cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guaranteed stable projection-based model reduction for indefinite and unstable linear systems

In this work we present a stability-preserving projection framework for model reduction of linear systems. Specifically, given one projection matrix (e.g. a right-projection matrix), we derive a set of linear constraints for the other projection matrix (e.g. the left-projection matrix) resulting in a projection framework that is guaranteed to generate a stable reduced model. Several efficient techniques for solving the proposed system of constraints are presented, including an optimization problem formulation for finding the optimal stabilizing projection, and a formulation with computational complexity independent of the size of the original system. The resulting algorithms can create accurate stable and passive models of arbitrary indefinite systems at a significantly cheaper cost than existing methods such as balanced truncation. Nevertheless, our algorithms integrate fully and effortlessly with most of the available standard model order reduction approaches for very large systems generated in VLSI applications (such as moment-matching methods, POD, or poor manpsilas TBR), which can guarantee stability and passivity only in very specialized cases. Our algorithms have been tested on a large variety of typical VLSI applications, including field-solver-extracted models of RF inductors for analog applications, power distribution grids for large VLSI digital integrated circuits, and MEMS devices for sensing and actuation applications. The results have been successfully compared to those from existing and much more expensive stabilizing reduction techniques.
The associations between blood lipids and the Food Guide Pyramid: findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Abstract Background . Dietary recommendations are based on nutrients, foods, and food groups, but the relationship between the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) food groups and serum lipids has not been studied. Methods . NHANES III data were obtained for US adults who met the following criteria: aged 20–59 years, reliable participant, and typical 24-h recall. We examined whether serum lipids (serum total cholesterol (STC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triacylglycerol) were related to FGP food group intake (dairy, fruit, grain, meat, and vegetable). Results . A sample of 9111 participants qualified for this analysis. Fruit intakes were inversely related to STC, HDL-C, and LDL-C ( P = 0.012, P = 0.001, and P = 0.014, respectively) and directly related to triacylglycerol levels ( P = 0.003). Grain intake was inversely associated with both STC and HDL-C ( P = 0.020 and P = 0.000). Dairy and meat intakes were directly related to LDL-C ( P = 0.026 and P = 0.020). Conclusions . Food groups are related to serum lipids. Universal definitions for food groups are needed in research and nutrition education. Studying the relationships between food groups and serum lipids is important for future dietary recommendations related to serum lipids.
A new Bolivian Mimosa of section Habbasia series Leptostachyae (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), close kin of the fictitious genus Schranckiastrum

Mimosa dalyi is described from eastern Bolivia, figured, and shown to be a carpologically modified member of seriesLeptostachyae, but also congeneric withSchranckiastrum. The defective protologue ofSchranckiastrum is analyzed and its one species transferred toMimosa asM. insignis (Hassler) Barneby.
Indirect Spray Evaporative Thermal Management for Semiconductor Burn-In

Semiconductor burn-in testing is one of several quality assurance tests conducted during High Volume Manufacturing (HVM) of semiconductor logic devices. The goal of burn-in is to induce “infant mortality” component failures. To accelerate infant mortality defects, semiconductor devices are subjected to stressing techniques that induce heat levels, typically, 100%–300% greater than end use environment heat loads. For this work, an indirect spray cooling method was developed and experimentally evaluated. In the indirect method, sprays are sealed within a spraycap (evaporator) that is thermally connected with the heated surface by way of a thermal interface material. The test fluid is the perfluorocarbon HFE-7000 that has a boiling point of 34°C at 1 atm. pressure. Experiments were run at a spraycap nominal pressure of 1 atm. with about 16°C of liquid subcooling at the inlet. Tests were performed on a lidded Thermal Test Vehicle (TTV) device (1.2 cm2 die size) to measure the thermal solution maximum power, dynamic control, repeatability, and the effect of applied force. Time varying test patterns (thermal loads) are simulated by changing TTV power in 20 W steps up to 200 W. The pertinent output measurements for performance evaluation are TTV power and junction temperatures (Tj), thermocouple measurements in the heat path, coolant flow rate, and applied force to the TTV. From these measurements, resultant parameters of thermal resistance and heat transfer coefficients are calculated. Maximum TTV power maintaining Tj at or below 105°C was shown to approach 240 W. Thermal controllability of the system was demonstrated for a Tj of 105 °C over the TTV power range of 30 W to 200 W. Performance was extremely stable and very repeatable even when the spraycap exit quality was 100%. The thermal solution demonstrated good repeatability during a limited cycle test. Contact force of approximately 10 lbf (45 N) was found to minimize the thermal resistance of the solution, and no significant improvement is realized beyond that force level.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Chemical communication among workers of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Fr. Smith) 2. An information analysis of the odour trail

Abstract Geometric characteristics of the odour trail and the accuracy of trail-laying and newcomer response are described. The trails consist of broken streaks of invisible quantities of secretion. They do not contain any elements of intrinsic polarization perceptible to follower ants. Individual trails convey information on the position of food finds but not on their quality. The respective accuracies of laying and response do not appear to differ on various substrates. An innate tendency of follower workers to tuen back on the trails beyond 5 to 10 centimetres from the nest is described. The information content of the individual odour trail is compared with that of a radically different communication form, the waggle dance of the honeybee. The two messages transmit similar quantities of information, which can be roughly approximated as follows: 3 to 5 bits for direction and 2 for distance (the equivalent of employing, accurately, an 8 to 32 point compass and 4-interval distance scale). The quantity of direction information is a function of distance of target in the fire ant but apparently not in the honeybee. The source entropy of the initial messages, apart from transmission, and the transmission rates are also calculated.
Analysis of oncologic outcomes associated with anti-adhesion sodium hyaluronate–carboxymethylcellulose (HA–CMC) barrier following optimal or complete cytoreductive surgery for ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers

Author(s): Krill, Lauren | Advisor(s): Kaplan, Sherrie | Abstract: Objectives: Hyaluronan is a component of the anti-adhesive barrier HA-CMC and has been implicated in tumor growth and metastasis. The study aim was to determine if HA-CMC use is associated with adverse effects on disease progression or survival in patients undergoing surgical cytoreduction for primary treatment of advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing optimal or complete cytoreduction between 1/95-12/08. The primary endpoints were progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Fisher's exact test, Kaplan Meier survival analysis, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression were utilized. Results: Two hundred eighty-eight cases were analyzed; HA-CMC was utilized in 130 procedures (45%). On univariate analysis, HA-CMC was associated with complete cytoreduction, high surgical complexity score, good performance-status, and being alive at last follow-up (all pl0.01). Neither PFS nor OS was significantly different between subjects with or without HA-CMC (median PFS 16.8 vs 16.4 months, p=0.36; median OS 40.6 vs 36 months, P=0.33). PFS was significantly shorter amongst high-risk subjects, independent of HA-CMC use, with age g50, Stage IV disease, PS g1, visible residual disease, or interval cytoreduction (all pl0.05). Additionally, major postoperative complications and platinum resistance were associated with shorter OS (pl0.05). After controlling for confounding factors using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, HA-CMC use did not independently predict PFS (HR 1.1; 95% CI:0.83-1.45) or OS (HR 0.98; 95% CI:0.73-1.32). Conclusions: HA-CMC adhesion barrier placement at the time of primary or interval cytoreductive surgery for ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer does not impact recurrence or survival outcomes.
Creativity and mathematical problem posing: an analysis of high school students' mathematical problem posing in China and the USA

In the literature, problem-posing abilities are reported to be an important aspect/indicator of creativity in mathematics. The importance of problem-posing activities in mathematics is emphasized in educational documents in many countries, including the USA and China. This study was aimed at exploring high school students' creativity in mathematics by analyzing their problem-posing abilities in geometric scenarios. The participants in this study were from one location in the USA and two locations in China. All participants were enrolled in advanced mathematical courses in the local high school. Differences in the problems posed by the three groups are discussed in terms of quality (novelty/elaboration) as well as quantity (fluency). The analysis of the data indicated that even mathematically advanced high school students had trouble posing good quality and/or novel mathematical problems. We discuss our findings in terms of the culture and curricula of the respective school systems and suggest implications for future directions in problem-posing research within mathematics education.
Forced Commutated Cycloconverters for High-Frequency Link Applications

Forced commutated cycloconverters (FCC's) have been used successfully as static frequency changers for low-to-medium frequency applications. The use of FCC's for high-frequency applications and, in particular, in the role of high-frequency links (HFL's) is investigated. Such links are widely used as intermediate stage circuits to provide simultaneous power conditioning and ohmic isolation. The investigation shows that suitable HFL circuit topologies do exist for any combination of input-to-output number of phases. It also shows that, through the use of appropriate switching techniques, it is possible to obtain HFL output voltage and input current waveforms with low harmonic content and insignificant amplitude derating.
Cardiopulmonary complications during colonoscopy in decompensated chf patients with coronary artery disease

Cardiopulmonary complications during colonoscopy in decompensated chf patients with coronary artery disease
Latino Immigrant Students in Southern Schools: What We Know and Still Need to Learn

Recent immigration to the southern United States has created challenges for educators. This article synthesizes current works about the education of immigrants and English language learners (ELLs) in the South, and teacher preparation for working with ELLs. Reviewed studies revealed that immigrant and ELL students often are unwelcome and unwanted in the schools, and are discriminated against due to their perceived or actual immigration status both on state and local levels. In addition, teachers in southern schools are unprepared to work with immigrant and ELL youth. The author discusses the implications of this research for educators, administrators, and school district personnel in southern schools, and provides some suggestions for addressing these issues.
A molecular loop with interstitial channels in a chiral environment: exploration of the chemistry of Mo24+ species with chiral and non-chiral dicarboxylate anions

An enantiomericaly pure chiral loop containing two cis-Mo2(DAniF)22+ (DAniF = di-p-anisylformamidinate) units was obtained by reaction of cis-[Mo2(DAniF)2(NCMe)4](BF4)2 with a chiral dicarboxylate which is easily prepared from hydroquinone and ethyl (S)-lactate. The compound crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric I222 space group with molecules stacking so as to form channels capable of hosting guest molecules such as CH2Cl2. These properties of the compound, which has been synthesized in high yield, makes it promising for applications in stereoselective catalysis. Similar reactions with isomeric dicarboxylate linkers, as well as with some non-chiral ligands, were studied. The nature of the products depends on the bite angle of the ligand.
Radiation effects in semiconducting glasses

The electrical conductivities of semiconducting glasses in the V2O5-P4O10 system are relatively insensitive to γ-ray doses of 1.25 × 108 rad and integrated fluxes of 4 × 1017 nvt. A 10 % increase in conductivity is observed after the γ-ray exposure. The location of the high frequency critical temperature, and the activation energies of high frequency and low frequency conduction are unchanged with the irradiation levels of this study.
The measurement of qualitative probability

Abstract This essay presents necessary and sufficient conditions for representing a binary relation on a space of bounded random variables with a unique quantitative expectations operator. This result is used to provide a new characterization of qualitative probability. We also show that two distinct probability measures can induce the same qualitative ordering of events, even though they always produce different qualitative expectations relations.
Cohomology and Support Varieties for Restricted Lie Superalgebras

Let $(\mathfrak{g}, [p]) $ be a restricted Lie superalgebra over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p > 2. Let $\mathfrak{u}(\mathfrak{g})$ denote the restricted enveloping algebra of $\mathfrak{g}$ . In this paper we prove that the cohomology ring $\operatorname{H}^\bullet(\mathfrak{u}(\mathfrak{g}), k)$ is finitely generated. This allows one to define support varieties for finite dimensional $\mathfrak{u}(\mathfrak{g})$ -supermodules. We also show that support varieties for finite dimensional $\mathfrak{u}(\mathfrak{g})$ - supermodules satisfy the desirable properties of a support variety theory.
On-pump coronary artery bypass surgery activates human myocardial NF-κB and increases TNF-α in the heart

Purpose. Myocardial tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) production and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation has been demonstrated in chronic heart failure and experimental models of acute ischemia-reperfusion injury. Further, a cause and effect relationship has been established between these events and cardiomyocyte apoptosis following such conditions. It remains unknown, however, whether the myocardial injury associated with coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB) results in myocardial NF-κB activation and TNF production. We hypothesized that CAB with cardiopulmonary bypass (“on-pump”) activates human myocardial NF-κB and increases TNF in the heart. Methods Patients, 18 to 65 years of age, scheduled for elective cardiac surgery but without other preexisting disease were considered eligible for the study. Biopsies of human myocardium were obtained before and after cardiopulmonary bypass and myocardial TNF levels were determined by ELISA and cytotoxicity assay, and NF-κB activation was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (n = 6 patients). NF-κB activation was quantitated with gel densitometry. Results. The clinical characteristics of the study patients were as follows (means ± SEM): mean age (y) 50.0 ± 5.7, male 6 (100%), cardiopulmonary bypass time (min) 107 ± 37.7, cross-clamp time (min) 68 ± 17.6, number of CAB 3.0 ± 1.1, and length of hospital stay (d) 4.8 ± 0.9. Before CAB, myocardial TNF-α levels were 251 ± 22 pg/g and 33 ± 9 U/g, as determined by ELISA and cytotoxicity assay, respectively. Following CAB, human myocardial TNF-α levels increased to 892 ± 71 pg/g (P = 0.0008) and 141 ± 11 U/g (P = 0.0042), as determined by ELISA and cytotoxicity assay, respectively. Before CAB, the ratio of bound to unbound NF-κB DNA was 0.009 ± 0.0007 and after CAB the ratio was 0.24 ± 0.01 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion. This study represents the initial demonstration that coronary artery bypass grafting results in an activation of NF-κB and an increase of TNF in the heart.
The effects of feeding fresh forage and silage on some nutritional attributes of beef: an overview

Consumers are increasingly concerned with the amount and composition of fat present in foods. The nutritional image of cattle fat has suffered because of the association of a high proportion of saturated fatty acids with coronary heart disease. This is leading to a shift in the way milk and beef are produced. Extensive research data from the last decade show that beef from animals finished on green fodder and silages (except for maize silage) has a lower content of intramuscular fat, but a higher proportion of nutritionally favourable n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), ratio n-6:n-3 PUFAs, vitamin E and β-carotene, than meat from animals fed on grain-based rations. The differences in beef cholesterol content between the feeding systems are not nutritionally significant.
Legislative professionalism and group concentration: The ESA model revisited

What drives interest group concentration? Presently, the Energy-Stability-Area (ESA) model provides the basis for explaining the proliferation and diversity of interest organizations both within states and the federal government as a whole. However, while past research argues that institutions have an important effect in generating group mobilization, applications of legislative professionalism to the ESA model are unclear at best, showing either conflicting conclusions regarding the nature of its indirect influence or showing no influence at all. Utilizing an original data set, this study reexamines the relationship between legislative professionalism and group density using the ESA model as a framework. The results show that professionalized legislatures, through their ability to accommodate a diverse set of policy positions, encourage group formation and serve as an additional source of energy within the ESA model. This provides support to the notion that highly professionalized state legislatures employ more outside organizations when formulating policy.
From the heart to the mind: cardiac vagal tone modulates top-down and bottom-up visual perception and attention to emotional stimuli.

The neurovisceral integration model (Thayer & Lane, 2000) posits that cardiac vagal tone, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV), can indicate the functional integrity of the neural networks implicated in emotion-cognition interactions. Our recent findings begin to disentangle how HRV is associated with both top-down and bottom-up cognitive processing of emotional stimuli. Higher resting HRV is associated with more adaptive and functional top-down and bottom-up cognitive modulation of emotional stimuli, which may facilitate effective emotion regulation. Conversely, lower resting HRV is associated with hyper-vigilant and maladaptive cognitive responses to emotional stimuli, which may impede emotion regulation. In the present paper, we recapitulate the neurovisceral integration model and review recent findings that shed light on the relationship between HRV and top-down and bottom-up visual perception and attention to emotional stimuli, which may play an important role in emotion regulation. Further implications of HRV on individual well-being and mental health are discussed.
Effect of the uvrD3 mutation on ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA-repair replication in Escherichia coli K12.

Abstract Ultraviolet-radiation-induced DNA-repair replication was measured in wild-type, polA1, uvrD3 , and uvrD3 strains of Escherichia coli K12. A large stimulation of repair replication was observed in the uvrD3 strain, compaired to the wild-type and polA1 strains. This enhanced repair replication was reduced in the polA1 uvrD3 strain. Therefore, a uvrD3 mutation appears to affect the amount of repair replication performed by DNA polymerase I. In the polA1 strain, there also appears to be an effect of the uvrD3 mutation on the amount of repair replication performed by DNA polymerase III (and/or II). The enhanced repair replication observed for the uvrD3 strains appears to be in response to the enhanced DNA degradation observed for these strains.
Random selection from trace-biased invariant distributions of SU(3) matrices☆

Abstract The dependence of SU (3) invariant measure on the real and imaginary parts of the SU (3) matrix trace is derived and used to construct an algorithm for random selection of SU (3) stepping matrices for Monte Carlo lattice gauge, calculations. The algorithm generates an ensemble of trace-biased, but otherwise invariantly distributed SU (3) matrices matched to prescribed values of the trace average and trace standard deviation, and depends on a prescribed shape parameter for added flexibility.
Preanalytical Delay Reduces Sensitivity of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay for Detection of Latent Tuberculosis Infection

The effects of incubation delays on the accuracy of the QuantiFERON-TB gold in-tube assay (QFT-GIT) were measured. Compared to immediate incubation, 6- and 12-hour delays resulted in positive-to-negative reversion rates of 19% (5/26) and 22% (5/23), respectively. These findings underscore the need for standardizing QFT-GIT preanalytical practices.
Two-dimensional echocardiographic characteristics of pericardial hematoma secondary to left ventricular free wall rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Rupture of the left ventricular (LV) free wall is a common complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and accounts for up to 10% of hospital deaths. 1 Infarct expansion may precede rupture, 2 whereas the rupture itself is usually associated with rapid hemodynamic deterioration from cardiac tamponade and leads to death. The potential for salvage of such patients is poor; however, under favorable circumstances (early identification and optimal hemodynamic support), some patients survive emergency surgical repair.3 Cases have been reported where echocardiography contributed to the diagnosis by demonstrating intrapericardial echo-densities and moderate effusion. 4–10 This report describes our observations of the 2-dimensional echocardiographic characteristics of LV free wall rupture in 7 patients with AMI.
Macular features from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography as an adjunct to indirect ophthalmoscopy in retinopathy of prematurity.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a major cause of vision loss in neonates despite advances in treatment [1, 2]. Examination of the retina with indirect ophthalmoscopy has been the gold standard for the evaluation of neonates at risk for ROP [3]. However, imaging technology has progressed to allow detection of pathologic findings not evident on conventional clinical examination [4]. The ability to identify clinical features that herald fibrovascular proliferation and subsequent risk for subsequent retinal detachment may lead to earlier intervention and improved visual outcomes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become a standard diagnostic imaging tool in the management of macular disease in adults [5]. Applications of OCT to the pediatric population have been limited by patient motion and positioning. Modifications to this modality have led to the development of a portable hand-held SDOCT unit (Bioptigen, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) that has been optimized for use in neonates, infants and children [6]. This system has been used to successfully image infants with shaken baby syndrome and children with albinism [7, 8]. More recently, imaging of three ROP infants with this device revealed posterior retinal pathologic findings such as preretinal structures, retinoschisis and retinal detachment that were not observed clinically [4]. These preretinal structures may represent posterior neovascularization such as with aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity or incomplete regression of the hyaloid [9]. SDOCT is a rapid and well-tolerated modality that offers the advantages of quantitative, reproducible, and 3-dimensional cross-sectional assessment of retinal pathology. While indirect ophthalmoscopy or color fundus imaging will likely remain advantageous in many aspects, we hypothesize that SDOCT imaging may be more sensitive than standard indirect ophthalmoscopy in detecting critical early vitreoretinal abnormalities in the developing eye. This additional information may optimize timing of treatment and visual outcomes, and augment current practices of ROP evaluation.
Three Likelihood-Based Methods For Mean and Covariance Structure Analysis With Nonnormal Missing Data

Survey and longitudinal studies in the social and behavioral sciences generally contain missing data. Mean and covariance structure models play an important role in analyzing such data. Two promising methods for dealing with missing data are a direct maximum-likelihood and a two-stage approach based on the unstructured mean and covariance estimates obtained by the EM-algorithm. Typical assumptions under these two methods are ignorable nonresponse and normality of data. However, data sets in social and behavioral sciences are seldom normal, and experience with these procedures indicates that normal theory based methods for nonnormal data very often lead to incorrect model evaluations. By dropping the normal distribution assumption, we develop more accurate procedures for model inference. Based on the theory of generalized estimating equations, a way to obtain consistent standard errors of the two-stage estimates is given. The asymptotic efficiencies of different estimators are compared under various assump...
Insulin stimulates interleukin-6 expression and release in LS14 human adipocytes through multiple signaling pathways.

IL-6 is an important cytokine that regulates both immune and metabolic functions. Within adipose tissue, preadipocytes produce significant amounts of IL-6, but little is known about the factors or mechanisms that regulate IL-6 production in these cells. Using LS14, a newly developed human adipocyte cell line, our objective was to determine the mechanisms by which insulin stimulates IL-6 production and release in preadipocytes. Insulin increased IL-6 gene expression and secretion in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Insulin decreased cyclic AMP (cAMP) but increased cyclic GMP (cGMP) levels, and IL-6 expression/release was stimulated by a cGMP analog. The stimulatory effect of insulin and cGMP was abrogated by a specific inhibitor of protein kinase G (cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase). Both insulin and cGMP rapidly induced phosphorylation of cAMP response element binding protein. Insulin also activated the MAPK signaling pathway, and its blockade prevented the insulin-stimulated increases in IL-6 cell content and release, but not IL-6 gene expression. Although inhibition of the proteosome increased IL-6 cell content and release, proteosome activity was unaffected by insulin. These data suggest that the stimulatory effects of insulin on IL-6 release involve several interrelated components: transcription, intracellular releasable pool, and secretion, which are differentially regulated and, thus, determine the size of the releasable pool of IL-6. Insulin-induced IL-6 gene expression is mediated by cGMP/cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase/ cAMP response element binding protein, whereas MAPK is involved in the insulin-stimulated IL-6 synthesis/release. (Endocrinology 149: 5415–5422, 2008)
Experimental Masticatory Muscle Pain

Ten female subjects with no history of temporomandibular disorders performed five exercises designed to induce masticatory muscle pain. Three of the exercises were replications of Christensen's tooth-clenching (1970) and tooth-grinding (1971) studies and Scott and Lundeen's mandibular protrusion (1980) study. The other two exercises were designed to induce specific unilateral masticatory muscle pain. The amount of muscle pain as well as the time of onset and the duration were assessed by a clinical palpation exam and a pain questionnaire. These five pain-inducing methods did not consistently produce masticatory muscle pain in non-pain subjects. However, certain individuals appeared to be very susceptible to developing pain during or after most of the exercises. These susceptible individuals demonstrated a bilateral muscle pain pattern after the unilaterally stressful exercises. None of the five exercises produced a statistically significant amount of site-specific masticatory muscle pain as determined by either the palpation examination or the pain questionnaire, even when the exercise was intended to produce such specificity. The fact that some subjects did develop masticatory muscle pain is indicative that muscle exercise and fatigue may lead to TMD-like symptoms.
Disclosure of imaging findings to patients directly by radiologists: survey of patients' preferences.

The purpose of this study was to determine if patients prefer to have radiologists tell them imaging findings immediately after the examination or if they prefer to hear the results later from their referring physician.A simple questionnaire was devised and distributed to 261 consecutive patients in the radiology department of a large university hospital. During a 10-day period, patients seen in several departmental sections (gastrointestinal, genitourinary, CT, sonography, mammography, chest, musculoskeletal) completed the questionnaire. Patients were asked if they wanted the radiologist to tell them if the results were normal; if the results were abnormal; if they would prefer to hear the results from their family doctor, internist, or other primary care provider; and if they felt entitled to an explanation of their test results. Results were tabulated and expressed as percentages.Analysis of the 261 questionnaires disclosed that 92% of patients wanted the radiologist to tell them if the results are nor...
Proliferative capacity and osteogenic potential of novel dura mater stem cells on poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid.

The rational design of biomimetic structures for the regeneration of damaged or missing tissue is a fundamental principle of tissue engineering. Multiple variables must be optimized, ranging from the scaffold type to the selection and properties of implanted cell(s). In this study, the osteogenic potential of a novel stem cell was analyzed on biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) bio-materials as a step toward creating new cell-materials constructs for bony regeneration. Dura mater stem cells (DSCs), isolated from rat dura mater, were evaluated and compared to bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) for proliferative and differentiative properties in vitro. Experiments were carried out on both tissue culture plastic (TCP) and 2D planar films of PLGA. Proliferation of DSCs on both TCP and PLGA films increased over 21 days. Positive fold inductions in all five bone marker genes were observed at days 7, 14, 21 in all experimental samples compared with day 0 controls. DSCs demonstrated greater cell coverage and enhanced matrix staining on 2D PLGA films when compared with BMSCs. These cells can be isolated and expanded in culture and can subsequently attach, proliferate, and differentiate on both TCP and PLGA films to a greater extent than BMSCs. This suggests that DSCs are promising for cell-based bone tissue engineering therapies, particularly those applications involving regeneration of cranial bones.
Activating and inhibiting connections in biological network dynamics

Many studies of biochemical networks have analyzed network topology. Such work has suggested that specific types of network wiring may increase network robustness and therefore confer a selective advantage. However, knowledge of network topology does not allow one to predict network dynamical behavior – for example, whether deleting a protein from a signaling network would maintain the network's dynamical behavior, or induce oscillations or chaos. Here we report that the balance between activating and inhibiting connections is important in determining whether network dynamics reach steady state or oscillate. We use a simple dynamical model of a network of interacting genes or proteins. Using the model, we study random networks, networks selected for robust dynamics, and examples of biological network topologies. The fraction of activating connections influences whether the network dynamics reach steady state or oscillate. The activating fraction may predispose a network to oscillate or reach steady state, and neutral evolution or selection of this parameter may affect the behavior of biological networks. This principle may unify the dynamics of a wide range of cellular networks. Reviewed by Sergei Maslov, Eugene Koonin, and Yu (Brandon) Xia (nominated by Mark Gerstein). For the full reviews, please go to the Reviewers' comments section.
Downslope Flows on a Low-Angle Slope and Their Interactions with Valley Inversions. Part II: Numerical Modeling

Abstract The characteristics of well-developed downslope winds observed by tethered balloon soundings at multiple locations over a low-angle slope in the Salt Lake Valley are studied using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The model successfully simulated the key properties of the observed wind and temperature structure and evolution and provided insight into the forcing mechanisms. The results show that, although the slope angle is only 1.6°, the buoyancy force associated with the local temperature perturbation caused by nocturnal cooling of the slope surface is capable of producing the unusually strong and deep downslope winds observed by the tethersondes. The hypothesis that the flow is produced locally by the temperature deficit is further confirmed by analysis of the momentum budget that indicates a very small contribution from advection to the downslope mass flux. The analysis also reveals the importance of the along-slope pressure gradient force, which has been neglected by some prev...
Phase-coherent digital communications for underwater acoustic channels

High-speed phase coherent communications in the ocean channel are made difficult by the combined effects of large Doppler fluctuations and extended, time-varying multipath. In order to account for these effects, we consider a receiver which performs optimal phase synchronization and channel equalization jointly. Since the intersymbol interference in some underwater acoustic channels spans several tens of symbol intervals, making the optimal maximum-likelihood receiver unacceptably complex, we use a suboptimal, but low complexity, decision feedback equalizer. The mean squared error multiparameter optimization results in an adaptive algorithm which is a combination of recursive least squares and second-order digital phase and delay-locked loops. The use of a fractionally spaced equalizer eliminates the need for explicit symbol delay tracking. The proposed algorithm is applied to experimental data from three types of underwater acoustic channels: long-range deep water, long-range shallow water, and short-range shallow water channels. The modulation techniques used are 4- and 8-PSK. The results indicate the feasibility of achieving power-efficient communications in these channels and demonstrate the ability to coherently combine multiple arrivals, thus exploiting the diversity inherent in multipath propagation. >
Pattern/Patron: Atex Excellence in Textile Design, 2003

Pattern/Patron was designed in response to consumers' desire for garment customization. As technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, but affordable, more and more customized products become po...
Structure‐Activity Relationship of Alkyl Camptothecin Esters

The cytotoxicity of camptothecin (CPT) esters 1-6 was measured. Like parental camptothecin, esters 2 and 3, but not 1, 4, 5, and 6, inhibited proliferation of human leukemia cells in culture and induced programmed cell death as assessed by flow cytometry studies. Exhibition of similar levels of antiproliferative activities of CPT 2 and 3 required different incubation time periods in cell cultures, with CPT and 3 requiring the shortest and longest periods, respectively. Both 2 and 3 were inactive against cells resistant to the semisynthetic CPT derivative 9-nitrocamptothecin and unable to stabilize DNA-topoisomerase I (Topo I) "cleavable complexes" in a cell-free system, suggesting that Topo I activity was required but insufficient for the mechanism of action of 2 and 3. Mouse liver homogenate converted esters to parental CPT, but the conversion rates were different with different esters. Of four tested esters in this experiment, ester 2 had the fastest conversion rate. In vivo studies showed that ester 2 had an exceptional lack of toxicity in nude mice, even at enormous doses, and demonstrated extensive activity against human breast and colon tumors grown as xenografts in immunodeficient nude mice, whereas no antitumor activity was observed for the other esters. In conclusion, ester 2 is a prodrug of the antitumor compound CPT, and it can be administered at very high doses in mice with no appearance of toxicity. This study provides a basis for further evaluation of CPT ester 2 as an investigational anticancer agent.
Absorption efficiency and heating kinetics of nanoparticles in the RF range for selective nanotherapy of cancer

Abstract Radio-frequency (RF) waves have an excellent ability to penetrate into the human body, giving a great opportunity to activate/heat nanoparticles delivered inside the body as a contrast agent for diagnosis and treatment purposes. However the heating of nanoparticles in the RF range of the spectrum is controversial in the research community because of the low power load of RF waves and low absorption of nanoparticles in the RF range. This study uses a phenomenological approach to estimate the absorption efficiency of metal and dielectric nanoparticles in the RF range through a study of heating kinetics of those particles in radio wave field. We also discuss the specific features of heating kinetics of nanoparticles, such as a short time scale for heating and cooling of nanoparticles in a liquid biological environment, and the effect of the radiation field structure on the heating kinetics by single-pulse and multipulse RF radiation. From the Clinical Editor In this study a phenomenological approach was applied to estimate the absorption efficiency of radiofrequency radiation (RF) by metal and dielectric nanoparticles. Such nanoparticles can be designed and used for therapeutic purposes, like for localized heating and to activate nanoparticles by RF. The authors also discuss the differences in heating kinetics using single-pulse and multi-pulse RF radiation.
Effects of mutual coupling on interference mitigation with a focal plane array

A focal plane array feed of electrically small elements has been proposed as a means for achieving high sensitivity for radio astronomy applications in the presence of radio frequency interference (RFI). For a broadband system, mutual coupling effects become significant as the array element spacing becomes small relative to the electromagnetic wavelength. We present a theoretical framework for modeling the effects of mutual coupling and for determining the optimal multiport matching network between array elements and front-end transistor low-noise amplifiers for maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Numerical results are given for a model scenario including spillover and amplifier thermal noise and point signal and interference sources. A suboptimal self-impedance matching network yields performance close to that of a full network match.
A combined simulated annealing and quasi-Newton-like conjugate-gradient method for determining the structure of mixed argon-xenon clusters

Abstract This paper shows how various limited-memory quasi-Newton large-scale unconstrained minimization methods can be used to speed up the location of global minima of potential energy surfaces related to the structures of mixed Ar-Xe clusters. Both a simulated annealing method and a finite-temperature lattice-based Monte Carlo method are accelerated by the various quasi-Newton limited-memory methods which are then compared for computational efficiency.
Planting the Living City: Best Practices in Planning Green Infrastructure—Results From Major U.S. Cities

Problem: Critics have problematized infrastructure for its inability to keep pace with the rising social and ecological impacts of urbanization. Researchers identify urban green infrastructure (GI)...
Sunder: a programmable hardware prefetch architecture for numerical loops

Beyond data caching, data prefetching is by far the most effective way to address the memory access bottleneck associated with high-performance processors. This is particularly true for scientific programs whose working sets cannot be easily fit into the on-chip data cache. This paper proposes a new data prefetching architecture called Sunder, which combines the flexibility and accurateness of software prefetching and the transparency and low-overhead of hardware prefetching. The heart of the design is a dedicated prefetch engine that is programmable at run time by the software. An important design decision is to keep the prefetch engine completely isolated from the normal instruction execution pipeline except a loop counter to keep the two synchronized at the boundaries of loop iterations. A detailed simulation study on the Sunder architecture shows that compared to the cache-only architecture, Sunder achieves an average relative performance advantage over cache-only architectures ranging from 28% to 46%, with smaller cache block sizes leading to greater performance improvement. >
LYVE-1 immunocytochemical staining for gastrointestinal carcinoids

SummaryAims: By immunocytochemical staining for lymphatic vessels using anti-lymphatic vessel hyaluronan receptor (LYVE-1) antibody, pancreatic islets and some pancreatic endocrine tumours (PETs) were positively stained for the cytoplasm in addition to lymphatic vessels. The current study was extended to investigate possible immunostaining of gastrointestinal carcinoids using goat antihuman LYVE-1 antibody.Methods: Lymphatic vessels were immunostained by LYVE-1 and blood vessels were immunostained by factor 8 (F-8).Results: Among 27 gastrointestinal carcinoids, six cases (22%) including five primary and one metastatic carcinoids were positive in the cytoplasm for LYVE-1 in addition to lymphatic vessels and there were abundant lymphatic and blood vessels at the margin of the carcinoids. These six LYVE-1 positive cases consisted of three of 10 small intestinal, one of five appendiceal and two of seven large intestinal carcinoids. There was no LYVE-1 positive staining in the adjacent normal gastro-intestinal...
A New Switch Chip for IBM RS/6000 SP Systems

This paper describes the architecture of a third-generation switching element which may appear in future IBM RS/6000 SP interconnection networks. In this paper this ASIC will be referred as the Switch3 switch chip. Like its predecessors, Switch3 is an 8-port device implementing output-queuing using the high-utilization central-buffering technique. However, Switch3 offers significant enhancements over these existing SP switch chips by incorporating advances in both VLSI technology and in recent interconnection network research. Switch3 introduces a new form of adaptive routing with the potential to significantly improve network bandwidth. It also offers support for collective communication via a powerful hardware multicast replication capability. The technology advances allow link bandwidth to be improved to 500 MB/s per direction per link, and allow the central buffer size to be doubled compared to the current SP switch. Furthermore, the larger Switch3 input buffers are capable of supporting link lengths of up to 100 meters, enabling richly-connected, scalable topologies with a high aggregate bandwidth. Finally, Switch3 offers a number of other significant enhancements including limited support for high-priority traffic and detailed performance monitoring information.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—DUODENOBILIARY REFLUX OF BARIUM SULFATE DURING ESOPHAGOGASTROGRAPHY IN A DOG

A 4-year-old Australian cattle dog presented for regurgitation, 2 months after duodenal resection and anastomosis for a perforated duodenal ulcer. Duodenobiliary reflux of barium sulfate suspension was detected during fluoroscopic esophagogastrography. Follow-up radiography 2 hours later demonstrated persistence of the barium in the gallbladder and biliary tree. Ultrasonography showed an open sphincter of Oddi but no other morphological abnormalities with the gallbladder or biliary system. No side effects or bloodwork abnormalities were noted. This is the first case report of duodenobiliary reflux of barium in a dog. The pathophysiology of this phenomenon and its incidence and significance in human medicine are discussed.
Existence of equilibria in discontinuous Bayesian games

Abstract We provide easily-verifiable sufficient conditions on the primitives of a Bayesian game to guarantee the existence of a behavioral-strategy Bayes–Nash equilibrium. We allow players' payoff functions to be discontinuous in actions, and illustrate the usefulness of our results via an example of an all-pay auction with general tie-breaking rules which cannot be handled by extant results.
Fast and Furious (at Publishers): The Motivations behind Crowdsourced Research Sharing

Crowdsourced research sharing takes place across social media platforms including Twitter hashtags such as #icanhazpdf, Reddit Scholar, and Facebook. This study surveys users of these peer-to-peer exchanges on demographic information, frequency of use, and their motivations in both providing and obtaining scholarly information on these platforms. Respondents also provided their perspectives on the database terms of service and/or copyright violations in these exchanges. Findings indicate that the motivations of this community are utilitarian or ideological in nature, similar to other peer-to-peer file sharing online. Implications for library services including instruction, outreach, and interlibrary loan are discussed.
Structure and mechanism of the phage T4 recombination mediator protein UvsY.

The UvsY recombination mediator protein is critical for efficient homologous recombination in bacteriophage T4 and is the functional analog of the eukaryotic Rad52 protein. During T4 homologous recombination, the UvsX recombinase has to compete with the prebound gp32 single-stranded binding protein for DNA-binding sites and UvsY stimulates this filament nucleation event. We report here the crystal structure of UvsY in four similar open-barrel heptameric assemblies and provide structural and biophysical insights into its function. The UvsY heptamer was confirmed in solution by centrifugation and light scattering, and thermodynamic analyses revealed that the UvsY–ssDNA interaction occurs within the assembly via two distinct binding modes. Using surface plasmon resonance, we also examined the binding of UvsY to both ssDNA and the ssDNA–gp32 complex. These analyses confirmed that ssDNA can bind UvsY and gp32 independently and also as a ternary complex. They also showed that residues located on the rim of the heptamer are required for optimal binding to ssDNA, thus identifying the putative ssDNA-binding surface. We propose a model in which UvsY promotes a helical ssDNA conformation that disfavors the binding of gp32 and initiates the assembly of the ssDNA–UvsX filament.