cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An examination of the WHOQOL-BREF using four popular data collection methods

The rapid increase of researchers utilizing internet sites for conducting research has not yet been adequately investigated for the degree to which psychometric properties of instruments remain intact. Although using the internet for data collection is now commonplace, there are a limited number of studies that have investigated the quality of data provided from online subject pools and responses from those platforms compared to methods used to create these instruments. The present study collected data using the World Health Organization's WHOQOL-BREF instrument across four different types of data collection methods which included Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk, Craigslist.org, college students completing the survey online, and college students completing a survey in a traditional face-to-face format. Feldt tests comparing observed Cronbach's alphas to alphas from a published validation study and confirmatory factor analyses corroborated the use of online data collection for quality of life for the general public and college students. However, the face-to-face data collection method did not provide as consistent results across the scales. Further research should investigate the lack of internal consistency in face-to-face responses. Reliability coefficients of the WHOQOL-BREF was compared across data collection methodologies.Face-to-face participants yielded the least consistent results.Participants from Mechanical Turk, Craigslist, and Mechanical Turk yielded similar patterns of responses.Mechanical Turk appeared to be the best combination of effectiveness and efficiency.
Notch signaling regulates regeneration in the avian retina

The chicken retina is capable of limited regeneration. In response to injury, some Muller glia proliferate and de-differentiate into progenitor cells. However, most of these progenitors fail to differentiate into neurons. The Notch pathway is upregulated during retinal regeneration in both fish and amphibians. Since the Notch signaling pathway maintains cells in a progenitor state during development, we hypothesized that a persistently active Notch pathway might prevent a more successful regeneration in the chick retina. We found that Notch signaling components are upregulated in the proliferating progenitors. We also found that blocking the Notch pathway while Muller glia are de-differentiating into progenitor cells prohibits regeneration; conversely, blocking the Notch pathway after the progenitors have been generated from the Muller glia caused a significant increase in the percentage of new neurons. Thus, Notch signaling appears to play two distinct roles during retinal regeneration. Initially, Notch activity is necessary for the de-differentiation/proliferation of Muller glia, while later it inhibits the differentiation of the newly generated progenitor cells.
Is the muscle metaboreflex important in control of blood flow to ischemic active skeletal muscle in dogs

Ischemia of active skeletal muscle induces a reflex increase in sympathetic activity, heart rate, cardiac output, and arterial pressure, termed the muscle metaboreflex. Whether this pressor response contributes importantly in the regulation of blood flow to the ischemic active skeletal muscle is not well understood. If the pressor response is achieved without substantial vasoconstriction in the ischemic muscle, this increase in arterial pressure would act to improve muscle blood flow. Dogs performed treadmill exercise at mild (3.2 km/h, 0% grade) and moderate (6.4 km/h, 10% grade) workloads. During each workload, resistance to blood flow in the hindlimbs (Rh) was increased via graded partial inflation of a vascular occluder implanted on the terminal aorta. The closed-loop gain of the muscle metaboreflex (Gcl) was calculated, based on the steady-state changes in terminal aortic blood flow (TAQ). If no pressor response occurred, then TAQ should decrease in proportion to the increase in total Rh (the sum of resistance due to partial vascular occlusion and hindlimb vascular resistance); i.e., no reflex restoration of hindlimb blood flow would occur. However, with a reflex increase in systemic arterial pressure, TAQ could rise above the level predicted on the basis of the increase in Rh. We observed that with the initial increase in Rh during mild exercise, Gcl was not significantly different from zero (P > 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Graphene as a subnanometre trans-electrode membrane

Isolated, atomically thin conducting membranes of graphite, called graphene, have recently been the subject of intense research with the hope that practical applications in fields ranging from electronics to energy science will emerge. The atomic thinness, stability and electrical sensitivity of graphene motivated us to investigate the potential use of graphene membranes and graphene nanopores to characterize single molecules of DNA in ionic solution. Here we show that when immersed in an ionic solution, a layer of graphene becomes a new electrochemical structure that we call a trans-electrode. The trans-electrode's unique properties are the consequence of the atomic-scale proximity of its two opposing liquid-solid interfaces together with graphene's well known in-plane conductivity. We show that several trans-electrode properties are revealed by ionic conductance measurements on a graphene membrane that separates two aqueous ionic solutions. Although our membranes are only one to two atomic layers thick, we find they are remarkable ionic insulators with a very small stable conductance that depends on the ion species in solution. Electrical measurements on graphene membranes in which a single nanopore has been drilled show that the membrane's effective insulating thickness is less than one nanometre. This small effective thickness makes graphene an ideal substrate for very high resolution, high throughput nanopore-based single-molecule detectors. The sensitivity of graphene's in-plane electronic conductivity to its immediate surface environment and trans-membrane solution potentials will offer new insights into atomic surface processes and sensor development opportunities.
Degree of polarization: theory and applications for weather radar at LDR mode

We present theoretical and experimental results concerning a polarimetric variable available at LDR mode: the Degree of Polarization. It is demonstrated that it possesses attractive properties in terms of robustness with respect to antenna cross-channel coupling and to propagation due to coherent cross-polarization upon forward scattering.
L.—Descriptions and records of bees.—XXVII

(1910). L.—Descriptions and records of bees.—XXVII. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 5, No. 28, pp. 361-369.
Phase Change Random Access Memory Integration

This chapter reviews the basic process integration and structural design issues regarding the phase change random access memory cell. Basic memory cell design, phase change device characteristics and access device requirements will be reviewed, and then a detailed discussion of the phase change memory device design follows. Various cell designs, including the mushroom cell, cell, μTrench cell and pore cell will be evaluated in terms of RESET current (the current to switch the cell to the amorphous state by melting and rapidly quenching) and RESET current variability minimization. Finally, multi-level phase change random access memory will be discussed.
A Review of the Value of Periodic Health Examinations

THE PERIODIC MEDICAL examination of asymptomatic, apparently healthy individuals has been championed by some and decried by others for many years. I count myself as one of its supporters. I hope, however, that after you've heard what I have to say on the subject, you will feel that 1 have retained a healthy measure of objectivity about it. Here in England, as early as 1861, Dr Horace Dobell (Dobell, 1861) proposed " that there should be instituted, as a custom, a system of periodical examination, to which all persons should submit themselves, and to which they should submit their children." The fact that in 1960 we are still debating about these examinations suggests either that we have not gathered enough good data to evaluate them, or that we have not agreed upon the manner in which our data should be interpreted. Because this is a subject that interests me greatly, I am truly glad to have this chance to discuss it with you, and to learn something of your thinking about it. My own opinions on it have been shaped by my personal experience in performing these examinations, by my experience in directing a program in which a good number of physicians devote a great part of their time to the performance of them, and by the reports of other groups doing and analysing the results of such examinations. Edie (1925) wrote "The proposal that healthy people be examined at regular intervals... is notable for the logic of its theory and the slowness of its adoption." Though he might repeat this statement with equal conviction today, and though only a relatively small portion of our general population—including physicians themselves—are
Mikulicz's disease: a new perspective and literature review.

Purpose To report the clinical and pathophysiologic features of two patients with Mikulicz's disease and to further characterize recommendations for diagnosis and management with a review of the literature. Methods Retrospective nonrandomized consecutive case series, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Results Mikulicz's disease is characterized by symmetric lacrimal, parotid, and submandibular gland enlargement with associated lymphocytic infiltrations. The authors noted two cases of Mikulicz's disease. The diagnosis of Mikulicz's disease was based on the following criteria: 1) symmetric and persistent swelling of the lacrimal glands and either or both of the major salivary glands (parotid and submandibular); and 2) the exclusion of other diseases that may mimic this presentation, such as sarcoidosis, viral infection, or lymphoproliferative disorders. Conclusions Mikulicz's disease is a condition in which there is bilateral lacrimal and salivary gland swelling that is not associated with other systemic conditions. The condition is self-limiting and most often, the diagnosis is a clinical one. Previously, Mikulicz's disease was often considered as a subtype of Sjogren's syndrome (SS). Clinical and immunologic differences between Mikulicz's disease and SS may warrant further consideration of Mikulicz's disease as a specific autoimmune phenomenon separate from SS, and Mikulicz's disease may be amenable to different treatment modalities than those employed in patients with SS.
Arbitrary 2-D Pattern Formation Beyond the Rayleigh Limit

A relatively simple new technique to generate arbitrary two-dimensional patterns in a multi-photon absorber with resolution exceeding the Rayleigh limit has been developed. This four-beam interference technique could greatly extend photolithography capabilities.
Hydrostatic pressure-induced modifications of structural transitions lead to large enhancements of magnetocaloric effects in MnNiSi-based systems

By means of alloying appropriate amounts of MnNiSi and MnFeGe, materials are found that undergo a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition close to room temperature, accompanied by a huge volume change. Thanks to this volume change, application of moderate pressures leads to a remarkable enhancement of the magnetocaloric response. Work like this may open new opportunities in the development of new solid-state magnetic refrigeration devices.
Impact of Age on Short-term Outcomes After Lumbar Fusion: An Analysis of 1395 Patients Stratified by Decade Cohorts.

BACKGROUND The safety and efficacy of spinal fusion in the elderly population remains uncertain with conflicting data. OBJECTIVE To determine if elderly patients undergoing instrumented lumbar fusion have increased 30-day complication rates compared to younger patients. METHODS The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used to identify all patients undergoing instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion between 2005 and 2011. Patients were stratified by decade cohorts as follows: 75 to 85 cohort, and 4.00% for the ≥85 cohort. Multivariable regression analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between the <65 and ≥65 age cohorts (odds ratio = 1.26; 95% confidence interval: 0.87-2.19). After stratifying into age cohorts, multivariable analyses revealed no difference in odds of postoperative complication occurrence for any age cohort when compared with the referent group (<65 years of age). CONCLUSION Patients older than 65 years of age have significantly higher rates of complications after lumbar fusion when compared to younger patients. However, multivariable analysis revealed that age was not an independent risk factor for complication occurrence after lumbar fusion.
Relativistic analysis of field-kinetic and canonical electromagnetic systems

We demonstrate the relativistic electromagnetic force and power distributions of the field-kinetic and canonical electromagnetic subsystems with respect to light normally incident upon a moving, lossless magnetodielectric slab of material. Time-averaged and time-varying studies are preformed to demonstrate the continuum mathematical approach and discern between the physical characteristics of both field-kinetic and canonical subsystems. It is shown that when considering time-averaged fields, both subsystems are equivalent and thereby yield equivalent electromagnetic force and power results. The time-varying case demonstrates the differences between the field-kinetic and canonical subsystems, where the field-kinetic subsystem attempts to distort the media and the canonical subsystem satisfies global conservation principles.
Recovery and relapse from major depressive disorder in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE Results from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Collaborative Study of the Psychobiology of Depression raised serious concerns about the longer-term prognosis for major depressive disorder in younger persons. However, little research has examined the prognosis for major depressive disorder in the elderly despite suggestions that they have poorer clinical outcomes than younger adults. The objective of this study was to 1) document rates of recovery and relapse from major depressive disorder in a large group of inpatient elderly and 2) compare recovery and relapse rates from major depressive disorder in the elderly with those in a mixed-age patient group from the NIMH collaborative study. METHOD The psychiatric status of 127 elderly inpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder by Research Diagnostic Criteria was evaluated for 1 year. The same diagnostic and follow-up method to assess psychiatric symptoms employed in the NIMH study were used. RESULTS One year after study admission, 72% of elderly patients had recovered. Nineteen percent of recovered patients, however, had a subsequent episode of major depressive disorder. Recovery and relapse rates in the elderly did not significantly differ from those reported for the mixed-age group in the NIMH study. CONCLUSIONS It is erroneous to single out the elderly as being more likely to have poorer longitudinal treatment outcomes than others. Study findings indicate the need for continued refinement of somatic and nonsomatic treatments for the elderly to improve rates of sustained recovery from depression.
Systemic Complications of Burn Injury

The pathophysiological effects of thermal injury are all pervasive, involving every organ system. Both the severity and the duration of organ function derangement are proportional to the extent of the burn and the myriad complications resulting therefrom may occur at any time between injury and late convalescence. Complications of treatment may also occur at any time in the post-burn course and necessitate modifications of therapy.
Humor and Psychopathology

In a book focusing mostly on emotion-related problems and psychological disorders, a chapter on humor seems a singularly happy choice, but humor, like most emotion-related behaviors, is a complex affair. While the emotion of joy may be the fundamental emotion expressed by laughter, the emotions of anger, contempt, and fear may also be couched in laughter. Levine shows how humor and laughter can both cure and kill. He demonstrates that humor and psychopathology are generally antipodal and that psychiatric patients typically perform poorly on tests of humor appreciation. He shows how people’s failure to appreciate a joke or a cartoon can furnish leads as to the nature of their problems, whether they be minor or pathological. He presents evidence for a relationship between certain types of response to humor and specific psychological disorders. He also shows how people can use humor and laughter for amusement or aggression.
Differences between White and Black young women in the relationship between religious service attendance and alcohol involvement

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We examined the associations of religious attendance during childhood (C-RA) and adulthood (A-RA) with alcohol involvement (ever drinking, timing of first alcohol use, and alcohol use disorder [AUD]) in White and Black female twins. As genetic and environmental factors influence religious attendance and alcohol involvement, we examined the extent to which they contribute to their association. METHODS: Data on 3,234 White and 553 Black female twins (18-29 years) from the Missouri Adolescent Female twin Study. Significant correlations between C-RA or A-RA and alcohol involvement were parsed into their additive genetic, shared environmental, and individual-specific environmental sources. RESULTS: C-RA was associated with ever drinking and timing of first alcohol use in Whites. A-RA was associated with ever drinking and AUD in both Whites and Blacks. Shared environmental influences did not contribute to alcohol or religiosity phenotypes in Blacks. In Whites, the association between C-RA and alcohol was due to shared environmental influences, whereas the association between A-RA and alcohol was attributable to additive genetic, shared environmental, and individual-specific environmental sources. Individual-specific environment and genetics contributed to associations between A-RA and ever drinking and AUD, respectively, in Blacks. CONCLUSIONS: Factors other than C-RA contribute to lower rates of alcohol involvement in Blacks. Shared environment does not contribute to links between A-RA and alcohol involvement in Blacks. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: The protective impact of childhood religiosity on alcohol use and misuse is important in Whites and is due to familial factors shared by religiosity and alcohol involvement. (Am J Addict 2016;XX:1-9).© 2016 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. Language: en
Toward generalized decision support systems for flood risk management

Despite the emergence of a large number of specialized decision-support systems (DSS) in the last decades, currently there are fewer efforts made for integrating the flood risk management relevant sciences with information and communication technologies into generalized DSS. Such systems are expected to formulate decision options for prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery from flood impacts with consideration of climate change, socio-economic evolution, and stakeholders’ input. Currently, there is no unified vision on the architecture, components, and the needed computer and communications technologies for attaining generic DSS for flood mitigation and resilience. Moreover, there is no guidance of what components should be developed first and in what order and how to efficiently include human-computer interfaces for efficient stakeholder engagement and consensus. This paper calls for the formation of a strategic global partnership for framing and subsequently assisting in the development of a generalized flood DSS (FLOODSS) that can overcome the current flood DSS limitations. The call is preceded by a review of the flood decision-support terminology and context. Subsequently, an initial vision on the FLOODSS is outlined and the steps for transitioning such a system from vision to practice are proposed.
Calibrating general posterior credible regions

An advantage of methods that base inference on a posterior distribution is that credible regions are readily obtained. Except in well-specified situations, however, there is no guarantee that such regions will achieve the nominal frequentist coverage probability, even approximately. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a general strategy that introduces an additional scalar tuning parameter to control the posterior spread, and we develop an algorithm that chooses this parameter so that the corresponding credible region achieves the nominal coverage probability.
Network connectedness in vertical and horizontal manufacturing joint venture formations: A power perspective

Abstract In the supply chain management (SCM) domain, research has been advanced to understand the role of network structure in buyer-supplier relations. Yet, while there has been a substantial body of work investigating supply chain networks, little research has paid attention to how the network structure affects the power balance between manufacturers and suppliers. This study investigates, from a power perspective, the role that network connectedness plays in new equity based joint venture formations. As such, we further the understanding of supply chain networks by examining network structure as a mechanism from which firms derive power. We articulate several hypotheses rooted in both network and power theories by specifically examining, from a power perspective, factors such as eigenvector centrality, closeness centrality, and weak components centrality. Further, we differentiate between horizontal and vertical joint venture configurations and elucidate the moderating effect it has in engendering new manufacturing joint venture formations. Empirical results show that structural network based power is a significant explanatory mechanism in new joint venture formation, and specifically, that power is, and should be a primary consideration in supply chain partnership decisions.
Linear child growth after a natural disaster: a longitudinal study of the effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Abstract Background The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, among the largest earthquakes in recorded history, spawned a major tsunami that devastated coastal communities in Aceh, Indonesia. This large-scale, natural disaster resulted in more than 170 000 deaths, displaced half a million people, and devastated large swathes of built infrastructure, arable land, and natural resources along the coast of Aceh. The disaster was followed by one of the largest reconstruction efforts undertaken in any developing country. We aimed to examine the effects of the disaster and subsequent reconstruction on the trajectory of linear child growth in children who were in-utero at the time of the tsunami until 2009–10, when the children were, on average, 5 years of age. Methods The earthquake and tsunami was a completely unanticipated large-scale environmental disaster that resulted in a combination of increased maternal psychosocial stress, reduced access to food, and reduced resources, broadly defined. The disaster was followed by a reconstruction effort that took several years to scale up and eventually resulted in substantial increases in resource availability. Using innovative population-representative longitudinal survey data, the Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and Recovery, which was collected before the tsunami and annually for 5 years after the tsunami, we compare child height after the tsunami of those children who were in utero at the time of the tsunami with cohorts of children not similarly exposed. Findings Using data for 4170 children, in 2006–07, the standardised height of those who were in utero at the time of the tsunami is a third of a standard deviation less than comparison cohorts that were not exposed in utero; the deficit is largest, two-thirds of a standard deviation, for children in the second trimester at the time of the tsunami. By age 5 years, these deficits are eliminated for all children who were in utero at the time of the tsunami except for one group of children. Mothers of 10% of children reported very high levels of post-traumatic stress reactivity; of these children, those exposed during the second trimester of the pregnancy remain about half a standard deviation shorter than the comparison children who were not exposed in utero. Interpretation These new findings provide evidence of substantial scope for catch-up growth in height for most children after a large-scale natural disaster and extremely successful reconstruction effort. However, some children remain vulnerable, particularly those whose mothers reported very high levels of post-traumatic stress reactivity, suggesting maternal stress is a key pathway for persistent deficits in linear growth. The results have important longer-term implications for future health and well-being. Funding National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and National Institutes on Aging.
VO2-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Platform with Addressable Microheater Matrix

This study reports on a reconfigurable antenna platform based on vanadium dioxide (VO2), a phase-change material (PCM) with low transition temperature, integrated with an addressable microheater matrix. For the first time, it is shown that an entire planar antenna can be thermally reconfigured virtually to any pattern by switching the phase of the selected regions of the VO2 layer from insulator to metallic state by indirect thermal stimuli generated by individually addressable nichrome resistive microheaters. Careful selection of the individual pixels to start the phase transition from insulator (OFF) to metallic (ON) state allows creating different antenna patterns with unique resonance properties. Reconfiguring the antenna into different patterns, operating frequency can be tuned from C-band (4–8 GHz) to X-band (8–12 GHz), and S-band (2–4 GHz) frequencies which cover the entire ultra wideband spectrum (3.1–10.6 GHz). The proposed approach provides a promising platform for designing monolithically integrated reconfigurable antennas, radio frequency devices, and circuits for various applications.
EIF1AX Mutation in a Patient with Hürthle Cell Carcinoma.

The EIF1AX gene is a novel cancer gene that has been reported in the tumorigenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. A 71-year-old woman presented with a right thyroid mass, which was follicular neoplasm on cytology. The fine needle aspirate of the nodule was examined by next-generation sequencing and found to harbor EIF1AX and TP53 mutations. Right thyroid lobectomy was performed with final pathology showing Hurthle cell carcinoma with capsular and vascular invasion. We report an EIF1AX mutation in a patient found to have Hurthle cell carcinoma.
Fast and robust spatiotemporal microvessel clutter filtering with randomized singular value decomposition (rSVD) and randomized spatial downsampling

Singular value decomposition (SVD)-based clutter filtering has demonstrated superior clutter rejection performance in the emerging field of ultrasound microvessel imaging. To alleviate the computational burden of SVD, here we present a fast and robust clutter filter using randomized SVD (rSVD) and randomized spatial downsampling (rSD). rSVD accelerates SVD by approximating and removing the first k-order singular values that represent tissue, and rSD achieves further speed-up by allowing parallel processing without introducing artifacts associated with regularized downsampling.
EXAFS Studies of Materials

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the basic ideas, experimental techniques, and a number of applications of the extended X-Ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique. The phenomenon of fine structure in the absorption coefficient that occurs in the first few hundred volts above an absorption edge has been known to exist for decades. Since about 1974, EXAFS techniques have made a major impact on the understanding of the structure of biological molecules, the molecular structure of liquids, the structure of amorphous semiconductors and insulators, the structural arrangements of adsorbates on single crystal surfaces, the structure of supported catalysts, and local structural arrangements in complicated crystals. The chapter discusses the theory of EXAFS and the methods of data analysis. It discusses various experimental techniques including those based at synchrotron and at laboratory facilities. The chapter discusses the absorption and the fluorescence methods of detecting EXAFS and discusses the application of EXAFS to the study of crystalline materials. It discusses disordered materials including amorphous semiconductors and glasses and reviews the studies of adsorbates and catalysts.
First demonstration of RF N-polar GaN MIS-HEMTs grown on bulk GaN using PAMBE

Nitrogen polar (N-Polar) GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMT) targeting high efficiency in millimeter wave power amplification applications were fabricated on epitaxial layers grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) on on-axis semi-insulating bulk GaN substrates. On-state current density of ~1 A mm−1 was observed on transistors with L G = 0.75 μm, L GS = 0.5 μm and L GD = 3.75 μm. In a deep class AB mode of operation, devices fabricated on epitaxial structures with these substrates demonstrated 60% higher electron channel mobility compared to devices fabricated with a similar epitaxial structure grown on sapphire substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. As the first demonstration of N-polar GaN-on-GaN MISHEMT for power amplifier applications, the devices discussed in this letter bridge a path towards achieving higher power gain and efficiency for millimeter-wave N-polar GaN HEMTs.
Narratives, identity and community in esports

The commercial and social ascendance of esports has become a source of considerable organisational, industrial, experiential and identity-based concern for those inside and outside the digital gami...
Paternal cigarette smoke alters DNA methylation in sperm and gene expression in offspring brain

ABSTRACT Background There is growing evidence that paternal pre-conception cigarette smoke (CS) exposure is associated with increased risk of behavioral disorders and cancer in offspring. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of paternal pre-conception CS exposure on sperm DNA methylation and offspring phenotype. Methodology/Principal To characterize the effects of CS exposure on the sperm epigenome and offspring neurodevelopment, we exposed male mice to CS and bred exposed and control males to unexposed females and subsequently evaluated sperm DNA methylation in sires and frontal cortex DNA methylation and gene expression in offspring. We further investigated the role of oxidative stress on sperm epigenetic changes using a mouse model (Nrf2-/-) with impaired antioxidant capacity. Lastly, we evaluated the capacity for sperm DNA methylation to recover following removal of CS for 1-5 spermatogenic cycles (28-171 days). Conclusions/Significance Smoking significantly impacts sperm DNA methylation as well as DNA methylation and gene expression in offspring. These changes were largely recapitulated in Nrf2-/- mice independent of smoke exposure. Recovery experiments indicated that about half of differentially methylated regions returned to normal within 28 days of removal from smoke exposure, however additional recovery following longer periods was not observed. We present strong evidence that cigarette smoke exposure induces paternally mediated, heritable epigenetic changes. Parallel studies performed in Nrf2-/- mice provide evidence for oxidative stress as the predominant underlying mechanism for smoke-induced epigenetic changes to sperm along with the associated effects in offspring. Lastly, recovery experiments indicate that while many epigenetic changes are corrected following removal from smoke exposure, aberrant methylation persists at a significant number of regions even after five spermatogenic cycles
P548 Imaging findings of Filamin A mutation in childhood onset respiratory disease

FLNA gene on Xq28 encodes Filamin A protein. Mutation in FLNA causes a wide variety of disease including skeletal dysplasia, neuronal migration abnormality, cardiovascular malformation, intellectual disability and intestinal obstruction. Recently childhood onset chronic respiratory disease associated with a range of FLNA mutations has been recognised and reported. In this poster, we present two further cases of pathogenic FLNA mutation associated pulmonary disease with a focus on the importance of radiology in helping to diagnose this condition and review the literature available on the topic. Previously reported cases showed that patients with FLNA mutation display characteristic findings on chest radiograph, CT thorax and MRI brain; findings that were consistent with the cases we present here. We will present the clinical history, imaging and genetics of these infants and highlight the radiological findings that contributed to the diagnosis of FLNA mutation including diffuse ground glass opacification and persistent interstitial changes on Chest Radiographs and CT as well as periventricular heterotopia on MRI Brain.
The Health Impact of Alcohol on American Cities: Modeling the Local Burden of Current Alcohol Use in One Jurisdiction

Measurement of alcohol use and associated harms at the city level is often incomplete or non-existent even though such data are often critical to informing local prevention strategies. This paper models how to generate local estimates of the morbidity, mortality, and cost of current alcohol use instead of abstaining. Administrative data sources, including medical examiner records, hospital records, and police records, among others, were used to obtain local estimates of alcohol-attributable outcomes. In 2018, we used alcohol-attributable fractions and scaled national estimates to quantify the burden of current alcohol use in Baltimore, MD, in 2013. Fifty-two percent of Baltimore adults reported past 30-day drinking. There were 276 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2013, and 106 (38.4%) of these were persons other than the drinker. In 2013, current alcohol use cost $582.3 million in Baltimore City. This burden was distributed across drinkers (40.1%), persons other than the drinker (21.3%), and the government (38.6%). It is possible to quantify this burden at the local level, and these data could be used to inform evidence-based alcohol policy strategies at the local level.
Data-driven experimental design for computational imaging (Conference Presentation)

Computational illumination microscopy has enabled imaging of a sample’s phase, spatial features beyond the diffraction limit (Fourier Ptychography), and 3D refractive index from intensity-based measurements captured on an LED array microscope. However, these methods require up to hundreds of images, limiting applications, particularly live sample imaging. Here, we demonstrate how the experimental design of a computational microscope can be optimized using data-driven methods to learn a compressed set of measurements, thereby improving the temporal resolution of the system. Specifically, we consider the image reconstruction as a physics-based network and learn the experimental design to optimize the system’s overall performance for a desired temporal resolution. Finally, we will discuss how the system’s experimental design can be learned on synthetic training data.
Provider Knowledge and Attitudes About Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Philadelphia.

Due to an increase in immigration from African countries, U.S. healthcare professionals are encountering women affected by Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). Little formal education exists in medical, nursing or midwifery schools. Additionally, very few studies assess attitudes and knowledge of U.S. providers to care for these women. In order to eventually offer FGM/C-affected women informed and culturally competent care, assessments of provider readiness and attitudes must guide future educational efforts. A voluntary survey was administered to healthcare providers prior to thirteen separate education sessions on FGM/C at Philadelphia institutions. Of the 229 surveys distributed, 227 were returned > 50% complete. 61.2% reported encountering FGM/C at least once in the past 5 years, yet 13.7% of participants reported receiving formal training in FGM/C; 77.5% felt unprepared and 47.1% uncomfortable serving patients with FGM/C. 34.1% of participants knew the matriarchal influence on the custom. The majority of providers accurately identified the short and long-term clinical consequences of FGM/C, but 67.7% of participants denied familiarity with laws regarding FGM/C. Attitude assessment revealed beliefs that all types of FGM/C are harmful and a practice rooted in tradition. While most providers reported encountering patients with FGM/C, lack of formal training leaves them unprepared and uncomfortable serving them. Results demonstrate misunderstanding of the tradition and motives of FGM/C. Our findings support the need for expansion of provider education to provide culturally competent care for women affected by FGM/C.
Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Fetal Growth

The insulin-like growth factors, IGF-I and IGF-II, are single-chain polypeptides chemically related to insulin that are synthesized in multiple fetal and adult tissues, and stimulate DMA synthesis and cell differentiation (1,2). IGF-I is regulated by growth hormone and nutritional factors, and promotes bone elongation in childhood (2). Based on results initially obtained in rats, IGF-II was proposed to play a role in fetal growth and development. This paper will review some of the evidence in support of this hypothesis, and discuss its applicability to human fetal development.
Cryoballoon and cryospray ablation therapies are equivalent for eradication of Barrett's esophagus

Abstract Background Cryotherapy ablation has emerged as an alternative to radiofrequency ablation for eradication of Barrett's esophagus. Limited comparative data exists on cryoballoon versus cryospray ablation. The aim was to compare these two modalities in treatment naive dysplastic Barrett's esophagus. Methods This is a retrospective study comparing cryoballoon ablation to cryospray ablation. Patients were included if: 1) they had confirmed BE with dysplasia on histology reviewed at our institution, 2) underwent cryotherapy every 3 months for a minimum of 2 sessions 3) were treatment naive to ablation prior to cryotherapy 4) had at least 12 months follow up or achieved complete eradication of intestinal metaplasia (CE-IM) with at least one subsequent endoscopic biopsy confirmation. Primary outcomes were complete eradication of dysplasia (CE-D) and CE-IM at 18 months. Results A total of 71 patients were analyzed. Forty-six underwent cryoballoon ablation and 25 underwent cryospray therapy. There was no crossover between groups. CE-D and CE-IM were achieved in 95.6% and 84.75% in the cryoballoon group vs. 96% and 80% in the cryospray group respectively (p = 0.94 and 0.61 respectively). Conclusions Cryoballoon and cryospray ablation were equivalent in a tertiary care center. Prospective studies are needed to conform this study.
Implementation of progressive failure for fatigue based on cycle-dependent material property degradation model

Anisotropic composite materials have been extensively utilized in mechanical, automotive, aerospace and other engineering areas due to high strength/weight ratio, superb resistance to corrosion and excellent thermos-mechanical properties. As the use of composite materials increases, determination of material properties, mechanical analysis and failure of the structure become essential for the design of composite structure. In particular, the fatigue failure is important to ensure that structures can survive in harsh environmental conditions. The non-homogeneous character of composites induces diverse failure modes of the constituent including fiber fracture, matrix cracking, fiber-matrix interface failure, and delamination, which makes their fatigue behavior very complex in comparison with traditional engineering materials. In this study, based on different failure modes of a unidirectional ply under multiaxial stress states, a progressive damage theory is extended to simulate fatigue failure in composite laminates subjected to cyclic loadings. A cycle-dependent material property degradation model was employed to predict deterioration of the material properties due to arbitrary stress state and ratio. This cycle-dependent material property degradation rule is implemented into user subroutine USDFLD in ABAQUS through which cycle-dependent material degradation states are updated over fatigue loading. The present computational implementation is tested by comparing the experimental fatigue behavior of a 30-degree off-axis specimen with the simulation result obtained by the present implantation. The comparison between the experimental and simulation results demonstrates the successful simulation capability of the present implementation.
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Is a Marginal Host for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a well-documented pest of agricultural crops across the globe. However, not all crops are suitable hosts for H. halys, and it is necessary to proactively document the susceptibility of economically important specialty crops, such as cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon; Ericaceae), a native fruit crop that contributes millions of dollars to the North American economy. In this study, we tested whether cranberry is a suitable host for H. halys by measuring the development and feeding injury inflicted by H. halys on cranberry fruit and foliage. We found that H. halys nymphs cannot successfully develop on cranberry fruit or foliage alone, but that the fruit are susceptible to adult feeding. On the basis of these findings, cranberry does not seem to be a suitable host to support nymph development, but adult feeding could negatively impact fruit quality. Future research should consider the impacts of adult feeding on fruit quality and how adult abundance in and near agricultural crops might change the risk profile of this pest.
Chilaiditi syndrome in pediatric patients - Symptomatic hepatodiaphragmatic interposition of colon: A case report and review of literature

Chilaiditi syndrome in pediatric patients - Symptomatic hepatodiaphragmatic interposition of colon: A case report and review of literature
Automated Driving of Trucks and Buses: Opportunities for Increasing Productivity and Safety While Reducing Fuel Use and Emissions

Automation technology can expand the performance envelope for heavy vehicles by eliminating the limitations imposed by driver performance. Accurate automatic steering control makes it possible for the vehicles to operate safely, and over a full speed range, within lanes only slightly wider than the vehicles themselves.
Construction Cost Control by the Owner

A procedure to reducce facility cost in an on-going major construction program has been development and used by the United States Postal Service, an independent agency in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Starting with the removal of unnecessary frills and using lesser cost items of the adequate quality, together with a requirement that the architect engineer stay within a construction cost limitation, has been combined with improved contract administration to obtain measurable cost reductions at a time of increasing inflation. The paper illustrates the use of known procedures and techniques to produce cost reduction without compromising quality or agency mission.
Wearing gloves for milking in Western New York: To wear or not to wear?

Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS) offers evaluations of the dairy farm operation with regard to optimal and safe production of high quality raw milk. Federal standard for milk SCC currently is 750,000 cells/ml. QMPS provides herd evaluations to prevent any rise in bulk tank SCC above regulatory level. Risk factors are identified and addressed. Milkers can transfer mastitis-causing pathogens from their hands to uninfected teats, thus a biosecurity recommendation has been that milkers wear gloves for any milking routine. There is no data about wearing gloves for milking in Western New York. The objective of this study was to give preliminary data on this strategy in Western New York. Between April 2010 and March 2011, QMPS regional lab (Geneseo, NY) performed 50 whole herd samplings because these herds violated the federal standard for SCC (i.e. herds were required by law to participate in our program), and 61 herds voluntarily asked for a whole or partial herd sampling (i.e. herds participating in our program as a preventative action). A survey questionnaire included a question about wearing gloves for milking, no questions were made on farmers’ opinion about wearing gloves. Descriptive analyses were used to explore the data. The association of violating federal SCC standard and wearing gloves was analyzed by logistic regression. Across all farms, gloves were worn in 48.7% of the herds, while gloves were not worn in 51.3% of them. Stratifying by herds (i.e. required versus voluntary) indicated that gloves were only worn in 16% of the required herds, while milkers wore gloves in 84% of the voluntary herds (P<0.001). Herds where milkers have worn gloves had lower odds of violating the federal SCC regulation compared to those herds where milkers did not wear gloves (OR: 0.071, SE: 0.033. P<0.001). In conclusion, in about half of the dairy farms, milkers wore gloves for any milking routine in Western New York. Wearing gloves was generally associated with lower bulk milk SCC.
Using maximum likelihood spectral deconvolution in multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the maximum likelihood method (MLM) at a practitioner's level, illustrates results of MLM spectral deconvolution under conditions typical of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) NMR experiments on nucleic acids and proteins, and offers advice on optimal application of the method. Quantification of frequencies and intensities is excellent for cross-peaks determined by MLM and a related protocol, symmetrized maximum likelihood (SML) deconvolution, the latter exploiting the symmetry properties of the experimental spectrum together with MLM deconvolution Maximum likelihood reconstruction is easily applied to a wide range of multidimensional NMR spectra. There are few parameters to specify, and the method should find most important use in relatively small, crowded spectral regions. The frequency fidelity of the reconstruction is excellent, as is the quantitative integration of peaks, provided the protocols described are adhered to. Although the most conspicuous feature of the reconstructed spectra is the apparent reduction in noise, the most useful aspect is actually the sharpening of spectral features. The latter is a great aid to assignment and integration of peaks in heavily overlapped regions.