cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-section potential analysis of CdTe/CdS solar cells by kelvin probe force microscopy

The spatial distribution of the electric potential in working polycrystalline CdTe/CdS thin film solar cell cross-sections is analyzed by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Measurements are carried out in air ambient, in tapping mode, with morphological and surface electric potential resolution of 50 nm. The paper describes the method of sample preparation, theory and application of the KPFM measurement, and analysis of CdTe/CdS thin film devices at different illumination bias. The voltage difference measured by KPFM across the junction agrees with the external VOC measured under identical illumination conditions. The gradient of potential is found to develop within the CdTe layer (at the CdTe/CdS interface) and extends halfway through the CdTe and is consistent with independent measurements of the depletion width. Variations in the spatial distribution of the electric potential along the junction occur at dimensions consistent with CdTe grain size, suggesting different electrical properties. Additionally, the presence of a weak back contact barrier is also observed. Maximum contrast in electric potential is found by measuring immediately after mechanical polishing with an aqueous suspension of 0.02 μm alumina. The paper discusses interpretation of results with respect to variations in electron work function, conductivity and the influence of surface states. Since the method does not require complete contacts, the electrical operation of CdTe/CdS cells at different stages of completion can be analyzed.
Seed Iron in Diverse Soybean Genotypes

ABSTRACT Iron (Fe) in the embryo fraction of soybean (Glycine max L.) seed is important for seedling growth. Seed Fe accumulation in 27 soybean genotypes differing in seed size was studied at two field locations. Mean seed weight was 148 mg seed−1 with mean individual genotypic values ranging from 68 to 217 mg seed−1. Percentage of total seed dry matter in the seed-coat fraction, which was inversely correlated with individual seed weight, was 8.2%, with mean individual genotypic values ranging from 7.0% to 12.4%. Mean seed-Fe concentration [Fe] was 65 μg Fe g−1, with individual genotypic values ranging from 48 to 81 μg Fe g−1. Seed Fe relative to dry-matter distribution was much more concentrated in seed coats than in embryos of all genotypes. Mean percentage of total seed Fe located in the seed-coat fraction was 29%, with mean genotypic values ranging from 23% to 38%. Neither seed-Fe characteristic was correlated with individual seed weight. Seed [Fe] was not correlated with seed-manganese (Mn) concentra...
A simulation methodology for evaluating parallel computers

In this paper we present a simulation methodology for evaluating and understanding parallel computer architectures. The simulation tool that we have developed can generalize the effect of architectural features while maintaining the complex interactions of architecture and algorithm typical of a real computer system. We will show that our simulator is an accurate tool for predicting the performance of real world computers. Our approach is unique in that not only can the costs of various architectural features be modified, but aspects of the program running on the simulated architecture can be modified by the simulator as well. Issues such as task granularity, communication requirements, global versus local memory usage, floating point usage, etc. can be generalized.
Acute respiratory distress following liposuction.

ABSTRACT An active duty male presented to the emergency room with dyspnea for 2 days after undergoing liposuction surgery. Upon presentation, the patient was afebrile, tachycardic, tachypneic, and hypoxemic. The initial chest radiograph demonstrated bilateral patchy opacities and the PaO2/FiO2 ratio was <200. The patient was admitted to the medical intensive care unit for supportive care. He was treated empirically for pneumonia. Blood and sputum cultures were negative. A computed tomography angiogram of the chest was negative for pulmonary embolism but did reveal a bilateral, perihilar air space process. The patient's oxygen requirement improved and the abnormal chest radiographic findings resolved over the next 48 hours. Given his clinical presentation, negative workup, and rapid recovery, the patient was given a presumptive diagnosis of pulmonary fat embolism. Fat embolism occurs when adipocytes and small blood vessels are damaged during the liposuction procedure. Patients may present with low-grade fe...
Cumulating the science of HCI: from s-R compatibility to transcription typing

In keeping with our claim that an applied psychology of HCI must be based on cumulative work within a unified framework, we present two extensions of the Model Human Processor. A model of immediate response behavior and stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility is presented and extended to a new domain: transcription typing. Parameters are estimated using one S-R compatibility experiment, used to make a priori predictions in four other S-R compatibility tasks, and then carried over into the area of typing. A model of expert transcription typing is described and its prediction of typing phenomena is demonstrated and summarized.
Evolutionary Epistemology and Pragmatism

It does not seem inappropriate to apply Darwin’s concept of natural selection to our beliefs. Yet it would be wrong to infer that all those beliefs which have promoted habits of action congenial to survival are for that reason to be regarded as true. The “happy” stress-reducing lie is sometimes preferable to truth. Survival results from many natural adaptations; the bird that runs and kicks cannot fly. Natural selection allows our biologically evolved brains to be associated with thinking that is sometimes less than rational.
Crystallization of Membrane Proteins by Vapor Diffusion

X-ray crystallography remains the most robust method to determine protein structure at the atomic level. However, the bottlenecks of protein expression and purification often discourage further study. In this chapter, we address the most common problems encountered at these stages. Based on our experiences in expressing and purifying antimicrobial efflux proteins, we explain how a pure and homogenous protein sample can be successfully crystallized by the vapor diffusion method. We present our current protocols and methodologies for this technique. Case studies show step-by-step how we have overcome problems related to expression and diffraction, eventually producing high-quality membrane protein crystals for structural determinations. It is our hope that a rational approach can be made of the often anecdotal process of membrane protein crystallization.
Biophysical characterization of small molecule antiviral-loaded nanolipogels for HIV-1 chemoprophylaxis and topical mucosal application

Nanocarriers are versatile vehicles for drug delivery, and emerging as platforms to formulate and deliver multiple classes of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in a single system. Here we describe the fabrication of hydrogel-core and lipid-shell nanoparticles (nanolipogels) for the controlled loading and topical, vaginal delivery of maraviroc (MVC) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), two ARV drugs with different mechanisms of action that are used in the treatment of HIV. The nanolipogel platform was used to successfully formulate MVC and TDF, which produced ARV drug-loaded nanolipogels that were characterized for their physical properties and antiviral activity against HIV-1 BaL in cell culture. We also show that administration of these drug carriers topically to the vaginal mucosa in a murine model leads to antiviral activity against HIV-1 BaL in cervicovaginal lavages. Our results suggest that nanolipogel carriers are promising for the encapsulation and delivery of hydrophilic small molecule ARV drugs, and may expand the nanocarrier systems being investigated for HIV prevention or treatment.
Further studies on the mode of transmission of herpes-like virus in guinea pigs.

SummaryHartley guinea pigs can be infected with HLV by various routes of inoculation. These animals were found to be uniformly susceptible to intranasal inoculation of 3.0 log TCID50 of virus. Infection could also be achieved by oral inoculation. Four out of 7 animals inoculated orally had virus in their blood. Contact infection was achieved in 2 out of 7 animals that were housed with or adjacent to infected ones. Incidence of virus infection in newborns from both intraperitoneally inoculated or naturally infected parents was low, but the frequency increased to 59% or higher when the offspring were 6 months of age or older. No virus was isolated from the offspring of intracerebrally inoculated guinea pigs.
Insecticidal and Residual Properties of EC and Encapsulated Formulations of Methyl Parathion Sprayed on Alfalfa

Encapsulated (Pencap M(R)) and standard BC formulations of methyl parathion gave excellent, and equal control of alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), larvae when applied as foliage sprays. There were no differences in levels of insecticide deposits or in dissipation rates of methyl parathion from alfalfa treated with these two formulations.
ONYX-015 selectivity and the p14ARF pathway.

ONYX-015, dl1520, is an adenovirus that lacks the E1B 55K gene and therefore lacks the capacity to neutralize p53 during infection. This virus induces high levels of p53 and fails to grow efficiently in primary epithelial cells. However, it does replicate in many tumor cells, including those expressing wild-type p53. In these cells, ONYX-015 fails to induce active p53. This is because the pathway from E1a to p53 is disrupted through loss of p14ARF. We propose that high levels of Mdm2 activity resulting from loss of p14ARF, and high levels of Mdm2 protein resulting from activated Ras prevent accumulation of functional p53 during infection of tumor cells that retain wild-type p53.
Optimization of Two-Stage Pressure/Vacuum Swing Adsorption with Variable Dehydration Level for Postcombustion Carbon Capture

To investigate postcombustion capture of CO2 in the presence of water, we developed a pressure/vacuum swing adsorption (P/VSA) cycle model consisting of a system of partial differential algebraic equations incorporating mass and energy balances, the Ergun equation for pressure changes, competitive Langmuir isotherms, and the linear driving force model. Four potential adsorbents, zeolites 13X and 5A and the MOFs HKUST-1 and Ni-MOF-74, are investigated, evaluated, and compared. Using this simulation, a two-stage Skarstrom cycle, coupled with an upstream dehydration unit and a downstream compression unit, is optimized using a nondominant sorting genetic algorithm, NSGA-II, to minimize the overall cost of capturing 90% of CO2 from flue gas at a purity of 90% and compressing it for pipeline transportation at 110 bar. The results show that under dry flue gas conditions, zeolite 13X is the best performing adsorbent with an overall cost of $32.1/ton of CO2. Under humid flue gas conditions, zeolites 13X and 5A per...
Toward a General Model for the Evolutionary Dynamics of Gene Duplicates

Gene duplication is an important process in the functional divergence of genes and genomes. Several processes have been described that lead to duplicate gene retention over different timescales after both smaller-scale events and whole-genome duplication, including neofunctionalization, subfunctionalization, and dosage balance. Two common modes of duplicate gene loss include nonfunctionalization and loss due to population dynamics (failed fixation). Previous work has characterized expectations of duplicate gene retention under the neofunctionalization and subfunctionalization models. Here, that work is extended to dosage balance using simulations. A general model for duplicate gene loss/retention is then presented that is capable of fitting expectations under the different models, is defined at t = 0, and decays to an orthologous asymptotic rate rather than zero, based upon a modified Weibull hazard function. The model in a maximum likelihood framework shows the property of identifiability, recovering the evolutionary mechanism and parameters of simulation. This model is also capable of recovering the evolutionary mechanism of simulation from data generated using an unrelated network population genetic model. Lastly, the general model is applied as part of a mixture model to recent gene duplicates from the Oikopleura dioica genome, suggesting that neofunctionalization may be an important process leading to duplicate gene retention in that organism.
Fabrication of nanocapsule carriers from multilayer-coated vaterite calcium carbonate nanoparticles.

Nanosized luminescent sensors were prepared as reagents for optical sensing and imaging of oxygen using ratiometric emission properties of a two-dye system. Polymeric capsules were fabricated utilizing poly(vinylsulfonic acid) (PVSA)-stabilized vaterite CaCO3 nanoparticles (CCNPs) as sacrificial templates. The buffer and polymeric surfactant requirements of the layer-by-layer (LbL) process were evaluated toward deposition of multilayer coatings and, ultimately, formation of hollow capsules using these interesting materials. CCNPs were found to be more stable in alkaline NaHCO3 buffer after repeated cycles of washing under sonication and resuspension. An intermediate PVSA concentration was required to maximize the loading of oxygen-sensitive porphyrin and oxygen-insensitive fluorescent nanoparticles in the CCNPs while maintaining minimal nanoparticle size. The CCNPs were then coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers and subsequent removal of the CaCO3 core yielded nanocapsules containing dye and fluorescent...
Land-Use Planning to Minimize Dangers to Citizens and Ecosystems

There are hazard events that are caused by people and have an impact on them and their environment, impacts that can be intensified as direct results of human decisions or industrial/manufacturing activities. Many are related to shortcomings in land-use planning likely because the planners were not looking to future changes that could develop from the existing and progressing effects of global warming/climate change. In addition, there can be a lack of foresight on how global warming/climate change will affect growing populations and the need to sustain them at the least with food, water, and shelter. This unconscionable. Of great importance for growing populations is where to encourage or discourage human settlement. Such decisions should consider where to locate industrial facilities so that people and ecosystems would not be affected by their operations with respect to the wastes (emissions, effluents, solids) they would generate and how they would be dealt with as to capture and disposal. Such operations include electricity and heating generating facilities including nuclear facilities, chemical and pharmaceutical plants, mining and ore smelting projects, and agricultural projects including commercial food animal production sites and slaughtered food animal processing plants. The question of how to limit or stop the pollution these and other sources generate, either immediately or over time, was not foremost in the decisions made by early planners.
Experimental and Theoretical Analyses of Explosively-Formed Fuse (EFF) Opening Switches

The EFF is used at Los Alamos as the primary opening switch for high current applications. It has interrupted currents from ~10 kA to 25 MA, thus diverting the current into low inductance loads. To understand and optimize the performance of full-scale experiments, many parameters were studied in a series of small-scale experiments, including: electrical conduction through the explosive products; current density; explosive initiation; insulator type; conductor thickness; conductor metal; metal temper; and on. The results show a marked inverse correlation of peak EFF resistance with current density. In this paper we postulate and refute a simple extrusion mechanism of EFF operation; demonstrate that the EFF switch has a near-ideal profile for producing flat-topped voltage profiles; and explore possible mechanisms for the degradation of small scale switch performance.
Deciphering Multiplicity of HIV-1C Infection: Transmission of Closely Related Multiple Viral Lineages.

CITATION: Novitsky, V., et al. 2016. Deciphering multiplicity of HIV-1C infection : transmission of closely related multiple viral lineages. PLoS ONE, 11(11):e0166746, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166746.
A Hiberno-Norse Etymology for English Fetch: “Apparition of a Living Person”

In an entry first published in 1895 and not fully updated since then, the Oxford English Dictionary defines the noun fetch as “the apparition, double, or wraith of a living person.”1 The term is fi...
Preclinical and Clinical Development of Exatecan (DX-951f)

The principal rationale for synthesizing exatecan (DX-8951f, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Japan) was to exploit physicochemical features of the camptothecins (CPTs) anticipated to yield an increased therapeutic advantage compared with currently available CPT analogs such as topotecan and irinotecan. The overall therapeutic profile sought in these efforts was greater and broader antitumor activity, decreased toxicity, and intrinsic activity without requiring metabolic activation, which may accentuate the fundamentally large interindividual variability in the pharmacologic behavior of the CPT analogs and consequently in their antitumor and toxicologic profiles. Exatecan has completed Phase I clinical development on a broad range of schedules and is currently undergoing more focused disease-directed Phase II and Phase III evaluations. Additionally, DE-310, a unique polymer prodrug of exatecan, which was developed to achieve protracted systemic exposure to the active drug after a single dose, is also undergoing early clinical development.
Expected Winners and Losers: Economic Effects and Public Opinion Survey Responses

In this chapter, we introduce the Specific Factors model to provide theoretical intuition for the analysis that follows in later chapters while also contextualizing the information provided in our first two chapters. Moreover, by focusing our attention on the anticipated welfare effects, our presentation of the model and related theoretical framework allows us to better discern the expected preferences of survey respondents as they relate to economic phenomena.
Trends in Regionalization of Care for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Author(s): Hsia, Renee Y.; Sabbagh, Sarah; Sarkar, Nandita; Sporer, Karl; Rokos, Ivan C.; Brown, John F.; Brindis, Ralph G.; Guo, Joanna; Shen, Yu-Chu | Abstract: Introduction: California has led successful regionalized efforts for several time-critical medicalconditions, including ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but no specific mandatedprotocols exist to define regionalization of care. We aimed to study the trends in regionalizationof care for STEMI patients in the state of California and to examine the differences in patientdemographic, hospital, and county trends.Methods: Using survey responses collected from all California emergency medical services (EMS)agencies, we developed four categories – no, partial, substantial, and complete regionalization– to capture prehospital and inter-hospital components of regionalization in each EMS agency’sjurisdiction between 2005-2014. We linked the survey responses to 2006 California non-publichospital discharge data to study the patient distribution at baseline.Results: STEMI regionalization-of-care networks steadily developed across California. Only 14%of counties were regionalized in 2006, accounting for 42% of California’s STEMI patient population,but over half of these counties, representing 86% of California’s STEMI patient population, reachedcomplete regionalization in 2014. We did not find any dramatic differences in underlying patientcharacteristics based on regionalization status; however, differences in hospital characteristics wererelatively substantial.Conclusion: Potential barriers to achieving regionalization included competition, hospital ownership,population density, and financial challenges. Minimal differences in patient characteristics canestablish that patient differences unlikely played any role in influencing earlier or later regionalizationand can provide a framework for future analyses evaluating the impact of regionalization on patientoutcomes.
Management of Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections Before and After Clinical Pathway Implementation:

We evaluated if the introduction of a clinical pathway for skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) would reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-directed therapy for simple cellulitis and antibiotic use for simple abscess after drainage. We compared the treatment of SSTI during a 3-month prepathway and 11-month postpathway period. We included patients 57 days to 18 years old discharged from the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of cellulitis or abscess. Balancing measures included 72-hour revisit rate and ED length of stay (LOS). A total of 291 patients prepathway and 781 patients postpathway were included. The proportion of patients with simple cellulitis prescribed MRSA-directed therapy decreased from 81% to 54% postpathway. The proportion of patients with a drained abscess prescribed systemic antibiotics decreased from 88% to 75%. There was no increase in 72-hour revisit rates (3.8% vs 3.2%, P = .64) or ED LOS (2.8 vs 2.7 hours, P = .05).
A Descriptive Study of Pica Behavior in Persons with Mental Retardation

Individual variables of 45 persons residing in an institutional setting who displayed pica behavior were studied. Included in the analysis were the demographics of the sample, the types of materials being ingested, the sample's psychiatric diagnoses, and social skills deficits in persons with pica. Pica was prevalent in all age ranges of lower functioning clients with mental retardation. Furthermore, subjects in the study engaged in pica for predominantly nonsocial reasons (automatic reinforcement). Persons who displayed the mental disorders of pica, autism, and stereotypic movement disorder were more likely to exhibit pica. Implications of these results are discussed.
Stabilizing Transthyretin to Treat ATTR Cardiomyopathy

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy is caused by intramyocardial deposition of transthyretin-derived amyloid fibrils, which leads to progressive ventricular wall thickening and stiffness of the heart. Once diagnosed, it is associated with a life expectancy of only 2 to 6 years. Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy can be an inherited trait, caused by pathogenic mutations in the transthyretin gene TTR (ATTRm), or it can be acquired through the aggregation of wild-type transthyretin protein (ATTRwt). The condition is typically manifested as failure of the right side of the heart, cardiac conduction blocks, or supraventricular arrhythmias.1 Although ATTRwt mainly affects the hearts of patients 60 years . . .
Spike Time Synchrony in the Absence of Continuous Oscillations.

Eliav et al., (2018) recently reported hippocampal-entorhinal spiking in bats occurring preferentially at specific phases of nonrhythmic extracellular voltage fluctuations. This disentanglement of phase coding from continuous oscillations raises new questions about the importance of rhythms for neuronal coordination.
An Antenna for a Mast-Mounted Low Probability of Intercept Continuous Wave Radar: Improving Performance With Digital Architecture

Continuous wave (CW) low probability of intercept (LPI) radars transmit and receive simultaneously, generally using phased-coded waveforms. This article describes a bistatic radar that uses an omnidirectional transmitting antenna and a receiving array with digitally formed simultaneous overlapping beams for search and track. In addition to coherent leakage cancellation to suppress the transmitter leakage at the receiver, a phase-coding technique is used, allowing the antennas to be closely spaced on a common mast. Both of these capabilities are made possible by the digital architecture of the receiving array.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and infertility treatment: a population-based survey among United States women

To explore associations between infertility treatment and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We collated multi-year as well as multi-state data from a national representative survey examining the association between self-reported infertility treatment (i.e., medication, intrauterine insemination, or assisted reproductive technology) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (i.e., high blood pressure, pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), preeclampsia, and toxemia). Data were analyzed using logistic regression. A total of 21,884 women in the United States (U.S.), from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey (2009–2015), participated in the study. In our analysis, 12.91% women reported a history of infertility treatment and 15.19% reported a history of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Compared with women who had never had infertility treatment, women who reported infertility treatment had 1.18 (adjusted OR, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05, 1.33) higher odds of reporting hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Neither types of infertility treatment nor proximity of treatment to pregnancy were independently associated with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Our results suggest that among U.S. women, the treatment of infertility may be associated with hypertension disorder of pregnancy regardless of type of treatment.
Do you need a roadmap or can someone give you directions: When school-focused possible identities change so do academic trajectories

Abstract Introduction Despite the assumed importance of school-focused possible identities for academic motivation and outcomes, interventions rarely assess the effect of intervention on possible identities. This may be due to difficulty coding open-ended text at scale but leaves open a number of questions: 1) how do school-focused possible identities change over the course of the school year, 2) whether these changes are associated with changes in school outcomes, and 3) whether a machine coding approach is viable. Methods In Study 1 (n = 247 Chicago 8th-graders) we assess fall-to-spring change in school-focused possible identities. We test whether change in school-focused possible identities predicts 8th-grade academic outcomes. We include robustness checks. Then we examine school context effects. In Study 2 (n = 1006 Chicago 8th-graders) we address the problem of coding at scale, using a separate data set to train a machine-learning algorithm. Results On average, school-focused possible identities decline over the school year. But nearly a third of students have increasing school-focused possible identity scores. Increase is associated with improved grades. School context influences whether linked strategies matter. Our machine-learning algorithm accurately classifies school-focused possible identities in our original sample and this school-focused classification reliably predicts academic trajectories. Conclusions Change in school-focused possible identities is normative over the course of the school year, interventions should take this into account. On average, students have fewer school-focused possible identities by spring. This decline is associated with declining academic trajectories. However, when school-focused possible identities increase, so do grades. Whether strategies matter is context dependent.
SN2 and E2 Branching of Main-Group-Metal Alkyl Intermediates in Alkane CH Oxidation: Mechanistic Investigation Using Isotopically Labeled Main-Group-Metal Alkyls

The main-group-metal alkyl compounds trialkyltin and dialkylthallium have been utilized to investigate the mechanism of functionalization of monoalkyl thallium and lead species, proposed to be puta...
Évolution des supply chains européennes Une Enquête du cabinet Mercer Management Consulting

Resultats et analyse d’une enquete menee par Mercer Management Consulting aupres d’entreprises europeennes. Leviers de performances privilegies : la coordination entre les differentes fonctions, l’amelioration des competences, l’implication de la direction generale.
Living in the midst of fear: Depressive symptomatology among US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background The current study examines interrelationships between social vulnerability, individual stressors, social and psychological resources, and depressive symptomatology among US adults during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods Using an online survey platform, a poststratified (by age, gender, race, income, and geography), representative sample (n = 10,368 adults) is used in the analysis. Results On average, sample respondents report Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale symptomatology nearly a point higher than the often used cutoff score for clinical caseness (16+); one-third of respondents had CES-D scores higher than 25. Multiple regression results show elevated levels of depressive symptomatology among the socially vulnerable (women, Hispanic, unmarried, not working). Those persons expressing heightened COVID-19 fear and moderate to high levels of food insecurity report more depressive symptoms than persons with less fear and low or no food insecurity. All three of the resource variables (mastery of fate, strength of ties, and optimism) are significant and in the negative direction. Conclusions In a snapshot, the data provide an important point prevalence assessment of adult depressive symptoms during the current public health crisis. Results highlight the significance of vulnerability and individual stressors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the analysis affirms the importance of access to social and psychological resources to combat heightened fear and anxiety that persons report during the current pandemic.
Next-Generation Networking and Edge Computing for Mixed Reality Real-Time Interactive Systems.

With the proliferation of head-mounted displays, cloud computing platforms, and machine learning algorithms, the next-generation of AR/VR applications require research in several directions - more capable hardware, more proficient software and algorithms, and novel network protocols. While the first two problems have received considerable attention, the networking component is the least explored of these three. This paper discusses the networking challenges encountered by the AR/VR community that experiments with novel hardware, software, and computing platforms in a real-world environment. In this collaborative work, we discuss the current networking challenges both quantitatively (by analyzing AR/VR network interactions of head-mounted displays) and quantitatively (by distributing a targeted community survey among AR/VR researchers). We show that the cloud-provided network services are not ideal for the next-generation AR/VR applications. We then present a Named Data Networking (NDN) based framework that can address these challenges by offering a hybrid edge-cloud model for the execution of AR/VR computational tasks.
Patient satisfaction of hand therapy services.

Abstract Study Design This study utilized a cross sectional cohort design that employed survey techniques for data collection. Introduction Patient satisfaction is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare field; however, it is typically evaluated with the use a single question. Patient satisfaction encompasses numerous aspects that should be considered upon evaluation. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to determine if the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18) is an appropriate outcome measure to determine patient satisfaction for people receiving hand therapy services and to determine mean satisfaction scores of participants. Methods Participants (n = 123) who received hand therapy services from an outpatient hand therapy center and a healthcare institute were obtained via a convenience sample. The PSQ-18, adapted for hand therapy, was used to assess patient satisfaction. Results The mean satisfaction score was 1.81 (SD = 1.26). The following patient satisfaction subscales were also evaluated: general satisfaction, communication, technical quality, interpersonal manner, time spent with therapists, accessibility and convenience, and financial aspects. Discussion Eighty percent of participants were satisfied with the therapy services they received. Patient satisfaction is complex, involving a multitude of components and thus must be evaluated in a manner that considers its multidimensional aspects. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that the PSQ-18 adapted for hand therapy is an appropriate outcome measure to determine patient satisfaction for people receiving hand therapy as it evaluates multiple subscales of the phenomena.
Zyflamend, a unique herbal blend, induces cell death and inhibits adipogenesis through the coordinated regulation of PKA and JNK.

The prevalence of obesity and its comorbidities has sparked a worldwide concern to address rates of adipose tissue accrual. Recent studies have demonstrated a novel role of Zyflamend, a blend of na...
Inducible nitric oxide synthase is required for epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis in mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates a variety of epidermal functions, including epidermal proliferation, differentiation and cutaneous wound healing. However, whether nitric oxide (NO) and its synthetic enzymes regulate epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis is not clear. In the present study, we employed inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) KO mice to explore the role of iNOS in epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis. Our results showed that iNOS mice displayed a comparable levels of basal transepidermal water loss rates, stratum corneum hydration and skin surface pH to their wild-type mice, but epidermal permeability barrier recovery was significantly delayed both 2 and 4 hours after acute barrier disruption by tape stripping. In parallel, expression levels of mRNA for epidermal differentiation-related proteins and lipid synthetic enzymes were lower in iNOS KO mice versus wild-type controls. Topical applications of two structurally unrelated NO donors to iNOS KO mice improved permeability barrier recovery kinetics and upregulated expression levels of mRNA for epidermal differentiation-related proteins and lipid synthetic enzymes. Together, these results indicate that iNOS and its product regulate epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis in mice.
Syncope and presyncope in patients with COVID-19.

Introduction Recent studies have described several cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 including myocardial ischemia, myocarditis, thromboembolism, and malignant arrhythmias. However, to our knowledge, syncope in COVID-19 patients has not been systematically evaluated. We sought to characterize syncope and/or presyncope in COVID-19. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with either syncope or presyncope. This "study" group (n = 37) was compared with an age and gender-matched cohort of patients without syncope ("control") (n = 40). Syncope was attributed to various categories. We compared telemetry data, treatments received, and clinical outcomes between the two groups. Results Among 1000 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Mount Sinai Hospital, the incidence of syncope/presyncope was 3.7%. The median age of the entire cohort was 69 years (range 26-89+ years) and 55% were men. Major comorbidities included hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Syncopal episodes were categorized as (a) unspecified in 59.4% patients, (b) neurocardiogenic in 15.6% patients, (c) hypotensive in 12.5% patients, and (d) cardiopulmonary in 3.1% patients with fall versus syncope and seizure versus syncope in 2 of 32 (6.3%) and 1 of 33 (3.1%) patients, respectively. Compared with the "control" group, there were no significant differences in both admission and peak blood levels of d-dimer, troponin-I, and CRP in the "study" group. Additionally, there were no differences in arrhythmias or death between both groups. Conclusions Syncope/presyncope in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is uncommon and is infrequently associated with a cardiac etiology or associated with adverse outcomes compared to those who do not present with these symptoms.
Examination of Metoprolol Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Across CYP2D6 Genotype-Derived Activity Scores.

Recent CYP2D6 phenotype standardization efforts by CYP2D6 activity score (AS) are based on limited pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data. Using data from two independent clinical trials of metoprolol, we compared metoprolol PK and PD across CYP2D6 AS with the goal of determining whether the PK and PD data support the new phenotype classification. S-metoprolol apparent oral clearance (CLo), adjusted for clinical factors, was correlated with CYP2D6 AS (P < 0.001). The natural log of CLo was lower with an AS of 1 (7.6 ± 0.4 mL/minute) vs. 2-2.25 (8.3 ± 0.6 mL/minute; P = 0.012), similar between an AS of 1 and 1.25-1.5 (7.8 ± 0.5 mL/minute; P = 0.702), and lower with an AS of 1.25-1.5 vs. 2-2.25 (P = 0.03). There was also a greater reduction in heart rate with metoprolol among study participants with AS of 1 (-10.8 ± 5.5) vs. 2-2.25 (-7.1 ± 5.6; P < 0.001) and no significant difference between those with an AS of 1 and 1.25-1.5 (-9.2 ± 4.7; P = 0.095). These data highlight linear trends among CYP2D6 AS and metoprolol PK and PD, but inconsistencies with the phenotypes assigned by AS based on the current standards. Overall, this case study with metoprolol suggests that utilizing CYP2D6 AS, instead of collapsing AS into phenotype categories, may be the most precise approach for utilizing CYP2D6 pharmacogenomics in clinical practice.
Ambulatory capacity following fusion to the sacrum with pelvic fixations pediatric spinal deformity patients

To investigate outcomes of ambulatory pediatric patients fused to the sacrum with pelvic fixation. Retrospective cohort. Historically in the pediatric spinal deformity literature, long fusions to the sacrum with pelvic fixation have been limited to non-ambulatory patients with pelvic obliquity. This analysis assesses the impact of how long fusions that include pelvic fixation in ambulatory pediatric patients. Consecutive pediatric patients undergoing fusion to the sacrum with pelvic fixation with any ambulatory capacity at a tertiary academic pediatric spine program from 2016 to 2018 were included in this review. Patient demographics, surgical details, and postoperative results were collected and analyzed to identify the impact on postoperative gait and ambulation function. Outcomes were determined from PROMIS, Parent Proxy Mobility questionnaires, as well as an institution specific pediatric gait questionnaire. 25 patients met inclusion criteria. 96.0% of patients had non-idiopathic scoliosis. 48% (12/25) of patients had previous spinal surgery. Median fusion levels were 17.0. 40% (10/25) had preoperative motor and gait deficits and only one patient with a documented decline at postoperative clinical examination. All 25 patients retained ambulatory capacity following their spinal fusion to the sacrum with pelvic fixation. 64% (16/25) of patients or family members completed the postoperative gait questionnaire. The mean PROMIS T-score was 43.4 (95% CI 36.5–50.0) for intact patients. The postoperative gait questionnaires revealed that 75% (6/8) of neurologically intact patients stated they would have the surgery again. 100% (8/8) of these patients noted an improved posture and 25% (2/8) reported a subjective decrease in ambulatory capacity status/post fusion to the sacrum. 100.0% (8/8) of limited ambulatory patients stated they would have the surgery again and noted improved posture with only 25% (2/8) noting a subjective decrease in ambulation postoperatively. In appropriately selected pediatric spinal deformity patients fusion to the sacrum using pelvic fixation can maintain ambulation with high overall surgical satisfaction. III.
From bad to worse II: Risk amplification of the HPV vaccine on Facebook

BACKGROUND The HPV vaccine is seen by many audiences as a health risk, but this perspective has seen little analysis. This study is the continuation of an analysis of the first decade of public, HPV-vaccine related Facebook posts. For this study, social amplification of risk framework concepts were analyzed to measure their relationships with post characteristics, engagement, and to see how those variables changed over time. METHODS There were 6,506 public HPV vaccine-related Facebook posts (n = 6,506) within the first ten years after HPV vaccine's FDA approval (June 8, 2006 - June 8, 2016). Post characteristics, engagement, and social amplification of risk framework messages were coded (Krippendorf's alpha range: 0.67-1.00). RESULTS HPV vaccine risk amplification messages appeared in 39.5% of posts (n = 2,568), attenuated in 2.9% of post (n = 186), with the remaining 57.7% (n = 3,752) doing neither. Compared to groups, individuals were overrepresented in authoring HPV vaccine risk amplifying messages. Hyperlinks and negative tone towards the HPV vaccine. HPV vaccine risk amplifying messages also received significantly greater reaction (r = 0.050, p < 0.0001), comment (r = 0.030, p < 0.0001), and share counts (r = 0.028, p < 0.0001). The data showed evidence of forward momentum (Durbin-Watson values) of HPV vaccine risk amplification (0.006), related ripples (0.530), and impacts (1.376). CONCLUSION Nearly four out of every ten Facebook posts about the HPV vaccine contained messages that amplified the risk of HPV vaccine and the data suggest that these posts had momentum over time. Research must continue to address the perception of vaccine safety where the vaccine is perceived as the health threat, with deep research into online communities to discover the perceived ripples and impacts.
Elderly Parent Health and the Migration Decisions of Adult Children: Evidence From Rural China

Recent research has shown that participation in migrant labor markets has led to substantial increases in income for families in rural China. This article addresses the question of how participation is affected by elderly parent health. We find that younger adults are less likely to work as migrants when a parent is ill. Poor health of an elderly parent has less impact on the probability of employment as a migrant when an adult child has siblings who may be available to provide care. We also highlight the potential importance of including information on nonresident family members when studying how parent illness and elder care requirements influence the labor supply decisions of adult children.
Propensity-Independent Bias Recovery in Offline Learning-to-Rank Systems

Learning-to-rank systems often utilize user-item interaction data (e.g., clicks) to provide users with high-quality rankings. However, this data suffers from several biases, and if naively used as training data, it can lead to suboptimal ranking algorithms. Most existing bias-correcting methods focus on position bias, the fact that higher-ranked results are more likely to receive interaction, and address this bias by leveraging inverse propensity weighting. However, it is not always possible to accurately estimate propensity scores, and in addition to position bias, selection bias is often encountered in real-world recommender systems. Selection bias occurs because users are exposed to a truncated list of results, which gives a zero chance for some items to be observed and, therefore, interacted with, even if they are relevant. Here, we propose a new counterfactual method that uses a two-stage correction approach and jointly addresses selection and position bias in learning-to-rank systems without relying on propensity scores. Our experimental results show that our method is better than state-of-the-art propensity-independent methods and either better than or comparable to methods that make the strong assumption for which the propensity model is known.
Physiological and histological responses of peach plants grafted onto different rootstocks under calcium deficiency conditions

Abstract Calcium (Ca) is a crucial element in plant growth and development. Studies focused on the Ca deficiency in Prunus are still limited that triggered us to examine tolerance of peach plants against Ca deficiency using physiological and histological methods. Peach cultivar Rich May plants grafted onto GF 677 and Garnem rootstocks were planted in 10 L pots containing perlite. Plants were irrigated with Hoagland’s nutrient solution. After growth for two months in nutrient solution, plants were exposed to Ca deficient Hoagland solution (except control). Plants were exposed to mineral deficient conditions for 4 months. End of the study, Ca deficiency depressed plant growth, damaged cell membranes and impaired chlorophyll biosynthesis. Concentrations of chlorophyll and chlorophyll precursors were significantly decreased by Ca deficiency in both rootstocks. Cortical cell diameter decreased in both rootstocks under Ca deficiency conditions. However, cortex thickness increased in Garnem and decreased in GF 677. Increments in xylem thickness, xylem conduits length and number of xylem conduits were found in Ca deficient Garnem plants and the parameters decreased in GF 677 under Ca deficiency. Pith autolysis in midrib tissue was not observed in the current experiment. Garnem was found more tolerant rootstock than GF 677 to Ca deficiency. We consider that larger cortical cells and hyperplasy and hypertrophy of xylem vessel elements increased stomatal conductance to uptake more Ca that mitigated Ca starvation in Garnem.
Quantum information approach to high energy interactions

High energy hadron interactions are commonly described by using a probabilistic parton model that ignores quantum entanglement present in the light-cone wave functions. Here we argue that since a high energy interaction samples an instant snapshot of the hadron wave function, the phases of different Fock state wave functions cannot be measured - therefore the light-cone density matrix has to be traced over these unobservable phases. Performing this trace with the corresponding $U(1)$ Haar integration measure leads to "Haar scrambling" of the density matrix, and to the emergence of entanglement entropy. This entanglement entropy is determined by the Fock state probability distribution, and is thus directly related to the parton structure functions. As proposed earlier, at large rapidity $\eta$ the hadron state becomes maximally entangled, and the entanglement entropy is $S_E \sim \eta$ according to QCD evolution equations. When the phases of Fock state components are controlled, for example in spin asymmetry measurements, the Haar average cannot be performed, and the probabilistic parton description breaks down.
Fringe Visibility and Phase Measurements

At optical wavelengths there are a wide variety of techniques to detect interference fringes. Because detectors in the visible/IR are energy detectors, the fringe amplitude and phase must be encoded in some manner. Two fundamentally different methods are temporal and spatial encoding. This paper briefly describes the various techniques that have been used in operational interferometers along with their advantages and disadvantages. Several fringe detectors for next-generation interferometers will also be described. These fringe detectors often combine multiple functions, such as spectroscopy and multi-beam combination.