cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating tree-related power outages for regional utility network using airborne LiDAR data and spatial statistics

Abstract Trees play an integral role in the “green” framework of an urban ecosystem. However, just as they are beneficial to the environment, they can pose a significant risk to utility infrastructure networks, particularly in severe weather events. The objectives of this research were to explore the effect of scale and spatial variation on the relationships between trees and utility assets for vegetation-related power outages through the incorporation of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) analysis. Tree location and structural metrics derived from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data were combined with regional utility network GIS data to test the prediction analysis capabilities of global and local statistics at multiple scales. Pearson’s correlation was carried out to examine the relationships between tree structure and utility asset variables to vegetation-related power outages, including the effect of the resolution, or grid-cell size, on those relationships. To test the performance of global and local regression modeling on outage prediction, ordinary least square (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models were evaluated using four explanatory variables (utility wire length, utility pole count, tree canopy area, maximum tree height) at four different grid cell scales (50 m, 500 m, 1 km, 2 km). In general, Pearson’s correlation demonstrated the strongest positive relationship between explanatory variables and power outages when only aggregating 50-m grid cells exhibiting co-location of trees and utility assets to 2-km grid cells. Local regression models performed better than global models at all scales, with GWR producing the highest adjusted R2 and lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC) values of 0.955 and 3213, respectively. Additionally, the performance of OLS and GWR models increased with scale as both models produced the highest adjusted R2 at 2-km grid-cell scale. GWR model outputs demonstrated unique spatial patterning across the study area. This research demonstrated the effect of scale and spatial variation on regression analysis for the estimation of tree-related power outages.
Pain Phenotypes in Adults Living With Cerebral Palsy

Abstract Objective: To identify pain phenotypes among adults living with cerebral palsy (CP), and compare phenotypes in terms of pain intensity, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and self-reported perceived stress. Method: Seventy-one adults with CP who presented to the University of Michigan (mean age = 39.3±16.2; 43 females, 28 males). The median of 6 on the American College of Rheumatology fibromyalgia survey was used to classify patients for nociplastic pain centralization. The painDETECT Score was used to classify patients for neuropathic pain. These measures were then used to cross-classify each patient into one of four possible pain categories: neuropathic, nociplastic, mixed neuropathic/noclipastic or nociceptive pain (-neuropathic/-nociplastic pain). Results: Twenty-eight adults with CP (39.4%) were classified as nociceptive, 24 (33.8%) as nociplastic, 8 (11.3%) as neuropathic, and 11 (15.5%) as mixed neuropathic/nociplastic. Subgroups differed significantly on average scores on the Brief Pain Inventory pain intensity scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures of anxiety and depression; the nociceptive pain subgroup reported lower pain and emotional distress compared with the other groups. Conclusion: Findings suggest that type of pain is variable among adults with CP, and may arise through multiple mechanisms.
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome Associated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin in a patient with Clostridium Difficile Infection (65)

Objective: We describe an atypical clinical presentation of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) that occurred three days after a patient received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in the setting of C. Difficile Infection (CDI). Background: PRES has been reported as a rare complication of IVIG therapy. The mechanism of PRES in these cases is not well understood. Occasionally, IVIG which contains anti-C. difficile antibodies has been used as add-on therapy to antibiotics in refractory CDI. Design/Methods: Case report Results: A 65-year-old woman presented to the hospital with sepsis secondary to C. diff colitis in the setting of recent antibiotic use for a urinary tract infection. She was on adalimumab and methotrexate at home for history of rheumatoid arthritis. She was initially started on IV fluids, vancomycin, and metronidazole. Metronidazole was discontinued due to intractable nausea and vomiting. Infectious disease physician recommended treatment with 0.3 gm/kg one-time dose of IVIG. Three days later, neurology was consulted after she had witnessed generalized tonic-clonic seizures and became encephalopathic. A CT brain showed new bilateral occipital and parietal juxtacortical and subcortical white matter hypodensities, which were not present on admission. MRI brain also showed generalized vasogenic edema in both occipital and parietal lobes consistent with PRES. She was treated with levetiracetam for her seizures. EEG revealed generalized slowing with sharp waves of epileptogenic potential in the left temporal region. Her encephalopathy improved with supportive treatment, and she was later discharged ten days after initial presentation. Conclusions: We present a rare case of PRES after IVIG treatment in severe CDI. Other factors in the current case could have also possibly contributed to the development of PRES including sepsis and prior chronic use of immunosuppressant agents. However, this case illustrates the need for caution when using IVIG for treating refractory CDI and requisite for further evidence of its use in this condition. Disclosure: Mr. Cavendish has nothing to disclose. Dr. Prasad has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sriwastava has nothing to disclose.
When will the Arctic Ocean become ice-free?

There is increasing interest in knowing when seasonally ice-free conditions will emerge in the Arctic. Although the region is heading toward ice-free conditions (Figure 1) during summer, estimates ...
A Study of the Radiation Characteristics of an Origami Enabled MIMO Antenna

In this work, a reconfigurable Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna is proposed. The effects of folding on the radiation characteristics of this antenna are investigated. As a proof-of-concept, an eight element MIMO antenna is created using microstrip dipoles operating at 2.4 GHz. The antenna is implemented on a 3D printed modified scissor lift mechanism which allows the antenna characteristics to be varied as a function of inter-element spacing. The linearly polarized elements are sufficiently isolated by employing polarization diversity.
Deforestation and cultivation mobilize mercury from topsoil

Abstract Terrestrial biomass and soils are a primary global reservoir of mercury (Hg) derived from natural and anthropogenic sources; however, relatively little is known about the fate and stability of Hg in the surface soil reservoir and its susceptibility to change as a result of deforestation and cultivation. In southwest Ohio, we measured Hg concentrations in soils of deciduous old- and new-growth forests, as well as fallow grassland and agricultural soils that had once been forested to examine how, over decadal to century time scales, man-made deforestation and cultivation influence Hg mobility from temperate surface soils. Mercury concentrations in surficial soils were significantly greater in the old-growth than new-growth forest, and both forest soils had greater Hg concentrations than cultivated and fallow fields. Differences in Hg:lead ratios between old-growth forest and agricultural topsoils suggest that about half of the Hg lost from deforested and cultivated Ohio soils may have been volatilized and the other half eroded. The estimated mobilization potential of Hg as a result of deforestation was 4.1 mg m − 2 , which was proportional to mobilization potentials measured at multiple locations in the Amazon relative to concentrations in forested surface soils. Based on this relationship and an estimate of the global average of Hg concentrations in forested soils, we approximate that about 550 Mmol of Hg has been mobilized globally from soil as a result of deforestation during the past two centuries. This estimate is comparable to, if not greater than, the amount of anthropogenic Hg hypothesized by others to have been sequestered by the soil reservoir since Industrialization. Our results suggest that deforestation and soil cultivation are significant anthropogenic processes that exacerbate Hg mobilization from soil and its cycling in the environment.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE INVENTORY MODEL UNDER PERMISSIBLE DELAY IN PAYMENTS

Within the economic order quantity (EOQ) framework, the main purpose of this paper is to investigate the supplier optimal replenishment policy of permissible delay in payments. All previously published articles dealing with optimal order quantity with permissible delay in payments assumed that the supplier only offers the retailer fully permissible delay in payments if the retailer ordered a sufficient quantity. Otherwise, permissible delay in payments would not be permitted. However, in this paper, we want to extend this extreme case by developing the mathematical model for determining the cycle time. Under this condition, we model the retailers inventory system as a cost minimization problem to determine the retailers optimal inventory cycle time and optimal order quantity. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate all these cases and to draw managerial insights.
Hydrologic-Process-Based Soil Texture Classifications for Improved Visualization of Landscape Function

Soils lie at the interface between the atmosphere and the subsurface and are a key component that control ecosystem services, food production, and many other processes at the Earth’s surface. There is a long-established convention for identifying and mapping soils by texture. These readily available, georeferenced soil maps and databases are used widely in environmental sciences. Here, we show that these traditional soil classifications can be inappropriate, contributing to bias and uncertainty in applications from slope stability to water resource management. We suggest a new approach to soil classification, with a detailed example from the science of hydrology. Hydrologic simulations based on common meteorological conditions were performed using HYDRUS-1D, spanning textures identified by the United States Department of Agriculture soil texture triangle. We consider these common conditions to be: drainage from saturation, infiltration onto a drained soil, and combined infiltration and drainage events. Using a k-means clustering algorithm, we created soil classifications based on the modeled hydrologic responses of these soils. The hydrologic-process-based classifications were compared to those based on soil texture and a single hydraulic property, Ks. Differences in classifications based on hydrologic response versus soil texture demonstrate that traditional soil texture classification is a poor predictor of hydrologic response. We then developed a QGIS plugin to construct soil maps combining a classification with georeferenced soil data from the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The spatial patterns of hydrologic response were more immediately informative, much simpler, and less ambiguous, for use in applications ranging from trafficability to irrigation management to flood control. The ease with which hydrologic-process-based classifications can be made, along with the improved quantitative predictions of soil responses and visualization of landscape function, suggest that hydrologic-process-based classifications should be incorporated into environmental process models and can be used to define application-specific maps of hydrologic function.
A Methodology for Probabilistic Accident Management

While techniques have been developed to tackle different tasks in accident management, there have been very few attempts to develop an on-line operator assistance tool for accident management and none that can be found in the literature that uses probabilistic arguments, which are important in today's licensing climate. The state/parameter estimation capability of the dynamic system doctor (DSD) approach is combined with the dynamic event-tree generation capability of the integrated safety assessment (ISA) methodology to address this issue. The DSD uses the cell-to-cell mapping technique for system representation that models the system evolution in terms of probability of transitions in time between sets of user-defined parameter/state variable magnitude intervals (cells) within a user-specified time interval (e.g., data sampling interval). The cell-to-cell transition probabilities are obtained from the given system model. The ISA follows the system dynamics in tree form and braches every time a setpoint for system/operator intervention is exceeded. The combined approach (a) can automatically account for uncertainties in the monitored system state, inputs, and modeling uncertainties through the appropriate choice of the cells, as well as providing a probabilistic measure to rank the likelihood of possible system states in view of these uncertainties; (b) allows flexibility in systemmore » representation; (c) yields the lower and upper bounds on the estimated values of state variables/parameters as well as their expected values; and (d) leads to fewer branchings in the dynamic event-tree generation. Using a simple but realistic pressurizer model, the potential use of the DSD-ISA methodology for on-line probabilistic accident management is illustrated.« less
Kinked Demand Curves

This article describes one set of demand relationships which may arise in oligopoly markets where only a few firms exist and the behavior and profitability of each depends, in part, on the actions of its rivals. The underlying assumptions regarding the firms' behavior, and economic prediction of the model are presented. The strength of this model and its weaknesses are described. Keywords: demand; oligopoly; strategic rivalry
Cellular Computers and Biomedical Image Processing

The serial nature of conventional computers seems to restrict or, at least, obscure their usefulness as image or picture processors Since each computer instruction typically affects only one or two pieces of data, manipulations of an entire image must be accomplished through explicit iteration which costs heavily in both time and conceptual distraction. The picture processing approach we are investigating avoids these problems by defining a set of operations which acts on the image as a whole. This provides an efficient conceptual framework for picture processing tasks. In addition, the cellular nature of these operations allows them to be implemented in computer hardware architectures employing a high degree of parallelism thus eliminating the costs of iteration. To describe this type of picture processing computer we have coined the term “cytocomputer” after the Greek “cyto” which means “cell.” A first generation cytocomputer has been developed at the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM).
Assessing the Impact of Land Cover Classification Methods on the Accuracy of Urban Land Change Prediction

Abstract. Accurate modeling of change in urban lands has been limited by many technical factors. Although efforts have been put into improving many of the urban land change models and in developing new ones, little has been done to promote understanding the significance of methods of classifying the satellite images often used as input maps in many of these models. In this study, the goal was to examine the significance of the impacts of classification methods of input land cover maps on the overall accuracy of the urban land change prediction. To do this, the historical SPOT satellite images of Kansas City were classified using multilayer perceptron neural network, and maximum likelihood classification techniques. The effects of these two classification methods on the overall accuracy of land change prediction were then assessed. The study made use of an independently classified and more accurate map of a known year to validate the results of both predictions. The study results show that the methods sele...
Nanostructured thin films produced in flame aerosol reactors for photosplitting of water

The paper describes methodologies for deposition of nanostructured films in single step processes using flame aerosol reactors. An understanding of the process parameters such as precursor feed rate, temperature histories and residence times that control resultant film parameters such as thickness, crystallinity and morphology are developed. Control of temperature profiles allow control of sintering rates to produce desired nanostructured thin films. These films are then tested for photocurrent generation under uv light illumination - and overall conversion efficiencies of around 5 % are readily obtained. Results of the study indicate that conditions could be optimized to improve water splitting efficiencies.
Design and performance of the sorbent-based atmosphere revitalization system for Orion:

Validation and simulations of a real-time dynamic cabin model were conducted on the sorbent-based atmosphere revitalization system for Orion. The dynamic cabin model, which updates the concentration of H2O and CO2 every second during the simulation, was able to predict the steady state model values for H2O and CO2 for long periods of steady metabolic production for a 4-person crew. It also showed similar trends for the exercise periods, where there were quick changes in production rates. Once validated, the cabin model was used to determine the effects of feed flow rate, cabin volume and column volume. A higher feed flow rate reduced the cabin concentrations only slightly over the base case, a larger cabin volume was able to reduce the cabin concentrations even further, and the lower column volume led to much higher cabin concentrations. Finally, the cabin model was used to determine the effect of the amount of silica gel in the column. As the amount increased, the cabin concentration of H2O decreased, but the cabin concentration of CO2 increased.
The Effect of the Bi Precursors, (CH3)3Bi and (C2H5)3Bi, on the Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy of GaAs1-yBiy Films†

This study compares the effectiveness of two Bi sources, trimethyl bismuth (TMBi) and triethyl bismuth (TEBi), in the growth of GaAs1-yBiy thin films. Through optimization of the growth conditions, GaAs1-yBiy-GaAs heterostructures with high lateral homogeneity of Bi are grown. TEBi results in a lower carbon concentration than is typical of methyl-based compounds when used at low growth temperatures. These findings suggest the process of Bi incorporation proceeds more efficiently using the TEBi precursor. These studies do not show noticeable growth rate reduction under the dilute flows of TMBi and TEBi, however at high Bi source flux, a growth rate drop was observed for both sources.
Safety related standards: a tutorial

The objective of this tutorial is to introduce current and emerging standards that address computer system and software safety. We consider relevant available standards and identify their strengths and weaknesses, we explore how to evaluate standards and we consider their application in practice. We address in depth IEC 61508 and Def Stan 00-56, two important standards. In addition, we will discuss current safety standards activity within the IEEE Software Engineering Standards Committee and we will touch upon the thorny issue of introducing standards into an organization. The tutorial will be practical and will address the application - not just the theory of safety standards. The tutorial is aimed at managers, project managers, safety engineers and software engineers with system or safety responsibility during the lifecycle of safety critical systems.
Stability of Bound Eigenmode Solutions for the Collisionless Universal Instability

The collisionless universal instability in slab geometry with a sheared magnetic field is considered. It is shown from the differential eigenvalue equation that no bound growing eigensolutions exist. The method of solution consists of first assuming that exponentially growing eigenmodes exist and then forming quadratic quantities from which a contradiction is obtained. The relation between the eigenmodes and convective modes is discussed.
Focal cerebral ischemia and mitochondrial dysfunction in the TNFα-transgenic rat

Post-ischemic neurodegeneration may be accelerated by a cytokine-receptor mediated apoptotic pathway, as shown in a transgenic rat overexpressing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in brain. To further investigate the mechanism of ischemic cellular injury in this animal, we tested the hypothesis that increased synthesis of TNFα augments neuronal death by promoting mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium dysregulation, and oxidative stress. Adult male TNFα-transgenic (TNFα-Tg) and non-transgenic (non-Tg) littermates underwent reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1 hour followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. Cortical mitochondria were isolated from injured (ipsilateral) and uninjured (contralateral) hemispheres of ischemic rats or from pooled hemispheres of control animals. ATP synthesis was attenuated in non-ischemic TNFα-Tg rats, demonstrated by reduction of state III and respiratory control ratio, increased production of reactive oxygen species, and earlier formation of the calcium-induced membrane permeability transition pore. After MCAO, mitochondrial dysfunction was augmented more significantly in ischemic TNFα-Tg brain mitochondria than in non-Tg rats. These results show that mitochondrial dysfunction may be caused by increased brain levels of TNFα without physiological stress but will be exacerbated after MCAO. We conclude that ischemic stress and synthesis of inflammatory cytokines synergistically augment mitochondrial dysfunction to promote neuronal death.
The spiral of silence and journalists' outspokenness on Twitter

This study examined whether Twitter can serve as a public sphere where opinion leaders – in this case, journalists – speak up about politically controversial issues. Based on the theoretical framework of the spiral of silence (SOS), 118 Korean journalists from nine national newspapers and two network broadcasting companies were surveyed about their behavior on Twitter with regard to two controversial issues in South Korea. Results showed that journalists who perceived a greater discrepancy between their opinions and the opinions of Twitter users about controversial issues in South Korea were less willing to voice their opinions on Twitter; moreover, the journalists' ideology was found to be a significant factor in expressing their opinions about controversial issues on Twitter. Specifically, politically conservative journalists were more likely to perceive that their opinions were in the minority; therefore, they were less likely than politically liberal journalists to discuss their opinions on Twitter be...
Have Gender Gaps in Insurance Coverage and Access to Care Narrowed under Health Reform? Findings from Massachusetts

As a result of its landmark 2006 health reform legislation, Massachusetts has achieved near universal health insurance coverage, along with significant gains in access to and use of care and in the affordability of care (Long and Stockley 2010). Improvements have been documented for the population as a whole, as well as for vulner? able subgroups, including lower-income adults, racial and ethnic minorities, and adults with chronic health conditions. This paper examines the impacts of the state's health reform initia? tive on women and men, and the gender gaps in coverage and access. We focus on the impacts of health reform on differences in insurance cov? erage, access to and use of health care, and the affordability of health care between fall 2006, just prior to the implementation of health reform in the state, and fall 2009, the most recent year for which data are available. Gender differences in health care needs and use of health care are well established. Women tend to have a greater need for health services than men, in large part due to women's reproduc? tive health care needs at younger ages and the greater incidence of chronic conditions among
The involvement of O-linked oligosaccharide chains of the sea urchin egg receptor for sperm in fertilization

Recent investigations on the sea urchin egg receptor for sperm have led to its sequencing and the demonstration that it is a 350 kDa glycoprotein. In the current study, the N- and O-linked oligosaccharide chains were cleaved from the protein fractionated on concanavalin A-agarose. The putative O-linked oligosaccharide chains that did not bind to the lectin were further fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography. Using a competition bioassay that measured the ability of these oligosaccharide chains to inhibit fertilization, it was found that the N-linked chains were devoid of inhibitory activity. Rather, the inhibitory activity was localized to the O-linked chains, with the most highly charged, sulphated chains showing the highest inhibitory activity. The bioactive oligosaccharides were labelled by reduction and assayed for binding to sperm. The results of the binding assay, coupled with the fertilization bioassay, indicate that the oligosaccharides inhibit fertilization by binding to acrosome-reacted sperm. The bioactive oligosaccharide lacked species specificity in fertilization bioassays, unlike the intact receptor and a recombinant aglyco protein containing only the extracellular domain of the receptor. Since previous work showed that the recombinant protein inhibits fertilization species specifically and binds to acrosome-reacted sperm, a two-step model of sperm-egg interaction is proposed. The first step is postulated to be a low-affinity ionic interaction of the sulphated O-linked oligosaccharide chains of the receptor with sperm that is not species specific. This is followed by a high-affinity, species-specific interaction of the sperm with one or more binding sites on the polypeptide chain of the receptor.
Glandular peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

Background. Peripheral nerve tumors (PNT) containing glands are uncommon. Which types of PNT contain glands is a matter of controversy, a factor bearing on the prognosis of these tumors. Methods. The authors reviewed the files of 11 patients with glandular PNT seen in their laboratory and 27 patients reported in the literature. Results. The 11 instances of glandular PNT seen in their laboratory affected male and female patients equally; patient ages ranged from 8 to 68 years (mean, 28 years). Six patients had neurofibromatosis-1 (NF-1). Eleven of the tumors were histologically malignant PNT, and one was a benign neurofibroma. There were no schwannomas (neurilemomas). The glands were discrete, usually localized to a few areas and in every patient were lined by a keratin-positive epithelium, which in two patients was malignant. One tumor also contained areas of rhabdomyosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma (a pluridirectional malignant PNT). Treatment in all patients was some form of surgical resection, followed by radiation in three and chemotherapy in two. Follow-up data were available for nine patients; six of eight patients died with disease. Review of the literature revealed two purported glandular schwannomas (neurilemomas). The authors think these patients had schwannomas containing trapped skin adnexa. Overall, 74% of the patients had NF-1. Ninety-two percent of the tumors were histologically malignant, and 23% of the malignant tumors were pluridirectional malignant PNT. Of the 21 patients for whom follow-up was available, 71% died with tumor. Conclusion. Most glandular PNT are histologically malignant and often are fatal.
Geochemistry of diverse basalt types from Loihi Seamount, Hawaii: petrogenetic implications

The wide variety of basalt types, tholeiitic to basanite, dredged from Loihi Seamount have minor and trace element abundances that are characteristic of subaerial Hawaiian basalts, thereby confirming that Loihi Seamount is a manifestation of the Hawaiian “hot spot”. Within the Loihi sample suite there are well-defined positive correlations among abundances of highly incompatible elements (P, K, Rb, Ba, Nb, light REE and Ta) and moderately incompatible elements (Sr, Ti, Zr and Hf) and between MgO, Ni and Cr. However, within the Loihi suite abundance ratios of geochemically similar elements (Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta and La/Ce) vary by factors of 1.2–1.5 and abundance ratios of highly incompatible elements such as P/Ce, P/Th, K/Rb, Ba/Th and La/Nb vary by factors of 1.2–2.5. These abundance ratios are not readily changed by different degrees of fractionation and melting. Therefore, we conclude that these samples are not genetically related by different degrees of melting of a compositionally homogeneous source. On the basis of K/P, K/Ti, P/Ce, Zr/Nb, Th/P and La/Sm abundance ratios, the twelve samples studied in detail can be divided into six geochemical groups. Samples within each group are similar in 87Sr/86Sr [1], and intra-group compositional variations may reflect low-pressure fractionation and different degrees of melting. In addition, crossing chondrite-normalized REE patterns within the alkalic basalt groups reflect equilibration of the magmas with garnet. In ratio-ratio plots involving abundance ratios of highly incompatible elements, e.g., La/P, Nb/P, K/P, Rb/P, Ba/P and Th/P, the geochemical groups define linear arrays suggestive of mixing. However, these data combined with the isotopic data are not consistent with two-component mixing.
Dermatomyositis: current and future treatments

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy traditionally characterized by a progressive, symmetrical proximal muscle weakness and pathognomonic or characteristic cutaneous manifestations. In some patients with DM, cutaneous disease exists in the absence of objective evidence of muscle inflammation, and these cases are referred to as amyopathic DM. Management of DM begins with careful investigation for the presence of muscle disease or of additional systemic involvement, particularly of the pulmonary, cardiac or gastrointestinal systems, and for the possibility of an accompanying malignancy. The presence of muscle or systemic involvement or the presence of malignancy alters the initial approach to management. Muscle disease and systemic involvement can be refractory and may require multiple sequential therapeutic interventions or, at times, combinations of therapies. In addition, even after these disease components are controlled, the cutaneous disease of DM can be particularly challenging...
MO-D-110-01: Benefit Risk Assessment: Identifying the at Risk Patient; SYMPOSIUM-Estimating Patient-Specific Radiation Dose from Fluorosocpy

Radiationdose management for fluoroscopically‐ guided interventional medical procedures requires a combined effort from physicians, physicists and government regulators. Paramount to this process is an understanding of the benefits and risk for these procedures. For cardiovascular disease, despite the increasing prevalence in a setting of escalating risk factors, mortality has steadily decreased. Diagnostic and therapeutic fluoroscopic imaging has undoubtedly attributed to this as seen specifically in the areas of acute myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac arrest, and heart failure therapy. All facilities should have a radiation safety program as part of the institutional quality assurance umbrella with specific focuses on dose management as it applies to the equipment, physician, and patient. The regular interactions between the physicist and physician/staff assure proper equipment purchase and maintenance, initial and annual training, and patient dose assessment. The current challenges of the high risk patient require specific attention. As techniques and equipment advance, application of procedures expands and previously “untreatable” patients are approached. Patient factors such as morbid obesity, diabetes and repeat procedures are seen more as the norm rather than the exception. Complex anatomy in elderly, critically ill patients dictate challenging clinical decisions before, during, and after the procedure. This presentation will present a best practice approach to the challenges of benefit risk assessment in patients undergoing fluoroscopically‐guided interventional procedures.
LAPAROSCOPIA EN CIRUGÍA PRIMARIA DEL CÁNCER DE OVARIO AVANZADO

RESUMENObjetivo: Describir los resultados de la laparoscopia abierta para certiﬁcar el diagnostico y evaluar la re-secabilidad tumoral de pacientes con cancer de ovario avanzado (COA). Metodo: Se analizaron todas las ﬁchas de pacientes con sospecha diagnostica de COA entre octubre de 2005 y febrero de 2007 inicialmente manejadas con laparotomia abierta. Resultados: En 14 pacientes se certiﬁco el diagnostico de COA, de ellas se estimo posible la resecabilidad completa en 10 casos, lo cual se logro efectivamente en 9. En 4 ca-sos la evaluacion laparoscopica indico irresecabilidad, derivandose las pacientes a quimioterapia neoadyu-vante para una posterior cirugia de intervalo. Conclusion: Creemos que la laparoscopia en pacientes con sospecha de COA, podria cumplir un rol importante en la evaluacion de la resecabilidad asi como en la conﬁrmacion diagnostica, evitando extensas laparotomias en pacientes inoperables en primera instancia y donde el inicio de una quimioterapia precoz podria mejorar signiﬁcativamente su sobrevida. PALABRAS CLAVE: Laparoscopia, cancer ovarico avanzadoSUMMARY Objective: To describe the results of open laparoscopy to conﬁrm the diagnosis and to evaluate resectability in patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). Methods: Analysis of medical records of all the patients with suspected AOC between October 2005 and February 2007, initially managed with open laparoscopy. Results: In 14 patients we conﬁrmed the diagnosis of AOC. We considered feasibility of optimal cytoreduc-tion in 10 cases and it was possible in 9 of them. The others 4 cases were judged to be inoperable and were derived to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions: We believe than open laparoscopy in suspected AOC´s patients could be and important tool in the evaluation of patients with ovarian cancer, to conﬁrm the diagnosis and avoid unnecessary laparotomies in inoperable patients in which neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval cytoreduction surgery may improve survival. KEY WORDS: Laparoscopy, advanced ovarian cancer
Laser induced dielectric breakdown studies of the reaction UF6 + H2

Abstract Laser induced dielectric breakdown (LIDB) has been documented in UF 6 at pressures ranging from 8–100 torr. A high power, line selectable TEA CO 2 laser has been used as the source to induce the dielectric breakdown (DB). Reactions of the fragmented UF 6 with H 2 have been studied at various pressure ratios. In all cases a rapid and large pressure drop and heavy deposits of suspended particulates were observed and attributed to the LIDB driven reaction 2UF 6 + H 2 → 2UF 6 + H 2 → 2UF 5 + 2HF.
Surface phases of Cu2O(111) under CO2 electrochemical reduction conditions

Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to examine the relative stability of Cu- and O-terminated Cu 2 O(111) surfaces as well as possible surface phases of Cu 2 O(111) under applied potentials relevant for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) electrochemical reduction. The Cu-terminated surface is found to be more favored than the O-terminated surface at potentials less than − 0.52 V-SHE at a pH = 7. Adsorption stabilities of H*, OH*, O*, and H 2 O* were examined by calculating the formation free energy of the adsorbate as a function of electrode potential. A H* covered surface is the most favored surface under reduction conditions. At pH values of 7 and 13, formation of an O-vacancy requires potentials of 0.61 and 0.25 V-SHE, respectively. At more negative potentials relevant to reduction of CO 2 , formation of an O-vacancy is thermodynamically favored, indicating a facile reduction of the Cu 2 O surface as observed experimentally.
The Impact of the Host on Fungal Infections

Outcomes of fungal infections in immunocompromised individuals depend on a complex interplay between host and pathogen factors, as well as treatment modalities. Problems occur when host responses to an infection are either too weak to effectively help eradicate the pathogen, or when they become too strong and are associated with host damage rather than protection. Immune reconstitution syndrome (IRS) can be generally defined as a restoration of host immunity in a previously immunosuppressed patient that becomes dysregulated and overly robust, resulting in host damage and sometimes death. IRS associated with opportunistic mycoses presents as new or worsening clinical symptoms or radiographic signs consistent with an inflammatory process that occur during receipt of an appropriate antifungal, and that cannot be explained by a newly acquired infection. Because there are currently no established tests or biomarkers for IRS, it can be difficult to distinguish from progression of the original infection, although culture and biomarkers for the fungal pathogen or infection are typically negative during diagnostic workup. IRS was originally characterized in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy, but has subsequently been described in solid-organ transplant recipients, neutropenic patients, women in the postpartum period, and recipients of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy. In each of these cases, recovery of the host's immunity during treatment of an initial infection results in a powerful proinflammatory environment that overshoots and leads to host damage. Optimal management of IRS has not been established at present, but often involves treatment with a corticosteroid or other anti-inflammatory compounds. This article uses a number of patient cases to explore the intricacies of diagnosing and managing a patient with IRS, as well as the other extreme, namely patients who are so immunocompromised without immune recovery that they essentially become breeding grounds for a wide range of opportunistic pathogens, often simultaneously.
Secure Multimedia Communications

Because multimedia files can be shared with increasing ease and efficiency, the need to ensure their secure transmission and consumption has become acute, particularly in light of multimedia-specific exploits. This article explores a variety of strategies and technologies that address the requirements and implementation elements of secure multimedia communications. To maintain acceptable performance, a security strategy must be aware of multimedia-specific needs and not severely detriment metrics such as jitter and frame rate. The wrong security techniques can burden the data with excessive encoding that reduces its perceptual quality and doesn't achieve the intended security objectives.
Locally optimal extracellular stimulation for chaotic desynchronization of neural populations

We use optimal control theory to design a methodology to find locally optimal stimuli for desynchronization of a model of neurons with extracellular stimulation. This methodology yields stimuli which lead to positive Lyapunov exponents, and hence desynchronizes a neural population. We analyze this methodology in the presence of interneuron coupling to make predictions about the strength of stimulation required to overcome synchronizing effects of coupling. This methodology suggests a powerful alternative to pulsatile stimuli for deep brain stimulation as it uses less energy than pulsatile stimuli, and could eliminate the time consuming tuning process.
Fetal response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone after thyroid hormone administration to the rhesus monkey: lack of pituitary suppression.

Chronically catheterized maternal fetal monkey preparations were used to study pituitary suppression by thyroid hormones in the fetus. Baseline maternal T3, T4, and PRL were all significantly higher than fetal levels of these hormones. TRH was given iv (10 μg/kg) to the mother 3, 6, 12, 20, or 44 h after giving varying doses of T3 to the fetus. Amniotic fluid and fetal tracheal aspirate did not contain detectable TSH. Nonpregnant females and pregnant mothers showed complete suppression of the TSH response to TRH after receiving 20 μg T3 iv 24 h before TRH. Two micrograms of T3 iv to the fetus 3 h before TRH failed to suppress the TSH response (fetal δTSH, 26 μU/ml; δT4, 3.6 μg/dl). Six micrograms of T3 iv (three doses of 2 μg) to the fetus over 36 h achieved a basal T3 level of 2500 ng/dl and lowered fetal δTSH to 9.1 μU/ml. Six micrograms of T3 infused iv to the fetus over 24 h achieved fetal T3 blood levels of 5000 ng/dl, which suppressed δTSH to 2.7 μU/ml. 3,5,-Dimethyl-3'-isopropyl-L-thyronine (DIMIT;...
Kinetics of decomposition pathways of an energetic GZT molecule

This investigation uses the Gaussian 98 program, density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), and ab initio MP2/6-31G(d,p) and HF/6-31G(d) methods to model energetic diguanidinium 5,5′-azotetrazolate (GZT) ionic species in order to determine their decomposition mechanisms. GZT was initially cracked into two guanidinium cations (G+) and a 5,5′-azotetrazolate anion (ZT2−). Three routes—the elimination of a hydronium ion (H+), the elimination of a hydrogen radical (H·), and the elimination of an amine radical (·NH2)—are suggested for the decomposition of the G+ cation, and three routes—single ring opening, double ring opening and NN bond cleavage outside the ring—are proposed for the further decomposition of the ZT2− anion. Fourteen decomposition species were obtained on splitting both the cation and anion. This result reveals the reliability of the aforementioned decomposition mechanisms. The transition state species were also obtained using a two-structure or three-structure synchronous transit-guided quasi-Newton (STQN) between the Cartesian coordinates of related particles at specific decomposition stages in this research. The corresponding activation energies in all decomposition stages were considered to infer the most feasible pathways of GZT decomposition. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
SU‐GG‐T‐381: Attenuation Due to Bronchial Stents in Photodynamic Therapy

Purpose: Bronchial stents are devices to keep an airway open when it has been obstruct by extrinsic or intrinsic tumor compression. Such device may be in use in a patient undergoing photodynamic therapy(PDT). The magnitude of the light attenuation by commercially available stents is unknown. To study the attenuation properties of four different kinds of commercially available bronchial stents that may be used in PDT.Method and Materials: The stents were a Nitinol mesh, a polyester mesh, a solid silicone and an opaque solid silicone, all manufactured by Boston Scientific. These stents were cut longitudinally so that each could be sandwiched in a 10 × 10 PMMA holder. For each measurement, the holder with and without the stent was positioned between a PDTlaser beams (630 nm, 100 mW) and a laser power/energy monitor. The attenuation was obtained by the ratio of the light intensity that reaches the detector after traverse the PMMA with and without stent, respectively. Results: The Nitinol stent attenuated the light beam by 30.7%, the polyester stent by 51.1%, the transparent silicone stent by 7.83% and the opaque silicone stent by 80.8%. Conclusion: Bronchial stents can great attenuate the light in PDT, so that attenuation of a particular kind of stent should be evaluated, taking into account also treatment time and light intensity, before its use in a patient undergoing PDT.
Extensible PGAS semantics for C

The Partitioned Global Address Space model combines the expression of data locality in SPMD applications, which is crucial to achieving good parallel performance, with the relative simplicity of the Distributed Shared Memory model. C++ currently lacks language support for PGAS semantics; however, C++ is an excellent host language for implementing Domain-Specific Embedded Languages (DSELs). Leveraging these capabilities of C++, we have implemented the Partitioned Global Property Map, a DSEL library supporting PGAS semantics, polymorphic partitioned global data structures, and a number of useful extensions. The Partitioned Global Property Map library utilizes template meta-programming to allow direct mapping at compile-time of high-level semantics to efficient underlying implementations. It combines flexible/extensible semantics, high performance, and portability across different low-level communication interfaces to allow PGAS programs to be expressed in C++.
Superfluidity and collective properties of excitonic polaritons in gapped graphene in a microcavity

We predict the formation and superfluidity of polaritons in an optical microcavity formed by excitons in gapped graphene embedded there and microcavity photons. The Rabi splitting related to the creation of an exciton in a graphene layer in the presence of the band gap is obtained. It is demonstrated that the Rabi splitting decreases when the energy gap increases, while the larger value of the dielectric constant of the microcavity gives a smaller value for the Rabi splitting. The analysis of collective excitations as well as the sound velocity is presented. We show that the superfluid density ${n}_{s}$ and temperature of the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition ${T}_{c}$ are decreasing functions of the energy gap.
Effect of Liberibacter Infection (Huanglongbing or “Greening” Disease) of Citrus on Orange Juice Flavor Quality by Sensory Evaluation

: Some anecdotal reports suggest that infection of citrus trees with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the suspected causal agent of huanglongbing (HLB) disease, imparts off flavor to orange juice. It is of interest to the industry to know how Las infection affects juice quality with respect to cultivar, maturity, or processing method. Hamlin, Midsweet, and Valencia oranges were harvested over 2 y from trees that tested negative (Las−) or positive (Las+) for Las from different groves and included normal looking (nonsymptomatic) and symptomatic fruit (small, green, and lopsided) from Las+ trees. In the 1st year, fruit were manually juiced, while in the 2nd year, a commercial process was used. Juice from Las+ trees was compared to juice from Las− trees in difference-from-control tests, and by descriptive analysis. Results showed large variability due to tree, harvest date, and cultivar. Juice from Hamlin Las+ trees tended to be more bitter and sour than its Las− counterpart. In contrast, hand processed Valencia juice from Las+ trees was perceived to have some off-flavor and bitterness compared to control, but the following year, commercially processed Valencia juice from Las+ trees was perceived to be only slightly more sour than juice from Las− trees for the April harvest, and to be sweeter for the June harvest. When juice from individual replicates was pooled to be more representative of a commercial situation, there was no difference between Las+ and Las− juice in Valencia. Trained panel differences were noted for juice from Hamlin Las+ fruit, especially for symptomatic fruit. Practical Application: Assumptions that juice made from oranges harvested from Huanglongbing (from infection with Liberibacter sp.) affected trees is off-flavored appeared to be generally more true for Hamlin juice than for Midsweet or Valencia, especially for Hamlin juice made from symptomatic fruit. For Midsweet and Valencia, flavor differences between juice made from fruit harvested from diseased or healthy trees varied greatly between trees, season, and even processing method. Under a commercial processing situation, where juice is blended from several varieties, seasons, and multiple locations, it is expected that off-flavor will not be a major problem.