cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary Intake of Folate and Risk of Stroke in US Men and Women NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study

Background and Purpose— Few population-based studies have examined the relationship between dietary intake of folate and risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examines the association between dietary intake of folate and the subsequent risk of stroke and CVD. Methods— Study participants included 9764 US men and women aged 25 to 74 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS) and were free of CVD at baseline. Dietary intake of folate was assessed at baseline using a 24-hour dietary recall and calculated using ESHA software. Incidence data for stroke and CVD were obtained from medical records and death certificates. Results— Over an average of 19 years of follow-up, 926 incident stroke events and 3758 incident CVD events were documented. The relative risk (RR) was 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63 to 0.99, P=0.03 for trend) for incident stroke events and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.95, P<0.001 for trend) for i...
The Postdiagnosis Mobility of People with AIDS

This paper is an analysis of the postdiagnosis mobility of people diagnosed with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in Florida. I infer intrastate mobility by comparing the county of diagnosis on an individual's AIDS case report with that on the matched death certificate; this allows the measurement of migration within the state of Florida for 4393 people through October, 1989–46% of the total cases by that time. Out-migration rates in rural counties are very high, approximately 50%, whereas those in large metropolitan counties are less than 10%; however, these rates depend on race. The data show that migrants moved to places with concentrations of health-care facilities, and that there is a flow of migrants from rural to urban places, particularly to large metropolitan areas. The results suggest that the spatial distribution of people with AIDS changes in the period after diagnosis, becoming more concentrated in places where there are good health-care facilities. There is descriptive evidence to s...
Microbial diversity and its relationship to planetary protection.

As summarized by Rummel ([56][1]) and Rummel and Meyer ([57][2]), while exploring our solar system and the universe at large, spacefaring nations must be committed to avoiding biological contamination of other planetary systems while also protecting the Earth from potential harm caused by materials
Synechococcus Diversity in the California Current as Seen by RNA Polymerase (rpoC1) Gene Sequences of Isolated Strains

Because they are ubiquitous in a range of aquatic environments and culture methods are relatively advanced, cyanobacteria may be useful models for understanding the extent of evolutionary adaptation of prokaryotes in general to environmental gradients. The roles of environmental variables such as light and nutrients in influencing cyanobacterial genetic diversity are still poorly characterized, however. In this study, a total of 15 Synechococcus strains were isolated from the oligotrophic edge of the California Current from two depths (5 and 95 m) with large differences in light intensity, light quality, and nutrient concentrations. RNA polymerase gene (rpoC1) fragment sequences of the strains revealed two major genetic lineages, distinct from other marine or freshwater cyanobacterial isolates or groups seen in shotgun-cloned sequences from the oligotrophic Atlantic Ocean. The California Current low-phycourobilin (CCLPUB) group represented by six isolates in a single lineage was less diverse than the California Current high-phycourobilin (CCHPUB) group with nine isolates in three relatively divergent lineages. The former was found to be the closest known genetic group to Prochlorococcus spp., a chlorophyll b-containing cyanobacterial group. Having an isolate from this group will be valuable for looking at the molecular changes necessary for the transition from the use of phycobiliproteins to chlorophyll b as light-harvesting pigments. Both of the CCHPUB and CCLPUB groups included strains obtained from surface (5 m) and deep (95 m) samples. Thus, contrary to expectations, there was no clear correlation between sampling depth and isolation of genetic groups, despite the large environmental gradients present. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration with isolates that genetically divergent Synechococcus groups coexist in the same seawater sample.
Visual analytical tool for evaluation of 10-year perioperative transfusion practice at a children's hospital

Children are a vulnerable population in the operating room, and are particularly at risk of complications from unanticipated hemorrhage. The decision to prepare blood products prior to surgery varies depending on the personal experience of the clinician caring for the patient. We present the first application of a data visualization technique to study large datasets in the context of blood product transfusions at a tertiary pediatric hospital. The visual analytical interface allows real-time interaction with datasets from 230 000 procedure records. Clinicians can use the visual analytical interface to analyze blood product usage based on procedure- and patient-specific factors, and then use that information to guide policies for ordering blood products.
IID Sensitivity Differs Between Two Principal Centers in the Interaural Intensity Difference Pathway: the LSO and the IC

Park, Thomas J. IID sensitivity differs between two principal centers in the interaural intensity difference pathway: the LOS and the IC. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 2416–2431, 1998. Interaural intensity ...
Modification of the cyanmethemoglobin reagent for analysis of hemoglobin in order to avoid precipitation of globulins.

The determination of hemoglobin in the routine hematology laboratory by means of the cyanmethemoglobin procedure is a widely used and satisfactory method. The staff in this laboratory has encountered a rare occurrence in which reagents currently in use are responsible for an error, namely, when blood assayed has a high content of easily precipitable globulins (EPG). In the presence of low ionic concentration and pH the EPG precipitates, thereby leading to a cloudiness that is recorded by the photoelectric spectrophotometer and is interpreted as hemoglobin, resulting in a falsely high estimation of hemoglobin. In order to establish the degree of error that might be owing to the presence of such globulins, estimation of hemoglobin was performed by the routine method, following which the ionic concentration of the mixture was increased by the addition of sodium chloride, and a second reading was made. 3 0
Survival, Development, and Fecundity of Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Reared on Baldcypress and White Oak

To determine if baldcypress, Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard, could be a “most suitable host” for gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), we fed laboratory-reared larvae white oak, Quercus alba L. (a “most preferred host” species), baldcypress, or a mixed diet of baldcypress and white oak, and monitored survival, development, and fecundity for 2 developmental years. Criteria for most suitable host were >80% survival of 1st instars, development to pupation in 1,099 mg, and production of >350 full sized ova. Our 1990 and 1992 laboratory studies indicate that baldcypress generally met these critCl; a, and we consider baldcypress a most suitable host for gypsy moth. In 1990 and 1992, respectively, 69 and 83% of 1st instars survived after being reared on baldcypress, compared with 77 and 74% on white oak and 82 and 87% on mixed diet. In 1990 and 1992 61 % of larvae fed baldcypress completed larval development and pupated, as opposed to 7.3 and 56% on white oak and 80 and 83% on mixed diet. For 1990, mean days to pupation and adult emergence, respectively, were 50 and 63 d for baldcypress, 47 and 56 d for white oak, and 47 and 59 d for mixed diet. Mean days to pupation and adult emergence for 1992, respectively, were 48 and 61 d for baldcypress, 46 and 60 d on white oak, and 48 and 61 d on mixed diet. The percentage of pupae that emerged as adults in 1990 and 1992, respectively, were 74 and 98% on baldcypress, 96 and 100% on white oak, and 95 and 99% on mixed diet. Mean female pupal weights for 1992 were 1,100 mg (baldcypress), 1,350 mg (white oak) and 1,440 mg (mixed diet). Mean numbers of ova produced for 1990 and 1992, respectively, were 475 and 451 for baldcypress, 453 and 456 for white oak, and 508 and 519 for mixed diet.
Ultrasonic-Vibration Assisted Pelleting for Cellulosic Ethanol Manufacturing: An Experimental Investigation of Power Consumption

Ethanol produced from cellulosic biomass is an alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. However, its manufacturing costs are too high for cellulosic ethanol to be competitive. Cellulosic feedstocks have low density, causing their transportation and storage expensive, contributing to high manufacturing costs of cellulosic ethanol. Pelleting can increase the density of cellulosic feedstocks and reduce their transportation and storage costs. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted (UV-A) pelleting is a new pelleting method. Effects of input pelleting parameters (ultrasonic power, pelleting pressure, and particle size) on pellet quality and sugar yield have been studied. However, the effects of these parameters on power consumption in UV-A pelleting have not been studied. Since power consumption directly affects ethanol manufacturing costs, lower power consumption is desirable. The objective of this paper is to study effects of different input parameters (biomass material, particle size, ultrasonic power, and pelleting pressure) of UV-A pelleting on power consumption. Four types of biomass materials (big bluestem, corn stover, sorghum stalk, and wheat straw) were studied. Sorghum stalk consumed the least power. Pelleting pressure, particle size and ultrasonic power significantly affected power consumption of all four materials. Higher ultrasonic power and pelleting pressure resulted in lower power consumption. In addition, this paper also compares power consumption between UV-A pelleting and ring-die pelleting (a traditional pelleting method).© 2011 ASME
Biomechanics of Internal Derangement of the Knee: PATHOMECHANICS AS DETERMINED BY ANALYSIS OF THE INSTANT CENTERS OF MOTION

The kinematic technique of instant center analysis of the knee is described. Determination of the instant center or centrode permits identification of the type of motion of the joint surfaces.Twenty-five normal knees were studied and the centrodes were located for the range of motion between full ex
Creep and shrinkage of high strength concrete for bridges under complex condition

Given that the long-time distortion of most big span prestressed concrete bridges could not be predicted accurately,the applicability of several creep prediction models of high strength concrete in the respective conditions of laboratory and real bridge engineering was studied,and the specialties of the existing prediction models such as excluding the effect of repeated load affected on the concrete at early age for big span prestressed concrete bridges were illuminated.Then 7 groups of concrete specimens for different stress ratios and different loading periods were made,and their creep performances tested and analyzed.The research shows that the repeated load affected on high strength concrete at early age will aggravate its creep remarkably,and the creep value is influenced by stress ratio,loading periods,and etc.
General considerations on clinical safety review of a new drug application

Clinical safety review is an important component of review of a new drug application. The safety review includes assessment of the adequacy of the applicant' s safety evaluation and identification and assessment of the significance of the adverse events reported in studies / clinical trials. Reviewers should evaluate substantial safety data that integrating safety findings across all clinical trials and the overall clinical safety experience. It requires knowledge and methods of both statistical and clinical reviewing. However,guidance on the clinical review of a new drug application hasn't provided recommendations on how to conduct the safety review in detail. The article discussed the recommendations on how to organize a new drug clinical safety review based on a good review practice from Food and Drug Administration.
Patient satisfaction after midurethral sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence.

Objective—To identify factors that may contribute to patient satisfaction with outcome in women who received retropubic and transobturator midurethral slings. Methods—Satisfaction was assessed 12 months postsurgery as a planned analysis in 597 participants from a multicenter randomized trial comparing retropubic to transobturator midurethral slings, using the Incontinence Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire. Significantly related variables associated with satisfaction in univariable analyses were entered into multivariable logistic regression models to test their independent association with satisfaction. Results—One year after surgery, 264 (88.6%) in the retropubic and 263 (88.0%) in the transobturator group completed satisfaction questionnaires. Both treatment groups demonstrated a high level of satisfaction with respect to urine leakage (retropubic 85.9% compared with transobturator 90.0%, P=0.52), urgency to urinate, frequency of urination, capability of physical activity, social activity, ability to engage in sexual activity, and from an emotional standpoint. Baseline characteristics associated with reduced satisfaction were higher Medical, Epidemiologic, and Social Aspects of Aging Questionnaire urgency subscale scores, detrusor overactivity, and diabetes mellitus. The severity of both objective (frequency of incontinence episodes, pad test
Tunable Radiation Generated at Wavelengths below 1 Å by Anti-Stokes Scattering from Nuclear Levels

This work concerns the demonstration of the feasibility of the tuning and perhaps even stimulation of nuclear radiation. Theory1–3 has indicated that anti-Stokes Raman up- conversion of intense but conventional long-wavelength sources of radiation produced by scattering from isomeric states of nuclear excitation could lead to significant sources of tunable γ radiation characterized by the natural Mossbauer width of the lines. This would result in lines with sub-angstrom wavelengths and widths of a few megahertz. Further computations4 have suggested that this type of coherent, as well as a new type of incoherent, optical pumping could even lead to appreciable levels of inversion of the population of nuclear levels that would be capable of supporting the growth of stimulated γ-ray intensity. Whether these processes can reach threshold depends on the resolution of basic issues lying in an interdisciplinary region between quantum electronics and nuclear physics that have not been previously addressed.
Glyphosate Induces Cardiovascular Toxicity in Danio Rerio

Glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide used aggressively in agricultural practices as well as home garden care. Although labeled "safe" by the chemical industry, doses tested by industry do not mimic chronic exposures to sublethal doses that organisms in the environment are exposed to over long periods of time. Given the widespread uses of and exposure to glyphosate, studies on developmental toxicity are needed. Here we utilize the zebrafish vertebrate model system to study early effects of glyphosate on the developing heart. Treatment by embryo soaking with 50μg/ml glyphosate starting at gastrulation results in structural abnormalities in the atrium and ventricle, irregular heart looping, situs inversus as well as decreased heartbeats by 48h as determined by live imaging and immunohistochemistry. Vasculature in the body was also affected as determined using fli-1 transgenic embryos. To determine if the effects noted at 48h post fertilization are due to early stage alterations in myocardial precursors, we also investigate cardiomyocyte development with a Mef2 antibody and by mef2ca in situ hybridization and find alterations in the Mef2/mef2ca staining patterns during early cardiac patterning stages. We conclude that glyphosate is developmentally toxic to the zebrafish heart.
Level Assignments in O 17 from C 13 ( α , α ) C 13 and C 13 ( α , n ) O 16

${\mathrm{C}}^{13}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ cross sections at center-of-mass angles 54.7\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 107.9\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 142.6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and 169.6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and ${\mathrm{C}}^{13}(\ensuremath{\alpha},n){\mathrm{O}}^{16}$ cross sections at 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} have been measured at $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle energies from 2 to 3.5 MeV. From dispersion-theory analysis, a consistent set of ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ and partial-width values has been obtained for eleven states of the compound nucleus ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$ with excitation energies between 8 and 9 MeV.
A hierarchy of polyhedral approximations of robust semidefinite programs

Robust semidefinite programs are NP-hard in general. In contrast, robust linear programs admit equivalent reformulations as finite-dimensional convex programs provided that the problem data are parameterized affinely in the uncertain parameters; and that the underlying uncertainty set is described by an affine slice of a proper cone. In this paper, we propose a hierarchy of inner and outer polyhedral approximations to the positive semidefinite (PSD) cone that are exact in the limit. We apply these polyhedral approximations to the PSD cone to obtain a computationally tractable hierarchy of inner and outer approximations to the robust semidefinite program, which are similarly exact in the limit. We investigate the strengths and limitations of the proposed approach with a detailed numerical study.
Development of a standardized sequential extraction protocol for simultaneous extraction of multiple actinide elements

Sequential extraction is a useful technique for assessing the potential to leach actinides from soils; however, current literature lacks uniformity in experimental details, making direct comparison of results impossible. This work continued development toward a standardized five-step sequential extraction protocol by analyzing extraction behaviors of 232Th, 238U, 239,240Pu and 241Am from lake and ocean sediment reference materials. Results produced a standardized procedure after creating more defined reaction conditions to improve method repeatability. A NaOH fusion procedure is recommended following sequential leaching for the complete dissolution of insoluble species.
Integrating Gene Expression with Summary Association Statistics to Identify Genes Associated with 30 Complex Traits

Although genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified thousands of risk loci for many complex traits and diseases, the causal variants and genes at these loci remain largely unknown. Here, we introduce a method for estimating the local genetic correlation between gene expression and a complex trait and utilize it to estimate the genetic correlation due to predicted expression between pairs of traits. We integrated gene expression measurements from 45 expression panels with summary GWAS data to perform 30 multi-tissue transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs). We identified 1,196 genes whose expression is associated with these traits; of these, 168 reside more than 0.5 Mb away from any previously reported GWAS significant variant. We then used our approach to find 43 pairs of traits with significant genetic correlation at the level of predicted expression; of these, eight were not found through genetic correlation at the SNP level. Finally, we used bi-directional regression to find evidence that BMI causally influences triglyceride levels and that triglyceride levels causally influence low-density lipoprotein. Together, our results provide insight into the role of gene expression in the susceptibility of complex traits and diseases.
Cobalt Schiff-base complexes for electrocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Two cobalt(III) complexes containing inexpensive Schiff-base ligands have been found to be active for proton reduction at low overpotentials. The dinitro and tetranitro derivatized Schiff-base complexes show catalytic activity at −0.96 V and −1.1 V vs. Fc+/Fc, respectively, resulting in overpotentials of 120 mV and 280 mV. Foot-of-the-wave analysis is used to examine the kinetic properties of these complexes, yielding a theoretical TOFmax of up to 4100 s−1. Experimental TOFs of 7 s−1and 3 s−1 are observed. Catalytic Tafel plots are also presented in order to benchmark the relationship between turnover frequency and overpotential.
Teacher attrition in the USA: the relational elements in a Utah case study

Previous work on teacher attrition in the US has indicated that those who stay in the profession and those who leave are not separate homogenous groups. In this study, the lived experience of forme...
Joint Energy Demand Prediction and Control

Joint electricity predictor and controller (JEPAC) is a system that allows energy suppliers to better predict their electricity grid activity and then, optimize their energy production, management and distribution. In fact, the more accurate the prediction is, the lesser its negative impact on the economy and environment. Once the JEPAC system is installed in the energy consumer place, it will collect indoor ambient parameters and energy usage and thus predict the individual future consumption. This prediction will be frequently transmitted to the energy supplier as a formatted commitment then later, the same device will try to respect this commitment by adjusting wisely the user’s appliances and HVAC. As a result, the energy supplier will then crowdsource the global energy demand by aggregating highly detailed individual consumption commitments. This will allow a better prediction and control of the future energy demand.
The Synthesis, Characterization and Physical Properties of EPM-g-Polystyrene Thermoplastic Elastomers

The synthesis, characterization and some property evaluation of a new series of graft copolymers, the EPM-g-polystyrene system, was investigated. A novel cationic initiator/coinitiator system based on certain alkylaluminum compounds was employed for graft synthesis. A systematic examination of the effect of reaction parameters such as temperature, solvent polarity, and nature of the alkylaluminum coinitiator on grafting efficiency was carried out. Reaction conditions have been optimized to achieve grafting efficiencies greater than 85%. Evaluation of the tensile properties of solution cast films of the grafts indicates that these materials possess appreciable strength in the absence of chemical vulcanization. The stress-strain properties of the grafts ranged from elastomeric to tough plastic depending on the polystyrene content. Compared to poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) copolymers, a higher weight percent polystyrene must be incorporated into the graft copolymers to achieve comparable strengths.
Policy enabled caching for distributed AI

Web Caching has established itself as a key enabling technology within the Internet. It enables efficient browsing of websites and web-based services on networks that are bandwidth constrained. However, similar techniques are not available for AI based solutions. Many AI solutions are based on deep neural networks or similar approaches which require creation of machine learning models trained with huge amounts of data. Such models are best created in centralized locations with significant processing power. In many environments, sending the data to a centralized location is infeasible or undesirable. A judicious combination of ideas borrowed from web-caching paradigm, with ideas from AI and machine learning can provide an effective solution for exploitation of deep learning models in bandwidth constrained environments. Allowing such caches to generate their own policies using a generative policy approach can enable the creation of a generic edge caching system which can be used with a wide variety of backend AI systems.
High Strength and Ductility of Additively Manufactured 316L Stainless Steel Explained

Structure–property relationships of an additively manufactured 316L stainless steel were explored. A scanning electron microscope and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis revealed a fine cellular-dendritic (0.5 to 2 μm) substructure inside large irregularly shaped grains (~ 100 μm). The cellular structure grows along the 〈100〉 crystallographic directions. However, texture analysis revealed that the main 〈100〉 texture component is inclined by ~15 deg from the building direction. X-ray diffraction line profile analysis indicated a high dislocation density of ~1 × 1015 m−2 in the as-built material, which correlates well with the observed EBSD microstructure and high-yield strength, via the traditional Taylor hardening equation. Significant variations in strain hardening behavior and ductility were observed for the horizontal (HB) and vertical (VB) built samples. Ductility of HB and VB samples measured 49 and 77 pct, respectively. The initial growth texture and subsequent texture evolution during tensile deformation are held responsible for the observed anisotropy. Notably, EBSD analysis of deformed samples showed deformation twins, which predominately form in the grains with 〈111〉 aligned parallel to the loading direction. The VB samples showed higher twinning activity, higher strain hardening rates at high strain, and therefore, higher ductility. Analysis of annealed samples revealed that the observed microstructures and properties are thermally stable, with only a moderate decrease in strength and very similar levels of ductility and anisotropy, compared with the as-built condition.
Safety of combining thoracic radiation therapy with concurrent versus sequential immune checkpoint inhibition.

Abstract Purpose The objective of this study was to evaluate adverse events (AEs) in patients who received both immune checkpoint inhibitors and thoracic radiation therapy (RT). In particular, we compared the rate of toxicities of concurrent versus sequential delivery of thoracic RT and checkpoint inhibitors. Methods and Materials Patient and treatment characteristics were collected on all patients at our institution who were treated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and/or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors and underwent thoracic RT (n = 79). Receiving both treatments within 1 month was considered concurrent (n = 35; 44%), and any treatment up to 6 months apart was considered sequential (n = 44; 56%). The primary endpoint of this study was the rate of Grade ≥2 AEs from combination therapy (immunotherapy and RT), specifically those that are relevant to thoracic RT: Pneumonitis, other pulmonary events, esophagitis, dermatitis, and fatigue. Further univariate analysis was performed to compare AE rates with clinical and therapy-related variables. Results A total of 79 patients were identified, with lung cancer (n = 45) and melanoma (n = 15) being the most common primary histology. Sixty-two (78%) patients were treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies, 12 (15%) with anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, and 5 (6%) received both anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. The median follow-up for survivors was 5.9 months (range, 2.4-55.6 months). Grade ≥2 AEs included pneumonitis (n = 5; 6%), esophagitis (n = 6; 8%), and dermatitis (n = 8; 10%). No statistically significant correlation was found between these AEs when comparing concurrent versus sequential treatment. The only significant variable was a correlation of immunotherapy drug category with Grade ≥2 esophagitis (P = .04). Conclusions Overall, Grade ≥2 AE rates of thoracic RT and immunotherapy appeared as expected and acceptable. The lack of significant differences in AE rates with concurrent versus sequential treatment suggests that even concurrent immunotherapy and thoracic RT may be safe.
Zirconium-promoted Bicyclization of Enynes

Carbometallation,1,2 as represented by equations (1a) and (1b), is one of only several fundamentally different types of transformations permitting carbon-carbon bond formation that organotransition metals undergo.3 It is, in fact, a ubiquitous process observable with a wide variety of organotransition metals, one of the most representative examples being the Ziegler-Natta polymerization.4
Genetic and Environmental Factors in Asthma

Asthma and other allergic diseases are among the most common disorders in the United States, with asthma being a leading cause for hospitalization and lost school days for children. Asthma is a complex disease, characterized by eosinophilic inflammation, mucus cell hypertrophy and hypersecretion, airway reactivity and bronchoconstriction. Linkage analyses have identified loci on chromosomes 1–7, 11–13, 16, 19 and 20 that are associated with various phenotypes consistent with asthma (Ober and Moffatt 2000; Ober and Hoffjan 2006). Given the biological complexity of asthma, it is not surprizing that a wide variety of genes have been associated with this syndrome. However, despite the large number of genes associated with asthma, this disease increased at an alarming rate beginning approximately 50 years ago. The sudden increase in asthma suggests that changes in both environmental exposures and lifestyle factors are a major reason for the increase in disease (Eder et al. 2006). Initially, this increase was most notable in North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. However, increased incidence of asthma has more recently been reported in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Korea, with many speculating that this is linked with adoption of an increasingly Western lifestyle. This chapter will examine many environmental factors which influence asthma development and exacerbation, genetic factors which have been identified as risk factors for developing asthma, and examples of gene-by-environment interactions in expression of this disease.
Assessment for Learning: US Perspectives

In the USA, federal engagement in educational policy-making had been limited until the enactment of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002. This act included a call for the establishment of rigorous standards in certain “core” subjects as a means to promote excellence in education and to make schools accountable for the academic performance of their students. With the passing of NCLB, funding for state and local education in the federal budget was consolidated and made contingent upon the states adopting the framework of NCLB. The emphasis on accountability resulted in “test frenzy” (Popham, 2006a, Educational Leadership, 64(2), 90–91) and the constraining of pedagogical space for teachers to implement practices that view assessment as a tool for enhancing student learning. This chapter explores and explains the constraints imposed upon many US schools and teachers and presents a snapshot of contemporary assessment practices, in particular those that are associated with NCLB. It then investigates some practices in the spirit of assessment for learning that have managed to survive or emerge as educators at the state and local level struggle to reconcile the powerful influences of high-stakes testing with the more fundamental mandate to promote learning.
Proceedings of the first annual workshop on High performance computing meets databases

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the first annual 2011 Workshop on High-Performance Computing Meets Databases (HPCDB'11) co-located with Supercomputing in Seattle Washington. Informed by the SC2011 theme of data-intensive computing, we propose to bring together researchers in the databases/data management community (exemplified by venues such as SIGMOD, VLDB, and ICDE) and the high-performance computing community to identify opportunities for collaboration and set new research directions. Our thesis is that the techniques and strategies developed in the database community -- algebraic optimization, simple data parallel languages, data models as first-class citizens, logical data independence -- are applicable to problems faced by the HPC community as we enter the exascale age. Exascale HPC platforms will share characteristics with large-scale data processing platforms: relatively small main memory per node, relatively slow communication between nodes, and IO a limiting factor for performance. Further, HPC applications frequently experience "data challenges" beyond just IO performance: new data structures, new algorithms, new high-level languages. Finally, as HPC computations become longer-running, there is a need to make them more interactive. Ad hoc science questions such as "Which regions of the domain exhibit temperatures above some threshold?" and ad hoc systems monitoring questions such as "Which network links are congested?" can potentially be modeled, expressed, and optimized as queries using an approach similar to previous work on high performance querying of sensor networks. We invited 9 papers to be included in the workshop for both presentation and publication in this proceedings. Alex Szalay, a pioneer for the adaptation of databases to high-performance computing applications in a variety of areas beyond his own field of Astronomy, gave an invited talk on his experience building these systems that set the tone for the day. The topics spanned a range of application areas, author backgrounds, and techniques: we heard from those using database query optimization techniques to optimize parallel file systems (Naps et al.), high-level interfaces for deploying combined HPC and data-processing platforms in the cloud (Bunch et al.), a service-oriented approach to high-performance IO (Wu et al.), a detailed consideration of the role of database-style fault-tolerance for exa-scale platforms (van Dam et al.), and several compelling applications ranging from astronomy (Simmhan et al.) to text processing (Gao et al.). In addition to the website http://hpcdb.org, we have established a twitter account @hpcdb and a google group hpcdb to help organize this effort going forward, and more events are planned.
Cybersecurity: Geopolitics, Law, and Policy

This book examines the legal and policy aspects of cyber-security. It takes a much needed look at cyber-security from a geopolitical perspective. Through this lens, it seeks to broaden the reader's understanding of the legal and political considerations of individuals, corporations, law enforcement and regulatory bodies and management of the complex relationships between them. In drawing on interviews conducted with experts from a wide range of fields, the book presents the reader with dilemmas and paradigms that confront law makers, corporate leaders, law enforcement, and national leaders. The book is structured in a novel format by employing a series of vignettes which have been created as exercises intended to confront the reader with the dilemmas involved in cyber-security. Through the use of vignettes, the work seeks to highlight the constant threat of cyber-security against various audiences, with the overall aim of facilitating discussion and reaction to actual probable events. In this sense, the book seeks to provide recommendations for best practices in response to the complex and numerous threats related to cyber-security. This book will be of interest to students of cyber-security, terrorism, international law, security studies and IR in general, as well as policy makers, professionals and law-enforcement officials.
A Single Satellite Geolocation Solution of an RF Emitter Using a Constrained Unscented Kalman Filter

A real-time geolocation solution of a radio frequency (RF) emitter is presented using a constrained Unscented Kalman Filter (cUKF). Samples are processed on a single low earth orbit (LEO) satellite by a cUKF that imposes constraints by projecting the sigma points into the feasible solution space. The emitter is transmitting an RF signal from an unknown l0-cation with a known center frequency. The ease of imposing constraints within the UKF framework for single LEO satellite RF geolocation is demonstrated and results show reduced convergence time, high resiliency to noise, sub-kilometer geolocation accuracies, and the maintenance of stability. An accurate and real-time single satellite solution can be a valuable asset, as it could greatly reduce cost and computation time of existing multi-satellite systems. This paper shows the feasibility of such a solution and provides a framework to approach more realistic link budget, satellite GPS inaccuracies, and oscillator drift scenarios.
Adherence to lifestyle-related cancer prevention guidelines and breast cancer incidence and mortality.

Abstract Purpose Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Many lifestyle factors have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer incidence and mortality. An index-based approach to analyzing adherence to American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines as a whole may better explain associations between lifestyle variables and breast cancer incidence and mortality. Methods We created an index based on American Cancer Society–specific guidelines, including body mass index (BMI), physical activity, alcohol intake, tobacco use, daily time spent watching television, and certain dietary habits. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model the association between the lifestyle index and primary breast cancer and breast cancer–specific mortality in the National Institutes of Health-American Association of Retired Persons (NIH-AARP) cohort. Results We identified 7088 women with incident breast cancer, 1162 deaths overall, and 462 deaths due to breast cancer. Compared with the lowest quintile of lifestyle index score (meeting fewest guidelines), women in the highest quintile had a 24% lower risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.82) and 37% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.76), while the association with breast cancer-specific mortality was nonsignificant. Conclusions Healthier prediagnosis lifestyle is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer and all-cause mortality in the NIH-AARP cohort.
Fluorescent probes for G-protein-coupled receptor drug discovery

Introduction: G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the effects of approximately 33% of all marketed drugs. The development of tools to study GPCR pharmacology is urgently needed as it can le...
Development and Implementation of Tennessee Nonresidential Buprenorphine Treatment Guidelines.

Objective: To describe the recent legislation in Tennessee and subsequent development and implementation of state-wide buprenorphine treatment guidelines. Practice Innovation: In 2016, Tennessee began licensing office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) clinics. Due to initial licensing criteria, not all providers were required to be licensed with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS). The gap in licensing made it difficult to ensure an appropriate standard of care was being met by all addiction treatment providers. Therefore, the state developed legislation that allowed for the creation of best practice guidelines to encompass all providers of buprenorphine in the state of Tennessee, not just the licensed OBOT clinics. The guidelines define what the standard of care should entail while treating this vulnerable addiction population. Results: Tennessee legislation granted the formation of a committee to create the Tennessee Nonresidential Buprenorphine Treatment Guidelines. The committee was comprised of physicians, pharmacists, lawyers, law enforcement, and state officials. The finalized guidelines were published and effective January 1, 2018, and adopted as policy by the boards of medical examiners, osteopathic examination, and pharmacy shortly thereafter. The guidelines are now enforceable by the boards and give them the ability to discipline physicians who practice outside the standard of care. Conclusion: Tennessee legislation provides a model for other states to take action in combating this opioid crisis by not only increasing access to addiction treatment, but increasing access to quality care. Article Type: Commentary
Modeling of Layer-wise Additive Manufacturing for Part Quality Prediction

Abstract Widespread adoption of Additive Manufacturing (AM) has remained a challenge due to part quality inconsistency. Using Fused Deposition Modeling as a representative AM process, this paper presents a deep learning technique termed Long-Short Term Memory for quantification of the nonlinear relationship between the printing process and part tensile strength. The presented modeling method takes into account the layer thermal history associated with the layer-wise printing process as well as the IR sensing data acquired online. Evaluation using Polylactide as the printing material has shown a 46% reduction in prediction error of part tensile strength achieved with the developed modeling method.
Urban-scale building energy consumption database: a case study for Wuhan, China

Abstract Building energy consumption accounts for 30% of the overall energy end use worldwide. This number is even much higher in urban areas. With rapid urbanization in China, cities are expanding with new constructions. It is essential to create an updated urban-scale building energy consumption database to represent energy use for different types of buildings in China, which could help urban planners, managers and decision makers to understand temporal and spatial building energy consumption distribution and ensure required electricity and/or gas supply. However, such urban-scale database is rarely found in China. This paper creates baseline EnergyPlus models for residential, small office and large office buildings and validates the baseline models using survey data from literature. Parametric simulations are conducted to consider different design factors, such as building enclosure, lighting power density, equipment power density, HVAC schedule, etc. In total 351 EnergyPlus models are generated to cover different energy use intensity scenarios. Data-driven regression analysis is conducted to predict building energy consumption using building price/rent. The prediction results are expected to provide design decision support for urban planning and power distribution for new constructions.
The false vital sign: When pain levels are not predictive of discharge opioid prescriptions.

Abstract Background Pain gained recognition as a vital sign in the early 2000s, underscoring the importance of accurate documentation, characterization, and treatment of pain. No prior studies have demonstrated the utility of the 0–10 pain scale with respect to discharge opioid prescriptions, nor characterized the most influential factors in discharge prescriptions. Methods Inpatient and emergency department(ED) encounters from July 1, 2012 to April 1, 2018 resulting in a discharge prescription for tablet opioid medications were identified. The primary outcome was to determine if pain levels in 24 h prior to discharge correlated with opioids (in milligrams of morphine equivalents (MME)) prescribed. Secondary outcomes included the impact of patient and prescriber demographics, demographics. A generalized linear model was created to investigate factors affecting the quantity of prescribed opioids. Results n = 78,691 patient encounters. Overall mean adjusted MME for non-ED visits was 378 versus 197 for ED visits. Whites received the highest quantities; those identifying as non-white and non-black received the lowest. Women received significantly fewer discharge MMEs in both the ED and inpatient cohorts. Provider prescribing patterns exhibited the most profound effect on discharge MMEs. The most prolific (≥300 prescriptions over the study period) writing the largest amount. In the ED, there was a significant negative correlation between documented pain levels and discharge MMEs(ρ = 0.074,p Conclusions Pain scale was significantly negatively correlated with discharge MMEs in the ED and positively correlated in the inpatient population. Individual prescriber characteristics were the more influential variable, with prolific high prescribers writing for the largest MME amounts. The inverse association of pain and MMEs at discharge in the ED, and the large effect pre-existing prescriber patterns exhibited, both improved methodology for assessing and appropriately treating pain, and effective prescriber-targeted interventions, must be a priority.
Jubilee of “GAMMA” Journal

This autumn will be a few years since the school journal “Gamma” was founded at Lyceum “Steagul Rosu” in Brasov, Romania, under the guidance of the good hearted professor MIHAIL BENCZE, who has not spared any effort for it.
Literature Review: Design Thinking and Place:

Design-thinking frameworks help professionals to design solutions for complex problems. Design processes take into account the context of a problem, and among these contextual factors is place. Bec...
Data Science for Wind Energy

Data Science for Wind Energy provides an in-depth discussion on how data science methods can improve decision making for wind energy applications, near-ground wind field analysis and forecast, turbine power curve fitting and performance analysis, turbine reliability assessment, and maintenance optimization for wind turbines and wind farms. A broad set of data science methods covered, including time series models, spatio-temporal analysis, kernel regression, decision trees, kNN, splines, Bayesian inference, and importance sampling. More importantly, the data science methods are described in the context of wind energy applications, with specific wind energy examples and case studies. Please also visit the author’s book site at https://aml.engr.tamu.edu/book-dswe. Features Provides an integral treatment of data science methods and wind energy applications Includes specific demonstration of particular data science methods and their use in the context of addressing wind energy needs Presents real data, case studies and computer codes from wind energy research and industrial practice Covers material based on the author's ten plus years of academic research and insights
Coaching Small Primary Care Practices to Use Patient Portals

Patient portals allow both patients and clinicians to share information such as test results, visit summaries, and correspondences. Solo and small primary care practices, however, are challenged with limited resources and with electronic health records (EHRs) that have limited patient portal