cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NGOs, Political Protest and Civil Society: Book Review

Non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) play a key role for providing a platform for citizens to raise their discontents in democratic settings. NGO activities for encouraging democratic public engagement pose no threats against stability in consolidated democratic regimes with effectively functioning political parties. On the other hand, they can be acontentious issue in countries with shaky foundations of democracy. In fact, Huntington mainly champions in one of his most widely cited works by the civil society literature the idea that associations of social capital such as civil society can have detrimental repercussions on stability and order in infantile democratic regimes since political parties in such contexts are argued to be ill‐equipped to handle challenges brought bymodernization. On the other hand, primary elements of social capital (i.e.civil society) are acknowledged to be the prerequisites for effectivefunctioning of democracies. Keywords : NGOs, democracy, civil society, social capital
OBSERVERS' IMPRESSIONS OF SUPERIORS AND SUBORDINATES FOLLOWING PROMOTION DECISIONS '

Summary.-For business students, factdrs (favorability ratings) for a professor and his dean who, in a scenario, rejected the professor's application for promotion, were indicated by factor analysis of 7-point ratings of 16 bipolar items. Actors were viewed mote favorably when they agreed than were they disagreed. Sex of actor did not affect favorability, but the dean's disagreeing was judged mote masculine than his agreeing. Findings seem consistent with research showing production-oriented leaders were viewed as more masculine. Giacalone (1985) noted it is common for employees to attempt impression management in communicating with superiors. He found observers rated subordinates' self-described accomplishments more highly when a superior agreed with the claims than when the superior disagreed. It was predicted both a professor and a dean (described in a written scenario) would be downgraded following the dean's rejecting the professor's promotion application. Also, it was expected women would be rated lower than men or at least those who disagreed with men would be. The subjects were 64 men and 64 women enrolled in business classes. Five were over 30 yr. of age, 16 were 25 to 29 yr. old, 84 were 21 to 24 yr., and 23 were under 21 yr. Rating scales were 16 7-point, bipolar items. A factor analysis with varimax rotation yielded factors interpreted as favorability ratings for the professor (intelligence, likability, honesty, competence, and whether deserving promotion-minimum loading = .76) and the dean (intelligence, likability, honesty, competence, and reasonableness-rninimum loading = .70). Not included in these factors were ratings of the professor's modesty, the dean's biasedness, and the masculinity and femininity of each. Both actors were rated more favorably when they agreed than when they disagreed (for the professor: M = 5.83, SD = .88 vs M = 4.97, SD = 1.01; F ,,,,, =28.79, p<.001 and for the dean: M=5.51, SD= .91 vs M =4.68, SD = 1.10; F,,,,, = 20.59, p< ,001). Although Giacalone (1985) found no such effect upon the superior's ratings, the disagreeing dean may have been downgraded for not contradicting the professor's accomplishments but only questiomng their value.
Homogenate extraction process of leaf protein from leaves of Castanea mollissima

Homogenate extraction of leaf protein(LPC)from leaves of Castanea mollissima was studied. By the Box-Behnken experimental design method,the effects of the solid/liquid,pH,temperature and extraction time and their interactions on the LPC yield were studied on the base of the single-factor test. The test results showed that the optimum conditions of extraction for LPC were as following:the solid/liquid 1:27(g/mL),pH11,temperature 50℃,extraction time 3. 6min. The influence order of factors to protein extracting rate is pHextraction timetemperaturesolid/liquid. Under these conditions,the rate of LPC extraction reached 11. 89%
LD pumped 355nm quasi-CW ultraviolet laser

The CW LD end-pumped quasi-CW ultraviolet laser with Cr~(+4)∶YAG,KTP and LBO is described.When the power of the laser diode is 12W,the pulse repeated frequency is 10kHz,the power of the quasi-CW ultraviolet laser with similar single transverse mode is approximately 50mW.
The Korean Doctors Who Studied Medicine Abroad

Chi Seok-Young was the first Korean to go abroad to study the Western medicine. In Japan, he studied it for approximately 4 months from May to September 1880. He did not go through the curriculum in its entirity but was able to bring back knowledge in the Western medicine nevertheless. Seo Jae-Pil, who exiled to the United States as the result of Kapsin coup failure in December 1884, was the next to study the medicine abroad. He enrolled at the Columbian University School of Medicine in 1889 and completed requirements in March 1892, becoming the first Korean doctor in the Western medicine. In 1896, Kim Ik-Nam enrolled Jikeikai Hospital Medical School in Japan after passing 1895 government-sponsored qualification examination to study abroad in Japan. He graduated in November 1899 and received a license to practice medicine from the Ministry of Education in Japan. And in 1902, Ahn Sang-Ho also graduated from Jikeikai Hospital Medical school. ...
Return of individual genomic research results: what do consent forms tell participants?

Advances in genomic technology make possible the large-scale collection of genomic data for research purposes. Many international initiatives seek to collect genomic data on large populations, often relying on existing collections to populate their databases. As these efforts progress, the debate over whether or not to return individual genetic research results to study participants remains an area of much contention. Some recommend returning results to participants only if the issue was addressed in the original study consent form. Much of the data being used in current studies, however, may have been derived from biospecimens collected years ago with consent documents that did not anticipate the possibility of returning individual level genomic results. We conducted an analysis of informed consent documents from published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) (n=40) to explore whether future research use of biospecimens or data is anticipated, and if return of results is addressed and how it is described to better understand participants’ expectations for future disclosure. The majority (70%) of the GWAS consent documents we analyzed either stated explicitly that individual genomic results would not be returned or were silent on the issue. This has implications for how researchers and members of Research Ethics Committees manage the return of results from sequencing studies using legacy samples and data.
Effective Heat Sinks in Cryogenic Devices

Nearly all cryogenic engineering experiments and applications Involve heat transfer problems. Heat sinking is generally concerned with either of two extremes: (1) maximum thermal isolation or (2) maximum heat dissipation. To attain these objectives requires careful attention to the selection of materials, and the design of components and the overall system. For example, in the operation of an adlabatic calorimeter system in the measurement of the specific heat or enthalpy of a material In the cryogenic temperature range, extraneous heat flows of the order of microwatts may be sufficient to vitiate the experiment, Other experiments call for the effective dissipation of any heat which may be transferred to the device by power or signal leads or may be generated In the device itself. The thermal grounding must generally be accomplished without electrically grounding or shorting the components.
Body-worn fully-passive wireless analog sensors for physiological signal capture through load modulation using resistive transducers

Fully-passive wireless body-sensors pose viable solutions for unobtrusive monitoring of physiological signals at natural settings. While fully-passive capacitive analog passive wireless sensors has been reported, we present an alternative solution with resistive based transducers. The passive sensor is composed of a loop antenna, a tuning capacitor, and a resistive transducer suitable for the type of physiological signals to be measured. The scanner transmits carrier RF signal at 13:75MHz whose amplitude is modulated based on the resistive loading by the transducer. The load modulation is captured with the signal analyzer. The system was characterized for various resistive loads of 1.2Ω to 82KΩ and open at 5, 10, 20, and 40 mm co-axial distances between the transmitter and the receiver antennas. We demonstrate the practicality of the system by measuring several physiological signals like heart rate, temperature, and pulse oximetry. The wireless power used for remote sensing is very low (−20dBm, except pulse oximetry requires 0dBm). The results show the potential of developing a new set of body-worn fully-passive sensors for physiological signal monitoring.
A metaheuristic method to hide MP3 sound in JPEG image

VoIP is much in use these days as many applications over phone, tablet, and computers are available. The data in VoIP can be collected for further analysis or it can be intercepted. VoIP privacy and security is a major concern these days. This paper discusses an implementation of hiding a sound file in a digital image. This sound can be voice, VoIP data or a song. In this approach, an MP3 file was used with JPEG image for implementation. The rightmost k-LSB of pixels was utilized to embed MP3 bits into a pixel. The pixels are so chosen that the distortion in the image would be minimized due to embedding. This is implemented in such a way that makes it difficult to conclude about the existence of the hidden data inside the image. A metaheuristic technique Cuckoo Search was used to find most suitable solutions for minimization. The results are also compared with existing techniques of steganography.
A modified noninvasive screening protocol for pulmonary hypertension in children with sickle cell disease—Who should be sent for invasive evaluation?

Background Invasive studies have shown that prevalence and severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) tend to be overestimated if based exclusively on Doppler-derived tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV) as surrogate noninvasive marker with a cutoff ≥2.5 m/s. Objectives We aimed to better define a subgroup of pediatric SCD patients who should be sent for invasive evaluation of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) based on a modified echocardiographic PH screening protocol that implements evidence from Doppler–catheter comparative studies. Study Design Charts of 121 pediatric patients with stable SCD were reviewed regarding echocardiographically assessed risk for elevated PAP/PH and associated clinical characteristics. TRV cutoff was refined at ≥2.9 m/s to avoid overestimating the risk for PH. TRV was combined with additional echocardiographic parameters to avoid underestimating the PH risk. Results Ninety-one patients qualified for analysis. Based on our modified echocardiographic protocol, 5.5% of patients qualified for at least moderate risk for elevated PAP (compatible with PH) as opposed to 20.9% if based exclusively on TRV ≥2.5 m/s. These patients were older, homozygous for hemoglobin S (HbSS), and more anemic. No subject had an echocardiographic risk constellation suggesting more than mild PH. Conclusions Our modified noninvasive screening protocol—if confirmed by invasive studies—may help to better identify a subgroup of pediatric SCD patients in whom evaluation by catheterization appears justified. Unlike estimates based on the conventional protocol, the size of the targeted subgroup compares favorably with catheterization-confirmed PH prevalence rates. Characteristics associated with an increased PH risk were also identified.
Intuitions are Used as Evidence in Philosophy

In recent years a growing number of philosophers writing about the methodology of philosophy have defended the surprising claim that philosophers do not use intuitions as evidence. In this paper I defend the contrary view that philosophers do use intuitions as evidence. I argue that this thesis is the best explanation of several salient facts about philosophical practice. First, philosophers tend to believe propositions which they find intuitive. Second, philosophers offer error theories for intuitions that conflict with their theories. Finally, philosophers are more confident in rejecting theories to the extent that they have several (intuitive) counter examples involving diverse cases. I argue that these facts are better explained by philosophers' using intuitions as evidence than by any plausible contrary explanations. I further argue that aspects of philosophical practice that my thesis may initially seem ill-suited to explain are in fact unsurprising whether or not my thesis is true.
Lightweight implementations of SHA-3 candidates on FPGAs

The NIST competition for developing the new cryptographic hash algorithm SHA-3 has entered its third round. One evaluation criterion is the ability of the candidate algorithm to be implemented on resource-constrained platforms. This includes FPGAs for embedded and hand-held devices. However, there has not been a comprehensive set of lightweight implementations for FPGAs reported to date. We hope to fill this gap with this paper in which we present lightweight implementations of all SHA-3 finalists and all round-2 candidates with the exception of SIMD. All implementations were designed to achieve maximum throughput while adhering to an area constraint of 400-600 slices and one Block RAM on Xilinx Spartan-3 devices. We also synthesized them for Virtex-V, Altera Cyclone-II, and the new Xilinx Spartan-6 devices.
Sleep and Other Behavioral States Reflected in Cardiovascular Response Patterns

the behavioral state of an organism can be operationally defined as a set of physiological and behavioral variables that may be measured at any point in time (1). Behavioral states such as arousal or sleep produce centrally mediated changes influencing many physiological and behavioral systems. These widespread and sometimes long-lasting changes also differentiate behavioral states from more discrete behavioral acts such as the flexion or extension of a limb. Behavioral states may be defined in terms of observable somatic behaviors as they differ relative to other behaviors. Alternatively, physiological measures such as the electroencephalogram (EEG) or cardiorespiratory parameters may differentiate one state from another. For example, the behavioral manifestations of sleep in an organism lead one to impute a “sleep state” to the central neural activity in progress at a certain time in that organism, but measurement of eye movements or of the EEG allows one to divide the sleep state into rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) states, each of which has been shown to have different physiological implications for the organism. Application of the behavioral state concept to the awake situation is more difficult because there is a wide variety of normal waking behavior, from the simple actions of eating, walking, or lifting to the complex acts of communication or play and complex states characterized by displays of anger or fear. In each of the examples there is an observable set of behavioral events and environmental circumstances that lead one to postulate the existence of a certain “state” of the nervous system that has as its basis various levels of activity of particular regions of the brain or possibly chemically defined systems of the brain. In a recent survey of investigations concerning central nervous system control of behavioral states, Hobson et al. (3) noted the conceptual shift from the belief that states are mediated by neural activity in unitary “centers” to the view that behavioral state control involves the interaction of multiple, anatomically distributed sets of neurons.
The clinical outcomes of reclassified erythroleukemia (erythroid/myeloid) as myelodysplastic syndrome per 2017 WHO guideline compared to de novo MDS.

e19026Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) re-visited the diagnostic criteria in 2016 for myeloid malignancies including acute erythroid leukemia (AEL). The former erythroid/myeloid leuk...
Alumni donations and university reputation

The present study presents a formal model of the dynamics of a university’s reputation that points to the existence of a snowball effect where alumni donations raise a university’s reputation, whic...
Differentiated Performance and Reliability Enabled by Multi-Work Function Solution in RMG Silicon and SiGe MOSFETs

We report for the first time that replacement metal gate (RMG) work function metal (WFM) modulates the interface defects in Silicon and SiGe MOSFETs. Changing the effective work function (eWF) towards nFET band edge provides lower interface defects and higher mobility than eWF near the pFET band edge for both Si and SiGe substrates. Reducing the electric field across the dielectric (via eWF) improves bias temperature instability (BTI) for both n & pMOSFETs beyond expectation. Breakdown voltage increases and gate leakage decreases with increasing eWF for both n & pMOSFETs. Therefore, multi-Vt MOSFETs by RMG metal gate exhibit differentiated reliability as well as differentiated performance for both Si and SiGe channel materials.
A Pilot Study to Assess At-Home Speed of Processing Training for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective. Cognitive impairment is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet treatment is currently limited. The primary goal of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an at-home, five-week computerized speed of processing (SOP) training intervention for MS patients. In addition, we examined the utility of the intervention to improve speed of information processing, memory, executive function, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Method. Fifteen subjects were assigned five weeks of SOP training, two times per week, for a total of ten sessions. Subjects were trained on five computerized SOP tasks that required processing of increasingly complex visual stimuli in successively shorter presentation times. Subjects were given a neuropsychological test battery that included measures of speed of information processing, verbal memory, visual spatial memory, and executive function. Subjects were also administered patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures to assess HRQOL, depression, and work productivity. Neuropsychological and PRO batteries were completed at baseline and after five weeks. Results. Eighty percent of subjects completed the five-week intervention (n = 12). Significant improvements were observed on some, but not all, measures of speed of information processing, verbal memory, and executive function. There were no significant changes in HRQOL. Conclusion. This pilot study supports the feasibility of an at-home SOP training intervention for individuals with MS. SOP training was associated with improvements in several cognitive domains. Larger, randomized controlled trials are warranted.
Parents' Perceptions of Risk and the Influence on Children's Everyday Occupations

Date Presented 04/05/19 This presentation describes parents' risk perceptions regarding children's engagement in everyday occupations and how these influence the decisions they make to offer children age-appropriate opportunities for risk taking. It offers a qualitative analysis of stories parents shared that illustrate specific instances when children's engagement in age-appropriate risk taking resulted in children developing specific abilities, experiencing positive emotions, and gaining life skills. Primary Author and Speaker: Anita Niehues Contributing Authors: Anita Bundy
A Needs Assessment for Adaptive Clothing: Women with Chronic Neurological Disorders

People with neurological disorders may be gradually experiencing a decrease in cognitive function or suffer severely from cognitive impairment and physical disabilities. In particular,physical disabilities such as involuntary movements and insensibility cause them to face difficulties with dressing independently and moving comfortably.The purpose of this study was to investigate a needs assessment in clothing for women with neurological disorders such as SCI and MS. All participants’ opinions about clothing issues and expectations, gathered using the FEA needs model,were analyzed through in-depth personal interviews with different three groups.Overall, all participants perceived that adaptive clothing should be improved to meet the needs of the wearers. Consequently,improving the functionality and aesthetics of adaptive clothing would boost the wearer’s mood and assist her in expressing her individuality and normality like everybody else. Thus, the specific design criteria reflected by improvements suggested through the FEA needs model can be shared with designers and manufacturers to develop better functional and fashionable adaptive clothing,as their female apparel consumers desire.
3.04 – The Gastrointestinal Immune System☆

The gastrointestinal immune system is in constant contact with gut luminal antigens and commensal bacteria. It has two major seemingly contradictory missions: (1) protect the intestine from pathogens but (2) induce immune tolerance to commensal bacteria and food antigens. The barrier function provided by epithelial cells and their products such as mucus secretion and antibacterial peptides serves as the first line of defense to prevent infection. The intestinal tract has highly organized lymphoid tissues such as Peyer’s patches and the mesenteric lymph node to surveillance pathogens in the intestine. The intestinal immune system develops immune tolerance to harmless antigens by producing suppressive cytokines and regulatory metabolites, which induce regulatory cells to suppress immune responses. The gut immune system recognizes pathogens with specialized receptors for pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Upon detection of pathogens, the intestinal immune system chooses to mount effective immune responses by activating immune effector cells such as innate immune cells, macrophages, eosinophils, mast cells, T cells, and B cells. Intestinal T and B cells express gut-homing receptors to migrate into the intestine. These lymphocytes fight pathogens through antigen-specific immune responses. Uncontrolled immune responses to harmless gut antigens can cause inflammatory bowel disease and food allergy. Vitamin A metabolites and short-chain fatty acids provide gut tissue-specific signals important for regulation of both immunity and tolerance.
Definitions of Community for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses: Implications for Community Integration and Recovery

While recent work on community integration for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) has focused on the multi-dimensionality of community integration, it has not been fully rooted in how consumers define and experience communities for themselves. Guided by symbolic interactionism theory, the goal of the present study is to explore definitions of community as provided by individuals with SMIs, and to incorporate those definitions into a theoretical framework of community to inform community integration efforts in the context of mental health services and recovery. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between November 2017 and September 2018 with 90 racially/ethnically diverse participants who were 18 years and older with an SMI and receiving community mental health services. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using ResearchTalk's "Sort and Sift, Think and Shift" methodology. Themes derived from participants' definitions of community included a structural aspect of people and places; a functional aspect of socializing, helping and receiving resources; and an experiential aspect of shared struggles and experiences, finding safety, and identifying with others. To this end, we propose a Structural, Functional and Experiential (SFE) model of community. The SFE model of community provides a conceptual framework and guidance for clinicians, researchers, policy makers and service stakeholders regarding the complexity and variability of community for their consumers, which is essential to their recovery. Application of the SFE framework for assessment and intervention is discussed.
Predicting Autism Spectrum Disorder in Very Preterm Infants.

* Abbreviations: ASD — : autism spectrum disorder CLD — : chronic lung disease Children born preterm are known to be at higher risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with their term-born counterparts, with an estimated 7% prevalence of ASD based on a recent large prospective study and a meta-analysis.1,2 This high prevalence is in contrast to the currently estimated prevalence of ASD in the United States of 1.8% in the general population.3 ASD has been shown to be associated with a variety of prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal risk factors, including a variety of maternal health risk factors and medications and neonatal risk factors such as seizures, birth asphyxia, and low birth weight.4 Previously identified perinatal risk factors for ASD specific to preterm infants include factors such as low birth gestational age and birth weight, intracranial hemorrhage, and acute and chronic lung disease (CLD).5 The article by Chen et al6 in this issue of Pediatrics provides the first prospectively obtained data regarding whether there is an early developmental trajectory of prematurely born children that predicts who will develop ASD. The authors tested 319 preterm … Address correspondence to Janet S. Soul, MDCM, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: janet.soul{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Genome Sequence of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 202195, a Probiotic Strain That Reduces Sepsis and Other Infections during Early Infancy.

ABSTRACT The draft genome of probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 202195, with the trademark PPLP-217, is comprised of 3,368,305 bp with a G+C content of 44.3% and no plasmids. The strain is able to grow on lactose, raffinose, and fructooligosaccharides.
Vergence, accommodation, and visual tracking in children and adolescents evaluated in a multidisciplinary concussion clinic.

Abstract Many patients with concussion experience visual symptoms following injury that lead to a diagnosis of convergence insufficiency, accommodative insufficiency, or saccadic dysfunction. However, these diagnostic categories are based on aggregates of clinical tests developed from a non-concussed population and therefore may not accurately describe visual deficits in the concussed population. Thus, we sought to understand individual metrics of visual dysfunction in chronically symptomatic post-concussion patients. This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients examined at the multidisciplinary concussion clinic (MDCC) at Boston Children’s Hospital over four years. Patients aged 5–21 years who had a complete assessment of eye alignment, vergence, accommodation, and visual tracking, and had visual acuity better than or equal to 20/30 in each eye were included. Patients with history of amblyopia, strabismus, or ocular pathology were excluded. Chart review yielded 116 patients who met inclusion criteria (median age 15 years, 64% female). The majority of patients (52%) experienced a single concussion and most were sports-related (50%). Clinical data show vergence, accommodation, or visual tracking deficits in 95% of patients. A receded near point of convergence (NPC, 70/116) and reduced accommodative amplitude (63/116) were the most common deficits. Both NPC and accommodative amplitude were significantly correlated with one another (r = −0.5) and with measures of visual tracking (r = −0.34). Patients with chronic post-concussion symptoms show deficits in individual metrics of vergence, accommodation and visual tracking. The high incidence of these deficits, specifically NPC and accommodative amplitude, highlights the need for a detailed sensorimotor evaluation to guide personalized treatment following concussion.
HIV/STI Prevention Interventions for Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review and Look at Whether the Interventions Were Designed for Disseminations.

This systematic review of HIV/STI prevention interventions for women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) describes the interventions characteristics, impact on HIV-related outcomes, and whether the studies were designed for dissemination. Six intervention studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies were randomized controlled trials. The interventions consisted of between one and eight individual and/or group sessions. The interventions durations ranged from 10 minutes to 18 hours. The interventions impacts were assessed across 12 HIV-related outcomes. Two randomized control trials showed significantly fewer unprotected sexual episodes or consistent safer sex among abused women in the treatment conditions compared to the control groups. Two studies chose a delivery site for scalability purposes and three interventions were manualized. Three studies examined intervention acceptability, feasibility or fidelity. HIV/STI prevention interventions for women who have experienced IPV may be improved with randomized control designs and greater efforts to design the interventions for dissemination.
Biodistribution and Safety of 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 Knottin PET Tracer in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

1008 Purpose: 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 is a novel cystine knot peptide (knottin) PET tracer that selectively binds to human integrin αvβ6. This integrin cell surface receptor is over-expressed in pancreatic cancer, as well as other malignancies. Here, we report the biodistribution and safety of 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 in patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods: Fourteen patients (5 men, 9 women) with histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer were prospectively enrolled between March 2017 and November 2020. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and mean SUV (SUVmean) were measured in 21 normal tissues for each patient using PET/CT images at 60 minutes post-injection of 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2. Vital signs and laboratory results were collected before and after the PET scans. Results: Areas of high 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 uptake (SUVmax range: 8.0 - 52.1, SUVmean range: 6.2 - 30.2) included the pituitary gland, stomach, duodenum, and kidneys. Moderate to high uptake (SUVmax range: 2.5 - 19.1, SUVmean range: 1.6 - 13.0) was found in the normal pancreas. Mild uptake (SUVmax range: 0.5 - 2.2, SUVmean range: 0.3 - 1.5) was found in the lung and liver. There were no significant changes in vital signs or laboratory values that qualified as adverse events. 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 PET/CT detected all known pancreatic tumors in the 14 patients, although it did not detect small peri-pancreatic lymph nodes in two of three patients who were found to have lymph node metastases after surgery. 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 PET/CT detected lung and/or liver metastases in all five patients who were confirmed to have distant metastases by contrast-enhanced CT. Conclusions: 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 is shown to be a safe PET radiopharmaceutical with high uptake in primary and metastatic pancreatic cancer lesions.
Emergency Department Presentation of Retinal Artery Occlusion.

ABSTRACT Purpose To determine how often patients who present to the Emergency Department (ED) for retinal artery occlusions (RAOs) undergo brain imaging, cardiovascular testing, and are hospitalized. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Participants Patients who presented to the ED with a RAO in the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), a nationally representative US database. Methods The NEDS was queried from 2006–2014 to identify patients who presented to the ED with the primary diagnosis of RAO. Patient and hospital characteristics were evaluated, and a multivariable regression was performed to determine predictors of hospitalization. Testing was categorized into three groups: 1) brain imaging – computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance; 2) carotid imaging – ultrasound, computed tomography, and/or magnetic resonance; 3) cardiac testing – electrocardiogram and/or echocardiogram. The number of tests performed for each category was recorded. Main Outcome Measures Proportions of patients undergoing brain imaging, carotid imaging, and/or cardiac testing. Rate and predictors for hospitalization. Results Among 259,343,582 ED visits, 2, 802 had a primary diagnosis of RAO. Patients were mostly ≥ 65 years old (59%) and male (54%). Hypertension (59%), dyslipidemia (36%), and diabetes (20%) were the most common pre–existing cardiovascular diseases. Brain imaging, carotid imaging, and cardiac testing were performed in 20.3%, 7.1%, and 23.8% of patients, respectively; at least one test from each of these three categories was performed in 4.1% of patients. Half of the patients were hospitalized. Factors that increased the chances of hospitalization included (P Conclusions Most patients who presented to the ED with a RAO did not receive emergent brain imaging, carotid imaging, or basic cardiac testing. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to raise awareness that RAOs should be treated as a precursor of stroke or a stroke equivalent.
Adjustable-Rate and Fixed-Rate Mortgage Choice: A Logit Analysis

Logit analysis is used to determine if financial variables are significant in determining borrower selection between fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages. The results support the hypothesis tha...
Application of optical fiber array to contact-type image sensors

In order to develop small-size, high-fidelity input for reading letters and images, the authors studied the use of an optical fiber array to obtain compact contact-type image sensors. The optical system exhibited a modulation transfer function of 50% at 8 lp/mm, about the same depth of field as that of a rod lens array; a uniformity of less than +or-4.5%; and a transmittance of about 25%. The illuminance achieved by the system is about four times as large as that of the conventional one, and the resolution characteristics of the system are excellent as well. A 2048-bit, 70-bit/mm linear charge-coupled device or a 1728-bit, 8-bit/mm a-Si:H thin-film linear photodiode array is used as the photodetector of the image sensor. Letters (e.g. 8 point size) and images of documents were read and reproduced by a thermal printer successfully. >
Dynamic Response Corridors of the Human Thigh and Leg in Non-Midpoint Three-Point Bending

Current standards and test devices for pedestrian safety are developed using results from impact tests where inertial considerations have dominated and the vehicle pedestrian loading environment has not been properly replicated. When controlled tests have been conducted to evaluate the biofidelity of anthropometric test devices, current designs have faired poorly. The objective of the current study was to develop dynamic force-deflection and moment-deflection response corridors for the 50 th percentile adult male thigh and leg subjected to non-midpoint 3-point bending at rates characteristic of the vehicle-pedestrian loading environment. Six thigh and eight leg specimens were harvested from eight adult male human cadavers and ramped to failure in dynamic 3-point bending in the latero-medial direction. All thigh specimens and four of the leg specimens were loaded at a point located one third of the femoral/tibial length from the distal end, whereas the point of load application for the remaining four leg specimens was at one third of the tibial length from the proximal end. Following geometrical scaling of the structural responses to the size of the 50 th percentile adult male, force-deflection and moment-deflection response corridors were determined using a procedure specifically designed for developing corridors from sets of individual responses for which the independent variable is displacement. The corridors provide necessary information for development and validation of mechanical and computational tools for evaluation of countermeasures for pedestrian lower extremity protection.
Fast sparse matrix-vector multiplication by exploiting variable block structure

We improve the performance of sparse matrix-vector multiplication(SpMV) on modern cache-based superscalar machines when the matrix structure consists of multiple, irregularly aligned rectangular blocks. Matrices from finite element modeling applications often have this structure. We split the matrix, A, into a sum, A1 + A2 + ... + As, where each term is stored in a new data structure we refer to as unaligned block compressed sparse row (UBCSR) format. A classical approach which stores A in a BCSR can also reduce execution time, but the improvements may be limited because BCSR imposes an alignment of the matrix non-zeros that leads to extra work from filled-in zeros. Combining splitting with UBCSR reduces this extra work while retaining the generally lower memory bandwidth requirements and register-level tiling opportunities of BCSR. We show speedups can be as high as 2.1× over no blocking, and as high as 1.8× over BCSR as used in prior work on a set of application matrices. Even when performance does not improve significantly, split UBCSR usually reduces matrix storage.
Mouse peritoneal macrophage prostaglandin E1 synthesis is altered by dietary gamma-linolenic acid

The ability of dietary gamma-linolenic acid [18:3(n-6)] to modulate prostaglandin biosynthesis in mouse resident peritoneal macrophages was determined. Mice were fed diets containing corn oil, borage oil or evening primrose oil or a mixture of borage and fish oils. After 2 wk, resident peritoneal macrophages were isolated and stimulated with unopsonized zymosan to induce prostaglandin synthesis. Borage oil, primrose oil and fish-borage oil mixture dietary groups (containing 25.6, 11.9 and 19.5 g gamma-linolenic acid/100 g fatty acids, respectively) had significantly (P less than 0.05) enhanced prostaglandin E1 synthesis (39.7, 29.4 and 73.0 nmol prostaglandin E1/mg protein, respectively) compared with corn oil-fed (containing less than 0.1 g gamma-linolenic acid/100 g fatty acids) animals, which synthesized less than 0.1 nmol prostaglandin E1/mg protein. Borage oil- and fish-borage oil mixture-fed mice had the highest biosynthetic ratio of prostaglandin E1/prostaglandin E2 (E1/E2 approximately 0.2). Macrophages from borage oil-fed mice synthesized the lowest amount of prostacyclin (198.7 nmol 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha/mg protein) compared with corn oil-, primrose oil- and fish-borage oil mixture-fed mice (379.7, 764.8 and 384.2 nmol 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha/mg protein, respectively). In addition, borage oil-, primrose oil- and fish-borage oil mixture-fed mice had significantly (P less than 0.05) higher levels of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid [20:3(n-6)] in membrane phospholipids (5.5, 3.5 and 5.7 mol/100 mol, respectively) relative to corn oil-fed mice (2.0 mol/100 mol).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hyperglycemia-induced metabolic compensation inhibits metformin sensitivity in ovarian cancer

Increasing interest in repurposing the diabetic medication metformin for cancer treatment has raised important questions about the translation of promising preclinical findings to therapeutic efficacy, especially in non-diabetic patients. A significant limitation of the findings to date is the use of supraphysiologic metformin doses and hyperglycemic conditions in vitro. Our goals were to determine the impact of hyperglycemia on metformin response and to address the applicability of metformin as a cancer therapeutic in non-diabetic patients. In normoglycemic conditions, lower concentrations of metformin were required to inhibit cell viability, while metformin treatment in hyperglycemic conditions resulted in increased glucose uptake and glycolytic flux, contributing to cell survival. Mechanistically, maintenance of c-Myc expression under conditions of hyperglycemia or via gene amplification facilitated metabolic escape from the effects of metformin. In vivo, treatment of an ovarian cancer mouse model with metformin resulted in greater tumor weight reduction in normoglycemic vs. hyperglycemic mice, with increased c-Myc expression observed in metformin-treated hyperglycemic mice. These findings indicate that hyperglycemia inhibits the anti-cancer effects of metformin in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, our results suggest that metformin may elicit stronger responses in normoglycemic vs. hyperglycemic patients, highlighting the need for prospective clinical testing in patients without diabetes.
Possible use of microwaves in the management of lung disease

Microwave techniques may be adaptable to the detection and mapping of lung disease characterized by the presence of excess water in the lungs.
Positron annihilation in germanium

High precision long-slit and cross-slit geometry angular distributions of annihilation radiation from oriented germanium are presented. The momentum distributions from the long-slit measurements are compared with recent Compton profile data to test the importance of the positron wavefunction and positron-electron correlations. Evidence for Umklapp annihilation is discussed. No observable differences are found between distributions from heavily doped and intrinsic germanium samples. Differences in the angular distributions between 5 K and 300 K are attributed to positron thermal motion, and the results are analyzed by a new method to obtain an estimate of the positron effective mass.
Preface: The aging eye: normal changes, age-related diseases, and sight-saving approaches.

This volume presents articles based on a workshop held June 14 to 16, 2013 in Rancho Palos Verde, CA sponsored by the Ocular Research Symposia Foundation (ORSF). The mission of the ORSF is to focus attention on unmet needs and current research opportunities in eye research with the objective of accelerating translation of research findings to effective clinical care. In this workshop, the subject of the “The Aging Eye” was addressed, including the prevalence of eye diseases in aging and the economic burden imposed by these diseases. New research work was highlighted on the genetics, biology, biochemistry, neurochemistry, and the impact of nutrition and the environment on function in the older eye. By identifying “low-hanging fruit” (i.e., the best opportunities for successful transition of laboratory research for the prevention of and new treatments and cures for ocular diseases), we seek to spur funding at both the basic research and clinical levels, resulting in sight-saving and sight-restoration measures in the near future.
Implications of large flow velocity signatures in nearly isotropic ion distributions

ISEE-1 energetic ion distributions are compared with previously published lower-energy ISEE-1 H(+) and He(2+) distributions in the quiet-time plasma sheet at about 15 earth radii and within about 1 earth radius of the expected neutral sheet position. Although moment calculations performed over the nearly isotropic H(+) and He(2+) plasma distributions yield low bulk velocities of less than 14 km/s, the spectral shapes of these signatures are indicative of high flow speeds. It is suggested that H(+) and H(2+) ions of solar wind origin were accelerated through an electrostatic potential of about 2.4 kV prior to the ISEE-1 observations in the plasma sheet on a closed magnetospheric field line, and that a second plasma sheet population existed at this ISEE-1 position in the geomagnetic field.
Neonatal intracranial hemorrhage and complicating hydrocephalus

Real-time ultrasound studies of the head were performed on 96 infants weighing 1500 g or less. This population represented all such infants admitted within the first 72 hours of life to a neonatal intensive care unit over a 9-month period. Intracranial subependymal/intraventricular hemorrhage occurred in 22 (23%) of the infants. Of these 13 (59%) developed ventricular enlargement. Four other infants, in whom hemorrhage was not identified, also developed ventricular enlargement. When it occurred, the ventricular enlargement developed within 2 weeks of the hemorrhage in 77% of cases. It reached its maximum size within 2 weeks in 65% of cases. In 9 of 16 cases the maximal ventricular enlargement was categorized as mild. Spontaneous arrest or resolution of the ventriculomegaly occurred in all but two cases, who required shunting. Clot resolution was slow. It was complete at 3 weeks in only 5 of 18 cases.
p-Hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, the Major Product of l-Tyrosine Oxidation by the Myeloperoxidase-H2O2-Chloride System of Phagocytes, Covalently Modifies ε-Amino Groups of Protein Lysine Residues

Abstract Activated human phagocytes employ the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-Cl−system to convert l-tyrosine top-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (pHA). We have explored the possibility that pHA covalently reacts with proteins to form Schiff base adducts, which may play a role in modifying targets at sites of inflammation. Because Schiff bases are labile to acid hydrolysis, prior to analysis the adducts were rendered stable by reduction with NaCNBH3. Purified pHA reacted withN α-acetyllysine, an analog of protein lysine residues. The reduced reaction product was identified asN α-acetyl-N e-(2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl)lysine by 1H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The compoundN e-(2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl)lysine (pHA-lysine) was likewise identified in acid hydrolysates of bovine serum albumin (BSA) that were first exposed to myeloperoxidase, H2O2, l-tyrosine, and Cl− and then reduced with NaCNBH3. Other halides (F−, Br−, I−) and the pseudohalide SCN− could not replace Cl− as a substrate in the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-l-tyrosine system. In the absence of the enzymatic system, pHA-lysine was detected in reduced reaction mixtures of BSA, l-tyrosine, and reagent HOCl. In contrast, pHA-lysine was undetectable when BSA was incubated with l-tyrosine and HOBr, peroxynitrite, hydroxyl radical, or a variety of other peroxidases, indicating that the aldehyde-protein adduct was selectively produced by HOCl. Human neutrophils activated in the presence of tyrosine also modified BSA lysine residues. pHA-lysine formation required l-tyrosine and cell activation; it was inhibited by peroxidase inhibitors and catalase, implicating myeloperoxidase and H2O2in the reaction pathway. pHA-lysine was detected in inflamed human tissues that were reduced, hydrolyzed, and then analyzed by mass spectrometry, indicating that the reaction of pHA with proteins may be of physiological importance. These observations raise the possibility that the identification of pHA-lysine in tissues will pinpoint targets where phagocytes inflict oxidative damage in vivo.
Kinetically Controlled, High-Yield Synthesis of Au25 Clusters

A facile, low-temperature method has been developed for synthesizing Au25 clusters in high yield. It was discovered that by controlling the formation kinetics of the Au(I) intermediate species, exclusive formation of one-sized clusters (Au25) can be achieved, which represents an important advance in the synthesis of monodisperse gold clusters.
Adaptive Wood Composite: Experiment

Adaptive wood composites consisting of wood and piezoelectric materials are investigated experimentally. Two physical samples of adaptive composites are constructed and tested to determine the levels of adaptive actuation. To actuate the composites, electric fields are applied to the piezoelectric layer, inducing strain in the composites. These experimental results are compared with those predicted by a mathematical model, the agreement between the theory and experiment is determined, and the limits in their construction are assessed.