cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature-compensated sapphire resonator for ultra-stable oscillator capability at temperatures above 77 K

We report on the design and test of a whispering gallery sapphire resonator for which the dominant (WGH/sub n11/) microwave mode family shows frequency-stable, compensated operation for temperatures above 77 K. The resonator makes possible a new ultra-stable oscillator (USO) capability that promises performance improvements over the best available crystal quartz oscillators in a compact cryogenic package. A mechanical compensation mechanism, enabled by the difference between copper and sapphire expansion coefficients, tunes the resonator to cancel the temperature variation of sapphire's dielectric constant. In experimental tests, the WGH/sub 811/ mode showed a frequency turnover temperature of 87 K in agreement with finite element calculations. Preliminary tests of oscillator operation show an Allan Deviation of frequency variation of 1.4-6/spl times/10/sup -12/ for measuring times 1 s /spl les//spl tau//spl les/100 s with unstabilized resonator housing temperature and a mode Q of 2/spl times/10/sup 6/. We project a frequency stability 10/sup -14/ for this resonator with stabilized housing temperature and with a mode Q of 10/sup 7/. >
Fall prevention and monitoring of assisted living patients: an exploratory study of physician perspectives.

Objective: Explore physician perspectives on their involvement in fall prevention and monitoring for residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) residents. Design: Exploratory cross-sectional study; mailed questionnaire. Setting: Four RC/AL communities, North Carolina. Participants: Primary physicians for RC/AL residents. Measurements: Past Behavior and future Intentions of physicians with regard to (1) fall risk assessment and (2) collaboration with RC/AL staff to reduce falls and fall risks among RC/AL residents were explored using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs. Predictor variables examined (1) physicians’ views on their own responsibilities (Attitude), (2) their views of expectations from important referent groups (Subjective Norms), and (3) perceived constraints on engaging in fall prevention and monitoring (Perceived Behavioral Control). Results: Physicians reported conducting fall risk assessments of 47% of RC/AL patients and collaborating with RC/AL staff to reduce fall risks for 36% of RC/AL patients (Behavior). These proportions increased to 75% and 62%, respectively, for future Intentions. TPB-based models explained approximately 60% of the variance in self-reported Behavior and Intentions. Physician’s involvement in fall prevention and monitoring was significantly associated (P <.05) with their perceptions of barriers and facilitatorsdease, time, reimbursement, and expertise. Conclusion: This study provides first data on physician beliefs regarding their involvement in fall risk assessment of RC/AL patients and collaboration with RC/AL staff to reduce fall risks of individual patients. Challenges to physician involvement identified in our study are not unique or specific to the RC/AL setting, and instead relate to clinical practice and reimbursement constraints in general.
Performance of small-scale tidal power plants

Small-scale tidal power plants--having electric power between 1 and 100 MW, approximately--possess several attractive economic and environmental benefits. The dynamical behavior of such systems is calculated in terms of dimensionless variables and parameters so that the size of the system is inconsequential (except for one parameter related to the slope of the walls of the tidal basin). Two measures of system performance are defined: capacity factor (ratio of average to rated power) and effectiveness (ratio of average to ideal tidal power). It was found that improving both parameters is mutually incompatible so that an economic analysis will determine the optimum values of the system design and performance parameters. The effects of variation of tidal range and basin shape were determined. Using typical variable flow properties of low-head hydroturbines, a favorable design head could be determined from the analysis. It was found that the change in the area of the intertidal zone relative to the surface area of the tidal pond is greater for small, as compared to large, systems, possibly leading to proportionately greater environmental effects. A comparison of the performance of several tidal power plant designs with the methodology of this paper showed generally good agreement with the dimensionlessmore » performance parameters and only a modest difference among them over several orders of magnitude in size of power plant.« less
ReaxFF Monte Carlo reactive dynamics. Application to resolving the partial occupations of the M1 phase of the MoVNbTeO catalyst

Recently high quality structures have become available for the M1 and M2 phases of the MoVNbTeO multi-metal oxide (MMO) catalysts capable of selectively activating propane to form acrylonitrile and other important monomers for modern polymer materials. However the details of the chemical mechanisms controlling selectivity and activity have remained elusive because important sites in these structures are occupied by mixtures of Mo and V atoms, obscuring the actual distributions of the metals and oxides at the active sites. We have developed the ReaxFF-MC-RD computational approach to resolve such partial occupations of crystallographic sites, which we apply here to determine the atomistic arrangements in the M1 phase of the MoVNbTeO system. We find ordering of four distinct crystallographic sites with partial occupations in the z direction. There is a strong energetic preference for Mo–O–Mo and V–O–V interlayer bonding between adjacent M1 sites and also between adjacent M7 sites, leading to V=O V=O and M=O M=O chains perpendicular to the layers and bordering the heptagonal channels. On the other hand, for M3 sites in adjacent sites Mo–O–V bonding is preferred, while there is no observed energetic preference for different ordering between adjacent M2 sites. We consider that these ordered structures lead to local environments that strongly affect the reactivity of V and Mo atoms in the M1 catalyst, demonstrating the need to resolve the partial occupations from X-ray analysis into atomistic structures with whole atoms. The ReaxFF-MC-RD approach provides a means for accomplishing this resolution. We expect that such studies will provide additional insights into the chemical reaction steps on MMO catalysts that should be useful in designing more selective and more active systems.
Diffuse Tracheal Narrowing With Recurrent Bronchopulmonary Infections

* From the ACCP-SEEK program, reprinted with permission. Items are selected by Department Editors Richard S. Irwin, MD, FCCP, and John G. Weg, MD, FCCP. For additional information about the ACCP-SEEK program, phone 1-847-498-1400. Correspondence to: Sidney S. Braman, MD, FCCP, Rhode Island Hospital, Department of Pulmonary and Cardio Medicine, 593 Eddy St, Providence, RI 02903-4923; e-mail: sidney_braman@ brown.edu Figure 1. Findings on CT scan. accp-seek board review question of the month
Heterogeneous atypical cell populations are present in blood of metastatic breast cancer patients

Introduction: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are commonly isolated from the blood by targeting the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) through positive selection. However, EpCAM can be downregulated during metastatic progression, or it can be initially not present. We designed the present prospective trial to characterize CTCs as well as other circulating cell populations in blood samples from women with metastatic breast cancer without EpCAM-dependent enrichment and/or isolation technology. Methods: A total of 32 patients with metastatic breast cancer were enrolled, and blood samples were processed using a previously described negative depletion immunomagnetic methodology. Samples from healthy volunteers were run as controls (n= 5). Multistep sequential labeling was performed to label and fix cell-surface markers followed by permeabilization for cytokeratins (CK) 8, 18 and 19. Multiparametric flow cytometry (FCM) analysis was conducted using a BD LSR II flow cytometer or a BD FACSAria II or FACSAria III cell sorter. Immunocytochemical staining on postenrichment specimens for DAPI, EpCAM, CD45, CK, epidermal growth factor receptor and vimentin was performed. Expression of these markers was visualized using confocal microscopy (CM). Results: CD45-negative/CK-positive (CD45− CK+) populations with EpCAM + and EpCAM − expression were identified with both FCM and CM from the negatively enriched patient samples. In addition, EpCAM + and EpCAM −populations that were CK + and coexpressing the pan-hematopoietic marker CD45 were also noted. There were more CK + EpCAM − events/ml than CK + EpCAM + events/ml in both the CD45− and CD45+ fractions (both statistically significant at P ≤ 0.0005). The number of CK + CD45− and CK + CD45+ events per milliliter in blood samples (regardless of EpCAM status) was higher in patient samples than in normal control samples (P ≤0.0005 and P ≤ 0.026, respectively). Further, a significant fraction of the CK + CD45+ events also expressed CD68, a marker associated with tumor-associated macrophages. Higher levels of CD45-CK + EpCAM −were associated with worse overall survival (P= 0.0292). Conclusions: Metastatic breast cancer patients have atypical cells that are CK + EpCAM − circulating in their blood. Because a substantial number of these patients do not have EpCAM + CTCs, additional studies are needed to evaluate the role of EpCAM − circulating cells as a prognostic and predictive marker.
Response to Letter by Lord and Rochester

Response: We thank Drs Lord and Rochester for their interest and comments regarding our study results. We agree that gait velocity and gait itself are complex in nature with many variables contributing to gait velocity classifications and community ambulation. Richards et al previously reported that poststroke self-selected …
Correction Factor of Come-up Heating Based on Mass Average Survivor Concentration in a Cylindrical Can of Heat Conduction Food

A mathematical expression is derived to estimate a correction factor for come-up heating, which may be used to calculate mass average survival concentrations. For this derivation, analytical heat conduction formulae are used to estimate transient state temperature distributions in a cylindrical can of heat conduction food. Through the dimensional analysis of the derived analytical expression, 12 dimensionless groups are formulated in order to examine the Influence of various process conditions as well as of food properties on the correction factors. Theoretical correction factors are then computed for various numerical combinations of these dimensionless groups. Through the nonlinear regression analyses of these computed factors, we obtain algebraic equations for representing these factors as a quadratic function of the dimensionless groups. There is fair agreement between the correction factors estimated by using the algebraic equations and by using heat penetration data collected experimentally.
Production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels by catalytic conversion of biomass-derived levulinic acid

Levulinic acid derived from ligno-cellulosic biomass has the potential to be utilized as a platform intermediate molecule in the production of renewable liquid fuels for the transportation sector. Herein we report a catalytic process for the conversion of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone (GVL) using a RuRe/C catalyst that is significantly more active than a traditional Ru/C catalyst. The bimetallic catalyst is active for the reduction of levulinic acid and simultaneous decomposition of formic acid with good stability in the presence of sulfuric acid, the homogeneous catalyst commonly used in the production of levulinic acid from carbohydrates. Results from techno-economic analyses show that the integration of this new process with catalytic decarboxylation of GVL to butene followed by alkene oligomerization could provide a cost-effective route for the conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomass to liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Compensation is unnecessary for the perception of faces in slanted pictures.

In four experiments, we explored the perception of facial distortions seen in pictures viewed from the side or from above or below. In all four, however, we disguised the slant of the picture surface by using a double-projection technique that removed binocular and monocular cues: Faces were digitized, distorted to mimic a particular slant behind the image plane, cropped to a frame, and presented to viewers for their judgments. In the first experiment, we found that simulated rotations around a horizontal axis (pictures seen as if from above or below) created more noticeable distortions in faces than did simulated rotations around a vertical axis (pictures seen as if from the left or right). In the second experiment, pursuing a result from the first but with a between-subjects design, we found that pictured faces with a slant around a vertical axis of 22° were seen as having no more distortion than unslanted faces. In the third experiment, we placed each image within a frame slanted either in the same way as or differently from the picture, and found no effect of frame. In the fourth experiment, we determined that viewers had little ability to match appropriately slanted frames with slanted pictures. Thus, we claim that part of the reason why one can look at moderately slanted pictures without perceptual interference is that the distortions in the image are subthreshold, or perhaps within the bounds of acceptability. These results contrast with the generally accepted theory that viewers mentally compensate for distortions in moderately slanted pictures.
A Roadmap to the Smartphone Patent Wars and FRAND Licensing

The smartphone industry today is characterized by a thicket of patents and wars based on those patents. Every day brings a new lawsuit or development between Apple, HTC, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung. The lawsuits span numerous courts and several continents.This 5-page article attempts to make sense of the chaos, with a particular emphasis on standards and reasonable licensing ("FRAND") terms. It summarizes court rulings on whether injunctions should be granted on "standard essential patents" and "non-standard essential patents." And it discusses the European Commission investigations of Motorola and Samsung, and the Department of Justice’s approval of the patent portfolio acquisitions of Novell, Nortel, and Motorola.
Evaluation of a 2-Pyridone, KRQ-10018, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis In Vitro and In Vivo

A novel subclass of quinolones, 2-pyridones, showed potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with KRQ-10018 being an early lead. KRQ-10018 showed better activity in vitro against M. tuberculosis versus moxifloxacin. In vivo efficacy of KRQ-10018 at 300 mg/kg of body weight was similar to that of isoniazid at 25 mg/kg, but showed less activity than moxifloxacin at 300 mg/kg.
Causes of sudden unexpected death of adult hospital patients

The sudden unexpected death of a hospitalized patient is distressing to the family and the healthcare team. It is also common. Assessment of the causes without autopsy is frequently incorrect. To elucidate the causes of death, 175 cases of adult hospital patients in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health System, who died suddenly and unexpectedly, were investigated with autopsies. The most common cause was judged to be a cardiac arrhythmia, in 58 (33%) of cases, presumptive in 46 cases, because only 12 of these patients were on cardiac monitoring. Of the arrhythmia patients, 36 (62%) had ≥75% coronary artery stenosis and 31 (53%) had histological evidence of myocardial infarction, with 15 (26%) of those with subacute or old myocardial infarction lacking a history of myocardial infarction. Hemorrhage was judged the cause of death in 38 (22%) of cases, including 31 (82%) with endogenous coagulopathy, anticoagulation, or antiplatelet therapy. Pulmonary thromboembolism was judged the cause of death in 27 (15%) of cases. Overall, hemorrhage deserves better appreciation as a cause of sudden unexpected death of hospitalized adults.
Diffusion of Sustainable Systems Engineering Through Interdisciplinary Graduate and Undergraduate Education at the University of Michigan

This paper provides specific examples of sustainability education programs within the engineering curriculum at The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (UM). These programs exist at the undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. levels of education. At the undergraduate level, a basic literacy program has been initiated to give each graduating mechanical engineer from UM the understanding required to make design decisions less impacting on the environment. The program is designed as an educational thread consisting of three (3) course modules corresponding to each of three required courses in the Design and Manufacturing sequence in the mechanical engineering department. To compliment the thread, a new joint course between mechanical and environmental engineering in Environmentally Sustainable Engineering is under development to serve as the cornerstone undergraduate course in environmental education for the UM College of Engineering (CoE). At the Masters level, the ConsEnSus (Concentrations in Environmental Sustainability) Program is described. This program has been introduced to enhance general environmental literacy and to prepare students to integrate environmental principles into professional practice. Similarly, a joint Ph.D. program has also been developed between CoE and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment to prepare students for a career in research and education related to sustainable engineering. Both ConsEnSus and the Ph.D. program are supported by a course entitled Principles of Eco-Design and Manufacturing. This course, and the graduate and undergraduate programs it supports, is part of a college-wide effort to make Sustainable Systems Engineering a reality in practice by disseminating operational definitions of sustainability targeted to specific engineering disciplines.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Media Literacy and Television Criticism : Enabling an Informed and Engaged Citizenry

This article argues that the concept of media literacy is strengthened when it is understood as media criticism. After briefly tracing the development from concerns about television in the early 1950s to the Aspen Institute’s 1992 call for media literacy, the article overviews several types of television criticism to illustrate how criticism embraces and moves beyond mere literacy to provide a vehicle for citizen empowerment and engagement. The conclusion reflects on the ethical impulse in media criticism and on how moral engagement with television by literate and critical citizens can serve to democratize public sphere policy debates over communication in the public sphere.
The neuroendocrine system of invertebrates: a developmental and evolutionary perspective

Neuroendocrine control mechanisms are observed in all animals that possess a nervous system. Recent analyses of neuroendocrine functions in invertebrate model systems reveal a great degree of similarity between phyla as far apart as nematodes, arthropods, and chordates. Developmental studies that emphasize the comparison between different animal groups will help to shed light on questions regarding the evolutionary origin and possible homologies between neuroendocrine systems. This review intends to provide a brief overview of invertebrate neuroendocrine systems and to discuss aspects of their development that appear to be conserved between insects and vertebrates.
Five visions of America

The study of dialect distribution has generally focused on the performance of speakers rather than on their perception of speech variation. The exceptions in so-called attitude studies do not further our understanding of where ordinary speakers believe dialect boundaries exist. Hand-drawn maps from five areas (Hawaii, southeastern Michigan, southern Indiana, western New York, and New York City) are converted into generalized maps of local perceptions of dialect areas of the United States. The maps are compared with one another, with traditional maps of U.S.dialect areas, and with maps of cultural and regional zones of the United States. The maps are shown to be of value in calculating attitudinal factors and may be of considerable importance in determining the existence and scope of such notions as "speech community." (Dialect geography, language standards, American speech, language attitudes)
Biomimetic Synthesis and Antibacterial Characteristics of Magnesium Oxide--Germanium dioxide Nanocomposite Powders

The efficiency of growth of nanocrystalline magnesium oxide- germanium dioxide nanocomposite powders at room temperature was investigated in the presence of the amino acids histidine, aspartic acid, and the biopolymer poly- L-lysine under varying conditions. It was observed that of the three, poly-L-lysine and histidine were more efficient and formed higher yields of the products. The growth of the nanocomposties was found to be pH-sensitive as indicated by zeta potential as well as TEM, and dynamic light scattering analyses. Furthermore, the nanocomposite powders were found to have significant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria.
Land titles and violent conflict in rural Mexico

Insecure property rights are commonly thought to incite violence; however, discretionary control over land allocation can also serve to maintain social order. Using a conict model, we demonstrate how these opposing forces alter the level of violence in a community. We then investigate the eect of a land
Consequences of Intracellular Amyloid in Vascular System

Overwhelming evidence provided in this chapter, and from many publications well beyond those listed in this book, convincingly shows that vascular pathologies are not only present in AD but may actually be one of the earliest pathological events leading to the disease. It is not clear which group of patients with vascular diseases eventually develop AD, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), or vascular dementia (VaD), but it is clear that vascular pathology is a prerequisite for AD. All of the cells of the vascular system contribute to the pathology, which appears to begin from intracellular Aβ. Although the source(s) of the Aβ in these cells is/are not clear, the presence of several Aβ receptors provides a mechanism of endocytosis of the intracellular Aβ.
Ragnarøk: An Elegy

In a world where names of cosmic significance are daily degraded to the level of mere lexis, Ragnarok long remained above the fray. Now, it too has lost its onomastic grandeur as meaning ‘the fall of the gods and civilization after an all-inclusive battle between the Jaetter and the AEsir’ and has been brought down to mundane lexical use as ‘really big mess’ by a Danish detective novel and its English translation. Could the fall of Ragnarok signal the Twilight of End of Times terminology? Will Gotterdamerung be the next mighty name to fall? All things — even our names for them — finally pass.
Patterns of mineral occurrence in metamorphic rocks

Patterns in the occurrence of minerals in metamorphic rocks suggest additional opportunities for investigating chemical and physical processes during metamorphism. Three such patterns are reviewed. First, trace minerals in metamorphic rocks commonly occur with regular distributions indicating their participation in prograde reactions that can be mapped as isograds. Examples include the distribution of allanite and monazite in pelitic rocks and of zircon and baddeleyite in siliceous dolomites. Recognition of these isograds points to the potential for developing a chronology of specific chemical reactions during metamorphism and for defining the P - T conditions of those reactions. Second, the mineralogical products of retrograde metamorphism in many cases occur in distinctive associations that are consistent with partial mineral-fluid equilibrium. Examples include the distribution of retrograde calcite, quartz, and tremolite in siliceous limestones and of retrograde tremolite, dolomite, brucite, and serpentine in siliceous dolomites from contact aureoles. Among other things, application of partial equilibrium to retrograde metamorphic rocks leads to constraints on the amount and direction of fluid flow in contact aureoles as they cool. Third, pseudomorphs are typically absent from prograde metamorphic rocks but are common in retrograde metamorphic rocks. The distribution may be explained by the effect of “force of crystallization.” The pattern of occurrence of pseudomorphs thus suggests novel phenomena during metamorphism that develop from an interplay between chemical and mechanical processes.
Military and Civilian Disaster Response and Resilience: From Gene to Policy

ABSTRACTDisasters, such as war, terrorism, and natural disasters, affect individuals, groups, and communities. Although the focus is often on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is only one of many potential responses to traumatic experiences. Fostering community and individual resilience can help mitigate the effects of disaster. Research, education, and early intervention are integral tools to inform an effective response. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences ascribes to such a model in its approach. Recent studies confirm that appreciation of biology and its relation to trauma response are necessary to our understanding of trauma's effects on humans, including trauma-associated disorders, resiliency, and recovery.
Approximate scheme for calculating van der Waals interactions between finite cylindrical volume elements.

A successful approach to calculating van der Waals (vdW) forces between irregular bodies is to divide the bodies into small cylindrical volume elements(1-3) and integrate the vdW interactions between opposing elements. In this context it has been common to use Hamaker’s expression for parallel plates to approximate the vdW interactions between the opposing elements.(1, 3) This present study shows that Hamaker’s vdW expression for parallel plates does not accurately describe the vdW interactions for co-axial cylinders having a ratio of cylinder radius to separation distance (R/D) of 10 or less. This restricts the systems that can be simulated using this technique and explicitly excludes consideration of topographical or compositional variations at the nanoscale for surfaces that are in contact or within a few nm of contact. To address this limitation, approximate analytical expressions for nonretarded vdW forces between finite cylinders in different orientations are derived and are shown to produce a high ...
The Intracellular Cholesterol Landscape: Dynamic Integrator of the Immune Response.

Cholesterol has typically been considered an exogenous, disease-related factor in immunity; however, recent literature suggests that a paradigm shift is in order. Sterols are now recognized to ligate several immune receptors. Altered flux through the mevalonic acid synthesis pathway also appears to be a required event in the antiviral interferon (IFN) response of macrophages and in the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of T cells. In this review, evidence is discussed that suggests an intrinsic, ‘professional' role for sterols and oxysterols in macrophage and T-cell immunity. Host defense may have been the original selection pressure behind the development of mechanisms for intracellular cholesterol homeostasis. Functional coupling between sterol metabolism and immunity has fundamental implications for health and disease.
Extended Twilight among Isogenic C. elegans Causes a Disproportionate Scaling between Lifespan and Health

Summary Although many genetic factors and lifestyle interventions are known to affect the mean lifespan of animal populations, the physiological variation displayed by individuals across their lifespans remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we use a custom culture apparatus to continuously monitor five aspects of aging physiology across hundreds of isolated Caenorhabditis elegans individuals kept in a constant environment from hatching until death. Aggregating these measurements into an overall estimate of senescence, we find two chief differences between longer- and shorter-lived individuals. First, though long- and short-lived individuals are physiologically equivalent in early adulthood, longer-lived individuals experience a lower rate of physiological decline throughout life. Second, and counter-intuitively, long-lived individuals have a disproportionately extended "twilight" period of low physiological function. While longer-lived individuals experience more overall days of good health, their proportion of good to bad health, and thus their average quality of life, is systematically lower than that of shorter-lived individuals. We conclude that, within a homogeneous population reared under constant conditions, the period of early-life good health is comparatively uniform, and the most plastic period in the aging process is end-of-life senescence.
Evaluation of Rosemont criteria for non-calcific chronic pancreatitis (NCCP) based on histopathology – A retrospective study

Abstract Background Rosemont classification for chronic pancreatitis has not been evaluated specifically in non-calcific chronic pancreatitis (NCCP) patients and to this date, it has not been correlated with the gold standard namely histopathology. Objective To assess the correlation of EUS Rosemont criteria for NCCP with histopathology from surgical specimens and evaluate the impact of age, sex, BMI, smoking and alcohol on Rosemont classification. Methods Adult patients undergoing TPIAT for NCCP between July 2009 and January 2013 were identified from our institutional database. The presence or absence of standard and Rosemont (major and minor) criteria were determined by expert endosonographers using linear endosonography. Patients were categorized into normal, indeterminate and suggestive with CP based on Rosemont classification. Histology was obtained at time of TPIAT from the resected pancreas by wedge biopsy of head, body and tail. All histopathology were re-reviewed by a GI pathologist blinded to endosonographic features and clinical outcomes. Available pancreatic tissue was graded for severity of intralobular and perilobular pancreatic fibrosis by the Ammann classification system. Results 50 patients with NCCP (42 females, mean age± SD = 37.9 ± 10.8) underwent TPIAT with preoperative EUS during the study period. Univariate analysis of features such as age, sex, BMI, smoking and alcohol history showed no significant difference between patients identified as normal and those identified as indeterminate/suggestive (p > 0.05). Rosemont “Normal” was poor in excluding CP as 5/9 patients (55.5%) had CP on histopathology. 25/26 patients (96.2%) with features “suggestive” of CP had evidence of CP on histopathology. 12/15 patients (80.0%) with “indeterminate” features had CP on histopathology. Conclusions Rosemont classification can be used independent of patient characteristics (age, sex and BMI) and environmental factors (smoking and alcohol exposure). In our cohort, Rosemont classification was strongly predictive of CP in patients with features “suggestive” of CP. However, “normal” Rosemont classification had poor correlation in this study. This is maybe due to lack of true comparator “normal” pancreas which cannot be obtained reasonably. The strength of agreement for diagnosis of CP was substantial between the standard and Rosemont criteria.
Continuous, One-pot Synthesis and Post-Synthetic Modification of NanoMOFs Using Droplet Nanoreactors.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs); also known as porous coordination polymers (PCP) are a class of porous crystalline materials constructed by connecting metal clusters via organic linkers. The possibility of functionalization leads to virtually infinite MOF designs using generic modular methods. Functionalized MOFs can exhibit interesting physical and chemical properties including accelerated adsorption kinetics and catalysis. Although there are discrete methods to synthesize well-defined nanoscale MOFs, rapid and flexible methods are not available for continuous, one-pot synthesis and post-synthetic modification (functionalization) of MOFs. Here, we show a continuous, scalable nanodroplet-based microfluidic route that not only facilitates the synthesis of MOFs at a nanoscale, but also offers flexibility for direct functionalization with desired functional groups (e.g., -COCH3, fluorescein isothiocyanate; FITC). In addition, the presented route of continuous manufacturing of functionalized nanosized MOFs takes significantly less time compared to state-of-the-art batch methods currently available (1 hr vs. several days). We envisage our approach to be a breakthrough method for synthesizing complex functionalized nanomaterials (metal, metal oxides, quantum dots and MOFs) that are not accessible by direct batch processing and expand the range of a new class of functionalized MOF-based functional nanomaterials.
Security Threats and Threat Motives to Computer Networks

In February, 2002, the Internet security watch group CERT Coordination Center first disclosed to the global audience that global networks, including the Internet, phone systems, and the electrical power grid, are vulnerable to attack because of weakness in programming in a small but key network component. The component, an Abstract Syntax Notation One, or ASN.1, is a communication protocol used widely in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
Seeing the world through adult eyes

How does the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy reflect our current understanding of adult learning theory? Is it beneficial to students whose life situations mean they are uniquely challenged to balance a variety of roles and obligations, and whose primary focus may not be a career in academia? How can we, as librarians who work more and more with adult students, incorporate the best of adult education theory into our information literacy instruction?
Abstract TP257: Apoptotic Erythrocytes Attenuate Macrophages Proinflammatory Phenotype in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Introduction: Inflammation contributes to both injury and recovery after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Our previous studies showed that blood-derived CCR2 + monocytes/macrophages infiltration induces brain injury in acute ICH, whereas these cells are also essential for hematoma clearance at later stage of ICH. However, the mechanism that educates macrophages (MΦ) to change from classical activation to assisting in recovery in the hemorrhagic brain is still missing. In wound healing, contact with apoptotic cells induces macrophage alternative activation. Hypothesis: Apoptotic erythrocytes activate phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) receptors on MΦ to decrease MΦ proinflammatory response and induce MΦ alternative activation to aid in hematoma clearance. Methods: Bone marrow-derived macrophages were treated with thrombin to induce MΦ proinflammatory activation and to mimic ICH in vitro . We used PHK-26 labeled-apoptotic erythrocytes and recombinant annexin V to competitively inhibit PtdSer-receptor interactions to study the effect of apoptotic erythrocytes on MΦ phenotype and erythrophagocytosis ability. RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence were performed to detect MΦ polarization genes expression and the engulfment of erythrocytes. Results: Exposure to apoptotic erythrocytes decreased proinflammatory genes TNF-alpha (∼50%) and CD86 (∼30%) up-regulation induced by thrombin (10 U/ml) treatment for 12 hour (Figure). Recombinant annexin V (10μg) abolishes the benefit from apoptotic erythrocytes and reduces MΦ erythrophagocytosis. Conclusions: Macrophage alternative activation and erythrophagocytosis is induced by exposure to apoptotic erythrocytes in a PtdSer-dependent manner. Targeting PtdSer sensing receptor on MΦ could be a potential therapeutic strategy to promote MΦ alternative activation and subsequently to enhance hematoma clearance in ICH.
Impacts of the horizontal and vertical grids on the numerical solutions of the dynamical equations – Part 1: Nonhydrostatic inertia–gravity modes

Abstract. We have used a normal-mode analysis to investigate the impacts of the horizontal and vertical discretizations on the numerical solutions of the nonhydrostatic anelastic inertia–gravity modes on a midlatitude f plane. The dispersion equations are derived from the linearized anelastic equations that are discretized on the Z, C, D, CD, (DC), A, E and B horizontal grids, and on the L and CP vertical grids. The effects of both horizontal grid spacing and vertical wavenumber are analyzed, and the role of nonhydrostatic effects is discussed. We also compare the results of the normal-mode analyses with numerical solutions obtained by running linearized numerical models based on the various horizontal grids. The sources and behaviors of the computational modes in the numerical simulations are also examined. Our normal-mode analyses with the Z, C, D, A, E and B grids generally confirm the conclusions of previous shallow-water studies for the cyclone-resolving scales (with low horizontal wavenumbers). We conclude that, aided by nonhydrostatic effects, the Z and C grids become overall more accurate for cloud-resolving resolutions (with high horizontal wavenumbers) than for the cyclone-resolving scales. A companion paper, Part 2, discusses the impacts of the discretization on the Rossby modes on a midlatitude β plane.
Regulating the IoT: Discrimination, Privacy, and Cybersecurity in the Artificial Intelligence Age

The field of consumer Internet of Things (IoT) has exploded as business and researchers have sought to not only develop Internet-connected products but also define the common structure in which IoT devices will operate, including technological standards and responsive architectures. Yet, consumer IoT continues to present a host of potential risks to consumers, cascading from the multidimensional nature of IoT devices: IoT combines well-known consumer products with cutting-edge infrastructures including big data solutions, distributed data storage or “cloud,” and artificial intelligence (AI) utilities. The consumer device is no longer only the product, it is the product, the data, the algorithms, and the infrastructure. Consumer products have shifted from analog to connected technologies, introducing new risks for consumers related to personal privacy, safety issues, and potential for discriminatory data. Broad, ubiquitous data collection, internet connectivity, predictive algorithms, and overall device functionality opacity threaten to undermine IoT market benefits by causing potential consumer injury: broad unfairness and disparate impact, data breaches, physical safety issues, and property damage. Existing regulatory regimes have not anticipated these damages to effectively avoid injury, and it is yet unknown how existing products liability, common law civil recovery under contracts or torts schemes, and due process procedures will apply to these products and the data they process. This Article explores the technology and market of IoT, potential consumer impacts resulting from a lack of consistent and complete legal framework, whether IoT regulation is appropriate, and how the United States can balance market needs for innovation with consistent oversight for IoT manufacturers and distributors.
Breast cancer MRI radiomics: An overview of algorithmic features and impact of inter-reader variability in annotating tumors.

Purpose To review features used in MRI radiomics of breast cancer and study the inter-reader stability of the features. Methods We implemented 529 algorithmic features that can be extracted from tumor and fibroglandular tissue (FGT) in breast MRIs. The features were identified based on a review of the existing literature with consideration of their usage, prognostic ability, and uniqueness. The set was then extended so that it comprehensively describes breast cancer imaging characteristics. The features were classified into 10 groups based on the type of data used to extract them and the type of calculation being performed. For the assessment of inter-reader variability, four fellowship-trained readers annotated tumors on preoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRIs for 50 breast cancer patients. Based on the annotations, an algorithm automatically segmented the image and extracted all features resulting in one set of features for each reader. For a given feature, the inter-reader stability was defined as the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) computed using the feature values obtained through all readers for all cases. Results The average inter-reader stability for all features was 0.8474 (95% CI: 0.8068-0.8858). The mean inter-reader stability was lower for tumor-based features (0.6348, 95% CI: 0.5391-0.7257) than FGT-based features (0.9984, 95% CI: 0.9970-0.9992). The feature group with the highest inter-reader stability quantifies breast and FGT volume. The feature group with the lowest inter-reader stability quantifies variations in tumor enhancement. Conclusions Breast MRI radiomics features widely vary in terms of their stability in the presence of inter-reader variability. Appropriate measures need to be taken for reducing this variability in tumor-based radiomics.
Pediatric intramedullary spinal cord tumor outcomes using the WeeFIM scale.

The Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM) is a user-friendly functional outcomes tool that has been validated across other traditional functional scales. Historically, the significant neurologic and functional deficits of intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) have been monitored by coarse or overbearing functional outcomes tools that make it difficult to measure the slow improvement/decline seen in these patients. This study is the first to report WeeFIM outcomes on a series of IMSCTs with emphasis on an aggressive surgical strategy. A retrospective review from 2005 to 2014 was performed for nine patients who underwent resective surgery for intramedullary spinal cord tumors with intraoperative ultrasound and neurophysiologic monitoring. WeeFIM scales were assessed at admission and discharge to evaluate changes in severity of disability and need for assistance. At the time of this submission, 7/9 patients are alive. The mean WeeFIM improvement was 27 points (8–50 points) with a mean WeeFIM efficiency of 2.0 points/day. The WeeFIM scale is an appropriate and useful scale for measuring postoperative improvements in patients with IMSCTs undergoing aggressive resective surgery. Attention to intraoperative spinal cord monitoring and prevention of spinal column instability may prevent morbidity related to surgery, and functional outcomes do not appear to be compromised by an aggressive surgical approach.
Risk Communication and the Cognitive Representation of Uncertainty

Risk communications often contain uncertainty information associated with technologies, behaviors, medical procedures, etc. To be effective, such messages need to incorporate ideas, images, and logic that will promote comprehension by a lay public. This paper reviews research strategies designed to make explicit the implicit and frequently idiosyncratic elements of lay reasoning about uncertainty. General biases and heuristics are outlined as they may influence the communication process. Empirical data on variables of newly emerging interest are presented as an extension of earlier research paradigms, with special focus on preferences among natural language terms, causal logic, and modalities for the expression of uncertainty. It is suggested that risk communication incorporate multiple ways to communicate the same information.
Determination of ED50 and time to effectiveness for intrathecal hydromorphone in laboring patients using Dixon's up-and-down sequential allocation method.

With the increasing occurrence of drug shortages, understanding the pharmacokinetics of alternative intrathecal opioid administration has gained importance. In particular, additional data are needed to comprehensively evaluate the analgesic properties of intrathecal hydromorphone in the laboring patient. In a phase 2 clinical trial, we set out to determine the median effective dose (ED50) and time to effectiveness for this drug in this population. Using Dixon’s up-and-down sequential allocation method, twenty women presenting for labor analgesia were prospectively enrolled. A combined spinal-epidural technique was used to deliver the determined dose of intrathecal hydromorphone. Visual analog pain scores were obtained assessing peak pain scores during serial uterine contractions. Effective pain relief was defined as achieving a pain score of less than or equal to 3 out of 10. The dose was deemed to be ineffective if the patient failed to achieve this level of relief after 30 min. The ED50 of hydromorphone in our population was 10.9 μg (95% confidence interval 5.6–16.2 μg). Amongst patients for whom the dose was effective, the median time to pain relief was 24 min. One patient experienced both nausea and pruritus. No other complications were noted. Due to the prolonged time to onset, hydromorphone cannot be recommended in favor of substantively better alternatives such as sufentanil and fentanyl. Clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT01598506.
The archaeology of “celebrities” in the Greek and Roman worlds.

The debate about the identification of the house of Augustus on the Palatine hill or the controversy surrounding the occupant of Tomb 2 at Vergina or the recently excavated funerary complex at Amphipolis offers more than sufficient evidence for a public fascination with important historical personalities. Yet, at the same time, disciplinary trends in archaeology have sought to emancipate the material record from historicizing narratives and to occlude or decanter the knowing subject. The archaeology of the individual has become, at best, a quaint, antiquarian pursuit and, at worst, a celebration of neo-conservative ideology. This article will consider a series of case-studies from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds with the aim of illuminating the viability - and desirability - of practicing an archaeology of famous individuals.
Theoretical evaluation of using wastewater-based epidemiology to assess the nutritional status of human populations

Abstract Conventional methods for assessing nutritional status in human populations are challenging and subject to biases. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) presents a potentially attractive alternative approach. A theoretical evaluation was performed by analyzing literature-reported dietary metabolites and known linkages to health effects in human populations. Analytes examined included 1-methylhistidine (meat intake), isoflavones and lignans (phytoestrogens), allyl isothiocyanates (cruciferous vegetables), and alkyl resorcinols (whole-wheat intake). Results obtained from theory identify WBE as a promising and economical tool for tracking dietary trends in human populations. Since the limitations inherent to quantitative WBE and to conventional survey tools are distinct, their combined use may be beneficial for producing more comprehensive and robust information.