cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modifiable Lifestyle Risk Factors and Incident Diabetes in African Americans

Introduction The associations of modifiable lifestyle risk factors with incident diabetes are not well investigated in African Americans (AAs). This study investigated the association of modifiable lifestyle risk factors (exercise, diet, smoking, TV watching, and sleep-disordered breathing burden) with incident diabetes among AAs. Methods Modifiable lifestyle risk factors were characterized among 3,252 AAs in the Jackson Heart Study who were free of diabetes at baseline (2000–2004) using baseline questionnaires and combined into risk factor categories: poor (0–3 points), average (4–7 points), and optimal (8–11 points). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) for diabetes (fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, physician diagnosis, use of diabetes drugs, or glycosylated hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%) were estimated using Poisson regression modeling adjusting for age, sex, education, occupation, systolic blood pressure, and BMI. Outcomes were collected 2005–2012 and data analyzed in 2016. Results Over 7.6 years, there were 560 incident diabetes cases (mean age=53.3 years, 64% female). An average or optimal compared to poor risk factor categorization was associated with a 21% (IRR=0.79, 95% CI=0.62, 0.99) and 31% (IRR=0.69, 95% CI=0.48, 1.01) lower risk of diabetes. Among participants with BMI Conclusions A combination of modifiable lifestyle factors are associated with a lower risk of diabetes among AAs, particularly among those without obesity.
Determining the 14 O(α,p) 17 F astrophysical rate from Measurements at TwinSol

Abstract The 14O(α,p)17F reaction is an important trigger reaction to the α-p process in X-ray bursts. The most stringent experimental constraints on its astrophysical rate come from measurements of the time-inverse reaction, 17F(p,α)14O. Previous studies of this inverse reaction have sufficiently characterized the high-energy dependence of the cross section but there are still significant uncertainties at lower energies. A new measurement of the 17F(p,α)14O cross section is underway at the Twin Solenoid (TwinSol) facility at the University of Notre Dame using an in-flight secondary 17F beam. The initial results are promising but improvements are needed to complete the measurement. The initial data and plans for an improved measurement are presented in this manuscript.
State of Play: How Do College Football Programs Compete for Student Athletes?

Each year high school football players sign letters of intent with college football programs. The NCAA governs this matching market with strict rules that are designed to protect amateurism. DuMond et al. (J Sports Econ 9(1):67–87, 2008) develop a model of athlete choice. I consider the matching puzzle from the program’s perspective: What factors increase the likelihood that a school will successfully recruit an athlete? Like DuMond et al., I find that the state of play matters. However, my results suggest that football programs are willing to recruit outside their borders. In addition, the results align with prior findings about cheating in the NCAA. This extends the literature on college sport recruiting and may provide insight into other matching puzzles in academic, medical, and business job markets.
Overcoming immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment: Implications for multi-modal therapy

Effective immunotherapy, whether by checkpoint blockade, vaccines or adoptive cell therapy, is limited in most patients by a fundamental barrier: the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This problem is more than just the suppression of effector T cells, but also includes profound defects in the inflammatory milieu and immunogenic antigen-presenting cells that are required to drive T cell activation. To date, much of the field of immunotherapy has focused on downstream checkpoints that regulate activated T cells, or on vaccination and T cell adoptive transfer to expand the T cell pool. Relatively less attention has been given to regulatory pathways that govern cross-presentation and response to endogenous tumor antigens. But these “upstream” pathways become particularly important in settings where immunotherapy is combined with standard-of-care chemotherapy or radiation therapy, both of which release a wave of tumor antigens. The choice of whether to treat these antigens as tolerizing or immunizing is fundamental to generating an effective immune response against the tumor. In this chapter we consider immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment from the perspective of factors that that may impact the response to antigens from dying tumor cells.
Science, Philosophy, and Religion in Alfarabi’s Enumeration of the Sciences

One of the striking features of classical Islamic philosophy is the prominence of political philosophy and the incorporation of jurisprudence and theology into philosophy by subordinating them to political philosophy. During the ten centuries that separated Cicero from Alfarabi, one cannot point to a single great philosopher for whom the problem of philosophy was inseparable from the problem of political philosophy or in whose writings political philosophy occupies a massive, central, or decisive position. Political philosophy may not be totally absent from pagan and Christian Platonism in the Hellenistic period, but it is marginal and subterranean, or else overwhelmed by metaphysics, theology, and mysticism.1
Compact low-power and precision timing photodetector readout

Photodetector readout for next generation high event rate particle identification and single-photon detection requires a digitizer capable of integrated recording of dense arrays of sensor elements with high analog bandwidth (precision timing) and large record depth, in a cost-effective, compact and low-power way. Simply stated, one cannot do better than having a high-fidelity “oscilloscope on a chip” for every sensor channel. A first version of the Buffered Large Analog Bandwidth (BLAB1) ASIC has been designed based upon the lessons learned from the development of the Large Analog Bandwidth Recorder and Digitizer with Ordered Readout (LABRADOR) ASIC. While this LABRADOR ASIC has been very successful and forms the readout basis of a generation of new, large-scale radio neutrino detectors, its limited sampling depth is a major drawback. To address this shortcoming, a prototype intended for photodetector readout has been designed and fabricated with 64k deep sampling at multi-GSa/s operation. An evaluation system has been constructed for instrumentation of Time-Of-Propagation (TOP) and focusing DIRC prototypes and test results will be reported.
"I'm Still Surviving": Oral Histories of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Chicago

This article recounts the creation of an oral and public history project, “I’m Still Surviving,” which seeks to document, write, and display a women’s history of HIV/AIDS in the United States. Usin...
Dual-phase Er:Y2O3/MgO nanocomposites for mid-Infrared solid state lasers

In the pursuit of efficient mid-Infrared laser host materials, we developed a dual-phase nanocomposite composed of a majority species (MgO) which provides high thermal conductivity and a rare earth doped minority species (Er:Y2O3) featuring a low maximum-phonon energy. This material was prepared using a co-precipitation method where both components are synthesized together for intimate mixing on the smallest scale. Preparation parameters were tuned to achieve a small crystallite size in order to limit scattering at the grain boundaries between the two different species. Optical characterization of the prepared materials included percent transmission (%T) as well as Raman measurements and Er fluorescence spectroscopy. Once suitable transmissivity was achieved, %T results were compared to Mie scattering calculations to gauge the average grain size in the material; and we determined the smallest average Y2O3 grain sizes achieved in our materials so far was 80 nm in diameter.
Analyzing Global-EDF for Multiprocessor Scheduling of Parallel Tasks

Consider the problem of scheduling a set of constrained-deadline sporadic real-time tasks on a multiprocessor where (i) all processors are identical, (ii) each task is characterized by its execution requirement, its deadline and its minimum inter-arrival time, (iii) each task generates a (potentially infinite) sequence of jobs and (iv) the execution requirement of a job and its potential for parallel execution is described by one or many stages with a stage having one or many segments such that all segments in a stage have the same execution requirement and segments in the same stage are permitted to execute in parallel and a segment is only allowed to start execution if all segments of previous stages have finished execution. We present a schedulability test for such a system where tasks are scheduled with global-EDF. This schedulability test has a resource-augmentation bound of two, meaning that if it is possible for a task set to meet deadlines (not necessarily with global-EDF) then our schedulability test guarantees that all deadlines are met when tasks are scheduled with global-EDF, assuming that the system analyzed with our schedulability test is provided processors of twice the speed.
Inactivation of a CRF-dependent amygdalofugal pathway reverses addiction-like behaviors in alcohol-dependent rats

The activation of a neuronal ensemble in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) during alcohol withdrawal has been hypothesized to induce high levels of alcohol drinking in dependent rats. In the present study we describe that the CeA neuronal ensemble that is activated by withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure contains ~80% corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons and that the optogenetic inactivation of these CeA CRF+ neurons prevents recruitment of the neuronal ensemble, decreases the escalation of alcohol drinking, and decreases the intensity of somatic signs of withdrawal. Optogenetic dissection of the downstream neuronal pathways demonstrates that the reversal of addiction-like behaviors is observed after the inhibition of CeA CRF projections to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and that inhibition of the CRFCeA-BNST pathway is mediated by inhibition of the CRF-CRF1 system and inhibition of BNST cell firing. These results suggest that the CRFCeA-BNST pathway could be targeted for the treatment of excessive drinking in alcohol use disorder.
The response of an equatorial ocean to simple wind stress patterns. I - Model formulation and analytic results. II - Numerical results

A time-dependent, primitive equation, beta plane model that is two-dimensional in the horizontal has been developed to model wind-driven equatorial ocean circulation. A simple vertical structure consisting of two layers above the thermocline with the same constant density permits a steady-state undercurrent in the model. An analytical study of the linear dynamics of the model suggests that the addition of inertial effects is needed to simulate the undercurrent properly. Also, both linear and nonlinear dynamics of the model are investigated numerically. Such nonlinear response to wind stress as a strong eastward equatorial undercurrent and an intense eastward 'countercurrent' at three deg N are noted in the numerical results.
Silicon Microring Modulator with Transparent Conductive Oxide Gate

We designed a novel microring modulator based on hybrid transparent conductive oxide-silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor. Experimental results achieved large wavelength tunability of 100 pm/V and 3 dB modulation at 3V of V pp. Analysis indicates that 44 GHz sneed can be achieved by optimizing the electrode design.
Effect of Prime Mover's Characteristics on the Survivability of a Synchronous Generator-Based Distributed Energy Resource During Transient Overload Conditions

Recently, prime-mover stalling phenomenon was observed in a synchronous generator-based distributed energy resource (DER) for large step load changes during experimental testing at the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions Microgrid. It is found to highly impact the generator's survivability during transient overload conditions. The stalling occurs in synchronous generator-based DER because of a sustained imbalance between electrical load demand and mechanical power available from the prime mover, thus depleting the generator's stored kinetic energy. In particular, mechanical power capability of the prime mover and stored kinetic energy in the rotating mass are the causal factors. This article evaluates two different types of prime movers—reciprocating engine and combustion gas turbine—for the DER survivability. The characteristics of these two commonly used prime movers are investigated during transient overload conditions by simulation case studies using PSCAD/EMTDC software.
The Critical Nature of Addressing Burnout Prevention: Results From the Critical Care Societies Collaborative's National Summit and Survey on Prevention and Management of Burnout in the ICU.

Objectives To summarize the results of expert discussions and recommendations from a National Summit and survey on the promoting wellness and preventing and managing burnout in the ICU. Data sources Literature review; Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) Statement on Burnout Syndrome in Critical Care Healthcare Professionals: A Call for Action; CCSC's National Summit on Prevention and Management of Burnout in the ICU; and a descriptive survey on strategies for addressing burnout using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) (project-redcap.org). Data synthesis Building on the CCSC call for action to address burnout among critical care professionals, the CCSC sponsored the National Summit on Prevention and Management of Burnout in the ICU with 55 invited experts in various fields including psychology, sociology, integrative medicine, psychiatry, suicide prevention, bereavement support, ethics, palliative care, meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, among others. Attendees joined breakout groups, to identify factors influencing burnout in ICU professionals and the value of organizational and individual interventions. As a follow-up to the Summit, a descriptive survey assessing strategies for addressing burnout was sent via email or newsletter blast with responses received from 680 CCSC members, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and others. Conclusions The Summit attendees identified the importance of raising awareness among critical care clinicians and key stakeholders, advocating for workplace changes to promote healthy work environments, and promoting research to further explore practical strategies to address, mitigate, and prevent burnout. Critical care clinicians reported that a number of initiatives are being implemented both at their hospitals and at the unit level to build resilience and address burnout prevention. However, other respondents reported that no measures were being used within their organizations, and that colleagues were experiencing burnout. Dissemination and application of resiliency building measures and strategies to address burnout in critical care clinicians are needed.
Construction of an Inexpensive, Portable Angular Scattering Microscope for use in Organelle Size Estimation

An angular scattering microscope with portable capabilities was constructed from inexpensive components. Here we show that the system is capable of obtaining precise and accurate size estimates of beads and single cells’ organelles.
Sanitizing history: National identification, negative stereotypes, and support for eliminating Columbus Day and adopting Indigenous Peoples Day.

OBJECTIVES Despite the fact that Christopher Columbus did not discover America and was arguably one of the most brutal colonizers in recorded history, the United States continues to celebrate a holiday in his honor. A growing movement by Native American activists and allies aims to adopt Indigenous Peoples Day in lieu of Columbus Day to shed light on historical inaccuracies, acknowledge the legacy of colonialism, and celebrate Indigenous Peoples. Research suggests that national narratives, such as those undergirding Columbus Day, build on negative stereotypes about minoritized groups to help bolster national identities. We examined whether national identification and negative stereotyping of Native Americans shapes support for each holiday. METHOD We conducted 2 large-scale national studies (Study 1: college students, N = 4,625; Study 2: adults, N = 2,805). RESULTS Across both samples, people who endorsed the continued celebration of Columbus Day and people who were least supportive of adopting Indigenous Peoples Day were those high in national identification. In contrast, people who endorsed eliminating Columbus Day and people who supported adopting Indigenous Peoples Day were relatively low in national identification who also believed that negative stereotypes about Native Americans were highly unacceptable (Studies 1 and 2) and/or inaccurate (Study 2). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that garnering support for eliminating Columbus Day and adopting Indigenous Peoples Day requires interrogating the roots of national identification and rejecting negative stereotypes about Native Americans. Implications for why people continue to hold onto national narratives that reify the continued subordination of minority groups are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
The long non-coding RNA lnc-HLX-2-7 is oncogenic in group 3 medulloblastomas

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is an aggressive brain tumor that predominantly affects children. Recent high-throughput sequencing studies suggest that the non-coding RNA genome, in particular long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), contributes to MB sub-grouping. Here we report the identification of a novel lncRNA, lnc-HLX-2-7, as a potential molecular marker and therapeutic target in group 3 MBs. Methods: Publicly available RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 175 MB patients were interrogated to identify lncRNAs that differentiate between MB subgroups. After characterizing a subset of differentially expressed lncRNAs in vitro and in vivo, the group 3-enriched lncRNA lnc-HLX2-7 was deleted by CRISPR/Cas9 in the MB cell line D425 Med. Intracranially injected tumors were further characterized by bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing. Results: lnc-HLX-2-7 is highly upregulated in group 3 MB cell lines, patient-derived xenografts, and primary MBs compared to other MB sub-groups as assessed by qRT-PCR, RNA-seq, and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Depletion of lnc-HLX-2-7 with antisense oligonucleotides or CRISPR/Cas9 significantly reduced cell proliferation and 3D colony formation and induced apoptosis. lnc-HLX-2-7-deleted D425 Med cells injected into mouse cerebella produced smaller tumors than those derived from parental cells. Pathway analysis revealed that lnc-HLX2-7 modulated oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and sirtuin signaling pathways. The MYC oncogene regulated lnc-HLX-2-7, and the small molecule BET-bromodomain (BRD4) inhibitor JQ1 reduced lnc-HLX2-7 expression. Conclusions: lnc-HLX-2-7 is oncogenic in MB and represents a promising novel molecular marker and a potential therapeutic target in group 3 MBs in children.
Crucified with Christ: The Ego and the Omega

In the second chapter to his Galatians letter, Paul makes some striking statements. He says that he has been “crucified with Christ,” and indeed that he no longer lives but that Christ lives “in” him. Such claims raise fascinating exegetical and metaphysical issues that are important for theology. Just who is this “I”, and what is the relation of this “I” to Christ? How are we to understand union with Christ – indeed, is the relation spoken of here something stronger than mere union? Is it identity? In this essay, I offer an analytic engagement with traditional and more recent “apocalyptic” interpretations of this passage, and I argue that a traditional account is preferable.
Task-related multivariate activation states during task-free rest

Much of our lives are spent in unconstrained rest states, yet cognitive brain processes are primarily investigated using task-constrained states. It may be possible to utilize the insights gained from experimental control of task processes as reference points for investigating unconstrained rest. To facilitate comparison of rest and task functional MRI (fMRI) data we focused on activation amplitude patterns, commonly used for task but not rest analyses. During rest, we identified spontaneous changes in temporally extended whole-brain activation pattern states. This revealed a hierarchical organization of rest states. The top consisted of two competing states consistent with previously identified "task-positive" and "task-negative" activation patterns. These states were composed of more specific states that repeated over time and across individuals. Contrasting with the view that rest consists of only task-negative states, task-positive states occurred 40% of the time while individuals "rested," suggesting task-focused activity occurs during rest. Further, analysis of task data revealed a similar hierarchical structure of brain states. Together these results suggest brain activation dynamics form a general hierarchy across task and rest, with a small number of dominant general states reflecting basic functional modes and a variety of specific states likely reflecting a rich variety of cognitive processes.
3-Methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one and the Douglas-fir beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): history of successful bark beetle pheromone treatments

This paper reviews the literature on the identification of 3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one (MCH) as the antiaggregation pheromone of the Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and the development of successful management applications using the pheromone. Previously unpublished data from two studies on novel uses of MCH are included. The successful development of antiaggregation pheromone-based treatments for the Douglas-fir beetle is discussed in relation to efforts to develop similar treatments for other bark beetle species, and opportunities for future research on MCH and the Douglas-fir beetle are suggested.
Musings on the wanderer: What’s new in our understanding of vago-vagal reflexes? VI. Central vagal circuits that control glucose metabolism

Neurons in the brain stem dorsal vagal complex (DVC) take part in a continuous bidirectional crosstalk, in which they receive and respond to a vast array of signaling molecules, including glucose. ...
UNFIT FOR SERVICE: THE IMPLICATIONS OF RISING OBESITY FOR US MILITARY RECRUITMENT

This paper contributes to the literature on the labor market consequences of unhealthy behaviors and poor health by examining a previously underappreciated consequence of the rise in obesity in the USA: challenges for military recruitment. Specifically, this paper estimates the percentage of the US military-age population that exceeds the US Army's current active duty enlistment standards for weight-for-height and percent body fat, using data from the series of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys that spans 1959–2008. We calculate that the percentage of military-age adults ineligible for enlistment because they are overweight and overfat more than doubled for men and tripled for women during that time. As of 2007–2008, 5.7 million men and 16.5 million women exceeded the Army's enlistment standards for weight and body fat. We document disparities across race and education in exceeding the standards and estimate that a further rise of just 1% in weight and body fat would further reduce eligibility for military service by over 850 000 men and 1.3 million women. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for military recruitment and defense policy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Sustainability Babel Fish

We introduce a unifying language to quantify sustainability across multiple domains. The use of scarce resources is translated into their energy equivalents, by including upstream losses, conversion efficiencies, and externalities. We aim at developing intuition regarding both magnitude and cost to facilitate decision-making. Our basic unit of measure, called Energy Points (EP), is based on the energy content in a gallon of gasoline. EP computations rely on existing data streams such as bills and thus, easily measured, monitored, and verified. The framework captures local variation, reflects embodies energy, and is conveniently linked to economic measures through prices.
Effects of surgeon sociodemographics on patient-reported satisfaction.

Abstract Background Patient-reported satisfaction scores, including the Press Ganey surveys, are increasingly used as measures for quality healthcare among surgical subspecialties. However, the influence of surgeon sociodemographics is not clear. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed Press Ganey surveys linked to outpatient surgical visits at a single academic institution from January 2015 to December 2018 as they related to surgeon age, gender, and race. The primary outcome variable was achievement of a top-box score (5/5) on likelihood to recommend surgeon queries. Secondary analysis examined the relationship of likelihood to recommend surgeon to other survey questions, such as those regarding surgeon courtesy, concern, understandability, patient inclusion in medical decision making, and patient confidence in surgeon. χ2 tests and generalized estimating equation regression models were run to assess correlation. Results In bivariate analysis of 36,840 surveys, non-Hispanic white surgeons were more likely to receive likelihood to recommend surgeon top-box ratings than Asian (P Conclusion Top-box scores varied by surgeon race and gender in correlation with patients’ perceived confidence in the provider. Interpretation of Press Ganey scores should account for potential bias in patient satisfaction surveys based on surgeon demographics.
Heat transfer simulation of material extrusion additive manufacturing to predict weld strength between layers

Abstract Poor strength of material extrusion additively manufactured parts has limited the process’s adoption for direct manufacturing of end-use products. These weaknesses are present at material interfaces as a result of material extrusion’s typical deposition. The variety of possible part geometries, along with the multiple toolpath options to deposit material, results in a unique thermal profile that causes varying strength across the part at the material interfaces. Prior research showed that by utilizing polymer weld theory alongside thermal profile information at the layer interfaces, one can predict tensile strength for different designs. However, these thermal profiles are unique at each point of a part’s cross-section, making them challenging to obtain experimentally or analytically. Therefore, this work presents a framework to obtain these interfacial thermal profiles computationally and directly from the programmed material deposition toolpath. A heat transfer simulation technique based on finite difference method is demonstrated and validated experimentally through thermocouple measurements. The practical potential of this simulation is then demonstrated by using the evaluated thermal profile alongside polymer weld theory to estimate the strength of structures with different infill densities and complex internal cavity designs.
Making Good Trouble: Becoming-With Critical Inquiry:

In this article, we conceptualize a methodology of “good trouble.” Making good trouble, as described by Civil Rights Leader and Congressman John Lewis is doing “something out of the ordinary,” maki...
Illuminating the value of radical approaches to classic reactions

Download : Download high-res image (240KB) Download : Download full-size image Nathan Dow is currently a third-year graduate student in the lab of Prof. David MacMillan at Princeton University. He was born in New Hampshire and completed his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Swarthmore College in 2018 after working with Prof. Robert Paley to investigate the diastereoselective nature of intramolecular reactions facilitated by planar chiral iron-diene complexes. In the MacMillan group, Nathan’s current research focuses on the productive merger of photoredox activation with copper catalysis to enable traditionally challenging chemical transformations via open-shell mechanisms.
A BLDC Motor-Driven Light Plug-in Electric Vehicle (LPEV) with Cost-Effective On-Board Single-Stage Battery Charging System

This work proposes an efficient configuration for light plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with a cost-effective and compact charging system. In this paper, an integrated isolated DC-DC converter has been investigated for a light PEV that employs a brushless DC (BLDC) machine as a traction motor to lower the motor drive component cost. The proposed isolated DC-DC converter has the capacity to work efficiently under all working conditions for an electric vehicle including charging, propulsion, and regenerative operations with two energy sources such as utility grid and solar PV. During a battery charging mode by the grid or solar cells, the converter works as an isolated zeta converter. In the propulsion and regenerative operations, the developed converter has buck/boost conversion capability to adjust the dc bus voltage according to driving conditions for the BLDC motor drive to use a cost-effective motor controller and inverter switches. As a result, the overall system is compact, efficient, and cost-effective to make it a suitable solution for an on-board charging system.
Trends in high deductible health plan enrolment and spending among commercially insured members with and without chronic conditions: a Natural Experiment for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D2) Study.

Objectives To examine trends in high deductible health plan (HDHP) enrolment among members with diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with healthy members and compare out-of-pocket (OOP) and total spending for members with chronic conditions in HDHPs versus low deductible plans. Design Descriptive study with time trends. Setting A large national commercial insurance database. Participants 1.2 million members with diabetes, 4.5 million members with CVD (without diabetes) and 18 million healthy members (defined by a low comorbidity score) under the age of 65 years and insured between 2005 and 2013. Outcome measures Percentage of members in an HDHP (ie, annual deductible ≥$1000) by year, annual mean OOP and total spending, adjusted for member sociodemographic and employer characteristics. Results Enrolment in HDHPs among members in all disease categories increased by 5 percentage points a year and was over 50% by 2013. On average, over the study period, HDHP enrolment among members with diabetes and CVD was 2.84 (95% CI: 2.78 to 2.90) and 2.02 (95% CI: 1.98 to 2.05) percentage points lower, respectively, than among healthy members. HDHP members with diabetes, CVD and low morbidity had higher annual OOP costs ($636 (95% CI: 630 to 642), $539 (95% CI: 537 to 542) and $113 (95% CI: 112 to 113)) and lower total costs (−$529 (95% CI: −597 to −461), −$364 (95% CI: −385 to −342) and −$79 (95% CI: −81 to −76)), respectively, than corresponding low deductible members when averaged over the study period. Members with chronic diseases had yearly OOP expenditures that were five to seven times higher than healthier members. Conclusion High HDHP enrolment coupled with the high OOP costs associated with HDHPs may be particularly detrimental to the financial well-being of people with diabetes and CVD, who have more healthcare needs than healthier populations.
Gene-Environment Interactions for Cardiovascular Disease.

We provide an overview of recent findings with respect to gene-environment (GxE) interactions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and discuss future opportunities for advancing the field. Over the last several years, GxE interactions for CVD have mostly been identified for smoking and coronary artery disease (CAD) or related risk factors. By comparison, there is more limited evidence for GxE interactions between CVD outcomes and other exposures, such as physical activity, air pollution, diet, and sex. The establishment of large consortia and population-based cohorts, in combination with new computational tools and mouse genetics platforms, can potentially overcome some of the limitations that have hindered human GxE interaction studies and reveal additional association signals for CVD-related traits. The identification of novel GxE interactions is likely to provide a better understanding of the pathogenesis and genetic liability of CVD, with significant implications for healthy lifestyles and therapeutic strategies.
Improved LCL Filter Design Procedure for Grid-Connected Voltage-Source Inverter System

rid-connected voltage-source inverters (VSI) have evolved in the past years for the interconnection of renewable energy sources with the grid to satisfy the increased electrical load demand and to utilize the use of clean, carbon-free energy. However, VSIs suffer from a major drawback of switching harmonics caused by the inverter switches. To reduce the amount of current distortion injected into the utility grid and meet harmonic constraints as defined by power quality standards, an LCL filter is often used. Although there is an extensive amount of literature describing the design procedures of an LCL filter, all these methods cannot guarantee an optimal solution because no direct mathematical function between LCL filter parameters and total harmonic distortion (THD) exists. This paper proposes an improved LCL filter design procedure for a grid-connected voltage-source inverter system. The THD of the current entering the utility grid for various LCL filter parameter combinations is generated through computational iterations. Using this data, the goal is to choose LCL filter parameters with less overall inductance value and lower manufacturing cost, while maintaining the same performance level compared to the conventional design procedure. The performance of the proposed procedure is verified by a case study, with simulation and experimental results, in which a 40 % reduction in overall inductance was achieved.
Leukocyte migration inhibition of buffy coats from patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura when exposed to normal platelets: modulation by transfer factor

Cellular-mediated immunity was studied in autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP) patients by investigating leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) following the interaction of normal platelets with patients9 lymphocytes. When normal platelets were incubated with leukocyte buffy coats of ATP patients, the migration index (MI) was significantly impaired compared to buffy coats from normal subjects, employing 4 different concentrations of platelets. At the highest platelet concentration (10(9)/ml), MI was 0.87 +/- 0.04 (SEM) for ATP lymphocytes compared to 1.05 +/- 0.05 (p less than 0.01) for normal lymphocytes. Nine of 21 patients had an MI less than 0.80, whereas all control subjects had MIs greater than 0.85. Similar results were obtained at 2 different platelet membrane concentrations. At 500 micrograms/ml, the MI for ATP lymphocytes was 0.74 +/- 0.04, compared to 0.98 +/- 0.08 (p less than 0.01) for normal lymphocytes (12 experiments). An inverse relationship was noted between platelet count and lymphokine production in ATP patients (r = 0.815, p less than 0.001, 10 experiments). Transfer factor from an ATP patient in remission converted an abnormal LMI response of 0.68 +/- 0.04 from a patient with severe thrombocytopenia to 0.84 +/- 0.07 (p less than 0.005, 8 experiments). Similar results were obtained with transfer factor from 2 other patients in remission. Transfer factor from a patient with severe thrombocytopenia converted a normal response of 1.04 +/- 0.05 of normal subjects to a lower response of 0.88 +/- 0.04 (p less than 0.03, 12 experiments). Thus, lymphocytes of ATP patients are primed to recognize and be perturbed by normal platelets, whereas normal lymphocytes are not. This indicates specificity of the antigen- lymphocyte reaction in ATP patients. Transfer factor is capable of modulating this response in vitro.
Removal of the 4,4-Dimethyl Carbons in the Enzymic Conversion of Lanosterol to Cholesterol INITIAL LOSS OF THE 4α-METHYL GROUP

Abstract The sequence of removal of methyl substituents at C-4 of 4,4,14α-trimethyl-5α-cholesta-8,24-dien-3β-ol (lanosterol) in the course of its conversion to cholesterol has been re-examined. From a homogenate of rat liver incubated with dl-mevalonic acid-2-14C-5-3H, squalene, lanosterol, 4,4,14α-trimethyl-5α-cholest-8-en-3β-ol, 4α-methyl-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol, and cholesterol have been isolated. It is concluded from measurements of the 3H:14C ratios found in these various compounds that the 4α-methyl group of lanosterol is removed before the 4β-methyl group and that the 4α-methyl group of 4α-methyl-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol originates as the 4β-methyl group of lanosterol.
Switching dynamics in sub-micrometer spin-valves

Summary form only given. Understanding high-speed magnetization reversal is essential for optimizing MRAM operation. We have investigated reversal in spin-valve devices within the dynamic regime. Nanosecond and sub-nanosecond pulses have been applied both along the longitudinal and the transverse axes of spin-valves. The ensuing responses have been observed via the magnetoresistance on the sub-nanosecond time scale. In the case of transverse pulsing, we have made the first direct observation of reversal due to precessional dynamics which leads to more efficient switching using shorter pulses.
A Review of: “Lynda Lee Kaid and Christina Holtz-Bacha, Eds. The Sage Handbook of Political Advertising.”

Observers of U.S. political campaigns are acutely aware of the increased spending on television political advertisements. Reports indicate that television advertising in the 2000 election cost $8.1...
Default Recovery Rates and Lgd in Credit Risk Modelling and Practice

Evidence from many countries in recent years suggests that collateral values and recovery rates on corporate defaults can be volatile and, moreover, that they tend to go down just when the number of defaults goes up in economic downturns. This link between recovery rates and default rates has traditionally been neglected by credit risk models, as most of them focused on default risk and adopted static loss assumptions, treating the recovery rate either as a constant parameter or as a stochastic variable independent from the probability of default. This traditional focus on default analysis has been partly reversed by the recent significant increase in the number of studies dedicated to the subject of recovery rate estimation and the relationship between default and recovery rates. This paper presents a detailed review of the way credit risk models, developed during the last thirty years, treat the recovery rate and, more specifically, its relationship with the probability of default of an obligor. We also review the efforts by rating agencies to formally incorporate recovery ratings into their assessment of corporate loan and bond credit risk and the recent efforts by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to consider “downturn LGD” in their suggested requirements under Basel II. Recent empirical evidence concerning these issues and the latest data on high-yield bond and leverage loan defaults is also presented and discussed.
Cardiovascular risk in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: recent advances

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of pediatric chronic liver disease in developed countries. NAFLD has risen to epidemic proportions paralleling that of childhood obesity. It is becoming increasingly evident that NAFLD is strongly linked with cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of mortality in the adult NAFLD population. It is very important for physicians caring for children being cognizant of the potential role of childhood NAFLD as an independent risk factor for CVD. Childhood is a time period where subclinical CVD can be detected, giving us the potential ability to halt or reverse the disease process. In this review, we discuss recent evidence linking childhood NAFLD to CVD and potential pathogenic links.
Suicide and the Elderly

Abstract Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, representing a significant public health problem. The elderly are substantially overrepresented in prevalence rates, accounting for 20 percent of the nation's population. This essay will: (1) present an overview of the major demographic, social and psychological factors involved in suicide among the elderly, (2) briefly discuss the theoretical underpinnings of the study of suicide, (3) address the ethical dilemmas of clinical practice with suicidal elderly, and (4) offer implications for social work practice and suggestions for future research. This paper has important practice implications as it will promote a thorough understanding of suicide among the elderly and discuss strategies for effectively addressing this significant health issue within the context of social work.
Effects of Oil-Contaminated Sediments on Submerged Vegetation: An Experimental Assessment of Ruppia maritima

Oil spills threaten the productivity of ecosystems through the degradation of coastal flora and the ecosystem services these plants provide. While lab and field investigations have quantified the response of numerous species of emergent vegetation to oil, the effects on submerged vegetation remain uncertain. Here, we discuss the implications of oil exposure for Ruppia maritima, one of the most common species of submerged vegetation found in the region affected by the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We grew R. maritima in a range of manipulated sediment oil concentrations: 0, 0.26, 0.53, and 1.05 mL oil /L tank volume, and tracked changes in growth (wet weight and shoot density/length), reproductive activity (inflorescence and seed production), root characteristics (mass, length, diameter, and area), and uprooting force of plants. While no statistical differences were detected in growth, plants exhibited significant changes to reproductive output, root morphology, and uprooting force. We found significant reductions in inflorescences and fruiting bodies at higher oil concentrations. In addition, the roots growing in the high oil were shorter and wider. Plants in medium and high oil required less force to uproot. A second experiment was performed to separate the effects of root morphology and oiled sediment properties and indicated that there were also changes to sediment cohesion that contributed to a reduction in uprooting forces in medium and high oil. Given the importance of sexual reproduction for these plants, oil contamination may have substantial population-level effects. Moreover, areas containing buried oil may be more susceptible to high energy storm events due to the reduction in uprooting force of foundation species such as R. maritima.
Plasma measurements of the plume of a new miniature helicon thruster

We present preliminary results of a campaign to characterize the ion acceleration mechanism of a new miniature permanent magnet helicon thruster. The magnetic field of the thruster's neodymium magnets was measured to verify that the extent of the magnetic field and exhaust plume is small relative to our vacuum chamber (1 cubic meter). The magnetic field becomes comparable to the earth's magnetic field (.5 G) about 50 cm from the thruster. Argon and xenon gas were used as propellants. Plasma properties of the exhaust plume were measured at various power levels (1–100 W) and propellant flow rates. Electron temperature and plasma density were measured with a double probe and a single Langmuir probe. The plasma potential was measured with an emissive probe using two methods: the floating potential in the limit of large emission and the inflection point in the limit of zero emission.
Closed head injury: comparison of children younger and older than 6 years of age.

Abstract The outcomes of 97 children with severe closed head injuries referred to a regional rehabilitation center were studied. Patients were divided according to referral source and age (
Thermostats, Radiator Fins, and the Local Runaway Greenhouse

Abstract The author has reconsidered the question of the regulation of tropical sea surface temperature. This has been done in general terms through consideration of the tropical beat budget and in specific terms through consideration of an idealized radiative-dynamic model of the tropical general circulation. It is argued that evaporation on its own cannot provide an effective regulating mechanism. Clouds cannot serve as regulators unless there are substantial departures from the observed cancellation between cloud greenhouse and cloud albedo effects. In particular, it is shown that the prediction by Ramanathan and Collins of highly stable tropical climates is based on an inconsistent set of assumptions about the behavior of the atmospheric heat transports. When the heat transports are treated in a consistent manner, clouds are found to have little impact, and the tropical climate can he quite sensitive to radiative perturbations. It is found that the main determinant of tropical climate is the clear-sky...
Estimation and decomposition of technical efficiency for sugarbeet farms

This study computes technical efficiency for Idaho sugarbeet farms and decomposes it into pure technical efficiency, scale efficiency, and congestion efficiency using nonparametric procedures. The results indicate that the average efficiency is 0.88 with 45% of the farms in the sample exhibiting full efficiency. Improper scale operation and input overutilization are the major sources of inefficiency for remaining farms. Technical efficiency is independent of farm size. A Tobit model was used to examine the impacts of variables such as farm size, specialization, tenancy position, hired labour, location, and managerial ability on efficiency. Inefficiency in sugarbeet production results in a shortfall of potential revenues not only for producers, but also for landlords and processors.
Inhibition of Dihydrostreptomycin Binding to Mycobacterium smegmatis by Monovalent and Divalent Cation Salts

To better understand salt antagonism of dihydrostreptomycin (DSM) action on Mycobacterium smegmatis, the effects of monovalent and divalent cation salts on drug uptake were studied in relation to the lethal activity of DSM. In Sauton liquid medium NaCl, MgCl 2 , and SrCl 2 inhibited the initial instantaneous binding of [ 3 H]DSM to the organism and suppressed secondary uptake. These data correlated well with the capacity of each salt to prevent the lethal activity of DSM. It was concluded that monovalent and divalent cation salt antagonism of DSM action on M. smegmatis involves nonspecific interference with drug uptake.
Cyber security and data collection approaches for smartphone sensor systems

In recent years the ubiquity and resources provided by smartphone devices have encouraged scientists to explore using these devices as remote sensing nodes. In addition, the United States Department of Defense has stated a mission of increasing persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities or U.S. units. This paper presents a method of enabling large-scale, long-term smartphone-powered data collection. Key solutions discussed include the ability to directly allow domain experts to define and refine smartphone applications for data collection, technical advancements that allow rapid dissemination of a smartphone data collection application, and an algorithm for preserving the locational privacy of participating users.