cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
'Penser Et Écrire L'Afrique Noire': Storytelling as Archival Imagination in Alain Mabanckou's Youth Narratives

This presentation explores the aesthetic intertwining between storytelling, archives and African cultural memory in Alain Mabanckou's Demain j'airai vingt ans and Petit Piment. Indeed, Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are visions of the future and revision of the past. She adds that these archival records nonetheless "register confused assessment," with "dubious credentials dismissed rumors" and "contradictory testimonies." In both novels, the seemingly innocent young storytellers use inconsistent narrative strategies to actually uncover significant portions of African postcolonial political history and cultural memory. They provide conflicting accounts of Marxist ideology, capitalistic and democratic system, and discuss ideas on Transatlantic slave trade, colonization and post-colonialism, giving to the novels an archival imagination inflection. We use "archival grain" (Stoler), "fictional minds" (Palmer) and "interconnected constructive freedoms" (Sen) as primary methodological reading tools to argue that if Mabanckou wrote Demain to revisit his youthful memory, Petit Piment was written as a reaction to harsh readers' responses to his essay The Black Man's Sob. Mabanckou's aesthetic imagination of African strenuous life conditions seems to advocate for a clearer understanding of African identity and consciousness, therefore leads to a constructive self-criticism intended to put Africans at the center of their own political and cultural development.
Axial Abdominal Imaging after Partial Nephrectomy for T1 Renal Cell Carcinoma Surveillance

Purpose: The overall recurrence rate of T1 renal cell carcinoma is low. We evaluated abdominal imaging after partial nephrectomy based on current guidelines for T1 renal cell carcinoma surveillance.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with T1 renal cell carcinoma who underwent partial nephrectomy between 2006 and 2012 followed by abdominal imaging at our institution. Primary and secondary outcomes were the incidence and timing, respectively, of imaging diagnosed abdominal recurrences. A literature review was performed to summarize prior reports of recurrence incidence and timing after partial nephrectomy for T1 disease.Results: A total of 160 patients with stage T1a and 37 with T1b underwent partial nephrectomy. Seven patients had an abdominal recurrence, including 3 with local and distant recurrences, and 4 with a metachronous contralateral kidney recurrence. The incidence of abdominal recurrence detected by imaging was higher in the T1b than in the T1a group (10.8% ...
Comparative study of palm print authentication system using geometric features

Biometrics, particularly palm print authentication has been a stimulating research area due to its abundance of features. Stable features and effective matching are the most crucial steps for an authentication system. In conventional palm print authentication systems, matching is based on flexion creases, friction ridges, and minutiae points. Currently, contactless palm print imaging is an emerging technology. However, they tend to involve fluctuations in the image quality and texture loss due to factors such as varying illumination conditions, occlusions, noise, pose, and ghosting. These variations decrease the performance of the authentication systems. Furthermore, real-time palm print authentication in large databases continue to be a challenging task. In order to effectively solve these problems, features which are invariant to these anomalies are required. This paper proposes a robust palm print matching framework by making a comparative study of different local geometric features such as Difference-of-Gaussian, Hessian, Hessian-Laplace, Harris-Laplace, and Multiscale Harris for feature detection. These detectors are coupled with Scale Invariant Feature Transformation (SIFT) descriptor to describe the identified features. Additionally, a two-stage refinement process is carried out to obtain the best stable matches. Computer simulations demonstrate that the accuracy of the system has increased effectively with an EER of 0.86% when Harris-Laplace detector is used on IITD database.
Climate Variability, Climate Change, and Conservation in a Dynamic Ocean

Abstract Climate change is driving large-scale changes in both marine ecosystems and human behavior, creating challenges and opportunities for marine conservation and fisheries management. Here, we lay out key features of climate, ecosystem, and human dynamics; how these dynamics interact; and emerging adaptation, conservation, and management approaches in the Anthropocene ocean. We argue that ocean conservation, management, and climate adaptation will be most effective when approached through the lens of coupled social-ecological systems.
Negotiating meaning through costume and social media in Bulgarian Muslims' communities of practice

This paper shows how contemporary believers are negotiating a new identity of Islamic piety in Bulgarian Muslim communities. Driven by communal memory of repression and contemporary Islamophobia, Bulgarian Muslims have created communities of practice (Wenger 1998), participatory groups that share a common interest in learning more about their faith. Communities function on multiple levels: there are small pockets of Islamic activity at the local level, and at a broader level, an imagined community of Bulgarian-speaking Muslims connected to an imagined global Islamic community, the ummah. The practices examined here include face-to-face activities, such as learning to read the Qur’an and prayers in Arabic, learning Islamic principles and practice, and talking about faith in mosques and homes in Bulgaria. This paper also examines virtual practices, such as discussing faith on social media. The article focuses on women’s and girls’ Qur’an reading groups and discussions about wearing hijab, and it examines an...
A set of new 1RS translocations from wheat cv. Amigo in a uniform genetic background.

Wheat-rye translocation 1RS.1AL from cv. Amigo is still popular in wheat breeding and commercial cultivars. It introduces several disease and pest resistance genes from rye into wheat, and appears to enhance root system development. To create a set of uniform stocks for precise tests, the rye arm 1RS was separated from the wheat arm in the translocation by misdivision of centromeres in univalents, fused into a complete chromosome 1R, and then re-translocated to all group-1 wheat chromosomes 1A, 1B and 1D, creating a set of three translocation and three substitution lines in a uniform background of cv. Pavon 76. Misdivision frequencies of the chromosomes mirrored those observed earlier in that shorter chromosomes broke less frequently than the long ones, and chromosomes from previous misdivision-fusion events misdivided more frequently than normal intact chromosomes. This set of chromosome lines with 1RS from cv. Amigo increases to three the number of such translocations stocks in wheat.
No evidence for trace metal limitation on anaerobic carbon mineralization in three peatland soils

Abstract Peatlands store roughly one-third of the terrestrial soil carbon and release the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH4) to the atmosphere, making these wetlands among the most important ecosystems in the global carbon cycle. Despite their importance, the controls of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter to carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 within peatlands are not well understood. It is known, however, that the enzymes responsible for CH4 production require cobalt, iron and nickel, and there is a growing appreciation for the potential role of trace metal limitation in anaerobic decomposition. To explore the possibility of trace metal limitation in peatlands, we washed 3 peat soils with either PbCl2, to remove available trace metals, or distilled water. Following these washes, we added trace metals (as CoCl2, CuCl2, FeCl2, PbCl2 and NiCl2) to each soil. We measured anaerobic CH4 and CO2 production in laboratory incubations over 4 weeks before adding glucose as a labile carbon source and measuring CH4 and CO2 production for an additional 4 weeks. In all 3 soils, neither CH4 nor CO2 production were limited by individual trace metals, even following the wash with PbCl2 to remove available metals. Further, in response to the addition of a labile carbon substrate, all soils supported increased rates of CH4 and CO2 production without progressive trace metal limitation. Taken together, our findings suggest that individual trace metals may not be limiting to anaerobic decomposition in many peatland soils.
Human Herpesviruses: HSV-1 and 2: immunobiology and host response

Introduction Herpesviruses began to evolve prior to the development of acquired immunity (Arzul et al ., 2002). It is therefore likely that evasion of innate immunity is an ancient function of alphaherpesviruses. Additional immune evasion functions have developed to adapt to the diverse repertoires of B- and T-cell immune receptors that characterize acquired immunity (Roizman and Pellet, 2001; Littman et al ., 1999). Immune evasion is covered in detail elsewhere in this volume. The innate and acquired immune responses to HSV are relevant to preventative and therapeutic vaccines for HSV, HSV-induced immunopathology, and the use of modified HSV for gene or cancer therapy. While human studies are, of necessity, observational or ex vivo in nature and seldom access sites of neuronal latency, we review them in detail because of their medical relevance. The excellent tools available for murine studies, including exquisite control of the DNA sequence of HSV challenge strains, and of the phenotype and genotype of recipient animals, are yielding dramatic new insights as well. Reactivation of HSV from neuronal latency is less frequent in mice than in humans, limiting immunologic studies of this challenging phenomenon. Readers are referred to excellent reviews (Schmid and Rouse, 1992; Nash, 2000; Lopez et al ., 1993, Simmons et al ., 1992; Kohl,1992) for models and materials that cannot be covered in detail. HSV interactions with dendritic cells Dendritic cells (DC) are a major link between innate and acquired immunity. DC are mobile cells that can potently initiate acquired immunity.
Patterns of physicians' treatments for referral patients from public cholesterol screening.

Current interest in high blood cholesterol and attendance at public cholesterol screening programs has raised the issue of whether physicians are responding to referrals according to existing national assessment and treatment recommendations. This study assessed the relationship of characteristics of referrals from a series of public blood cholesterol screenings to physicians’ treatment practices. For this analysis, the sample was restricted to 1,324 subjects, from the 2,109 referred, who reported seeking physician care. At five months after screening, 75% of subjects reported their physician prescribed a diet; 16% of physicians prescribed medication. Multiple logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and other coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, indicated that screening cholesterol risk level, prior history of high blood cholesterol levels, and type of medical contact were consistently related to receipt of diet and medication treatment, but other CHD risk factors were underutilized. “Moderate” risk subjects with no history of high blood cholesterol were less likely to have received dietary advice, but a screening-risk level interaction did not occur for medication. The results imply that current treatment guidelines may not be working and suggest the need for continued physician education in the management of hypercholesterolemia.
Investigation of Microstructural Evolution in SAC Solders Exposed to Short-Term and Long-Term Aging

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder joints in electronic assemblies are constantly evolving when exposed to isothermal aging. In particular, both the stress-strain behavior and creep behavior of SAC solders degrade significantly with aging exposures. These changes in solder mechanical behavior are a result of the evolution of the solder microstructure that occurs during aging. The most well-known and widely observed changes are coarsening of the Ag 3 Sn and Cu 6 Sn 5 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) present in the eutectic regions between beta-Sn dendrites. In our prior investigation, we have developed new procedures to study the coarsening of IMC Particles that occur in a small fixed region of a SAC305 solder joint sample after several durations of aging. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has been utilized to examine aging induced coarsening of IMCs occurring within lead free solders. To identify the fixed region of interest for subsequent SEM imaging, a nanoindentation system was used to make small markers at the corners of the studied region in the solder joint sample. The markers were used to position the sample and locate the same region of the microstructure precisely. In the current work, we have extended our prior study to examine microstructural evolution in SAC305 lead free alloys for both short and long term aging experiments. Samples were formed with reflowed cooling profiles and resulting initial microstructures, and then polished microscopy cross-sections were prepared. For short term aging experiments, the microstructures were observed and recorded in the selected regions after every one hour of aging exposures using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). For long term aging experiments, the microstructures of the several fixed regions of interest were recorded every 250 hours. After each aging time, we were able to quantitatively analyze the evolution of Ag 3 Sn and other IMCs with aging. Specifically, the aging induced changes in number of IMCs, total area of all IMCs, average area of a particle, average diameter of a particle and the normalized diameter were quantified in the fixed regions. Quantitative analysis results show that the number of IMC particles decreases while the average diameter of the particles increases significantly (more than 300%) with increasing aging time. With that being said, the most of the changes in the microstructure were found to occur within first 250 hours of aging. Finally, empirical models describing the growth of IMC particles with aging were examined and applied to our experimental data.
Visual perception of planar-rotated 2D objects in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Abstract This study examined the ability of goldfish to visually identify 2D objects rotated in the picture plane. This ability would be adaptive for fish since they move in three dimensions and frequently view objects from different orientations. Goldfish performed a two-alternative forced choice task in which they were trained to discriminate between two objects at 0°, then tested with novel aspect angles (+/− 45°, +/− 90°, +/− 135°, 180°). Stimuli consisted of an arrow and half circle (Experiment 1) and line drawings of a turtle and frog (Experiments 2 and 3). In the first two experiments, the S+ and S− were presented at the same aspect angle. Performance in these experiments exceeded chance on four of seven novel aspect angles. Overall accuracy was not significantly different with complex stimuli (animal drawings) vs. simple stimuli (geometric shapes). In Experiment 3, when fish were tested with the S+ at varying aspect angles and the S− always presented at 0°, the fish failed to discriminate among the stimuli at all but one aspect angle. These goldfish viewing planar-rotated 2D objects did not display viewpoint-invariant performance, nor did they show a systematic decrement in performance as a function of aspect angle.
Environmental Justice in Context: Assumptions, Meanings, and Practices of Environmental Justice in U.S. Courts

Abstract This article asks how federal courts in the United States take up explicit claims of environmental justice. Through examination of judicial opinions and rhetoric, the article examines how ...
Donor-Funded Government—NGO Partnership for Public Service Improvement: Cases from India and Pakistan

The paper explores donors' efforts to promote government—NGO partnership for the purpose of improving public services. Following a brief discussion of partnership, two illustrations support a relative definition of partnership and its added value. The examples represent alternative approaches to improving public services through partnership work, the choice of which may depend on (1) the will of the partners to change—particularly government, (2) the preexistence of effective public services, and (3) depth of mobilization and social capital sought. The examples similarly reveal alternative approaches to addressing partnership challenges either bureaucratically or through behavioral norms and organization culture. Implications of donors' participation in such partnerships are highlighted.
Use of the Phase-Based Model of Smoking Treatment to Guide Intervention Development for Persons Living with HIV Who Self-Identify as African American Tobacco Smokers

Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH), with rates as high 50% as compared to 14% in the general U.S. population. Tobacco use causes morbidity and mortality in PLWH, and tobacco-related harm is substantially higher in PLWH than smokers in the general population, providing the scientific premise for developing effective tobacco cessation interventions in this population. To better address this issue, we conducted six focus group sessions with 45 African American smokers who are living with HIV to understand the barriers to smoking cessation and the strategies that would be helpful to overcome these barriers. We organized our findings by the Phase-Based Model of Smoking Treatment to understand the intervention components that are needed at each phase to help PLWH successfully quit smoking. Participants in our focus group sessions articulated key components for incorporation into tobacco cessation intervention for PLWH: a personalized plan for quitting, reminders about that plan, and a support system. Participants thought that their HIV and tobacco use were disassociated. Participants described barriers to the use of pharmacotherapy, including adverse side effects of the gum and patch and concerns about the negative health effects of some oral medications. Substance use was identified as a commonly co-occurring condition as well as a barrier to successfully ceasing to smoke tobacco products. In summary, these findings offer information on the components of a tobacco cessation intervention for PLWH, namely reminders, a support system, substance use treatment, and monitoring to prevent relapse.
The Architecture of Service Innovation

Innovation is about introducing something new. It occurs when we see the possibilities and opportunities others are missing. Sometimes, in order to see and understand our world better, we have to remove ourselves from a direct relationship with the subject we are observing and instead rely upon abstractions for needed distance, a new perspective and objectivity. For this study, an ARCHITECTURAL lens is applied to the field of Service Design to provide a new perspective on the subject and create the needed conditions for innovation. First, products and services are defined and architecture is positioned as a hybrid field with qualities of both. Next, architectural lessons from the Greeks and Romans are related to service design to provide criteria for approaching and assessing services. Finally, five architectural typologies are analyzed and used as service design models. These typologies offer insights and considerations not found in current service design methodologies, ideally providing the newness needed to foster innovation.
A Transformative Concept: From Data Being Passive Objects to Data Being Active Subjects

The exploitation of potential societal benefits of Earth observations is hampered by users having to engage in often tedious processes to discover data and extract information and knowledge. A concept is introduced for a transition from the current perception of data as passive objects (DPO) to a new perception of data as active subjects (DAS). This transition would greatly increase data usage and exploitation, and support the extraction of knowledge from data products. Enabling the data subjects to actively reach out to potential users would revolutionize data dissemination and sharing and facilitate collaboration in user communities. The three core elements of the transformative DAS concept are: (1) “intelligent semantic data agents” (ISDAs) that have the capabilities to communicate with their human and digital environment. Each ISDA provides a voice to the data product it represents. It has comprehensive knowledge of the represented product including quality, uncertainties, access conditions, previous uses, user feedbacks, etc., and it can engage in transactions with users. (2) A knowledge base that constructs extensive graphs presenting a comprehensive picture of communities of people, applications, models, tools, and resources and provides tools for the analysis of these graphs. (3) An interaction platform that links the ISDAs to the human environment and facilitates transaction including discovery of products, access to products and derived knowledge, modifications and use of products, and the exchange of feedback on the usage. This platform documents the transactions in a secure way maintaining full provenance.
Aberrant glycolytic metabolism of cancer cells: A remarkable coordination of genetic, transcriptional, post-translational, and mutational events that lead to a critical role for Type II hexokinase

For more than two-thirds of this century we have known that one of the most common and profound phenotypes of cancer cells is their propensity to utilize and catabolize glucose at high rates. This common biochemical signature of many cancers, particularly those that are poorly differentiated and proliferate rapidly, has remained until recently a “metabolic enigma.” However, with many advances in the biological sciences having been applied to this problem, cancer cells have begun to reveal their molecular strategies in maintaining an aberrant metabolic behavior. Specifically, studies performed over the past two decades in our laboratory demonstrate that hexokinase, particularly the Type II isoform, plays a critical role in initiating and maintaining the high glucose catabolic rates of rapidly growing tumors. This enzyme converts the incoming glucose to glucose-6-phosphate, the initial phosphorylated intermediate of the glycolytic pathway and an important precursor of many cellular “building blocks.” At the genetic level the tumor cell adapts metabolically by first increasing the gene copy number of Type II hexokinase. The enzyme's gene promoter, in turn, shows a wide promiscuity toward the signal transduction cascades active within tumor cells. It is activated by glucose, insulin, low oxygen “hypoxic” conditions, and phorbol esters, all of which enhance the rate of transcription. Also, the tumor cell uses the tumor suppressor p53, which is usually modified by mutations to debilitate cell cycle controls, to further activate hexokinase gene transcription. This results in both enhanced levels of the enzyme, which binds to mitochondrial porins thus gaining preferential access to mitochondrially generated ATP, and in a decreased susceptibility to product inhibition and proteolytic degradation. Significantly, these multiple strategies all work together to enable tumor cells to develop a metabolic strategy compatible with rapid proliferation and prolonged survival.
Simulation of Crowd Evacuation under Toxic Gas Incident Considering Emotion Contagion and Information Transmission

AbstractEvacuation can be the most necessary and effective method to save human lives in emergency scenarios due to natural or human-caused disasters. The emergency egress behavior of humans is not...
Lysolecithin-induced Fusion of Rabbit Spermatozoa with Hamster Somatic Cells

Summary Rabbit spermatozoa have been successfully fused with hamster somatic cells by the use of lysolecithin. The primary effect of lysolecithin on spermatozoa seems to be related to an alteration of cell membranes. Many of the spermatozoal nuclei were modified in appearance, and observations of the ultrastructure show that a small percentage proceed to a state of partial disaggregation. Incorporation of tritiated thymidine administered in vitro indicated the initiation of DNA synthesis by disaggregated spermatozoal chromatin in the cytoplasm of cultured heterokaryocytes.
Human Prion Disease Surveillance in Washington State, 2006-2017.

Importance Human prion disease surveillance is critical to detect possible cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other acquired forms of prion disease in the United States. Results are presented here that describe 12 years of surveillance in Washington, the only US state that has reported the presence of classic bovine spongiform encephalopathy, an animal prion disease that has been shown to transmit to humans. Objective To describe the current prion disease surveillance system in Washington and the epidemiological and clinical results of surveillance from 2006 through 2017. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study reports findings from the human prion disease surveillance system in place in Washington state from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2017. Participants included Washington residents with a clinical suspicion of human prion disease or suggestive test results from the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center or with prion disease listed as a cause of death on the death certificate. Data for this report were analyzed from June 1, 2016, to July 1, 2020. Exposure Human prion disease diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was incidence of human prion disease cases, including identification of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Results A total of 143 human prion disease cases were detected during the study period, none of which met criteria for a variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease diagnosis. Among 137 definite or probable cases, 123 (89.8%) occurred in persons aged 55 years or older, with a median age at death of 66 years (range, 38-84 years). Most patients were White (124 [92.5%] among 134 with reported race), and slightly over half were male (70 [51.1%]). The average annual age-adjusted prion disease incidence was 1.5 per million population per year, slightly higher than the national rate of 1.2 per million. A total of 99 cases (69.2%) were confirmed by neuropathology. Sporadic prion disease was the most common diagnosis, in 134 cases (93.7%), followed by familial prion disease in 8 cases (5.6%). One iatrogenic prion disease case (0.7%) was also reported. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that demographic characteristics of patients with prion disease in Washington are consistent with national findings. The slightly higher incidence rate may be due to the state’s enhanced surveillance activities, including close collaboration with key partners and educational efforts targeted toward health care providers. Results indicate that surveillance will continue to be beneficial for monitoring epidemiological trends, facilitating accurate diagnoses, and detecting variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or other emerging human prion disease cases.
Evaluate the Fidelity of Synthetic Tissues Used in Escharotomy Simulators

Patients with full thickness circumferential burns may require an urgent and relatively high-risk procedure known as an “escharotomy” to preserve limb perfusion and sometimes airway ventilation. The burned skin is incised down to the subcutaneous level, providing decompression through the incision sites. A delay in performing an escharotomy, or an inadequately performed escharotomy, may lead to true compartment syndrome endangering life and limb. With the Army’s emerging doctrine of prolonged field care, non-expert providers must be trained to perform escharotomies when indicated. However, existing physical simulations fall short of delivering the fidelity necessary to train the procedure by not providing adequate haptic and visual cues. To improve the fidelity of escharotomy simulations, gaps in performance between synthetic tissue and full thickness burned tissue must be measured. This work evaluates the fidelity of synthetic tissues used in escharotomy simulators with that of the full thickness burned tissues characterized using an ex vivo porcine model. Incision and cutting experiments are performed at the rates relevant to the escharotomy procedure. A statistical analysis shows a significant difference in the critical force to rupture synthetic tissues and burned porcine skin tissues.
Coastal resilience surges as living shorelines reduce lateral erosion of salt marshes

A growing suite of research has demonstrated that nature-based shoreline stabilization methods can increase resilience of coastal ecosystems by improving their capacity to return to predisturbance states. Previous work suggests that during hurricanes, living shorelines promote vertical accretion and experience less damage than traditional shoreline stabilization alternatives. Nevertheless, there is limited research looking at the impacts of major storm events on living shorelines and most studies have investigated a small number of sites. This study used in situ real-time kinematic (RTK)-GPS surveys to quantify the resilience (via the lateral change in shore position) of 17 living shoreline sites before and after a Category 1 hurricane event (Hurricane Florence, 2018). By doing so, this study seeks to understand the capacity of living shorelines (marsh with seaward breakwater or sill) to provide storm protection as compared to unaltered natural fringing salt marshes. After Hurricane Florence, living shorelines on average experienced significantly less lateral erosion compared to unprotected control segments (shoreline change rates of 0.015 and -0.31 m year-1 , respectively). This study also explores how environmental siting variables (i.e., scarp presence, fetch, and bottom sediment) and sill design variables (i.e., sill material, width, and height) influence short- and long-term erosion. living shorelines were found to reduce erosion of fringing marsh edge among projects with a range of installation ages, structural materials, sill widths, and sill heights, and they were able to provide protection from erosion across a range of fetch, scarp, and bottom sediment conditions. Living shoreline siting and sill design may be suitable for broader environmental conditions than previously known. This study shows that living shorelines can increase resilience by reducing erosion of fringing salt marshes, promoting lateral building up of shoreline zones during short-term disturbance events, and from their long-term presence. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;00:1-17. © 2021 SETAC.
Evaluation of an Automated Whole-body Lesion Detection and Quantification Approach using PERCIST Criteria for 18F-FDG PET/CT in Oncology

1437 Purpose: To develop and evaluate a 3-D automated approach for whole-body lesion detection, segmentation and quantification using PERCIST criteria for 18F-FDG PET/CT in oncology. Methods: 18F-FDG PET/CT data of 30 oncology patients (33±14 BMI; 13±1 mCi FDG; 75±7 min p.i; TOF+PSF+OSEM (3i21s) 4x4x4 mm3 PET; mCT scanner) were collected for the assessment. PERCIST criteria based on liver spherical VOI statistics was applied to a whole-body contour to form initial individual lesions, followed by morphological processing (lesion split, cleanness, Boolean operations, edge adjustment, etc) to finalize the contours for each of the lesions. Bone segmentation was performed to separate lesions in bone from soft tissues. SUV/SUL peak was measured by moving a defined 1-mL spherical VOI over each of the tumor foci. Required procedures (36 steps) were specifically developed and built together into an all-in-one workflow in the MIMSoftwareInc platform to enable automated whole-body lesion detection and quantification (SUV/SUL peak, tumor volume and total lesion glycolysis). Lesion detection accuracy was evaluated by nuclear medicine physician. Results: The developed approach streamlined overall individual procedures from PET/CT misalignment correction and fusion, to PERCIST criteria application, lesion detection, VOI generation and contour optimization, to bone segmentation, quantitative measurements, display and database output, automatically. Depending on the number and size of lesions and the computational environment, a typical time of processing one study with 100 lesions was ~30 sec. It revealed an accuracy of 88±10% in lesion detection across patients. Lesions < 1ml cost additional burden in both processing time and measurement accuracy. More details and challenges as well as future development will be demonstrated in presentation. Conclusions: Innovative and efficient approaches to facilitate the process of reviewing and quantifying large number of lesions and patients in clinical PET/CT routines and research are expected. The study developed and evaluated a 3-D approach in such effort by utilizing PERCIST criteria and morphological processing, and it demonstrated a promising feasibility in automated whole-body lesion detection and quantification in oncologic 18F-FDG PET/CT.
Singular Perturbation and Small-signal Stability for Inverter Networks

This paper examines small-signal stability of electrical networks composed dominantly of three-phase grid-following inverters. We show that the mere existence of a high-voltage power flow solution does not necessarily imply small-signal stability; this motivates us to develop a framework for stability analysis that systematically acknowledges inverter dynamics. We identify a suitable time-scale decomposition for the inverter dynamics, and using singular perturbation theory, obtain an analytic sufficient condition to verify small-signal stability. Compared to the alternative of performing an eigenvalue analysis of the full-order network dynamics, our analytic sufficient condition reduces computational complexity and yields insights on the role of network topology and constitution as well as inverter-filter and control parameters in small-signal stability. Numerical simulations for a radial network validate the approach and illustrate the efficiency of our analytic conditions for designing and monitoring grid-tied inverter networks.
Heredity under the Microscope: Chromosomes and the Study of the Human Genome

The first time I asked one of the pioneers of medical genetics about the impact of the DNA double helix on their field and he replied, ‘Basically, none’, I was stunned. It was common knowledge that...
Comparative Clinical Effectiveness of Population-Based Atrial Fibrillation Screening Using Contemporary Modalities: A Decision-Analytic Model.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) screening is endorsed by certain guidelines for individuals aged ≥65 years. Yet many AF screening strategies exist, including the use of wrist‐worn wearable devi...
Homogeneity assessment of the elemental composition of windshield glass by µ-XRF, LIBS and LA-ICP-MS analysis

Abstract This study evaluates the capability of μ-XRF and LIBS analyses to characterize the homogeneity (elemental variation) of glass compared to the LA-ICP-MS quantitative analysis method. Two premises in the forensic comparison of glass are that 1) the elemental composition across a single source (e.g., a pane) is homogeneous and 2) the elemental variation within a single source is much smaller than the elemental variation observed among different glass sources (different panes manufactured at different sites or different times). These assumptions are widely supported when using microsampling methods such as LA-ICP-MS; however, systematic homogeneity studies using μ-XRF and LIBS methods are unavailable. In this study, the variability of the elemental composition within 100 fragments from two different panes of the same windshield was characterized using chemical maps, and semi-quantitative data was used to compare fragments within and between the different panes. When comparing pieces within the same pane, the variability for most elements was less than 10% RSD for both μ-XRF and LIBS and less than 5% RSD for LA-ICP-MS. Comparison methods simulating casework situations in which one questioned fragment is compared to more than one known fragment resulted in better performance as the number of fragments of the known sample increased (to up to 4 fragments, 12-20 measurements). The results show the comparison criteria should be selected according to the instrument’s precision and sensitivity. Error rates below 3% were obtained for μ-XRF and LIBS when selecting the appropriate number of fragments, measurements, and comparison criterion.
Examining Predictors and Outcomes of Identity Communication in Virtual Teams

Virtual teams play an increasingly important role in the modern economy, and many organizations struggle to overcome the weaknesses inherent in technology-mediated work. Identity communication has been shown to greatly improve individualand group-level outcomes in offline settings, but these benefits have not been investigated in the context of virtual teams, where mediated interaction can affect the opportunity for identity communication. This research-in-progress paper proposes a theoretical model and experimental design that investigates the predictors and outcomes of identity communication in virtual teams. Our anticipated findings should have important implications for researchers seeking to understand identity communication via technology and for practitioners hoping to improve virtual team communication and collaboration.
Civil Law Lexicon: La Ley

In the civil law jurisdictions, the written law (la ley) has primacy among the sources of the legal order. And so much so, that the expression la ley has attained such a degree of generality that the term has become amphibolic. La ley may mean, in general, the legal discipline of any relation. For example, a contract is la ley as between the parties and contracts, of course, may be verbal, not written. Sometimes it is said that custom, (la costumbre), is the law. But la ley, para-digmatically, means statutory law.
Promoting safe nursing care by bringing visibility to the disciplinary aspects of interdisciplinary care.

The provision of safe and effective interdisciplinary care requires making the unique and interdependent aspects of disciplinary care visible and understandable. Ideally, the electronic health record (EHR) should capture both disciplinary and interdisciplinary care. This paper reports on a “real time” pilot of a technology supported method of documenting, communicating, and tracking the nursing component of the patient’s plan of care for eventual integration into an EHR. An intensive care unit tested the intervention that included the adoption and use of the NANDA, NOC, and NIC terminologies. Multiple methods were used to evaluate the impact of the care planning method for a 12 month period. We found that the increased visibility of nursing care promoted greater awareness and understanding (collective mind) of care and in turn enhanced continuity. The results of the pilot were used to further refine our theoretical framework and method for the multi-site study currently underway.
Improved directional algorithm of the non-linear anisotropic diffusion equation for images

We present an algorithm to greatly reduce the directionality bias inherent in existing finite difference implementations of the non-linear anisotropic diffusion equation when applied to images. We demonstrate the merits of the algorithm by examining its scale space and noise removal properties.
Simultaneous solution-based generation and characterization of crystalline bismuth thin film by femtosecond laser spectroscopy

We demonstrate generation and characterization of crystalline bismuth thin film from triphenyl bismuth in methanol. Upon ultraviolet (267 nm) femtosecond laser irradiation of the solution, a thin film of elemental bismuth forms on the inner side of the sample cuvette, confirmed by detection of the coherent A1g optical phonon mode of crystalline bismuth at ∼90 cm−1. Probe pulses at 267 and 400 nm are used to elucidate the excited state potential energy surface and photochemical reaction coordinate of triphenyl bismuth in solution with femtosecond resolution. The observed phonon mode blueshifts with increasing irradiation time, likely due to the gradual thickening of nascent bismuth thin film to ∼80 nm in 90 min. From transient absorption with the 400 nm probe, we observe a dominant ∼4 ps decay time constant of the excited-state absorption signal, which is attributed to a characteristic metal-ligand bond-weakening/breaking intermediate enroute to crystalline metallic thin film from the solution precursor mo...
Evaluation of Recovery Methods to Detect Coliforms in Water

Various recovery methods used to detect coliforms in water were evaluated by applying the membrane filter chamber technique. The membrane filter chambers, containing pure-culture suspensions of Escherichia coli or natural suspensions of raw sewage, were immersed in the stream environment. Samples were withdrawn from the chamber at regular time intervals and enumerated by several detection methods. In general, multiple-tube fermentation techniques gave better recovery than plating or membrane filtration procedures. The least efficient method of recovery resulted when using membrane filtration procedures, especially as the exposure period of the organisms to the stream environment increased. A 2-h enrichment on a rich, nonselective medium before exposure to selective media improved the recovery of fecal coliforms with membrane filtration techniques. Substantially enhanced recoveries of E. coli from pure-culture suspensions and of fecal coliforms from raw-sewage suspensions were observed when compared with recoveries obtained by direct primary exposure to selective media. Such an enrichment period appears to provide a nontoxic environment for the gradual adjustment and repair of injured cells.
The Role of Diffusion-Perfusion Mismatch in the Cognitive Changes of Acute Stroke Patients (P2.117)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if (1) the MRI defined diffusion-perfusion mismatch (DPMM) predicts acute ischemic stroke patients who are likely to improve within 10 days; and (2) changes in the volume of dysfunctional tissue reflect changes in cortical function. BACKGROUND: Much attention has been paid to the use of DPMM in selecting patients for revascularization therapy. Acute changes in outcome are typically quantified by NIHSS. We hypothesized that the DPMM is potentially salvageable, dysfunctional cortical tissue, and that cognitive testing may improve upon the NIHSS to quantify changes in this tissue. DESIGN/METHODS: Anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke patients underwent serial cognitive testing with serial MRI, within 24 hours of hospitalization and again within ten days. NIHSS was calculated at each time point, as was either oral naming (left hemisphere) or line cancellation (right hemisphere). Cognitive test scores were standardized with change defined as initial-followup Z-score. Infarct volume and perfusion deficit (time-to-peak threshold of 4 seconds beyond normal) were measured manually using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion weighted imaging (PWI). DPMM was defined as (PWI/DWI volume) 蠅 1.8. Volume of dysfunctional tissue was calculated as the difference in size of the larger of the DWI or PWI lesion at each time point. RESULTS: 33 patients with a mean age of 61.5 (42% women) were included. 25 had left and 8 had right hemisphere strokes. A DPMM was significantly associated with changes in the cognitive score (Beta=0.78 Z-score points; p=0.043), but not with changes in NIHSS (p=0.225). Change in volume of dysfunctional tissue was predictive of change in cognitive function, with 0.08 standardized points of improvement (p=0.015) per additional 10 cc reduction in volume; however, change in dysfunctional volume was not predictive of NIHSS change (Beta=0.05; p=0.155). CONCLUSIONS: DPMM identified patients with the potential to improve in cortical functions, but not clearly in NIHSS scores. Results may shed light on how to improve selection and outcome measures in acute stroke clinical trials. Disclosure: Dr. Ramadan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Motta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gottesman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hillis has received research support from Allon Pharmaceutical. Dr. Leigh has nothing to disclose.
Applications of the EM Algorithm to Linear Inverse Problems with Positivity Constraints

Linear inverse problems with pos itivity constraints (LININPOS problems, for short) are common in science and technology. Examples include deconvolution problems, signal recovery from linearly-distorting input-output systems, and more. In the absence of statistical noise, such problems are purely deterministic problems. It is therefore surprising that the EM algorithm (Baum et al., 1970, Dempster et al., 1977, and others) which was specifically developed as a tool for deriving maximum likelihood estimates (MLE’s) for complicated statistical models involving incomplete data, is also a useful tool for attacking LININPOS problems. This paper reviews the EM algorithm as a methodology for solving LININPOS problems and demonstrates it on two very different applications. The first is in the area of image analysis (specifically, “motion deblurring”) and the second is in the area of statistical inference from networks (specifically, ‘network tomography’).
Optimal Reachability for Weighted Timed Games

Weighted timed automata are timed automata annotated with costs on locations and transitions. The optimal game-reachability problem for these automata is to find the best-cost strategy of supplying the inputs so as to ensure reachability of a target set within a specified number of iterations. The only known complexity bound for this problem is a doubly-exponential upper bound. We establish a singly-exponential upper bound and show that there exist automata with exponentially many states in a single region with pair-wise distinct optimal strategies.
Acoustic noise signal evaluation due to magnetostrictive effects in electrical equipment

The inverse magnetostriction effect (IME) is investigated for noise generation, identification and evaluation in shipboard propulsion machinery applications. The finite element (FE) implementation is performed on an example drive motor in two dimensions. The FE implementation results show an increase in the forces acting on the ferromagnetic region causing more deformation in the stationary core. This deformation causes increased vibration and hence an audible noise generation. Wavelet analysis of displacement waveforms at selected points shows the involved frequency range causing noise during the operation. The results confirm the magnetostrictive origin of noise production. The importance of such information can be realized and utilized for the reduction of noise in machinery problems especially in sensitive applications.
MRI of optic nerve enlargement in optic neuritis

We report two cases of optic neuritis with optic nerve enlargement on MRI. Both had a clinical course typical for optic neuritis but also had a neuroradiologic finding most commonly seen with optic nerve glioma or meningioma, which initially led to an incorrect diagnosis. We review the six previous reported cases of optic nerve enlargement in optic neuritis. Including our cases, six of eight reported cases were in children with severe initial visual loss. Optic nerve enlargement is a rare finding in optic neuritis that might be a subtype of optic neuritis.