cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of intervening hospital admissions on trajectories of disability in the last year of life: prospective cohort study of older people

Objective To evaluate the role of intervening hospital admissions on trajectories of disability in the last year of life. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Greater New Haven, Connecticut, United States, from March 1998 to June 2013. Participants 552 decedents from a cohort of 754 community living people, aged 70 years or older, who were initially non-disabled in four essential activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, walking, and transferring. Main outcome measure Occurrence of admissions to hospital and severity of disability (range 0-4), ascertained during monthly interviews for more than 15 years. Results In the last year of life, six distinct trajectories of disability were identified, from least disabled to most disabled: 95 participants (17.2%) had no disability, 61 (11.1%) had catastrophic disability, 53 (9.6%) had accelerated disability, 61 (11.1%) had progressively mild disability, 127 (23.0%) had progressively severe disability, and 155 (28.1%) had persistently severe disability. 392 (71.0%) participants had at least one hospital admission and 248 (44.9%) had multiple hospital admissions. For each trajectory the course of disability closely tracked the monthly prevalence of hospital admission. In a set of multivariable models that included several potential confounders, hospital admission in a given month had a strong independent effect on the severity of disability, in both relative and absolute terms. The largest absolute effect was observed for catastrophic disability, with a mean increase in disability score of 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.5 to 2.4) in the setting of a hospital admission, corresponding to a rate ratio (or relative effect) of 2.0 (95% confidence interval 1.5 to 2.7). Conclusions In the last year of life, acute hospital admissions play an important role in the disabling process. Knowledge about the course of disability before these intervening events may facilitate clinical decision making at the end of life. For older patients admitted to hospital with progressive or persistent levels of severe disability, representing more than half of the decedents, clinicians might consider a palliative care approach to facilitate discussions about advance care planning and to better deal with personal care needs.
Rate avalanche: The performance degradation in multi-rate 802.11 WLANs

The request-to-send/clear-to-send (RTS/CTS) exchange was defined as an optional mechanism in DCF (distributed coordination function) access method in IEEE 802.11 standard to deal with the hidden node problem. However, in most infrastructure-based WLANs, it is turned off with the belief that the benefit it brings might not even be able to pay off the transmission overhead it introduces. While this is often true for networks using fixed transmission rate, our investigation leads to the opposite conclusion when multiple transmission rates are exploited in WLANs. In particular, through extensive simulations using realistic channel propagation and reception models, we found out that in a heavily loaded multi-rate WLAN, a situation that we call rate avalanche often happens if RTS/CTS is turned off. The rate avalanche effect could significantly degrade the network performance even if no hidden node presents. Our investigation also reveals that, in the absence of effective and practical loss-differentiation mechanisms, simply turning on the RTS/CTS could dramatically enhance the network performance in most cases. Various scenarios/conditions are extensively examined to study their impact on the network performance for RTS/CTS on and off respectively. Our study provides some important insights about using the RTS/CTS exchange in mutlirate 802.11 WLANs.
Prenatal Management of Urogenital Disorders

Antenatal sonography has markedly increased the detection of urogenital anomalies, including those conditions that lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Prenatal intervention is feasible to arrest and sometimes reverse the sequelae of bladder outlet obstruction but not necessarily renal damage. Myelomeningoceles, the most severe form of spina bifida, can be corrected in utero, with improvements in hydrocephalus seen along with a decreased incidence of ventricular shunting postnatally. Medical therapy to prevent virilization associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia has been successful, with improved ability to detect its presence prenatally now possible. As further techniques evolve to correct underlying disease processes, it becomes important to critically assess the therapies, particularly with long-term outcome data.
Employee Perceptions of Perpetrators and Acts of Workplace Violence in Colleges and Universities

Workplace violence has captured the attention of both the popular press and the scholarly literature, leading to a greater awareness of its existence in society. One area that has been overlooked by the research is how employees perceive various types of workplace violence acts, as well as different types of perpetrators. This study examined employee perceptions of a variety of workplace violence acts and different perpetrators at a large, public university in the midwestern United States. The results indicate that employees perceive various types of workplace violence acts and different perpetrators in a variety of ways. Based on these findings, recommendations on how to improve awareness are suggested.
Photonic-Crystal-Based Fiber Hydrophone With Sub- $100~\mu $ Pa/ $\surd $ Hz Pressure Resolution

A Fabry–Perot fiber hydrophone with improved fluidics over a previous design to increase the pressure sensitivity by two orders of magnitude and the response at low frequencies is reported. The interferometer is made of a photonic-crystal diaphragm placed at the tip of a single-mode fiber coated with a dielectric reflector. To increase the sensitivity, the water that fills the sensor head is connected to the surrounding environment through holes in the protective housing. The response extends below 100 Hz, with a measured average sensitivity of $\sim 0.23$ Pa $^{\mathrm {-1}}$ and a record average minimum detectable pressure of $\sim 90~\mu $ Pa/ $\surd $ Hz from 100 Hz to 2.5 kHz.
Metabolism of phosphatidylglycerol by alveolar macrophages in vitro.

In whole animal studies, it has been shown that turnover of surfactant dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) is faster than that of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). The goal of this investig...
Preliminary practice of "quality care demonstration projects" in our hospital

Objective To implement nursing duties to the full and provide quality nursing services.Methods In 9 wards,the activities of "quality care demonstration projects" were implemented through revising nursing duties,rules,and procedures,implementing work with duties and making basic nursing duties practical and feasible,strengthening the management of nursing quality and human resources,reforming salary and rewards systems,using nurses according to hierarchical levels and expanding the content of nursing services.Results The satisfaction of patients with nursing work and the understanding of nurses about basic nursing work were increased.The connotation of quality nursing was clear.Conclusion The preliminary practice of "quality care demonstration projects" improve the quality of nursing.
Disparities in Prenatal Care Utilization Among U.S. Versus Foreign-Born Women with Chronic Conditions.

We examined disparities in prenatal care utilization (PNCU) among U.S. and foreign-born women with chronic conditions. We performed a cross-sectional analyses using data from 2011 to 2012 National Center for Health Statistics Natality Files (n = 6,644,577) to examine the association between maternal nativity (U.S. vs. foreign-born), presence of a chronic condition (diabetes or hypertensive disorder) and PNCU. After adjustment for selected maternal characteristics, overall and among those with chronic conditions, foreign-born women reported significantly lower odds of intensive and adequate PNCU and higher odds of intermediate and inadequate PNCU than U.S.-born women. Few differences in report of no care were found by maternal nativity. These findings suggest that foreign-born women may be receiving some form of prenatal care, but adequacy of care is likely to be lower compared to U.S.-born counterparts, even among those with chronic conditions.
MONOTONICITY AND UPPER SEMICONTINUITY OF MULTIFUNCTIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter explains monotonicity and upper semicontinuity of multifunctions. Maximal monotonicity of multifunction Q : X →→ X in a Hilbert space X implies upper semicontinuity properties of Q , namely, Kuratowski's property ( K ) and Cesari's property. The chapter presents a much stronger result. It describes a Banach space setting instead of a Hilbert space. Maximality with respect to any analytical property expressible in terms of a rather arbitrary function f ( x 1 , x 2 , y 1 , y 2 ) always guarantees properties of ( K ) and ( Q ). The chapter describes generalized monotonicity. It also presents several criterion functions f for which f -monotonicity corresponds to different concepts used in optimization theory, nonlinear analysis, and fixed point theory.
Planning Ahead or Living a Day at a Time? A Family History of AD and Retirement Planning.

Background:We assess whether a family history of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with the odds that healthy family members’ engage in retirement planning activities.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study utilizing individual-level data from the Utah Population Database that have been linked to Medicare records and to responses from a retirement planning survey. Engagement in 3 retirement planning activities was estimated as a function of the number of parents and grandparents diagnosed with AD along with a set of fundamental socioeconomic and demographic covariates.Results:Adults who had a parent with AD were 86% more likely to have seen a professional financial advisor and 40% less likely to plan to retire before age 65.Conclusions:Caregiving costs and/or knowledge of the familial risk of developing AD may provide adult children with a forewarning of their own future financial needs that, in turn, motivates them to engage in retirement planning.
Host-RCS Tumor Interactions in SJL/J Mice

Spontaneous reticulum cell sarcoma (RCS) tumors arise spontaneously in SJL/J mice between the ages of 8–12 months. Since its original description by Murphy (1963) several studies have been undertaken to investigate this unusual tumor that expresses several unique properties. A general description of this tumor system has been recently reviewed (Bonavida, 1983, 1985). The most prominent features of this tumor are characteristics not shared by other studied tumor systems i.e. the RCS tumor expresses inappropriate Ia antigens on the surface, it stimulates syngeneic T cells to proliferate both in vivo and in vitro, and its growth is dependent on host T cells and on both the MHC and non-MHC genetic background of the host mouse. The tumor is difficult to establish in culture and only a few spontaneous tumors can be transplanted in syngeneic hosts and become transplantable lines.
Lessons Learned from Patients with Grossen Steinstrassen

Experience with 19 patients (25 ureters) who suffered the complication of grossen steinstrassen (≧ one-third of ureteral length) has led to lessons regarding the management of this complication as well as to insights into patient presentation, metabolic consequences, and the efficiency of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Very few symptoms were present in a large percentage of patients despite urinary obstruction, decreased renal function, infection, and in several cases, impending sepsis. Large stone burdens, bilateral treatments, inability to debulk stone burden prior to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL*) and unexpected fragment movement were predisposing factors in the development of this complication. Double-pigtail stents and percutaneous nephrostomy did not always prevent or resolve the problem. Combined use of percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) and ureteroscopic ultrasonic/laser lithotripsy appears to be the most effective treatment modality in those patients who fail to pass the stone material following a period of brief observation. This approach can be combined under appropriate circumstances with a secondary ESWL or percutaneous nephrolithotripsy treatment in the staged management of complex upper urinary tract calculous disease.
Trauma and Substance Abuse: A Clinician’s Guide to Treatment

Substance use disorder (SUD) frequently co-occurs with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma symptoms broadly. This comorbidity is clinically important, with research showing that it signifies a more difficult course of recovery and greater impairment than either disorder alone. The presence of SUD also impacts how PTSD is addressed in treatment. The whole is not the sum of its parts—addressing PTSD/SUD is not simply about applying treatments for each, but requires conceptualization of how each disorder affects the other and how to engage in successful strategies to address each without worsening the other. It is like a seesaw that needs careful balancing to prevent tipping too far to one side.
Suppression of sugar beet damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani using bacterial and fungal antagonists

AbstractRhizoctonia damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, is one of the most damaging sugar beet diseases. It causes serious economic damage wherever sugar beets are grown. Biological control is an efficient and environmentally friendly way to prevent damping-off disease. Suppression of damping-off disease caused by R. solani was carried out by four isolates of Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn as well as three isolates of each of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai and Trichoderma hamatum (Bonord.) Bainier. The effect of Bacillus and Trichoderma isolates against R. solani was investigated in vitro and tested on sugar beet plants under greenhouse conditions. Isolates of Bacillus and Trichoderma were able to inhibit the growth of R. solani in dual culture. Furthermore, Trichoderma isolates gave high antagonistic effect than isolates of B. subtilis. Under greenhouse conditions, coating seeds by T. harzianum and B. subtilis separately, reduced seedling damping-off significantly. However, applications of T....
Our Odyssey to Find a Plausible Prebiotic Path to RNA: The First Twenty Years

This account provides an overview of results from experimental studies motivated by an ongoing search for the origin of RNA. Twenty-five years ago, I became fascinated by the possibility that the origin of life was facilitated by an enzyme-free, prebiotic form of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR); a process potentially enabled by molecular self-assembly and driven by an oscillating environment on the early Earth. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to assemble the mononucleotides of extant RNA, I embraced the hypothesis that RNA is a product of chemical or biological evolution, which eventually led to the identification of candidate molecules for the nucleobases of proto-RNA (the ancestor of RNA). These heterocycles self-assemble as monomers in water, are found in carbonaceous chondrites, are produced in model prebiotic reactions, and readily react with ribose to form nucleosides. This progress toward finding a plausible prebiotic synthesis of a hypothetical proto-RNA illustrates how origins research can lead to exciting and unexpected chemistries, particularly when chemical models are subjected to rigorous experimentation and regular revision in response to positive and negative results. 1 Inspiration and Initial Thoughts on the Origin of RNA 2 The Guidance and Influence of Professor Frank A. L. Anet 3 Proposing a Hypothetical, but Chemically Sound, Origin of RNA 4 Experimental Studies of Intercalation-Mediated Assembly and Synthesis 5 Considering Purine–Purine Base Pairs Before Watson–Crick 6 Considering Pyrimidine/Triazine Proto-Nucleobases 7 Addressing The Nucleoside Problem; a Bonus 8 Prebiotic Polymerization and Replication, On the Next Horizon? 9 Conclusions and Reflections
Improved overall survival with adjuvant radiotherapy for high-intermediate and high risk Stage I endometrial cancer

Abstract Background/purpose To perform a large analysis of Stage I endometrioid-type endometrial cancer patients to determine the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) on survival. Material/methods 132,976 FIGO Stage I endometrioid-type endometrial cancer patients treated surgically were identified within the National Cancer Database (NCDB) comprising Commission on Cancer facilities in the United States. Patients were categorized as observation (OBS) or ART (vaginal brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy, or both). Univariable generalized linear mixed effects models were used to estimate the odds of receiving ART, and a multivariable frailty survival model was used to estimate the instantaneous hazard of death for those receiving OBS versus ART. Due to the presence of a significant interaction, these estimates were stratified by PORTEC-based low, low-intermediate, high-intermediate, and high risk groups. Results 104,645 (79%) underwent OBS while 28,331 (21%) received ART. Of those receiving ART, 12,913 (46%) received VBT alone, 12,857 (45%) received EBRT alone, and 2561 (9%) received EBRT+VBT. On univariable analysis, increasing stage/myometrial invasion, higher grade, older age, presence of lymphovascular space invasion, and larger tumor size predicted poorer survival (all p p p Conclusions In Stage I high-intermediate and high risk endometrioid-type endometrial cancer patients, ART significantly improves overall survival.
Abstract 132: Epicardial, Pericardial and Periaortic Fat Are Elevated in Older Adults at High Cardiac Risk

Background: Excess fat around the heart and aorta may be novel risk factors for heart failure, independent of total adiposity. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are unknown. Purpo...
Chapter 7 – Cumulus Clouds

Chapter 7 focuses on cumulus clouds including boundary layer, fair weather cumuli, and towering cumuli or cumulus congestus.
Autoantibody-Associated Movement Disorders in Children: Proven and Proposed☆

Movement disorders secondary to autoantibodies in children represent a rapidly expanding group of conditions. Once considered to be limited to poststreptococcal Sydenham's chorea or rare cases of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus, a variety of antibody-related movement abnormalities are now seen as part of noninfectious autoimmune encephalitis or within an expanding list of postinfectious disorders. In this article, several proposed autoantibody-mediated movement disorders in children are reviewed. In each one, there is a hypothesized antibody biomarker that is believed to be pathogenic and cause the clinical symptoms. As will be discussed, in some, such as anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, the strength of supporting evidence is strong. In others, antibodies have been identified, but their role as the pathophysiological mechanism remains undetermined. Lastly, there are proposed disorders, such as PANDAS, that are controversial on both a clinical and autoimmune basis.
Infiltrative Lipoma in a Corn Snake, Elaphe guttata guttata

ABSTRACT A corn snake, Elaphe guttata guttata, presented with a six week history of anorexia and a lateralized soft tissue mass in the caudal 1/3 of the snake. Due to the obstipation caused by the mass, excisional biopsy was performed and the mass submitted for microscopic evaluation. Histopathology revealed an infiltrative lipoma. The snake was later euthanized due to necrosis and dehiscence at the surgical site, a spinal fracture unrelated to the mass, and cardiac tamponade.
Indoor Air Pollution: Immunological Interactions

Indoor air pollution is an objectionable consequence of our modern society. Urbanization, industrialization, energy conservation, microbial contamination, chemical or particulate emissions from heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, synthetic construction materials and interior furnishings, and employment demographics interact to degrade indoor air quality. Public health concern over indoor air quality issues, kindled by the discovery of numerous cases of air pollution-related illness, has stimulated notable research, regulatory and litigatory activities. Contemporaneous with the increased public concern over indoor air pollution, extraordinary discoveries have led to further definition and exploitation of the immune system. While a functional immune apparatus is essential to host defense and homeostasis, unfortunately, it is also exquisitely sensitive to toxic damage. Because of the significant exposure potential, interactions between indoor air pollutants and the immune system warrant careful examination.
Bullous Pemphigoid and Tetracycline

An 85 year old female nursing home resident with a history of alcoholism, poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension and gout was brought to the dermatology clinic for a 6 month history of itchy skin and blisters. On exam, there were tense bullae on erythematous and normal appearing skin as well as urticarial, eroded and crusted plaques on the inner aspects of bilateral upper and lower extremities, and extensor surfaces of lower extremities (Fig. 3.1). Nikolsky’s sign was negative and the oral mucosa was clear. Her current medications include hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril, glipizide, metformin and allopurinol. Two biopsies were performed. H&E showed subepidermal bullae with numerous eosinophils and rare neutrophils. No acantholysis. Direct immunofluorescence demonstrates linear IgG and C3 along the basement membrane. A diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid was made. What is the best management option for her?
Distributed adaptive dynamic programming for data-driven optimal control

Abstract Adaptive dynamic programming (ADP), as an important optimal control technique, can be exploited in the setting of data-driven control based on an approximate regression-based solution of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equations. Distributed optimization algorithms, which are extensively studied in statistics and machine learning, have not yet been applied to the solution of data-driven ADP problems. In this work, we identify the data-driven ADP problem as a consensus optimization problem for nonlinear affine systems, and apply the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) and its accelerated variants for its solution. For the input-constrained optimal control problem, we define a combined optimal primal–dual function to develop a data-based version of the input-constrained HJB equation.
Rheology of a colloidal suspension of carbon nanotube particles in a water-based drilling fluid

Abstract High-pressure and high-temperature rheology of a nanomud suspension is studied. The nanomud is prepared by dispersing a water-based drilling mud suspension with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Effect of nanoparticle concentration, shear rate, pressure, and temperature are investigated. The pressure and temperature are independently varied from ambient conditions to 170 MPa and 180 °C respectively. The results presented show that the addition of CNT increases the viscosity of the drilling mud. A shear thinning non-Newtonian behavior is observed for the basemud and the nanomud samples at all pressures and temperatures. The basemud showed an increase in viscosity with an increase in pressure. However, with CNT particle addition this trend is observed to have reversed. For the basemud and the nanomud at lower concentrations, the viscosity values are observed to have initially increased with the increase in temperature and to have reduced beyond 100 °C. For a higher particle loading, a consistent decrease in viscosity with temperature is observed. The behavior of higher concentration nanomud samples with respect to pressure and temperature are seen to follow a similar trend to that of water. It is reasoned that an adequate addition of CNT nanoparticles helps retain the mud particles in a more homogenous and stable state, where they are held within the CNT chains. However, with further addition of CNT nanoparticles, the mud particles become agglomerated with the long chains of CNT, eventually separating water from the drilling fluid mixture.
Research on Short-Circuit Test and Simulation of CSG First Mechanical HVDC Circuit Breaker in VSC-HVDC

Artificial instantaneous grounding test of DC overhead lines is a key step to verify the high-speed DC circuit breakers’ rapid breaking performance and the control and protection strategies of VSC-HVDC. This paper introduced the artificial grounding test method of first mechanical HVDC circuit breaker in CSG, PSCAD software was used to simulate the key parameters such as breaking current and LC oscillation current of DC circuit breaker. The field tests and simulation comparison show that arc extinguishing of mechanical fracture delays 3.5ms after receiving the DC protection action, and the cut-off current is 1370A, the arrester in DC circuit breaker did not act, and the LC oscillating current is fed into DC line. Subsequent applications should pay attention to the influence of the LC oscillating current of the mechanical HVDC breaker on the protection of VSC-HVDC.
Upper Bounding the Performance of Arbitrary Finite LDPC Codes on Binary Erasure Channels

Assuming iterative decoding for binary erasure channels (BECs), a novel tree-based technique for upper bounding the bit error rates (BERs) of arbitrary, finite low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes is provided and the resulting bound can be evaluated for all operating erasure probabilities, including both the waterfall and the error floor regions. This upper bound can also be viewed as a narrowing search of stopping sets, which is an approach different from the stopping set enumeration used for lower bounding the error floor. When combined with optimal leaf-finding modules, this upper bound is guaranteed to be tight in terms of the asymptotic order. The Boolean framework proposed herein further admits a composite search for even tighter results. For comparison, a refinement of the algorithm is capable of exhausting all stopping sets of size <14 for irregular LDPC codes of length n=500, which requires approximately 1.67*10^25 trials if a brute force approach is taken. These experiments indicate that this upper bound can be used both as an analytical tool and as a deterministic worst-performance (error floor) guarantee, the latter of which is crucial to optimizing LDPC codes for extremely low BER applications, e.g., optical/satellite communications.
Audio-based Recognition of Bipolar Disorder Utilising Capsule Networks

Bipolar disorder (BD) is an acute mood condition, in which states can drastically shift from one extreme to another, considerably impacting an individual’s wellbeing. Automatic recognition of a BD diagnosis can help patients to obtain medical treatment at an earlier stage and therefore have a better overall prognosis. With this in mind, in this study, we utilise a Capsule Neural Network (CapsNet) for audio-based classification of patients who were suffering from BD after a mania episode into three classes of Remission, Hypomania, and Mania. The CapsNet attempts to address the limitations of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) by considering vital spatial hierarchies between the extracted images from audio files. We develop a framework around the CapsNet in order to analyse and classify audio signals. First, we create a spectrogram from short segments of speech recordings from individuals with a bipolar diagnosis. We then train the CapsNet on the spectrograms with 32 low- level and three high-level capsules, each for one of the BD classes. These capsules attempt both to form a meaningful representation of the input data and to learn the correct BD class. The output of each capsule represents an activity vector. The length of this vector encodes the presence of the corresponding type of BD in the input, and its orientation represents the properties of this specific instance of BD. We show that using our CapsNet framework, it is possible to achieve competitive results for the aforementioned task by reaching a UAR of 46.2 % and 45.5 % on the development and test partitions, respectively. Furthermore, the efficacy of our approach is compared with a sequence to sequence autoencoder and a CNN-based neural network.
A Brief History of Strukturbericht Symbols and Other Crystallographic Classification Schemes

In 1913, x-ray crystallography was first used to determine the crystal structure of diamond. Since that time hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of crystal structures have been determined. Published structures require critical review and indexing to make them easily available to other researchers. One of the first systems for doing this was Strukturbericht (Structure Reports), published in Germany from 1931-1943 and covering research from 1913-1939, and now best known for the Strukturbericht symbols which label common crystal structures. A comprehensive history of Strukturbericht has not been written. This brief report sketches the early history of Strukturbericht, as well as its post-World War II successor publications, handbooks, and online resources.
Typical Occupancy Profiles and Behaviors in Residential Buildings in the United States

Abstract The energy performance of a residential building is highly dependent on occupant's presence or non-presence in a building and their interactions with energy-consuming appliances. Typical occupancy schedules for residential buildings must be defined for applications such as building energy modeling as well as for assessing energy savings associated with the use of occupancy sensing technologies and occupancy-dependent controls. Currently, commonly used simulation programs assume a typical occupancy schedule, however, there is significant opportunity for improvement to these schedules as this is generally based on engineering judgement. This research uses 12 years of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data to develop typical occupancy schedules for a range of household types and occupant age ranges. This is compared to currently utilized residential occupancy schedules. In many cases the developed schedules exhibit similar patterns, however, differences are also found to be as high as 41% for certain periods of time. For occupancy sensing applications, the spatial-temporal distribution of occupants in residential buildings is also evaluated. These locations vary based on temporal factors as well as demographic factors such as age and number of occupants. The results of this research work towards improved occupancy schedule development can benefit both industry professionals and researchers.
Mechanical or chemical and mechanical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax: what is the most effective approach in preventing recurrence? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives Surgical management of spontaneous pneumothorax typically involves wedge resection and mechanical pleurodesis. It is unclear whether combining mechanical and chemical pleurodesis can further reduce the recurrence rate. We have performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing the combined approach with mechanical pleurodesis alone. Methods A comprehensive search of the existing literature was performed using PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for all types of studies that compared combined pleurodesis to a single approach. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) to assess the quality of the studies. Relative risk of pneumothorax recurrence was calculated, and the differences between the studies were examined. The primary outcome was the recurrence of pneumothorax. Results Of 2301 eligible studies, 5 studies were included. Five hundred sixty-one patients who received combined pleurodesis were compared to 286 patients who received mechanical pleurodesis only. Patients treated with combined intervention had a 63% lower risk of developing a recurrent pneumothorax compared to single intervention [relative risk 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18-0.76; P = 0.006]. There were no statistically significant differences in the length of stay (standardized mean difference -0.17, 95% CI -0.39 to 0.05, P = 0.138), the duration of postoperative air leak (standardized mean difference 0.17, 95% CI -1.14 to 1.47, P = 0.804) or the duration of postoperative chest tube drainage (standardized mean difference -0.07, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.12, P = 0.471). Conclusions This meta-analysis demonstrated that combined intervention with mechanical and chemical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax may be more effective in preventing recurrence than mechanical pleurodesis alone. These findings will provide some guidance to surgeons in the decision-making process.
(More) Party Time in School? Relative Age and Alcohol Consumption

Slightly missing a school cutoff date, and a student's relative age in their cohort, have been shown in to have important effects. For example, a student's relative age appears related to academic performance in both primary and secondary school, though how far into life relative age effects persist remains an open question. We make use of a nationwide sample of over 80,000 undergraduate students from over 600 U.S. institutions of higher education to see if relative age is related to alcohol consumption and time spent partying during college tenure. State cutoff date laws for kindergarten enrollment result in some undergraduate students reaching the legal drinking age up to a full year before others in their cohort. Results suggest students of older relative ages generally drink less alcohol than their peers during undergraduate tenure, implying the maturity effect of an older age is stronger than the legal deterrence effect. These results appear robust to alcohol type (beer, wine, and liquor), time spent at parties, and a significant list of control variables including historical alcohol consumption and partying behavior. In a secondary analysis, relative age appears to have the same negative relationship with high school drinking and partying habits.
Multi-Level Models of Internalizing Disorders and Translational Developmental Science: Seeking Etiological Insights that can Inform Early Intervention Strategies

This commentary discusses the articles in this special section with an emphasis on the specific utility of multivariate, multi-level models in developmental psychopathology for ultimately contributing to both etiologic insights and translational advances. These issues are considered not only in terms of the specific papers, but also within a larger set of questions regarding the opportunities (and challenges) currently facing the field. We describe why we believe this an exciting time for integrative team-science approaches to tackle these challenges--a time that holds great promise for rapid advances in integrative developmental science that includes a biological level of mechanistic understanding. In order to facilitate this, we outline a range of approaches within both translational neuroscience and translational developmental science that can be used as frameworks for understanding how such research can provide etiologic insights regarding real-world targets at the level of social, behavioral, and affective processes that can be modified during key developmental windows of opportunity. We conclude that a "construct validity" framework, where biological data form a critical, but not privileged, component of key etiological mechanisms, combined with a developmental perspective on key period of sensitivity to intervention effects, is most likely to provide significant translational outcomes.
Comparative Analysis of Nerve Injury of the Face and Hand: Implications for Surgical Treatments

SUMMARY Surgical techniques combined with a greater understanding and awareness of the neurobiology of nerve regeneration offer optimism in the management of patients with nerve injuries. This has stimulated interest in quantitating not only motor but also sensory recovery. This interest and enthusiasm were initially directed toward evaluation of hand function. There has been only very recent interest in evaluation of sensibility in the head and neck region. Tests to measure sensibility in the face are in a state of evaluation and will continue to be modified. Reconstruction of sensory nerves in the head and neck area has only recently been pursued. Techniques used in management of peripheral nerve injuries elsewhere in the body can be extrapolated to the face and offer the patient the opportunity for successful rehabilitation following these previously irreparable injuries.
Prevalence of Reproductive Coercion Among Male and Female Emerging Adults

Reproductive coercion (RC), or the exertion of power and control over a partner's reproductive choices and health, is gaining attention as a distinct form of intimate partner violence (IPV). The bu...
Farmer social connectedness and market access: A case study of personal networks among emerging farmers

Market access in the local food system of the American Midwest is largely predicated on key social and economic relationships. This study examines the personal networks of emerging farmers enrolled in an incubator farm training program. Drawing from social network and qualitative analysis the study findings yield insights into the relationship between social networks, market access, and financial sustainability among emerging farmers. Some farmers have highly dense support networks with many strong familial ties. Others have smaller support networks charac­terized by weaker and more sparse ties. Highly individualized farmer characteristics and aspirations are shown to greatly influence the building and maintaining of networks. Advice networks are demonstrated to affect market access, decision-making, and indicators for entrepreneurial success. Smaller advice networks of non–English speaking farmers demonstrate limited market access and access to information. This distinction is high­lighted in the discussion of policy and agricultural development programs targeted toward emerging farmers.
Differentiating causes of neonatal calf enteritis to enhance management and prevention

There are numerous different agents that cause infectious enteritis in neonatal calves. Although each of these agents have some unique features, the pathophysiological effects on calves can be grouped into 2 categories that are useful in establishing appropriate treatment protocols and management guidelines. One group includes the viral pathogens rotavirus and coronavirus plus the protozoal agent Cryptosporidium. These are non-invasive, cause diarrhea with associated fluid and electrolyte loss that responds well to fluid therapy and are not affected by antibiotic treatment. The other group includes bacterial pathogens that cause different pathophysiologic changes including significant inflammatory response and invasion beyond the intestinal lining. The differences between these groups should guide treatment methods and help establish realistic prognostic expectations and preventive practices. Most affected calves are treated by the workers on a cattle operation. Educating these workers about clinical signs of disease that distinguish between causes of neonatal enteritis could help guide more successful treatment and more judicious antibiotic use.
Characteristics of new cement-based thermoelectric composites for low-temperature applications

Abstract Thermoelectric cement, the mixture of cement and thermoelectric additives, can convert energy between thermal and electrical forms due to the thermoelectric additives. Potentially, they could be the material for building envelopes to harvest waste heat and/or provide space cooling or heating. When there is a significant difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, the thermoelectric cement can generate electricity using the temperature gradient. And the same material can cool or heat building space via building envelopes with an electrical input. The research aimed to identify and characterize thermoelectric cement candidates for building envelope applications. The additives used in the studied thermoelectric cement candidates include graphite and MnO2. Except for the additives, the study also explored the impact of the two different fabrication methods: wet-mixing and dry-mixing on thermoelectric performance. The images of TE cement candidates taken by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray microscopy visualized the morphology and distribution of additives in the thermoelectric cement composites. The DynaCool Physical Properties Measurement System used in the study simultaneously measured the candidates' thermoelectric properties, including thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and Figure of merit (ZT). The test results showed that the thermoelectric cement with the additives of 10% (weight ratio) graphite and 5% MnO2 has the highest ZT of 6.2 × 10−6 at 350 K. ZT of the thermoelectric cement is even higher to 10−5 orders of magnitude when applying a four-probe electrical resistivity method to account for the contact resistance.
Sampling What Matters: Relevance-guided Sampling of Event Logs

The comparison of a model of a process against event data recorded during its execution, known as conformance checking, is an important means in process analysis. Yet, common conformance checking techniques are computationally expensive, which makes a complete analysis infeasible for large logs. To mitigate this problem, existing techniques leverage data samples. Then, the result quality depends on the relevance of the sample for a specific analysis task. Existing sampling strategies therefore rely on a static assumption on what constitutes relevant event data, which is generally unknown a priori.In this paper, we present relevance-guided sampling of event logs. Instead of employing a fixed relevance hypothesis, our approach learns the characteristics of event data that determine its relevance for conformance checking. To this end, we first explore the correlations between characteristics of the event data and the goal of a conformance checking task, before exploiting these correlations to guide the selection of a data sample. We present different instantiations of this approach and demonstrate that they significantly improve the quality of samples, and hence of conformance checking results, compared to baseline strategies.
Maintenance of human and rat pulmonary type II cells in an organotypic culture system.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the maintenance of human and rat pulmonary type II cells in an organotypic culture system. The lungs of mammals and some inframammalian vertebrates contain a potent surface-active material that coats the alveolar surface, decreases the surface tension, and thus stabilizes the alveoli against collapse. The presence of this pulmonary surfactant is essential for normal pulmonary function, and its absence or diminution is an important etiological factor in respiratory distress syndrome. The mammalian pulmonary alveolus is lined with an endodermally derived epithelium consisting of two cell types: type I and type II pulmonary epithelial cells. The human fetal lung at 18–20 weeks of gestation contains epithelial tubules instead of pulmonary alveoli. The tubules are comprised of glycogen-rich epithelial cells containing very few lamellar bodies. The phospholipid composition of surfactant isolated from organotypic cultures is compared to that isolated from adult rat lung. Fatty acid analysis of surfactant phosphatidylcholine from organotypic cultures demonstrates that myristate, palmitate, and stearate are the major fatty acids present.
Intense Southwest Florida hurricane landfalls over the past 1000 years

Abstract Recent research has proposed that human-induced sea surface temperature (SST) warming has led to an increase in the intensity of hurricanes over the past 30 years. However, this notion has been challenged on the basis that the instrumental record is too short and unreliable to reveal long-term trends in hurricane activity. This study addresses this limitation by investigating hurricane-induced overwash deposits (paleotempestites) behind a barrier island in Naples, FL, USA. Paleotempestologic proxies including grain size, percent calcium carbonate, and fossil shells species were used to distinguish overwash events in two sediment cores spanning the last one thousand years. Two prominent paleotempestites were observed in the top 20 cm of both cores: the first identified as Hurricane Donna in 1960 whereas an older paleotempestite (1900–1930) could represent one of three documented storms in the early 1900s. An active period of hurricane overwash from 1000 to 500 yrs. BP and an inactive period from 500 to 150 yrs. BP correlate with reconstructed SSTs from the Main Development Region (MDR) of the North Atlantic Ocean. We observe an increased number of paleotempestites when MDR SSTs are warmer, coinciding with the Medieval Warm Period, and very few paleotempestites when MDR SSTs are cooler, coinciding with the Little Ice Age. Results from this initial Southwest Florida study indicate that MDR SSTs have been a key long-term climate driver of intense Southwest Florida hurricane strikes.
Characterization of SiC–SiC composites for accident tolerant fuel cladding

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) is being investigated for accident tolerant fuel cladding applications due to its high temperature strength, exceptional stability under irradiation, and reduced oxidation compared to Zircaloy under accident conditions. An engineered cladding design combining monolithic SiC and SiC–SiC composite layers could offer a tough, hermetic structure to provide improved performance and safety, with a failure rate comparable to current Zircaloy cladding. Modeling and design efforts require a thorough understanding of the properties and structure of SiC-based cladding. Furthermore, both fabrication and characterization of long, thin-walled SiC–SiC tubes to meet application requirements are challenging. In this work, mechanical and thermal properties of unirradiated, as-fabricated SiC-based cladding structures were measured, and permeability and dimensional control were assessed. In order to account for the tubular geometry of the cladding designs, development and modification of several characterization methods were required.
The systems-level organization of cholinergic innervation in the human cerebral cortex and its alterations in Alzheimer's disease

Publisher Summary The cholinergic innervation of the cerebral cortex has now become one of the most dynamic areas of research and offers exciting opportunities for exploring the chemical neuroanatomy of cognition, age-related memory impairments, and Alzheimer's disease. The cholinergic pathway from the basal forebrain is the most massive of all extra-thalamic corticofugal projections of the cerebral cortex. Developments based on electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry, antibodies to recombinant receptor subtypes, in situ hybridization, single unit recordings, and selective immunotoxic lesioning have introduced a wealth of new information on the organization and function of this pathway in various animal species, including humans. The cholinergic pathway emanating from the basal forebrain constitutes one of the most important modulatory afferents of the mammalian cortex. The initial expectation that the cholinergic deficiency would provide a unifying pathophysiological basis for Alzheimer's disease and that cholinergic therapies would cure the dementia are clearly too optimistic. Nonetheless, the cortical cholinergic denervation remains one of the earliest, most severe, and most consistent transmitter changes in this disease. The cholinergic depletion may provide an important substrate for the neuropsychological features of Alzheimer's disease and may eventually yield important clues to its pathogenesis.
Signals from Flavor Changing Interactions in Extended Models

In the contest of a Two Higgs Doublet Model without flavor conservation, the presence of Flavor Changing Neutral Scalar Currents may affect in particular the couplings of the top quark. Some ideas on how to look for new signals from Flavor Changing Interactions at the next generation of lepton colliders are presented.