cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Borderline Personality in the Medical Setting

Objective: Individuals with borderline personality disorder in mental health settings tend to present with relationship difficulties, mood instability/dysphoria, and overt self-harm behavior. In contrast, it appears that individuals with borderline personality disorder in medical settings manifest physical symptoms that are medically difficult to substantiate. Through a review of the literature, we examine 2 symptom manifestations among patients with borderline personality in primary care and general medical settings—namely pain sensitivity and multiple somatic complaints. In addition to reviewing the research of others, we also highlight our own investigations into these 2 areas.
MEASUREMENTS VERSUS PREDICTIONS FOR A HYBRID (HYDROSTATIC PLUS HYDRODYNAMIC) THRUST BEARING FOR A RANGE OF ORIFICE DIAMETERS

A fixed-geometry hybrid thrust bearing is investigated with three different supply-orifice diameters, (1.63, 1.80, and 1.93 mm). The test rig uses a face-to-face thrust bearing design, with the test bearing acting as the rotor loading mechanism. A hydraulic shaker applies the static axial load, which is reacted by a second (slave) thrust bearing. The rotor is supported radially by two water-lubricated fluid film journal bearings and is attached to a 30,600 rpm motor via a high speed coupling with very low axial stiffness. Thrust bearings are tested for a range of supply pressures (5.17, 10.34, 17.34 bars), fluid film thicknesses, and speeds (7.5, 12.5, and 17.5 krpm). The water-lubricated test bearings have eight pockets, with feed orifices located centrally in each pocket. Experimental results are comparted to predictions found using the bulk-flow model HYDROTHRUST®.Analysis of the data reveals generally good agreements between predictions and measurements. Thrust-bearing inlet supply and inner radius flow rates all decreased with decreasing orifice diameters and bearing axial clearances. In most cases, the bearings with larger orifice diameters exhibit higher recess pressure ratios, operating clearances, and flow rates. The 1.93 mm orifice diameter configuration does not display higher recess pressure ratios or operating clearances at high speeds for some supply pressures, but it does continue to require additional lubricant flow rate compared to the smaller orifice bearings. In these cases, the results are not reflected in predictions, which otherwise correlate very well with experimental measurements. Estimations of static loading axial stiffness are obtained using experimental results.An optimum hybrid thrust bearing orifice diameter will depend on the conditions of individual applications. Larger orifices generally provide larger operating clearances and higher stiffnesses, but also require higher flow rates. For most applications, a compromise of bearing performance parameters will be desired. The test results and comparisons presented will aid in sizing orifice diameters for future hybrid thrust bearing designs and in validating and improving models and predictions.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Understanding dislocation mechanics at the mesoscale using phase field dislocation dynamics

In this paper, we discuss the formulation, recent developments and findings obtained from a mesoscale mechanics technique called phase field dislocation dynamics (PFDD). We begin by presenting recent advancements made in modelling face-centred cubic materials, such as integration with atomic-scale simulations to account for partial dislocations. We discuss calculations that help in understanding grain size effects on transitions from full to partial dislocation-mediated slip behaviour and deformation twinning. Finally, we present recent extensions of the PFDD framework to alternative crystal structures, such as body-centred cubic metals, and two-phase materials, including free surfaces, voids and bi-metallic crystals. With several examples we demonstrate that the PFDD model is a powerful and versatile method that can bridge the length and time scales between atomistic and continuum-scale methods, providing a much needed understanding of deformation mechanisms in the mesoscale regime.
Thickness-Dependent Electrical Properties in Lanthanum-Doped Pzt Thick Films

Lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) films, with thickness up to 10 μm, are fabricated on platinized silicon substrates through a modified sol-gel technique. Thicknessdependent piezoelectric properties measured with a double-beam laser interferometer show piezoelectric relaxation in field-induced strain as the ac driving field exceeds 10 kV/cm. In addition, the strain levels of PLZT thick films are approximately one third of those of undoped PZT films under the same fabrication and measurement conditions. For 1 μm PZT(55/45) films doped with 0, 2, and 4 mole% La, the P-E hysteresis exhibits decreasing squareness with increasing lanthanum content while the piezoelectric d33 coefficient reduces from 130 to 52 pC/N. Residual (tensile) stress in these films and resulted depoling effect may be responsible for this phenomenon.
Failure of Laboratory Colonies of Body Lice to Develop Resistance to Malathion

When 3 strains of Pediculus humanus humanus L. were treated with malathion every generation for 22-44 generations, none developed any degree of resistance, but 2 showed about a 2-fold increase in tolerance.
The Washing of Socks

1. The saving of water problem. A desert sheik knows from long experience that his socks must be washed in at least A cc of water in order to be comfortably clean. That is, the socks are sloshed around in A cc of water, wrung out, and dried. Ali, his wash boy, wishes to sell some of the water allowed him. How much water can he save by washing in steps and still return the socks sufficiently clean? To answer this question we assume that the sloshing dissolves all the dirt completely and mixes it uniformly throughout the water being used at that step. It turns out that the algebra is simpler if the socks are assumed damp when given to Ali, and we make this assumption, too. Suppose the damp socks hold a cc of water, and initially the dirty socks contain d gms of dirt. The sheik's instructions imply that "clean" socks will contain no more than
“Hot” girls and “cool dudes”: Examining the prevalence of the heterosexual script in American children’s television media

As children’s consumption of media increases, examining the messages prevalent in popular TV programs is central to understanding how children learn to view and understand gender. A coding scheme of themes of the “heterosexual script” related to gender, sexuality, and relationships developed by Kim
Abstract 142: Design and Implementation of an Electronic Process for Provider-ordered Post-hospitalization Follow-up Appointment Scheduling for Inpatients in an Academic Cardiology Department

Introduction: Post-hospitalization outpatient follow-up visits are important components of high quality care for patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, challenges in scheduling appointments prevent many patients from obtaining timely post-discharge care. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that a streamlined process for follow-up appointment scheduling utilizing the electronic order entry system would be an effective means of scheduling post-discharge visits for many inpatient admissions. Methods: In effort to increase patient access to post-discharge care, we designed a process for electronic provider-ordered follow-up appointment scheduling that was implemented on cardiology inpatient services in a large academic medical center in January 2014. During a patient hospitalization, providers were given the capability to order a follow-up appointment via the electronic order entry system. The order allows providers to designate the time-frame for follow-up, desired outpatient providers, and patient scheduling preferences. These orders are electronically transmitted to appointment schedulers, who schedule visits within two hours of order entry six days per week. Appointment information is reviewed with patients prior to discharge. Results: During the first 12 months after implementation (January to December 2014), 3406 follow-up appointment orders were placed for 2749 patients, or 1.24 visits ordered per patient. At least one visit ordered for 49.8% of the total 5534 cardiology admissions. The percentage of admitted patients for whom an outpatient visit was ordered from the first through fourth three-month interval in 2014 significantly increased: 28.2%; 48.0%, 53.4%, and 63%, respectively (Figure, p<0.0001). Conclusion: A post-hospitalization outpatient appointment scheduling process using the electronic order entry system can be an effective method for scheduling follow-up visits for many inpatients prior to discharge. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Paracrine downregulation of Fc gamma RIII in human monocyte-derived macrophages induced by phagocytosis of nonopsonized particles.

Monocytes and macrophages can take up nonopsonized particles through a direct phagocytic process and IgG-coated particles through combined mechanisms of nonspecific phagocytosis and internalization mediated by specific Fc receptors for IgG (Fc gamma R) on the plasma membrane. In this study, we report the effect of phagocytosis of nonopsonized latex beads on the levels of expression of Fc gamma receptors in human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) as measured by flow cytometry (fluorescence-activated cell sorter [FACS]). Macrophages were exposed to green fluorescent 1-micron polystyrene beads before labeling for Fc gamma RI, Fc gamma R-II, and Fc gamma R-III, respectively, with 32.2, 2E1, and 3G8 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) and a phycoerythrin (PE)- conjugated secondary Ab to permit dual-channel analysis of fluorescence intensity by FACS. Macrophages that had phagocytosed at least one bead showed reduced levels of surface Fc gamma R-III but not Fc gamma R-I or Fc gamma R-II when compared with cells that had never been exposed to beads. Moreover, cells that were not in direct contact with beads, but that shared medium with cells that had phagocytosed beads also had reduced levels of Fc gamma R-III but not Fc gamma R-I or Fc gamma R-II, suggesting a cytokine-mediated mechanism of Fc gamma R-III downregulation. Phagocytosis of 1-micron beads alone stimulated macrophages to release tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). The medium from macrophages phagocytosing beads could stimulate other macrophages not in direct contact with beads to release TNF-alpha as well, but such paracrine-triggered release could be reduced by more than 50% if the medium from the phagocytosing cells was first treated with a neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antibody. Moreover, the paracrine downregulation of Fc gamma R-III described above could also be blocked if the neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antibody was added to the medium of phagocytosing cells. Treatment of macrophages with recombinant human TNF-alpha in the absence of beads induced decreased levels of Fc gamma R-III but not of Fc gamma R-II. These results show that paracrine downregulation of Fc gamma R-III is mediated by a TNF-alpha-dependent mechanism.
Studies on Succinate Dehydrogenase XX. AMINO ACID SEQUENCE AROUND THE FLAVIN SITE

Abstract It is known from previous work that succinate dehydrogenase contains FAD covalently linked to a ring nitrogen of histidine via the 8α-methylene group of riboflavin. In the present study a tryptic-chymotryptic pentapeptide and a tryptic peptide of 23 amino acids, each containing histidyl riboflavin, have been isolated in pure form and their amino acid sequences determined. The primary structure in the flavin region was found to be Ser-His(flavin)-Thr-Val-Ala-Ala-Glx-Gly-Gly-Ile-Asx-Leu-Ala-Ala-Gly-Asx-Met-Asp-Glu-Asx-Glx-Trp-Arg.
Comparison of Perioperative Outcomes between the Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap and Fasciocutaneous Free Flap

Objective Outcomes of the supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) have not been extensively studied in comparison with free tissue transfer (FTT) flaps for head and neck reconstruction. We hypothesize that the pedicled SCAIF has decreased operating room time, length of stay, time to wound healing of recipient site, complications, and hospital charges as compared with FTT. Study design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary care teaching hospital. Subjects and methods Medical records were reviewed for patients who underwent SCAIF (n = 45) or FTT (n = 28) reconstruction between 2011 and 2013. Results Total operating room time was significantly lower for the SCAIF group vs the FTT group (6.7 vs 8.1 hours, P = .002). Procedural time was 5.7 hours for the SCAIF group, as compared with 7.2 hours for FTT group (P = .0015). Mean area for SCAIF donor site was 63.89 cm(2) vs 81.8 cm(2) for the radial forearm free flap group (P = .015). There was no significant difference in mean length of stay between SCAIF (8.8 days) and FTT (11 days, P = .12). Mean length of time to wound healing of the recipient site was similar in the SCAIF group vs the FTT group (17.3 vs 22.1 days, P = .071). Ratio of total hospital charges for SCAIF were 32% lower than that of FTT (P = .0001). Conclusion This is among the first studies to compare SCAIF with FTT in a large cohort analysis. We find decreased operating room times for SCAIF vs FTT, with similar length of stay and wound healing. Other outcomes between SCAIF and FTT were also comparable.
Rejecting Rights: A theory of justification: specifying the appropriate legislative purpose

Having outlined contemporary political theory's turn to Justification, I draw from these other accounts to propose my own, a theory that aims to better ensure and balance the values of liberty and democracy. My method of argumentation is to make my particular theory of Justification – my account of limited government – attractive through its application. Rather than arguing to my justificatory constraint – mine is not a foundational argument – I first present it constantly proving its superiority to the more conventional regime of rights. My account of limited government turns our attention to the state's reason or rationale for acting. It reorients the way we think about limiting democratic majorities. Again, the two central questions in any theory of Justification are: what needs justifying and how is it justified? I submit that the “what” component is state action and the “how” is the minimization of demonstrable, non-consensual harm. In other words: The democratic state may only seek to minimize (mitigate, prevent, regulate, etc.) demonstrable, non-consensual harm. This is the only reason that the state may appeal to justify its actions. This is what it means for a democratic state to act with good reason or to act non-arbitrarily. Rather than specify activities that the state may not infringe upon (or must respect), this theory of Justification identifies the rationales that the polity must proffer to support a particular decision. I do not consider variations on this justificatory principle.
The uniform-score gene set analysis of genetic pathways associated with diabetes traits

G heritability and expression study have shown that different diabetes traits have common genetic components and pathways. The Uniform-Score Gene-Set Analysis (USGSA) is a computationally efficient method for pathway enrichment test that unifies different gene measures by a uniform score for identifying pathways from genome-wide association and expression data and an R package of snp Gene Sets is implemented to facilitate the analysis. USGSA was applied to identify common pathways associated with diabetes traits based on public dbGaP GWAS results following a two-stage study strategy: the stage I of 11 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) GWAS and the stage II of 5 independent GWAS. The study identified 7 gene sets that contain binding motifs at promoter region of component genes for 5 Transcription Factors (TFs) of FOXO4, TCF3, NFAT, VSX1 and POU2F1 and microRNA of mir-218. These gene sets include 25 common genes that are among top 5% of the gene associations over genome for all GWAS. To further evaluate the identified diabetes pathways, 30 microarray data of different tissues was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus. The USGSA with meta-analysis showed that 6 gene sets are also enriched for top 5% of the differential gene expressions. The pathway analysis suggested that different diabetes traits share common pathways and diabetes pathogenesis at varied tissues is potentially regulated by common TFs and microRNA.
Metformin treatment reduces temozolomide resistance of glioblastoma cells.

// Seung Ho Yang 1, 2, 3, * , Shenglan Li 1, 3, * , Guangrong Lu 1 , Haipeng Xue 1, 3 , Dong H. Kim 1, 3 , Jay-Jiguang Zhu 1, ** , Ying Liu 1, 3, ** 1 Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA 2 Department of Neurosurgery, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, South Korea 3 Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA * These authors contributed equally to this work ** These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jay-Jiguang Zhu, email: jay.jiguang.zhu@uth.tmc.edu Ying Liu, email: ying.liu@uth.tmc.edu Keywords: glioblastoma, metformin, temozolomide resistance, SOX2, global gene expression Received: September 07, 2016 Accepted: October 14, 2016 Published: October 24, 2016 ABSTRACT It has been reported that metformin acts synergistically with temozolomide (TMZ) to inhibit proliferation of glioma cells including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, the molecular mechanism underlying how metformin exerts its anti-cancer effects remains elusive. We used a combined experimental and bioinformatics approach to identify genes and complex regulatory/signal transduction networks that are involved in restoring TMZ sensitivity of GBM cells after metformin treatment. First, we established TMZ resistant GBM cell lines and found that the resistant cells regained TMZ sensitivity after metformin treatment. We further identified that metformin down-regulates SOX2 expression in TMZ-resistant glioma cells, reduces neurosphere formation capacity of glioblastoma cells, and inhibits GBM xenograft growth in vivo . Finally, the global gene expression profiling data reveals that multiple pathways are involved in metformin treatment related gene expression changes, including fatty acid metabolism and RNA binding and splicing pathways. Our work provided insight of the mechanisms on potential synergistic effects of TMZ and metformin in the treatment of glioblastoma, which will in turn yield potentially translational value for clinical applications.
Institutional structures utilized in state revenue forecasting

Approaches taken by states in their revenue forecasting are extremely diverse. This research identifies six institutional structures that states utilize in their revenue forecasting processes. The results show that the “typical” state utilizes a non-consensual approach to forecast formulation with the forecast being done by a single executive agency or cabinet office and with the executive having the final say in the forecast. The “typical” state will not have an economic advisory council, but will utilize faculty from local universities. The “typical” state updates its forecast about every six months and the forecasters perceive their forecast as binding the state budget.
In vivo recruitment of mitochondrial VO2: test of current models using tissue data.

One of the most diligently studied and least understood biological processes is the control of and oxidative phosphorylation in vivo.
Determination of the π-π Interaction Strength from π-N Scattering

The role of pi - pi interaction in pi -N scattering is considered, particularly in the pion production process. The effects that result from the pi - pi interaction are discussed. A quantitative estimate of the pi - pi interaction strength is obtained by isolating the contribution of the one-pion exchange diagram from all others. This is accomplished by using the fact that this matrix element becomes infinite when the exchanged pion is real. (W.D.M.)
Why Intrinsicness Should Be Defined in a Non-reductive Way

Defining the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic properties has turned out to be one of the most difficult and controversial tasks in contemporary metaphysics. It is generally assumed that a definition of intrinsicness should aim to avoid as many counterexamples as possible and reduce the notion to less controversial philosophical notions. In this paper, the author argues for a new methodological approach to defining intrinsicness. Rather than trying to cover as many intuitive examples as possible, a definition of intrinsicness should reflect the crucial features of our intuitive understanding of the notion, and one of these features is that the intrinsic/extrinsic distinction has to be characterized in a non-reductive way.
Underwater Image Dehazing with a Light Field Camera

Underwater vision is subject to effects of underwater light propagation that act to absorb, scatter, and attenuate light rays between the scene and the imaging platform. Backscattering has been shown to have a strong impact on underwater images. As light interacts with particulate matter in the water column, it is scattered back towards the imaging sensor, resulting in a hazy effect across the image. A similar effect occurs in terrestrial applications in images of foggy scenes due to interaction with the atmosphere. Prior work on multi-image dehazing has relied on multiple cameras, polarization filters, or moving light sources. Single image dehazing is an ill-posed problem; proposed solutions rely on strong priors of the scene. This paper presents a novel method for underwater image dehazing using a light field camera to capture both the spatial and angular distribution of light across a scene. First, a 2D dehazing method is applied to each sub-aperture image. These dehazed images are then combined to produce a smoothed central view. Lastly, the smoothed central view is used as a reference to perform guided image filtering, resulting in a 4D dehazed underwater light field image. The developed method is validated on real light field data collected in a controlled in-lab water tank, with images taken in air for reference. This dataset is made publicly available.
Putting engineering judgment in conversation with engineering communication

ABET has proposed new changes to the EAC's Criteria 3 that will take effect in 2018. Among many changes and rearrangements is the introduction of the term ‘engineering judgment’ as one of the competencies students must develop to prepare them for professional engineering. However, engineering judgment is not defined in the criteria, and while it is a ubiquitous concept in the philosophy of engineering and engineering education, there is little empirical investigation into what counts as engineering judgment in practice. Furthermore, there is even less conceptual or empirical investigations into communication's role in the practice of engineering judgment. Ethnographic data reveal engineering judgment may be fruitfully understood by educators preparing today's engineers working in teams and multidisciplinary, sociotechnical environments as not a cognitive and individual ability to apply technical knowledge, but instead a capacity of participants to rhetorically establish common cause to interrogate and reflect on technical data and situations.
Nb-Ti Alloy Superconductors—Present Status and Potential for Improvement

Nb-Ti alloys were first introduced for superconductivity about 15 years ago with the titanium-rich alloy Nb 65 wt.% Ti (Ti 22 at.% Nb). Compared with existing Nb-Zr alloys, this alloy possessed the twin advantages of better ductility and greater compatibility with copper. With the realization in the late sixties that many conductor instabilities could be eliminated by subdividing and twisting the superconductor, the emphasis shifted to more ductile compositions of Nb-Ti, and Nb 65 wt.% Ti gave way to more niobium-rich alloys, containing about Nb 45 wt.% Ti. Most of the development of filamentary Nb-Ti conductors then was stimulated by high-energy physics (HEP), whose principal requirement was pulsed accelerator magnets. The conductor for such magnets contains many strands; each is small (<1 mm) and contains many 10- to 15-μm-diameter filaments. The critical current density, J c , of the conductor is optimized for use at 5 T and 4.2 to 4.5 K. By the use of rather empirical methods, the current density of the standard United States alloy Nb 46.5 wt.% Ti (Ti 37 at.% Nb) was steadily developed to reach 1800 to 2000 A/mm2 at 5 T and 4.2 K in fine-filament conductors.
Co-occurring Disorders and Integrated Treatment

This chapter deals with the treatment and rehabilitation of persons who have both a serious mental illness and a substance abuse disorder, commonly referred to as co-occurring disorders. Persons with a severe mental illness have a much greater risk of developing a substance abuse disorder than those without mental illness. The difficulties of having both types of disorders at the same time are multiplied by the fact that they interact, each aggravating or exacerbating the other. In addition, coming from different philosophical and educational backgrounds, the service providers for these different conditions often have conflicting and sometimes contradictory approaches. Services that have been developed to address these problems and other issues involved in helping this dually diagnosed population are discussed.
Traditional attributes moo-ve over for some consumer segments: Relative ranking of fluid milk attributes.

Abstract Due to the decrease in fluid milk consumption as a beverage in the United States, the importance for dairy industry stakeholders to understand attribute preferences for consumer segments has increased. This paper uses a representative sample of U.S. residents to determine shopping behavior and a Best-Worst experimental design to examine consumer preferences for select milk attributes. The Random Parameters Logit model revealed the largest preference shares were for price (19.1%), fat content (17.6%), and humane handling (16.1%). Segmentation of the respondents was analyzed using a Latent Class Model, and the demographics of segments were analyzed by probabilistic assignment. This contribution, which may be applied to other products, allows for a detailed understanding of consumer preferences for fluid milk. Demographics such as gender and age were not statistically different across the five classes for this topic, unlike shopping behavior. Class 2 was named “The Balancing Act” due to respondents’ balance between animal welfare aspects and the physical characteristics of milk. Class 5 was dubbed “Value and Volume” due to large preference shares for price and container size. A lower percentage of respondents in “The Balancing Act” (12.2%) reported purchasing fat-free skim milk when compared to the percentage of respondents in “Value and Volume” (18.6%). Due to the large preference shares for traditional milk attributes, Class 3 was named “Traditional Milk Shoppers.” A higher percentage of respondents in “Value and Volume” also reported always reading the information on meat, egg, or milk products when compared to “Traditional Milk Shoppers” (12.2%). Although price is still important to many consumers, certain segments have preferences or demand for other attributes that may be satisfied by producers to increase market share or price premiums.
Prospective associations between insomnia symptoms and alcohol use problems among former and current military service personnel

Abstract Background Despite evidence that insomnia symptoms exacerbate alcohol use disorder symptoms, there is a dearth of prospective research testing bidirectional associations between these variables. Furthermore, no studies have prospectively examined these associations among military personnel, a vulnerable population for sleep- and alcohol-related problems. Thus, the current study examined whether insomnia symptoms prospectively predicted increased alcohol use disorder symptoms among a sample of military service members and veterans over a 6-month follow-up period, as well as whether alcohol use disorder symptoms led to increases in insomnia. Method Hypotheses were tested among a sample of 274 current and past military service members who participated in a baseline and 6-month assessment using self-report measures. Results Path analyses revealed that insomnia symptoms significantly prospectively predicted increased month-6 heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems, but not days drinking or being bothered by drinking. None of the alcohol variables significantly predicted insomnia. Conclusion Results support a model in which insomnia symptoms exacerbate alcohol use disorder symptoms, specifically heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. Future research should seek to examine these findings in diverse populations and test potential mechanisms and clinical implications of these results.
Effectiveness of the Bio-Inspired Firefly Algorithm in Adaptive Signal Processing for Nonlinear Systems

In this paper the performance of the Genetic Algorithm (GA), the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, the Modified Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO) algorithm, and the Levy Flight Firefly Algorithm (LFFA) are compared for system identification with various types of nonlinear systems. When performing system identification with Volterra nonlinear adaptive structures, matched-order fixed-nonlinearity LNL filter structures, reduced-order adaptable-nonlinearity LNL filter structures and neural networks the LFFA generally demonstrates faster convergence rates and lower minimum mean square errors (MMSE) compared to the GA, PSO, and MPSO algorithms. This work includes performance comparisons of these algorithms when applied to nonlinear system identification.
Few-Cycle Pulses and Ultraflat Supercontinuum with Silicon-Nitride Waveguides

We experimentally demonstrate and numerically analyze few-cycle pulse generation in silicon-chip waveguides made from silicon nitride. When these pulses seed supercontinuum generation in two-section waveguides, coherent ultraflat spectra spanning more than an octave can be realized © 2019 The Author(s)
Wearable cardioverter defibrillators: dead on arrival or chance of survival?

Sudden cardiac death affects over 300,000 individuals annually in the United States (1-4), and it comprises 40–50% of total cardiovascular disease-related deaths (3). The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) gained FDA approval in 2002 (5) and is a guideline-directed therapy intended to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death from death from ventricular tachyarrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) (2,6). However, it is well-documented that ideal use of the WCD (trade name LifeVest ® ) is constrained by size and weight of the device as well as development of a rash (7-9). The recent groundbreaking research released by the VEST Trial investigators has cast further doubt on the validity of the device by failing to demonstrate a significantly lower rate of death from tachyarrhythmias among WCD users (10). Also considering that premature discontinuation rates are as high as 30% (11), this begs the question: Is the WCD dead on arrival, or does it have a chance of survival with some modifications?
Impaired Movement Scaling and Reduced Synchrony with Vestibule Closure Characterize Swallowing in Severe Dysphagia

The contribution of hyoid and laryngeal movement deficits to penetration or aspiration in dysphagia is unclear, partly due to large variations in normal hyolaryngeal kinematics for swallowing. In healthy volunteers, laryngeal and hyoid kinematics relate to the requirements for laryngeal vestibule closure suggesting a central schematic control of movement magnitude and patterning for airway protection. Our first aim was to determine if patients with severe dysphagia showed evidence of an impaired swallowing schema, by examining if their kinematic measures were related to their hyolaryngeal space before swallow onset, and if hyolaryngeal movement synchrony for vestibule closure was disrupted. Our second aim was to determine the kinematic measures that predicted bolus penetration and aspiration in dysphagia. The methods included two-dimensional measures of the hyoid and laryngeal anterior and superior displacement and velocity, and the change in laryngeal vestibule area made from videofluoroscopic swallow recordings of 21 healthy volunteers and 21 patients with dysphagia on tube feeding secondary to the stroke or head and neck cancer. The results demonstrated that the patients did not adapt their hyolaryngeal movements during swallowing to their initial hyolaryngeal space. Further, none of the patients' measures of hyoid or laryngeal peak velocity timing were synchronized with vestibule closure, demonstrating a disorganized movement patterning. Laryngeal elevation peak velocity independently predicted penetration and aspiration. In conclusion, the central schema for swallowing patterning was disturbed, impairing the integration of kinematic actions for airway protection in severe dysphagia, while laryngeal peak elevation velocity predicted penetration and aspiration on patient swallows.
Understanding the Care Ecologies of Veterans with PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) disproportionately affects United States veterans, yet they may be reluctant to seek or engage in care. We interview 21 participants, including veterans with PTSD, clinicians who treat veterans and friends and family that support veterans through mental health ordeals. We investigate the military identity these veterans share. We explore how this may add to their reluctance in care-seeking behaviors. We also explore the roles of human and non-human intermediaries in ecologies of care and the potential for enhancing patient empowerment in current clinical treatment contexts. We discuss how military culture can be utilized in clinical care, how multiple perspectives can be leveraged to create a more holistic view of the patient, and finally, how veterans can be empowered during treatment. We conclude with recommendations for the design of sociotechnical systems that prioritize the above in support of the mental well-being of veterans with PTSD.
Deep brain stimulation of terminating axons.

Abstract Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic region is an established treatment for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Several types of neural elements reside in the subthalamic region, including subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons, fibers of passage, and terminating afferents. Recent studies suggest that direct activation of a specific population of subthalamic afferents, known as the hyperdirect pathway, may be responsible for some of the therapeutic effects of subthalamic DBS. Objective The goal of this study was to quantify how axon termination affects neural excitability from DBS. We evaluated how adjusting different stimulation parameters influenced the relative excitability of terminating axons (TAs) compared to fibers of passage (FOPs). Methods We used finite element electric field models of DBS, coupled to multi-compartment cable models of axons, to calculate activation thresholds for populations of TAs and FOPs. These generalized models were used to evaluate the response to anodic vs. cathodic stimulation, with short vs. long stimulus pulses. Results: Terminating axons generally exhibited lower thresholds than fibers of passage across all tested parameters. Short pulse widths accentuated the relative excitability of TAs over FOPs. Conclusion(s): Our computational results demonstrate a hyperexcitability of terminating axons to DBS that is robust to variation in the stimulation parameters, as well as the axon model parameters.
Nephrobiliary fistula resulting from a gunshot wound in a young healthy male: A case report.

Abstract Biliary fistulas are most commonly caused by cholelithiasis. Other causes include malignancies and peptic ulcer disease. A biliary fistula caused by a penetrating trauma is a rare entity, and a post-traumatic biliary fistula to the renal collecting system is extremely uncommon. We present an extremely rare case of a post-traumatic nephrobiliary fistula incurred after penetrating trauma that was successfully treated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), biliary stents, and percutaneous drainage.
Interconnection of Power Systems in the Southeastern States

Superpower systems have become one of the prominent economic and political factors of the day. Because in the Southeastern States interconnection of systems and interchange of energy hare been practised longer and to a greater degree than almost anywhere else. The author reviews briefly the history of interconnection in this section and the underlying principles that brought this about. The advantages of interconnection in reducing capital investment, operating expenses and outages, as compared with isolated operation are shown. The necessity of thorough engineering studies to get the best use of the interconnected systems is brought out. The importance of having the proper kind of interchange contract is stressed and the workings of some interchange agreements are illustrated. The load dispatching and other operating problems are discussed, bringing out the necessity of careful voltage and frequency control, accurate adjustment of protective relays and the proper handling of wattless current. The value of close cooperattion through engineering and operating committees in studying the most economical handling of present plants and the proper sequence of new development are stressed.
Dose escalation with over-dose and under-dose controls in Phase I/II clinical trials

To save valuable time and resources in new drug development, Phase I/II clinical trials with toxicity control and drug efficacy as dual primary endpoints have become increasingly popular. Escalation with over-dose control (the EWOC) is a Bayesian adaptive Phase I clinical trial design that can accurately estimate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) level and control the probability of overdosing patients during the dose allocation phase. In this paper, we extend EWOC to Phase I/II clinical trials by controlling for under-dosing with a Gumbel Copula model to provide patients with at least minimum drug efficacy. We propose a utility function to measure the composite effect of toxicity and efficacy and select the optimal dose. To deal with the common issue that the efficacy endpoint often cannot be quickly ascertained, we employ Bayesian data augmentation to handle delayed efficacy and allow for flexible patient accrual without a waiting period. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed new design not only provides better therapeutic effect by reducing the probability of treating patients at under-dose levels while protecting patients from being overdosed, but also improves trial efficiency and increases the accuracy of dose recommendation for subsequent clinical trials. We apply the proposed design to a Phase I/II solid tumor trial.
Radiation-gauge electrodynamics

The use of the asymptotic condition in electrodynamics is criticized and an alternative approach suggested which utilizes specific properties of the radiation-gauge Green’s functions. This technique is based upon the introduction of a nonlocal field operator which has the property of asymptotically creating physical electrons without the usual emission of soft quanta. It is shown by means of an example how a cross-section may be calculated without either the appearance of spurious infrared divergences or the improper imposition of an asymptotic condition.
Renal Sympathetic Denervation for Treatment of Resistant Hypertension: A Systematic Review

Catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) is a novel technique that is being investigated as treatment for resistant hypertension. To systematically evaluate the existing literature on the safety and efficacy of RSD in persons with resistant hypertension, online searches of Medline and the Cochrane Library Database (up to June 2012) were performed. Randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and conference proceedings published in English language were included. Nineteen studies (N=683 persons) were included. Follow-up duration ranged from 1 to 24 months. All studies reported significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressures. Maximal reduction of blood pressure ranged from 18 mm Hg to 36 mm Hg (systolic) and 9 mm Hg to 15 mm Hg (diastolic). Sustained benefit of blood pressure reduction at 12 months was seen in 5 studies. No worsening of renal function was reported and there were few procedure-related adverse events such as pseudoaneurysm formation, hypotension, and bradycardia. Data from short-term studies suggest that RSD is a safe and effective therapeutic option in carefully selected patients with resistant hypertension. Long-term studies with large patient populations are needed to study whether this benefit is sustained with a demonstrable difference in cardiovascular disease event rates.
Medicolegal and Ethical Issues in the Pharmacologic Treatment of Children

Physicians who prescribe psychotropic medications to children face unique legal and ethical challenges. The issues of competency, consent to treatment, patient autonomy, and confidentiality are important in this work, just as they are in adult medicine. The child and adolescent psychopharmacologist must also deal with the complex influences of family dynamics, child development, divorce, and custody as well as the involvement of parents, school personnel, and social service agencies in the treatment process. The fact that much remains to be understood in child psychiatry, the probabilistic rather than certain outcomes of medication trials, and the uncertain effects of new treatments on developing nervous systems all add additional layers of complexity.
Adaptive filtering based on wavelet decomposition

Addresses a novel, wavelet decomposition based adaptive filtering technique. The input signal is decomposed into octave-bands and the adaptive filtering is performed on those signals using a hierarchical structure. The signal error is decomposed and used in the adaptation process. Using this technique, considerable computational reduction is achieved over the full-band scheme. Simulations show that the asymptotic performance of this scheme is similar to that of the full-band scheme. >
Optimization by decomposition in structural and multidisciplinary applications

An algorithm for a general, multilevel structural optimization by substructuring is derived, based on the linear decomposition concept that is rooted in the Bellman’s Optimality Criterion enhanced with the optimum sensitivity derivatives used as a means to account for coupling among the subproblems, each of which is limited to optimization of a substructure. The algorithm applies also to those multidisciplinary problems whose subproblems form a hierarchy similar to that of substructures. In systems where the subproblems communicate with each other at the same level, the decomposition becomes non-hierarchic and the system may be optimized as a whole based on the derivatives of the system behavior with respect to the design variables computed by a method that bypasses finite differencing on the system analysis. When a multidisciplinary system includes a structure as its part, a hybrid, hierarchic/non-hierarchic decomposition applies. Numerical examples and references to computational experience accumulated to date illustrate the discussion.
Structure of Turbulence in Boundary Layers

Publisher Summary This chapter presents fundamental topics that are necessary for a better understanding of turbulent structure. In the absence of a viable theory for turbulent structure, the chapter concentrates upon a summary of the results of recent experimental research. Modern experimental investigations employing sophisticated flow visualization and computer-aided data processing techniques have revealed a large amount of new information. These new results are discussed and the nature of existing theoretical investigations is mentioned. The chapter presents an excellent review of the physics of turbulent flow and includes a detailed discussion of the transition process. It also deals with the structure of the fluctuating turbulent flow field. In boundary layer flows, the nature and structure of the flow are controlled by the vorticity that is produced by the passage of initially irrotational fluid over the wall. Vorticity considerations illuminate the detailed development of the boundary layer just as clearly as momentum considerations and allow a compact description of the dynamics of turbulence.
Outcome of Left-Sided Cardiac Remodeling in Severe Aortic Stenosis Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Left-sided cardiac remodeling in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) was associated with improved outcome; however, there are scarce data on remodeling process after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We sought to describe the remodeling process in patients with severe AS who underwent TAVI. Echocardiographic data were systematically collected at baseline, 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year, from a cohort of 333 patients who underwent TAVI. Patients were categorized according to left ventricular mass index (LVMi) and relative wall thickness (RWT) to the following geometries: (1) normal; (2) concentric remodeling; (3) concentric hypertrophy; and (4) eccentric hypertrophy. Reverse remodeling (partial or complete) was defined as normalization of LVMi and/or RWT and adverse remodeling as an increase in LVMi and/or RWT. The longitudinal change in LVMi and left atrial diameter index (LADi) was assessed using mixed models. Reverse LV remodeling at 1-year was observed in 24% of patients with available echo at follow-up, whereas 17% of patients had adverse remodeling at 1-year follow-up. This was especially noted in patients with normal geometry at baseline. Interestingly, LV reverse remodeling was not accompanied by a reduction in left atrial diameter. In conclusion, TAVI reverse ventricular remodeling and LV hypertrophy induced by aortic stenosis; however, this reversal is incomplete in most patients at 1-year and not followed by change in left atrial dimensions. Whether this favorable remodeling may impact clinical outcome needs to be further elucidated.
Reliability Growth Apportionment

A method is presented for apportioning reliability growth to the subsystems that make up a system in order to achieve the required reliability at least cost. Reliability growth apportionment is handled as an s-expected cost minimization problem subject to the constraint of meeting a system reliability requirement. The problem is formulated in terms of Duane's reliability growth model, and is solved using geometric programming. The method can be useful in the early stages of system design to determine subsystem reliability growth that will allow a system reliability requirement to be met, and in the latter stages of system design when reliability has fallen short of the required goal and improvements are necessary.