cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Aging to the Severity of Different Motor Signs in Parkinson Disease

Background Evidence does not support the view that Parkinson disease (PD) represents an accelerated aging process; however, the additional contribution of aging to the severity of different motor signs in patients with PD is not known. This knowledge may have implications for clinical trials of neuroprotective agents in PD. Objective To investigate the contribution of aging to the severity of the different motor signs of idiopathic PD. Setting Center for Parkinson Disease and Other Movement Disorders of the Columbia University Medical Center and a neurology clinic that primarily served individuals from the Washington Heights–Inwood community in New York City. Patients Sample of patients with a wide range of disease duration and age. Design Cross-sectional clinic-based study. Patients with PD were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The total UPDRS motor score was divided into 6 motor domains (tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, facial expression, speech, and axial impairment) and 2 subscores that represented predominantly dopaminergic (subscore A: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and facial expression) and nondopaminergic (subscore B: speech and axial impairment) deficiency. Analyses were performed using linear regression models with the UPDRS motor domains and subscores as the outcomes. The variation (adjusted R 2 ) of the outcome variables explained by the inclusion of disease duration in the models, adjusting for sex, years of education, levodopa dosage, and use of other antiparkinsonian medications, was calculated. The additional variation explained by adding age at examination to the models was used to gauge the contribution of aging to each motor domain and subscore of the UPDRS. Results A total of 451 patients participated in the study. Mean age at examination was 62.0 years (SD, 12.6 years; median, 62.0 years; range, 18-93 years), and mean disease duration was 7.2 years (SD, 5.9 years; median, 5.6 years; range, 0.1-41.6 years). The additional variation of the outcome variable explained by including age in the models was higher for subscore B (14.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.9%-20.4%) than subscore A (4.7%; 95% CI, 2.0%-9.1%). Among the 6 motor domains, the additional variation of the outcome variable explained by including age in the models was highest for axial impairment (13.6%; 95% CI, 9.4%-19.6%). Conclusion Axial (gait and postural) impairment in PD may result from the combined effect of the disease and the aging process on nondopaminergic subcortical structures.
Not DEA'd yet: Gonzales v. Oregon.

On January 17, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act beat back yet another attempt on its life. In Gonzales v. Oregon, the U.S. Supreme Court (by a six-to-three vote) affirmed decisions of two lower federal courts and made permanent a 2001 injunction against federal prosecution of physicians who prescribe narcotics under the terms of the act. Media coverage of the decision both exaggerated and underplayed the decision's significance. On the one hand, the Court did not go so far as to decide that Oregon's regime of physician-assisted suicide could not be preempted by federal law. As Justice Scalia coyly notes in his dissent (in which he is joined by Justice Thomas and Chief Justice Roberts), the issue of federal power was simply not before the Court. Justice Kennedy's majority opinion merely held that existing federal law (the Controlled Substances Act) did not authorize former Attorney General Ashcroft's issuance of a rule that physicians prescribing schedule II drugs for patients under the Oregon act were subject to sanction by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This leaves open the possibility that Congress could amend the law to essentially overturn the decision. On the other hand, the decision has implications for the practice of medicine that extend far beyond Oregon and the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. Ashcroft's ruling had been based on a claimed power of the attorney general to prohibit prescription of any schedule II drug that he determined not to be "for a legitimate medical purpose." This purported power to determine what medical purposes are and are not "legitimate" is one that DEA prosecutions against physicians resort to increasingly frequently. Rather than seeking criminal convictions only in cases that meet the CSA's requirement that drugs have been intentionally diverted outside "the course of professional practice," prosecutors have sought and in some cases achieved convictions where they have been able to prove that prescribing painkillers for a particular patient did not meet the civil standard of good medicine--situations constituting medical malpractice. This is just one of many DEA practices that have had a chilling effect on the delivery of adequate palliative care in the U.S. The majority opinion in Gonzales seems to cut the ground out from under this strategy. Justice Kennedy, after noting the extraordinary nature of the authority that Ashcroft claimed the CSA delegated to him, goes on to say: "The importance of the issue of physician-assisted suicide, which has been the subject of an 'earnest and profound debate' across the country, makes the oblique form of the claimed delegation all the more suspect. …
Characterization and Application of a Hybrid Optical Microscopy/Laser Ablation Liquid Vortex Capture/Electrospray Ionization System for Mass Spectrometry Imaging with Sub-micrometer Spatial Resolution.

A commercial optical microscope, laser microdissection instrument was coupled with an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer via a low profile liquid vortex capture probe to yield a hybrid optical microscopy/mass spectrometry imaging system. The instrument has bright-field and fluorescence microscopy capabilities in addition to a highly focused UV laser beam that is utilized for laser ablation of samples. With this system, material laser ablated from a sample using the microscope was caught by a liquid vortex capture probe and transported in solution for analysis by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Both lane scanning and spot sampling mass spectral imaging modes were used. The smallest area the system was able to ablate was ∼0.544 μm × ∼0.544 μm, achieved by oversampling of the smallest laser ablation spot size that could be obtained (∼1.9 μm). With use of a model photoresist surface, known features as small as ∼1.5 μm were resolved. The capabilities of the system with real world samples were...
Aging and Mistreatment: Victimization of Older Adults in the United States

Elder mistreatment is a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any trust relationship that causes harm to an older person. Elder mistreatment has cultural implications across the world because some societies value elders while others devalue them. Approaches to define, detect, and address elder mistreatment must be placed within a culturally sensitive context and considered alongside culturally specific risk factors. Examining Caucasians, African Americans, Native Americans, Israelis, Filipinos, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders reveals that it is a critical and growing public health and societal problem: approximately 1–2 million Americans, age 65 or older have been abused or neglected by family members and people entrusted with their care and protection. Four of every five cases of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or self-neglect go unreported to authorities. Affecting both sexes, elder mistreatment is highly correlated with disability. Elder mistreatment occurs across different cultures and ethnic groups and other facets of identities, in various settings, and most commonly at the hands of family members. Elder mistreatment most immediately affects individual elders, but prevention and intervention efforts must also include macro-level systemic factors. Appropriate funding and training for professionals is critical. Elder mistreatment is a problem that entails societal values that impede problem solutions: ageism, sexism, individualism, victim-blaming, and familial norms. Without a deep understanding of the complexities involved, elders will increasingly be mistreated.
User-Centred Design of a Mobile Football Video Database

The amount of multimedia content that is available to the general population has steadily increased in recent years and this brings with it the challenge of managing large quantities of content, for both creators and consumers. The MPEG-7 standard is aimed at facilitating the management of multimedia content by providing a set of standardized tools for describing audio-visual information to support a wide range of applications. This paper describes the development of one specific application that allows consumers to access a large video database of football video footage using a mobile device. Development has followed a user-centred methodology to ensure that the application development is driven by user needs rather than by the MPEG-7 technology alone.
Teaching future dentists to detect and report suspected child abuse and neglect

Child abuse and neglect often presents with signs on the head and neck, which dental professionals examine on a regular basis. If educated on how to detect and report it in their schools, they can help in solving the problem of under?reporting. Although, some curriculums have been developed for educating dental students and a lot of stress has been laid on the issue through continuing education, still a lot of cases go unnoticed each year. There is one elaborate, robust and comprehensive curriculum with a multi ? disciplinary approach reported in the literature, which was recently developed at the University of Tennessee. This article is a summary of the same. This curriculum has four phases, which are spread out in four years of education of the DDS students. The students are sequentially introduced to the findings of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN), they are shown case scenarios, they work with medical and law students to understand their professional and ethical duties, and are required to deal with a simulation case at the end. Future studies should assess the effects of this curriculum and its overall impact in the long run.
Correlates of Buying Behavior for Grocery Products

Do heavy buyers of a grocery product have different economic characteristics than light buyers? Are private-brand-prone customers really different? Are customers who exhibit a high degree of brand ...
Research on Mine Hydraulic Prop Cost Based on ActivityBased Costing

This paper mainly explores the application of Activity-Based Costing in a mining hydraulic prop in manufacturing enterprise;determine the operation by means of field research, staff interviews,drawing the operation chart.In the cost accumulation,empirical method and measurement method are combined to determine the causes of resources,the allocation of resources to each task,and then follow the operation to determine the classification of work motivation,assign activity costs to products,the enterprise of the hydraulic prop production cost, so as to provide reference for enterprise product cost control.
Management of Subdural Hematoma in Infancy

The original reasons for membrane removal, to prevent constriction of the growing brain or reaccumulation of subdural fluid, no longer appear cogent in most cases of chronic subdural hematoma in infants. Rather, the objective of treatment—relief of intracranial hypertension and prevention of its sequelae—appears to be served equally well in most patients by tapping alone, repeated as necessary.
Diagnostic Criteria for Vestibular Migraine

Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh, PA, review the latest clinical diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, and treatment of vestibular migraine.
Applications of Proteomics to the Study of Adipose Tissue

Determination of the complex secretory proteome of adipocytes and its metabolic changes induced by drug treatment such as insulin or rosiglitazone is possible with the advanced proteomics technologies described herein. To study the secreted proteins of adipocytes, a 2D- liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry protocol has been established. With the use of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, intact proteins were separated in the first dimension into eight fractions, then digested with Lys-C and trypsin. Comparative differences after drug treatment were assessed using 18O proteolytic labeling strategies. With the advent of more and more sophisticated instrumentation and data analysis tools, protocols like this one will likely become standard tools for scientists in the research fields of endocrinology, obesity, and diabetes. These protocols enable researchers to study the dynamic drug-induced changes in a comprehensive and systematic manner that was inconceivable just a few years ago.
Performance characteristics and microbiological aspects of broilers fed diets supplemented with organic acids

The effects of supplementation of broiler diets with organic acids on live performance and microbiological parameters were evaluated in a series of experiments. In three trials lactic acid (LA) (0.25 to 2.00%) or fumaric acid (PA) (0.5 to 2.00%), and in two trials a formic/propionic acid blend (PP) (.125 to 1.00%) or citric acid (CA) (0.25 to 2.00%) was continually fed to broilers that were inoculated via the drinking water with 10 8 to 10 9 CPU/ml nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella typhimurium (NAL-SAL) on days 2, 7, and 14. Cecal pH, weight and percentage (on a live-weight basis) were measured at 41 days of age. Performance variables were measured at 21 and 42 days. At 42 days birds were processed and the ceca and prechill carcasses were evaluated for incidence and levels of NAL-SAL. LA, FA, and CA had no adverse effects on live bird performance. The PP blend gave inconsistent results on body weight and feed consumption; the blend did not alter feed conversion or mortality. Neither LA nor FA affected cecal pH; however, the pH was altered when the PP blend or CA was fed. None of the acids affected cecal weight or percentage. None of the acids consistently reduced levels of NAL-SAL in the ceca or on the prechill carcasses. The results from this study and numerous others suggest that feeding organic acids to broilers is not a reliable means of controlling cecal colonization or carcass contamination by Salmonella. The results also suggest that reductions in cecal colonization by pathogens such as Salmonella do not necessarily result in processed carcasses that are contaminated to a lesser degree
Cracks in the Foundations of Engelhardt’s Bioethics

H. Tristram Engelhardt’s work on the foundations of secular bioethics can be divided into two major projects: (1) a critical project that challenges the prevailing methods and values of thick, content-full bioethical discourse, and (2) a constructive project that seeks to fashion a minimalistic, content-less bioethics anchored by default in a principle of bare permission-giving. Engelhardt’s aim, then, is to establish a bioethics that avoids both moral nihilism, on the one hand, and a thick content-full moral grounding, on the other. In this chapter, I argue that the internal tension between these critical and constructive projects is unstable and ultimately pushes Engelhardt’s bioethics to one side or the other. In making this argument, I identify numerous “cracks” in the foundations of Engelhardt’s bioethics that arise from fundamental assumptions that are taken for granted in his work. These cracks already surface when Engelhardt’s framework treats paradigm cases in bioethics (i.e., interactions between fully mature, independent, and autonomous individuals), but expand dramatically when this same framework is applied to non-paradigm cases, including standard cases in pediatric bioethics.
UT Austin Villa RoboCup 3D Simulation Base Code Release

This paper presents a base code release by the UT Austin Villa RoboCup 3D simulation team from the University of Texas at Austin. The code release, based off the 2015 UT Austin Villa RoboCup champion agent, but with some features such as high level strategy removed, provides a fully functioning agent and good starting point for new teams to the RoboCup 3D simulation league. Additionally the code release offers a foundational platform for conducting research in multiple areas including robotics, multiagent systems, and machine learning.
Smooth-Muscle Myopathy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting With Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction.

Smooth-Muscle Myopathy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting With Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
Are the Current Classifications and Radiographic Measurements for Trochlear Dysplasia Appropriate in the Skeletally Immature Patient

Background:The assessment and classification of trochlear dysplasia in pediatric patients has yet to be well documented or validated.Purpose:To examine several different measurements/classification...
Immunity provided by an outer membrane vesicle cholera vaccine is due to O-antigen-specific antibodies inhibiting bacterial motility.

An outer membrane vesicle (OMV)-based cholera vaccine is highly efficacious in preventing intestinal colonization in the suckling mouse model. Immunity from OMVs comes from immunoglobulin (Ig), particularly IgG, in the milk of mucosally immunized dams. Anti-OMV IgG renders Vibrio cholerae organisms immotile, thus they pass through the small intestine without colonizing. However, the importance of motility inhibition for protection and the mechanism by which motility is inhibited remain unclear. By using both in vitro and in vivo experiments, we found that IgG inhibits motility by specifically binding to the O-antigen of V. cholerae We demonstrate that the bivalent structure of IgG, although not required for binding to the O-antigen, is required for motility inhibition. Finally, we show using competition assays in suckling mice that inhibition of motility appears to be responsible for most, if not all, of the protection engendered by OMV vaccination, thus providing insight into the mechanism of immune protection.
A Rare Case of Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Lung with Spine Metastasis, Including a Literature Review

BACKGROUND Sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare, aggressive, malignant cancer composed of sarcoma and sarcoma-like components, and can occur in different organs such as the thyroid gland, bone, skin, breast, pancreas, liver, urinary tract, and lung. Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma accounts for only a small percentage of lung cancers and has histological variants that include pleomorphic carcinoma, giant cell carcinoma, spindle cell carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, and pulmonary blastoma. CASE REPORT Here, we present a case of sarcomatoid carcinoma in a 63-year-old HIV-positive Hispanic male who presented with back pain, dry cough, and weight loss. A CT scan of his chest showed an ovoid mass in the lower lobe of the left lung, and an MRI of the spine showed a left lateral paraspinal soft tissue mass causing central canal stenosis and mild cord compression. The patient underwent laminectomy and resection of the spinal mass. A transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung and spinal masses had similar histopathology, and were indicative of sarcomatoid carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS We report a rare case of sarcomatoid carcinoma involving both the lung and spinal cord in the same patient. Sarcomatoid carcinomas of the lung have poor prognosis and are aggressive cancers. Moreover, our case also had the co-occurrence of HIV and sarcomatoid carcinoma.
Ambiguous risk constraints with moment and unimodality information

Optimization problems face random constraint violations when uncertainty arises in constraint parameters. Effective ways of controlling such violations include risk constraints, e.g., chance constraints and conditional Value-at-Risk constraints. This paper studies these two types of risk constraints when the probability distribution of the uncertain parameters is ambiguous. In particular, we assume that the distributional information consists of the first two moments of the uncertainty and a generalized notion of unimodality. We find that the ambiguous risk constraints in this setting can be recast as a set of second-order cone (SOC) constraints. In order to facilitate the algorithmic implementation, we also derive efficient ways of finding violated SOC constraints. Finally, we demonstrate the theoretical results via computational case studies on power system operations.
Chapter 13 – Dry Etching

Publisher Summary Dry etching technology is indispensable for fabricating three-dimensional building blocks for the micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) applications. Hence, most of the plasma etching science and technology has evolved from needs in the semiconductor industry. A typical micro-fabrication process consists of many repetitions of the following sequence of steps: pattern generation known as mask making; pattern replication, which is accomplished by lithography techniques; and pattern transfer that is done primarily by etching. The fabrication of microelectronic devices requires the transfer of patterns defined by a mask onto a layer of photoresist deposited on a substrate in which the device has to be fabricated. Etching is done only in the exposed regions. A vast variety of materials, structures, and geometries are encountered during the etching process that imposes a wide range of requirements for the etching process. Special chemical solutions are available to etch the materials so that lateral etching rate is much slower than the etching rate normal to the exposed surface. This is especially true when the substrate is a single crystal so that it is possible to make use of the different etching rates in different crystallographic directions.
Graphene nanoribbons for transistor applications

Recent developments in precursor-molecule-based synthetic chemistry have led to synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with atomic precision control of their edge shape and width, with and without dopants. These GNRs provide a class of quasi-1D systems with a rich set of highly unusual and tunable properties that holds great promise for nanoelectronics and other technologies. For example, the GNR quantum dots and quantum wells, which have been fabricated recently [1, 2], are alternatives to silicon-based transistors, while having a much smaller size in the order of 1 nm. In this work, we design and investigate the electronic properties of GNRs and boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNR) with different structural configurations by using model Hamiltonian methods and first-principles calculations. Based on the electronic property of GNRs and BNNRs studied, we explore their possible roles in future nanoribbon based electronic devices. We further design low-power energy-efficient nanoscale switcher and other nanoscale devices by using GNRs as structural components.
Impaired reward responsiveness in schizophrenia.

Abstract Background Anhedonia is a core negative symptom of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients report largely intact pleasure in consuming rewards, but have impairments in generating motivated behavior to pursue rewards, and show reduced fMRI activation of the reward pathway during presentation of rewarded stimuli. A computer based task measuring the development of a response bias in favor of rewarded stimuli permits assessment of reward-induced motivation. We hypothesized that subjects with schizophrenia would be impaired on this task. Methods 58 schizophrenia subjects (SCZ) and 52 healthy controls (CON) were studied with a signal detection task to assess reward responsiveness. In multiple trials over three blocks subjects were asked to correctly identify two stimuli that were paired with unequal chance of monetary reward. The critical outcome variable was response bias, the development of a greater percent correct identification of the stimulus that was rewarded more often. Results An ANOVA on response bias with Block as a repeated-measures factor and Diagnosis as a between-group factor indicated that SCZ subjects achieved a lower bias to rewarded stimuli than CON subjects (F(1,105) = 8.82, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.078). Post hoc tests indicated that SCZ subjects had significantly impaired bias in Block 1 (p = 0.002) and Block 2 (p = 0.05), indicating that SCZ were slower to achieve normal levels of bias during the session. Conclusions SCZ subjects were slower to develop response bias to rewarded stimuli than CON subjects. This finding is consonant with the hypothesis that people with schizophrenia have a blunted capacity to modify behavior in response to reward.
Drilling Mechanisms Using Piezoelectric Actuators Developed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Drilling mechanisms are widely used in many diverse fields including domestic, medical, industrial, military, geology and extraterrestrial applications (Bar-Cohen and Zacny in Drilling in Extreme Environments—Penetration and Sampling on Earth and Other Planets, Wiley—VCH, Hoboken, NJ, ISBN-10: 3527408525, ISBN-13: 9783527408528, 827 p, 2009). Generally, scientists and engineers have developed many types of drills with the majority of designs based on mechanical motion (rotary and/or percussive) of a cutting tool. These drills have been the result of the effort to deal with the challenges presented by the large variety of materials that need to be penetrated. Mechanical drills use a bit having a tip that interacts with the drilled material and applies forces over a small area to cause large shear and/or impact stresses for cutting or breaking the material. There is a wide variety of bit types that have been developed commercially, which can be readily purchased at local hardware stores. Increasingly, developers of drills for in situ exploration missions are seeking capabilities that address the complex challenges involved with extreme environments found at the planetary bodies where subsurface penetration is needed. This chapter is focused on the drilling mechanisms that are driven by piezoelectric actuators, which were developed by the authors at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), Pasadena, CA.
The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: A Case Study in Contested Ethics and the Public Uses of Professional Expertise

This article offers both an appreciative and critical review of Bandy Lee’s (ed.) book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. The book raises important questions about the ethical conundrum presented by a profession code of ethics containing both the Goldwater Rule’s requirement for practitioners to avoid diagnosis of public figures with whom they have no therapeutic relationship, and the Duty to Warn, which impels them to provide warnings when the risk of danger is suspected. Lee and her colleagues use their expertise in mental health to apply the criterion of dangerousness to the publically observable actions and behaviors of Trump. Authors also address the so called “Trump effect,” or the impact of the intersection between presidential pathologies and societal norms, including the rise of white nativist discourse. After assessing the book, the article considers its theological themes and implications for pastoral and practical theologians.
Synthesis of zinc oxide microrod arrays and their performance as piezo-generators

Zinc oxide microrods were synthesized by aqueous chemical growth using zinc nitrate and zinc acetate solutions without seed layer. Rod length of around 10 µm was obtained after 5 hr at 95°C. Soluti...
Vehicle choice and utilization: Improving estimation with partially observed choices and hybrid pairs

Abstract This paper exploits differences in fuel efficiency between hybrid vehicles and their gasoline counterparts to investigate two key questions relating to fuel economy standards: whether consumers properly value fuel economy (the energy paradox) and whether improved fuel efficiency increases travel (the rebound effect). Several vehicles, such as the Honda Civic, are available in both hybrid and gasoline versions. Such vehicles share many of the same attributes, with the main difference being fuel efficiency, and provide a unique setting to examine these issues. We emphasize methodological and data issues that typically have not been a focus in prior studies, such as partial observability, endogeneity, and measurement error. Estimates of the rebound effect and consumer valuation of fuel economy remain imprecise despite the use of the detailed household level data and sound methodology to handle limitations with these data. The inability to precisely estimate these important policy questions suggests it is useful to obtain reliable, detailed data on household vehicles, paired with rich household- and person-level survey data.
Optimal Timing of Upgrades over a Software Product's Life Cycle

As software ages, it is increasingly unable to leverage new technologies and fulfill evolving user requirements. Firms producing software products therefore get an opportunity to introduce and sell upgrades. Our research looks at the optimal intervals between upgrades, and whether these intervals should increase or decrease over the product's life cycle. Although the accelerating pace of hardware and software developments (e.g. Moore's law) suggests decreasing intervals between upgrades, real business data for several commonly used commercial software products shows the opposite. To investigate this discrepancy, we set up model incorporating the costs and revenues from upgrades for a monopoly software producer. Our analysis confirms that the optimal upgrade intervals are monotonically increasing along the product's life cycle. Understanding of the optimal upgrade intervals allows managers to infer the upgrade costs involved and thus helps them to allocate budgets for managing these upgrades.
Applications of the Rater Version of the NEO PI-R

Self-reports are perhaps the most frequently employed method of assessment. Doubtless this is because of their ease of administration, scoring, and interpretation. However, as was noted in Chapter 3, there are issues surrounding the use of self-report measures in applied settings. The issues of concern center on whether individuals are able to be straightforward in responding to the items, or, whether they distort their responses, either deliberately or unconsciously. Such concerns have motivated many to develop “validity scales,” indices designed to detect the presence of both random (e. g., capricious response to items) and systematic (e. g., acquiescence) error. As noted in Chapter 3, much more energy needs to be invested in establishing the ability of these validity scales to detect such errors. Piedmont and McCrae (1998) noted that validity scales seem to possess little validity themselves. They argued that test users need to be sensitive to the dynamics of any assessment situation and to present the testing materials in such a way as to enhance candidness and cooperation from the test respondent. But even in the best of cases, there is always some possibility that distortion may be present. In such circumstances, Piedmont and McCrae argued that one should include other, nonself-report measures as part of the testing battery. Of particular relevance are observer ratings.
A Software Tool that Links Design and Manufacture

It is now well accepted in industry that major improvements in productivity and manufacturing costs can be achieved through increased emphasis on product design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA). This stems directly from recognition that most of the overall manufacturing costs are determined by decisions made at the early conceptual design stages of a product.
Right ventricle to pulmonary artery coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Objectives To evaluate the prognostic value of the ratio between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE)-pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) as a determinant of right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI). Background RV function and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are both prognostically important in patients receiving TAVI. RV-PA coupling has been shown to be prognostic important in patients with heart failure but not previously evaluated in TAVI patients. Methods Consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who received TAVI from July 2011 through January 2016 and with comprehensive baseline echocardiogram were included. All individual echocardiographic images and Doppler data were independently reviewed and blinded to the clinical information and outcomes. Cox models quantified the effect of TAPSE/PASP quartiles on subsequent all-cause mortality while adjusting for confounders. Results A total of 457 patients were included with mean age of 82.8±7.2 years, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 54%±13%, PASP 44±17 mm Hg. TAPSE/PASP quartiles showed a dose-response relationship with survival. This remained significant (HR for lowest quartile vs highest quartile=2.21, 95% CI 1.07 to 4.57, p=0.03) after adjusting for age, atrial fibrillation, LVEF, stroke volume index, Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality. Conclusion Baseline TAPSE/PASP ratio is associated with all-cause mortality in TAVI patients as it evaluates RV systolic performance at a given degree of afterload. Incorporation of right-side unit into the risk stratification may improve optimal selection of patients for TAVI.
A large deformation elastic–viscoplastic model for lithium

Abstract An essential ingredient in modeling the response of lithium in an all-solid-state lithium battery in which a lithium metal anode is paired with a non-flammable inorganic solid electrolyte (SE), is a constitutive model for the large deformation elastic–viscoplastic response of lithium. Wang and Cheng (2017) have recently published indentation load-versus-depth data from their microindentation experiments conducted in an argon-filled glove box to study the viscoplastic behavior of lithium at room temperature. In this paper we report on a large deformation isotropic elastic–viscoplastic theory for modeling the response of lithium. We have implemented the theory as a user-material-subroutine in a finite element program, and the material parameters for the theory have been calibrated using the data from the microindentation experiments of Wang and Cheng. To exhibit the utility of our finite element simulation capability, we show results from two representative numerical simulations of relevance to modeling the mechanical interaction between a lithium anode and a SE: (a) flattening of an asperity on the surface of lithium when it is mechanically impressed by a flat ceramic SE; and (b) intrusion of lithium into a cavity on the surface of SE, when the SE is mechanically impressed into lithium with a flat surface.
The Other Parent: An Exploratory Survey of Providers’ Engagement of Fathers in Pediatric Primary Care:

Although father engagement in pediatric care is associated with positive child health outcomes, pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) often focus on the mother-child dyad. This study sought to characterize pediatric PCPs' engagement of fathers in care. Pediatric PCPs affiliated with an academic health system were invited to complete an online survey. The primary outcome was the proportion of providers who routinely implement American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for father engagement. There were 100 respondents. Of the 23 recommended practices for engaging fathers, 18 were routinely implemented by <50% of respondents. The least routinely implemented practices were parenting skills support (4%) and perinatal depression screening (5%). The most commonly endorsed barriers included lack of father attendance at visits (91%) and time constraints (75%). Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, pediatric PCPs do not routinely engage fathers in care. Effective strategies are needed to reduce barriers and improve father engagement among pediatric providers.
Directing Solution-Phase Nucleation to Form Organic Semiconductor Vertical Crystal Arrays

Control over the out-of-plane molecular orientation of solution-processed organic semiconductors is a long-standing challenge in the organic electronics community. Here, a generalizable strategy using nanoconfinement to direct the nucleation of small-molecule organic semiconductors during solution-phase deposition is presented. Using a facile dip-coating process, triisopropylsilylethynyl-derivatized acene molecules were deposited onto nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) scaffolds with average pore diameters ranging from 60 to 200 nm. Preferentially oriented nuclei were found to form within the cylindrical AAO nanopores such that the fast growth direction (i.e., the π-stack direction) aligned with the long axes of the pores. Crystal growth then propagated above the scaffold, resulting in the formation of vertical crystal arrays with the high surface energy π-planes exposed at the crystal tips. The diameters and heights of these crystals were tunable over ranges of 100–600 nm and 0.8–6.7 μm, respective...
National ambulatory care non-insulin antidiabetic medication prescribing trends in the United States from 2009 to 2015

Objective Despite their efficacy in lowering hemoglobin A1c, recent data suggest that sulfonylureas are associated with cardiovascular risk and hypoglycemia. The objective of this study was to determine whether prescribers decreased sulfonylurea use in favor of newer medications in the United States over seven years. Research design and methods This cross-sectional study utilized data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Patient visits between 2009 and 2015 were included for patients who were at least 18 years old, had a documented prescription for a non-insulin antidiabetic medication, and a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Sample survey data were extrapolated to national estimates using data weights. Prescribing rates were calculated as the number of visits with a documented medication class divided by the total number of visits with a prescription for any diabetes medication class, times 100%. Results A total of 303 million patient visits were included in this study. The median (IQR) patient age was 64 (55–73) years old and 49.8% were male. Sulfonylurea prescribing rates decreased from 43% in 2009 to 36.5% in 2015. Prescribing of GLP-1 receptor agonists increased from 2009 to 2014 (3.95% to 5.30%), but then decreased to 4.19% in 2015. SGLT-2 inhibitor prescribing began in 2013 and increased to 7.3% by 2015. Metformin prescribing remained relatively stable over the study period (range 70% to 72%). Conclusions National ambulatory sulfonylurea prescribing decreased from 2009 to 2015 with a corresponding increase in newer non-insulin antidiabetic agent prescribing.
Fatimids Fighting over Jerusalem: An Interreligious or Intrareligious Matter?

This study presents an Islamic vision of Jerusalem marked not so much by interreligious conflict but by intrareligious or sectarian concern. It does so by reexamining the decision of the Ismāʿīlī F...
Assistive device design for animal needs in human society

This paper introduces the design and development of a new assistive wheeled product for handicapped dogs. The device is specifically targeted for a 5-year-old mastiff who lost one of his front legs due to a gunshot accident in California, U.S. This study involves research, design, and usability testing with a series of working prototypes on the dog. The significant challenges in collecting accurate data from the testing and process of the new product development will be illustrated through demonstrating the mobility, durability, safety, stability and comfortability of the device. After the efforts of diverse approaches and different product directions, a wheeled assistive device, similar to dog wheelchairs, has been invented by the industrial design team from The Design School at Arizona State University in the U.S.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 and dietary vitamin D reduce inflammation in mice lacking intestinal epithelial cell Rab11a

A number of studies have examined the effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2 D3 ) on intestinal inflammation driven by immune cells, while little information is currently available about its impact on inflammation caused by intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) defects. Mice lacking IEC-specific Rab11a a recycling endosome small GTPase resulted in increased epithelial cell production of inflammatory cytokines, notably IL-6 and early onset of enteritis. To determine whether vitamin D supplementation may benefit hosts with epithelial cell-originated mucosal inflammation, we evaluated in vivo effects of injected 1,25(OH)2 D3 or dietary supplement of a high dose of vitamin D on the gut phenotypes of IEC-specific Rab11a knockout mice (Rab11aΔIEC ). 1,25(OH)2 D3 administered at 25 ng, two doses per mouse, by intraperitoneal injection, reduced inflammatory cytokine production in knockout mice compared to vehicle-injected mice. Remarkably, feeding mice with dietary vitamin D supplementation at 20,000 IU/kg spanning fetal and postnatal developmental stages led to improved bodyweights, reduced immune cell infiltration, and decreased inflammatory cytokines. We found that these vitamin D effects were accompanied by decreased NF-κB (p65) in the knockout intestinal epithelia, reduced tissue-resident macrophages, and partial restoration of epithelial morphology. Our study suggests that dietary vitamin D supplementation may prevent and limit intestinal inflammation in hosts with high susceptibility to chronic inflammation.
Is facial width-to-height ratio reliably associated with social inferences?

Abstract Theoretical considerations and early empirical findings suggested facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) may be relevant to person perception because it is associated with behavioral dispositions. More recent evidence failing to find fWHR-behavior links suggests that mismatch or byproduct hypotheses may be necessary to explain fWHR-based trait inferences; however, these explanations may not be needed because it is not clear that fWHR is reliably associated with trait inferences. To investigate the robustness of fWHR-inference links, we conducted secondary analyses of a cross-national dataset consisting of ratings by 11,481 participants across 11 world regions who judged 60 male and 60 female faces on one of 13 social traits (ns per trait range from 760 to 975). In preregistered analyses—and exploratory analyses of a subset of traits in the larger sample of 597 faces from which the 120 faces were drawn—we found mixed evidence for fWHR-based social judgments. In multilevel models, fWHR was not reliably linked to raters' judgments of male faces for any of the 13 trait-inferences but was negatively associated with ratings of female faces' dominance, trustworthiness, sociability, emotional stability, responsibility, confidence, attractiveness, and intelligence. In exploratory analyses of a subset of traits using the larger sample of faces, fWHR was associated positively with perceptions of meanness and aggressiveness in male but not female faces, negatively with attractiveness and dominance in female but not male faces, and negatively with trustworthiness in male but not female faces. We interpret these mixed findings to suggest that (1) fWHR-inference links are likely to be smaller and less reliable than expected from prior research; (2) fWHR may play a larger role in perceptions of female faces than would be predicted from the theory underpinning fWHR hypotheses; and (3) future research should more closely examine the extent to which robust fWHR-inferences reflect mismatch in the reliability of fWHR-behavior links between ancestral and modern environments versus byproducts of other person perception mechanisms.
The Interface between Convex Geometry and Harmonic Analysis

Hyperplane sections of $\ell_p$-balls Volume and the Fourier transform Intesection bodies The Busemann-Petty problem Projections and the Fourier transform Intersection bodies and $L_p$-spaces On the road between polar projecltion bodies and intersection bodies Open problems Bibliography Index.
A Quaternion Formulation for Boost Phase Attitude Estimation, Guidance and Control of Exoatmospheric Interceptors

This paper describes the boost phase guidance of the space interceptor system for exoatmospheric missile engagements. A space interceptor equipped with 2 booster motors is considered. The boost phase guidance is realized through the attitude control, which, in turn, controls the direction of the thrust vector of booster motors. A quaternion method devoid of trigonometric function computations is proposed for the attitude command generation. The quaternion attitude command is expressed as an error quaternion that represents the difference between the current attitude and the desired attitude determined by the guidance law. The error quaternion computation is then combined with existing quaternion algorithms for attitude determination and attitude control, resulting in a pure quaternion method for the boost phase guidance. The quaternion based guidance method is computationally efficient and free of singularities while the conventional methods based on Euler angles are not. An algorithm for the prediction of intercept point is also included for the sake of completeness. A 6-Degree-Of-Freedom simulation including an interceptor and a target is conducted to demonstrate that the quaternion based method is suitable for the boost phase guidance for exoatmospheric interceptors.
Productivity Bargaining in Construction

Labor and management in the unionized sector of the construction industry have, in several instances, reacted to the growth of the nonunion sector by engaging in productivity bargaining. Collective bargaining in the industry has, historically, been characterized by union dominance. As employment in the union sector has decreased, management has begun to press for union concessions on work rules and practices in order to increase productivity and decrease unit labor costs. Productivity bargaining requires an explicit link between changes in work practices and changes in compensation. To date, the impact of productivity bargaining has not been great with regard to productivity and unit labor costs. The real impact has been on the parties' attitudes, which have become more cooperative. With the change in attitudes, the foundation has been laid for the beginning of true productivity bargaining.
Similarity of fragment characteristics at mid-velocity for mid-peripheral and central collisions

The characteristics, in particular the isotopic composition (N/Z), of intermediate mass fragments (IMF : 3<=Z<=20) produced near the center-of-mass in mid-peripheral and central collisions of 114Cd ions with 92Mo target nuclei at E/A=50 MeV are compared to that of IMFs emitted from the projectile-like fragment (PLF) in mid-peripheral collisions. IMFs produced at mid-velocities are on average larger in atomic number, more energetic, and more neutron-rich as compared to IMFs emitted from the PLF. In contrast, the characteristics of mid-velocity IMFs in central collisions and mid-peripheral collisions are comparable.
The interactions of retinoids with retinol-binding protein. A resonance Raman spectroscopic study.

We have measured the pre-resonance Raman spectrum of retinal, retinoic acid and retinol in dilute CCl 4 solutions and when bound to the bovine-serum retinol-binding protein. The comparison reveals that the binding interaction does not involve any specific interactions of the head group and/or the polyene chain with a particular protein residue. The data indicate hydrogen bonding of bound retinal's head-group oxygen to water, as well as some torsional angle change of its polyene chain upon binding