cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reinforced Robust Principal Component Pursuit

High-dimensional data present in the real world is often corrupted by noise and gross outliers. Principal component analysis (PCA) fails to learn the true low-dimensional subspace in such cases. This is the reason why robust versions of PCA, which put a penalty on arbitrarily large outlying entries, are preferred to perform dimension reduction. In this paper, we argue that it is necessary to study the presence of outliers not only in the observed data matrix but also in the orthogonal complement subspace of the authentic principal subspace. In fact, the latter can seriously skew the estimation of the principal components. A reinforced robustification of principal component pursuit is designed in order to cater to the problem of finding out both types of outliers and eliminate their influence on the final subspace estimation. Simulation results under different design situations clearly show the superiority of our proposed method as compared with other popular implementations of robust PCA. This paper also showcases possible applications of our method in critically tough scenarios of face recognition and video background subtraction. Along with approximating a usable low-dimensional subspace from real-world data sets, the technique can capture semantically meaningful outliers.
Oregon Producer and Consumer Engagement in Regional Food Networks: Motivations and Future Opportunities

Local and regional food marketed through direct and intermediated channels has been increasing in the U.S., with studies of producers and consumers conducted at different places and times illumi­nating the trend. Oregon producers and consumers have shown long-running interest in local agricul­ture, with direct markets providing a well-established connection between fresh and local food. To examine motivations and barriers for the continued development of the Oregon regional food network (RFN), we conducted in-depth sur­veys of Oregon producers and consumers across economic, social, and environmental variables. We identify some salient characteristics of farm enter­prises that contribute to the RFN through different types of marketing channels, and consumer percep­tions and utilization of RFN marketing channels. By analyzing producer and consumer surveys side by side, we identify opportunities for greater integration of food system actors within the RFN if producers, supply-chain part­ners, and consumers come together to realize the potential in regional marketing channels, particu­larly sales to retail, institutions, and regional dis­tributors with differentiated products based on place of origin. Using Oregon as an example, we find overall trends and nuanced distinctions by looking across the diverse agricultural and mar­keting landscapes, giving some insight into local and regional food system motivations that may also be useful to farmers, policy makers, and researchers in this and other regions.
Higher-Calorie Menu Items Eliminated in Large Chain Restaurants.

Introduction Large chain restaurants have reduced calories in their new menu items. No research has examined the calorie content of items eliminated from these menus. Methods Data are from the MenuStat project (2012–2015), which includes 66 of the 100 largest U.S. chain restaurants (n=27,238 items), to compare: (1) mean calories for items on the menu in all years compared with those dropped after 2012 and (2) mean calories for items new in 2013 or 2014 that stayed on the menu compared with items new in 2013 or 2014 that were dropped. The data were analyzed in 2016. Results Menu items that were dropped from the menu relative to those on the menu in all years had 71 more calories (p=0.02). New items that were dropped relative to new items that stayed on the menu had 52 more calories (p=0.04). Conclusions Items dropped from chain restaurant menus are significantly higher in calories than items that remain on the menu. Eliminating higher-calorie items from restaurant menus may have a significant and positive impact on population health by reducing calorie intake without relying on individual behavior, which is very resistant to change.
Advanced Construction Information Modeling: Technology Integration and Education

The Center for Advanced Construction Information Modeling (CACIM) conducts research related to all facets of advanced technology in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) industry. Advanced construction information technologies comprises everything from Building Information Modeling (BIM) to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and reality computing technology. The study of such technologies includes not only the evaluation of the technology itself, but the study of workflows, use cases, and further development as well. The CACIM researchers work with industry professionals, regulatory bodies, and technology developers from around the world with the goal of discovering new ways that technology can be a part of the solution for improving the work quality and efficiency of AECO companies the world over in their quest to adapt to the 21st century. Current work of note includes the development of a Holographic Model Visualization System (HMVS); Virtual Reality workflows; BIM/VDC construction education development; Augmented Reality integration in construction; Reality computing processes and utilization; building code cost impact modeling and analysis; and strategic development of integration strategies for advanced construction technologies. Many of these projects have developed out of partnerships with local startup companies or agencies who see direct benefit from this work which also helps provide valuable insight to the CACIM researchers not only into the technology but also the associated workflows.
Dangerous jobs and heavy alcohol use in two national probability samples.

Samples of employed persons within the US were drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II (n = 8477), and the Quality of Employment Survey (n = 1393) to test the hypothesis that a positive association existed between alcohol use and job hazards. Heavy total alcohol use, or beer or wine or liquor use separately, were the dependent variables. The key independent variables included subjects' evaluations of hazardous nature of the job and fatality rates within occupations and industries. Models were estimated with logistic regressions controlling for age, gender, race and other covariates. Only one robust finding emerged: heavy beer use was found to be positively and strongly correlated with the fatality rate within occupations. Additional correlations between job hazards and heavy alcohol use were weak, generated large P values, and some suggested an inverse association. The lack of robust findings for the additional correlations may partially be explained by the associations between job categories on the one hand and choice of beverage on the other. Blue-collar jobs are more hazardous than white-collar jobs, on average. Persons in blue-collar jobs were more likely to drink beer, while those in white-collar jobs were more likely to drink wine or liquor (spirits). Separate analyses of beer, wine and liquor appeared essential to explaining correlations between dangerous jobs and heavy alcohol use in these data. Limitations of the study included (1) age of the data (from the 1970s). (2) alcohol use and some job hazards were measured by self-report, and (3) data were from only one country. Language: en
Affective Versus Analytic Perception of Musical Intervals

When I see an apple, what do I experience? Of course I see it at a certain place in space, and of a certain size — both with respect to my body, and with respect to other things in its environment. But at the same time, I see and experience some of its qualities — its shape, its color, etc. And from these, I may get an imagination of its taste.
Secondary Physical Educators’ Positioning of Teaching English Language Learners at Urban Schools:

The purpose of this study was to explain secondary physical education (PE) teachers’ positioning regarding teaching English language learners (ELLs) in urban schools. PE teachers may be fearful of ...
A bi-criteria multiple-choice secretary problem

This article studies a Bi-criteria Multiple-choice Secretary Problem (BMSP) with full information. A sequence of candidates arrive one at a time, with a two-dimensional attribute vector revealed up...
Corollary Discharge Contributions to Perceptual Continuity Across Saccades

Our vision depends upon shifting our high-resolution fovea to objects of interest in the visual field. Each saccade displaces the image on the retina, which should produce a chaotic scene with jerks occurring several times per second. It does not. This review examines how an internal signal in the primate brain (a corollary discharge) contributes to visual continuity across saccades. The article begins with a review of evidence for a corollary discharge in the monkey and evidence from inactivation experiments that it contributes to perception. The next section examines a specific neuronal mechanism for visual continuity, based on corollary discharge that is referred to as visual remapping. Both the basic characteristics of this anticipatory remapping and the factors that control it are enumerated. The last section considers hypotheses relating remapping to the perceived visual continuity across saccades, including remapping's contribution to perceived visual stability across saccades.
Factors Associated With New Persistent Opioid Usage After Lung Resection.

Background Opioid dependence, misuse, and abuse in the United States continue to rise. Prior studies indicate an important risk factor for persistent opioid use includes elective surgical procedures, though the probability following thoracic procedures remains unknown. We analyzed the incidence and factors associated with new persistent opioid use after lung resection. Methods We evaluated data from opioid-naive cancer patients undergoing lung resection between 2010 and 2014 using insurance claims from the Truven Health MarketScan Databases. New persistent opioid usage was defined as continued opioid prescription fills between 90 and 180 days following surgery. Variables with a p value less than 0.10 by univariate analysis were included in a multivariable logistic regression performed for risk adjustment. Multivariable results were each reported with odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 3,026 patients (44.8% men, 55.2% women) were identified as opioid-naive undergoing lung resection. Mean age was 64 ± 11 years and mean postoperative length of stay was 5.2 ± 3.3 days. A total of 6.5% underwent neoadjuvant therapy, while 21.7% underwent adjuvant therapy. Among opioid-naive patients, 14% continued to fill opioid prescriptions following lung resection. Multivariable analysis showed that age less than or equal to 64 years (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.59; p = 0.028), male sex (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.73; p = 0.002), postoperative length of stay (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.65; p = 0.016), thoracotomy (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.02; p Conclusions The greatest risk factors for persistent opioid use (14%) following lung resection were adjuvant therapy and thoracotomy. Future studies should focus on reducing excess prescribing, perioperative patient education, and safe opioid disposal.
Association of falls with health related quality of life (HRQOL) in older cancer patients: A population based longitudinal study.

e20524 Background: Falls are common in older adults and decrease HRQOL in the non-cancer population. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the association of falls with longitudinal...
What Is the Impact of Study Abroad on Interlanguage

In this chapter, we focus our attention on two research perspectives that study abroad research has concentrated on: language development and sociocultural gains. The first two sections are dedicated to language development and present an overview of the two subcategories: linguistic structures and language proficiency skills. The third section addresses the development of sociocultural competencies during study abroad. The chapter concludes with an overall summary as well as questions for reflection and suggestions for further reading.
Changing Household Composition

Daniel Van Voorhis, the silversmith, and Catherine Richards were married in 1775, just before the Revolution. Over the next quarter of a century, the couple maintained a very large household by today’s standards. They had a total of nine children—six boys and three girls (one of whom died in infancy)—over the 20-year period between 1776 and 1796. Six of them had been born by 1790, the year of the first Federal census. The household then consisted of sixteen individuals: six men 16 years of age or older, five boys younger than 16, and five women and girls.
The Biology of Breast Cancer Disparities in Hispanics: Current Knowledge, Gaps, and Research Opportunities

Hispanic women have a lower incidence of breast cancer and a lower population-based mortality than non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. However, Hispanics with breast cancer are younger, have more advanced disease at presentation, and are more likely to have aggressive subtypes of breast cancers (triple negative and HER2 positive) than NHW. As a result, Hispanic women with breast cancer have a higher mortality than NHW. Data show that socioeconomic factors (low SES, lack of insurance, lack of access to care) are the most significant contributors to these disparities. The greatest disparities in outcomes and mortality exist among young breast cancer subsets. We hypothesize that low SES factors and associated increased stress and poor dietary habits lead to higher incidence of childhood obesity in Hispanics. Obesity leads to increased production of serum IL-6 and other adipokines, increasing aromatase transcription; this leads to increased serum estrogen and genotoxic estrogen metabolites, contributing to higher incidence of early onset breast cancer with its worse prognosis. Recent data support this hypothesis, showing that obesity in pre-pubertal girls leads to higher serum estradiol concentrations and higher levels of genotoxic estrogen metabolites. Epidemiological data show that prolonged exposure to hormonal contraceptives leads to higher breast cancer risk, supporting the idea that a potential factor in breast carcinogenesis and breast cancer disparities is a continuum of increased exposure to estrogen from early childhood to adulthood. Thus, focusing preventive breast cancer research interventions during childhood and early adulthood in low socioeconomic neighborhoods may significantly ameliorate breast cancer disparities in Hispanics.
The role of miRNA biogenesis and DDX17 in tumorigenesis and cancer stemness

Cancer stemness represents one of the major mechanisms that predispose patients to tumor aggressiveness, metastasis, and treatment resistance. MicroRNA biogenesis is an important process controlling miRNA processing and maturation. Deregulation of miRNA biogenesis can lead to tumorigenesis and cancer stemness. DDX17 is a co-factor of the miRNA microprocessor. Misregulation of DDX17 can be associated with cancer stemness. K63-linked polyubiquitination of DDX17 presents a concerted mechanism of decreased synthesis of stemness-inhibiting miRNAs and increased transcriptional activation of stemness-related gene expression. K63-linked polyubiquitination of HAUSP serves as a scaffold to anchor HIF-1α, CBP, the mediator complex, and the super-elongation complex to enhance HIF-1α-induced gene transcription. Recent progress in RNA modifications shows that RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a crucial mechanism to regulate RNA levels. M6A modification of miRNAs can also be linked to tumorigenesis and cancer stemness. Overall, miRNA biogenesis and K63-linked polyubiquitination of DDX17 play an important role in the induction of cancer stemness. Delineation of the mechanisms and identification of suitable targets may provide new therapeutic options for treatment-resistant cancers.
Multi-scale models of lung fibrosis

The architectural complexity of the lung is crucial to its ability to function as an organ of gas exchange; the branching tree structure of the airways transforms the tracheal cross-section of only a few square centimeters to a blood-gas barrier with a surface area of tens of square meters and a thickness on the order of a micron or less. Connective tissue comprised largely of collagen and elastic fibers provides structural integrity for this intricate and delicate system. Homeostatic maintenance of this connective tissue, via a balance between catabolic and anabolic enzyme-driven processes, is crucial to life. Accordingly, when homeostasis is disrupted by the excessive production of connective tissue, lung function deteriorates rapidly with grave consequences leading to chronic lung conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis. Understanding how pulmonary fibrosis develops and alters the link between lung structure and function is crucial for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Further information gained could help elaborate how the healing process breaks down leading to chronic disease. Our understanding of fibrotic disease is greatly aided by the intersection of wet lab studies and mathematical and computational modeling. In the present review we will discuss how multi-scale modeling has facilitated our understanding of pulmonary fibrotic disease as well as identified opportunities that remain open and have produced techniques that can be incorporated into this field by borrowing approaches from multi-scale models of fibrosis beyond the lung.
Efficacy of Combined Suprachoroidal Stent and Cataract Surgery in Patients With Glaucoma.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intraocular pressure (IOP) control after combined CyPass Micro-Stent implantation and cataract surgery (combined surgery). METHODS All cases of combined surgery performed from February 2017 to July 2018 at Stein and Doheny Eye Institutes were reviewed. The primary outcome was a qualified success with stratified IOP targets based on criteria: final IOP (A) ≤18 mm Hg and reduction of 20%, (B) ≤15 mm Hg and reduction of 25%, (C) ≤12 mm Hg and reduction of 30%. Secondary outcome measures included postoperative IOP and number of medications, complications, additional glaucoma surgery, and postoperative refractive error. Predictive factors for failure were investigated. IOP spike was defined as a postoperative IOP ≥30 or >10 mm Hg increase from preoperative IOP. RESULTS One hundred forty-one eyes (107 patients) were included. Mean (±SD) preoperative IOP was 15.4±3.4 mm Hg on an average of 2.2±1.1 medications. A statistically significant reduction in IOP and number of medications was seen at 12 months (13.8±4.2 mm Hg, 1.3±1.3 medications, P<0.001). Fifteen eyes (10.6%) had a postoperative IOP spike. Thirteen eyes (9.2%) experienced 17 complications (12.1%). Additional glaucoma surgery was performed in 3 eyes (2 patients). Cumulative success rates at 1 year based on criteria A, B, and C were 42%, 33%, and 28%, respectively. Lower preoperative IOP, greater preoperative medication number, the occurrence of postoperative IOP spike, and non-Caucasian ethnicity were associated with failure. CONCLUSION Combined CyPass Micro-Stent implantation and cataract surgery may reduce glaucoma medication burden with a success rate of 28% to 42% at 1 year.
Dominant terms in the freshwater and heat budgets of the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean and Nordic Seas from 1992 to 2015

The Arctic and subarctic oceans exhibit distinct decadal variations in freshwater and heat content. We describe freshwater and heat budgets with the ECCOv4 reanalysis product and compare budget var...
Drosophila p53 isoforms have overlapping and distinct functions in germline genome integrity and oocyte quality control.

p53 gene family members in humans and other organisms encode a large number of protein isoforms whose functions are largely undefined. Using Drosophila as a model, we find that a p53B isoform is expressed predominantly in the germline where it colocalizes with p53A into subnuclear bodies. It is only p53A, however, that mediates the apoptotic response to ionizing radiation in the germline and soma. In contrast, p53A and p53B both respond to meiotic DNA breaks and are required during oogenesis to prevent persistent germline DNA breaks, an activity that is more crucial when meiotic recombination is defective. We find that in oocytes with persistent DNA breaks p53A is required to activate a meiotic pachytene checkpoint. Our findings indicate that Drosophila p53 isoforms have DNA lesion and cell type-specific functions, with parallels to the functions of mammalian p53 family members in the genotoxic stress response and oocyte quality control.
Increased Risk of Short-Term Complications in Smokers Undergoing Primary Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty.

The effects of smoking on unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on short-term outcomes following primary UKA. A query of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) database was used to identify cases of primary UKA performed during years 2006 to 2017. Patient demographics, operative times, and postoperative complications were compared between smoking and nonsmoking cohorts. Descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of smoking on primary UKA. A total of 10,593 cases of UKA were identified; 1,046 of these patients were smokers. Univariate analysis demonstrated smokers to have higher rates of any complication (4.6 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.031), any wound complication (1.82 vs. 0.94%, p = 0.008), deep wound infection (0.57 vs. 0.13%, p = 0.006), and reoperation (1.34 vs. 0.68%, p = 0.018) relative to nonsmokers. Multivariate analysis demonstrated smokers to have higher rates of any wound complication (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–2.95) and reoperation (OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.12–3.97). Smokers undergoing primary UKA are at higher risk for any wound complication and reoperation relative to nonsmokers in the first 30 days postoperatively. Further studies evaluating the long-term effects of smoking on outcome following UKA, as well as the impact of smoking cessation on outcomes following UKA, are needed.
Beef heifer fertility: importance of management practices and technological advancements.

The development of replacement heifers is at the core of cow-calf beef production systems. In 2020, the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service reported 5.771 million beef heifers, 500 pounds and over, are under development for cow replacement. A compilation of data from several studies indicate that between 85% and 95% of these heifers will become pregnant in their first breeding season. Several thousands of heifers being raised for replacement may not deliver a calf on their first breeding season and result in economic losses to cow-calf producers. Many management procedures have been developed to maximize the reproductive potential of beef heifers. Such approaches include, but are not limited to the following: nutritional management for controlled weight gain, identification of reproductive maturity by physiological and morphological indicators, and the implementation of an estrous synchronization program. The implementation of management strategies has important positive impact(s) on the reproductive efficiency of heifers. There are limitations, however, because some heifers deemed ready to enter their first breeding season do not become pregnant. In parallel, genetic selection for fertility-related traits in beef heifers have not promoted major genetic gains on this particular area, most likely due to low heritability of female fertility traits in cattle. Technologies such as antral follicle counting, DNA genotyping and RNA profiling are being investigated as a means to aid in the identification of heifers of low fertility potential. To date, many polymorphisms have been associated with heifer fertility, but no DNA markers have been identified across herds. Antral follicle count is an indication of the ovarian reserve and is an indicator of the reproductive health of a heifer. We have been working on the identification of transcriptome profiles in heifers associated with pregnancy outcome. Our current investigations integrating protein-coding transcript abundance and artificial intelligence have identified the potential for bloodborne transcript abundance to be used as indicators of fertility potential in beef heifers. In summary, there is an ongoing pressure for reducing costs and increasing efficiency in cow-calf production systems, and new technologies can help reduce the long-standing limitations in beef heifer fertility.
CMOS Platform for Terahertz

The Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits technology has emerged as a means for realization of capable and affordable systems that operate at 300 GHz and higher. This is bridging the Terahertz Gap and enabling everyday life applications utilizing this portion of the spectrum. Signal generation up to 1.3 THz, coherent detection up to 1.2 THz, and incoherent detection up to ~10 THz have been demonstrated using CMOS. Furthermore, a highly integrated rotational spectroscopy transceiver for electronic smelling operating up to near 300 GHz, a 30-Gbps 300-GHz QPSK transmitter for data communication with an output power of −6 dBm and an imaging array operating at 820 GHz have been demonstrated in CMOS. These along with the data in the literature suggest that the necessary terahertz electronics for everyday life applications can be affordably manufactured.
Sphincter Repair and Postanal Repair

Anorectal continence is determined by numerous factors, including the function of internal and external anal sphincters, anal sensation, anorectal angle, stool consistency, and rectal compliance. Disturbances in one or several of these factors may cause fecal incontinence; hence treatment options vary based on the etiology and severity. Common causes include obstetric trauma, prior anorectal surgery, and altered bowel habits. Prior to initiating treatment, candidates for anal sphincter repair should obtain a full diagnostic workup. If a distinct defect is identified, sphincter repair is one treatment option and is usually performed with an overlapping technique. Overlapping sphincteroplasty remains a viable surgical treatment option for isolated, preferably anterior, sphincter defects.
Analytical model for starshade formation flying with applications to exoplanet direct imaging observation scheduling

We present an analytical model for the desired kinematics of the starshade-telescope relative motion during exoplanet direct imaging observations. We combine this model with an existing deadbanding strategy published by the NASA JPL S5 Team to define a dynamics framework for deadbanding simulations. Global results of these simulations show that the fuel usage and the number of observation interruptions vary as a function of the target star ecliptic coordinates and time, meaning there exist optimal times to observe particular targets. We combine these results with the telescope pointing constraints due to the relative position of the Sun and other bright solar system objects. We show that optimally scheduling an observation could result in up to 30 more min of integration time and 26 fewer interruptions per observation, improvements of almost 300% in some cases. We also show how phasing the start time of the telescope on its halo orbit is paramount for ensuring optimal observations, providing up to 68 additional min and 31 fewer interruptions per observation. Choosing an optimal halo phasing can also increase, for some near-ecliptic target stars, the fraction of a year that the target is observable from a few percent to more than 30%.
Effect of Triple Therapy with Budesonide-Formoterol-Tiotropium Versus Placebo-Tiotropium on Sleep Quality in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background Factors responsible for poor sleep quality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes the effects of medications. This study evaluates the effect of the inhaled triple therapy of budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium versus placebo-tiotropium on sleep quality in COPD patients. Methods Twenty-three patients (11 [48%] males; age 55 [51-60, 48--5] years; body mass index [BMI] 25 [22-30, 18-40] kg/m2; forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]1.10 [0.80 -1.90, 0.60-2.80] L, 42 [31-62, 24-75] % predicted) were studied. Ten patients were randomized to budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium and 13 patients to placebo-tiotropium. At baseline and after 28 days, patients completed spirometry, polysomnography, an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), COPD-specific St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ-C) and short form 36 (SF 36). Results After 28 days, there was a significant 29% increase in the bedtime FEV1 in the budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium group (from 0.75 [0.55-1.30, 0.50-2.40] L to 1.00 [0.75-1.55, 0.50-3.00] L, p=0.031), with no change in the placebo-tiotropium group (from 1.20 [0.80-1.50, 0.60-1.90] L to 1.15 [0.75-1.55, 0.50-1.80] L, p=0.91). No significant change was found post treatment in sleep efficiency or total sleep time in both the budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium group (from 78 [72-92, 62-98]% to 88 [77-92, 40-98]%, p=0.70 and 290 [268-358, 252-382] min to 342 [303-358, 157-372] min, p=0.77, respectively) and the placebo-tiotropium group (from 82 [75-88, 46-93]% to 84 [77-87, 62-94]%, p=0.96 and 320 [292-350, 180-378] min to 339 [303-349, 241-366] min, p=0.79, respectively). While there was no significant change in the arousal index in the budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium group (9 [5-16, 0-48] arousals/hour to 14 [9-17, 2-36] arousals/hour, p=0.43), a significant increase was seen in the placebo-tiotropium group (11 [4-13, 3--2] arousals/hour to 17 [11-21, 2-33] arousals/hour, p=0.027). Similarly, there was no change in the ESS in the budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium group (6 [3-8, 0-11] to 6 [5-8, 0-1]), p=0.44), but a marginally significant increase in the placebo-tiotropium group (8 [5-12, 2-18] to 10 [7-13, 5-18], p=0.07), with a significant difference in the ESS 28 days post treatment between the 2 groups (6 [5-8, 0-11] versus 10 [7-13, 5-18], p=0.043). There was no significant change in nocturnal oxygenation, sleep architecture, PSQI, SGRQ-C, or SF 36 in both groups. Conclusion In patients with COPD, inhaled triple therapy with budesonide-formoterol-tiotropium as compared to placebo-tiotropium improves pulmonary function while preserving sleep quality and architecture.
The influence of frequent consumption of foods-away-from-home on the total diet quality and weight status among faculty and staff

Objective: To assess the dietary quality and determine the influence of food-away-from-home (FAFH) on dietary quality and weight status among faculty and staff. Participants and methods: Faculty an...
Immunology of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is clearly linked to the immune system. This has been demonstrated by the beneficial responses to treatments that dampen the immune system. This chapter summarizes the numerous changes in the immune system that are associated with the development of MS. The human immune system has two major divisions, the innate and the adaptive arms, and each is implicated in the pathogenesis of MS. Herein, we discuss mechanisms by which both arms contribute to lesion formation in MS. The adaptive immune system, which responds to specific antigenic targets, provides immune “memory” for subsequent exposures and thereby protecting against future exposures to the same or similar targets. This arm of the immune system is implicated in MS because its major cells, lymphocytes, are found in active central nervous system (CNS) MS lesions and also in the cerebrospinal fluid during MS activity. T lymphocytes can be divided into CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and each is present in active MS lesions. In addition, the main animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), can be transferred by myelin-specific T cells. B lymphocytes are also critical to MS, as deleting them in the blood can greatly reduce MS clinical and radiological activity. Innate immune cells process and present antigens to T cells in order to initiate and propagate tissue-specific damage. In addition, effector mechanisms employed by a variety of different innate cells, including macrophages and microglia, directly lead to myelin and neuronal injury during the genesis of MS lesions. Divisions between various innate cells impart features that contribute to inflammatory destruction as well as recovery from injury in MS. Overall, a complex interplay between immune cells serves to coordinate a complex cascade of inflammatory events that contribute to development of disease in MS.
Winter cover crops and no-till promote soil macrofauna communities in irrigated, Mediterranean cropland in California, USA

Abstract Cover crops and reduced tillage are two elements of conservation agriculture with potential to support larger and more diverse soil biological communities. Soil macrofauna can be indicators of soil quality and can regulate multiple soil functions, but their response to cover crop adoption in temperate regions is not well studied. We evaluated soil macrofauna communities and related soil quality metrics in response to a 16-year winter cover crop and tillage trial located in the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. The most abundant taxa were Coleoptera (beetles) and Lumbricidae (earthworms), with average densities ranging between 5 and 318 beetles m−2 and 65–480 earthworms m−2 depending on sample date and treatments. Overall macrofauna abundance increased by 93% with the addition of cover crops in rotation, and 50% with the elimination of tillage. Taxonomic richness increased by 48% with cover crops in treatments managed without tillage, though there was no effect of cover crops under standard tillage. Macrofauna abundance was positively related to total soil carbon, water infiltration, and soil aggregate stability. Macrofauna community composition was best explained by soil carbon, water stable aggregate fraction, and cover crop usage. Agricultural management practices that foster soil biological communities may support biodiversity and improve environmental outcomes critical for sustainable food production.
Measurement Properties of Social Communication Assessments for Transition-Age Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Purpose An important role of social communication assessment is to support intervention planning as adolescents with disabilities transition to workplaces and other adult settings. Adoption of evid...
Craniopharyngioma

Craniopharyngiomas are benign tumors of the parasellar region. These tumors may be cystic, solid, or combinations of the two. They have a bimodal age distribution and no apparent gender predilection. Patients may present with endocrinopathy or symptoms related to mass effect from the growing tumor. Patients require a multidisciplinary approach during their diagnostic evaluation and subsequent to initiating therapy. Endocrinopathy should be recognized and treated with appropriate hormonal replacement. Surgery is the first-line therapy for most paients. The specific surgical approach must be tailored to the specific clinical situation and depends on the patient age, endocrine status, and the geometry and consistency of the tumor. Whereas most solid tumors will require craniotomy or transsphenoidal surgery, some cystic tumors may be adequately managed with intracavitary therapies. Subtotally resected or residual tumors often require adjuvant radiation therapy or radiosugery. Long-term multidisciplinary follow-up is necessary for all patients.
Preliminary Efficacy and Acceptability of an Online Exercise and Nutrition Workplace Wellness Program: A Brief Report.

BackgroundWorkplace wellness programs (WWP) offer physiological and psychological benefits to employees and financial and productivity benefits to employers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has prev...
Resilience and mental health in individuals with spinal cord injury during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cross-sectional, observational study. To understand how resilience, access to personal care attendants (PCAs) and medical supplies, and concerns about medical rationing, finances, and social isolation are related to overall and mental health in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community dwelling adults (N = 187) with SCI. Data were collected online between May 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020. Outcomes were overall and mental health, depression and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life (QoL). Predictors were resilience, access to PCAs and medical supplies, and concerns about medical rationing, finances, and social isolation. Incomplete injury, concern about medical rationing, medical supply disruption, and social isolation predicted a greater perceived impact of the pandemic on overall heath. Younger age, decreased resilience, and concern about medical rationing and social isolation predicted greater perceived impact of the pandemic on mental health. Decreased resilience and concern about medical rationing and finances predicted increased anxiety symptoms. Incomplete injury, believing that medical rationing was occurring, decreased resilience, and concern about finances and social isolation predicted increased depressive symptoms. Decreased resilience and concern about finances, medical rationing, and social isolation predicted lower QoL. The negative effects of the pandemic on the overall and mental health of individuals with SCI may be ameliorated by resilience. In future crises, it may be beneficial to screen individuals for resilience so that those with decreased resilience are offered the appropriate resources to enhance resilience and improve overall wellbeing.
Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity and Neuroinflammatory Processes

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a widely abused psychostimulant known to cause neurotoxicity. Traditionally, the toxic effects of Meth were thought to be restricted to dopaminergic and serotonergic axon terminals, but more recently the targets of Meth have been found to include dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons, brain endothelial cells, and the liver. In addition to the neuronal and nonneuronal targets of Meth, mechanisms responsible for damage including oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and mitochondrial dysfunction will be discussed. The focus of this chapter will be to integrate the known targets of Meth and mechanisms of Meth-induced damage with more recently identified neuroinflammatory markers found after exposure to Meth. Various inflammatory mediators and their temporal expression after Meth exposure will be reviewed as well as supporting evidence for the role of neuroinflammation in Meth-induced damage.
Quasi-Beta Index : Multidimensional Comparative Analysis Application to Determine Risk Index for Stock Investments on The Warsaw Stock Exchange

Cost of capital is the key parameter when evaluating a company’s financial performance and valuing a firm or a project. The cost of equity calculation methods most commonly used in practice are based on market data. When such data is not available, classical methods used to determine required rate of return on equity capital are substituted with techniques based on accounting data. One of these techniques is multidimensional comparative analysis. This text shows an attempt to assess quasi-beta indices using multidimensional comparative analysis. Using five financial ratios calculated for companies from the Warsaw Stock Exchange indices WIG20, mWIG40 and sWIG80, risk coefficients were determined as taxonomic measures of development, and then they were compared to traditional beta indices. The final results are promising – the highest values of quasi-beta indices are assigned to companies that are characterized as above average in risk level.
Cross-resistance to ON01910.Na among drug-resistant human tumor cell lines

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4707 The benzyl styryl sulfone analog ON 01910.Na (1910) is a novel anticancer agent that inhibits CDK1 and PDGFR, and is currently in Phase 1 trials. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether human cells in culture, which were made resistant to various anticancer agents exhibited any cross-resistance to 1910. 1910’s cell kill effects were exposure time-dependent. Thus, in Daudi lymphoma cells IC50s were 750, 220 and 130 nM after 24 , 48 and 72 hr exposure at 37° respectively. Tumor cells were exposed to graded concentrations of drug for 72 hr and then subjected to sulforhodamine B assay (Skehan). Degrees of resistance were determined as a ratio of IC50 of drug resistant cells vs. parent cells. 10,000-fold methotrexate-resistant MOLT ALL cells were more sensitive to 1910 (relative resistance 0.56). 200-fold doxorubicine-resistant MCF-7/DOX breast cancer cells, 200-fold vinblastine-resistant KB/VBL laryngeal tumor cells and 2,500-fold trimetrexate-resistant MOLT ALL cells were as sensitive to 1910 as the respective parent cell lines. 20-fold vincristine-resistant Daudi /MDR20 lymphoma cells which overexpress P-gp, 120-fold etoposide-resistant HEK-293/pcDNA3.1-MRP1cells which overexpress MRP1, 140-fold mitoxantrone-resistant HEK-293/ABCG2 cells, which carry mutant form of ABCG2 were all 1910-sensitive. 1910 had a minor cross-resistance (2.6-fold) to 34-fold cisplatin-resistant Bel7404/CP20 hepatoma cells and (2.1 fold) to 24-fold flavopiridol-resistant MCF-7/FLV1,000 cells. Attempts were made to develop 1910-resistance in Daudi cells by continuous or pulse exposure to 1910. For continuous exposure the initial drug concentration was 25 nM or IC10 concentration. After recovery of population cell growth, drug concentration was gradually increased. After nearly 2 yrs of experiment cells were finally able to grow avidly in the presence of 400 nM of drug. Attempts to increase the drug to higher concentrations were met with cell death. For pulse exposure cells were exposed to 100 nM or IC50 drug concentration for 3 days, after which cells were washed free of drug and were allowed to grow. Finally, cells could be retrieved from 3,000 nM for 3 days exposure. After recovery of cell growth the degree of resistance was found to be only 2 fold for both modes of exposure. These data show that 1910 is not a MDR1 or MRP1 substrate drug, not cross-resistant to many of drug-resistant tumor cells, and has unique characteristic of not making tumor cells resistant to the drug. All of these characteristics are considered favorable as a novel anticancer agent. (We thank Drs. Michael Gottesman and Susan Bates/Robert Robey for allowing us to examine their drug-resistant cell lines. Supported by the T.J. Martell Foundation and by Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.)
Speaker adaptation method for HMM-based speech recognition

The authors describe a speaker adaptation method consisting of two stages. In the first stage, label prototypes, which represent spectral features, are modified to reduce the total distortion error of vector quantization for a new speaker. In the second stage, well-trained hidden Markov model (HMM) parameters are transformed by using a linear mapping function. This is estimated by counting the correspondences along the alignment between a state sequence of an HMM and a label sequence of a new speaker utterance. This adaptation procedure was tested in an isolated word recognition task using 150 confusable Japanese words. The original label prototypes and HMM parameters were estimated for a male speaker, who spoke each word 10 times. When the adaptation procedure was applied with 25 words, the average error rate for another seven male speakers was reduced from 25.0% to 5.6%, which was roughly the same as that for the original speaker. This procedure was also effective for adaptation between male and female speakers. >
Remote Monitoring of Implantable Pacemakers: In-Office Setup Significantly Improves Successful Data Transmission

Background Remote wireless follow-up of implanted pacemakers (PM) has become an attractive method of follow-up. Although wireless PM follow-up has several advantages compared with transtelephonic and office-based follow-up, its utility depends on successful transmission. Hypothesis Initial in-office setup of wireless PM will improve transmission rate as compared with home setup. Methods A total of 202 consecutive patients from 2 medical centers were included in this retrospective study. Patients in the home setup group (N = 101) had traditional home setup of wireless PM, whereas patients in the in-office group (N = 101) had setup of PMs by allied health professionals during the postoperative office visit. Successful transmission was defined as successful initial wireless transmission of PM data by 2 months postimplant. Results Of the 101 patients in the home setup group, 22 (22%) patients had successful transmission. Of the 101 patients in the in-office group, 92 (91%) patients had successful transmission (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that that the in-office group was independently associated with successful transmission (odds ratio: 114.5; 95% confidence interval: 32.1-408.4; P < 0.0001). Conclusions In patients implanted with PM capable of remote wireless data transmission, initial home setup of the wireless monitoring device was frequently unsuccessful. In-office PM setup was associated with a significantly higher rate of successful transmission.
Retail service dynamics in a rural tourism community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the use of retail customer service as a value added component and potential success strategy for rural tourism retailers. More specifically, service quality expectations and perceptions as a means for segmenting tourism markets are to be examined.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a case study methodology in an established rural tourism community. Local customers, tourist customers, and retailers participated in the study. A canvassing approach was employed for administering a hand‐delivered, self‐report survey that examined parallel sets of service quality expectations and perceptions among the three groups, along with service satisfaction outcomes (i.e. retailer loyalty and purchase intentions). Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, t‐tests, and regression analysis were conducted.Findings – Local and tourist customers' prior expectations for retail service quality were similar; however, local and tourist customers' post‐experience ...