1,439 research outputs found
Information and Design: Book Symposium on Luciano Floridiβs The Logic of Information
Purpose β To review and discuss Luciano Floridiβs 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his philosophy of information (PI) tetralogy, particularly with respect to its implications for library and information studies (LIS).
Design/methodology/approach β Nine scholars with research interests in philosophy and LIS read and responded to the book, raising critical and heuristic questions in the spirit of scholarly dialogue. Floridi responded to these questions.
Findings β Floridiβs PI, including this latest publication, is of interest to LIS scholars, and much insight can be gained by exploring this connection. It seems also that LIS has the potential to contribute to PIβs further development in some respects.
Research implications β Floridiβs PI work is technical philosophy for which many LIS scholars do not have the training or patience to engage with, yet doing so is rewarding. This suggests a role for translational work between philosophy and LIS.
Originality/value β The book symposium format, not yet seen in LIS, provides forum for sustained, multifaceted and generative dialogue around ideas
Impact of resonance decays on critical point signals in net-proton fluctuations
The non-monotonic beam energy dependence of the higher cumulants of
net-proton fluctuations is a widely studied signature of the conjectured
presence of a critical point in the QCD phase diagram. In this work we study
the effect of resonance decays on critical fluctuations. We show that resonance
effects reduce the signatures of critical fluctuations, but that for reasonable
parameter choices critical effects in the net-proton cumulants survive. The
relative role of resonance decays has a weak dependence on the order of the
cumulants studied with a slightly stronger suppression of critical effects for
higher-order cumulants
Morphologic and Molecular Features of Hepatocellular Adenoma with Gadoxetic Acid-enhanced MR Imaging
Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic performance of imaging features of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to differentiate among hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) subtypes by using the histopathologic results of the new immunophenotype and genotype classification and to correlate the enhancement pattern on the hepatobiliary phase (HBP) with the degrees of expression of organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP1B1/3), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP) (MRP2), and MRP 3 (MRP3) transporters. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and the requirement for informed consent waived. MR imaging findings of 29 patients with 43 HCAs were assessed by two radiologists independently then compared with the histopathologic analysis as the standard of reference. Receiver operating characteristic curves and Spearman rank correlation coefficient were used to test the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging features, which included the retention or washout at HBP and degree of transporter expression. Interreader agreement was assessed by using the ΞΊ statistic with 95% confidence interval. Results The area under the curve for the diagnosis of inflammatory HCA was 0.79 (95% confidence interval: 0.64, 0.90); for the steatotic type, it was 0.90 (95% confidence interval: 0.77, 0.97); and for the Ξ²-catenin type, it was 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.74, 0.95). There were no imaging features that showed a significant statistical correlation for the diagnosis of unclassified HCAs. On immunohistochemical staining, OATP1B1/3 expression was the main determinant for the retention, whereas MRP3 was the key determinant for washout of gadoxetic acid at HBP (P < .001). MRP2 appeared to have no role. Conclusion Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging features may suggest the subtype of HCA. The degree of OATP1B1/3 and MRP3 expression correlated statistically with gadoxetic acid retention and washout, respectively, in the HBP. (Β©) RSNA, 2015 Online supplemental material is available for this article
A new measurement of K+(e4) decay and the s-wave pi-pi-scattering length a00
A sample of 400000 events from the decay K+->pi+pi-e+nu(e)(K(e4)) has been
collected in experiment E865 at the Brookhaven AGS. The analysis of these data
yields new measurements of the K(e4) branching ratio
(4.11+-0.01+-0.11)*10**(-5)), the s-wave pi-pi scattering length
a00=0.228+-0.012+-0.003, and the form factors F, G, and H of the hadronic
current and their dependence on the invariant pi-pi mass
First observation of the decay K+ -> e+ nu mu+ mu-
Experiment 865 at the Brookhaven AGS has observed the decay K^+ -> e^+ nu
mu^+ mu^-. The branching ratio extracted is (1.72 +/- 0.37(stat) +/- 0.17(syst)
+/- 0.19(model)) x 10^{-8} where the third term in the error results from the
use of a model to extrapolate into a kinematic region dominated by background.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, Revtex4. Correction to figure and minor text
change
An Improved upper limit on the decay K^+ -> pi^+ mu^+ e^-
Based on results of a search for the lepton-family-number-violating decay
with data collected by experiment E865 at the
Alternating Gradient Synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory, we place an
upper limit on the branching ratio at (90% C.L.).
Combining the results with earlier E865 data and those of a previous
experiment, E777, an upper limit on the branching ratio of (90% C.L.) is obtained.Comment: v2: 13 pages, submitted to the Phys. Rev. D v3: 13 pages, resubmitted
to Phys. Rev. D (corrections include: a more detailed overview of the
combined analysis of the available experimntal data
New, high statistics measurement of the K+ -> pi0 e+ nu (Ke3) branching ratio
E865 at the Brookhaven National Laboratory AGS collected about 70,000 K+(e3)
events with the purpose of measuring the relative K+(e3) branching ratio. The
pi0 in all the decays was detected using the e+e- pair from pi0 -> e+e-gamma
decay and no photons were required. Using the Particle Data Group branching
ratios for the normalization decays we obtain
BR(K+(e3(gamma))=(5.13+/-0.02(stat)+/-0.09(sys)+/-0.04(norm))%, where
V_{us}$ element of the CKM matrix, and the matrix's
unitarity are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures; final version accepted by PR
Optimal functional outcome measures for assessing treatment for Dupuytren's disease: A systematic review and recommendations for future practice
This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright Β© 2013 Ball et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Background: Dupuytren's disease of the hand is a common condition affecting the palmar fascia, resulting in progressive flexion deformities of the digits and hence limitation of hand function. The optimal treatment remains unclear as outcomes studies have used a variety of measures for assessment. Methods: A literature search was performed for all publications describing surgical treatment, percutaneous needle aponeurotomy or collagenase injection for primary or recurrent Dupuytrenβs disease where outcomes had been monitored using functional measures. Results: Ninety-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-two studies reported outcomes using patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) ranging from validated questionnaires to self-reported measures for return to work and self-rated disability. The Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score was the most utilised patient-reported function measure (n=11). Patient satisfaction was reported by eighteen studies but no single method was used consistently. Range of movement was the most frequent physical measure and was reported in all 91 studies. However, the methods of measurement and reporting varied, with seventeen different techniques being used. Other physical measures included grip and pinch strength and sensibility, again with variations in measurement protocols. The mean follow-up time ranged from 2 weeks to 17 years. Conclusions: There is little consistency in the reporting of outcomes for interventions in patients with Dupuytrenβs disease, making it impossible to compare the efficacy of different treatment modalities. Although there are limitations to the existing generic patient reported outcomes measures, a combination of these together with a disease-specific questionnaire, and physical measures of active and passive individual joint Range of movement (ROM), grip and sensibility using standardised protocols should be used for future outcomes studies. As Dupuytrenβs disease tends to recur following treatment as well as extend to involve other areas of the hand, follow-up times should be standardised and designed to capture both short and long term outcomes
FindFoci: a focus detection algorithm with automated parameter training that closely matches human assignments, reduces human inconsistencies and increases speed of analysis
Accurate and reproducible quantification of the accumulation of proteins into foci in cells is essential for data interpretation and for biological inferences. To improve reproducibility, much emphasis has been placed on the preparation of samples, but less attention has been given to reporting and standardizing the quantification of foci. The current standard to quantitate foci in open-source software is to manually determine a range of parameters based on the outcome of one or a few representative images and then apply the parameter combination to the analysis of a larger dataset. Here, we demonstrate the power and utility of using machine learning to train a new algorithm (FindFoci) to determine optimal parameters. FindFoci closely matches human assignments and allows rapid automated exploration of parameter space. Thus, individuals can train the algorithm to mirror their own assignments and then automate focus counting using the same parameters across a large number of images. Using the training algorithm to match human assignments of foci, we demonstrate that applying an optimal parameter combination from a single image is not broadly applicable to analysis of other images scored by the same experimenter or by other experimenters. Our analysis thus reveals wide variation in human assignment of foci and their quantification. To overcome this, we developed training on multiple images, which reduces the inconsistency of using a single or a few images to set parameters for focus detection. FindFoci is provided as an open-source plugin for ImageJ
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