cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy Disaggregation via Discriminative Sparse Coding

Energy disaggregation is the task of taking a whole-home energy signal and separating it into its component appliances. Studies have shown that having device-level energy information can cause users to conserve significant amounts of energy, but current electricity meters only report whole-home data. Thus, developing algorithmic methods for disaggregation presents a key technical challenge in the effort to maximize energy conservation. In this paper, we examine a large scale energy disaggregation task, and apply a novel extension of sparse coding to this problem. In particular, we develop a method, based upon structured prediction, for discriminatively training sparse coding algorithms specifically to maximize disaggregation performance. We show that this significantly improves the performance of sparse coding algorithms on the energy task and illustrate how these disaggregation results can provide useful information about energy usage.
Genetic Manipulation of Lipoprotein Receptors: Implications for Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis

The metabolism of plasma lipoproteins is a complex process which involves the interplay of a number of apoproteins, enzymes and cell surface receptors. The primary sites of synthesis for lipoproteins are the gut and the liver which secrete large, triglyceride-rich particles into the lymph ducts (chylomicrons) or directly into the venous circulation (very low density lipoproteins, VLDL). In the capillaries of the peripheral tissues the triglycerides are hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and as a consequence the particles shrink in size and become chylomicron remnants or low density lipoproteins (LDL). Eventually, these lipoproteins are taken up into the liver by cell surface receptors which recognize specific apoproteins present on the lipoprotein particle1.
Do Export Credit Agencies Benefit the Economy

This study empirically evaluates the effectiveness of Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) on export and other key macroeconomic variables such as real GDP growth, employment, and domestic lending activities. Based on a panel data of 15 countries, which have established the official ECAs during 1972-2010, we use the differences-in-differences method for estimation by utilizing the staggering timing of ECA establishments in those countries. We find that: (1) having an ECA raises export, (2) this positive effect does not last in the long run, (3) this positive effect comes from direct export credit scheme, not from credit guarantee scheme, (4) ECA credit crowds out private lending in domestic financial markets, and (5) having an ECA is not associated with higher economic growth and employment.
A Knowledge-Based System for Evaluation of CIDP Diagnostic Criteria in a Database with 26,000 Nerve Conduction Studies: Computer-Aided Creation of Heuristic Rules and Discovery of New Diagnostic Criteria

This paper describes the implementation and the evaluation of 19 Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) diagnostic criteria in a Hospital Information System (HIS) that contains more than 26,000 Motor Nerve Conduction Studies (MNCS), integrated with a Knowledge Based System (KBS) that contains and applies neurological knowledge, including the CIDP criteria. The comparison, conducted on 3750 manual reviewed cases, gave very different results in terms of sensibility and specificity with no one single criterion satisfying for both. Based on personal experience, variations of these CIDP criteria were tried, but the results were not improved. Then a radically different approach was developed, programming the HIS-KBS to “discover” better criteria in order of their ability to comply with the manual review of cases. The result was a strong reduction of false positives with minimal loss of sensibility. By "reverse engineering" of the computer generated criteria it was possible to obtain some new interesting neurologic suggestions such as the role of H reflex. In conclusion, four points appear of general interest: 1) a large HIS-KBS is fundamental for developing and testing diagnostic criteria and medical procedures, particularly when they are complex; 2) “Computer aided discovery” may create rules that allows the KBS to replicate the human expertise; 3) "reverse engineering" on computer generated rules may suggest new physiopathological considerations; 4) this methodology has general application to many other fields of medicine.
Enhanced Production of Nitric Oxide in Aortae From Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Interleukin-1β

Cultured aortic smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats produce more nitrite than cells from Wistar-Kyoto rats in response to interleukin-1 beta. Therefore, the effect of interleukin-1 beta-induced nitric oxide production was compared on the contractility of aortic smooth muscle from spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats. Under control conditions, there was no difference in the response of aortic rings (without endothelium) to phenylephrine between both strains. Contractions to 5-hydroxytryptamine were larger in preparations from hypertensive than normotensive animals. Treatment with interleukin-1 beta for 6 h reduced the responsiveness to both vasoconstrictors in a concentration-dependent manner. The depression was more pronounced in rings from spontaneously hypertensive rats: the threshold concentration of the cytokine was lower, and its maximal effect greater. Nitro-L-arginine prevented the inhibitory effect of interleukin-1 beta. The cytokine evoked a time-dependent loss of tone in phenylephrine-contracted rings with the same time of onset in both strains. However, the decay of tension was more pronounced in aortae from hypertensive than normotensive rats. In aortae from both strains, the decay was potentiated by L-arginine, but not D-arginine. Interleukin-1 beta elicited greater concentration-dependent productions of cyclic GMP and nitrite in rings from spontaneously hypertensive than from Wistar-Kyoto rats, and these were inhibited by methylene blue and nitro-L-arginine, respectively. The concentration-relaxation curves to 3-morpholino-sydnonimine were moderately, but significantly, shifted to the left in aortae from spontaneously hypertensive rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rented, Crowded, and Unaffordable? Social Vulnerabilities and the Accumulation of Precarious Housing Conditions in Los Angeles

AbstractInspired by the social vulnerability paradigm employed in hazard and disaster research and recent work connecting personal and housing vulnerabilities, this study uses the first wave of Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey data to: (a) examine immigrants’ legal status as an independent social vulnerability that increases the risk of two or more of the following situations deemed to be precarious: renting, crowding, and unaffordable housing; (b) identify the individual-, household-, and neighborhood-level vulnerabilities associated with overlapping housing problems; and (c) identify the distribution of housing disadvantages across social groups. The sample comprises those born in the United States who are Black, White, and Latino, and three distinct Latino immigrant groups categorized by citizenship and legal status. The descriptive and multivariate regression results have implications for expanding hazard, disaster, and housing research and practice.
Maxillofacial restoration after head and neck tumor therapy.

Oral and pharyngeal cancers are among the leading cancer sites. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or combination therapies are common treatment modalities. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy cause significant morbidity and long-term irreversible sequelae in the oral cavity Surgical resection can be mutilating, disfiguring, and deeply affect self-image. Orofacial defects have unique limitations and challenges for both the surgeon and the maxillofacial prosthodontist. Microvascular surgical techniques and the use of osseoin-tegrated implants improve the rehabilitation potential of the various head and neck defects. This article reviews current treatment modalities of tumor therapy, their consequences, and the restoration of maxillofacial defects.
The Marriage Market

The search for an appropriate husband often took place in what has been termed since the sixteenth century as the “marriage market”. Much of the maneuvering for a mate took place within very constrained circumstances, most often in the London Season. Young elite women used the balls and parties of the London Season to conduct their quest for an appropriate husband. The ultimate aim was to fall in love with a man whom their family would consider fitting. In May 1808 at the age of 17 Sarah Spencer gave an account of a ball that she attended where she danced “the two last with Lord Percy,1 who, being to be one day the Duke of Northumberland, is of course the best partner in London, by the unanimous consent of the young ladies, who agree that he is the most charming, interesting, bewitching, fascinating youth that ever trod with the light fantastic toe the chalked floor of any ballroom in Europe since the days of his ancestor Hotspur...”2 There is a sardonic tone in this description, but it describes a potent truth: high social status enhanced one’s charm. Four years later, Sarah described the perfect mate, “Lord Herbert3 is handsome, rather, he is nobly born, very; he will have a fortune, sufficient, and his connection is admirable.”4 One of the notable aspects of the marriage market throughout the period under discussion here is the vital role in its functioning played by aristocratic women. This has consistently been one area in which they exercise real agency and through the exercise of that power they have gone a long way in safeguarding noble rank identity by ensuring that elite women married appropriately.
On the Frontlines: Perspectives of Providers Working With Homeless Women:

Homeless service providers (HSPs) are on the frontlines of caring for the most vulnerable populations to help them navigate out of homelessness and access health and social services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand, from the perspectives of HSPs (N = 19; age range, 27-58 years; SD = 10.37), their account and experiences in working with homeless women (HW), and opportunities for intervention development and integration. Five focus groups were conducted with HSPs in Central City East, Los Angeles. Five main themes emerged which included (a) seeking to establish a therapeutic relationship, (b) internal and external drivers of change, (c) navigating systems, (d) targeted outreach, and (e) program design recommendations. Within these themes, individual- and structural-level characteristics emerged. To better equip HW, HSPs’ perspectives need to be considered in future interventions to aid women traverse homelessness.
Membrane Recruitment can Increase the Number of Protein Assemblies by Many Folds: Insights from Theory and Reaction-Diffusion Simulation

A significant number of the cellular protein interaction networks, such as receptor-mediated signaling and vesicle trafficking pathways, includes reactions that involve membranes as a molecular assembly platform. Membranes both reduce the search space and induce a cooperative binding effect for stabilizing complexes with multiple membrane recruiter molecule binding sites. Mathematical models and computer simulations provide insight into the dynamics of complex formation and help identify general principles that govern successful recruitment and assembly on membranes. However, sufficiently long and physically accurate simulations of protein assemblies are quite challenging. In this work, using equilibrium theory and a very efficient in-lab developed single-molecule scale stochastic simulation software, we provide simple formulas for quantifying how the ratio of membrane-to-solution, both in vitro and in vivo, can change the observed protein-protein interaction strengths of peripheral membrane proteins by orders of magnitude. We show that the magnitude of complex formation enhancement has a simple functional form that applies whenever membrane recruiter concentrations are sufficiently high, and surprisingly, is independent of the protein binding strength. We propose that membrane localization works as a mechanism that ensures assembly only at specific times (after recruitment to surfaces) but does not precisely regulate the proteins involved since they benefit equally from surface restriction. This robust strategy is employed by adaptor proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis in both yeast and mammalian cells, where their relatively weak binding interactions with one another prevents protein coat assembly in solution, but transitions to a rapid assembly on the plasma membrane.
DUAL ANTIPLATELET THERAPY UTILIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES AMONG BLACK AND WHITE PATIENTS TREATED WITH DRUG ELUTING STENTS

Background: Rates of major adverse cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug eluting stent (DES) placement vary by race. This may in part be explained by dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) utilization over time. Methods: We analyzed 915 black and 3,559 white patients who
Rate of revisions or conversion after bariatric surgery over 10 years in the state of New York.

Abstract Background A primary measure of the success of a procedure is the whether or not additional surgery may be necessary. Multi-institutional studies regarding the need for reoperation after bariatric surgery are scarce. Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the rate of revisions/conversions (RC) after 3 common bariatric procedures over 10 years in the state of New York. Setting University Hospital, involving a large database in New York State. Methods The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database was used to identify all patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) between 2004 and 2010. Patients were followed for RC to other bariatric procedures for at least 4 years (up to 2014). Multivariable cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for additional surgery after each common bariatric procedure. Multivariable logistic regression was used to check the factors associated with having ≥2 follow-up procedures. Results There were 40,994 bariatric procedures with 16,444 LAGB, 22,769 RYGB, and 1781 SG. Rate of RC was 26.0% for LAGB, 9.8% for SG, and 4.9% for RYGB. Multiple RC ( = />2) were more common for LAGB (5.7% for LAGB, .5% for RYGB, and .2% for LSG). Band revision/replacements required further procedures compared with patients who underwent conversion to RYGB/SG (939 compared with 48 procedures). Majority of RC were not performed at initial institution (68.2% of LAGB patients, 75.9% for RYGB, 63.7% of SG). Risk factors for multiple procedures included surgery type, as LAGB was more likely to have multiple RC. Conclusions Reoperation was common for LAGB, but less common for RYGB (4.9%) and SG (9.8%). RC rate are almost twice after SG than after RYGB. LAGB had the highest rate (5.7%) of multiple reoperations. Conversion was the procedure of choice after a failed LAGB.
Hall viscosity and geometric response in the Chern-Simons matrix model of the Laughlin states

The authors show here that geometric properties of Laughlin fractional quantum Hall states are accurately described by the Chern-Simons matrix model, a regularization of the noncommutative Chern-Simons theory description of these states. The noncommutative Chern-Simons theory itself is an example of an exotic noncommutative field theory: a quantum field theory on a space where the coordinates do not commute. The authors revisit these noncommutative theories and show that they capture the Hall viscosity of the Laughlin states, as well as other geometric properties of these states that are of current interest.
Combining Activity Trackers With Motivational Interviewing and Mutual Support to Increase Physical Activity in Parent-Adolescent Dyads: Longitudinal Observational Feasibility Study.

Background: An essential component of any effective adolescent weight management program is physical activity (PA). PA levels drop dramatically in adolescence, contributing to the rising prevalence of adolescent obesity. Therefore, finding innovative interventions to address this decline in PA may help adolescents struggling with weight issues. The growing field of health technology provides potential solutions for addressing chronic health issues and lifestyle change, such as adolescent obesity. Activity trackers, used in conjunction with smartphone apps, can engage, motivate, and foster support among users while simultaneously providing feedback on their PA progress. Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of a 10-week pilot study using smartphone-enabled activity tracker data to tailor motivation and goal setting on PA for overweight and obese adolescents and their parents. Methods: We queried enrolled adolescents, aged 14 to 16 years, with a body mass index at or above the 85th percentile, and 1 of their parents as to behaviors, barriers to change, and perceptions about exercise and health before and after the intervention. We captured daily step count and active minutes via activity trackers. Staff made phone calls to dyads at weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8 after enrollment to set daily personalized step-count and minutes goals based on their prior data and age-specific US national guidelines. We evaluated dyad correlations using nonparametric Spearman rank order correlations. Results: We enrolled 9 parent-adolescent dyads. Mean adolescent age was 15 (SD 0.9) years (range 14-16 years; 4 female and 5 male participants); mean parent age was 47 (SD 8.0) years (range 36-66 years). On average, adolescents met their personalized daily step-count goals on 35% (range 11%-62%) of the days they wore their trackers; parents did so on 39% (range 3%-68%) of the days they wore their trackers. Adolescents met their active-minutes goals on 55% (range 27%-85%) of the days they wore their trackers; parents did so on 83% (range 52%-97%) of the days. Parent and adolescent success was strongly correlated (step count: r=.36, P=.001; active minutes: r=.30, P=.007). Parental age was inversely correlated with step-count success (r=–.78, P=.01). Conclusions: Our findings illustrate that parent-adolescent dyads have highly correlated PA success rates. This supports further investigation of family-centered weight management interventions for adolescents, particularly those that involve the parent and the adolescent working together.
Creation and Implementation of a Flipped Jigsaw Activity to Stimulate Interest in Biochemistry Among Medical Students

Learner-centered pedagogical methods that are based on clinical application of basic science concepts through active learning and problem solving are shown to be effective for improving knowledge retention. As the clinical relevance of biochemistry is not always apparent to health-profession students, effective teaching of medical biochemistry should highlight the implications of biochemical concepts in pathology, minimize memorization, and make the concepts memorable for long-term retention. Here, we report the creation and successful implementation of a flipped jigsaw activity that was developed to stimulate interest in learning biochemistry among medical students. The activity combined the elements of a flipped classroom for learning concepts followed by a jigsaw activity to retrieve these concepts by solving clinical cases, answering case-based questions, and creating concept maps. The students' reception of the activity was very positive. They commented that the activity provided them an opportunity to review and synthesize information, helped to gage their learning by applying this information and work with peers. Students' improved performance especially for answering the comprehension-based questions correctly in the postquiz as well as the depth of information included in the postquiz concept maps suggested that the activity helped them to understand how different clinical scenarios develop owing to deviations in basic biochemical pathways. Although this activity was created for medical students, the format of this activity can also be useful for other health-professional students as well as undergraduate and graduate students. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46:343-353, 2018.
Eating Disorders in Pregnancy and the Postpartum

Eating disorders are most often diagnosed during the childbearing years. Pregnancy and postpartum issues for women with eating disorders are discussed with regard to symptoms, complications, course of pregnancy, delivery, breast-feeding, and postpartum depression (PPD). Research findings indicate that women with eating disorders during pregnancy may be at risk for a variety of pregnancy and obstetric complications. Moreover, there appears to be an association between eating-disorder symptoms and low birthweight as well as premature delivery. PPD is higher in women with eating disorders, and feeding issues have been documented. Assessment and treatment guidelines are presented to assist health care providers in caring for pregnant patients with eating disorders.
Design of Walking Machines

The configurations of the electromechanical system, and the information and sensing systems, the geometry of the machine, and the methods used to coordinate its motions all interact intimately. For this reason the design of a legged locomotion system is challenging, quite apart from the technical challenges of understanding the mechanics of legged locomotion. A fundamental question is: What issues should be addressed first? It is reasonable to address the mechanics of the locomotion system first. A fundamental question of approach is whether to use a statically stable or dynamically stable approach to postural control. This is less a hard dichotomy than it might appear since a system with practical scale will require some degree of dynamic stabilization, even if it is designed on statically stable principles.
Relational Database Organization Based on Views and Fragments

Traditionally data is organized at the logical level in relational databases on the basis of its semantics. But there are more abstractions of the real world to be represented. A part of this missing semantics is that of views. We include views as an integral part of the data model. After defining views on a relational scheme, we present a methodology to decompose the relations of this scheme into a set of disjoint fragments. One or more fragments represent a view. Then these fragments and not the relations of the relational scheme are materialized. We further develop a scheme for maintaining the consistency of a database made up of fragments (which include attributes of the left or right side of a split functional dependencies) of a non-3NF relation by introducing the concept of update clusters and virtual attributes. The methodology results in a database design where the database operations access less amount of irrelevant data in comparison to the design where the base relations are materialized. We briefly discuss the applicability of this methodology in designing databases based on centralized, distributed, parallel database environments and for secure database systems.
Aldosterone and Vascular Damage

Aldosterone, the final product of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), is traditionally viewed as a regulator of renal sodium and potassium handling, extracellular volume, and blood pressure (1). Until a few years ago, the adverse vascular effects of the RAAS have been attributed to angiotensin II (Ang II) (2,3). However, Ang II is a potent aldosterone secretagogue, and recent human and animal studies suggest that aldosterone also has adverse cardiovascular effects, including microvascular damage, vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction. This chapter focuses on the adverse effects of aldosterone on the cardiovascular system, kidney, and brain in humans and animals, and describes our current understanding of the underlying mechanisms for this injury.
Nanoparticle-stabilized CO2 foam for waterflooded residual oil recovery

Abstract This paper presents a series of studies of nanoparticle-stabilized CO2-foam for waterflooded residual oil recovery. A stable CO2 foam was generated as CO2/nanosilica dispersion flowed through a porous media. The generated CO2 foam could reduce CO2 mobility and improve CO2 sweep efficiency in CO2 flooding. The particle-stabilized CO2 foam has also been observed to improve residual oil recovery after waterflooding. Effects of pressure and temperature on the performance of the CO2 foam in residual oil recovery were investigated. The results indicated that the residual oil recovery (percentage of waterflooded residual oil) by CO2/nanosilica flooding increased from 64.9% to 75.8% when the pressure was increased from 1200 psi to 2500 psi. When temperature increased from 25 °C to 60 °C, the residual oil recovery by CO2/nanosilica flooding decreased from 62.6% to 52.1%.
Heat degradation of sputter-deposited Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells and modules: Impact of processing conditions and bias

Abstract We report accelerated heat degradation studies on fully encapsulated Cu(In,Ga)Se2 modules as a function of film growth parameters, in particular back contact selenization (pre Se), as well as the impact of bias (light/voltage) during heat degradation. We show that pre-Se conditions have a profound effect on the heat stability of the device, whereby reduced pre Se, while increasing initial efficiency, results in strong heat degradation, driven by a combination of reduced space-charge region and reduced minority carrier lifetime (as evident from external quantum efficiency measurements) in the light-soaked state and resulting in strong degradation of short-circuit current. This is also accompanied by a stronger increase in the shallow acceptor concentration (as measured by capacitance-voltage profiling) in the degraded state, suggesting that the Se Cu divacancy complex (VSe-VCu) is likely responsible. In this case, appearance of a high concentration of deep acceptor states accompanies increased shallow doping upon light-soaking, with the former reducing bulk lifetime and the latter further affecting electron collection due to narrow depletion width. This result suggests that bulk structural properties of the absorber film are strongly impacted by the back contact selenization conditions, making the film more susceptible to heat degradation. In the second part of this paper we show that electrical or light bias during heat exposure reduces degradation, in particular almost fully eliminating the above short-circuit current loss. This is a surprising result as usually the positive effects of bias are attributed to interfacial changes, while our results demonstrate that bulk properties can be improved as well.
Survival of Lab Grown Calonectria pseudonaviculata Microsclerotia During Small-Scale Composting

Boxwood blight, caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata, is a devastating fungal disease of Buxus spp., first observed in the United States in 2011. Due to the persistent nature of the produced micr...
Gut Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Study

The gut microbiota has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of kidney disease. However, little is known about the gut microbiota in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We assessed the gut microbiota and its relationship with clinical variables in ten HD patients. We found that the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio was positively associated with traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, Faecalibacterium was positively associated with carbohydrate intake and negatively associated with arterial stiffness. Finally, endotoxemia was inversely associated with butyrate producers. Future studies should assess if targeting the gut microbiota result in a lower burden for cardiovascular disease in HD patients.
Center of mass adaptations and its interaction between the trunk and lower-extremity during exoskeleton walking

The goal of this study is to dynamically assess the posture and balance of individuals with spinal cord injury and able-bodied controls during robotic-assisted gait, using the EksoGT™ and ReWalk™, by examining their 3-D whole body, trunk and lower-extremity CoM excursions and their sagittal trunk lean angle during baseline and post-training (>100 hours). At baseline, there were strong differences (p<0.05) between the devices where CoM excursions, root-mean-squared-errors between the trunk and lower-extremity CoMs and a trend for significance in trunk lean angle were much greater in the ReWalk™ than EksoGT™. These differences further increased post-training, particularly in the EksoGT™.
Overproduction of He4 in strongly inhomogeneous b=1 models of primordial nucleosynthesis

We have investigated inhomogeneous cosmic nucleosynthesis with extremely high contrasts (up to $R={10}^{4}$) in baryon-number density. Because those models develop sharp structure at the boundaries between the high- and low-density regions, accurate results require a high resolution. We have carried out such high-resolution numerical simulations and find that inhomogeneity in a closure density (${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{b}=1$) model cannot bring the $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ yields down to fit observational constraints. Investigation of the detailed process dynamics shows that neutrons diffuse so rapidly during nucleosynthesis that they cannot effectively be separated from protons for long enough times to significantly suppress $^{4}\mathrm{He}$.
Functional Design and System Development of Power Sales Management and Control Platform in Electric Power Market

The opening of the power sale side is an important part of the current reform of the electricity power market. The power sales management and control platform is an important tool for the sales business of power sales company, and is also a necessary condition for the access of power sales companies. Firstly, the situation of the power sales reform in current market environment is analyzed, and the importance of the power sales management and control platform for the power sales company to carry out user management, achieve electricity bill settlement and information release services. Based on the characteristics of the power sales market, the construction requirements of platform are proposed, the structure diagram, technical framework route and functional design are introduced. Finally, from the perspective of expansion of the power sales business, the implementation benefits and development direction of the power sales management and control platform are analyzed.
Time markers in landscape evolution, caves as

Abstract Multilevel caves are formed by periods of water table stability punctuated by changes in the position of the water table. These cave systems are hydrologically linked to regional rivers and can be used to date episodes of river stability and incision. The measurement of cosmogenic radioisotopes in cave sediments yields a burial age for the sediment, which in turn equates to the time of passage abandonment due to water-table lowering. Karst geomorphologists and others are using burial dates from multilevel caves to calculate Plio-Pleistocene rates of river incision, tectonic uplift, and erosion in various parts of the world.
Genotyping-by-Sequencing for Analysis of the Genetic Variation of Podosphaera xanthii, Incitant of Cucurbit Powdery Mildew.

This research was conducted to identify species causing powdery mildew on cucurbits and to determine genetic variations among isolates of the pathogen. We collected 109 isolates from six cucurbit s...
Acupuncture for dysphagia after chemoradiation therapy in head and neck cancer: A randomized sham-controlled study.

6058 Background: Dysphagia is a common side effect following chemoradiation (CRT) in pts with head and neck cancer (HNC). The purpose of this pilot trial was to assess the feasibility of recruiting...
Filling Temporal and Eyebrow Areas

Volume restoration of the upper face is crucial to guarantee a harmonic shape when using minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. Loss of subcutaneous volume is characteristic of aging and the temple and eyebrows’ volume reposition improves the contour of the upper face with a secondary effect of lifting the lateral eyebrows. This chapter will describe in a bullet style the step-by-step approach to these areas looking for a natural result; it will also show how to manage possible complications and describe the recent published literature regarding upper face volume augmentation.
Beyond liking: Inspiring user-generated content for health promotion

Abstract Social media provide an innovative platform for health promotion, yet research suggests these platforms are not leveraged effectively. Instead, campaigns struggle to actively engage with participants beyond simple interactions. Inspiring user-generated content (UGC), wherein individuals create and post their own content, is a strategy that has potential to improve health promotion, especially among young people who are heavy users of social media. However, inspiring UGC is difficult. This chapter presents a comparative case study analysis of three campaigns that were highly successful in leveraging social media, and UGC in particular, in support of health-related goals. Through this analysis, four similarities were identified across all three campaigns. These similarities include the facilitation of online community, the cultivation of positive affect, the support of celebrity influencers, and the opportunity for creative self-expression. While these campaigns also received criticism, they each were, nonetheless, effective at making an impact on social media and achieving campaign goals. Through these case study analyses and a review of current research, a holistic assessment of the theory and practice of social media for health promotion is presented. Moreover, future directions for both the research and practice of health promotion on social media are identified.
Psychological Problems among 12th-Grade Students Predicting Military Enlistment: Findings from the Monitoring the Future Survey.

Objective: Rates of some psychological disorders are higher among enlisted U.S. military personnel than socio-demographically matched civilians. Indirect evidence suggests some internalizing and ex...
The DIRECT algorithm: 25 years Later

Introduced in 1993, the DIRECT global optimization algorithm provided a fresh approach to minimizing a black-box function subject to lower and upper bounds on the variables. In contrast to the plethora of nature-inspired heuristics, DIRECT was deterministic and had only one hyperparameter (the desired accuracy). Moreover, the algorithm was simple, easy to implement, and usually performed well on low-dimensional problems (up to six variables). Most importantly, DIRECT balanced local and global search (exploitation vs. exploration) in a unique way: in each iteration, several points were sampled, some for global and some for local search. This approach eliminated the need for “tuning parameters” that set the balance between local and global search. However, the very same features that made DIRECT simple and conceptually attractive also created weaknesses. For example, it was commonly observed that, while DIRECT is often fast to find the basin of the global optimum, it can be slow to fine-tune the solution to high accuracy. In this paper, we identify several such weaknesses and survey the work of various researchers to extend DIRECT so that it performs better. All of the extensions show substantial improvement over DIRECT on various test functions. An outstanding challenge is to improve performance robustly across problems of different degrees of difficulty, ranging from simple (unimodal, few variables) to very hard (multimodal, sharply peaked, many variables). Opportunities for further improvement may lie in combining the best features of the different extensions.
Negative traits, positive assortment: Revisiting the Dark Triad and a preference for similar others:

Across two studies (N TOTAL = 933), a person’s willingness to engage in a relationship with those scoring high in each of the Dark Triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy)...
Insulin secretion is a strong predictor for need of insulin therapy in patients with new-onset diabetes and HbA1c of more than 10%: A post hoc analysis of the EDICT study

AIM To identify predictors of response to glucose-lowering therapy in patients with new-onset diabetes and very high HbA1c (>10%). METHODS The study included EDICT participants with an initial HbA1c of more than 10% (N = 104). All subjects received a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before initiation of therapy, and then were randomized to receive: (a) initial triple therapy with metformin, pioglitazone and exenatide versus (b) stepwise conventional therapy with metformin followed by glipizide and then glargine insulin to reduce HbA1c to less than 6.5%. Insulin secretion and insulin resistance were calculated with OGTT-derived indices. RESULTS Sixty-one per cent of participants in the conventional therapy group achieved HbA1c of less than 6.5% at 6 months without need of insulin therapy compared with 78% in the triple therapy group (P = NS). Insulin secretion at baseline was the strongest predictor of subjects who did not require insulin therapy; a cut point of CPEP120 /CPEP0 -the ratio between plasma C-peptide concentration at 120 minutes during the OGTT and fasting plasma C-peptide concentration-of more than 1.7 predicted subjects who achieved the treatment target without insulin, irrespective of the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration and whether or not they were started on conventional or triple therapy. Subjects with a CPEP120 /CPEP0 of less than 1.7 plus FPG of 269 mg/dL or less (≤14.9 mmoL/L) also achieved the treatment goal with triple therapy. CONCLUSION Insulin secretion in response to a 75-g OGTT predicts the need for insulin therapy at the time of type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis. A cut point of 1.7 of CPEP120 /CPEP0 provides a useful clinical tool to individualize glucose-lowering therapy in patients with new-onset T2D and HbA1c of more than 10%.
The Framing of Past Bullying Experiences: Impact on Social Decision-Making, Emotions, and Predictions of the Future

Studies on framing demonstrate that the way ideas are presented influences emotions and decision-making. Many bullying interventions involve competing frames, with some discussing bullying in terms of negative effects and others in terms of resiliency. Gender is closely related to frames about bullying, as culturally communicated expectations contribute to differences in individuals’ internalized frames. The current cross-sectional study explores how resiliency and negative effects frames in the context of bullying impact emotion and social decision-making across males and females. Participants (N = 92) ages 19–30 (M = 27.97, SD = 2.17) answered questionnaires around self-construal, internalized beliefs about bullying, and current bullying experiences before being randomized to write about a time they either demonstrated resiliency to or negative effects from bullying, balanced by males and females. The participants completed questionnaires regarding predictions of future bullying, current emotions, and social decision-making. The four groups were entered in a MANOVA and compared across dependent measures to better understand how both frames and gender affected future predictions of bullying, current emotions, and social decision-making. The overall model was significant (Wilks Lamda = .51, F = 1.94, p = 0.004, ηp2 = .20). Next, a MANOVA compared males versus females on self-construal, beliefs about bullying, and current levels of bullying to better understand pre-existing gender-based differences. The overall model was significant (Wilks Lamda, F = 3.41, p = 0.00). These variables that differed across gender were entered as covariates into a MANCOVA model which compared the four groups across dependent measures, with the aim to elucidate factors influencing the gender by frame effect. The overall model was significant (Wilks Lamda = 0.57, F(30,228) = 1.81, p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.20). The results demonstrate that frames around bullying influence emotions and social decision-making, and that this impact differs across gender.
Rapid Comparative Planning to Predict Oropharyngeal Toxicity Reduction for Proton Therapy vs. VMAT.

Purpose/Objective(s) Normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models can estimate differences in clinical outcomes between proton therapy (PT) and photon radiation (RT) plans for oropharyngeal cancer. We assessed the accuracy of our rapid comparative planning (RCP) process vs fully optimized clinical treatment plans (OCP) and tested whether anticipated clinical benefits were associated with insurance approval for PT. Materials/Methods We performed RCP of photon VMAT and pencil beam PT in 30 consecutive patients (pts) with oropharyngeal cancer requiring bilateral neck RT to 60-70 Gy, using published NTCP models of Grade (G) 3+ mucositis, G3+ dysphagia, G4 xerostomia, G3+ aspiration, G2 hypothyroidism, and G2 trismus to assess differences between plans. Most (90%) had T1-2 tumors (80%); 93% were node+ (23% bilateral). Predicted risk reduction > 10% for G2 and > 5% for G3+ toxicity were considered clinically relevant thresholds. RCP used diagnostic imaging (n = 16) or simulation CT (n = 14). The latter group also had VMAT and PT OCP using the same CT dataset (4 plans each) and served as a validation cohort (n = 14) for RCP. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the RCPs was assessed by the # of pts anticipated to have at least 1 clinically relevant toxicity reduction with PT therapy in both RCP and OCP (true positives) divided by true positives plus false positives (RCP plans anticipated a benefit but OCP PT plans no longer achieved at least 1 anticipated benefit vs VMAT). The accuracy of individual NTCP models was assessed between RCP and OCP. Results RCP predicted ≥1 clinically relevant toxicity reduction in all 30 pts. In the validation cohort, the OCP PT plans also achieved ≥1 toxicity reduction threshold in all pts, yielding a PPV of 100%. In RCP, a median of 5 toxicity thresholds was achieved by PT. In the validation cohort, 57% of OCP PT plans achieved the same or greater # of toxicity threshold reductions. Models for G3+ mucositis and G2 trismus had the highest PPV and the model for G4 xerostomia the lowest. Pts denied insurance coverage for PT therapy had, on average, more NTCP thresholds of any grade toxicity met by PT therapy in RPC than did those approved (5 vs 4 thresholds met, P = 0.049). There was no difference by insurance approval in the average number of G3+ toxicity reductions achieved or the relative magnitude of predicted benefit in any individual NTCP model. Conclusion RCP incorporating NTCP-based toxicity estimation by RT modality appears to be a reliable predictor based on concordant finding of at least one clinically relevant toxicity reduction in both RCP and OCP. Predicted clinical benefit was not correlated with insurance approval for PT therapy.
Specifying Confluent Processes

We address the problem of specifying concurrent processes that can make local nondeterministic decisions without affecting global system behavior—the sequence of events communicated along each inter-process communication channel. Such nondeterminism can be used to cope with unpredictable execution rates and communication delays. Our model resembles Kahn’s, but does not include unbounded buffered communication, so it is much simpler to reason about and implement. After formally characterizing these so-called confluent processes, we propose a collection of operators, including sequencing, parallel, and our own creation, confluent choice, that guarantee confluence by construction. The result is a set of primitive constructs that form the formal basis of a concurrent programming language for both hardware and software systems that gives deterministic behavior regardless of the relative execution rates of the processes. Such a language greatly simplifies the verification task because any correct implementation of such a system is guaranteed to have the same behavior, a property rarely found in concurrent programming environments.
Even Exempt Organizations Can Be Taxed on Unrelated Business Income

Tax-exempt organizations that generate revenue from businesslike activities may owe tax, regardless of whether the revenue is used to further the tax-exempt purpose. Several interesting applications of this law arise for a college or university that operates a complex intercollegiate athletics program (although the same principles can have applications in other tax-exempt organization contexts). The taxpayer must have a firm grasp of the pertinent tax law in that situation, so that the various definitions and computations of the tax law can be used to the taxpayer's advantage.
Third order intermodulation distortion in capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical filters

The third-order intermodulation distortion in properly terminated high-order bridged clamped-clamped beam (CC-beam) channel-select micromechanical filters has been measured for the first time and found to be appreciably higher than seen on unterminated stand-alone CC-beams. In particular, a three-resonator bridged 8-MHz filter with 140nm gaps posts a measured IIP 3 of 25dBm and 36dBm for two-tone offsets of 200kHz and 400kHz, respectively, which are much larger than the −11.7dBm for a stand-alone 9.2MHz CC-beam with 200kHz two-tone offset. For the case where the required minimum signal-to-noise ratio is 10dB, the IIP 3 of 36dBm translates to an impressive spurious-free dynamic range of 102.3dB. The result matches well the prediction of a new model for non-linearity that incorporates not only parallel-plate capacitor nonlinearity, but also the influence of the filter structure, where Q-loading by the termination reduces the degree of out-of-channel tone suppression, but also reduces the amplitude of resonator motion, which then improves the IIP 3 . The full model incorporates these phenomena, plus dependencies on dc-bias, gap spacing, and electrode area.
Recent Progress in the Studies of Molecular and Microstructure of Interfaces in Composites, Coatings and Adhesive Joints

Recent progress in the studies of molecular and microstructure of interfaces and interphases in composites, coatings and adhesive joints is reviewed. Remarkable progress has been made in elucidating the structure of silane coupling agents and their function with respect to dry and wet strengths of multiphase systems. Amino-silanes attracted major effort in the past. It is now understood that the structure of partially cured hydrolyzate is complicated. When adsorbed from a natural pH solution and dried in air at room temperature, approximately half of the amine groups form amine bicarbonate salt with the CO2 in air. The rest of the amine groups are either intra- and intermolecularly hydrogen bonded to neighboring silanol groups or free from hydrogen bonding. There exists chemical bonding at the glass/silane or metal/ silane interfaces. The surface characteristics, including acidity, topology and homogeneity, influence the structure of the coupling agent. The coupling agent interphase shows a gradient in various properties.