cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Aspects of the Vacuum System for the Proposed Storage Ring CESR

The vacuum system for the proposed e+e- storage ring CESR must handle the high power-density of synchrotron radiation hitting the walls, and the vacuum chamber must be designed to minimize "higher-mode" losses due to beam-induced RF fields. We present brief descriptions of some prototype components and results of tests on these prototypes.
Architectural design styles in the VLSI implementation of real discrete Fourier transform

The real discrete Fourier transform (RDFT) is an orthogonal transform with sampled frequency responses which corresponds to the Fourier series of real valued sampled signals. Fast algorithms for computing the real discrete Fourier transform (FRFT) use Given's planar rotation as the basic computing kernel instead of the complex butterfly used in the FFT computation. Two approaches for the VLSI implementation of FRFT are presented. The first approach is based on an elegant implementation using a CORDIC (coordinate rotation digital computer) processor. The second approach is based on the implementation using a distributed arithmetic scheme, which reorders the rotation as a sum of products and has the advantage of efficient mechanization. The global communication inherent in the FRFT algorithm is circumvented using the systolic elevator concept, which assures local communication in the algorithm. The proposed architectures exploit regularity and are quite simple and modular, hence very attractive for VLSI implementation. >
Three problems in the marriage of neuroscience and education.

Whether neuroscience can be informative to educational theory and practice is not debatabledit has been. For example, behavioral data were not decisive in determining whether dyslexia was primarily a visual perceptual disorder, or whether phonology was the more fundamental problem (for a review, see McCardle et al., 2001). Brain imaging data (e.g., Rumsey et al., 1992) showed reduced activation in left temporoparietal cortex, a region known from other studies to support phonology, thus strongly supporting the phonological theory. The question is just how enthused and optimistic should researchers, educators, and parents be? It is wise to remember that there have been at least two other brief pulses of excitement over a possible marriage between these two fieldsdone in the mid 1960s (e.g., Gaddes, 1968) and the other in the early 1990s (e.g., Vellutino et al., 1991). Will the recent reigniting of the romance lead to a long-term commitment, or will it be another passing infatuation? Here I highlight three problems in bringing neuroscientific data and theory to bear on educational practice. Before I describe those three problems it will be useful to draw a distinction between natural and artificial sciences (Simon, 1996). Natural sciences, like neuroscience, are descriptive; the aim is to discover principles that describe neural structure and function and in so doing to bring order and comprehensibility to data. Artificial sciences are normative. Their aim is not the description of the natural world as it exists, but the creation of an artifact, designed to serve a specified goal, within a particular environment. Examples of artificial sciences include urban planning, economics, engineering, and education. The artifact to be created in education is a set of pedagogic strategies and materials. The goal is usually some version of ‘‘instilling skills and knowledge in children,’’ although the goal changes over time and across cultures.
Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster study of jahn-teller effect in X2E CF3O° and CF3S°

An ab initio study of the molecular structure of CF3O and CF3S, fluorinated analogues of the methoxy (CH3O) and methylthio (CH3S) radicals, was performed. The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method (EOMIP) using a reference Slater determinant based on the CF3X−-anion (X = O, S) ground state with basis sets of triple-ζ quality was applied for numerical geometry optimizations of stationary points on adiabatic Jahn–Teller surfaces of the X2E ground electronic state of CF3O and CF3S. The Jahn–Teller distortions in the sulfur-centered species (CH3S and CF3S) are totally quenched by the strong spin–orbit coupling. However, the CH3O and CF3O radicals are structurally distorted by the Jahn–Teller effect accompanied by a relatively small spin-orbit coupling. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Man the hunted: Determinants of household spacing in desert and tropical foraging societies

Abstract Controlled comparisons of ethnographic Western Desert Australian Aborigine and !Kung San campsites reveal significant differences in mean distances between households as well as differences in campsite areas based on nearest neighbor analysis. In terms of campsite areas in m 2 /person, the Aborigines space themselves over areas many times greater than the !Kung. A review of alternative hypotheses to account for these differences supports a combination of kin-ties and larger campsite areas/person to explain the variance, while the gross overall differences in spacing households are structured primarily by the relative effects of predation pressure, which is inversely proportional to both mean distances between households and campsite areas in m 2 /person. Some trial comparisons with other ethnographic cases are offered, along with test implications for archaeology.
Institutional self-citation rates: A three year study of universities in the United States

Using Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) data, this paper calculated institutional self citations rates (ISCRs) for 96 of the top research universities in the United States from 2005-2007. Exhibiting similar temporal patterns of author and journal self-citations, the ISCR was 29% in the first year post-publication, and decreased significantly in the second year post-publication (19%). Modeling the data via power laws revealed total publications and citations did not correlate with the ISCR, but did correlate highly with ISCs. California Institute of Technology exhibited the highest ISCR at 31%. Academic and cultural factors are discussed in relation to ISCRs.
Controller design for a wearable, near-field haptic display

In this paper, we address the problem of providing near-field haptic feedback in a wearable, scalable manner. Our solution, called the TactaBoard, supports the independent control of 16 outputs on a single controller board using a standard serial port. We have tested the system with several types of output devices, including low-cost pager motors and fans. Based on pulse-width modulation, the system can generate an output frequency from 0.3 Hz to 316 Hz. We provide a detailed description of the characteristics of our system, and present early results from empirical studies we have conducted with one possible configuration of tactors. Future enhancements to the TactaBoard system include the ability to daisy chain multiple boards on one control bus, and support for other classes of output devices such as those requiring an H-Bridge. Finally, we present some possible applications where this type of system might be useful.
Non-uniform recovery of left ventricular transmural mechanics in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: After a transient ischemic episode, the subendocardial region is more severely injured than outer subepicardial layers and may regain a proportionately greater degree of mechanical function in the longitudinal direction. We sought to explore left ventricular (LV) transmural mechanics in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) for determining the mechanism underlying recovery of global LV function after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 42 patients (62 ± 11 years old, 71% male) with a first STEMI underwent serial assessments of LV longitudinal, circumferential and radial strains (LS, CS and RS) by selective tracking of subendocardial and subepicardial regions within 48 hours and a median of 5 months after PCI. LV mechanical parameters were compared with sixteen age and gender matched normal controls. Results: In comparison with controls, endocardial and epicardial LS were markedly attenuated at 48 hours following PCI (P 5%) following PCI was seen in 24 (57%) patients and was associated with improvement in endocardial and epicardial LS (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively) and endocardial CS (P = 0.01). Radial strain and wall motion score index, however, remained persistently abnormal. The change in endocardial LS (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.42, P = 0.01) and the change in epicardial LS (OR 1.2, 95% 1.03 to 1.46, P = 0.02) were significantly associated with the improvement in LVEF, independent of the location of STEMI and the presence of underlying multivessel disease. Conclusions: In patients with STEMI treated by PCI, the recovery of LV subendocardial shortening strain seen in the longitudinal direction underlies the improvement in LV global function despite persistent abnormalities in radial mechanics and wall motion score index.
Examination of Full Fat and Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese During Ripening by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The Fourier transform infrared spectra of reduced fat Cheddar cheese and full fat Cheddar cheese during ripening were examined. A suitable sampling procedure was used to obtain the spectra of cheese samples. The spectra were affected by the moisture contents of the samples, but this effect could be eliminated by equilibration of the sample for at least 10 min before data collection. Strong and well-separated bands at 1744, 1450, 1240, 1170, and 1115 cm-1 arising from fat were observed in the frozen samples. The bands observed at 1650 and 1540 cm-1 were attributed to the protein contents of the cheese samples. The absorption intensities of protein and fat bands corresponded to the amounts of protein and fat that were present in the samples. Distinct changes in the bands of fat and protein of reduced fat and full fat cheese samples occurred during ripening. This technique could provide a basis for a rapid characterization and determination of the age of cheese undergoing ripening.
Isolation and partial characterization of a native serine-type protease inhibitor from bovine milk

Abstract Purification of a native serine-type protease inhibitor from raw bovine milk resulted in the isolation of an inhibitor tentatively identified as α l -antitrypsin. Techniques utilized included ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by metal chelate, hydrophobic interaction, and gel filtration chromatography. Inhibitory activity during the isolation procedure was monitored using benzoyl-DL-arginine- p -nitroanilide. Molecular weight range of the isolated inhibitor (56,000 to 64,000 kDa) was comparable with that of human serum α 1 -antitrypsin (60,000 kDa). The pH optima were 6.0 and 7.5. The isolated inhibitor was active against trypsin and elastase, but activity against plasmin was not detectable. The inhibitor was a glycoprotein and formed an SDS staple complex with elastase.
Identity And Privacy Services

Personal identity and privacy are important topics in information systems in general and data analytics in particular. Normally associated with digital security, the scope of identity and privacy is much greater and affects most aspects of everyday life. Related subjects are behavioral tracking, personal-identifiable information (PII), privacy data relevance, data repurposing, identity theft, and homeland security. Identity and Privacy Services is an admixture of the major issues in the area of personal identity and privacy and the security of individual rights in a complex societal environment. This is a general paper on this important subject, intended to give exposure to the constituent topics.
Carotid Artery Stenosis with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Stenting versus Angioplasty.

Background: When a patient with carotid artery stenosis presents emergently with acute ischemic stroke, the optimum treatment plan is not clearly defined. If intervention is warranted, and open surgery is prohibitive, endovascular revascularization may be performed. The use of stents places the patient at additional risk due to their thrombogenic potential. The interventionalist may treat the stenosis with angioplasty-alone. Drawbacks of this technique include elastic recoil of the artery, residual stenosis, and high restenosis rates. The intent of this study was to compare outcomes following endovascular approaches (angioplasty-alone vs stent) in the setting of acute stroke. Methods: We extracted a population from the National Inpatient Sample (2012) and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2003-2011) composed of patients with carotid artery stenosis with infarction that were admitted non-electively and received endovascular revascularization. Patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy or thrombolysis were excluded. Categorical variables were compared between treatment groups with Chi-squared tests. Binary logistic regression was performed to evaluate mortality and iatrogenic stroke while controlling for age, case severity, and co-morbidity burden. Results: 6,333 admissions met our criteria. A majority were treated via stenting (89%, n=5,608). The angioplasty-alone group had significantly higher mortality (9.0% vs 3.8%, P<.001) and iatrogenic stroke rate (3.9% vs 1.9%, P<.001) than the stent-group. The adjusted odds ratios of mortality and iatrogenic stroke for patients treated with angioplasty-alone were 1.953 (P<.001) and 1.451 (P=.105), respectively, in comparison to patients treated with carotid stenting. Conclusion: Multivariate analysis found the risk of mortality to be elevated following angioplasty-alone. This may represent selection bias, but it also may indicate that symptomatic patients with stroke suffer from severe stenosis and unstable plaques that would benefit from stent placement. These results would caution angioplasty-alone as an arm of a future randomized trial involving this severely burdened patient population requiring urgent intervention.
Genetic factors affecting blood lipoproteins: the candidate gene approach.

Family studies have revealed that individual variations in the levels and structures of lipoproteins in the blood are due in large part to hereditary influences. Since such lipoprotein variations are strongly associated with atherosclerosis, the major cause of heart disease and stroke, the characterization of these hereditary influences provides an opportunity to better understand the genetic components contributing to the disease. Many laboratories have now taken up this challenge (reviewed in ref. 1). The problem is a difficult one, since the lipoprotein variations clearly result from a large variety of hereditary as well as environmental factors. Atherosclerosis is undoubtedly even more complex and may, like cancer, have myriad causes. In this review approaches to the problem and the results obtained to date are discussed. The most powerful strategy involves combined genetic and biochemical studies of candidate genes - genes at which allelic variation is likely to affect lipoprotein phenotypes. Among such candidate genes, many of which have now been characterized, are those encoding apolipoproteins, lipoprotein receptors, and enzymes involved in lipid metabolism. This review focuses on relatively common genetic differences rather than rare mutations. Since animals provide useful models for the genetic control of lipoprotein metabolism, results from animal and human studies have been integrated. Metabolism
Multicultural Skills for Bilingual Teachers: Training for Competency Development

Abstract One of the principles of bilingual and multicultural education is that individuals need to function effectively between and among other ethnic groups. Bilingual education teacher training programs are concerned with developing and enhancing communication skills that will ultimately be taught to both language minority and mainstream public school students. It is not enough for these pupils to simply understand the concept of cultural pluralism: rather, they must be given the verbal and non-verbal communication skills necessaq for transcultural functioning. Recent research has indicated that these skills are not widely covered in teacher education curricula in the United States and that they are not adequately addressed in training programs for bilingual education teachers. This article analyzes thirty-four cross cultural competencies distilled from the literature on bilingual education teacher training and intercultural communication.
Transmission With Energy Harvesting Nodes in Frequency-Selective Fading Channels

We consider multiple transmission links in a frequency-selective fading channel, where the transmitters are powered by renewable energy sources that provide variable amount of energy at different times. We formulate the problem of joint energy and subchannel allocation for all transmitters over a scheduling period, as a mixed integer program. Assuming that the harvested energy and subchannel gains can be predicted, we propose an algorithm to efficiently obtain the energy-subchannel allocations for all links over the scheduling period based on controlled water-filling. The proposed algorithm is shown to be asymptotically optimal when the bandwidth of the subchannel goes to zero. A causal algorithm is also proposed based on the Q-learning technique that makes use of the statistics of the energy harvesting and channel fading processes. Simulation results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed noncausal algorithm is close to the upper-bound on the optimal performance and the proposed causal algorithm outperforms various heuristic allocation policies.
Flipping the Flipped Classroom: A Study of the Effectiveness of Video Lectures Versus Constructivist Exploration Using Tangible User Interfaces

In this study, we show results that suggest tangible user interfaces (TUIs) may be used to prepare students for future learning. In a previous study, we found that students who used interactive tabletops before studying a text significantly outperformed participants who read a text first and used tabletops subsequently. These findings demonstrate that discovery-learning approaches are better suited to TUIs than traditional “tell-and-practice” approaches. In our current effort, we generalize our findings to a different population, a different learning material, and a different topic. In this study, we employ the tangible interface, Combinatorix ( Fig. 1 ), which enables small groups of students to work collaboratively and discover concepts in probability. Our system supports students’ explorations of principles in combinatorics (i.e., permutations and combinations) that serve as foundations for learning about probability. We describe the design of Combinatorix, as well as an experiment that examined the interaction between focused lectures and free exploration. We found that students who first explored the topic on a tangible interface and then watched a video lecture significantly outperformed students who watched a lecture first and then completed a hands-on activity. We discuss how the “functional fixedness” induced by the video lecture limited the students’ learning of probability, and conclude with guidelines for implementing interactive tabletops in classrooms. Fig. 1. Two students using Combinatorix to explore a probability tree. They have positioned the letter “C” on the first placeholder, which reorganizes all possible combinations of the letters “ABCDE” into five groups of equal sizes.
Carbon microspheres as ball bearings in aqueous-based lubrication.

We present an exploratory study on a suspension of uniform carbon microspheres as a new class of aqueous-based lubricants. The surfactant-functionalized carbon microspheres (∼0.1 wt %) employ a rolling mechanism similar to ball bearings to provide low friction coefficients (μ ≈ 0.03) and minimize surface wear in shear experiments between various surfaces, even at high loads and high contact pressures. The size range, high monodispersity, and large yield stress of the Cμsphere, as well as the minimal environmental impact, are all desirable characteristics for the use of a Cμsphere-SDS suspension as an alternative to oil-based lubricants in compatible devices and machinery.
Microfluidic techniques for high throughput single cell analysis

The microfabrication of microfluidic control systems and the development of increasingly sensitive molecular amplification tools have enabled the miniaturization of single cells analytical platforms. Only recently has the throughput of these platforms increased to a level at which populations can be screened at the single cell level. Techniques based upon both active and passive manipulation are now capable of discriminating between single cell phenotypes for sorting, diagnostic or prognostic applications in a variety of clinical scenarios. The introduction of multiphase microfluidics enables the segmentation of single cells into biochemically discrete picoliter environments. The combination of these techniques are enabling a class of single cell analytical platforms within great potential for data driven biomedicine, genomics and transcriptomics.
Medium-range Order of Zr54Cu38Al8 Bulk Metallic Glass

We have previously reported, based on fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM) data, that Zr50Cu45Al5 bulk metallic glass (BMG) contains significant icosahedral and crystal-like medium-range order. Here, we report similar finding for Zr54Cu38Al8 BMG, which is a poorer glass former. Like Zr50Cu45Al5, Zr54Cu38Al8 contains icosahedral and crystal-like structures. In the as-cast state, the crystal-like peak in the FEM data is stronger than icosahedral-like peak. After annealing at 0.83T g (573 K), the icosahedral-like peak increases, but, unlike Zr50Cu45Al5, the crystal-like peak does not decrease. This tendency toward stronger, more thermally stable crystal-like order may be associated with the poorer glass forming ability of Zr54Cu38Al8.
Transferability Across Ethnic Groups

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common complex disease increasing in prevalence worldwide. While studies in populations of European ancestry predominated early gene discovery efforts, extension of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to multiple ethnic groups has identified additional novel loci and insights based on differences in allele frequency, physiologic effect, and evolutionary history between populations. These studies highlight the value of global genetic studies in diverse populations. Transferability studies of T2D, and to a limited extent related traits, are now under way across diverse ethnic groups and have revealed (a) consistent effects for several T2D loci across most ethnic groups implying shared underlying causal variants; (b) allelic heterogeneity at several loci, validating a critical role for these loci in disease risk; (c) the utility of studies in different ethnic groups, especially of those with recent African ancestry, in fine mapping of genetic associations based on regional differences in linkage disequilibrium (LD); (d) heterogeneity of effect between ethnic groups at some T2D loci; and (e) population-specific effects. Discovery and transferability studies across ethnic groups promise to be integral in advancing our understanding of the genetic basis of T2D and providing insights into differences in prevalence and physiology of disease between ethnic groups. Multiethnic genetic studies for T2D are critical for addressing health disparities and developing preventive and therapeutic strategies to reduce disease burden.
Cognitive Spectrum Decision via Machine Learning in CRN

In this research, we propose cognitive spectrum decision model comprised of spectrum adaptation (via Raptor codes) and spectrum handoff (via transfer learning) in Cognitive Radio Networks(CRN), in order to enhance the spectrum efficiency in multimedia communications. Raptor code enables the Secondary User (SU) to adapt to the dynamic channel conditions and maintain the Quality of Service (QoS) by prioritizing the data packets and learning the distribution of symbols transmission strategy called decoding-CDF through the history of symbol transmissions. Our scheme optimizes the acknowledgement (ACK) reception strategy in multimedia communications, and eventually increases the spectrum decision accuracy and allows the SUs to adapt to the channel variations. Moreover, to enhance spectrum decision in a long term process, we use Transfer Actor Critic Learning (TACT) model to allow the newly joined SU in a network to learn the spectrum decision strategies from historical spectrum decisions of the existing ‘expert’ SUs. Experimental results show that our proposed model works better than the myopic spectrum decision which chooses the spectrum decision actions based on just short-term maximum immediate reward.
Response to Comment on "Open-ocean fish reveal an omnidirectional solution to camouflage in polarized environments".

Cronin et al . take issue with our evidence for polarocryptic carangid fish based on concerns of pseudoreplication, our contrast metric, and habitat. We clarify (i) the importance of camouflage in near-surface open ocean environments and (ii) the use of a Stokes contrast metric and further (iii) conduct individual-based statistics on our data set to confirm the reported polarocrypsis patterns.
Separation of Powers and the Medieval Roots of Institutional Divergence between Europe and the Islamic Middle East

An influential literature sees the roots of sustained economic growth in Europe’s unique institutional framework. The events and the factors contributing to the emergence of these institutions, however, remain a topic of scholarly disagreement. Authors have sought the origins of these institutions in factors ranging from geography to culture. In this chapter, I propose a conceptual framework to better understand the emergence of Europe’s medieval institutional framework (which included parliaments, city states, juries and impersonal exchange among other institutions) through comparison with the institutional equilibrium in the Islamic Middle East before the rise of the Ottoman Empire (that is, I center my attention on the period between the 9th and 15th centuries CE).1
A 500 MHz, one volt, 16 by 16 bit multiplier for DSP cores

Digital signal processing (DSP) chips are of prime interest in the rapidly growing wireless communications market. Although the demand for higher performance continues to escalate, power consumption is also a concern. The most direct way to lower the power is to lower the supply voltage. Scaling technologies into the sub-micron domain has also led to the scaling of the supply voltage due to excessively high electric fields. Lowering the supply voltage by itself lowers power consumption but the performance degrades drastically. In order to improve performance while lowering the supply voltage it is necessary to scale the threshold voltage along with the supply voltage. This paper focuses on a 16 by 16 array multiplier that operates with a one volt power supply at a clock frequency of 500 MHz. The multiplier is implemented in dual rail domino logic using a 0.25 /spl mu/m multi-threshold CMOS process and has four cycles of latency.
Growth in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Purpose of review As the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) continues to rise, complications including impairment of childhood growth remain a major concern. This review provides an overview of alterations in growth patterns before and after the onset of T1DM. Recent findings Recent advances in this field include several prospective investigations of height and weight trajectories in children leading up to the development of islet autoimmunity and T1DM as well as evaluations of larger cohorts of T1DM patients to better assess predictors of altered growth. In addition, genetic and metabolic investigations have improved our understanding of the more rare severe growth impairment of Mauriac Syndrome. Summary Despite advances in medical care of children with T1DM, growth remains suboptimal in this population and likely reflects ongoing metabolic derangement linked with classic microvascular diabetic complications.
Deficiency in milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor-factor 8 exacerbates organ injury and mortality in neonatal sepsis.

Abstract Introduction Neonatal sepsis is a systemic inflammation occurring in neonates because of a proven infection within the first 28days of birth. It is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the newborns. The mechanism(s) underlying the systemic inflammation in neonatal sepsis has not been completely understood. We hypothesize that the deficiency of milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor-factor 8 (MFG-E8), a protein commonly found in human milk, could be responsible for the increased inflammatory response leading to morbidity and mortality in neonatal sepsis. Methods Male and female newborn mice aged 5–7days were injected intraperitoneally with 0.9mg/g body weight cecal slurry (CS). At 10h after CS injection, they were euthanized, and blood, lungs and gut tissues were obtained for further analyses. Control newborn mice underwent similar procedures with the exception of the CS injection. In duplicate newborn mice after CS injection, they were returned to their respective cages with their mothers and were closely monitored for 7days and survival rate recorded. Results At 10h after CS injection, serum LDH in the MFG-E8 knockout (KO) newborn mice was significantly increased by 58% and serum IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in the MFG-E8KO newborn mice were also significantly increased by 56%, 65%, and 105%, respectively, from wild type (WT) newborn mice. There were no significant difference between WT control and MFG-E8 control newborn mice. The lung architecture was severely damaged and a significant 162% increase in injury score was observed in the CS MFG-E8KO newborn mice. The MPO, TUNEL staining, and cytokine levels in the lungs and the intestine in CS MFG-E8KO newborn mice were significantly increased from CS WT newborn mice. Similarly, intestinal integrity was also compromised in the CS MFG-E8KO newborn mice. In a survival study, while the mortality rate within 7days was only 29% in the CS WT newborn mice, 80% of the CS MFG-E8KO newborn mice died during the same time period with the majority of mortality occurring within 48h. Conclusion The deficiency in MFG-E8 caused increases in inflammation, tissue injury, neutrophil infiltration and apoptosis, which led to morbidity and mortality in murine neonatal sepsis. These studies suggest that MFG-E8 has a protective role in fighting against neonatal sepsis.
Like it or not

This study examines the effects of companies' social media communication strategies on users' electronic word-of-mouth behavior through a content analysis. The sample includes more than 15,000 posts from Fortune 500 companies' Facebook accounts in a five-year time frame. Three communication strategies are examined, including appeal, vividness, and interactivity. Results confirm the main effects of vividness and emotional appeals. However, interactivity does not help generate more eWOM behavior. Proposed interactions between vividness and appeal type, as well as between vividness and interactivity, are significant. Emotional appeals amplify the beneficial effects of vividness, whereas interactivity dampens the potency of vividness. This study examines the Facebook use of Fortune 500 within a 5-year time frame.Three communication strategies (appeal, vividness, interactivity) are investigated.Increasing vividness or using emotional appeals helps generate more eWOM behavior.Emotional appeals amplify the beneficial effect of vividness.Interactivity dampens the potency of vividness.
177 Equine Sperm Decondensation and Blastocyst Formation After Conventional versus Piezo-Driven Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is currently the most effective method for in vitro fertilization in the horse. There are 2 main techniques, conventional (Conv) ICSI and piezo-driven (Piezo) ICSI. Many laboratories reporting good equine blastocyst rates (>20% per injected oocyte) use Piezo ICSI, but it is not known whether the Piezo confers an advantage. We compared sperm decondensation and blastocyst formation between the 2 techniques. A blunt, 6-µm inner diameter needle, loaded with 10 µL of Fluorinert was used for Piezo ICSI; 1 pulse was used to penetrate the oolemma. Frozen-thawed semen from one stallion was used. In experiment 1, in vitro-matured equine oocytes were randomly assigned to Conv or Piezo ICSI, performed concurrently by separate operators. Blastocyst formation was evaluated on Days 7 to 10 and confirmed by DAPI staining. Data were analysed by Fisher’s exact test. There was no significant difference in blastocyst rates (32/82, 39% for Conv and 35/87, 40% for Piezo; P > 0.1). In experiment 2, equine sperm head decondensation after ICSI was evaluated using porcine oocytes, due to scarcity of equine oocytes. Porcine oocytes were recovered from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries and matured in vitro using a biphasic maturation culture system. Mature oocytes were subjected to Conv or Piezo ICSI, using equine sperm treated with a mitochondrial stain to allow identification of the sperm tail. The oocytes were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde immediately after injection (0 h) or were cultured for 3, 6, 9, or 18 h after injection, and then fixed. Fixed oocytes (15-22 per treatment per period) were stained with DAPI and the area of the sperm head, in arbitrary units, determined using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA). The medians were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Sperm heads in the Piezo treatment increased in area over time, from a median of 1242 at 0 h to 54,991 at 18 h. In contrast, sperm heads in the Conv treatment largely failed to decondense, having median areas of 1275 at 0 h and 1510 at 18 h. Sperm head area was significantly greater for sperm in the Piezo than in the Conv treatment for all time periods except 0 h (P 0.2). These results indicate that there is a species-specific difference in processing of sperm after ICSI, dependent on injection technique. Further work evaluating sperm from additional stallions, as well as porcine sperm, is necessary to determine whether sperm source affects these results. Research supported by the Clinical Equine ICSI Program, Texas A&M University.
Rehabilitation Utilization for Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the United States in the National Health and Aging Trends Study

Abstract Objective To determine the characteristics of community-dwelling older adults receiving fall-related rehabilitation. Design Cross-sectional analysis of the fifth round (2015) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Fall-related rehabilitation utilization was analyzed using weighted multinomial logistic regression with SEs adjusted for the sample design. Setting In-person interviews of a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults. Participants Medicare beneficiaries from NHATS (N=7062). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcomes Measures Rehabilitation utilization categorized into fall-related rehabilitation, other rehabilitation, or no rehabilitation. Results Fall status (single fall: odds ratio [OR]=2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52–5.77; recurrent falls: OR=14.21; 95% CI, 7.45–27.10), fear of falling (OR=3.11; 95% CI, 1.90–5.08), poor Short Physical Performance Battery scores (score 0: OR=6.62; 95% CI, 3.31–13.24; score 1–4: OR=4.65; 95% CI, 2.23–9.68), and hip fracture (OR=3.24; 95% CI, 1.46–7.20) were all associated with receiving fall-related rehabilitation. Lower education level (less than high school diploma compared with 4-y college degree: OR=.21; 95% CI, .11–.40) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR=.37; 95% CI, .15–.87) were associated with not receiving fall-related rehabilitation. Conclusions Hispanic older adults and older adults who are less educated are less likely to receive fall-related rehabilitation. Recurrent fallers followed by those who fell once in the past year were more likely to receive fall-related rehabilitation than are older adults who have not had a fall in the past year.
Comparison of time to engraftment between autologous patients receiving washed versus non-washed cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cell products

Washing cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) products can decrease infusion-related adverse reactions but can also result in cell loss and reduced cell viability. To assess the risk and ...
A Tissue Engineering Approach for Treating Early Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

Early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), without structural collapse or subsequent degeneration of the overlying articular cartilage, presents the clinician with an opportunity to save the hip joint and thus avoid joint replacement surgery. To accomplish this goal, core decompression, in which the osteonecrotic segment of the femoral head is drilled, was devised. This operation stimulates a localized response to injury, similar to fracture healing. However, this procedure may not fully address two important issues: the need for vascular and osteogenic progenitor cells in an area with a compromised blood supply, and the need for structural support to “shore up” the involved segment of the femoral head. The current manuscript puts forth the thesis that in order to salvage the femoral head ideally, novel tissue engineering approaches to ONFH are needed that address both the biological and mechanical deficiencies. This would entail providing viable progenitor cells, currently obtained from concentration of iliac crest aspirates, together with a structural scaffold to help withstand physiological loads and supply a template for cell attachment and growth. By using this combined approach, it is hoped the natural hip joint could be maintained in this younger, highly active patient population with ONFH. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a painful progressive disorder in which cells within the femoral head die. In early ONFH, the head is still round and the hip is not arthritic and still salvageable. This presents the clinician with opportunities to save the hip rather than replace it with artificial components. The most logical approach to accomplishing this goal is to provide biomechanical structural support to the femoral head while new cells repopulate the dead areas. This latter goal may involve injecting concentrated bone and vascular progenitor cells, harvested from the patient, into the femoral head for biological healing. Preclinical studies should test novel in vivo treatments that provide both mechanical support and delivery of progenitor cells for early-stage ONFH. Future clinical studies derived from these preclinical studies should validate the safety and efficacy of these treatment principles for femoral head retention using combined biomechanical and biological treatments.
Analytical Electron Microscopy in Plant Pathology: X-Ray Microanalysis and Energy Loss Spectroscopy

Electron microscopes were developed to obtain high resolution images of very small subcellular objects, and have given plant pathologists enormous amounts of information concerning parasites and host-parasite interactions. Electron microscopes are of great value in plant pathology, as this book illustrates, and it is difficult to envision doing either applied or fundamental pathology research without them. Moreover, electron microscopes yield more than detailed morphological and cytological information, because interaction of beam electrons with specimens creates numerous signals useful in detecting and identifying chemical elements in specimens. When electron microscopes are fitted with instrumentation to detect these various signals they become versatile and powerful analytical instruments, adding greatly to the overall goal in plant pathology of relating in situ structure(s) and function(s), or dysfunction(s).
Are All Critical Sucess Factors in ERP Implementation Created Equal

This study identifies ten potential critical success factors (CSFs) in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems implementation from ERP and IS literature and examines the application of these factors in eight projects. ERP systems promise to provide an off-the-shelf solution to an organization’s information needs. Implementation of ERP projects has proven difficult, complex, costly and time consuming. ERP projects require most organizations to change existing business process and to adopt one of several standardized processes provided by the ERP system. Findings show choosing the right project manager, training and a champion were significant to project success. Establishment of a project headed by a project manager, the use of consultants and the use of a steering committee did not differentiate successful and unsuccessful projects. Integration of ERP planning/business planning, reporting level of the project manager, involvement of general manager and the role of management in reducing user resistance were not supported.
The utility of quantitative CT radiomics features for improved prediction of radiation pneumonitis

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore gains in predictive model performance for radiation pneumonitis (RP) using pretreatment CT radiomics features extracted from the normal lung volume. Methods A total of 192 patients treated for nonsmall cell lung cancer with definitive radiotherapy were considered in the current study. In addition to clinical and dosimetric data, CT radiomics features were extracted from the total lung volume defined using the treatment planning scan. A total of 6851 features (15 clinical, 298 total lung and heart dosimetric, and 6538 image features) were gathered and considered candidate predictors for modeling of RP grade ≥3. Models were built with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression and applied to the set of candidate predictors with 50 iterations of tenfold nested cross-validation. Results In the current cohort, 30 of 192 patients (15.6%) presented with RP grade ≥3. Average cross-validated AUC (CV-AUC) using only the clinical and dosimetric parameters was 0.51. CV-AUC was 0.68 when total lung CT radiomics features were added. Analysis with the entire set of available predictors revealed seven different image features selected in at least 40% of the model fits. Conclusions We have successfully incorporated CT radiomics features into a framework for building predictive RP models via LASSO logistic regression. Addition of normal lung image features produced superior model performance relative to traditional dosimetric and clinical predictors of RP, suggesting that pretreatment CT radiomics features should be considered in the context of RP prediction.
Liver Transplantation for Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis: Report of a Single Center Pilot Program.

Abstract Background Liver transplantation (LT) can significantly improve mortality for severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH). However, this practice remains controversial. Our aim is to report the findings from our institution regarding outcomes for LT in severe AH and to discuss the results of a pilot program for discharging selected patients with close follow-up, in order to demonstrate sustained outpatient sobriety before listing. Methods Patient records were reviewed retrospectively from January 1, 2015 to January 17, 2018. The primary outcomes were patient and graft survival after LT. Secondary outcomes included relapse rates after LT, survival for those not transplanted, and reasons for denial among those not approved for transplant listing. Results A total of 18 patients with severe AH were considered for LT, of which 10 were transplanted and 8 were either denied transplantation or died before completing the evaluation. Patient and graft survival rates were 100% among those transplanted, and only 1 of the 10 patients (10%) returned to harmful drinking. In comparison, 6 of 8 (75%) of patients not transplanted died. Among the 10 patients transplanted, 4 were initially not approved for listing and were discharged with close follow-up, to demonstrate outpatient sobriety. All 4 of those patients demonstrated short-term abstinence and ultimately underwent transplantation, with no instances of relapse post-LT. Conclusions Liver transplantation for AH can achieve excellent outcomes with low rates of relapse. Carefully selected patients can be discharged with close monitoring to demonstrate commitment to outpatient sobriety prior to transplant listing.
Stochastic Model Predictive Control for Demand Response in a Home Energy Management System

This paper presents a chance constrained, model predictive control (MPC) algorithm for demand response (DR) in a home energy management system (HEMS). The HEMS optimally schedules controllable appliances given user preferences such as thermal comfort and energy cost sensitivity, and available residentially-owned power sources such as photovoltaic (PV) generation and home battery systems. The proposed control architecture ensures both the DR event and indoor thermal comfort are satisfied with a high probability given the uncertainty in available PV generation and the outdoor temperature forecast. The uncertainties are incorporated into the MPC formulation using probabilistic constraints instead of computationally limiting sampling-based approaches. Simulation results for various user preferences and probabilistic model parameters show the effectiveness of the HEMS algorithm response to DR requests.
Absence of the Fyn tyrosine kinase ameliorates T cell induced colitis by inhibiting Th17 differentiation

T helper (Th) 17 cells are a distinct proinflammatory CD4+ T cell subset that protects against fungal and extracellular bacterial infections. Excessive inflammation can be suppressed by Tregs. In autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the Th17/Treg responses are unbalanced. Secretion of IL-17 attracts neutrophils and promotes the production of inflammatory mediators resulting in tissue damage. The Src family tyrosine kinase, Fyn, plays a critical role in regulating IL-17 production. In the absence of Fyn, CD4+ T cells skewed towards the Th17 lineage express RORγt but make little IL-17 and show ectopic expression of the Treg transcription factor FoxP3. We hypothesize that in a T cell transfer model of colitis, the absence of Fyn will decrease IL-17 induced inflammation and reduce disease severity. Rag KO recipients receiving WT CD45Rbhi (naive) CD4 T cells showed characteristic weight loss associated with colitis. In contrast, recipients receiving Fyn −/− CD45Rbhi CD4 T cells maintained their body weight. Mice receiving either WT or Fyn deficient T cells had similar numbers of T cells in the lamina propria, suggesting that the reduced pathology is not due to proliferative defects. Both groups had similar numbers of IFNγ+ (Th1) and RORγt (Th17) positive cells but the Fyn mutant recipients showed a marked decrease in IL-17 secreting T cells. Neutrophil infiltration was highly reduced as well. Furthermore, IL-17 induced genes associated with neutrophil infiltration (S100A8, S100A9), neutrophil chemoattraction (CXCL1, CXCL2), neutrophil homeostasis (CXCL5) and tissue remodeling (MMP9) were all reduced. Together these data suggest Fyn may serve as a novel target for treating Th17 mediated diseases.
Ligand and Redox Partner Binding Generates a New Conformational State in Cytochrome P450cam (CYP101A1).

It has become increasingly clear that cytochromes P450 can cycle back and forth between two extreme conformational states termed the closed and open states. In the well-studied cytochrome P450cam, the binding of its redox partner, putidaredoxin (Pdx), shifts P450cam toward the open state. Shifting to the open state is thought to be important in the formation of a proton relay network essential for O–O bond cleavage and formation of the active Fe(IV)═O intermediate. Another important intermediate is the oxy–P450cam complex when bound to Pdx. Trapping this intermediate in crystallo is challenging owing to its instability, but the CN– complex is both stable and an excellent mimic of the O2 complex. Here we present the P450cam–Pdx structure complexed with CN–. CN– results in large conformational changes including cis/trans isomerization of proline residues. Changes include large rearrangements of active-site residues and the formation of new active-site access channel that we have termed channel 2. The format...