cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental examination of worry among older and young adults.

Background: Worry is experienced by many older adults, yet our understanding of the emotional experience of late-life worry is poor as findings regarding older adults are inferred from findings of studies conducted with young adults. In the present study, we aimed to characterize age differences in affect, self-reported arousal, and physiological arousal experienced during worry. Methods: Fifty-three young (M = 21.4, SD = 2.6 years) and 55 older community-dwelling adults (M = 69.1, SD = 8.1 years) participated in an experimental induction of worry or pleasant/neutral recall. Measures collected included: Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), worry intensity item, Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised (MAACL-R), Self-Assessment Maniken arousal item, and heart rate. Standardized residual scores were calculated to represent change from baseline for self-report and psychophysiological measures. Results: Older adults had lower trait worry and worry intensity at baseline. A significant age by induction type interaction was found for the MAACL-R subscales of anxiety, depression, hostility, and positive affect. Compared with young adults, older adults experienced smaller changes in emotions in response to the worry induction than in the recall induction. For both worry and recall inductions, older adults exhibited less change in self-reported arousal and interbeat intervals from baseline compared with young adults. Conclusions: Findings from the present study illuminate both similarities and differences in the experience of worry for older and young adults. This study provides preliminary evidence for the characterization of late-life worry as generating less anxiety than worry during young adulthood.
Effects of color temperatures (Kelvin) of LED bulbs on blood physiological variables of broilers grown to heavy weights

Abstract Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is being used in the poultry industry to reduce energy usage in broiler production facilities. However, limited data are available comparing efficacy of different spectral distribution of LED bulbs on blood physiological variables of broilers grown to heavy weights (>3 kg). The present study evaluated the effects of color temperature (Kelvin) of LED bulbs on blood physiological variables of heavy broilers in 2 trials with 4 replicates/trial. The study was a randomized complete block design. Four light treatments consisted of 3 LED light bulbs [2,700 K, (Warm-LED); 5,000 K, (Cool-LED-#1); 5,000 K, (Cool-LED-#2)] and incandescent light (ICD, standard) from 1 to 56 d age. A total of 960 1-day-old Ross × Ross 708 chicks (30 males/room 30 females/room) were equally and randomly distributed among 16 environmentally controlled rooms at 50% RH. Each of the 4 treatments was represented by 4 rooms. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. All treatment groups were provided the same diet. Venous blood samples were collected on d 21, 28, 42, and 56 for immediate analysis of selected physiological variables and plasma collection. In comparison with ICD, Cool-LED-#1 had greater (P
Supporting drug prescription via predictive and personalized query system

Drug prescription requires consideration of several factors, such as drug interactions and side effects. The process is further complicated by the fact that the presence of some drug properties, such as side effects, depends on patient characteristics, such as age and gender. Our goal is to provide a tool to assist medical practitioners in prescribing drugs. We develop an approach to query for drugs that satisfy a set of conditions based on drug properties. Furthermore, the approach tailors the answers to a given patient profile. We utilize drug information from multiple sources. However, data from these sources are usually noisy and incomplete as they are either manually curated or automatically extracted from text resources. To cope with incomplete and noisy data, our approach considers both the answers that exactly match and those that closely match the query. We represent drug information as a heterogeneous graph and model answering a query as a subgraph matching problem. To rank answers, our approach leverages the structure and the heterogeneity of the drug graph to quantify the likelihood of missing edges and integrates the likelihood into the scores of the answers. Our evaluation shows that for quantifying the edge likelihood, our graph-based approach can improve the AUROC (Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic) [1] by up to 40%, comparing to a baseline approach. We demonstrate the benefits of our system through several query examples.
A meta-analysis of remote sensing research on supervised pixel-based land-cover image classification processes: General guidelines for practitioners and future research

Abstract Classification of remotely sensed imagery for land-cover mapping purposes has attracted significant attention from researchers and practitioners. Numerous studies conducted over several decades have investigated a broad array of input data and classification methods. However, this vast assemblage of research results has not been synthesized to provide coherent guidance on the relative performance of different classification processes for generating land cover products. To address this problem, we completed a statistical meta-analysis of the past 15 years of research on supervised per-pixel image classification published in five high-impact remote sensing journals. The two general factors evaluated were classification algorithms and input data manipulation as these are factors that can be controlled by analysts to improve classification accuracy. The meta-analysis revealed that inclusion of texture information yielded the greatest improvement in overall accuracy of land-cover classification with an average increase of 12.1%. This increase in accuracy can be attributed to the additional spatial context information provided by including texture. Inclusion of ancillary data, multi-angle and time images also provided significant improvement in classification overall accuracy, with 8.5%, 8.0%, and 6.9% of average improvements, respectively. In contrast, other manipulation of spectral information such as index creation (e.g. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and feature extraction (e.g. Principal Components Analysis) offered much smaller improvements in accuracy. In terms of classification algorithms, support vector machines achieved the greatest accuracy, followed by neural network methods. The random forest classifier performed considerably better than the traditional decision tree classifier. Maximum likelihood classifiers, often used as benchmarking algorithms, offered low accuracy. Our findings will help guide practitioners to decide which classification to implement and also provide direction to researchers regarding comparative studies that will further solidify our understanding of different classification processes. However, these general guidelines do not preclude an analyst from incorporating personal preferences or considering specific algorithmic benefits that may be pertinent to a particular application.
Deposition and XPS studies of dual sputtered BCN thin films

Abstract Thin films of boron carbon nitride (BCN) are deposited by co-sputtering of B 4 C (Direct Current—DC) and BN (Radio frequency—RF) targets with varying N 2 /Ar gas flow ratio and DC target power. BCN being a low-k material and a potential inter layer dielectric (ILD), the deposition and surface analysis become prime factors for ultra large scale integration (ULSI) process and device integration. In this study, a thorough analysis on deposition rate of BCN thin films is conducted as a function of various N 2 /Ar gas flow ratios, target powers and substrate deposition temperatures. XPS studies are conducted to ascertain the chemical composition and bonding of the deposited BCN films for the various deposition parameters. The deposition rate is found to show a decreasing trend with an increase in substrate deposition temperature but showed an increasing trend at 400 °C. As the sputtering yield of B 4 C target is far greater than that of BN target, the deposition rate and XPS studies are conducted for the target powers of 20 W and 40 W for the B 4 C target. The deposition rate showed a decreasing trend from N 2 /Ar = 0.25 to 0.75, but increases at N 2 /Ar = 1. The XPS characterization indicates the formation of BCN phase distinctly with few separate phases of CN and BN.
The Minimum-Cost Dairy FeedAn Application of “Linear Programming”

HE main purpose of this paper is to test a method of determining the least expensive combination of feeds which meets, or surpasses, each of several stated requirements. The "linear programming" techniques recently developed by Koopmans,l Dantzig,2 and others, are used to provide a definitive solution of this problem. I want to make clear at the start that I do not pretend to be an expert on animal feeding. It is quite possible that the rations indicated by this analysis may be found unacceptable by practical feeders. If so, it is because the requirements used to illustrate this method do not adequately cover feed essentials. I would welcome any suggestions for improving the stated requirements. But the method of analysis used here is, in my opinion, exact. If the prices and nutritive values of all available feeds are known, that method will unfailingly indicate the least expensive combination of feeds meeting whatever requirements may be determined to be acceptable.
35‐1: Invited Paper: Real‐Time 3D‐Sensing Technologies and Applications in Interactive and Immersive Devices

We present recent advances in real-time 3D-sensing technologies provided by the Intel® RealSense™ cameras and software development kits including a number of middleware libraries. We describe a range of novel systems applications, including a new class of interactive and immersive mixed-reality devices.
Human marrow stromal cells: response to interleukin-6 (IL-6) and control of IL-6 expression.

Production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by marrow stromal cells from human long-term marrow cultures and from stromal cells transformed with simian virus 40 was examined. As with other cultured mesenchymal cells, unstimulated stromal cells produced undetectable amounts of IL-6 mRNA when assayed by Northern blots. However, within 30 minutes after exposure of transformed marrow stromal cells to the inflammatory mediators, recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) or recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), significant increases in IL-6 expression were observed. The time course of IL-6 mRNA upregulation in transformed marrow stromal cells with IL-1 alpha and TNF alpha differed: The maximal response to TNF alpha was observed at 30 minutes whereas that to IL-1 alpha occurred at 8 hours. Although IL-6 at a concentration of 500 U/mL was inhibitory to adherent transformed marrow stromal cell proliferation, a concentration- dependent stimulation of anchorage-independent colony growth was observed when the cells were plated in semisolid medium with IL-6. The stromal cell colony-stimulating effect of IL-6 was abrogated by a neutralizing antibody to IL-6. Moreover, the heteroserum with anti-IL-6 activity and two anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies partially blocked autonomous and IL-1 alpha-induced colony formation, suggesting that colony formation by transformed marrow stromal cells may require IL-6. Clonal-transformed stromal cell lines were derived from the anchorage- independent stromal cell colonies. Both IL-6 mRNA and protein were constitutively produced at high levels. The addition of IL-6 to either long-term marrow culture adherent cells or transformed marrow stromal cells downregulated the expression of collagen I, a major stromal cell matrix protein. Thus, IL-6 affects proliferation of stromal cells and influences their production of extracellular matrix, suggesting that IL- 6 may have indirect as well as direct influences on hematopoietic cell proliferation.
Thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction: need for a change in strategy and future directions.

The results of several major trials of i.v. thrombolysis in patients with acute myocardial infarction have demonstrated the efficacy of the treatment in reducing mortality. Streptokinase and rt-PA have been shown to be effective (APSAC = anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex; GISSI = Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Streptochinasi nell' Infarto miocardico, ASSET = Anglo Scandinavian study of early thrombolysis, rt-PA). This treatment is associated with the potential for cerebral and major bleeding, especially in elderly patients. The benefit of this treatment in patients with cardiogenic shock or hypotension (ISIS-2) is discussed. There is no convincing evidence that patients with ST-segment depression or those with an equivocal electrocardiogram had been benefited from i.v. thrombolysis. Further studies with i.v. thrombolysis and/or other strategies need to be explored. Overall the use of i.v. thrombolytic agents in combination with PTCA in patients with acute myocardial infarction have resulted in improvement in ventricular function and survival in patients eligible for this therapy. However, new techniques and therapeutic approaches to prevent reocclusion, to prevent reperfusion injury, to prevent restenosis after PTCA, to prevent atherosclerosis in the infarct and non-infarct related arteries, and to reduce the potential for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death as well as the potential for mural thrombi and embolization after infarction are needed. The 1990's will see attempts to determine the optimum adjunctive therapy or "cocktail" of agents to be used with i.v. thrombolysis.
Fetal therapy of skeletal dysplasias

Three types of fetal therapy of skeletal dysplasias, as enzyme replacement, in utero stem cell transplantation, and gene therapy, are reviewed. Clinical trial of recombinant ALP for infantile hypophosphatasia has already started in Japan. In future, such enzyme replacement therapy is expected to be adapted to fetus. There are several reports of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for osteogenesis imperfecta fetus. These case reports have showed that stem cell transplantation is safe and to some extent works in patients. No clinical trial for gene therapy has been reported. Recently, the study of gene therapy of using HPP fetal mouse showed an excellent therapeutic effect. Fetal therapy of skeletal dysplasias is still the stage of research because of the safety and the ethical issues. However, in order to treat severe cases of skeletal dysplasias which abnormal development has been already completed at birth, fetal therapy at an early stage would be demanded.
A microtensiometer for the analysis of bioadhesive microspheres

Bioadhesive polymer microspheres are potential vehicles for the delivery of bioactive agents to mucosal tissues. Bioadhesive delivery devices could improve drug absorption, enhance bioavailability, and increase patient compliance by minimizing dosing regimens. Identification of bioadhesive materials is the first phase in developing bioadhesive drug delivery systems. Additionally, quantification and analysis of the bioadhesive event are essential to successful development of a new generation of adhesive delivery systems. A unique, microbalance-based instrument was developed to analyze bioadhesive forces between polymer microspheres and mucosal tissue segments. A contact angle analyzer, with a custom-made physiologic tissue chamber, was linked to a computer via the serial port. Software was used to modify the microbalance operation to behave as a microtensiometer with a sensitivity of 0.1 microN. After mounting a microsphere and tissue segment in the balance and adjusting the experimental settings, the instrument performs a tensile experiment and automatically determines the following parameters: compressive deformation, peak compressive load, compressive work, yield point, deformation to yield, returned work, peak tensile load, deformation to peak tensile load, fracture strength, deformation to failure, and tensile work. Using this device the authors identified several bioadhesive materials ideally suited for orally-delivered, controlled-release systems. GI-transit studies in rats showed strong correlation between increased GI-residence time and strong bioadhesive interactions.
The Rise of the West

Whatever the importance of Asia before 1500, the modern world was created not in the East but in the West. Christopher Columbus’ journey to the New World and Vasco da Gama’s rounding of the Cape were the forerunners of a movement which culminated in the triumph of Europe’s power in the world. How such a relatively undistinguished group of Europeans ever came to lay claim to the entire world is one of the riddles of the past.
HMC-Sim-2.0: A Simulation Platform for Exploring Custom Memory Cube Operations

The recent advent of stacked memory devices has led to a resurgence of researchassociated with the fundamental memory hierarchy and associated memory pipeline. The bandwidth advantages provided by stacked logic and DRAM devices haveinspired research associated with eliminating the bandwidth bottlenecksassociated with many applications in high performance computing. Further, recent efforts have focused on utilizing stacked memory devices as last-levelcaches. In addition to the two aforementioned focus areas, a third area of research isemerging to explore augmenting the stacked memory logic layer with additionaloperations. This first generation of Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) devices providedrudimentary atomic memory operations. The Gen2 Hybrid Memory Cube devicesprovide more expressive atomic memory operations that include primitiveinteger arithmetic operations. Despite the inclusion of more expressivearithmetic operations, many users have expressed interest in more complex andpotentially orthogonal custom memory cube, or CMC, operations in futurerevisions of the Hybrid Memory Cube specification. This work presents recent development associated with the HMC-Sim Hybrid MemoryCube simulation framework that provides users a powerful infrastructure toexperiment and research augmented custom memory cube, or CMC, operations withinthe current Gen2 Hybrid Memory Cube device infrastructure. We provide anoverview of extending the original HMC-Sim simulation infrastructure to includesupport for CMC operations with requiring users to modify the core simulationcode base. We also present three examples of building and utilizing custom, user-defined CMC operations in sample simulations to exhibit potentialapplication speedup with future HMC device specifications. In doing so, we presenta model to replace traditional thread mutexes with custom HMC mutex commands.
Applications of Analytical Ultracentrifugation to Membrane Proteins

The analytical ultracentrifuge is well suited to address the questions of membrane protein molecular weights and interactions in detergent micelle solutions. This chapter explains the theoretical fundamentals underlying the analysis of the buoyant molecular weights of protein-detergent complexes. Strategies are presented to unambiguously isolate the protein molecular weights and association states for both sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity experiments. The data behavior and experimental tests for reversibly interacting proteins in micellar solutions are discussed, and the information to be gained from nonreversible distributions is explained. The advantages and disadvantages of both types of experiments as they apply to membrane proteins are discussed. Examples from the literature are presented throughout the chapter to highlight specific applications, strategies, or analysis techniques.
Kilojoule operation of the Aurora KrF ICF laser system at Los Alamos

The Los Alamos Aurora laser system, which is a prototype for developing high power short wavelength drivers for inertial confinement fusion (IGF), has passed through the final phases of construction and system integration. This system has been designed using the concepts ot optical angular multiplexing and serial amplification by electron- beam-pumped KrF laser amplifiers to deliver multikilojoule 248-nm 5-ns duration laser pulses to ICF targets. Figure 1 shows the Aurora system layout.
Physical and Mental Health of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by poor motor proficiency that interferes with an individual’s activities of daily living. These problems in motor coordination are prevalent despite children’s intelligence levels. Common symptoms include marked delays in achieving motor milestones and clumsiness, typically associated with poor balance, coordination, and especially handwriting skills. Currently, DCD is said to impact about 2-7% of school-age children. More importantly, DCD is considered to be one of the major health problems among school-aged children worldwide, with unique consequences to physical and mental health. Because these children and adolescents often experience difficulties participating in typical childhood activities (e.g., riding a bike), they tend be more sedentary, more overweight/obese, at a higher risk for coronary vascular disease, and have lower cardiorespiratory and physical fitness than their typically developing peers. From another perspective, the motor difficulties have also been linked to an increased risk for mental health issues, such as higher anxiety and depression. The understanding of the health consequences associated with DCD offers practical applications for the understanding of the mechanisms and intervention protocols that can improve the consequences of this condition. In this review, I will explore such consequences and provide evidence for the implementation of interventions that focus on improving physical and mental health in this population.
A rebinning-type backprojection-filtration algorithm for region of interest reconstruction in fan-beam CT with improved noise properties

We propose an alternative backprojection-filtration(BPF)-based reconstruction algorithm for fan-beam CT, which reconstructs images by first converting the fan-beam data to fan-parallel-beam data and then using a modified parallel-beam BPF algorithm to obtain the reconstruction. This proposed algorithm retains the properties of the original fan-beam BPF algorithm in that it can reconstruct exact region of interest (ROI) images from truncated data and/or super-short-scan data. The major advantage of this algorithm is its improved noise properties because of the elimination of the spatially-variant weighting factor. In addition, the proposed algorithm is computationally more efficient
Deep kernel: learning kernel function from data using deep neural network

Kernel function implicitly maps data from its original space to a higher dimensional feature space. Kernel based machine learning algorithms are typically applied to data that is not linearly separable in its original space. Although kernel methods are among the most elegant part of machine learning, it is challenging for users to define or select a proper kernel function with optimized parameter settings for their data. In this paper, we propose a novel method called Deep Kernel that can automatically learn a kernel function from data using deep learning. The deep kernel is currently utilized in classification, and dimension reduction and visualization. For the classification task, we evaluate the deep kernel method by comparing its performance with the optimized Gaussian kernels, both using support vector machines as the decision model, on different types of datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed deep kernel method outperforms the traditional methods with Gaussian kernels on most of the data sets. For the dimension reduction and visualization task, the deep kernel is used along with kernel PCA. The results are also compared and contrasted with using the RBF kernel with multiple parameters. The deep kernel is shown to be more powerful in dimension reduction and visualization than the RBF kernel.
The Impact of Adolescent Substance Use on Family Functioning: The Mediating Role of Internalizing Symptoms

This longitudinal study sought to investigate associations between adolescent substance use and family functioning and whether internalizing symptoms play a mediating role in this relationship; bas...
Relinquishment of Inappropriate Off-Label Uses: The Effect of the False Claims Act

Off-label drug prescription—the prescription of drugs for unapproved uses—relies on physicians to distinguish appropriate uses of drugs from inappropriate uses, based on available scientific evidence. In practice, however, information regarding the appropriateness of off-label uses is often sparse or ambiguous. Pharmaceutical companies are sued under the False Claims Act (FCA) for off-label promotion; these suits often reveal information regarding the appropriateness of the off-label use. This paper examines whether FCA suits can serve as a source of such information and spur relinquishment of inappropriate off-label uses. This paper first estimates the average effect of multiple FCA settlements on prescriptions and finds that FCA settlement leads to significant relinquishment of off-label uses. This paper then conducts a case study of one focal FCA case to identify heterogeneity in relinquishment by payer and information source. The results suggest that legal incentives may lead to increased heterogeneity in relinquishment by payer and that relinquishment seems more affected by FCA suit than by publication of new scientific information. These results suggest that FCA suits can help to spread information regarding appropriateness of off-label uses and call into question some of the expectations underlying current off-label regulation.
Communications and forum: On fuzzy systems: part II

Provides a personal view of the development of the theories and applications of fuzzy systems which were first introduced in the 1960s. Details the interrelationships between the pioneering proponents of fuzzy theory. Concentrates in part I on the historical beginnings of the field and in part II continues to provide personal insights into contemporary studies.
Negative shocks and mass persecutions: evidence from the Black Death

In this paper we study the Black Death persecutions (1347-1352) against Jews in order to shed light on the factors determining when a minority group will face persecution. We develop a theoretical framework which predicts that negative shocks increase the likelihood that minorities are scapegoated and persecuted. By contrast, as the shocks become more severe, persecution probability may actually decrease if there are economic complementarities between the majority and minority groups. We compile city- level data on Black Death mortality and Jewish persecution. At an aggregate level we find that scapegoating led to an increase in the baseline probability of a persecution. However, at the city-level, locations which experienced higher plague mortality rates were less likely to engage in persecutions. Furthermore, persecutions were more likely in cities with a history of antisemitism (consistent with scapegoating) and less likely in cities where Jews played an important economic role (consistent with inter-group complementarities).
Maybe Things Aren’t So Bad, or Are They?: Michael Schudson’s ambivalent critique of commercialism

In this essay, I attempt to shed light on Michael Schudson’s theoretical and political position vis-a-vis commercialism as a shaping force of journalism. I document and analyze Schudson’s criticisms of market pressures on journalism, his criticisms of other critics of commercialism whom he sees as going too far, and then, the limits of the position he stakes out for himself—which is effectively, given his position as the authoritative synthesizer of the sociology of news, a position for journalism studies as a whole. In homage to Schudson’s classic alliterative model of “How Culture Works,” through five magic “R” words (rhetorical force, resolution, retrievability, retention, and resonance), I argue that the letter “C” unites the five reasons why Schudson is reluctant to overemphasize commercialism’s negative effects on journalism. It’s Complicated. There are Countervailing forces outside of the market and even when there are not, the market itself is self-Contradictory. Don’t underestimate the power of C...
PTSD symptom presentation among people with alcohol and drug use disorders: Comparisons by substance of abuse

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) commonly co-occur, and there is some evidence to suggest that PTSD symptom clusters are differentially related to various substances of abuse. However, few studies to date have compared PTSD symptom patterns across people with different types of SUDs, and fewer still have accounted for the presence of comorbidity across types of SUDs in understanding symptom patterns. Thus, in the current study, we use a treatment-seeking sample of people with elevated symptoms of PTSD and problem alcohol use to explore differential associations between past-year SUDs with active use and PTSD symptoms, while accounting for the presence of multiple SUDs. When comparing alcohol and drug use disorders, avoidance symptoms were elevated in those with alcohol use disorder, and hyperarousal symptoms were elevated in those who had a drug use disorder. In the subsample with alcohol use disorder, hyperarousal symptoms were elevated in people with co-occurring cocaine use disorders and numbing symptoms were elevated in people with co-occurring sedative/hypnotic/anxiolytic use disorder. These findings provide evidence for different symptom cluster patterns between PTSD and various types of SUDs and highlight the importance of examining the functional relationship between specific substances of abuse when understanding the interplay between PTSD and SUDs.
Soft-switching isolated tri-port converter for integration of PV, storage and single-phase AC grid

This paper presents a single-stage isolated softswitching tri-port converter for integrating a renewable resource like solar PV, and energy storage with single-phase AC grid through high-frequency galvanic isolation. The single-stage approach reduces the component count, and the full-range softswitching feature realizes higher efficiencies compared to the state-of-the-art methods. A significant advantage of the proposed topology is the elimination of DC capacitors which are major life limiting components in a PV inverter. The tri-port converter can be designed to connect to single-phase or split-phase AC grids, realizing soft switching across the entire range of operating load levels. This paper presents the concept, principles of operation and control, and verification through simulation and experimental results of the proposed tri-port converter.
Realizing a Circuit Analog of an Optomechanical System with Longitudinally Coupled Superconducting Resonators.

We realize a superconducting circuit analog of the generic cavity-optomechanical Hamiltonian by longitudinally coupling two superconducting resonators, which are an order of magnitude different in frequency. We achieve longitudinal coupling by embedding a superconducting quantum interference device into a high frequency resonator, making its resonance frequency depend on the zero point current fluctuations of a nearby low frequency $LC$ resonator. By applying sideband drive fields we enhance the intrinsic coupling strength of about 15 kHz up to 280 kHz by controlling the amplitude of the drive field. Our results pave the way towards the exploration of optomechanical effects in a fully superconducting platform and could enable quantum optics experiments with photons in the yet unexplored radio frequency band.
Abstract 13929: Cardiopulmonary Fitness Index a Novel Index That Improves Prognostic Assessment of Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background: Peak oxygen consumption or ventilator efficiency, which can better provide prognostic information in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) remains controversial, and studies showed circulatory power and ventilatory power were both variables predictive of prognosis in patients with left heart failure. This study was aimed to assess whether circulatory power and ventilatory power were also variables predictive of prognosis in patients with IPAH, and whether a new variable that was defined as peak oxygen consumption (peak VO 2 ) divided by minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production at anaerobic threshold (VE/VCO 2 @AT), which we labeled cardiopulmonary fitness index, can better predict prognosis in patients with IPAH. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed IPAH underwent symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing from 1 January 2011 to 1 January 2014 in Fuwai hospital and were followed for up to 66 months for major cardiac events (mortality and lung transplantation). Prognostic value was assessed by survival curves (Kaplan-Meier method) and uni- and multivariate Cox analyses. Results: One hundred forty-two patients with IPAH (105 female, mean age, 33±11years) were studied. During follow-up (mean: 43±14 months), 25 patients died and 1 patient underwent lung transplantation. In a univariate analysis, peak VO 2 , VO 2 @AT , VE/VCO 2 @AT, cardiopulmonary fitness index , circulatory power, ventilatory power, peak heart rate , NT-ProBNP, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), cardiac index (CI ) , WHO functional class were all predictive of cardiac events (all P 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only NT-ProBNP and cardiopulmonary fitness index were the indicators of prognosis (chi-square=7.51, P =0.006; chi-square=7.26, P =0.007, respectively).The mortality rates of 1- , 2- and 3-year for patients with cardiopulmonary fitness index≤0.29 mL·kg –1 ·min –1 were 8.3%, 16.6% and 23.3% respectively. Conclusions: Cardiopulmonary fitness index, rather than circulatory power or ventilatory power provides prognostic information in patients with IPAH. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02061787.
Psychiatric Aspects of HIV Infection and AIDS on the Family

Children and families affected by AIDS struggle not only with the devastating physical effects of the disease but also with a complex, interdependent set of environmental, psychological, and societal factors. Attempts to cope with separation and loss as well as significant issues of secrecy and stigmatization frequently isolate these families and prevent them from receiving appropriate physical and mental health care. This article describes some of the physical and psychological aspects of AIDS and HIV infection in children and families, outlines some of the challenges that are presented to those who develop intervention on their behalf, and details an innovative program developed by the authors.
Student Reasoning when Models and Reality Conflict

Upper secondary students were provided data from an experiment which contained a systematic error, all related calculations, and several recommendations for modelling the situation. The students were asked to select one of the given recommendations, or to provide one of their own. The physical context (reality) should have required a direct variation as the model, but data analysis (model) suggested a linear relationship with two parameters. In trying to resolve the internal conflict, a wide range of responses and justifications were offered by participants. Clusters of student responses are characterized, and underlying root issues are suggested as explanations.
Persistence of Electromagnetic Units in Magnetism

The centimeter-gram-second system of electromagnetic units (EMU) has been used in magnetism since the late 19th century. The International System of Units (SI), a successor to Giorgi's 1901 meter-kilogram-second system, was adopted by the General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960. However, EMU remains in common use for the expression of magnetic data. The forthcoming revision of the SI provides an excellent reason for magnetics researchers to abandon the use of EMU.
Phase I trial of alisertib with concurrent fractionated stereotactic re-irradiation for recurrent high grade gliomas.

Abstract Background and purpose We conducted a phase I trial of alisertib, an oral aurora kinase inhibitor, with fractionated stereotactic re-irradiation therapy (FSRT) for patients with recurrent high grade glioma (HGG). Materials and methods Adult patients with recurrent HGG were enrolled from Feb 2015 to Feb 2017. Patients were treated with concurrent FSRT and alisertib followed by maintenance alisertib. Concurrent alisertib dose was escalated from 20 mg to 50 mg twice daily (BID). Results 17 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up was 11 months. Median FSRT dose was 35 Gy. There were 6, 6, 3, and 2 patients enrolled in 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, and 50 mg cohort, respectively. Only one DLT was observed. One patient in the 20 mg cohort had severe headache (Grade 3) resolved with steroids. There was no non-hematological grade 3 or higher toxicity. There were two Grade 4 late toxicities (one with grade 4 neutropenia and leukopenia, one with pulmonary embolism). One patient developed radiation necrosis (Grade 3). Sixteen patients finished concurrent treatment and received maintenance therapy (median cycles was 3, range 1–9). OS for all cohorts at 6 months was 88.2% with median survival time of 11.1 months. PFS at 6 months was 35.3% with median time to progression of 4.9 months. The trial stopped early due to closure of alisertib program with only 2 of 3 planned patients enrolled in the 50 mg cohort. Conclusion Re-irradiation with FSRT combined with alisertib is safe and well tolerated for HGG with doses up to 40 mg BID. Although no DLT observed in the 50 mg cohort, this cohort was not fully enrolled and MTD was not reached. Clinical outcomes appear comparable to historical results. (NCT02186509)
Associations Between Organizational Culture, Workplace Health Climate, and Employee Smoking at Smaller Workplaces.

Background:Smaller workplaces frequently employ low-wage earners, who have higher smoking rates. Organizational culture and workplace health climate are two characteristics that could influence emp...
Poincaré–Verdier Duality

In this chapter we introduce the dualizing functor and dualizing complex, and show how these can be used to deduce Poincare and Alexander duality statements for manifolds.
Synchronverter-based Control of Multi-Port Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar Plants (MARS)

Control of integrated photovoltaic (PV) plants with energy storage systems (ESSs) has become an important research and development topic in recent times. In this context, a Multi-port Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar (MARS) plant that integrates PV and ESS to alternating current transmission grid and high-voltage direct current (HVdc) link is studied in this paper. With penetration of power electronic based resources in the grid, the grid’s capability to recover from frequency or voltage disturbances are reduced. Therefore, one of the vital objectives of any new grid integrated power electronic resource is to provide advanced control functions like voltage and frequency support to the grid during disturbances. In this research work, a detailed implementation of a synchronverter-based control algorithm of MARS is presented. The proposed control algorithm and the MARS control architecture are evaluated through simulations on PSCAD/EMTDC simulation platform to showcase the performance in different operating conditions. In addition, they are evaluated in Opal-RT offline simulation models which can also be used to perform control-hardware-in-the-loop (cHIL) tests.
Sensor Fusion-Based Supervised Learning Approach to Developing Collaborative Manipulation System with Variable Autonomy

The objective is to create and program a demonstration of a manipulator arm that is capable of detecting objects, distinguishing between them, and relocating target objects to corresponding locations. The experiments are carried out to evaluate and improve the arm’s design, and to gather preliminary data from the sensors to better program the system’s behavior. The proposed manipulation system design makes the robot arm capable of performing a predetermined series of object relocation tasks with or without outside (human) commands from an unknown initial state. During the experiments, the performance of the robotic manipulation system is compared between two separate sensing conditions: (i) use of an ultrasonic sensor alone, and (ii) use of an ultrasonic sensor plus a light sensor. The human operator has a varying role in the manipulation. The operator may reset system inputs, put command, observe the operation, and collaborate with the system as a complementary performer or co-worker when the system needs human’s support. A survey is conducted to determine the potential human involvement and human factors associated with the manipulation system, which helps determine and vary the autonomy levels of the system. Then, an experiment is conducted to determine the autonomy levels of the system based on assessing the varying contribution of the human operator. A supervised learning approach is then proposed that may learn from previous events, predict required autonomy levels for future events, and thus may help maintain appropriate autonomy levels with task requirements. The results may help develop intelligent robotic manipulation systems in industries that may work independently or in collaboration with human workers with varying levels of autonomy.
The evolving treatment landscape of advanced urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose of review Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the world and the 6th most common cancer among men. In the past few years, several new agents have been approved for the treatment of urothelial tumors. In this paper, we review the evolving treatment landscape of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Recent findings Since 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five immunotherapies targeting programmed cell death 1/programmed cell death 1 legend, an antinectin-4 antibody drug conjugate (ADC), and a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor for the treatment of patients with advanced UC. Moreover, there are multiple targeted agents, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), ADCs, and their combinations currently being tested in clinical studies with the goal of obtaining FDA approval. Summary Precision oncology efforts continue to advance our understanding of the UC biology and transform the existing treatment paradigms. An enlarging arsenal of treatment options promises further personalization of UC therapy.
Impact of Body Mass Index on COVID-19-Related In-Hospital Outcomes and Mortality

Background: Given the high prevalence of obesity around the globe, patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at an increased risk of devastating complications. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the association of basal metabolic index (body mass index (BMI)) with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), dialysis, upgrade to an intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality. Independent t -test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to calculate mean differences and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with its 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively. Results: A total of 176 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were included. The mean age was 62.2 years, with 51% being male patients. The mean BMI for non-surviving patients was significantly higher compared to patients surviving on the seventh day of hospitalization (35 vs. 30 kg/m 2 , P = 0.022). Similarly, patients requiring IMV had a higher BMI (33 vs. 29, P = 0.002) compared to non-intubated patients. The unadjusted OR for patients with a higher BMI requiring IMV (56% vs. 28%, OR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.6 - 7.0, P = 0.002) and upgrade to ICU (46% vs. 28%, OR; 2.2, 1.07 - 4.6, P = 0.04) were significantly higher compared to patients with a lower BMI. Similarly, patients with a higher BMI had higher in-hospital mortality (21% vs. 9%, OR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.3 - 8.2, P = 0.01) compared to patients with a normal BMI. Despite a numerical advantage in the lower BMI group, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the need for dialysis (5% vs. 13%, OR: 3.8, 13% vs. 4%, 1.1 - 14.1, P = 0.07). aORs controlled for baseline comorbidities and medications mirrored the overall results, except for the need to upgrade to ICU. Conclusions: In patients with confirmed COVID-19, morbid obesity serves as an independent risk factor of high in-hospital mortality and the need for IMV. J Clin Med Res. 2021;13(4):230-236 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4239
The effects of a new seat suspension system on whole body vibration exposure and driver low back pain and disability: Results from a randomized controlled trial in truck drivers.

Through a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the effects of an electro-magnetic active seat suspension that reduces exposure of a long-haul truck driver to whole body vibration (WBV) on low back pain (LBP) and disability. Among 276 drivers recruited from six trucking terminals of a major US trucking company, 135 eligible drivers were assigned to either having an Active Seat (Intervention: n = 70) - the BoseRide® electro-magnetic active seat - or Passive Seat (reference: n = 65) - a new version of their current seat (passive air suspension seat) - installed in their truck via block (terminal) randomization. Low back pain (LBP) severity, on a 0-10 scale and the Oswestry LBP Disability Index were collected before and 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months post seat installation. LBP severity and LBP disability scores were significantly lower post seat installation in both groups. At 3 months, LBP severity decreased -1.4 [95% CI: -2.1 to -0.7: n = 46] for drivers in the Active Seat arm, and -1.5 [95% CI: -2.3 to -0.8: n = 41] for drivers in the Passive Seat arm. In a subset of drivers, WBV exposures were collected before and after the seat installation. WBV exposures significantly decreased post seat installation for Active Seat (p < 0.01) but not for Passive Seat (p = 0.15). While the new seat-suspension technology reduced WBV exposures, LBP appeared to be improved by multiple factors. These results were limited by the secondary prevention approach and the longer-term loss to follow up due to large rates of driver turnover typical for the industry.
Towards correction of the JCGM international vocabulary of metrology

Abstract The definitions of seven core metrological terms and three related terms in the third edition of the International Vocabulary of Metrology are reviewed. Some defects are observed. Proposals are offered for discussion to correct these defects. Carefully developed concepts, terms and definitions improve understanding, practice, and communication.