cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Children’s Awareness of Language, with Emphasis on Sound Systems

For a start let us suppose that metalinguistic awareness includes the ability to think about language and comment on it. A linguist or a language-learner studying a grammar of an unfamiliar language is acquiring one type of metalinguistic awareness. But in the more interesting case, the fluent speaker of a language typically has some awareness of the language that he or she speaks. We might say that a speaker exhibits metalinguistic awareness when that speaker is attending to some part of what he or she knows about the language, and also knows that he or she possesses that knowledge.
Buprenorphine, Clonidine, Dexamethasone, and Ropivacaine for Interscalene Nerve Blockade: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded, Ropivacaine Dose-Response Study.

Objective . This study investigated interscalene block for shoulder arthroplasty with various ropivacaine concentrations in the presence of clonidine, dexamethasone, and buprenorphine. The goal was prolonged analgesia with minimal motor blockade. Design . Prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Setting . University-affiliated orthopedic hospital. Methods . Patients (20/group) received acetaminophen, ketorolac, pregabalin, opioids, and “Control”; interscalene block, 0.375% ropivacaine, intravenous additives (buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone); “High Dose”; 0.375% ropivacaine, perineural additives; “Medium Dose”; 0.2% ropivacaine, perineural additives; and “Low Dose”; 0.1% ropivacaine, perineural additives. Results . Pain with movement at 24 hours was 4.9 ± 2.5 (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) (Control), 4.5 ± 3.0 (High Dose), 3.4 ± 1.8 (Medium Dose), 4.2 ± 2.4 (Low Dose). The difference between Medium Dose and Control was −1.5 (95% CI: −2.9, −0.1) ( P = 0.040). Median time until need for opioids was 16.1 hours (Control) vs 23.7 hours (High Dose); hazard ratio 0.37 [95% CI: 0.17, 0.79]. High Dose had less pain with movement the morning after surgery, vs Control; 2.9 ± 2.5 vs 4.9 ± 2.7; P = 0.027. Pain with movement in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit was higher in Low Dose, vs Control; 0.9 ± 1.4 vs 0 ± 0, P = 0.009. Low Dose had superior hand strength in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (mean ± SD of pre-operative strength: 44.0 ± 20.3%) compared to Control (27.5 ± 24.5%) ( P = 0.031). Conclusions . For maximum pain reduction, combining perineural additives with ropivacaine 0.375% or 0.2% is suggested. To minimize motor blockade, perineural additives can be combined with ropivacaine, 0.1%.
Signatures of metal-insulator and topological phase transitions in the entanglement of one-dimensional disordered fermions

We study one-dimensional disordered fermions that either undergo metal-insulator transitions or topological phase transitions to become trivial Anderson insulators. We focus on using entanglement to elucidate how the spatial, momentum, and internal degrees of freedom of fermions are affected by the presence of disorder in such cases. We develop entanglement tools that reveal the existence of metallic states in the presence of disorder and further show clear signatures of the corresponding localization transition even in the presence of interactions. In systems where the internal degrees of freedom are coupled with the motion of the electrons, topological phases develop. We subject a topological insulator model to different types of disorder and discuss how the topological aspects of the system can be captured through entanglement, even at strong disorder.
The 2012 Organizations and the Natural Environment Division Annual Dissertation Award Competition: Honoring Emerging and Exemplary Work in the Field

The Organizations and the Natural Environment (ONE) Division of the Academy of Management, like many divisions, has an annual dissertation competition to recognize and honor emerging and exemplary work in the field. This special research forum provides an opportunity for the finalists of this competition, doctoral students or recently doctored faculty members, to present and discuss their work that will undoubtedly shape research in the ONE field for decades. Some of the dissertation abstracts and commentaries authored by the award finalists appear later. This overview to the forum provides a synopsis of the administrative process of the dissertation award competition and a few reflective thoughts from the committee chair.
Dietary restriction modulates the norepinephrine content and uptake of the heart and cardiac synaptosomes

The present study was designed to examine the effects of long-term dietary restriction on cardiac sympathetic nerves and neurotransmitter. The food intake of male, 6-week-old Fischer 344 rats was reduced to 60% of the intake of control rats fed ad libitum. The body and heart weights of rats diet restricted for 4.5 months were less than those of the ad libitum fed animals, while the heart weight to body weight ratios were higher. The norepinephrine (NE) content of hearts from restricted rats (1073 +/- 84 ng/g wet wt) was higher than controls (774 +/- 38 ng/g wet wt), although the total amount of NE per heart was unchanged. Similarly, the cardiac synaptosomal P2 fraction from restricted rats possessed a higher NE content (24.1 +/- 2.4 ng/mg protein) than the P2 fraction of ad libitum fed controls (13.7 +/- 1.3 ng/mg protein). The desmethylimipramine-sensitive norepinephrine uptake of the P2 fraction from restricted rats was significantly higher than that of control rats (9.44 +/- 1.33 vs 4.75 +/- 0.35 ng/mg protein/hr). The NE uptakes of the two groups were similar when uptake was normalized to endogenous NE levels. These results demonstrate that long-term dietary restriction affects cardiac sympathetic nerve endings and suggest that part of the beneficial action of life-long dietary restriction on the age-related decline in cardiovascular regulation may be related to changes in cardiac sympathetic nerves.
An update of systemic analgesics in children

Abstract Effective and safe pain management in children can be complex and challenging. It remains an important goal in order to minimize acute distress, behavioural changes, central sensitization and hyperalgesia. Neonates are particularly susceptible to long-term neurodevelopmental changes due to the neuroplasticity of their immature brains, and adequate analgesia may help ameliorate these changes. The focus of this review is to look at systemic analgesic options available for children, infants and neonates. This review includes a brief description of important pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and pharmacogenomic issues that can influence the effectiveness and safety of these medications, whilst highlighting the impact organ-immaturity in neonates can have on pain processing and analgesic pharmacology.
Memory Reactivation Predicts Resistance to Retroactive Interference: Evidence from Multivariate Classification and Pattern Similarity Analyses

Memory reactivation—the reinstatement of processes and representations engaged when an event is initially experienced—is believed to play an important role in strengthening and updating episodic memory. The present study examines how memory reactivation during a potentially interfering event influences memory for a previously experienced event. Participants underwent fMRI during the encoding phase of an AB/AC interference task in which some words were presented twice in association with two different encoding tasks (AB and AC trials) and other words were presented once (DE trials). The later memory test required retrieval of the encoding tasks associated with each of the study words. Retroactive interference was evident for the AB encoding task and was particularly strong when the AC encoding task was remembered rather than forgotten. We used multivariate classification and pattern similarity analysis (PSA) to measure reactivation of the AB encoding task during AC trials. The results demonstrated that reactivation of generic task information measured with multivariate classification predicted subsequent memory for the AB encoding task regardless of whether interference was strong and weak (trials for which the AC encoding task was remembered or forgotten, respectively). In contrast, reactivation of neural patterns idiosyncratic to a given AB trial measured with PSA only predicted memory when the strength of interference was low. These results suggest that reactivation of features of an initial experience shared across numerous events in the same category, but not features idiosyncratic to a particular event, are important in resisting retroactive interference caused by new learning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Reactivating a previously encoded memory is believed to provide an opportunity to strengthen the memory, but also to return the memory to a labile state, making it susceptible to interference. However, there is debate as to how memory reactivation elicited by a potentially interfering event influences subsequent retrieval of the memory. The findings of the current study indicate that reactivating features idiosyncratic to a particular experience during interference only influences subsequent memory when interference is relatively weak. Critically, reactivation of generic contextual information predicts subsequent source memory when retroactive interference is either strong and weak. The results indicate that reactivation of generic information about a prior episode mitigates forgetting due to retroactive interference.
Evaluating event credibility on twitter

Though Twitter acts as a realtime news source with people acting as sensors and sending event updates from all over the world, rumors spread via Twitter have been noted to cause considerable damage. Given a set of popular Twitter events along with related users and tweets, we study the problem of automatically assessing the credibility of such events. We propose a credibility analysis approach enhanced with event graph-based optimization to solve the problem. First we experiment by performing PageRanklike credibility propagation on a multi-typed network consisting of events, tweets, and users. Further, within each iteration, we enhance the basic trust analysis by updating event credibility scores using regularization on a new graph of events. Our experiments using events extracted from two tweet feed datasets, each with millions of tweets show that our event graph optimization approach outperforms the basic credibility analysis approach. Also, our methods are significantly more accurate (∼86%) than the decision tree classifier approach (∼72%).
Glucose tolerance, luteinizing hormone release, and reproductive performance of first-litter sows fed two levels of energy during gestation.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of gestational energy intake on glucose tolerance, LH profiles, and reproductive performance of first-litter sows. Sixteen pregnant gilts were assigned to either high energy (11 Mcal of ME/d; H) or normal energy (6.5 Mcal of ME/d; N) diets during gestation. They did not receive the treatment diets until 35 d of gestation and had free access to the same commonly used diet during lactation. A glucose tolerance test (1 g glucose per kg BW) was conducted after 18 h of feed deprivation on 110 d of gestation and 15 d of lactation. Blood samples were collected at -10, -5, 0 (immediately before glucose infusion), 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, and 180 min for assay of glucose and insulin concentrations. Blood samples were also taken on d 7, 14, and 21 of lactation and on 1 d postweaning for 6 h with 10-min intervals for LH characteristics. Sows in Group H had greater gain of BW and backfat during gestation (P < .001) and had less feed intake and greater weight loss during lactation (P < .002) than those in Group N. Sows in Group H (8.0 d) showed 1.6 d longer (P = .07) weaning-to-estrus intervals than those in Group N (6.4 d). After glucose infusion, insulin levels in Group H were higher (P < .05) than those in Group N. Lower LH concentrations on 1 d postweaning were found (P < .05) in sows in Group H than in Group N. This study indicates that energy intake during gestation is negatively related to feed intake during lactation. Reduced feed intake during lactation of sows having high gestational energy impairs glucose tolerance, suggesting that interaction of insulin with LH secretion may influence weaning-to-estrus intervals.
Advancements in Skull Base Reconstruction

This article summarizes the latest advances in endoscopic skull base reconstruction. The options for vascularized reconstruction of the skull base have multiplied as the indications for endoscopic resection of benign and malignant tumors expand. With the advent of vascularized flaps to reconstruct large high flow defects in the skull base, postoperative leak rates have decreased to less than 5 %, matching traditional open approaches. However, the vascularized flap may be overused in situations where a traditional free mucosal or acellular matrix graft would suffice. Many factors determine which repair technique should be used, including size of defect, high versus low flow leak, and need for postoperative radiation. Adjunctive measures such as lumbar drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion and use of acetazoleamide may be useful in certain situations such as CSF rhinorrhea in the setting of idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
A Fully Integrated Reconfigurable Self-Startup RF Energy-Harvesting System With Storage Capability

This paper introduces a fully integrated RF energy-harvesting system. The system can simultaneously deliver the current demanded by external dc loads and store the extra energy in external capacitors, during periods of extra output power. The design is fabricated in 0.18-μm CMOS technology, and the active chip area is 1.08 mm 2 . The proposed self-startup system is reconfigurable with an integrated LC matching network, an RF rectifier, and a power management/controller unit, which consumes 66-157 nW. The required clock generation and the voltage reference circuit are integrated on the same chip. Duty cycle control is used to operate for the low input power that cannot provide the demanded output power. Moreover, the number of stages of the RF rectifier is reconfigurable to increase the efficiency of the available output power. For high available power, a secondary path is activated to charge an external energy storage element. The measured RF input power sensitivity is -14.8 dBm at a 1-V dc output.
A shifting paradigm for patients with head and neck cancer: transoral robotic surgery (TORS).

This paper by Drs. Bhayani, Holsinger, and Lai describes a new approach to an old problem. Advances in the management of head and neck cancer over the past few decades have been made predominantly in the area of non-surgical therapy. Starting with the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Trial for laryngeal cancer in the early 1990’s,[1] advances in the administration of chemotherapy and radiation therapy have enabled patients to forego traditional extensive resections that compromised speech and swallowing function.[2] The advances in combined chemoradiation for advanced head and neck cancer have come with a detriment to some patients in survival and quality of life.[3] Effective treatment, but with decreased morbidity was needed.
Gender, Diversity, and Methods in Political Science: A Theory of Selection and Survival Biases

At a recent major political science conference, Tamara (not her real name) presented an in-depth qualitative study several years in the making, only to have the panelist speaking after her begin his remarks by saying, “And now back to the hard-core data.” By this, he meant quantitative, large-n data, which his work utilized. This moment highlights a series of tensions in our field relating to gender and methodology, and their effects, which this article explores and elucidates.
Becoming Brazilians: Race and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Brazil

This book traces the rise and decline of Gilberto Freyre's vision of racial and cultural mixture (mesticagem - or race mixing) as the defining feature of Brazilian culture in the twentieth century. Eakin traces how mesticagem moved from a conversation among a small group of intellectuals to become the dominant feature of Brazilian national identity, demonstrating how diverse Brazilians embraced mesticagem, via popular music, film and television, literature, soccer, and protest movements. The Freyrean vision of the unity of Brazilians built on mesticagem begins a gradual decline in the 1980s with the emergence of an identity politics stressing racial differences and multiculturalism. The book combines intellectual history, sociological and anthropological field work, political science, and cultural studies for a wide-ranging analysis of how Brazilians - across social classes - became Brazilians.
Perceived Stress, Stressors, and Coping Mechanisms Among PGY1 Pharmacy Residents

Objective. To evaluate perceived stress among postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residents and to examine relationships between perceived stress and certain demographic variables. Main stressors during residency training and coping mechanisms used were also determined. Methods. A link to a web-based survey was sent to 1128 pharmacy residency program directors who were asked to forward it to current PGY1 residents in their programs. The 22-item questionnaire included the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), demographic information, number of working/sleeping hours, and major stressors and coping mechanisms. Results. There were 505 responses collected from PGY1 residents of community pharmacy, managed care, and pharmacy practice residency programs across the US. Females reported higher PSS-10 scores than males. Perceived stress scores were similar across age groups. Single residents and married residents exhibited similar PSS-10 scores. Residents with children had higher stress score compared to residents without children. Perceived stress scores were similar across types of PGY1 residency programs. A higher number of working hours was associated with a higher PSS-10 score. Time pressures, work overload, and fear of error were the top stressors reported. Spending time with family and friends, staying optimistic, and engaging in enjoyable activities were the top coping strategies employed by participants. Conclusion. Female gender, having children, working longer working hours, and desire to change residency program were associated with higher PSS-10 scores. Approximately a third of the participants associated perceived stress with activities related to residency training (time pressures, workload, fear of errors) and report the use of positive coping strategies to deal with stress.
Estimating minimum adequate foster care costs for children in the United States

Abstract Although foster care homes play a crucial role in providing stable placements to children who enter the child welfare system due to maltreatment, there is currently no federal minimum rate nor standard methodology to establish adequate rates to support foster parents to meet these children's needs. Therefore, it is important to establish a model to estimate the real costs associated with caring for children to serve as a foundation for states to set adequate reimbursement rates. The objectives of this study are to: use the methodology of a 2007 study to establish foster care minimum adequate rates for children (MARC) based on the child's age and geographical location in every state; update the MARC with cost of living adjustments to 2016; examine changes in gaps between the MARC and the current foster care rates; and identify states that have made increases to their reimbursement rates, relative to the MARC over time. Results found that all but four states provide lower foster care reimbursement rates than the adequate costs in 2016. This study recommends that, at the federal level, enhanced precision in operational definitions of care categories could increase consistency in the way that states reimburse foster families. Additionally, findings provide policy suggestions to establish a national methodology standard and increase foster care rates to the level that will meet children's needs. This study will enhance the scant body of literature found on establishing an economic model to estimate foster care costs.
Age- and gender-dependent associations of blood pressure and serum sodium and potassium-renal and extrarenal regulations.

Association analyses between blood pressure (BP) and serum sodium and potassium for 14,657 men and 16,977 women between ages 12 and 85 years show that responses of BP to serum sodium and potassium are age and gender dependent. The data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2014. Associations between serum sodium and BP are positive only for advanced age groups and for serum sodium level greater than 139-140 mmol/L in less advanced groups. These positive associations can be explained by traditional renal-centered mechanism. Inverse associations between systolic BP and serum sodium exist when sodium is less than ∼140 mmol/L in less advanced age groups (<60 for men and <70 for women). These inverse associations can partially be explained by the extrarenal regulatory mechanism in which sodium storage in negatively charged glycosaminoglycans in the interstitium may be involved. Associations of high serum potassium and low BP are consistent and exist in most age groups. Effect of potassium on systolic BP and diastolic BP are more prominent in less advanced age groups. Age-dependent associations between sodium and BP support the theory that sodium homeostasis in the body may not be regulated by renal-centered responses alone. There might be regulation of an extrarenal system in which sodium attraction by negatively charged glycosaminoglycans plays a role.
Mitogenic function of human procathepsin D: the role of the propeptide

The proform of cathepsin D is secreted by some human breast-cancer cell lines upon stimulation with oestrogen. In these cell lines, procathepsin D was described to act as an autocrine mitogen, and a correlation between the cathepsin D concentration in tumour tissues and poor prognosis for the patient was demonstrated in several independent investigations. In the present study, we focused on the mechanism of procathepsin D mitogenic activity. Procathepsin D isolated from secretions of ZR-75-1 breast-cancer cell line was used to test for mitogenic activity on a set of seven human cell lines. For nanomolar procathepsin D concentrations, we found a stronger dose-responsive cellular reaction in the case of several different human breast-cancer-derived cell lines. The mitogenic activity was not blocked by the inhibition of proteolytic activity nor by the inhibition of the interaction of procathepsin D with mannose-6-phosphate receptors. On the other hand, the addition of antibodies raised against the propeptide impaired the mitogenic activity of procathepsin D, and a synthetic peptide alone corresponding to the propeptide of procathepsin D produced similar effects, as did the zymogen molecule. The synthetic propeptide was shown to block partially the interaction of procathepsin D with the cellular surface. Our results indicate that the mitogenic function involves the propeptide of cathepsin D, which appears to be recognized by a surface receptor.
Oxygen and Ozone: Products and Protectors of Life

Diatomic oxygen, O2, can be produced by dissociation of water vapor in the outer atmosphere, but almost all of the oxygen in the atmosphere today has been produced through photosynthesis, fixing carbon and water to make organic matter and release oxygen. If the organic matter is buried and does not decay, oxygen is left behind in the atmosphere. Triatomic Oxygen, O3, or Ozone is created by the interactions of diatomic oxygen molecules and energetic photons in the upper atmosphere. It settles gravitationally to the base of the stratosphere. It absorbs ultraviolet radiation and protects life on the planet’s surface from those harmful rays. It is decomposed by other compounds, but particularly by some man-made gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons. An international agreement, the Montreal Protocol, is succeeding in phasing out the production of most anthropogenic agents destroying ozone.
“Active Site” Dynamics: A Comparison of the Wild Type and Single Tryptophan Variants of E. Coli Thioredoxin

Publisher Summary This chapter describes some of the results of 13C NMR relaxation and fluorescence anisotropy inquiry into the nature and extent of subnanosecond internal motions of the tryptophan residues of the wild type (WT), and of two single tryptophan mutants of E. coli TRX-W28F and W31F in which phenylalanine replaces trp-28 and trp-31 respectively. Two differently, isotopically labeled tryptophans were incorporated into WT-TRX and the mutants, one with l3C at the δ1 (or 2) position of the indole ring and one with 13C at the ɛ3 (or 4) position of the indole ring. In general, in all of the native proteins examined, the internal motion of the tryptophan rings was found to be quite restricted as reflected in high-order parameters. A slight increase in the amplitude of the motion of trp-31 was observed in the reduced form of the protein in contrast to the oxidized form. The mutant proteins gave indications of more motional freedom of their tryptophan ring than was apparent in WT-TRX. The reduced proteins were also subjected to urea denaturation. The internal motion of the tryptophan rings is significantly less restricted in the denatured proteins.
Complex Semisimple Lie Algebras

The theme of this chapter is an investigation of complex semisimple Lie algebras by a two-step process, first by passing from such a Lie algebra to a reduced abstract root system via a choice of Cartan subalgebra and then by passing from the root system to an abstract Cartan matrix and an abstract Dynkin dagram via a choice of an ordering.
A NON-HOMOGENEOUS MARKOV MODEL OF A CHAIN-LETTER SCHEME

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a nonhomogeneous Markov model of a chain-letter scheme. The role of the model in the legal proceedings is to demonstrate that the promises made by the promoters are inherently deceptive and constitute misrepresentation because it is virtually impossible for the majority of participants to make anywhere near the large sums indicated by the promotional material. Many participants can lose all or a part of their entrance fee. As a participant's earnings depend on the time of entrance, defendant promoters can produce a few winners to testify that they did well. The probabilistic approach shows that the proportion of winners is small and most participants can lose money. The chapter discusses the basic properties of the process and its limiting diffusion approximation. The transition properties of this conditional chain present two difficulties when the state variable is appropriately normalized: the increments neither have bounded conditional expectations nor their conditional variances are bounded away from zero. These difficulties are overcome by modifying the chain beyond constant boundaries and then showing that the probability of the chain moving outside these boundaries is sufficiently small so as to make the effect of this modification negligible. A suitable probability inequality for the constant boundary crossing event is obtained for this purpose using a rebounding effect in the transition probabilities of the chain.
De novo hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence in hepatitis C cirrhotics treated with direct-acting antiviral agents.

Author(s): Kuftinec, Gabriela; Loehfelm, Thomas; Corwin, Michael; Durbin-Johnson, Blythe; Candido, MarieChristi; Hluhanich, Rebecca; Sarkar, Souvik | Abstract: AimRecent studies raise concerns for higher incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV).MethodsIn this study, using analysis of liver imaging pre- and post-DAA treatment, we queried new occurrence or 'de novo' of HCC in patients with HCV-cirrhosis treated with DAAs. Of 150 patients who met study criteria, 7 (4.7%; 95% CI: 2.1-9.5%) patients developed de novo HCC which did not differ from historical rates of 3% (pn=n0.22).ResultsNotably, patients with decompensated cirrhosis had significantly higher rate of de novo HCC (9.3%; 95% CI: 3.12-22.2%; pn=n0.04).ConclusionOur data support the need for continued surveillance for HCC in HCV cirrhotics even after successful therapy.
Availability of long-acting reversible contraceptives in Los Angeles County clinics through a Medicaid state plan amendment program.

Abstract Objective To assess the availability of long acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods in Los Angeles County through providers participating in a California State Medicaid State Plan Amendment Program called Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT). Study design This was a cross-sectional telephone survey utilizing “secret shopper” methodology. From 855 Family PACT providers in Los Angeles County in 2015, a representative sample of 400 providers was selected for study. Young female researchers posing as potential patients called each sampled clinic to ask a scripted series of questions about LARC availability for Family PACT patients in that practice. Results All but one eligible practice (99.7%) responded to our questions. Among the 336 responding practices, 284 said they accepted Family PACT. Of those accepting Family PACT, staff answering the telephone call at 61% said they did not provide any LARC method onsite, 2% provided all currently available LARC methods, and 6% provided same-day placement of any LARC. Conclusion The majority of Family PACT practices surveyed said that they did not provide any LARC onsite, and very few provided same-day LARC placement despite easy patient enrollment procedures, relatively reasonable reimbursement and concerted efforts to increase LARC use. Substantial barriers to greater uptake may rest at the provider level with either actual unavailability of LARC or staff perception of unavailability. Implications Only a minority of Family PACT practices said that LARC methods were available onsite, which imposes substantial restriction to access for women who are entitled to have access without cost. Other states developing programs should be aware of this challenge.
Particle Spacing Effects on the Strengthening of Discontinuously-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

In metal matrix composites, the spacing between discontinuous reinforcements can affect strengthening by interfering with the motion of dislocations through the metal.This project looks for similar phenomena in polymer matrix composites (PMCs), since the molecular activity of the polymer chains should be altered in the vicinity of the reinforcements.Awareness of such a trend can improve the understanding of PMC mechanics, which in turn can improve PMC characterization and selection techniques.This project sought a relationship between particle spacing and overall strengthening in a discontinuously-reinforced PMC test case composed of alumina particles in a polyphenylene sulfide matrix.Tensile tests were run on hot-pressed composite samples with varying reinforcement volume fraction and particle size.Data showed that composite strength increases as particle spacing increases, except at high volume fractions where this trend reverses.These results provide preliminary data but demonstrate a need for more in-depth investigation.
Parkinson’s Disease Classification of mPower Walking Activity Participants

Motion sensor data collected using Sage Bionetwork’s mPower application on the Apple iPhone to record participant activities is analyzed to classify samples as positive or negative for Parkinson’s Diagnosis. Pre-processing of the data showed differences in the time and frequency dimensions for features derived from Apple Core motion data. Several classic machine learning classification algorithms were trained on seventy-seven derived data points for best precision, recall, and F-1 score. Accuracy as high as ninety-two percent were achieved, with the best results attained from decision tree and multi-layered artificial neural network algorithms. This research shows that motion data produced on the Apple iPhone using the mPower application shows promise as an accessible platform to classify participants for presence of Parkinson’s Disease signs.
Psychological and Musical Factors Underlying Engagement with Unfamiliar Music

What are the factors that determine how long a person chooses to listen to an unfamiliar piece of music? We examined this question across three experiments in which we played participants novel repeating multi-instrument stimuli and recorded their listening times and reasons for their decisions to either continue or stop listening. To influence the habituating effects of repeating musical material drawn from a large stimulus library (> 450 items), we manipulated novelty along several musical dimensions. In Experiment 1, all instruments entered simultaneously. In Experiment 2, instrument entrances were also offset in time. In Experiment 3, we composed core multi-instrument loops and manipulated them to further minimize harmonic variability, minimize rhythmic variability, introduce spatialization, or change timbral characteristics. Novelty introduced by instrument entrances was the strongest determinant of listening times, though harmonic variability and timbral features were also important. Subjective enjoyment was the best predictor of listening times, mediating the effects of the degree of perceived groove in a stimulus, the urge to move, interest in a stimulus, perceived complexity, and congruency with current mood. We conclude that naturalistic looping musical stimuli serve well to examine the diverse psychological and musical determinants of choice behavior underlying music consumption.
Predictors of weight gain in breast cancer survivors.

1543 Background: Obesity and weight gain are important risk factors in the development of breast cancer. Weight gain in breast cancer patients is associated with a decreased response to adjuvant ch...
Microbiology Alloplastic Total Joint Infections: A 20-Year Retrospective Study.

Purpose Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare complication of temporomandibular joint replacement (TJR). This study evaluated TJR PJIs at the authors' institution over a 20-year period, including micro-organisms cultured, antibiotic resistance patterns, and intraoperative protocols of TJR. Patients and Methods Patients were identified using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes and surgical logs from January 1995 through 2015. Inclusion criteria were adults older than 18 years with previous alloplastic TJR and the presence of infection of the prosthesis at explantation. Exclusion criteria were patients younger than 18 years and who received hemiarthroplasty. Primary outcomes included culture data and antibiotic selection for PJI. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative duration and in vivo duration. Results Eleven patients were identified and 15 joints were explanted. Average length in vivo was 232 months (standard deviation, 478.9 months). Six percent (n = 1) were identified as early PJI (0 to 3 months), 46% (n = 7) were intermediate PJI (3 months to 2 yr), and 33% (n = 5) were late PJI (>2 yr). One patient could not be classified as early, intermediate, or late. Staphylococcus aureus was present in 53% of patients and was the predominant organism isolated. Propionibacterium acnes was isolated in 33% of patients. Penicillin was the antibiotic with the greatest organism resistance (46%). Conclusion In the present study, the most commonly cultured organism was S aureus (53%), a finding consistent with current literature. The prevalence of P acnes colonization was noted in 33% of cases. Although the relevance of P acnes and its contribution to PJI requires further investigation, it is associated with PJI and biofilm formation. Based on this study, consideration could be given to the use of vancomycin and first-generation cephalosporins as perioperative antibiotic coverage.
New relation between entanglement and geometry from M(atrix) theory

In the context of Matrix/light-cone gauge M theory, we develop a new approach for computing quantum entanglement between a probe gravitating in the vicinity of a source mass and the source mass. We demonstrate that this entanglement is related to the gravitational potential energy between the two objects. We then show that the von Neumann entropy is a function of two derivatives of the gravitational potential. We conjecture a relation between the entropy and the local Riemann tensor sampled by the probe, establishing a general scheme to relate entropy to local geometric data. This relation connects the rate of change, rotation, and twist of a small volume element at the probe's location to the quantum entanglement of the probe with the source.
The Personal Assistance Dilemma for People with Disabilities Living in Rural Areas.

Persons with physical disabilities who live in rural areas and require personal assistance in order to function face almost overwhelming barriers to pursuing independent lives. From the time of ons...
The hidden costs of the opioid crisis and the implications for financial management in the public sector

The November 2017 release of the Council of Economic Advisers' White House report on the opioid crisis suggests that prior consideration of expenses severely underestimated the economic costs of the opioid crisis. When corrected for these losses, the annual cost from the opioid crisis leapt nearly 600%. The cost to the criminal justice system was estimated at $8 Billion of which $270 million is borne by crime laboratories. However, laboratory budgets have not grown at a rate capable of meeting this increased demand for forensic science services. The hidden costs of the opioid crisis borne by the forensic crime laboratories comes as funds are diverted in the laboratory to meet the increased demands for services in drug chemistry and toxicology. Dramatic increases in turnaround times across other areas of investigation continue to grow as the crisis accelerates.
The Costs of Autism

This chapter discusses the costs of autism at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. It is projected that the annual costs of autism in the United States will reach $461 billion by 2025. These costs are not unique to the United States. Autism is often regarded internationally as the most expensive disability. Some of the costs associated with caring for an individual with ASD include medical, support services, housing, transportation, and education. Low employment outcomes for individuals with ASD lead to absenteeism, turnover, job withdrawal, and lost productivity. In addition to the financial costs of autism, this chapter discusses psychological and emotional costs experienced by individuals and their families.
Progressive multiple sclerosis is associated with faster and specific retinal layer atrophy

OBJECTIVE Therapeutic development in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) has been hampered by a lack of reliable biomarkers to monitor neurodegeneration. Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived retinal measures have been proposed as promising biomarkers to fulfill this role. However, it is unclear whether retinal atrophy persists in PMS, exceeds normal aging, or can be distinguished from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). METHODS 178 RRMS, 186 PMS, and 66 control participants were followed with serial OCT for a median follow-up of 3.7 years. RESULTS The estimated proportion of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and macular ganglion cell + inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thinning in multiple sclerosis (MS) attributable to normal aging increased from 42.7% and 16.7% respectively at age 25 years, to 83.7% and 81.1% at age 65 years. However, independent of age, PMS was associated with faster pRNFL (-0.34 ± 0.09%/yr, p < 0.001) and GCIPL (-0.27 ± 0.07%/yr, p < 0.001) thinning, as compared to RRMS. In both MS and controls, higher baseline age was associated with faster inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thinning. INL and ONL thinning were independently faster in PMS, as compared to controls (INL:-0.09 ± 0.04%/yr, p = 0.03; ONL:-0.12 ± 0.06%/yr, p = 0.04), and RRMS (INL:-0.10 ± 0.04%/yr, p = 0.01; ONL:-0.13 ± 0.05%/yr, p = 0.01), whereas they were similar in RRMS and controls. Unlike RRMS, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) did not impact rates of retinal layer atrophy in PMS. INTERPRETATION PMS is associated with faster retinal atrophy independent of age. INL and ONL measures may be novel biomarkers of neurodegeneration in PMS that appear to be unaffected by conventional DMTs. The effects of aging on rates of retinal layer atrophy should be considered in clinical trials incorporating OCT outcomes. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:885-896.
Unparallel Pathways: Exploring How Divergent Academic Norms Contribute to the Transfer Shock of STEM Students

The overarching purpose of this study was to explore the post-transfer factors contributing to transfer shock. More specifically, this study sought to understand what academic normative differences...
The Impact Of Medicare On Access To And Affordability Of Health Care

Medicare pays for roughly one in four physician visits in the United States, yet a rigorous understanding of how Medicare currently affects access to and affordability of care for its enrollees is ...
Diabetes subgroups and risk for complications: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Abstract Aims To characterize diabetes subgroups among a multi-ethnic cohort and assess risk for incident complications. Methods We included 1587 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with diabetes. We characterized eight diabetes subgroups according to absolute thresholds for disease characteristics: age at diabetes diagnosis (≤45 years), fasting glucose (FG ≥7.7 mmol/L; ≥140 mg/dL), and waist circumference (women ≥105 cm; men ≥110 cm). We estimated risk for mortality, incident cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, dementia, and retinopathy, respectively, over 17 years after adjustment for demographics, behavioral, clinical risk factors, and cohort attrition. Results The subgroup with both high FG and early age at onset was associated with higher risk for death, CVD, heart failure, CKD, and retinopathy and the subgroup with both early age at onset and high waist circumference was associated CVD, heart failure, CKD, and retinopathy. The subgroup that met all three high-risk thresholds had greater risk for death, heart failure, CKD, and retinopathy. We did not observe evidence for synergistic or antagonistic joint effects of the high-risk characteristics for any outcome. Conclusions Our work supports differential risk for various diabetes complications among exclusive subgroups defined by age at diabetes onset, fasting glucose, and central adiposity.
Soft Control: A Novel Application of Internet of Things for Demand Side Management

Demand side management (DSM) is the modulation of consumers' energy demand to ameliorate the power network at the consumer side. In case of contingency which leads to frequency falling below a preset value, traditional methods like load shedding, which de-energize one or more feeders, are implemented to prevent sustained interruptions. This approach is neither efficient nor reliable because this may lead to loss of energy to critical infrastructure and loss of distributed energy sources (DERs) injection. Implementation of home automation and communication systems in distribution networks enables optimization of energy consumption during a power system contingency. Energy Controllers (EC) can achieve fine adjustment of consumers' power consumption which can be used to selectively de-energize certain consumers, instead of a whole region. In this paper, a real-time centralized under-voltage event-based DSM approach called Soft Control (SC) that modulates energy consumption of each consumers' load utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) is presented. This DSM technique can be utilized for both active and passive distribution networks and is formulated as a utilization maximization problem. The performance of the proposed DSM approach is evaluated using the IEEE 16 bus system. The ease of implementation and computational efficiency highlight potential aspects for practical implementation.
Administration of Supplemental Oxygen

Administration of Supplemental Oxygen Supplemental oxygen is commonly used and is fundamental to the treatment of hypoxemia. This video focuses on the administration of supplemental oxygen in adult...
The Trinity as social and constitutional: a rejoinder to Brian Leftow

Brian Leftow continues to argue against my use of the constitution relation in explaining the Trinity. I consider his arguments, and have a bit more to say about Leftow's own formulation of trinitarian doctrine.
Pre- and post-harvest γ-aminobutyric acid application in relation to fruit quality and physiological disorder development in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples

ABSTRACT γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) can accumulate in apple fruit in response to stress, but little is known about the responses of fruit to GABA treatments. The hypothesis that GABA would inhibit physiological disorder development in ‘Honeycrisp’ apples has been tested in a three-year study. In 2015, ‘Honeycrisp’ apple trees were sprayed with 40 mM GABA 2 and 4 weeks before harvest, and harvested fruit stored at 0.5 °C, a chilling injury-inducing temperature, or 3 °C, for 4 months. In 2016, the same GABA concentration was sprayed on trees at 1 and 2 weeks before harvest and fruit stored at 0.5 °C for 5 months. In the 2017 season, trees were sprayed with 40 mM GABA and 0.12% CaCl2, either alone or in combination, at 1, 2, and 3 weeks before harvest. Postharvest treatments were also applied by dipping fruit in 100 mM GABA and/or 2% CaCl2 at harvest. Fruit were stored in air at 3 °C after 1 week of conditioning at 10 °C, or at 0.5 °C continuously for 5 months. In the first two years, GABA field treatments had little effect on harvest indices, but inhibited soft scald development depending on spray timing. In year 3, GABA provided no benefit, either alone or in combination with CaCl2. Bitter pit incidence was increased by the GABA/CaCl2 combination in fruit from one orchard block, but at times decreased in fruit from a second orchard block. Treatment of fruit by dipping with GABA after harvest decreased soft scald, bitter pit or senescent breakdown incidence in one orchard block, and in combination with CaCl2 inhibited bitter pit to the same extent as CaCl2 alone. Further research is warranted to better understand the effects of GABA on apple fruit metabolism.
Aging in place within permanent supportive housing.

Objectives This study examined whether and how permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs are able to support aging in place among tenants with serious mental illness. Design Investigators used a mixed-method approach known as a convergent parallel design in which quantitative and qualitative data are analyzed separately and findings are merged during interpretation. Quantitative analysis compared 1-year pre-residential and post-residential outcomes for PSH program enrollees, comparing adults aged 35–49 years (n = 3990) with those aged 50 years or older (n = 3086). Case study analysis using qualitative interviews with staff of a PSH program that exclusively served older adults identified challenges to providing support services. Results Substantial declines in days spent homeless and in justice system settings were found, along with increases in days living independently in apartments and in congregate settings. Homelessness and justice system involvement declined less for older adults than younger adults. Qualitative themes related to working with older adults included increased attention to medical vulnerability, residual effects of institutional care, and perceived preference for congregate living. Conclusions PSH is an effective way to end homelessness, yet little is known about how programs can support housing stability among aging populations. Additional support and training for PSH staff will better promote successful aging in place. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.