cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rolls Royce/Allison 501-K Gas Turbine Antifouling Compressor Coatings Evaluation

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Gas Turbine Emerging Technologies Code 9334 was tasked by NSWCCD Shipboard Energy Office Code 859 to research and evaluate fouling resistant compressor coatings for Rolls Royce Allison 501-K Series gas turbines. The objective of these test was to investigate the feasibility of reducing the rate of compressor fouling degradation and associated rate of specific fuel consumption (SFC) increase through the application of anti-fouling coatings. Code 9334 conducted a market investigation and selected coatings that best fit the test objective. The coatings selected were Sermalon for compressor stages 1 and 2 and Sermaflow S4000 for the inlet guide vanes and remaining 12 compressor stages. Both coatings are manufactured by Sermatech International, are intended to substantially decrease blade surface roughness, have inert top layers, and contain an anti-corrosive aluminum-ceramic base coat. Sermalon contains a Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) topcoat, a substance similar to Teflon, for added fouling resistance. Tests were conducted at the Philadelphia Land Based Engineering Site (LBES), Testing was first performed on the existing LBES 501-K17 gas turbine, which had an uncoated compressor. The compressor was then replaced by a coated compressor and the test was repealed. The test plan consisted of injecting a known amount of salt solution into the gas turbine inlet while gathering compressor performance degradation and fuel economy data for 0, 500, 1000, and 1250 KW generator load levels. This method facilitated a direct comparison of compressor degradation trends for the coated and uncoated compressors operating with the same turbine section, thereby reducing the number of variables involved. The collected data for turbine inlet, temperature, compressor efficiency, and fuel consumption were plotted as a percentage of the baseline conditions for each compressor. The results of each plot show a decrease in the rates of compressor degradation and SFC increase for the coated compressor compared to the uncoated compressor. Overall test results show that it is feasible to utilize antifouling compressor coatings to reduce the rate of specific fuel consumption increase associated with compressor performance degradation.
US and European stock market crashes: Any evidence of interdependence?

This paper examines the response of Stock Prices (SPs) in Germany, Italy, and the UK to shocks to US Stock Prices (USSPs) using Vector Error Correction Models (VECMs) and cross-country stock return correlations. Our results yield clear implications. Positive shocks to USSPs lead to significant, positive, responses in European SPs. Shocks to US stock prices also explain over 43% of the forecast error variance in European SPs. Shocks to domestic variables never cause significant responses in European SPs. These results indicate strong interdependence between the US stock market and stock markets in the UK, Germany and Italy.
Freshwater ascomycetes: new and noteworthy species from aquatic habitats in Florida

As part of a distributional study of freshwater ascomycetes in Florida, a number of new taxa were encountered. The new taxa include six Sordariomycetes, Aniptodera megaloascocarpa sp. nov., Flammispora pulchra sp. nov., Hanliniomyces hyaloapicalis gen. et sp. nov., Lockerbia striata sp. nov., Phomatospora triseptata sp. nov. and Physalospora limnetica sp. nov., and three Dothideomycetes, Caryospora obclavata sp. nov., Lepidopterella tangerina sp. nov. and Ophiobolus shoemakeri sp. nov. These taxa are described and illustrated. Six additional species are reported from Florida for the first time; among them, two species are new reports from freshwater habitats.
Collaborative data reduction for energy efficient sensor networks

When we consider the limited power of wireless sensors, it is necessary to reduce the dimension of data conveyed between sensors, because high dimensional data transmission requires much power consumption of sensors. For data reduction in a network, in-network data aggregation methods and collaborative compression methods were reported. However, the in-network data aggregation methods typically lead to time delay while performing data aggregation and compression, whereas the current collaborative methods primarily consider data redundancy between two sensors, not among multiple sensors. This paper proposes a new collaborative data reduction method to remove the redundancy existing in the data coming from mutiple sensors as well as from a single sensor. Our method uses a tree-based data propagation model to characterize the collaboration structure among multiple sensors. Our method also separates the data aggregation process from the collaboration process in order to relieve the time-delay problem during aggregation processes. Thus, the time-delay is occured only during the periodic collaboration phase but not during the real-time data transmission. Our experimental results show that our method can reduce data transmission more effectively than the in-network aggregation without losing important information and without causing delay in aggregation.
Left atrial volume: comparison of 2D and 3D transthoracic echocardiography with ECG-gated CT angiography.

Rationale and Objectives Left atrial volume (LAV) measurement by conventional two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) may be limited by the geometric model, by suboptimal definition of left atrial endocardium, or by chamber foreshortening. Three-dimensional (3D) TTE is posited to eliminate chamber foreshortening, and LAV measurement by 3D TTE should be more reflective of true LAV. The aim of this study was to compare conventional 2D TTE and newer 3D TTE for measurements of LAV to multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) measurements using automated chamber reconstruction (ACR). Materials and Methods Twenty-two subjects consented to undergo 2D TTE and 3D TTE immediately prior to or following coronary computed tomographic angiography. LAV was calculated from 2D TTE using the area-length method (ALM) and from 3D TTE with the ALM as well as with a 3D model. Electrocardiographically gated coronary computed tomographic angiography was performed in helical mode. LAV was measured using the ALM as well as ACR. Results LAV was significantly smaller by 2D TTE (80 ± 21 mL) and 3D-TTE (90 ± 24 mL with the ALM, 61 ± 16 mL with the 3D model) compared to MDCT ACR (120 ± 30 mL) (P Conclusions LAV is underestimated by both 2D TTE and 3D TTE relative to coronary computed tomographic angiography. Excellent agreement between the ALM and ACR with MDCT imaging suggests that the geometric model plays a negligible role in the underestimation of LAV. Underestimation of LAV by echocardiography is likely related to suboptimal definition of left atrial contour.
Slotted Aloha in a cognitive radio environment with capture effects

Slotted Aloha is an effective random access protocol and can also be an important element of more advanced media access protocols. This paper investigates slotted Aloha in a cognitive radio environment where one access point provides services for both primary users and secondary users. Considering packet capture effects in a rayleigh fading channel, we present the mathematic derivations of system throughput and average delay for primary users and secondary users. In order to minimize the interference from secondary users to primary users, higher transmission power levels are assumed for primary users.
Continuous Noninvasive Measurement of Pulsus Paradoxus Complements Medical Decision Making in Assessment of Acute Asthma Severity

Background Pulsus paradoxus (PP) is a pathophysiologic parameter that is indicative of asthma severity. The ability of PP to categorize acutely asthmatic patients in accordance with the earlier National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) expert panel report 1 guidelines was determined. Methods An arterial tonometric BP monitor, which was interfaced to an analog-digital converter, executed a periodic amplitude analysis algorithm, which computed PP in real time. The PP measurement was compared to the criterion standard of emergency physicians in determining the hospital admission vs hospital discharge disposition following the NAEPP standardized treatment. Receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) were calculated, and the PP threshold, which maximized sensitivity and specificity, was identified. In a separate laboratory investigation, PP was induced in a healthy volunteer by inspiration through a fixed resistance. Plethysmographic waveform changes, induced by PP, were measured by a second analog-to-digital converter that was connected to a pulse oximeter. Results A total of 79 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 63 met a priori inclusion criteria and had uninterrupted data acquisition. The mean PP for patients who were appropriately discharged from the hospital was 9.1 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.3 to 10.9 mm Hg) and differed from the PP of 17.6 mm Hg (95% CI, 13.5 to 21.8; p 11.3 mm Hg. Changes in the photoplethysmography peak height were correlated to PP from the BP monitor by a regression line with a slope of 0.01V/mm Hg. Conclusions Continuous PP can aid in determining disposition among emergency department (ED) patients with acute asthma. ED physicians equipped with a PP monitor would be able to objectify the work of breathing and would more closely adhere to NAEPP guidelines. The possibility that a PP detection algorithm could reside in a pulse oximeter warrants further investigation.
Low emittance electron beams for the RHIC electron cooler

An electron cooler, based on an energy recovery linac (ERL) is under development for the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This will be the first electron cooler operating at high energy with bunched beams. In order to achieve sufficient cooling of the ion beams the electron have to have a charge of 5 nC and a normalized emittance less than 4 mu. This paper presents the progress in optimizing the injector and the emittance improvements from shaping the charge distribution in the bunch.
Personal Growth After Severe Fetal Diagnosis

The traumatic aspects of positive diagnosis of a severe fetal anomaly have garnered the most attention, but the personal growth in the aftermath of this event remains relatively unexplored. We used the five dimensions of growth and change from Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) to analyze data generated from ethnographic interviews conducted with 15 women and 10 of their male partners in the aftermath of a severe fetal diagnosis. Eighteen (12 women and 6 men) of these 25 participants experienced positive change across these dimensions. Relating to others was the dimension that showed the most consistent early and prolonged change. Six of the 10 couples had congruent profiles of change. Negative change was evident in 2 women and 2 men. Recognizing the potential for growth allows nurses opportunities to promote it in the aftermath of severe fetal diagnosis.
Risky laughter: Teasing and self-directed joking among male and female friends

Personal humorousremarksmaybe avoidedincertain conversationsoutoffear ofintroducingand reinforcing undesirable assumptions. Teases directed at others and self-targeted humor are perhaps the most vulnerable in this regard. Unless participants know each other well, a tease intended as kidding could be heard as an insult, and a self-directed remark could be read as a confession. When humor is not expected, speakers may have to rely more heavily on presentational cues, such as prior humorous context or exaggeration to mark humorous intent, or pretense. We examined variation in conversational humor in 59 transcripts of naturally occurring conversations ofmixed-andsame-sexgroupsoffriends.Welookedspecificallyatwhetherspeakerswere less likely to show high-cost forms of humor, such as self-targeting and teasing, in contexts where a listener’s recognition of pretensewould be relatively low—i.e., teasing of men bywomen and women by men in mixed-sex interactions. In mixed- compared to same-sex groups, European American men teased less and made self-directed wisecracks more, and European American women teased more but told fewer humorous stories about themselves. Exaggeration as a mode offlagging humor occurred in self-directed wisecracks of both men and women, and in teasing by women in mixed groups and by men in all-male groups. Risky humor in mixed groups was also more likely to occur as a continuation of an earlier humorous key. We explain our results in terms of gender role expectations involving aggression, power, and self-disclosure as they relate to the interpretation of humor in conversation. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Using Verbosity: Common Sense Data from Games with a Purpose

Verbosity, a ``game with a purpose'', uses the collective activity of people playing an Internet word game as a body of common sense knowledge. One purpose of Verbosity has always been to provide large quantities of input for a common sense knowledge base, and we have now achieved this purpose by connecting it to the Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS) project. Verbosity now serves as a way to contribute to OMCS in addition to being an entertaining game in its own right. Here, we explain the process of filtering and adapting Verbosity's data for use in OMCS, showing that the results are of a quality comparable to OMCS's existing data, and discuss how this informs the future development of games for common sense.
Model for Basin Effects on Long-Period Response Spectra in Southern California

We propose a model for the effect of sedimentary basin depth on longperiod response spectra. The model is based on the analysis of 3-D numerical simulations (finite element and finite difference) of long-period 2‐10 s ground motions for a suite of sixty scenario earthquakes (Mw 6.3 to Mw 7.1) within the Los Angeles basin region. We find depth to the 1.5 km/s S-wave velocity isosurface to be a suitable predictor variable, and also present alternative versions of the model based on depths to the 1.0 and 2.5 km/s isosurfaces. The resulting mean basin-depth effect is period dependent, and both smoother (as a function of period and depth) and higher in amplitude than predictions from local 1-D models. The main requirement for the use of the results in construction of attenuation relationships is determining the extent to which the basin effect, as defined and quantified in this study, is already accounted for implicitly in existing attenuation relationships, through (1) departures of the average “rock” site from our idealized reference model, and (2) correlation of basin depth with other predictor variables (such as Vs30). DOI: 10.1193/1.2857545
Bulk flow pulsations and film cooling : Flow structure just downstream of the holes

Experimental results are presented that describe the effects of bulk flow pulsations on film cooling from a single row of simple angle film cooling holes. The pulsations are in the form of sinusoidal variations of static pressure and streamwise velocity. Such pulsations are important in turbine studies because: (i) Static pressure pulsations result in significant periodic variations of film cooling flow rates, coverage, and trajectories, and (ii) static pressure pulsations occur near blade surfaces in operating engines from potential flow interactions between moving blade rows and from families ofpassing shock waves. Distributions of ensemble-averaged and time-averaged Reynolds stress tensor components are investigated just downstream of the holes along with distributions of all three mean velocity components. Important changes are evident in all measured quantities. In particular, maximum Reynolds shear stresses -2u'v'/u∞ 2 are lower in regions containing the largest film concentrations because the strong shear layer produced by the injectant is more three dimensional, larger in extent, and oscillates its position from the wall with time.
Renal, hormonal, and fluid shift responses to ANP during head-out water immersion in awake dogs

Renal responses to low doses of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) may be potentiated during water immersion-induced central hypervolemia. To test this hypothesis, ANP was infused in awake dogs in doses of 0, 5, and 25 ng.kg-1.min-1 either when the dogs were in air or during head-out water immersion (WI) under thermoneutral conditions (37 degrees C). In general, there were greater diuretic (V) and natriuretic responses (UNaV) at the same level of plasma ANP in WI, with the slopes (or sensitivities) of V and UNaV in relation to plasma ANP levels being significantly increased during WI. Plasma renin activity decreased only during WI and was significantly correlated with both V and UNaV only during WI. Plasma and urinary arginine vasopressin levels were unchanged during WI. Infusion of ANP prevented the usual decline of hematocrit that occurs during WI. These results support the view that the renal sensitivity to ANP is augmented during the plasma volume expansion of WI. In addition, ANP may attenuate the transcapillary fluid shift that occurs during WI.
Symposium: Entrepreneurship in a Global Economy: Entrepreneurism in a Flat, Green, Cash-Strapped World: Foreword

On October 17, 2008, the Western New England College School of Law and School of Business jointly hosted the third annual Conference on Entrepreneurship and Community Economic Development (Conference). The Conference was sponsored by the Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship (Law and Business Center or Center) as one of its many educational outreach efforts and service projects. This issue of the Western New England Law Review provides a record of the Articles that were presented at the Conference. The Law and Business Center offers students an outstanding opportunity to apply, expand, and refine their knowledge and skills in entreprenuership and business development. Our goal is to educate legal and business professionals who are prepared both to assist entrepreneurs and to become entrepreneurs themselves. The two main objectives of the Law and Business Center are: (1) to provide legal and business technical assistance for entrepreneurs; and (2) to sponsor educational and informational events focused on entrepreneurship and economic development. The flagship program of the Center is the Small Business Clinic (Clinic), which has been in operation for more than five years. During that time, the Clinic has served over one hundred businesses on projects dealing with both business and legal matters.
Streamlining the evaluation of potential marine debris targets for disaster response

Hurricanes generate massive amounts of marine debris in coastal waterways, causing environmental problems and hazards to safe navigation. Before debris can be removed, they must be located and identified, a tedious and time-consuming process. Automatic target recognition algorithms speed up this process by searching vast swaths of survey data to locate anomalies that could be debris. However, these targets must still be manually evaluated by analysts. We present a tool that increases analysts' efficiency by automating most of the interaction steps involved in marine debris evaluation. It automatically generates and displays multiple optimal views, which can remove the need for analysts to manually reposition their viewpoint. We also applied these optimal views to a web-based crowdsourcing application, which tested whether the general public could assist in marine debris evaluation. Our results showed that, even though the participants were untrained, their collective decisions were generally in agreement and reliable enough to greatly reduce the number of marine debris targets that must be evaluated by the limited pool of trained analysts. This has the potential to increase analytical capacity in time-critical disaster response situations.
Moderate Idealization and Information Acquisition Responsibilities

I argue that advocates of moderate epistemic idealization need some standards against which they can determine whether a particular individual P has a responsibility to acquire some specific piece of information α. Such a specification is necessary for the purpose of determining whether a reason R, the recognition of which depends on accounting for α, can legitimately be ascribed to P. To this end, I propose an initial sketch of a criterion that may be helpful in illuminating the conditions in which P might be said to have a responsibility to take α into account when searching for reasons to act or believe. I worry that reason ascriptions that are based on information acquisition expectations which are not captured by this criterion (and, hence, not legitimate reason ascriptions) may be open to charges of authoritarianism, especially when such a reason ascription prompts one person to demand that another act in a way that is responsive to the ascribed reason(s).
Obvious Confusion Over Properties Discovered After a Patent Application

The Federal Circuit recently has issued inconsistent rulings in three pharmaceutical cases on whether unexpected properties of a compound becoming known after the patent application can support a conclusion of non-obviousness. The Supreme Court has the opportunity to provide additional guidance on the crucial issue of obviousness of pharmaceutical compounds and to require consistency with the timing requirement for determining obviousness in 35 U.S.C. §103 and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 420 (2007) This article contributes to the obviousness literature by challenging the incorrect dogma that unexpected properties – even if they were not known until after the patent application - show that an invention is non-obvious. First, the article shows the view that the particular results of a claimed invention must have been predicted is inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s 2007 KSR decision that an invention can be obvious if the pathway to that result was obvious to try, even if the particular result was not predicted. Second, the article shows that unexpected properties becoming known after the patent application are not secondary considerations permitted to be considered by the Supreme Court’s 1966 decision in Graham v. Deere. Third, this article shows that the Federal Circuit’s periodic reference to rebuttal of a prima facie case of obviousness in ex parte patent applications is an outmoded doctrine originating before the Patent Act of 1952 that has no relevance in determining substantive obviousness today in patent infringement litigation. The article concludes that the Supreme Court should confirm the position of Judge Dyk that in determining obviousness courts may not consider knowledge of properties arising after the patent application.
The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of fluorocarbons: Part I. Halogenated ethanes☆

Abstract The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the following substituted ethanes have been observed: CH 3 CH 2 Br, CH 3 CH 2 Cl, CH 3 CH 2 F, CHF 2 CH 3 , CF 3 CH 3 , CF 2 ClCH 3 , CF 2 BrCH 3 , CF 3 CF 2 H, CF 3 CH 2 F, CF 3 CH 2 Cl, CF 3 CH 2 Br, and CHF 2 CHF 2 . In nearly every case it has been possible to present a satisfactory interpretation of the observed spectra in terms of a remarkably simple application of theory involving chemical shifts characteristic of each of the groups in each molecule and intramolecular spin-spin coupling constants involving H 1 and F 19 nuclei.
Perioperative anesthetic management of the pediatric trauma patient

The beginning focus of this article is on planning, initial stabilization, and transport. This is followed by the immediate management of the trauma patient in the emergency department, focusing on the management of the airway and supportive care for circulation. The anesthetic management of the head-injured patient and the control of intracranial pressure via hyperventilation to reduce C02 is examined. Head trauma patients often have other injuries that may account for both their ventilatory as well as circulatory problems.
Translation and Validation of the Arabic Version of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire in Patients With Low Back Pain.

Study design Prospective cohort study of a cross-cultural low back pain (LBP) questionnaire OBJECTIVE.: The objectives of the present study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) to create a version in Arabic and to test its psychometric properties. Summary of background data The FABQ measures the effects that fear and avoidance beliefs have on work and on physical activity. Methods An FABQ cross-culturally adapted for Arabic readers and speakers was created by forward translation, translation synthesis, and backward translation. Forty patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with LBP evaluated use of the questionnaire, and 70 patients from the same hospital participated in reliability, validity, and sensitivity studies. To determine test-retest reliability of the Arabic FABQ, patients completed it twice within 48 hours without receiving any active treatment between these two sessions. Patients completed the Arabic FABQ (and three other scales) at baseline and 14 days later to determine its validity and sensitivity. Results Test-retest reliability was good (FABQ-work: intraclass coefficient [ICC] = 0.74; FABQ-physical activity: ICC = 0.90; FABQ overall: ICC = 0.76). Correlations between the FABQ and three other instruments for measuring pain and disability were weak. The strongest correlation was found at the follow-up session with the Arabic Oswestry Questionnaire (r = 0.283; P ≤ 0.05). Sensitivity to change was low. Conclusion The translation and adaptation of the Arabic version of the FABQ was successful. Overall, the Arabic FABQ had good test-retest reliability, acceptable construct validity, and low sensitivity to change. The Arabic version of the FABQ shows promise in the assessment of fear-avoidance beliefs among patients with LBP who speak and read Arabic. Level of evidence 3.
Fatal Isolation: The Devastating Paris Heat Wave of 2003, by Richard C. Keller

Reviewed by CONNIE L. THOMASI started running track and field as an elementary student during hot summer afternoons in San Antonio, Texas. From as early as five years old, I can remember finding my...
CD36 deficiency impairs the small intestinal barrier and induces subclinical inflammation in mice.

Background & Aims CD36 has immunometabolic actions and is abundant in the small intestine on epithelial, endothelial, and immune cells. We examined the role of CD36 in gut homeostasis by using mice null for CD36 (CD36KO) and with CD36 deletion specific to enterocytes (Ent-CD36KO) or endothelial cells (EC-CD36KO). Methods Intestinal morphology was evaluated by using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Intestinal inflammation was determined from neutrophil infiltration and expression of cytokines, toll-like receptors, and cyclooxygenase-2. Barrier integrity was assessed from circulating lipopolysaccharide and dextran administered intragastrically. Epithelial permeability to luminal dextran was visualized by using two-photon microscopy. Results The small intestines of CD36KO mice fed a chow diet showed several abnormalities including extracellular matrix accumulation with increased expression of extracellular matrix proteins, evidence of neutrophil infiltration, inflammation, and compromised barrier function. Electron microscopy showed shortened desmosomes with decreased desmocollin 2 expression. Systemically, leukocytosis and neutrophilia were present together with 80% reduction of anti-inflammatory Ly6Clow monocytes. Bone marrow transplants supported the primary contribution of non-hematopoietic cells to the inflammatory phenotype. Specific deletion of endothelial but not of enterocyte CD36 reproduced many of the gut phenotypes of germline CD36KO mice including fibronectin deposition, increased interleukin 6, neutrophil infiltration, desmosome shortening, and impaired epithelial barrier function. Conclusions CD36 loss results in chronic neutrophil infiltration of the gut, impairs barrier integrity, and systemically causes subclinical inflammation. Endothelial cell CD36 deletion reproduces the major intestinal phenotypes. The findings suggest an important role of the endothelium in etiology of gut inflammation and loss of epithelial barrier integrity.
Probabilistic Prognosis of Non-Planar Fatigue Crack Growth

Quantifying the uncertainty in model parameters for the purpose of damage prognosis can be accomplished utilizing Bayesian inference and damage diagnosis data from sources such as non-destructive evaluation or structural health monitoring. The number of samples required to solve the Bayesian inverse problem through common sampling techniques (e.g., Markov chain Monte Carlo) renders high-fidelity finite element-based damage growth models unusable due to prohibitive computation times. However, these types of models are often the only option when attempting to model complex damage growth in real-world structures. Here, a recently developed high-fidelity crack growth model is used which, when compared to finite element-based modeling, has demonstrated reductions in computation times of three orders of magnitude through the use of surrogate models and machine learning. The model is flexible in that only the expensive computation of the crack driving forces is replaced by the surrogate models, leaving the remaining parameters accessible for uncertainty quantification. A probabilistic prognosis framework incorporating this model is developed and demonstrated for non-planar crack growth in a modified, edge-notched, aluminum tensile specimen. Predictions of remaining useful life are made over time for five updates of the damage diagnosis data, and prognostic metrics are utilized to evaluate the performance of the prognostic framework. Challenges specific to the probabilistic prognosis of non-planar fatigue crack growth are highlighted and discussed in the context of the experimental results.
Experimental Demonstration of an Optical Interconnection Network with Asynchronous Transmission

Asynchronous routing of optical packets experimentally demonstrated on a 4×4 3-stage interconnection network testbed, offering increased flexibility and efficiency. 6×10 Gb/s wavelength-striped packets with optically encoded addresses routed correctly. Error-free transmission is verified.
MicroRNA Profiling In Activated B-Cell and Germinal Center B-Cell Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Using Formalin Fixed, Paraffin Embedded Patient Biopsies

Abstract Abstract 3111 Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Leukemia Lymphoma Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP) collaboration has done extensive work regarding this disease including gene expression profiling to show that the cell of origin impacts the prognosis of the patient. Those cases which arise from an activated B cell (ABC) have a worse prognosis than those cases which arise from a germinal center B cell (GCB). We have used a subset of cases from our institution which have had gene expression profiling performed on frozen material and assigned ABC (n=18) or GCB (n=24) status (Rosenwald et al NEJM 2002, 346:1937). We have used matched formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue block from these cases to obtain a microRNA profile utilizing the qNPA technology (High ThroughPut Genomics) as previously published (Roberts et al Lab Invest 2007, 87:979). This novel FFPE based RNAase protection assay measured 688 human microRNAs. Each microRNA was represented twice on the array and the values averaged for a signal value. The data were normalized to the total signal of the microarray. We were able to define a signature of increased microRNA for each DLBCL subtype as shown in Table 1. ABC subtype GCB subtype hsa-miR-155 hsa-miR-28-5p hsa-miR-196a hsa-miR-138 hsa-miR-501-3p hsa-miR-151-3p hsa-miR-656 hsa-miR-151-5p hsa-miR-1247 hsa-miR-182 hsa-miR-210 hsa-miR-613 The hsa-miR-155 is of importance in lymphoma as it regulates the generation of immunoglobulin class-switch in plasma cells (Turner et al Immunity 2007, 27:847) and was previously identified as a characteristic of ABC cell lines (Lossos et al Blood 2009,113:3754). The hsa-miR-210 has been shown to modulate the MYC antagonist MNT which allows for MYC expression (Grandori et all Cell Cycle 2009, 8:2756). This microRNA profile provides an opportunity to further explore the role microRNA plays in lymphoma biology and in particular, in DLBCL subtype determination. The success of the technique in FFPE tissue holds promise for further microRNA studies on archival material. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
CASE OF DEBAKEY CLASS I AORTIC DISSECTION

A 48 years old man presented in clinic with chest discomfort for last a week. The patient locates the pain in the middle of the chest which was episodic, with intensity of 7/10, shearing in quality and radiating to back. There were no radiating or relieving factors. The patient is a known hypertensive case for 18 years. Prior to arrival for this consult, the patient reported a loss of consciousness 5 days before after which he reported to ER with blood pressure of 155/90 mmHg and BSL of 88mg/dl. The patient was infused dextrose and was advised to maintain blood pressure. Also, the patient have not been compliant with anti-hypertensive medications. On detail history and physical exam, it was also known that patient was a smoker for past 30 years with an abnormal apex beat was noted as well. Patient also felt discomfort on deep abdominal palpation. Workups were carried, including the regular blood workup, complete metabolic profile, serum electrolyte levels with liver and renal function tests. ECG and cardiac enzymes were carries which were normal and echocardiogram was planned for the morning, when the patient had severe pain spell and was sent for the CAT scan to rule out the possibility of a mediastinal mass. On CAT scan, an aortic dissection was found. It was Debakey I/Stanford A type dissection. Aortic dissection can be due to tear in the intima that extends forming a separate channel of blood following through it. If the disease is not addressed properly can be fatal. CAT scans can help make the diagnosis but MRI is considered the gold standard of investigation. Now aortograms, transesophageal echocardiograms are obsolete and are less popular. Ideally, the patient is kept on the drugs that can reduce the mean arterial pressure in the aorta. The best group for it is beta blockers. But if they are contraindicated due to any other comorbidity then calcium channel blockers are prescribed. This can reduce to extension of the dissection with decreasing the symptoms. Best treatment is to have a vascular intervention, either an open surgery graft or a more sophisticated endovascular aortic repair. At the dissection size of 4.5 cm, it is recommended to undergo the surgery. High blood pressure, smoking and connective tissues disorders are the contributory factors of this condition.
The value of explicitly emulating a target trial when using real world evidence: an application to colorectal cancer screening

Observational analyses for causal inference often rely on real world data collected for purposes other than research. A frequent goal of these observational analyses is to use the data to emulate a hypothetical randomized experiment, i.e., the target trial, that mimics the design features of a true experiment, including a clear definition of time zero with synchronization of treatment assignment and determination of eligibility. We review a recent observational analysis that explicitly emulated a target trial of screening colonoscopy using insurance claims from U.S. Medicare. We then compare this explicit emulation with alternative, simpler observational analyses that do not synchronize treatment assignment and eligibility determination at time zero and/or do not allow for repeated eligibility. This empirical comparison suggests that lack of an explicit emulation of the target trial leads to biased estimates, and shows that allowing for repeated eligibility increases the statistical efficiency of the estimates.
EUS Morphology Is Reliable in Selecting Patients with Mucinous Pancreatic Cyst(s) Most Likely to Benefit from Surgical Resection.

Background and Study Aims. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) surveillance of patients with mucinous pancreatic cysts relies on the assessment of morphologic features suggestive of malignant transformation. These criteria were derived from the evaluation of surgical pathology in patients with pancreatic cysts who underwent surgery. Reliability of these criteria when evaluated by EUS in identifying lesions which require surgery has still not been established. Patients and Methods. This retrospective cohort study included seventy-eight patients who underwent surgical resection of pancreatic cysts based on EUS-FNA (fine-needle aspiration) findings suggestive of mucinous pancreatic cysts with concern for malignancy. Results. Final surgical pathology diagnoses of patients were the following: adenocarcinoma (19), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) (39), mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) (13), serous cystadenoma (2), pseudocyst (3), mucinous solid-cystic lesion of indeterminate type (1), and mesenteric cyst (1). Cysts with focal wall thickening ≥ 3 mm (), dilation of pancreatic duct (PD) (), and cyst size ≥ 3 cm () had significantly higher risk of adenocarcinoma. None of the patients without any of these morphologic features had cancer. Conclusions. In patients with mucinous pancreatic cyst(s), focal wall thickening, cyst size ≥ 3 cm, and PD dilation as assessed by EUS can help identify advanced mucinous cysts which require surgery and should routinely be evaluated during EUS surveillance.
Reforming a Large Foundational Course: Successes and Challenges

Calls for educational reform in undergraduate STEM education have become more prominent in recent years, particularly in introductory/foundational courses. Such reform efforts were initiated 10 years ago in the general chemistry program at the University of Arizona. In this contribution, we describe the major successes and challenges encountered during the full implementation of a new chemical thinking curriculum across all sections of a large course serving thousands of science and engineering majors every year. Besides describing the goals and structure of the alternative curriculum, as well as its impact on student learning, our work seeks to provide insights into institutional conditions, resources, and constraints that foster or hinder the success of major educational reforms.
The Empirical Economist’s ToolkitFrom Models to Methods

While historians of economics have noted the transition toward empirical work in economics since the 1970s, less understood is the shift toward “quasi-experimental” methods in applied microeconomics. Angrist and Pischke (2010) trumpet the wide application of these methods as a “credibility revolution” in econometrics that has finally provided persuasive answers to a diverse set of questions. Particularly influential in the applied areas of labor, education, public, and health economics, the methods shape the knowledge produced by economists and the expertise they possess. First documenting their growth bibliometrically, this paper aims to illuminate the origins, content, and contexts of quasi-experimental research designs, which seek natural experiments to justify causal inference. To highlight lines of continuity and discontinuity in the transition, the quasi-experimental program is situated in the historical context of the Cowles econometric framework and a case study from the economics of education is used to contrast the practical implementation of the approaches. Finally, significant historical contexts of the paradigm shift are explored, including the marketability of quasi-experimental methods and the 1980s crisis in econometrics. JEL: B21, B23, B4, C1
Characteristics Associated with Confidential Consultation for Adolescents in Primary Care

Objective To examine how provider report of confidential consultation in the electronic health record is associated with adolescent characteristics, health risk factors, and provider training. Study design This prospective cohort study was conducted as part of a larger study implementing computerized clinical decision support in 2 urban primary care clinics. Adolescents used tablets to complete screening questions for specified risk factors in the waiting room. Adolescent-reported risk factors included sexual activity, substance use, and depressive symptoms. Providers were prompted on encounter forms to address identified risk factors and indicate whether confidential consultation was provided. Provider types included adolescent medicine board certified pediatrics and general pediatrics. Differences in proportions of adolescents reporting risk factors by provider type were assessed using χ2 tests. Associations between adolescent characteristics, risk factors, and provider-reported confidential consultation were examined using logistic regression analyses. Results The sample included 1233 English and Spanish-speaking adolescents 12-20 years of age (52% female; 60% black; 50% early adolescent). Patients seen by adolescent medicine board certified providers reported sexual activity, depressive symptoms, and substance use significantly more often than those seen by general pediatric providers. Among patients seen by board certified adolescent medicine providers, confidential consultation was provided to 90%. For those seen by general pediatric providers, confidential consultation was provided to 53%. Results of multiple logistic regression demonstrated that female sex, later adolescence, and clinic location were significantly associated with confidential consultation. Conclusions Provider training is needed to reinforce the importance of confidential consultation for all adolescents.
A class of II $$_1$$ 1 factors with a unique McDuff decomposition

We provide a fairly large class of II $$_1$$ factors N such that $$M=N\bar{\otimes }R$$ has a unique McDuff decomposition, up to isomorphism, where R denotes the hyperfinite II $$_1$$ factor. This class includes all II $$_1$$ factors $$N=L^{\infty }(X)\rtimes \Gamma $$ associated to free ergodic probability measure preserving (p.m.p.) actions $$\Gamma \curvearrowright (X,\mu )$$ such that either (a) $$\Gamma $$ is a free group, $$\mathbb F_n$$ , for some $$n\ge 2$$ , or (b) $$\Gamma $$ is a non-inner amenable group and the orbit equivalence relation of the action $$\Gamma \curvearrowright (X,\mu )$$ satisfies a property introduced in Jones and Schmidt (Am J Math 109(1):91–114, 1987). On the other hand, settling a problem posed by Jones and Schmidt in 1985, we give the first examples of countable ergodic p.m.p. equivalence relations which do not satisfy the property of Jones and Schmidt (1987). We also prove that if $${\mathcal {R}}$$ is a countable strongly ergodic p.m.p. equivalence relation and $${\mathcal {T}}$$ is a hyperfinite ergodic p.m.p. equivalence relation, then $${\mathcal {R}}\times {\mathcal {T}}$$ has a unique stable decomposition, up to isomorphism. Finally, we provide new characterisations of property Gamma for II $$_1$$ factors and of strong ergodicity for countable p.m.p. equivalence relations.
The Role of Metrics in Food Policy: Lessons from a Decade of Experience in New York City

In the last decade, New York City developed food policies designed to improve access to healthy food, reduce food insecurity, support community development, promote sustainable food systems, and improve conditions for food workers. Since 2012, the New York City Council has mandated the Mayor’s Office to prepare annual Food Metrics Reports to present data on selected food system indicators. This article uses these reports to assess how the metrics describe the city’s progress in implementing municipal food policies set in the last decade. Our analysis examines: (1) changes in the indicators that the city reports; (2) strengths and weaknesses of the Food Metrics Reports as a tool for monitoring policy enactment and impact; and (3) opportunities for improvements to the indica­tors and the development and implementation of future metrics. We found that the reports show improvements in 51% of the 37 indicators and sub-indicators, declines in 40% and no change or no assessment in the remaining indicators. While the food metrics process has provided valuable data on the implementation of selected city food policies, it has several limitations. By adding new indicators, tapping into additional data sources, and engaging additional constituencies in the process, New York City food metrics could play a more useful role in helping New York City to set goals and monitor progress towards the development of a more equitable, efficient, and sustainable munici­pal food system. The experience with food metrics in New York City suggests lessons for the use of food policy monitoring to improve food systems in other cities.
Temperature throws a developmental switch.

A tantalizing task in the postgenomic era is to decipher the basis of gene–environment interactions or, to phrase it more explicitly, How do environmental cues regulate decisions on organismal developmental fate? In PNAS, Romney et al. (1) shine some light on how a developmental decision can be influenced by external stimuli in an annual killifish. One very obvious environmental signal is temperature. A well-known example of a gene–environment interaction is temperature-dependent sex determination in turtles and crocodilians. In this case, the temperature of the eggs in a specific time window during development is the decisive factor in determining sex. Small changes in temperature can cause dramatic changes in sex ratio (2). Although the precise mechanism of temperature-dependent sex determination is not yet clear, it has been shown that the temperature-sensitive activity of aromatase, an enzyme that is responsible for a key step in the synthesis of the steroid hormone estradiol, is a critical factor (3). Another example of a binary, organism-wide switch relates to even earlier embryonic development. A number of animals can suspend development during periods of adverse environmental conditions. One example is the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans that normally proceeds through four larval stages before it becomes an adult animal. Under conditions of overcrowding, high temperature, or food deprivation, a C. elegans larva can enter a stage of developmental arrest called dauer. A similar state of developmental arrest can be found in annual killifishes like Nothobranchius furzeri and Austrofundulus limnaeus that live in Africa and South America, respectively, and have recently become models for research on aging and on developmental stress tolerance (4, 5). Both species inhabit seasonal freshwater ponds that desiccate annually during the dry season and refill during the wet season. The life cycle of annual killifishes is greatly adapted to the ephemeral nature of … [↵][1]1Email: christoph.englert{at}leibniz-fli.de. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Visible Light Communication Security Vulnerabilities in Multiuser Network: Power Distribution and Signal to Noise Ratio Analysis

In the near future, Visible Light Communication (VLC) is expected to be used in multiple environments which were due to radio frequency RF congestion and health limitations, RF should not be employed. VLC is a combination of optical wireless communications and illumination. Due to the misconception that VLC-based communications cannot be eavesdropped on by malicious attacker since light does not penetrate through solid objects like walls, VLC security and privacy are areas that have been hardly studied. In this work, we study various techniques for physical layer security performance of a VLC-based communication. Then we propose a new VLC framework to defend against eavesdropping attacks. Three-step process was followed to achieve this aim. First implementing more APs in multiuser VLC network, then reducing the semi-angle of LED and, finally using the protected zone around the AP where eavesdroppers are restricted. The performance is measured in terms of the received optical power and SNR. The results of the simulations indicate that VLC secrecy performance can be enhanced using the proposed model.