cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An automated unsupervised/supervised classification methodology

A new methodology is presented for classifying remotely-sensed imagery. This technique is meant to be locally-adaptive, supports non-gaussian statistics, and still allows one to generate an automatic classification. The new methodology requires training data, just as the standard technique does, but it uses an unsupervised technique (ISODATA) with which to first classify the data. The clusters from the unsupervised step are used with the training data in a supervised classification to get the mapping from cluster to class. Often, the statistics of the classification procedure are ill-conditioned for large feature spaces, and so this new methodology is designed for multi-step classifications. The idea is for the analyst to break up the classification into two or more steps where more general classes are separated first. The automated procedure then determines which subset of all the features are necessary at each step of the process. At the moment this is implemented using an exhaustive search stategy, but other methods are possible and will be explored. The resulting classification reports which channels were important at each stage of the classification process, thus automating the first step in understanding how and why the classification process works. In combination with a simple, unsupervised segmentation algorithm, which is also presented, this technique is then applied to SIR-C/X-SAR data.
The Judicial System and the Law of Life Insurance, 1888-1910

Despite a widely prevailing judicial insensitivity to corporate reform and regulation, the large insurance companies found themselves under careful, constant, and not always sympathetic legal scrutiny. This scrutiny tended to emphasize the equity rather than the letter of the law, and kept the insurance contract the flexible servant of a dynamic society and industry.
Cosmological Dark Matter

The basic arguments for cosmological dark matter are reviewed. It is shown that the Big Bange Nucleosynthesis constraints on the cosmological baryon density, when compared with dynamical arguments, demonstrate that the bulk of the baryons are dark and also that the bulk of the matter in the universe is nonbaryonic. The recent extragalactic deuterium observations as well as the other light element abundances were examined in detail as is the argument on the number of neutrino flavors. Arguments from recent MACHO/EROS observations of halo dark matter seem to imply that at least some of the dark baryons are in the halos of galaxies. Comparison of baryonic density arguments with recent x-ray cluster data is also made. Discussion of the interface of density and age arguments is also presented.
Performance determination of cell string by measuring the series resistance associated with the soldering ribbon and soldering temperature

This paper investigates the influences of soldering ribbon and soldering temperature on the performance of one-cell string by discussing the crucial factor of series resistance and power loss. By considering the mechanism of current transmission, we found that the soldering temperature can bring different contact effects to one-cell string when using different copper thickness of ribbons. These contact effects will be somewhat reduced in the module end application because enough series resistance of ribbons and the real current transmission situation in the module will decrease these contact effects arising from soldering process.
Theology and Engineering: A Conversation in Two Languages

Engineering and theology are not commonly perceived as conversation partners. At most American universities that offer these programs, engineering is grouped with technical or scientific disciplines and theology is classified with the liberal arts. Questions about how they relate to each other are subsumed into larger discussions of the integration of technical education with the liberal arts. Differences in method and content among the disciplines can make the challenge of integration seem difficult. Drawing on recent research by the author and Michael Sain, this essay shows that engineering and theology are not as different as might be surmised. In fact, some methods of analysis used in engineering can be applied to theological issues with great nuance. Similarities in method between the two disciplines allow for sophisticated mutual conversation. For example, both engineers and theologians study decision making in the presence of accepted principles (or constraints) and variables. There is also a similarity between the use of analogy in theology and the role of modeling in engineering. To demonstrate the application of engineering theory to theology, this chapter examines Saint Augustine’s struggle to convert to Christianity, made famous by his autobiography Confessions. Augustine’s will seemed to be divided against itself, influenced by a habit based on sensual experience, and unable to implement the decision of his intellect until he received assistance from God. The complex interplay of the intellect, will, senses, and “exogenous signals” from God can be analyzed in terms of classical feedback control theory. By opening a conversation between two disciplines not usually associated with each other, this research facilitates the integration of technical education with liberal arts education in the university. From the perspective of theology, it can also be seen as part of a longstanding conversation about the integration of faith and reason in human life.
Impulse and low frequency acoustic wave propagation in granular beds

The study of sound propagation in granular beds at frequencies exceeding a MHz has been a subject of study for many years. Much remains to be learnt about sound propagation at lower frequencies. We shall present our studies on the problem of impulse propagation and briefly comment on low frequency acoustic propagation in model granular beds using particle dynamical simulations. The following results will be briefly discussed. (i) Impulses propagating as solitary waves in 1-D granular chains with Hertz contacts in the absence of precompression. (ii) The effects of uniform precompression and gravitational loading on wave propagation. (iii) Impulse propagation in 3-D granular beds. The research presented shall highlight the intrinsically nonlinear nature of wave propagation in granular beds.
Statolon-Induced Resistance of Mice to Lethal Aerosols of Columbia-SK Virus

SummaryStatolon-induced resistance in mice was effective against either i.p. or i.h. challenge with Col-SK virus. After receiving 3 LD50 by the aerosol route, 94% of the statolon-treated mice survived whereas none of the untreated control mice survived. In statolon-treated mice, virus replication occurred in lung tissue only.
Identification of Different Modes of Molecular Motion in Polymers That Cause Thermorheological Complexity

Abstract The viscoelastic properties of amorphous polymers are reviewed with emphasis on the glass to rubber dispersion (often referred to as the transition zone). Deviations from thermorheologieal simplicity (where molecular retardation and relaxation mechanisms have the same temperature dependence) are identified. Most theories and models of polymer chain dynamics do not address or acknowledge thermorheological complexities and correlations, such as that between the temperature dependence and the breadth of viscoelastic and dielectric dispersions of the local segmental motion. Without successful theories of these phenomena the understanding of polymer chain dynamics must be considered incomplete. In this review, old and new experimental data are used to identify the different modes of molecular motions and the domains of their contributions to the time and frequency dependence of the mechanical response of amorphous polymers. The different modes are then shown generally to have their own dependence on t...
Evaluating value added features of foodservice franchise ownership: an assessment of two franchise types within the fast-food segment

Abstract The franchisor-franchisee relationship represents a partnership conducted as a form of relational exchange. As such, the strengthening of the franchisor-franchisee relationship, such as through expansion of individual franchisees' businesses, involves a sharing of benefits and costs. Accordingly, of particular interest to franchise owners is the balance between the payments made to the franchisor (that is, franchisee costs) and the “value” (that is, franchisee benefits) received in return. Moreover, consistent with partnership theories, franchisees are expected to remain in the relationship as long as they perceive to receive adequate value for their contributions to the franchisor. Recognizing that franchisees' perceptions of value of services received versus payments made to the franchisor may change over time, it is important that franchisors effectively manage franchisee perceptions of the value received from the franchisor. Unfortunately, research on franchisees' perceptions of their franchi...
Inapparent herpes simplex virus infection in inoculated rabbits.

SummaryRabbits were inoculated in the oral mucosa adjacent to submaxillary gland ducts with 105.7 plaque-forming units of herpes simplex virus (HSV). Gross ulcerations involving the ductal orifices appeared within 4 days and re-epithelialized within 7 days. Histological signs of HSV infection were present in ductal specimens examined on the 8th day but not in specimens examined at subsequent times. HSV was detectable in the saliva of 10 of 13 rabbits for varying periods of time after the surface lesions had healed. Though the virus was most readily isolated during the first 3 to 4 weeks following inoculation, it was not always recovered from a given animal on consecutive attempts. HSV was isolated from the saliva of one animal 169 days after inoculation. In addition, the virus was isolated from the saliva of 2 rabbits 747 and 996 days, respectively, after they had been inoculated intraperitoneally. HSV neutralizing antibody was not manifest in pre-inoculation sera or in sera taken within 5 days after infe...
On the use of quartz crystals in dynamic stress and force transducers: The ability of X-cut quartz crystals to correctly average nonuniform normal stress is ascertained using ball-drop experiments. A dynamic load transducer incorporating two crystals is also evaluated

An important consideration in determining the veracity of data obtained from X-cut quartz crystals used to measure nominally one-dimensional load states is the role which spatial nonuniformity of the normal stress distribution on the crystal will play in determining the transducer output signal. This role was found to be minor both for crystals located 0.74 mm below a surface subjected to impact by spherical steel strikers and for 25.4-mm-diam crystals positioned in a 12.7-mm-diam Hopkinson bar through which a longitudinal wave was travelling.
Lipid Composition of Human Serum Lipoprotein Fraction with Density Greater than 1.210.

SummaryA human serum lipoprotein fraction with density greater than 1.210 has been separated by ultracentrifugation and found to contain about 8% of total serum phospholipid, non-phospholipid ester, presumably triglyceride, and little or no cholesterol. About one-half of the phospholipid was found to be in the form of lysolecithin, which in turn comprised about one-half of the total lysolecithin of serum.
The First Amendment and Internet Filtering in Public Libraries

Since the Internet began to be available and be widely used in public libraries, people have been calling for online content to be monitored. Congress first passed the Communications Decency Act (CDA) in 1996 in an attempt to regulate indecency and obscenity on the Internet; the Supreme Court struck it down in 1997. In 1998 the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) was passed in an attempt to modify the CDA by focusing on “material harmful to minors.” In 2009 the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling declaring it unconstitutional, effectively killing COPA eleven years after it was passed. In 2000 the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was created to protect minors from explicit content online and to provide a method for the federal government to encourage libraries and schools to adopt filtering software by tying the use of such software to the availability of federal funding for Internet connectivity. The Supreme Court upheld CIPA in 2003 (Sobel, 2003). Additionally, over the last two and a half decades, countless individual conflicts have occurred between libraries, patrons, parents, school districts, and interest groups such as the American Library Association (ALA), the American Civil Liberties Union, and Family Friendly Libraries over the role of the library in protecting patrons from objectionable content and the rights of those patrons to access information.
Novel Approach to Measuring Tensile Strength of Compacted Clayey Soil during Desiccation

AbstractDesiccation of soil is the gradual process of moisture loss from a fully or partially saturated condition to a dry state. If the soil is constrained against shrinkage during desiccation, it will begin to crack when tensile stresses in the soil exceed the tensile strength. Fundamental to understanding desiccation crack development in clayey soils is the accurate determination of the tensile strength during desiccation. Although numerous published studies have focused on soil desiccation and soil tensile strength, very little has been focused on experimental determination of tensile strength during desiccation. This paper presents the first generation of a novel apparatus designed to determine tensile strength during desiccation. During drying the tensile forces in a thin compacted soil layer are measured while simultaneously monitoring moisture content changes and crack formation via time-lapse photography. Results are presented from desiccation tests performed on two clayey compacted soils of medi...
Anxiety disorders and the emergence of sex differences in major depression.

Objective To examine the role of anxiety disorders in the development of sex differences in the risk of major depression. Design An epidemiologic study. Patients This study surveyed 1007 young adults, randomly selected from a large HMO in southeastern Michigan. Method The National Institute of Mental Health's Diagnostic Interview Schedule was administered to measure major depression and specific anxiety disorders (as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition revised, guidelines). A composite variable--"any anxiety"--was used, and age of onset was defined as the age at which the earliest anxiety disorder began. Results Prior anxiety signaled an increased risk for major depression in both sexes. Women were not more vulnerable than men to becoming depressed after an anxiety disorder. Prior anxiety disorders accounted for a considerable part of the sex differences in major depression. Controlling for prior substance use disorder did not alter the results. Conclusion Women's higher rates of anxiety disorders might play a role in their higher risk of depression. Substance use disorder is not men's counterpart of anxiety in terms of its potential role in the onset of depression. Future research should address the question of women's greater risk for anxiety disorders. Intervention trials to examine whether effective treatments of anxiety disorders might reduce the risk of depression would shed light on the mechanisms that link anxiety and depression.
Impact of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy on the Ovary

Chemotherapy and radiation can both significantly decrease fertility potential. For chemotherapy, factors such as dose, age of patient, type of cancer, and type of drug being used are the most significant prognostic factors in determining future reproductive potential. As the dose and age of a patient increases, the chance of pregnancy decreases. Alkylating agents are the biggest culprits of decreased fertility. Some cancers that are more associated with decreased fertility potential are Hodgkin’s lymphoma and breast cancer. For radiotherapy, the most significant factors for future reproductive potential are dose and location. Radiotherapy to the ovaries is the most significant risk factor for acute ovarian failure. There is a direct inverse relationship between radiation dose and fertility potential. Considering the high cure rate of childhood cancers and the deleterious long-term effects of chemotherapy and radiation, it is important to be familiar with both the treatment options for cancer and future fertility.
Using functional assessment and children's preferences to improve the behavior of young children with behavioral disorders

Functional assessments conducted individually with four young children (ages 60–63 months) with behavioral disorders indicated that their behavior improved substantially when they engaged in prefer...
Rational Persuasion, Paternalism, and Respect

In ‘Rational Persuasion as Paternalism', George Tsai argues that providing another person with reasons or evidence (even good reasons or evidence) can be a morally objectionable form of paternalism. I believe Tsai’s thesis is importantly correct, denying the widely accepted identification of rational persuasion with respectful treatment. In this comment, I disagree about what is centrally wrong with objectionable rational persuasion. Contrary to Tsai, objectionable rational persuasion is not wrong because it undermines the value of an agent’s life. It is wrong because it is contrary to an agent’s will.
Runtime coordinated heterogeneous tasks in charm

Effective utilization of the increasingly heterogeneous hardware in modern supercomputers is a significant challenge. Many applications have seen performance gains by using GPUs, but many implementations leave CPUs sitting idle.In this paper, we describe a runtime managed system for coordinating heterogeneous execution. This system manages data transfers to and from GPU devices and schedules work across the computational resources of the system. The programmer need only tag methods and parameters to enable heterogeneous execution.Using this system, we observe improvements in programmer productivity and application performance. For selected benchmarks, when using heterogeneous execution we observe speedups of up to 3.09x relative to using only the host cores or only the device.
Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery: Results and Complications

Endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (ETPS) is rapidly replacing both the open transcranial as well as the transsphenoidal microscope-based techniques for resection of pituitary adenomas. This change has resulted from technological advances in lens and camera resolution, minimally invasive surgical instrumentation, and neuronavigation systems, leading to an improved field of view as well as more extensive approaches to skull-base lesions accessed through small portals. Angled endoscopes provide visualization of recesses inside the sella and direct visualization of the medial wall of the cavernous sinus, not accessible by the operating microscope. ETPS is also less invasive, with less postoperative pain, shorter hospitalization, and fewer postoperative complications than microscopic transsphenoidal surgery. The disadvantages include lack of depth perception, the need for an assistant or endoscope holder, and increased incidence of postoperative epistaxis. There is also a steep learning curve, requiring an average of 25–50 operations to learn the techniques necessary to operate using the endoscope. Despite this, experiences with ETPS have largely been positive, with benefits outweighing the costs. In this chapter, we look at the surgical outcomes of functional and nonfunctional pituitary adenomas, and further discuss complications associated with ETPS in general.
Serious adverse events of older adults in nursing home and community intervention trials

Abstract Background/Aims Clinical trials of older adults are increasingly common, but risks of serious adverse events (SAE) may vary. We describe the incidence of SAE in two randomized trials, one community-based and one nursing home-based. Methods We performed a secondary data analysis from two randomized clinical trials at one academic health center and 21 nursing homes involving 200 sedentary community dwellers aged 70–89 years and 185 female nursing home residents aged 65 years or older. Interventions included structured physical activity to reduce mobility disability in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study and oral cranberry capsules to reduce bacteriuria plus pyuria in nursing home residents (CRANNY) trial. We measured SAE incidence per 100 person-years and incidence of protocol-related unanticipated SAE per 100 person-years in LIFE and CRANNY trials. Results Mean age and proportion of patients with dementia in LIFE and CRANNY trials were 79.3 years and 86.4 years and 0% and 78%, respectively. There were 179 total SAE in LIFE including 8 (4%) deaths, and 116 total SAE in CRANNY including 33 (28%) deaths. SAE incidence was 33.7 (95% CI 27.2, 41.8) events per 100 person-years in LIFE and 69.4 (95% CI 49.1, 98.1) events per 100 person-years in CRANNY. No protocol-related unanticipated SAE occurred in either trial. Conclusions The frequency and severity of SAE vary in older adults. While SAE are common in nursing home residents, protocol-related, unanticipated SAE are rare in nursing home residents and community dwellers. This finding can inform trial monitoring protocols. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01072500 and NCT01691430.
MaterialSim: A Constructionist Agent-Based Modeling Approach to Engineering Education

This chapter reports on a model-based, constructionist learning environment for engineering education in the field of materials sciences. “MaterialSim” is a set of activities, computer models, and support materials in which students’ main task is to conduct a scientific investigation by programming and testing their own agent-based models of a materials science phenomenon. In this paper, we investigate: (a) the cognition of students engaging in scientific inquiry through interacting with computer models; (b) the cognitive gains of students programming their own computer models of scientific phenomena; (c) the characteristics, advantages, and trajectories of scientific content knowledge that is articulated in epistemic forms and representational infrastructures unique to agent-based modeling, in comparison with aggregate, equational representations, and (d) the principles which govern the design of agent-based, constructionist learning environments in general and for materials science in particular.
Surface Functionalization for a Nontextured Liquid-Infused Surface with Enhanced Lifetime.

Liquid-infused surfaces (LISs) are a new class of self-cleaning surfaces having superior properties compared to other self-cleaning surfaces. One challenge regarding these is the eventual washing away or drainage of the lubricant, limiting their longevity. Presented here is a surface functionalization strategy to compatibilize the lubricant and surface, enhancing the ability of the lubricant to remain on the surface even during washing. The strategy used here is the grafting of a layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to the surface, which stabilizes a layer of silicone oil. The effectiveness of this layer is studied as a function of PDMS molecular weight. The stable liquid layer can exist even in the absence of texture on the surface that is generally used to “lock” the lubricant in place. This strategy is shown to be effective on both flat and textured surfaces. One advantage of a flat surface is that the composite liquid/solid surface can be studied using optical techniques such as ellipsometry, which ar...
Cardiotoxicity of Novel Targeted Chemotherapeutic Agents.

Purpose of review With the continuing development of newer targeted therapies in oncology, it is necessary to understand their potential cardiovascular side effects. In this review, we discuss the association of novel targeted agents and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Recent findings Within the last 5 years, multiple new agents have been developed to target specific cancer pathways and found to have off-targeted cardiotoxicity. The most recent example is the recognition of myocarditis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors. The development of targeted cancer therapies has revolutionized oncology, but many of these agents are inherently toxic to the cardiovascular system. Nearly all vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors cause cardiotoxicity to varying degrees. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors developed since the discovery of trastuzumab are significantly less cardiotoxic than their predecessor, but still convene risk. BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), once thought to pose significant risk as a class effect, appear to only be cardiotoxic if they have anti-VEGF activity. The newer generation of proteasome inhibitors such as carfilzomib appears to have significant cardiotoxicity, with almost 5% of patients developing symptomatic heart failure (HF). Immune checkpoint inhibitors can very rarely cause rapidly fatal myocarditis. As of now, there are no sufficient guidelines to direct clinical care for patients on these new classes of agents, but this is likely to change as more data and clinical experience accumulate.
Pharmacological Investigations of Cholinergic Mechanisms in Schizophrenia and Manic Psychosis

During the past twenty years the biological investigation of major emotional disorders has focused on possible disturbances of central neurotransmission. The possible roles of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine have been reviewed recently (Schildkraut, 1974; Shopin et al., 1974; Goodwin and Murphy, 1974; Matthysse and Lipinski, 1975; Baldessarini, 1975; Berger, 1977; Berger et al., 1978). Other recent reviews have considered the possible role of alterations in the balance between neurotransmitters (Janowsky et al., 1972b; Friedhoff and Alpert, 1973; Davis et al., 1975). This chapter will focus on the possible role of cholinergic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the affective disorders.
Assessing Attack Impact on Business Processes by Interconnecting Attack Graphs and Entity Dependency Graphs

Cyber-defense and cyber-resilience techniques sometimes fail in defeating cyber-attacks. One of the primary causes is the ineffectiveness of business process impact assessment in the enterprise network. In this paper, we propose a new business process impact assessment method, which measures the impact of an attack towards a business-process-support enterprise network and produces a numerical score for this impact. The key idea is that all attacks are performed by exploiting vulnerabilities in the enterprise network. So the impact scores for business processes are the function result of the severity of the vulnerabilities and the relations between vulnerabilities and business processes. This paper conducts a case study systematically and the result shows the effectiveness of our method.
A Q methodology application on disaster perceptions for adaptation and resiliency in an Andean watershed symposium: water and climate in Latin America

Natural and human processes have threatened human access to sufficient and clean water. In areas prone to natural disasters, governments play a vital role in the proactive development of measures prioritizing human rights to water. This article is a case study of a series of tragic events in 2011 that led to a landslide in the Cervantes neighborhood in Manizales, Colombia. The disaster left the city and surrounding municipalities without water for over 20 days; gas and power were intermittent during this period; 145 people were displaced by the disaster; and 48 died. There is still a debate about whether this disaster was caused by nature or people. Our goal was to determine stakeholders’ views and perceptions regarding the causes leading to the magnitude of this tragedy. The Q methodology (Q) was employed as a valuable qualitative and quantitative empirical tool to identify, analyze, and compare perception groups that emerged from the stakeholder participant pool of this case study. The Q allowed us to determine critical information for disaster mitigation that was based on the similarities and differences in viewpoints regarding the causes that influenced the magnitude of the event. The three social perception groups that surfaced from this study reflect the causes believed to have affected the magnitude and after effects of the events, namely (1) the lack of proactive measures to prepare for future landslide events; (2) the portrayal of nature as the main contributor to the magnitude and after effects of the disaster, while portraying the utilities company as a non-contributor; and (3) the apparent effort to avoid the incrimination of specific entities and authorities. Natural forces are more powerful than human, but measures can be taken to mitigate the magnitude of natural disasters. It is important for policy makers to ensure that the interests of all stakeholders are represented in actions to mitigate natural disasters in the city of Manizales.
Si–N Heterodehydrocoupling with a Lanthanide Compound

[La{N(SiMe3)2}3THF2] (1) is an effective precatalyst for the heterodehydrocoupling of silanes and amines. Coupling of primary and secondary amines with aryl silanes was achieved with a loading of 0.8 mol % of [La{N(SiMe3)2}3THF2]. With primary amines, generation of tertiary and sometimes quaternary silamines was facile, often requiring only a few hours to reach completion, including new silamines Ph3Si(nPrNH) and Ph3Si(iPrNH). Secondary amines were also available for heterodehydrocoupling, though they generally required longer reaction times and, in some instances, higher reaction temperatures. This work expands upon the utility of f-block complexes in heterodehydrocoupling catalysis.
Comparison of plasma-thrombin, HistoGel, and CellGel cell block preparation methods with paired ThinPrep slides in the setting of mediastinal granulomatous disease.

Introduction Various cell block (CB) preparation methods are utilized by different laboratories, and not all laboratories perform CBs in tandem with ThinPreps (TPs). To compare the performance of different CB methods and their diagnostic value when used in conjunction with TP, we assessed the quantity and size of granulomas obtained from endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of lymph nodes in the evaluation of granulomatous mediastinal disease. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of mediastinal lymph node EBUS-TBNA specimens that detected granulomas at our institution was performed. A total of 264 specimens from 124 patients had a TP followed by a CB (either plasma-thrombin, HistoGel, or CellGel) prepared from the residual material in the PreservCyt vial. The number and size of granulomas on each preparation was assessed using digital software. Results Granulomas were detected only on the CB in 18.9% of cases and only on the TP in 5.3%. All 3 CB preparation methods showed significantly more and larger granulomas compared with the paired TP, with the plasma-thrombin and CellGel methods yielding more diagnostic material than the HistoGel method. In addition, the average number of granulomas (4.0 ± 0.4 versus 15.3 ± 1.1) and granuloma size (119.2 ± 3.2 μm versus 271.8 ± 7.3 μm) were significantly lower on TP compared with CB, respectively. Conclusions Plasma-thrombin and CellGel CB preparation methods had a higher granuloma yield compared with the HistoGel method. Additionally, significantly more numerous and larger granulomas were present on CBs compared with TP slides. Therefore, solely relying on TP slide evaluation may unintentionally overlook larger tissue fragments obtained during needle aspirations.
Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Activities of Thiol-Protected Nanomolecules Ranging in Size from Au28(SR)20 to Au279(SR)84

An open question in the field of nanocatalysis is how the size of nanoparticles tunes the catalysis. Here, we have investigated the kinetics of electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reactivity (ORR) of...
Medication Use Quality and Safety in Older Adults: 2018 Update

Improving the quality of medication use and medication safety is an important priority for prescribers who care for older adults. The objective of this article was to identify key articles from 2018 that address these issues. In addition, we selected four of these articles to annotate, critique, and discuss their broader implications for clinical practice. The first study highlights a cluster-randomized trial that utilized a pharmacist-led education-based intervention delivered to both patients and physicians to deprescribe four types of inappropriate medications (sedative-hypnotics, first-generation antihistamines, selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and glyburide). The second study, a nested case-control study using data from within the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, examined the association between anticholinergic exposure, overall and by anticholinergic medication class, and dementia risk in 40 770 older adults. The third study, a longitudinal cohort study of 1028 Swedish older adults, examined the association between antihypertensive medications and incident dementia. The last study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that investigated the effect of daily low-dose aspirin (100 mg) for primary prevention on cardiovascular events and major hemorrhage in 19 144 community-dwelling older adults. Collectively, this current article provides insight into the pertinent topics of medication use quality and safety in older adults and helps raise awareness about optimal prescribing in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2458-2462, 2019.
Peripapillary Atrophy in Stargardt Disease

Objective—To demonstrate that Stargardt disease (STGD) can present with peripapillary atrophy. Methods—Retrospective case series. The medical records of 150 consecutive patients (300 eyes) were reviewed retrospectively from a STGD database from January 1999 to May 2007 at Columbia University’s Harkness Eye Institute. STGD patients demonstrating peripapillary atrophy were identified. Results—Three of 150 cases of STGD (2.0%) demonstrated peripapillary atrophy. Case 1 revealed peripapillary and central atrophy with heterozygous ABCA4 mutations P1380L and IVS40 + 5G>A. Case 2 demonstrated atrophic fleck lesions involving the peripapillary region and central atrophy with homozygous ABCA4 mutations P1380L and P1380L. Case 3 revealed bilateral central atrophy and pisciform fleck atrophy involving the peripapillary, macular, and peripheral regions with ABCA4 mutations P1380L and R2030Q. Overall, ABCA4 mutation P1380L was noted in 13 cases (8.7%), IVS40 + 5G>A in 6 cases (4.0%), and R2030Q in 1 case (0.7%). The remaining cases shared one common STGD mutation with Case 1, 2, and 3 (P1380L or IVS40 + 5G>A) and demonstrated classic STGD findings of central atrophy and varying presence of peripheral flecks without peripapillary lesions. Conclusion—STGD can present with peripapillary atrophy. This relatively uncommon phenotype may arise from specific combinations of STGD ABCA4 mutations rather than single mutations.
Depression and Change in Caregiver Burden Among Family Members of Intensive Care Unit Survivors.

Background Family members of patients in intensive care units may experience psychological distress and substantial caregiver burden. Objective To evaluate whether change in caregiver burden from intensive care unit admission to 3-month follow-up is associated with caregiver depression at 3 months. Methods Caregiver burden was assessed at enrollment and 3 months later, and caregiver depression was assessed at 3 months. Depression was measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score. The primary analysis was the association between depression at 3 months and change in caregiver burden, controlling for a history of caregiver depression. Results One hundred one participants were enrolled; 65 participants had a surviving loved one and completed 3-month follow-up. At 3-month follow-up, 12% of participants met criteria for depression. Increased caregiver burden over time was significantly associated with depression at follow-up (Fisher exact test, P = .004), although this association was not significant after controlling for self-reported history of depression at baseline (Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test, P = .23). Conclusions Family members are increasingly recognized as a vulnerable population susceptible to negative psychological outcomes after a loved one's admission to the intensive care unit. In this small sample, no significant association was found between change in caregiver burden and depression at 3 months after controlling for baseline depression.
A Clinician Educator's Perspective on Research Techniques Made Simple Articles.

As an academic clinician, keeping abreast of the fast-changing world of science is a great challenge. This challenge is more acute for those of us who teach medical students and dermatology residents. The prospect of delving into the primary scientific literature is daunting, and in the setting of a busy clinical practice, nearly impossible. Science changes fast, and it can be embarrassing to present outdated explanations of scientific techniques to audiences that are likely to notice. Thus, access to concise, accurate, and updated descriptions of scientific methodology is critical for teaching. Research Techniques Made Simple (RTMS) helps immensely with this process. I routinely use content from RTMS in my educational lectures because it helps me to stay informed, gives me confidence that my lecture is accurate and updated, and provides my audience with a background on scientific topics that they need to fully understand my lectures.
Economic impacts of storm surge events: examining state and national ripple effects

Understanding socioeconomic consequences of natural disasters both locally and nationally is critical in assessing and informing mitigation strategies to combat future catastrophic threats. We develop a state-level computable general equilibrium model and assess the vulnerability of state and US national economies to surge events affecting coastal communities and strategic industrial assets including petroleum and chemical manufacturing in the south-eastern region of Texas. In addition to enumerating these impacts, our model also assesses loss avoidance associated with one kind of adaptation strategy, a storm surge suppression system, that has been proposed for the region to address growing concerns over storm surge inundation. Our results indicate persistent and adverse long-term impacts of storm surge events on the economies of Texas and the USA without the surge suppression system. Importantly, while neighboring states may temporarily benefit from substitution effects and reallocation of resources, the majority of states will suffer welfare losses as a result of surge-induced impacts in Texas. Adjusting impacts by storms’ return probabilities, the average annualized decline in Texas Gross State Product is approximately 0.05% in 2066, corresponding to $5 billion, while welfare and personal income will decline by 0.05% and 0.04%, respectively. Model simulations with the storm suppression system indicate moderation in negative impacts. Our research provides a modeling framework for assessing economic impacts of disasters and further contributes to estimating ripple effects on national and regional economies.
Preoperative Maximum Standardized Uptake Value Associated With Recurrence Risk in Early Lung Cancer.

ABSTRACT Background We aimed to investigate the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) as a predictor of recurrence and timing of recurrence after resection of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients from a single institution who underwent lobectomy for stage I-IIa non-small cell lung cancer from 2013-2018. Exclusion criteria included preoperative therapy and neuroendocrine histology. We collected recurrence and follow-up data, as well as preoperative SUVmax. A receiver operator characteristic curve was used to identify the optimal SUVmax for predicting recurrence. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox Regression analyses were used to identify predictors of freedom from recurrence (FFR). Results The study included 238 patients, 30(12.6%) of whom developed recurrence. The receiver operator characteristic curve had an area-under-the-curve of 0.671 and identified 4.93 as the optimal SUVmax cut-off. Patients were stratified into groups based on this value; each group included 119 patients. High SUVmax was associated with larger tumor size, poor differentiation, lymphovascular invasion, and shorter FFR. The proportion of patients without recurrence at 5 years in the low- and high-SUVmax groups were 92.4% and 73.4%, respectively (p Conclusions SUVmax is independently associated with risk of recurrence after resection of early-stage lung cancer. SUVmax may be a valuable tool in stratifying patients with early-stage lung cancer for adjuvant therapy and surveillance frequency.
Fluorescent kinase inhibitors as probes in cancer

Fluorescent dyes attached to kinase inhibitors (KIs) can be used to probe kinases in vitro, in cells, and in vivo. Ideal characteristics of the dyes vary with their intended applications. Fluorophores used in vitro may inform on kinase active site environments, hence the dyes used should be small and have minimal impact on modes of binding. These probes may have short wavelength emissions since blue fluorophores are perfectly adequate in this context. Thus, for instance, KI fragments that mimic nucleobases may be modified to be fluorescent with minimal perturbation to the kinase inhibitor structure. However, progressively larger dyes, that emit at longer wavelengths, are required for cellular and in vivo work. In cells, it is necessary to have emissions above autofluorescence of biomolecules, and near infrared dyes are needed to enable excitation and observation through tissue in vivo. This review is organized to describe probes intended for applications in vitro, in cells, then in vivo. The readers will observe that the probes featured tend to become larger and responsive to the near infared end of the spectrum as the review progresses. Readers may also be surprised to realize that relatively few dyes have been used for fluorophore-kinase inhibitor conjugates, and the area is open for innovations in the types of fluorophores used.
Time domain approach to the design of integrated control and diagnosis systems

The paper describes a time domain approach to model faults in an integrated control and diagnosis system. The design of the integrated system is done in the framework of linear optimal control for persistent inputs. The tradeoffs that govern the control and detection objectives are delineated. The effect of modeling errors is incorporated in the analysis by providing simple analytical expressions for the false alarm threshold and the size of the smallest detectable fault.
Abstract #4603: Induction of a reversible, non-cytotoxic S phase delay by low concentrations of resveratrol: implications for a possible mechanism for lifespan prolongation and cancer prevention

Background and purpose: Resveratrol has been shown to prolong lifespan and prevent cancer formation. At present, the precise cellular mechanisms of RES\#8217;s actions are still not clearly understood, and this is the focus of this study. Experimental approach: Using human hepatocellular carcinoma-derived HepG2 cells as a model, we studied resveratrol-induced changes in cell growth, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. Results: Resveratrol at lower concentrations induced a strong but reversible S phase delay and mild DNA synthesis inhibition yet without causing apoptotic or necrotic cell death. At high concentrations, resveratrol induced apoptosis, which is mainly mediated by the mitochondrial pathway. Overall, resveratrol was a relatively weak apoptotic agent. Mechanistically, MEK inhibition was identified as an important early signaling event for resveratrol-induced apoptosis. In comparison, activation of CDK2 and Chk2 and inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway contributed to the induction by resveratrol of a reversible, non-cytotoxic S phase delay. Conclusions and clinical implications: It is hypothesized that the induction of a non-cytotoxic S phase delay may represent a useful mechanistic strategy for lifespan prolongation and cancer prevention. When cell cycles are selectively slowed down in the S phase, it would cumulatively increase the total lifespan of an organism if the total numbers of cell divisions of a given organism are assumed to remain basically constant. Likewise, when cells proceed through the cell cycles at a reduced pace during DNA replication, it may allow cells more time to repair the damaged DNA and thereby reduce the chances for mutagenesis and tumor initiation. This study was supported in part by an NIH grant (ES015242). Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 4603.
The electronic newspaper: Building a profile of potential users

This exploratory study of a sample of 529 students attending Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley's computer industry was conducted to determine how a population that fits the early a...
Real-time predictive control of semiconductor manufacturing processes using neural networks

As a result of consistent demands on semiconductor manufacturers to produce circuits with increased density and complexity, stringent process control has become an issue of growing importance in this industry. Earlier work has shown that neural networks offer great promise in modeling complex fabrication processes such as reactive ion etching (RIE). Motivated by these results, this paper explores the use of neural networks for real-time, model-based control of semiconductor manufacturing processes. This objective is accomplished in part by constructing a q-step ahead predictive model for the system, which can be inverted (or approximately inverted) to achieve the desired control. The efficacy of this approach is demonstrated: (1) using a process simulated by a nonlinear equation; (2) using experimental input/output data from an actual RIE process to examine run-by-run control; and (3) by performing real-time, one-step ahead predictive control of a dynamic process which reflects typical RIE behavior.
Parasitic Resistances, Capacitances, and Inductances

This chapter contains sections titled: Parasitic Resistances: General Considerations Parasitic Capacitances: General Considerations Parasitic Inductances: General Considerations Approximate Formulas for Capacitances Green's Function Method: Using Method of Images Green's Function Method: Fourier Integral Approach Network Analog Method Simplified Formulas for Interconnection Capacitances and Inductances on Silicon and GaAs Substrates Inductance Extraction Using FastHenry Copper Interconnections: Resistance Modeling Electrode Capacitances in GaAs MESFET: Application of Program IPCSGV Exercises References
Spacetime and Matter

Fundamental electroweak properties arise from a spacetime theory of matter, permitting evaluation of low energy coupling constants from first principles.
MICROCLIMATIC VARIATIONS ATTRIBUTABLE TO URBAN-CANYON ASYMMETRY AND ORIENTATION

The energetic response of urban canyons to variable urban geometry is investigated using the URBAN3 numerical model. The energy budgets of six typical urban geometry scenarios encompassing a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical north-south and east-west aligned urban canyons are examined for a warm summer day under which maximum inter-urban system energetic variations would be expected. Significant inter-urban canyon energy total differences are found which are closely linked to patterns of net solar radiation. The net solar radiation, net radiation and turbulent sensible heat flux totals are particularly sensitive to urban geometry. Implications of the study with respect to the magnitude of synoptic vs. geometric sources of urban energetic variation, and microscale and mesoscale urban modelling applications are discussed. [Key words: urban climatology, urban canyon energy budgets, urban geometry.]