cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical evaluation of somatostatin use in pancreatic resections: Clinical efficacy or limited benefit?

Background The benefit of somatostatin for the prevention of pancreatic fistula has been debated widely in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of somatostatin in preventing pancreatic fistulas and improving postoperative outcomes after pancreatic resection. Hypothesis Somatostatin improves postoperative outcomes after pancreatectomy. Methods A review was performed of a prospectively collected 2002 patient hepatopancreaticobiliary database. Patients were included if they underwent pancreatectomy between October 1, 2000, and May 16, 2012. Patients received somatostatin prophylactically at the discretion of their surgeon. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis to determine if somatostatin had any effect on pancreatic fistula formation, fistula severity, duration of stay, and readmission rates. Results We identified 510 patients who underwent pancreatectomy. Overall, patients 30 (6%) developed postoperative pancreatic fistulas and 27 (5%) fistulas were of clinical significance (grade B or C). Somatostatin was administered prophylactically to 215 (42%) patients, 57 patients (11%) were readmitted; the median duration of stay was 9 days (range, 2–81). Pancreatic fistula developed in 7 patients (3%) who received somatostatin versus 23 (8%) who did not receive somatostatin (P = .031). Among patients receiving somatostatin, 6 fistulas (3%) were of clinical significance versus 21 fistulas (7%) for patients who did not receive somatostatin (P = .031). Readmission occurred in 27 patients (13%) who received somatostatin versus 30 patients (10%) who did not receive somatostatin (P = .398). The median duration of stay was 9 days (range, 2–48) for patients who received somatostatin versus 9 days (range, 2–81) for patients who did not receive somatostatin (P = .462). Conclusion Somatostatin use was associated with a significant decrease in both the rate of fistula formation and the number of clinically important fistulas in our pancreatectomy patients. Continued evaluation of somatostatin use in relation to both intraoperative predictors and costa are needed to better define the population that will gain clinical benefit and cost savings.
Supercontinuum stimulated emission depletion fluorescence lifetime imaging.

Supercontinuum (SC) stimulated emission depletion (STED) fluorescence lifetime imaging is demonstrated by using time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) detection. The spatial resolution of the developed STED instrument was measured by imaging monodispersed 40-nm fluorescent beads and then determining their fwhm, and was 36 ± 9 and 40 ± 10 nm in the X and Y coordinates, respectively. The same beads measured by confocal microscopy were 450 ± 50 and 430 ± 30 nm, which is larger than the diffraction limit of light due to underfilling the microscope objective. Underfilling the objective and time gating the signal were necessary to achieve the stated STED spatial resolution. The same fluorescence lifetime (2.0 ± 0.1 ns) was measured for the fluorescent beads by using confocal or STED lifetime imaging. The instrument has been applied to study Alexa Fluor 594-phalloidin labeled F-actin-rich projections with dimensions smaller than the diffraction limit of light in cultured cells. Fluorescence lifetimes of ...
A single deletion at position 134, 135, or 136 in the beta 7–beta 8 loop of the p51 subunit of HIV‐1 RT disrupts the formation of heterodimeric enzyme

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) is a heterodimeric enzyme composed of p66 and p51 subunits. Earlier, we showed that the β7–β8 loop of p51 is crucial for polymerase activity of HIV-1 RT as either deletion or Ala substitution of amino acids in the β7–β8 loop spanning residues 136-139 in the p51 subunit impaired dimerization and, in turn, polymerase function of the enzyme (Pandey et al. 2001 Biochemistry 40: 9505–9512). In the present study, we generated subunit-specific single-deletion mutants at positions 134, 135, 136, or 137 and examined their effects on the heterodimerization, binary complex formation, and polymerase functions of the enzyme. We found that among these four residues, Ser134, Ile135, and Asn136 in the β7–β8 loop of the p51 subunit are crucial residues for dimerization and polymerase function of the enzyme, but have no impact when specifically deleted from the p66 subunit. These results demonstrate the β7–β8 loop of the p51 subunit in the formation of stable, functional heterodimeric enzyme which could be an attractive target for anti-HIV-1 drug development. J. Cell. Biochem. 109: 598–605, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Center Holds Quite Well: An Ethnographic Study of Social Structure and Control in Jehovah's Witness Religious Organization

Abstract: Religion has long occupied a singularly prominent position among the various institutions of social control. Evidence suggests, however, that the American religious milieu has changed in recent decades. Several historically fringe religions have grown in terms of power and influence while traditionally dominant religious institutions have deteriorated. One of the fastest growing religious organizations is Jehovah’s Witness. Despite its increasingly powerful role in American society, we know very little about how Jehovah’s Witness operates as a system of social control. This paper presents the findings of an ethnographic study of the mechanisms with which Jehovah’s Witness’ construct and control deviance. The results demonstrate that Jehovah’s Witness operates according to the principles of functional systems theory. Witnesses are isolated from other social systems, which are deemed evil, and those who stray are shamed and labeled. Growth is maintained through careful evangelism processes that minimize threats to the organization and socialize core values to willing participants.
Transport changes associated with growth control and malignant transformation.

We can distinguish two classes of membrane transport changes in cultured cells: (a) growth-rate contingent changes are those which occur in coordination with the onset of density-dependent inhibition of growth; (b) transformation-specific changes are those which occur when cells become transformed, and which can be detected even when normal and transformed cells are growing at the same rate. Growth-rate contingent changes include the density-dependent changes in phosphate, nucleoside, glucose, amino acid, and potassium transport. Only one transformation-specific transport change has been found in Rous-transformed chicken embryo fibroblasts: an increased rate of hexose transport. The variations in potassium transport are associated with variations in the number of ouabain binding sites in the membrane. The molecular basis for changes in the rate of hexose transport is unknown, although gross changes in membrane bilayer composition and “fluidity” seem not to be involved. In analyzing the regulation of hexose transport activity, we find that decreased cAMP may play a role in the transformation-specific increase in hexose transport, but that fibrinolytic activity is not necessary.
Synthesis of polystyrene‐block‐polyoxyethylene for use as a stabilizer in the emulsion polymerization of styrene

Five well-defined polystyrene-block-polyoxyethylene copolymers were synthesized by anionic polymerization for use as stabilizers in the emulsion polymerization of styrene. The size of the blocks and their relative weight ratios to each other were the main variables. The molecular weights of the blocks varied from Mn = 1000–7000 for polystyrene, and Mw = 3000–9000 for polyoxyethylene. The results of the styrene emulsion polymerization with these block copolymers as stabilizers indicate that for efficient anchoring the block length need not be more than 10 monomer units, possibly even less, and that the polyoxyethylene block Mw = 3000 is just as capable of stabilizing the polystyrene particle as the higher molecular weight blocks. A very important factor was found to be the weight ratio of the two blocks: block copolymers with a polyoxyethylene content between 75 and 90 wt % were effective stabilizers for the emulsion polymerization of styrene © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Differential response of pig masseter to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes a and b.

Introduction: Pigs respond to direct administration of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), although they are resistant to botulism. The human masseter is frequently targeted for BoNT therapy. We aimed to understand how BoNT affects chewing by injecting porcine masseters. Methods: One masseter of minipigs was injected with BoNT serotype A or B at doses comparable to those used in humans. Masticatory function was evaluated electromyographically. Muscle force was measured during tetany. Four weeks after injection, strain gauges affixed to the mandible assessed bone strain during chewing. Masseter mass and fiber diameter were measured after euthanasia. Results: BoNT-A had no measurable effect. In contrast, BoNT-B reduced electrical activity and muscle force, producing substantial asymmetry between injected and uninjected muscles. Conclusions: The pig masseter is highly resistant to direct injection of BoNT-A, but it is affected by BoNT-B. Muscle Nerve 52: 88–93, 2015
Knowledge-Based Visualization to Support Spatial Data Mining

Data mining methods are designed for revealing significant relationships and regularities in data collections. Regarding spatially referenced data, analysis by means of data mining can be aptly complemented by visual exploration of the data presented on maps as well as by cartographic visualization of results of data mining procedures. We propose an integrated environment for exploratory analysis of spatial data that equips an analyst with a variety of data mining tools and provides the service of automated mapping of source data and data mining results. The environment is built on the basis of two existing systems, Kepler for data mining and Descartes for automated knowledge-based visualization. It is important that the open architecture of Kepler allows to incorporate new data mining tools, and the knowledge-based architecture of Descartes allows to automatically select appropriate presentation methods according to characteristics of data mining results. The paper presents example scenarios of data analysis and describes the architecture of the integrated system.
On the performance of the cross-entropy method

We study the recently introduced Cross-Entropy (CE) method for optimization, an iterative random sampling approach that is based on sampling and updating an underlying distribution function over the set of feasible solutions. In particular, we propose a systematic approach to investigate the convergence and asymptotic convergence rate for the CE method through a novel connection with the well-known stochastic approximation procedures. Extensions of the approach to stochastic optimization will also be discussed.
Are laparoscopic bariatric procedures safe in superobese (BMI ≥50 kg/m2) patients? An NSQIP data analysis.

Abstract Background The safety of laparoscopic bariatric procedures in superobese patients is still debatable. Methods Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program's participant-use file, the patients who had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity were identified. Several perioperative variables, including 30-day morbidity and mortality, were collected, and the data were compared within each procedure after dividing the patients according to the body mass index: 2 (morbidly obese group and ≥50 kg/m 2 (superobese group). Results A total of 29,323 patients who had undergone laparoscopic bariatric procedures from 2005 to 2008 were identified. Overall, compared with the morbidly obese group, the superobese group had more men (3:2), younger patients, a greater incidence of co-morbidities (e.g., hypertension and dyspnea), a significantly increased length of stay, and a greater rate of 30-day mortality (.26% versus .07%, odds ratio [OR] 4.38, P = .0001). In the gastric bypass group, the superobese group had a significantly greater incidence of postoperative complications, including superficial wound infections (2.45%, OR 1.68, P = .0001), reintubation (.61%, OR 1.97, P = .003), pulmonary embolism (.30%, OR 2.13, P = .032), myocardial infarction (.07%, P = .017), deep vein thrombosis (.49%, OR 2.06, P = .006), septic shock (.44%, OR 1.74, P = .04), and 30-day mortality (.28%, OR 2.26, P = .026). In the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding group, the superobese group had a significantly greater incidence of postoperative complications, including superficial (1.65%, OR 2.18, P = .0013) and deep (.23%, OR 2.56, P = .035) wound infections, sepsis, septic shock and 30-day mortality (.17%, OR 13.4, P = .0219). Conclusion Laparoscopic bariatric procedures in superobese patients have been associated with significantly increased complications, including 30-day mortality, compared with morbidly obese patients. However, overall, the procedures appear to be safe, with low complication and 30-day mortality rates.
A singularity in thermal boundary-layer flow on a horizontal surface

A thermal boundary layer, in which the temperature and velocity fields are coupled by buoyancy, flows along a horizontal, insulated wall. For sufficiently low local Froude number the solution terminates in a singularity with rising skin friction and falling pressure. The structure of the singularity is obtained and the results are compared with numerical solutions of the horizontal boundary-layer equations. A novel feature of the analysis is that the powers of the streamwise coordinate involved in the structure of the singularity do not appear to be simple rational numbers and are determined from the solution of a pair of ordinary differential equations which govern the flow in an inner viscous region close to the wall. Modifications of the theory are noted for cases where either the temperature or a non-zero heat transfer are specified at the wall.
Real Time Acquisition Of The Three Dimensional Coordinates Of The Face

Tracking of isophase lines in a structured light pattem projected on the human face was used to acquire the three dimensional coordinates of the face in real time (1/30th of a second). The resultant data was rendered in a three dimensional computer graphic representation and utilized to construct a physical model. Preliminary experimental results yielded an accuracy of 3.4% in quantitation of surface area.
SUSY-WKB is neither exact nor never worse than WKB for all solvable potentials

Abstract The supersymmetric WKB (SUSY-WKB) approximation has been shown to be exact for wide classes of solvable potentials. This has led to folklore that SUSY-WKB is (i) exact for all exactly solvable potentials, and (ii) is never worse than the ordinary WKB approximation for these potentials. We emphasize that both statements are false.
Discrimination of epidemic and sporadic isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii by repetitive element PCR-mediated DNA fingerprinting

In 1990, there was a significant increase in the number of lower respiratory tract infections and surgical wound infections in the adult intensive care units of our tertiary care teaching hospital caused by Acinetobacter baumannii compared with the number in 1989. During the 5-month period from April through August 1990, 84 isolates of A. baumannii were recovered from 50 hospitalized patients. Biotyping, comparison of antibiograms, plasmid analysis, and DNA polymorphisms of 20 isolates from 20 different patients, determined by the use of repetitive element PCR with primers aimed at repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences, were used to investigate this apparent outbreak. Biotyping, antibiograms, plasmid analysis, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR were not useful epidemiologically. Repetitive element PCR-mediated DNA fingerprinting using repetitive extragenic palindromic primers discriminated between epidemic and sporadic strains of A. baumannii and demonstrated four discrete clusters which were unique epidemiologically.
Mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants slows sea-level rise

Short-lived climate pollutants are known to contribute to global warming, but the impact of this increased temperature on sea-level rise due to thermal expansion is not known. Curbing emissions of these pollutants is shown to significantly reduce the rate of sea-level rise by 24–50% by 2100; however, delaying mitigation by 25 years reduces the impact on sea-level rise by about a third.
Information-theoretic tradeoffs of throughput and chip power consumption for decoding error-correcting codes

The purpose of this paper is to develop an information-theoretic understanding of the tradeoffs between decoder power, probability of error and decoding throughput. We start by considering the power consumed in the decoder circuit's interconnects, modeled as a lumped capacitor and resistor. After making simplifying assumptions about the decoder circuit, we use a sphere-packing technique to lower bound the decoding error probability for a given number of clock-cycles (or iterations). The analysis can be used to give lower bounds on probability of error versus total decoding power at a fixed decoding throughput.
Epipolar Curve Tracking in 3-D

Vehicle tracking in video sequences is typically carried out by matching 2-d views (images or features) of the vehicle from one frame to the next. These views are adapted by gradual changes in 2-d image transforms between frames. This approach can work well for sequences where the vehicle projection is not highly perspective and 3-d vehicle orientation with respect to the camera varies slowly. In this paper, vehicle tracking is studied under conditions that violate these assumptions. Tracking is carried out on high-definition videos sequences of vehicles that pass near the camera, causing severe perspective distortion. Perspective effects are accounted for by tracking edge curves on the vehicle and reconstructing them in 3-d, using structure from motion on adjacent frames. The result is segmentation of the vehicle from the background and recovery of its geometry and motion in 3-d.
Range Expansion of the Fire Ant Decapitating Fly, Pseudacteon tricuspis, Eight to Nine Years after Releases in North Florida

In the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2006, the fire ant decapitating fly Pseudacteon tricuspis (Diptera: Phoridae) was observed 145-275 km out from the original release sites in northern Florida, occupying an area of about 86,500 km2. Average expansion rates of 26-57 km/year were considerably faster than previous observations. Considering these rates and other releases, we estimate that almost all of the state of Florida will harbor resident populations of P. tricuspis in the next 3 to 5 years.
M(3)-S: a genotype calling method incorporating information from samples with known genotypes.

A key challenge in analyzing high throughput Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) arrays is the accurate inference of genotypes for SNPs with low minor allele frequencies. A number of calling algorithms have been developed to infer genotypes for common SNPs, but they are limited in their performance in calling rare SNPs. The existing algorithms can be broadly classified into three categories, including: population-based methods, SNP-based methods, and a hybrid of the two approaches. Despite the relatively better performance of the hybrid approach, it is still challenging to analyze rare SNPs. We propose to utilize information from samples with known genotypes to develop a two stage genotyping procedure, namely M3-S, for rare SNP calling. This new approach can improve genotyping accuracy through clearly defining the boundaries of genotype clusters from samples with known genotypes, and enlarge the call rate by combining the simulated data based on the inferred genotype clusters information with the study population. Applications to real data demonstrates that this new approach M3-S outperforms existing methods in calling rare SNPs.
"THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE: THE PRIORITY OF SCIENCE AND POLITICS"

In 1959, C.P. Snow claimed that contemporary society had become divided into two distinct cultures – the arts and sciences – and showed how this academic divide was connected to a real world economic split between the haves and have-nots. Today, the division is more often between science and politics, creating a rift between empirical fact and public policy. When facing global challenges such as resource depletion, dwindling biodiversity, escalating populations, and increased CO2 levels, should popular opinion be allowed to trump empirical data? Or should policy makers be forced to rule along scientific guidelines? And is there a danger of losing civil liberties to the dictates of scientifically-run government bodies? Throughout human history we have struggled with the distinction between “is” and “ought”: whether facts should (or even can) determine values. In communities of open inquiry, we must also consider the relation between education and social order: whether to require that citizens be educated in the sciences in order to vote on matters of public concern, or to allow the will of an uninformed populace to take precedence over matters of sheer fact. Genuinely democratic society requires an educated public, but raises questions of intellectual freedom: what should we teach? The global society of the 21st Century will face this issue in a variety of ways. If our differences matter less than our commonality – and even threaten it – nothing may matter more than that our public policies reflect our collective scientific understanding. So, a world-wide community must entail increased focus on education.
Reducing the risk of emergency bypass surgery for failed percutaneous coronary interventions.

In this issue of the Journal , Yang et al. ([1][1]) from the Mayo Clinic report the changing incidence and outcomes of emergency coronary artery bypass surgery for failed percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). The good news is that the rate of emergency bypass surgery declined dramatically,
THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF IC PASSIVATION LAYERS USING JOULE HEATING AND OPTICAL THERMOMETRY

The temperature rise in microdevices is in many cases strongly increased by the thermal resistance of dielectric passivation layers. This problem is especially important for integrated circuits (ICs) containing novel low-dielectric-constant passivation, such as polymers and porous oxides. We report progress on developing a technique for measuring the thermal properties of these passive layers, which uses harmonic Joule heating in a metal line and compares solutions to the heat equation with a photothermal signal. This approach makes measurements possible over a wide range of heating frequencies and allows the thermal conductivity to be determined without calibration or precise knowledge of the heat capacity of the layer. Data are reported for the thermal conductivity of thermally grown silicon dioxide and polymer thin films.
Deficits, Debt, and the New Politics of Tax Policy: The Stable Era – World War II to the 1960s

During World War II, revenues climbed to more than 20 percent of GDP, by far the highest level in history at the time, with income taxes accounting for more than 75 percent of these revenues. After the war, high revenue levels remained in place, averaging 17 percent of GDP through the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, and income taxes continued to provide most of these revenues. The individual income tax was especially stable over this period, as its basic exemption levels and marginal rates went largely unchanged. As a mass tax covering most of the population, the individual income tax was the largest component of the post–World War II federal tax system. This continuity in tax policy during the late 1940s and 1950s does not mean there were no important partisan differences over taxes. Democrats and Republicans clashed, as they had before and during World War II, over such issues as progressivity in tax burdens, corporate income taxation, and tax preferences. But these issues were typically subordinated to revenue considerations. Both the Truman and Eisenhower administrations resisted congressional efforts to cut taxes, insisting that adequate revenue levels be kept in place to fund the large Cold War defense budgets and the lesser, but still significant, domestic program responsibilities the federal government had assumed since the New Deal.
Cooperative MIMO-OFDM based multi-hop 3D clustered wireless camera sensor networks

As compared with 2D wireless camera sensor networks (WCSNs), 3D WCSNs can capture more accurate and comprehensive information for supervisory and military applications. However, 3D WCSNs impose many new challenges for energy-efficiency and interference-mitigation subject to the required coverage rate constraint due to their extensive power consumption for data transmissions and inter-sensor interference over time-varying wireless channels in the 3D WCSNs. To overcome the above-mentioned problems, in this paper we propose the multi-hop cooperative multi-input-multi-output and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) based energy-efficient and interference-mitigating scheme for the 3D clustered WCSNs with the minimum target-object coverage rate constraint. We propose to integrate the cooperative MIMO-OFDM with the new low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (NEW LEACH) algorithm to increase the spatial diversity of wireless channels, reducing the transmitted power with the constraints of bandwidth and energy in multi-hop WCSNs. In particular, applying the NEW LEACH architecture and using the Nakagami-m model, we develop the cooperative MIMO-OFDM based scheme to implement the energy-efficient and interference-mitigating wireless communications over our multi-hop 3D clustered WCSNs. Then, we model and analyze the performance of our proposed cooperative MIMO-OFDM scheme. Also conducted is a set of simulations which show that our proposed scheme outperform the other existing schemes in terms of energy efficiency and interference mitigation over multi-hop 3D WCSNs.
Study on surface roughness improvement of Fused Quartz after thermal and chemical post-processing

We present a study on the effects of thermal and chemical post-processing on the surface quality of Fused Quartz, a preferable material for vibratory gyroscopes. In this study, we included the effects of thermal reflow, potassium hydroxide (KOH) etching, Buffered Oxide Etching (BOE), 10∶1 hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride solution (HF/HCl) etching, and RCA-1 surface treatment. We concluded that thermal reflow of fused quartz at 1300°C for one hour achieves the best result, followed in effectiveness by the RCA-1 surface treatment, while KOH etching, BOE, and HF/HCl etching are shown to deteriorate the surface quality. The effects of thermal reflow were studied for 2-D and 3-D geometries. The improvement in surface roughness of microstructures was shown to directly correlate to improvements in the quality factor.
NMDA receptor encephalitis causing reversible caudate changes on MRI and PET imaging.

Since the original description of the classic phenotype of memory deficits, psychiatric symptoms, decreased consciousness, and hypoventilation was described in association with NMDAR antibodies, the phenotype of NMDAR encephalitis has expanded to include patients with a pure psychiatric presentation, insomnia, isolated dystonia, paroxysmal limb weakness, and eye movement abnormalities.1 Despite prominent dystonia and dyskinesias, reversible basal ganglia abnormalities on structural MRI and FDG-PET have not been reported to date, even in patients with isolated hemidystonia.2
A Natural Inhibitor of the Corn Earworm Moth Sex Attractane

( Z )-ll-hexadecenal was isolated and identified from virgin female Heliothis zea (Boddie) via classical chemical procedures. The chemical elicits strong sex stimulation reactions among caged laboratory males. However, the chemical does not catch males in sticky or electric grid traps in the field. In fact, minute quantities inhibit the male catch of 4 virgin females/trap in sticky traps located in the field.
An IPv6 over IPv4 Tunneling Technology Base on OpenVPN

There are a wide range of techniques have been identified and implemented,basically falling into three categories: Dual-stack techniques,Tunneling techniques,Translation techniques.There are also many tunneling techniques have been implemented,the author will explain how to implement IPv6 over IPv4 Tunneling techniques use OpenVPN.
Distributions of hemostatic variables in blacks and whites: population reference values from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study measured hemostatic variables in nearly 16,000 men and women, aged 45 to 64 years, from four US communities. This report, based on the first 12,681 participants, presents distributions of fibrinogen concentration, factor VII activity, factor VIII activity, von Willebrand factor antigen, protein C antigen, antithrombin III activity, and activated partial thromboplastin time. Many of the hemostatic variables differed between blacks and whites, and by sex and age. For example, compared to whites, blacks had higher mean values of fibrinogen, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor, and antithrombin III, and lower mean values of protein C. Some seasonal fluctuations in hemostatic variables were noted; most notably, mean values of factor VII were lowest and protein C were highest in subjects examined in the summer compared to those examined during the other seasons. These results provide population-based reference values on blacks and whites for those interested in the relation of hemostasis to disease.
Elevated intravesical pressure causes arterial hypoperfusion in canine colocystoplasty : a fluorometric assessment

AbstractSince 1988 there have been 15 reported cases of late, spontaneously ruptured intestinal cystoplasties at bowel sites remote from the anastomosis. Ischemic necrosis has been suggested as a possible etiology. We examined this hypothesis by quantifying the uptake of intravascular fluorescein in the augmented bowel of adult mongrel canines. There was a statistically significant decrease in fluorescein uptake at high intravesical pressures, which appeared to be most pronounced at the antimesenteric border. This laboratory study supports a recent clinical report of histological changes pathognomonic for chronic ischemia in the augmented bowel of patients with spontaneous rupture.
Beyond Human Factors: The Role of Human Centered Design in Developing a Safety-Critical System

This paper describes the utility of Human Centered Design research as an extension of the human factors approach to developing safety-critical technology for human use. A case study is provided that illustrates how this paradigm can be employed during innovation efforts of the Trajectory Recovery System (TRS). The research paradigm in this project is organized around four nodes: understanding; conceptual development; prototyping; evaluation and analysis. Founded in creative exploration of a user-centered solution to In-Flight Loss of Control (ILOC), a multi-disciplinary effort was organized around a mixed methods research design. Human Centered Design, with its emphasis on examination of activity in larger contexts, is the organizing principle which serves to balance the technical engineering of systems with the complex needs of humans.
In vitro characterization and pre-clinical pharmacokinetics of CP-870,893, a human anti-CD40 agonist antibody

2539 Background: CD40 is expressed on B-cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, other normal tissues and tumors. Previous studies showed that CD40 stimulation enhances antigen presentation, breaks toler...
Fused Photonic Integrated Circuits for Optical Switching

Major requirements for photonic switching elements are scalability, low loss and low crosstalk.
Photon Echo Polarization Measurements in SF 6 and SiF 4

The photon echo technique has become a valuable experimental tool for studying molecular processes. The polarization of the photon echo was first studied theoretically and experimentally by Abella et al. [1]. They studied the photon echo stimulated in ruby by exciting pulses from a ruby laser. Gordon et al. [2] studied the polarization of the photon echo stimulated in gaseous SF6 by the P(20) laser line of CO2. They used their experimental results and theoretical arguments to make inferences about the total angular momentum or the J-values of the levels which were involved in the absorption of the radiation. They did not observe a component of the echo polarization perpendicular to the polarization of the second pulse. Some of their conclusions were in error. Alimpiev and Karlov [3] studied the echo polarization with a linear-linear excitation sequence, and with excitation by P(16) were able to observe a small echo polarization component perpendicular to the second pulse polarization. Although their theoretical development was applicable only to states with small J-values, they concluded that P(16) radiation was absorbed by a Q-branch transition in SF6. They did not observe the perpendicular component with P(18) and P(20) excitation.
Performance Analysis of Beam Sweeping in Millimeter Wave Assuming Noise and Imperfect Antenna Patterns

Beam alignment is an important component of millimeter wave communication systems, which use analog beam steering.We analyze the performance of beam alignment methods based on the hierarchical beam sweeping that are adopted in IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.15.3c. Previous work studies misalignment probability due to thermal noise or antenna gain fluctuation alone. At the early stage of the alignment process, however, both effects are important. We incorporate both effects and derive probability of misalignment not only with respect to the best path but also to secondary ones. Our analysis can capture the misalignment severity in terms of power loss with respect to the perfect alignment case. Numerical examples show that line-of-sight channels are more constrained by the thermal noise, while the non- line-of-sight channels are more constrained by the antenna gain fluctuations.
Reported Litigation Associated With Primary Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Greater than 75% of arthroplasty surgeons report having been the subject of a malpractice lawsuit. Despite this, few studies have analyzed the causes of litigation following total joint arthroplasty in the United States. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of malpractice lawsuits following total hip and knee arthroplasty using VerdictSearch, a database encompassing legal cases compiled from February 1988 to May 2015. Complications leading to litigation were categorized and assessed for patient, surgeon, and lawsuit factors. All monetary awards were reflected for inflation. Results A total of 213 lawsuits were analyzed (119 total hip and 94 total knee arthroplasty cases). Overall, 15.0% of cases ended in settlement and 29.6% ended in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff (physician loss). The average payment for cases lost in court ($1,929,822 ± $3,679,572) was significantly larger than cases that ended in settlement ($555,347 ± $822,098) (P = .006). The most common complication following hip arthroplasty was “nerve injury” (29 cases, settlement rate: 10.3%, physician loss rate: 53.9%, and average payment: $1,089,825). The most common complication following knee arthroplasty was “pain or weakness” (17 cases, settlement rate: 5.9%, physician loss rate: 6.3%, and average payment: $451,867). Technical complications were the most likely complications to result in a physician loss (P = .019). Conclusion While complications like “pain and weakness” are less likely to result in favorable litigation for patients, the presence of an objective technical complication or nerve injury was associated with an increased risk of a physician loss and a higher payment.
Prenatal choline supplementation attenuates MK-801-induced deficits in memory, motor function, and hippocampal plasticity in adult male rats

Choline is essential to the development and function of the central nervous system and supplemental choline during development is neuroprotective against a variety of insults, including neurotoxins like dizocilpine (MK-801). MK-801 is an NMDA receptor antagonist that is frequently used in rodent models of psychological disorders, particularly schizophrenia. At low doses, it causes cognitive impairments, and at higher doses it induces motor deficits, anhedonia, and neuronal degeneration. The primary goals of the present study were to investigate whether prenatal choline supplementation protects against the cognitive impairments, motor deficits, and neuropathologies that are precipitated by MK-801 administration in adulthood. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a standard or supplemented choline diet prenatally. Using the novelty preference test of object recognition, we found that only prenatal standard-fed rats displayed memory consolidation deficits induced by low-dose MK-801 administered immediately following study of sample objects; all other groups, including prenatal choline supplemented rats given MK-801, showed intact memory. Following high-dose MK-801, prenatal choline supplementation significantly alleviated rats' motor response to MK-801, particularly ataxia. Using doublecortin and Ki67 to mark neurogenesis and cell division, respectively, in the hippocampus, we found that prenatal choline supplementation, in the face of MK-801 toxicity, protected against reduced hippocampal plasticity. Taken together, the current findings suggest that prenatal choline supplementation protects against a variety of behavioral and neural pathologies induced by the neurotoxin, MK-801. This research contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the robust neuroprotective capacity of choline.
Improving Internal Medicine Residents' Colorectal Cancer Screening Knowledge Using a Smartphone App: Pilot Study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. About one in three adults in the United States is not getting the CRC screening as recommended. Internal medicine residents are deficient in CRC screening knowledge. Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the improvement in internal medicine residents’ CRC screening knowledge via a pilot approach using a smartphone app. Methods: We designed a questionnaire based on the CRC screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society, American College of Gastroenterology, and US Preventive Services Task Force. We emailed the questionnaire via a SurveyMonkey link to all the residents of an internal medicine department to assess their knowledge of CRC screening guidelines. Then we designed an educational intervention in the form of a smartphone app containing all the knowledge about the CRC screening guidelines. The residents were introduced to the app and asked to download it onto their smartphones. We repeated the survey to test for changes in the residents’ knowledge after publication of the smartphone app and compared the responses with the previous survey. We applied the Pearson chi-square test and the Fisher exact test to look for statistical significance. Results: A total of 50 residents completed the first survey and 41 completed the second survey after publication of the app. Areas of CRC screening that showed statistically significant improvement (P<.05) were age at which CRC screening was started in African Americans, preventive tests being ordered first, identification of CRC screening tests, identification of preventive and detection methods, following up positive tests with colonoscopy, follow-up after colonoscopy findings, and CRC surveillance in diseases. Conclusions: In this modern era of smartphones and gadgets, developing a smartphone-based app or educational tool is a novel idea and can help improve residents’ knowledge about CRC screening. [JMIR Med Educ 2018;4(1):e10]
Synthesis and Structure of Metal Complexes of P-Stereogenic Chiral Phosphiranes: An EDA-NOCV Analysis of the Donor–Acceptor Properties of Phosphirane Ligands

Reaction of the enantiomerically enriched P-stereogenic phosphiranes syn-(RP,SC)-Mes*PCH2CH(Ph) (syn-1) and anti-(SP,SC)-Mes*PCH2CH(Ph) (anti-2, Mes* = 2,4,6-(t-Bu)3C6H2) with metal complex precursors gave Au(L)(Cl) (L = 1 (3); L = 2 (4)), trans-ML2Cl2 (L = 1, M = Pd (5), Pt (6)), Pd(η3-C3H5)(L)(Cl) (L = 1 (7)), and trans-RhL2(CO)(Cl) (L = 1 (8); L = 2 (9)); 3, 4, 7, and 9 were crystallographically characterized. Phosphirane coordination resulted in shortening of the P–C bonds and increased bond angles at P, consistent with rehybridization at phosphorus. A comparison of complexes of phenylphosphirane and phenyldimethylphosphine using IR spectra, coupled with DFT studies using electronic decomposition analysis (EDA) and natural orbitals for chemical valence (NOCV), indicated that phosphiranes are slightly poorer σ-donors than the analogous phosphines and that the π-acceptor properties of these ligands are similar. Pauli repulsion, dispersion, and electrostatic attraction are also important factors in deter...
Tutorial on X-Ray Free-Electron Lasers

This paper provides a tutorial on X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) which are currently being designed, built, commissioned, and operated as fourth-generation light sources to enable discovery science in materials science, biology, and chemistry. XFELs are complex devices, driven by high-energy, high-brightness electron accelerators and cost on the order of $B. Here, we provide a basic introduction to their operating physics and a description of their main accelerator components. To make their basic operating principle accessible to the electrical engineering community, we rederive the FEL dispersion relation in a manner similar to that done for traveling-wave tubes. We finish with sections describing some unique features of the X-rays generated and on the physics that lead to the main design limitations, including approaches for mitigation.
Evaluation of hot spot identification methods for municipal roads

Estimating crash prediction models and applying the Empirical Bayesian approach in identifying hotspots for roads under municipal jurisdiction is often challenging due to the lack of traffic count ...
Cellulose nanocrystals Pickering emulsion incorporated chitosan coatings for improving storability of postharvest Bartlett pears (Pyrus communis) during long-term cold storage

Abstract Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) Pickering emulsion was prepared and incorporated into chitosan (CH) coatings (CH-PCNC, 0.1% CNC/3% oleic acid/2% CH) for improving hydrophobicity of coatings on Bartlett pears during long-term cold storage (1.7 °C and 90% RH). FTIR analysis of CH-PCNC films stored at both 43% and 83% RH showed no large absorption band at ∼3300–3400 cm−1 (–OH stretching), whereas that of CNC reinforced CH film (CH-CNC) stored at 83% RH exhibited a large increase compared to film stored at 43% RH. Water vapor permeability (0.06 g mm/m2·d·Pa) of CH-PCNC film was significantly (P
Detection of MHV-A59 RNA by in situ hybridization.

We have shown that MHV-A59 causes a chronic demyelinating disease in C57BL/6 mice.1 Although active demyelination can be detected as long as five months post inoculation, it has been difficult to detect viral antigens by immunofluorescence and thus far impossible to demonstrate replication of infectious virus in chronically infected mice. Thus we have used in situ hybridization of CNS and liver samples with radiolabeled virus-specific DNA probes to investigate the state of the genome in these tissues. In this paper we report experiments in which we start to address the question of whether or not viral RNA can be detected in the CNS and liver of these chronically infected mice and, if so, how much and in which cell types.
Evaluation of Stainless Steel Casting Alloys for Cryogenic Service in the 80-Inch Liquid-Hydrogen Bubble Chamber

The Brookhaven National Laboratory’s 80-in. liquid-hydrogen bubble chamber is a cryogenic device used for high-energy physics research. The size and shape of this chamber were determined by considerations of its use as a detector for high-energy particles generated by the Brookhaven alternating-gradient synchrotron. The need was for a large enough volume of liquid hydrogen to be placed in a 20 kG magnetic field to provide sufficient accuracy in momentum measurements of particles at energies available from this accelerator.
Fournier's gangrene: management at a regional burn center.

Fournier's gangrene (FG) describes necrotizing infections of the perineum in both sexes. Controversies in treatment of FG include the roles of orchiectomy, urinary and/or fecal diversion, and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Because burn centers often treat these patients, we reviewed our experience with FG during a 14-year period. With Institutional Review Board approval, we reviewed our TRACS™/ABA database for patients treated for FG during 1992 to 2005. Data was recorded on demographics, preexisting medical conditions, treatment, and outcomes. Thirty patients (20 men) were identified. Mean age was 54.3 ± 14.1 years. Predisposing conditions included diabetes in 16 patients (53%), and morbid obesity and immunosuppression in 6 each. Twenty-two patients were transferred from outside hospitals, 12 after initial surgery. Sixteen patients presented with shock (blood pressure <90/60 mm Hg). Patients underwent a mean of 4.1 surgical procedures. Ten infections penetrated the deep fascia of the perineum or abdominal wall. Suprapubic cystostomy was performed in three patients, colostomy in seven, orchiectomy in one. HBO was not used. Hospitalization averaged 25.3 ± 15.6 days. Mean charges ($1000) were$131.5 ± 108.3. Definitive wound closure was obtained before discharge with suture repair and/or skin grafting in 18 of 25 survivors (72%). Five patients died (17%). In logistic regression analysis, the presence of shock on admission and female gender (mortality 40%) were significantly associated with mortality. FG remains a devastating infection, which occurs primarily in compromised patients. In this series, aggressive burn center care produced outcomes equivalent to those published in other series with or without use of HBO. Colostomy and urinary diversion can be used very selectively in these patients; orchiectomy is rarely required.
Quantum information experiments with trapped ions: status and prospects

The current state of quantum information experiments using trapped ions is summarized. A brief review of the physics of ion traps is provided, along with an explanation of methods used to realize quantum logic operations. Some recent applications of these operations are discussed, along with prospects for further development.