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Debugging post-silicon fails continues to be a difficult problem that is becoming even more challenging as chips integrate more functionality and implement increasingly complicated functions. Additionally, the complexity of hardware systems, coupled with the difficulty in observing the state of the system that led to the failure, make the debugging effort a unique challenge. In this paper, we review the techniques and mechanisms used to facilitate effective debugging in the POWER8i processor post-silicon validation phase. We further describe several functional bugs and describe the debugging process that drove the identification of their root cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare sport and gender differences in injury rates and proportions of injuries related to illegal activity and to describe the epidemiology of injuries related to illegal activity. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: 100 US high schools. Subjects: Athletes participating in nine sports: boys' football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and baseball plus girls' soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball. Main outcome measures: Illegal activity-related injuries were analyzed using data from the 2005-06 and 2006-07 National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study. Results: Nationally, an estimated 98 066 injuries were directly related to an action that was ruled illegal activity by a referee/official or disciplinary committee, giving an injury rate of 0.24 injuries per 1000 athletic competition-exposures. Boys' and girls' soccer had the highest rates of injuries related to illegal activity, and girls' volleyball, girls' softball, and boys' baseball had the lowest. Overall, 6.4% of all high school sports-related injuries were related to illegal activity, with the highest proportion in girls' basketball (14.0%), girls' soccer (11.9%), and boys' soccer (11.4%). A greater proportion of injuries related to illegal activity were to the head/face (32.3%) and were concussions (25.4%) than injuries not related to illegal activity (13.8% (injury proportion ratio 2.35; 95% CI 1.82 to 3.04; p<0.001) and 10.9% (injury proportion ratio 2.35; 95% CI 1.71 to 3.22; p<0.001), respectively). Conclusions: Illegal activity is an overlooked risk factor for sports-related injury. Reducing illegal activity through enhanced enforcement of sports' rules and targeted education about the dangers of illegal activity for players, coaches, and referees/officials may reduce sports-related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-esteem and perceived competence have only been explored minimally in family studies with ethnically diverse samples. The current study explores self-esteem and perceived competence in a sample of adolescents, their mothers, and their fathers from three racial/ ethnic groups: African American, Hispanic/Latino/Latina, and Caucasian. Results show that African American mothers report higher perceptions of athletic competence than Caucasian or Hispanic/Latina mothers. African American fathers and Hispanic/Latino fathers report higher perceptions of physical appearance and global self-worth than Caucasian fathers. Adolescents' reports of perceived competence and global self-worth did not differ across racial/ethnic groups. Significant associations within the family were found for some domains of perceived competence. Results are discussed in terms of functioning within families of different racial/ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on research into the role of the wild-type p53 gene in growth control. Transcription-activating sequence in yeast and mammalian cells; Results.

Investigates the formation of amidine-protected oxazaborolidinones from Me2NCH=NCH(R'')CO2Na and KPhBF3/TMSCl. Equilibration and asymmetric transformation of the diastereomers under crystallization conditions; Reaction mechanisms; Control of relative stability of boron diastereomers in the crystal lattice by remote stereogenic carbons in a menthone-derived substituent.

The study was undertaken within an established cochlear implant (CI) centre, in conjunction with a tertiary Tinnitus Clinic. The primary aim was to identify more readily which CI recipients experience significant tinnitus, by introducing the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). A secondary aim was to pilot a specialist joint clinic for CI users with tinnitus, involving clinicians from both the implant and the tinnitus teams. This paper reports principally on the level of agreement between the centre's established tinnitus self-report measure and the THI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was undertaken within an established cochlear implant (CI) centre, in conjunction with a tertiary Tinnitus Clinic. The primary aim was to identify more readily which CI recipients experience significant tinnitus, by introducing the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). A secondary aim was to pilot a specialist joint clinic for CI users with tinnitus, involving clinicians from both the implant and the tinnitus teams. This paper reports principally on the level of agreement between the centre's established tinnitus self-report measure and the THI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Torsion of an accessory spleen is extremely rare. We report a case of an acute torsion of an accessory spleen in a young patient who presented with acute left abdominal pain and discuss the computed tomographic findings of this exceptional condition. Awareness of this entity and familiarity with typical imaging findings are mandatory for preoperative diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the initiation of most controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR) device protocols GnRH has been utilized to induce ovulation and reset follicular waves; however, its ability to initiate a new follicular wave is variable and dependent on stage of the estrous cycle. The objectives of the current studies were to determine 1) if inducing luteal regression prior to the injection of GnRH at time of insertion of a CIDR resulted in increased control of follicular development, and 2) if removing endogenous progesterone by inducing luteal regression prior to insertion of the CIDR decreased variation in LH pulse frequency. In Exp. 1 and 2, Angus-cross cycling beef heifers (n = 22 and 38, respectively) were allotted to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) heifers received an injection of PGF2a on d -3, an injection of GnRH and insertion of a CIDR on d 0, and a PGF2α injection and CIDR removed on d 6 (PG-CIDR) or 2) an injection of GnRH and insertion of a CIDR on d 0 and on d 7 an injection of PGF2α and removal of CIDR (Select Synch + CIDR). In Exp. 3, Angus-cross beef heifers (n = 15) were assigned to one of three treatments: 1) PG-CIDR, 2) PGF2α on d -3, GnRH on d 0, and PGF2α on d 6 (PG-No CIDR), or 3) Select Synch + CIDR. Follicular development and ovulatory response were determined by transrectal ultrasonography. Across all experiments, more (P = 0.02) heifers treated with PG prior to GnRH initiated a new follicular wave following the injection of GnRH compared to Select Synch + CIDR-treated heifers. In Exp. 1, following CIDR removal, interval to estrus did not differ (P = 0.18) between treatments; however, the variance for the interval to estrus was reduced (P < 0.01) in PG-CIDR heifers compared to Select Synch + CIDR heifers. In Exp. 3, there was a tendency (P = 0.09) for LH pulse frequency to be greater among PG-CIDR and PG-No CIDR compared to the Select Synch + CIDR, but area under the curve, mean LH concentrations, and mean amplitude did not differ (P > 0.76). In summary, induction of luteal regression prior to an injection of GnRH increased the percentage of heifers initiating a new follicular wave. Removal of endogenous progesterone tended to increase LH pulse frequency, and the modified treatment increased the synchrony of estrus following CIDR removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the stringent requirements of interconnect metallization for sub-32 nm technologies, an unprecedented level of flux and energy control of film forming species has become necessary to further advance ionized physical vapor deposition technology. Such technology development mandates improvements in methods to quantify the metal ion fraction, the gas/metal ion ratio, and the associated ion energies in the total ion flux to the substrate. In this work, a novel method combining planar Langmuir probes, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and gridded energy analyzer (GEA) custom instrumentation is developed to estimate the plasma density and temperature as well as to measure the metal ion fraction and ion energy. The measurements were conducted in a Novellus Systems, Inc. Hollow Cathode Magnetron (HCMTM) physical vapor deposition source used for deposition of Cu seed layer for 65-130 nm technology nodes. The gridded energy analyzer was employed to measure ion flux and ion energy, which was compared to the collocated planar Langmuir probe data. The total ion-to-metal neutral ratio was determined by the QCM combined with GEA. The data collection technique and the corresponding analysis are discussed. The effect of concurrent resputtering during the deposition process on film thickness profile is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To examine the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the CPAT, an instrument to assess pain in nursing home residents with dementia. DESIGN: Instrument development and testing. SETTING: Three regional skilled nursing facilities. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-five residents of 3 skilled nursing facilities. MEASUREMENTS: The inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity of the CPAT was measured after initial CNA training. Measurement of inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability was repeated after modified CNA training. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was calculated for all reliability measures. The clinical utility/feasibility of the CPAT was measured by means of a practicality survey. RESULTS: The CPAT was found to have acceptable levels of both interrater reliability (ICC=0.71) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.67). Construct validity as measured by a paired t test was statistically significant (P=.043). Criterion validity as measured by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was also statistically significant (P=.048). Internal consistency was acceptable for all measures as calculated by Cronbach's alpha, which ranged from 0.72 to 0.84. As determined by a practicality survey, the CPAT was shown to be a clinically useful and feasible instrument. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that the CPAT is a reliable and valid pain assessment instrument when used in nursing home residents with dementia. It has also been shown to be a tool with suitable clinical utility and feasibility. Further study is warranted to ascertain if its use will lead to improved resident function and quality of life and whether the results of this study are reproducible in other dementia populations. The CPAT's ability to quantify pain and measure treatment response has not been determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inherited alterations in BRCA1/2 genes increase genomic instability and cancer susceptibility. DNA sequencing detects BRCA1/2 mutations, but has the following limitations; 1) mutations may have unknown functional significance, 2) epigenetic alterations and mutations in other Homologous Recombination (HR) pathway components are not detected, and 3) the combined effects of pathway mutations are not understood. Thus a functional assessment of HR competence at the single cell level remains an unmet need as BRCA1/2 sequencing does not holistically inform on functionality of the HR pathway. Single Cell Network Profiling (SCNP) is a multiparametric flow cytometry-based assay that simultaneously measures, at the single cell level, extracellular surface markers and functional changes in intracellular signaling in response to extracellular modulators (Kornblau et al. Clin Cancer Res 2010). In this study, we tested the ability of SCNP to detect and quantify functional changes in HR signaling using peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from BRCA1 mutation carriers (MUT) and wild type (WT) subjects. Methods: HR pathway activity was examined in PBMCs from BRCA1 MUT (n = 21) or WT (n = 20) subjects. Cell lines carrying BRCA1 MUTor WT genes were used as controls. PBMCs were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 for 24 hours to induce T cell proliferation then treated with PARP inhibitor (PARPi) AZD2281 +/- Temozolomide (TMZ) for 48h or 72h to induce DNA damage. DNA damage response (DDR) readouts were measured in both CyclinA2- and CyclinA2+ T cell subsets. Measurements included induced levels of p21, p53 and phosphorylation (p-) of p-H2AX, p-DNA-PKcs, p-RPA2/32, and p-BRCA1. Results: As expected based on the mechanism of action of PARPi, higher levels of induced p-H2AX and p53 were observed in CyclinA2+ cells of BRCA1 MUT versus WT cell line controls. In PBMCs, T cell proliferation (%CyclinA2+) was positively associated with PARPi induced DDR readouts. After controlling for proliferation, statistically significant differences in PARPi induced DDR signaling were observed between BRCA1 MUT and WT samples in many simultaneously assessed readouts including p-H2AX, p53 and p21 (increased in MUT), particularly in CyclinA2+ cells. Additionally, BRCA1 MUT samples displayed lower basal p-BRCA1 but higher induced p-BRCA1 levels compared to BRCA1 WT samples. Conclusions: SCNP was able to detect and quantify functional differences between PBMC samples from BRCA1 MUT (haploinsufficient) and WT donors by quantitatively assessing DDR signaling in CyclinA2+ T cells. Once verified on a larger data set, the assay could form the basis for the development of screening tests to identify subjects at higher risk of developing cancer or stratification tests to inform on cancer patient selection for treatment with PARP inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]