and the methods used to optimize the electron density under periodic boundary conditions. All electronic energy and potential terms scale linearly while terms involving the ions exhibit quadratic scaling in our code. Despite the latter scaling, the program can treat tens of thousands of atoms with quantum mechanics on a single processor, as we demonstrate here. Limitations of the method are also outlined, the most serious of which is the accuracy of state-of-the-art kinetic energy functionals, which limits the applicability of the method to main group elements at present.
Efficient forward computation of dynamic slices using reduced ordered binary decision diagrams

Dynamic slicing algorithms can greatly reduce the debugging effort by focusing the attention of the user on a relevant subset of program statements. Recently, algorithms for forward computation of dynamic slices have been proposed which maintain dynamic slices of all variables as the program executes. An advantage of this approach is that when a request for a slice is made, it is already available. The main disadvantage of using such an algorithm for slicing realistic programs is that the space and time required to maintain a large set of dynamic slices corresponding to all program variables can be very high. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of dynamic slices and identify properties that enable space efficient representation of a set of dynamic slices. We show that by using reduced ordered binary decision diagrams (roBDDs) to represent a set of dynamic slices, the space and time requirements of maintaining dynamic slices are greatly reduced. In fact, not only can the latest dynamic slices of all variables be easily maintained, but rather all dynamic slices of all variables throughout a program's execution can be maintained. Our experiments show that our roBDD based algorithm for forward computation of dynamic slices can maintain 107-217 million dynamic slices arising during long program runs using only 28-392 megabytes of storage. In addition, the performance of the roBDD based forward computation method compares favorably with the performance of the LP backward computation algorithm.
A GMR-Based Eddy Current System for NDE of Aircraft Structures

Onsite real-time nondestructive evaluation of aircraft using eddy current techniques has gained significance in the past few years. In this paper, emphasis is placed on developing a flexible and a fast real-time inspection system using giant magnetoresistive (GMR) field sensors. Experimental signals are compared with finite-element model (FEM) model simulations and signals acquired using traditional data acquisition methods. Several advantages of the improved design are discussed
Surface Spectroscopic Studies of the Deposition Mechanisms of TinX Films from Organometallic Precursors

The adsorption and thermal behavior of tetrakis-(dimethylamido)-titaniurn (TDMAT), Ti[NMe2]4, were investigated by surface spectroscopic techniques in the temperature range 100-1100K. A metallic Ti substrate readily dissociates TDMAT even below 300 K, producing a carbon-rich interface. When the substrate is exposed to a continuous flux of TDMAT at growth temperatures (550-700K), deposition of carbon-rich TiCxNy films readily occurs with a high precursor reactive sticking coefficient. With the addition of sufficient NH3 flux, we demonstrate the existence of a direct surface-reaction-driven deposition mechanism which involves reaction(s) between adsorbed TDMAT and NHX species on the film surface and thus leads to growth of substantially cleaner TiNx films. This growth mechanism dominates at low pressures (≤10-4Torr) where gas-phase reaction between the precursor gases becomes insignificant.
Changes in the center of pressure of the foot sole during standing-up movement

健康成入32名について、日常生活の基本的動作である椅子からの立ち上がり動作を重心計と筋電計により観察した。立ち上がり動作における足底圧中心の変化は前後成分が主であり、支持脚には個人差がみられた。また、足底圧中心位置と身長・体重との間には、それぞれ相関関係がみられた。手を膝の上に置いた肢位からの立ち上がりは、手を身体の側面に下垂した場合よりも安定していた。表面筋電図所見にて、椅子からの立ち上がり動作に一致した一連の筋活動パターンが観察された。三次元的な重心の移動・動揺を探究していくことが、客観性のある動作の評価につながっていくものと思われ、今後の研究課題としたい。
Optical Bistability based on the Carrier dispersion effect in SOI Ring Resonators

We measure optical bistability in a micron-size silicon ring resonator based on the free-carrier dispersion effect in silicon. Optical transfer function of the resonator shows hysteresis loop with less than 10 mW input optical power.