cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Questions about questions: an empirical analysis of information needs on Twitter

Conventional studies of online information seeking behavior usually focus on the use of search engines or question answering (Q&A) websites. Recently, the fast growth of online social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has made it possible for people to utilize them for information seeking by asking questions to their friends or followers. We anticipate a better understanding of Web users' information needs by investigating research questions about these questions. How are they distinctive from daily tweeted conversations? How are they related to search queries? Can users' information needs on one platform predict those on the other? In this study, we take the initiative to extract and analyze information needs from billions of online conversations collected from Twitter. With an automatic text classifier, we can accurately detect real questions in tweets (i.e., tweets conveying real information needs). We then present a comprehensive analysis of the large-scale collection of information needs we extracted. We found that questions being asked on Twitter are substantially different from the topics being tweeted in general. Information needs detected on Twitter have a considerable power of predicting the trends of Google queries. Many interesting signals emerge through longitudinal analysis of the volume, spikes, and entropy of questions on Twitter, which provide insights to the understanding of the impact of real world events and user behavioral patterns in social platforms.
Oculo-facio-cardio-dental syndrome: skewed X chromosome inactivation in mother and daughter suggest X-linked dominant Inheritance

Oculo-facio-cardio-dental syndrome (OFCD) is an uncommon multiple congenital anomaly syndrome that is characterized by congenital cataracts, multiple minor facial dysmorphic features, congenital heart defects, and dental anomalies including canine radiculomegaly and oligodontia. Although most cases of OFCD are sporadic, since all reported OFCD individuals have been female, it has been suggested that OFCD is an X-linked dominant trait. Here we report two affected female patients with OFCD, a mother and daughter, who both had congenital cataracts, microphthalmia, characteristic dental anomalies, and typical facial dysmorphisms. These features were diagnostic for OFCD; thus, these cases represent the second documented instance of mother-to-daughter OFCD transmission. In addition to the clinical features typically seen in OFCD individuals, the affected daughter exhibited several additional congenital anomalies including intestinal malrotation and hypoplastic thumbs. Thus, these cases further define and expand the OFCD clinical phenotype. These two individuals also displayed a skewed pattern of X chromosome inactivation. Together, these data strongly support the hypothesis that OFCD is inherited as an X-linked dominant condition.
The Spatial Dynamics of Legal Handgun Concealment

Previous research seeking to identify regional characteristics associated with legal handgun concealment has not considered possible influences of significant spatial lag terms on handgun concealment rates. This is surprising considering the emphasis that such research has placed the importance of learning gun behavior across geographies. Using OLS and spatial lag modeling, we find that aggregate median income, political conservatism and crime rates are significant predictors of permit issuance rates. Aggregate crime rates show a significant negative association with legal concealment. Moran scatterplot maps are used to visually assess spatial clustering of thedependent variable and crime. We argue that in order to understand legal handgun concealment patterns it is important to focus on localized culture.
Diapause in the Gypsy Moth

Rearing Porthetria dispar (L.), through 1 generation at light regimes of 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 hours per 24-hour day at temperatures of 19.5 and 28°C had no influence on induction or termination of diapause. Rearing temperature of 28°C caused egg mortality. A few eggs obtained in rearings at 19.5°C hatched without chilling. However, this hatch occurred 14-18 weeks after oviposition. This hatch of unchilled eggs appears to be analogous to the frequent observations in nature of egg hatch in the fall. Treatment of eggs up to 24 hours old with hydrochloric acid did not affect induction of diapause.
A combined program in operation.

Within any hospital setting, an active employee health and infection control program working together can be an effective way of preventing the spread of any disease from patient to employee or from employee to patient. The two programs at Lehigh Valley Hospital Center have worked actively together since the hospital opened ten years ago and have successfully developed many systems for follow-up care of employees, including puncture wounds, blood exposures, and infectious diseases. Ongoing staff educational programs have been given to include personal hygiene, handwashing, and hepatitis. Although each department reports to a different administrator, this has not affected the overall effectiveness and operation of either department.
Reduced trypsin-binding capacity of α2-macroglobulin in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis: possible relevance to alterations in macrophase function*

α 2 -macroglobulin ( α 2 M) is a plasma protein with proteinase inhibitor and immune modulatory capabilities. The amounts of α 2 M in peritoneal fluid (PF) from women with endometriosis and women with noninflammatory gynecologic conditions were analyzed by functional (trypsin binding) and immunologic assays. The most important finding of this study was that a significant amount of the α 2 M in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis had been inactivated by an as yet undetermined mechanism. The concentration and total amount of immunologically reactive α 2 M in the samples varied widely and was not significantly different between the groups. However, women with endometriosis had significantly lower amounts of functional α 2 M than did women without endometriosis. There was no significant difference between functional and immunologic measurements of α 2 M in samples from women without endometriosis. Women with endometriosis, however, had less functional than immunologically reactive α 2 M. This discrepancy was not due to inactivation of α 2 M by having previously bound proteinase. α 2 M-proteinase complexes can down-regulate macrophase functions. It is possible that decreased proteinase-binding ability of α 2 M may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and associated infertility by decreasing negative feedback control of macrophage activities.
Nonvolatile memory based on solid electrolytes

Programmable metallization cell (PMC) memory utilizes electrochemical control of nanoscale quantities of metal in thin films of solid electrolyte. A silver or copper layer and an inert electrode formed in contact with a Ag/sup +/or Cu/sup 2+/-containing electrolyte film creates a device in which information is stored using large nonvolatile resistance change caused by the reduction of the metal ions. Key attributes are low voltage, low current, rapid write and erase, good retention and endurance, and the ability for the storage cells to be physically scaled to a few tens of nm. This work describes the principle of operation of PMC devices and presents representative results from cells with diameters ranging from micron scale to nanoscale dimensions based on Ag-Ge-Se, Ag-Ge-S, and Cu-WO/sub 3/ solid electrolytes.
Marketing and Social Media

It is suggested that people who use social media can be thought of as audiences as well as content providers, who exploit and are exploited by the social media. This is followed by a discussion of how social media are becoming increasingly important to marketers and advertising and the impact of social media on other media, such as print and television. Next, there is a discussion of the negative impact of social media on some young girls, who feel they have to be “hot” and suffer from higher levels of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders than young men. These problems, it is suggested, are connected to the number of cosmetic procedures done on thirteen- to nineteen-year-old girls in America.
In Vitro Biofilm Disruption and Bacterial Killing Using Nonantibiotic Compounds Against Gram-Negative Equine Uterine Pathogens

Abstract Bacterial endometritis refractory to appropriate antibiotic treatment may involve an biofilm. The production of an extrapolymeric substance, which are key components of the biofilm matrix, results in reduced host recognition and antibiotic tolerance. The goal of this study was to determine the in vitro effectiveness of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), hypochlorous acid, ozone, or an antimicrobial peptide mimic (APM) at disrupting a preformed biofilm and evaluate the bacterial killing of Gram-negative isolates from the equine uterus. Dimethyl sulfoxide and the APM reliably eliminated preformed biofilm and reduced colony forming units (CFUs) of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae but were only effective against 10%–75% of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. The minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) for DMSO at disrupting an E. coli biofilm was 30% vol/vol, and the concentration for DMSO to reduce CFUs was 15% vol/vol for K. pneumonia . The MBEC concentration for AMP for reducing biofilm mass was 0.5% of the as directed solution for E. coli and K. pneumoniae . The MBEC concentration of AMP for reducing CFUs was 0.5% of the commercial solution for K. pneumoniae . Ozone and the two hypochlorous agents were not reliably able to reduce biofilm or kill any of the Gram-negative organisms tested. These bacterial species-specific results stress the importance of acquiring organism identification when developing a treatment plan for bacterial endometritis because not all treatments are effective against every bacterial species.
Mineralogy and stratigraphy of the Gale crater rim, wall, and floor units

The Curiosity rover has detected diverse lithologies in float rocks and sedimentary units on the Gale crater floor, interpreted to have been transported from the rim. To understand their provenance, we examine the mineralogy and geology of Gale's rim, walls, and floor, using high-resolution imagery and infrared spectra. While no significant differences in bedrock spectral properties were observed within most Thermal Emission Imaging System and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) scenes, some CRISM scenes of rim and wall rocks showed olivine-bearing bedrock accompanied by Fe/Mg phyllosilicates. Hydrated materials with 2.48 μm absorptions in Gale's eastern walls are spectrally similar to the sulfate unit in Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons). Sedimentary strata on the Gale floor southwest of the landing site, likely coeval with the Bradbury units explored by Curiosity, also are hydrated and/or have Fe/Mg phyllosilicates. Spectral properties of these phyllosilicates differ from the Al-substituted nontronite detected by CRISM in Mount Sharp, suggesting formation by fluids of different composition. Geologic mapping of the crater floor shows that the hydrated or hydroxylated materials are typically overlain by spectrally undistinctive, erosionally resistant, cliff-forming units. Additionally, a 4 km impact crater exposes >250 m of the Gale floor, including finely layered units. No basement rocks are exposed, thus indicating sedimentary deposits ≥250 m beneath strata studied by Curiosity. Collectively, the data indicate substantial sedimentary infill of Gale crater, including some materials derived from the crater rim. Lowermost thin layers are consistent with deposition in a lacustrine environment; interbedded hydrated/hydroxylated units may signify changing environmental conditions, perhaps in a drying or episodically dry lake bed.
Ecuador’s 2008–2009 Debt Restructuring

In late 2008, Ecuador launched a successful effort to restructure its external debt, the circumstances of which are unique in the recent history of sovereign debt restructurings. The country had a rocky history of debt repayment, but after restructurings in 1995 and 2000, it had arguably sustainable levels of external debt. In 2006, Rafael Correa, running for president, promised to refuse to pay the country’s debt if elected. After he was elected, Correa formed a public debt audit commission to evaluate debt incurred by the country over the previous three decades. The commission found that some of the country’s bonds were illegitimate for various reasons, including unfair gains to private interests, oppressive terms in the bond contracts, and the fact that the country’s debt burden was crowding out provision of basic public goods and services. In late 2008, the country defaulted on two of its bond issues. After the default, and amid global financial turmoil, as the price of those bonds dropped, the country began a program of purchasing them through financial intermediaries. It then conducted a formal bond repurchase at 35 cents on the dollar, with an eventual participation rate of over 90%. This episode represents a rare instance of a sovereign restructuring external debt in the absence of acute financial stress and an equally rare instance of a sovereign having obtained debt relief based, at least in part, on the express assertion of the illegitimacy of its obligations. This Chapter concludes that because of various factors, including the unique global financial context and the country’s particular history of debt repayment, it is not clear whether one can draw any general lessons -- regarding debt buybacks or the viability of claims about legitimacy of debt, for example – from the 2008-09 episode.
Testing the moderation of quantitative gene by environment interactions in unrelated individuals

The environment can moderate the effect of genes - a phenomenon called gene-environment (GxE) interaction. There are two broad types of GxE modeled in human behavior - qualitative GxE, where the effects of individual genetic variants differ depending on some environmental moderator, and quantitative GxE, where the additive genetic variance changes as a function of an environmental moderator. Tests of both qualitative and quantitative GxE have traditionally relied on comparing the covariances between twins and close relatives, but recently there has been interest in testing such models on unrelated individuals measured on genomewide data. However, to date, there has been no ability to test quantitative GxE effects in unrelated individuals using genomewide data because standard software cannot solve nonlinear constraints. Here, we introduce a maximum likelihood approach with parallel constrained optimization to fit such models. We use simulation to estimate the accuracy, power, and type I error rates of our method and to gauge its computational performance, and then apply this method to IQ data measured on 40,172 individuals with whole-genome SNP data from the UK Biobank. We found that the additive genetic variation of IQ tagged by SNPs increases as socioeconomic status (SES) decreases, opposite the direction found by several twin studies conducted in the U.S. on adolescents, but consistent with several studies from Europe and Australia on adults.
Identification of Ingredient in Mullet Roe Products by the Real-Time PCR Method

Mullet roe is a product of high economic value in a number of Asian countries, particularly Taiwan. However, actual mullet roe is commonly adulterated by the addition of other species, such as escolar and oilfish. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to detect the ingredient of mullet roe products. Based on the TaqMan real-time PCR assay, we designed the specific primers-probe set (mullet) that targets the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Meanwhile, the positive amplification control is designed based on the eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene. The PCR amplicon used to identify fish species in processed roe products is smaller than 200 bp. Method specificity was evaluated by analyzing tissue samples of 29 food fish and 9 puffer fish species. No indications of cross-reactivity toward non-target species were observed. Sensitivity and linearity tests were conducted using five-fold serial dilutions of target DNA from processed mullet roe, and we determined that our proposed method has a sensitivity of 1.2 ng. Further tests on a random survey of commercial fish roe products demonstrated the efficacy of the technique in the detection of mullet DNA. The real-time PCR methods developed in this study could be used to verify the labeling of actual mullet roe products.
Pretraining Variables in the Prediction of Missionary Success Overseas

A set of twelve variables was obtained statistically in order to predict missionary success from a combination of pretraining data which included elements of personality, interpersonal skill, attit...
Estimating topology and injection statistics in distribution grids with hidden nodes

Topology estimation is a critical problem in distribution grids that affect real-time control and optimization of grid operations. It is however hindered by the limited presence of real-time meters at the grid nodes and lines. This paper discusses a framework to learn the radial topology in distribution grids using limited nodal meters and no line meters. The most significant feature of the learning framework is that it is able to provably learn the topology as long as two hidden nodes (without meters) are not adjacency to one another in the operational grid. Our learning problem allows for greater number of hidden nodes than known prior work in this area. Further the algorithm does not require historical data for the hidden nodes and estimates their injection covariances. The learning algorithm uses ordered trends as well as equality constraints in nodal voltage fluctuations that arise from the radial topology. The efficiency of the designed algorithm is discussed by presenting simulation results for topology recovery in test radial grids.
Stem Cells Sheltered from Air-Raids Repair Airways.

Submucosal glands contribute to the luminal secretions of conducting airways in the respiratory tract. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, both Tata et al. (2018) and Lynch et al. (2018) report that myoepithelial cells of submucosal glands serve as reserve stem cells to regenerate the damaged surface epithelium following severe airway injury.
Fallserie von Häufung später postoperativer Komplikationen bedingt durch Reduktion der postoperativen Lokaltherapie nach komplikationsloser Phakoemulsifikation

Dank immer weniger invasiver Operationsmethoden sowie einer gezielten postoperativen Lokaltherapie konnte die Anzahl von Komplikationen nach Katarakt-Operationen deutlich gesenkt werden. Die jahrelang eingesetzte postoperative Kombinationstherapie aus Diclofencac, Tobramycin und Dexamethason wurde an der Augenabteilung Hietzing im Juli 2012 zugunsten des neuen Monopraparates Bromfenac umgestellt. Bei einer Gesamtanzahl von 1993 Eingriffen wurde bei acht PatientInnen ein klinisch signifikantes Irvine-Gass-Syndrom sowie bei vier PatientInnen ein Toxic-Anterior-Segment ahnliches Syndrom mit massiver Vorderkammerreizung diagnostiziert. Die signifikante Steigerung dieser Komplikationen konnte auf die reduzierte Lokaltherapie zuruckzufuhren sein, allerdings lasst sich dies ohne weitere Studien nicht genau feststellen. Postoperative entzundlich bedingte Komplikationen nach Phakoemulsifikationen konnen jedenfalls nur durch in Frequenz und Behandlungsdauer ausreichende postoperative antiphlogistische Therapie verhindert werden.
Icon and Symbol: A Reappraisal of the Resemblance Debate

Semiotics has been traditionally based on such oppositions as conventional/natural, arbitrary/motivated, digital/ analogical. While such oppositions have proved useful in classifying signs, mutually exclusive typologies are inadequate foundations for semiotics.
Nephrogenous cyclic AMP.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nephrogenous cyclic AMP. The total amount of cyclic AMP (cAMP) excreted is the sum of that derived from two sources, that is, the filtered load of the nucleotide and nephrogenous cAMP. On an average, each component accounts for approximately 50% of the total quantity of cAMP excreted by normal individuals. The filtered load of cAMP is derived from the extracellular or miscible pool of the nucleotide (that is, plasma and the extracellular and cellular compartments which are in equilibrium). Urinary cAMP provides a particularly crude and insensitive index of alterations in metabolism of the compound in the miscible pool. The filtered load of cAMP provides a relatively constant background of excreted cAMP upon which the nephrogenous component is superimposed. That is, the principal determinant of variations in the total cAMP excretion rate between individuals is the quantity of nephrogenous cAMP. Nephrogenous cAMP is the only specific pool of the nucleotide easily measured in vivo. The measurement of cAMP in urine is extremely simple. Both the protein-binding and radioimmunoassay give highly reproducible results in samples simply diluted in assay buffer and assayed directly.
Nanotechnology Applications in Local Arterial Drug Delivery

Disorders of the cardiovascular system are identified as the primary cause of fatal conditions, such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke. It is mainly the damage of the arterial vascular system that leads to the development of many of these fatal diseases. Abnormalities in the arterial system directly affects blood circulation and ultimately results in irreversible peripheral organ or tissue damage. This review describes the challenges and opportunities in systemic and local drug delivery to the arterial tissue. Based on the unique anatomical and physiological constraints, advances in systemic (e.g., targeted nanotechnology-based formulations) and local (e.g., drug-eluting stent implantation) delivery technologies have provided insights into arterial therapeutic approaches, especially in coronary restenosis. Significant opportunities exist in further development of multifunctional nanosystems that can be incorporated with localized delivery strategies, such as double-balloon catheters, to improve drug residence and intracellular availability.
Choosing Time Delays

The embedding theorem [Man81, Tak81, CSY91] is silent on the choice of time delay to use in constructing d-dimensional data vectors. Indeed, it allows any time delay, except certain multiples of the precise period of a periodic signal [CSY91], as long as one has an infinite amount of infinitely accurate data. Since none of us will ever acquire an infinite amount of infinitely accurate data and still have time to compute anything else, this means one must turn to some principle other than the same geometric construction used in the unfolding of the attractor to establish a workable value for the time delay T. So that absent another theorem—and such a theorem is so far absent—we must find some prescription for choosing T. To put it another way, we have no hope of finding the very best or optimal time delay without giving some additional rationale for that optimality. Any such rationale will, of course, determine some T, but such optimality is tautological. At best it simply confirms the prescription one establishes for its realization.
Temporal expression of cytokines and B-cell phenotypes during mechanical circulatory support.

Abstract Background Allosensitization during mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is a well-described phenomenon, although its mechanism remains unknown. Although immune-mediated interactions from devices or blood transfusions have been proposed, the role of inflammation in this development is less clear. This study was undertaken to further investigate the temporal association of cytokines and B-cell phenotypes in the MCS population. Methods Adult patients who received the Heartmate II (Thoratec, Pleasanton, Calif) at our center between September 2012 and March 2015 were prospectively followed after device implantation. Blood draws for anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody, cytokine expression, and B-cell immunophenotyping were performed before implantation and for 3 weeks postoperatively. Time courses for cytokines and B-cell subsets were expressed using visual representations of median levels as heat maps, and mixed modeling analysis was used to model changes with time and patient factors. Results Twenty patients who received the Heartmate II (Thoratec) were analyzed during the study period. Four patients showed measureable levels of anti-HLA antibody during the follow-up period, although 3 of these had evidence of antibodies preoperatively. Analysis of cytokine trends revealed early (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, and IL-10) and late peaking (IL-3, IL-4, fibroblast growth factor 2, and CD40L) patterns. Upregulation of switched memory, transitional, and plasma blast B cells occurred over time. Right ventricular assist device use and low Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support score were associated with decreased mature naive and increased antibody-secreting cells. Conclusions MCS device implantation was associated with increased inflammatory cytokines and maturation of B-cell phenotypes. No patients developed de novo HLA antibodies, whereas several showed increases in anti-HLA antibody levels detected before implantation. This suggests that inflammation and maturation of existing sensitized B cells might play an important role in the pathogenesis of allosensitization in MCS.
Maximum Containment Infectious Disease Laboratories as an Integral Part of Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Response

Maximum containment [biosafety level 4 (BSL-4)] laboratories offer unique opportunities for research on emerging infectious diseases. Though maximum containment laboratories contribute to some of the seminal research on viral haemorrhagic fevers, very little has been written about the roles of these laboratories in infectious disease outbreaks response and preparedness. Drawing on interviews and data coming from maximum containment laboratories, the authors elucidate the complex roles of maximum containment laboratories in infectious disease outbreaks, using the recent 2013–2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic to highlight these functions. The first three sections define terms, discuss the unique research produced at maximum containment laboratories, and consider the barriers to operating these facilities. The next section focuses on the role of maximum containment institutions in capacity-building and surveillance as a part of emergency preparedness prior to the outbreak of an epidemic. Subsequently, the authors examine the function of these laboratories in emergency response as sources of subject matter expertise and as contributors to on-the-ground mobile laboratory systems. The chapter concludes with recommendations for improved collaboration between maximum containment laboratories themselves as well as between the laboratories and resource-limited countries most affected by the studied pathogens.
Variation in plumage reflects avian habitat associations not revealed by abundance

For bird species in which plumage characteristics are associated with social dominance, the analysis of status badges may reveal habitat preferences. We analyzed the extent of male Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) chestnut-colored plumage in relation to age and body size to determine whether badge size was a potential indicator of resource-holding potential. We then modeled badge size in relation to habitat variables including habitat patch size, patch shape, and microhabitat characteristics in 101 different silvicultural openings in western Massachusetts during 2014 and 2015. Overall, older and larger Chestnut-sided Warblers had larger badges. Badge size showed a strong positive relationship with patch area. Notably, our findings reveal a greater sensitivity to area than was apparent from a different study's analysis of abundance at the same study site during the same time period. Badge size was positively related to patch shape complexity—an environmental variable not previously identified as important for this species by other studies. Our findings indicate that remote assessments of avian status badges may serve as reliable indicators of habitat preferences and suggest that this approach has the potential to reveal responses to gradients in habitat not reflected by abundance.
The utility of intact parathyroid hormone level in managing hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy in children

Abstract Introduction Hypocalcemia is a common complication after thyroidectomy. Intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been successfully used as a predictive indicator for hypocalcemia in adults during the postoperative period. We aim to demonstrate the utility of PTH in predicting and managing postoperative hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy in pediatrics. Methods The study is a retrospective case series including 38 patients up to 18 years of age who underwent total or completion thyroidectomy from 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2016 at a tertiary pediatric academic center. Patient demographics, pathology, postoperative PTH, serum calcium, and length of stay were analyzed. Results The median age was 14.3 years (range of 4.3–18.4 years) with 84.2% being female. Thyroid malignancy was noted in 25 patients, and 13 had benign pathology including 8 patients with multinodular goiter and 5 with Grave's disease. In this serie, 63.2% (24/38) developed hypocalcemia (serum calcium Conclusion Postoperative PTH level has an excellent specificity in predicting hypocalcemia in this pediatric cohort using a threshold of PTH ≤ 26 pg/mL. Those with PTH >26 pg/mL may avoid hypocalcemia by oral calcium replacement with outpatient follow-up. We did not identify a reliable PTH cutoff value above which pediatric patients may be safely discharged immediately following surgery. Adult guideline or pathways that advocate for outpatient thyroidectomy surgery based on normal PTH ≥10 pg/mL in the recovery room may not apply to children.
Motor Control-based Group Exercise: Can It be Delivered as Effectively by Lay Leaders?

Purpose On the Move (OTM), a motor control-based group exercise program for community-dwelling older adults, has produced greater gains in mobility than a standard group exercise program when delivered by research leaders. The purposes of this study were:1) to examine the effectiveness of OTM versus a standard program when delivered by lay leaders and 2) to compare the outcomes of OTM when delivered by research versus lay leaders. Methods Community-dwelling, medically stable older adults who could walk household distances participated. OTM consisted of warm-up, timing and coordination, strengthening, and stretching exercises. The seated standard program consisted of warm-up, aerobic, strengthening and stretching exercises. The primary outcome(s) of function and disability was the Late Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI), and for walking ability were the Six Minute Walk Test and gait speed. Results 126 participants (mean age = 80.7±7.8 years, gait speed = 0.91 m/s) were randomized to OTM (n=49) or standard (n=77) programs. When taught by lay leaders, there were no significant between-intervention group differences in any of the outcomes (p>0.10). Comparing OTM outcomes between leaders, there was a statistical but not clinically meaningful difference in LLFDI disability (1.87±0.89, p=0.04) when taught by research versus lay leader, and moderate differences (p=0.06) in LLFDI overall function (1.89±1.02) and gait speed (0.05±0.03). Qualitative interview responses suggest that instructor-related concerns may have impacted program outcomes. Conclusion When delivered by lay leaders OTM was not more effective than a standard program for improving function, disability, and mobility in older adults. Health promotion programs designed to improve mobility in community-dwelling older adults and based on a motor control theoretical background, may be best taught by rehabilitation professionals.
Parental experiences raising children with autism spectrum disorder in Eastern Europe: a scoping review

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often at greater risk of experiencing stress and lower quality of life, in comparison to parents of typically developing (TD) children an...
Cranial Musculature in Herbivorous Dinosaurs: A Survey of Reconstructed Anatomical Diversity and Feeding Mechanisms

Herbivorous dinosaurs exhibited diverse cranial feeding mechanisms. Although osteological, microwear, and biomechanical research has revealed some of this diversity, the evolutionary reorientation of cranial musculature throughout nonavian herbivorous Dinosauria and its influence on feeding mechanisms requires more study. Here, cranial muscle reconstructions in herbivorous dinosaurs are reviewed and informative anatomical characters are compared across 142 dinosaur genera (84 ornithischians, 36 sauropodomorphs, and 22 herbivorous nonavian theropods), both through examination of specimens and literature. Traits include those relating to the temporal region, adductor chamber, palate, and mandibular attachments, such as the coronoid elevation and retroarticular process. Findings reveal many combinations of anatomical traits influencing a diversity of feeding mechanisms. Some primarily more orthal feeders, including herbivorous theropods, nonsauropod sauropodomorphs, basal ornithischians, and derived stegosaurs (which also show varying degrees of coinciding slight palinal motion and long-axis hemimandibular rotation), possess traits indicative of more prominent temporal musculature and moderately sized palatal musculature. However, orthal feeding sauropods and pachycephalosaurs possess traits indicative of greatly reduced, low-angled temporal musculature, and enhanced palatal musculature producing a primarily vertical, orthal feeding vector. Among ankylosaurs, hadrosaurids, and neoceratopsians, a rostrolabial temporal muscle expansion is present (with a tall coronoid elevation in hadrosaurids and ceratopsids) for greater temporal muscle support and mechanical advantage for complex palinal feeding motions. This also aids in long-axis hemimandibular rotation against the predentary in hadrosaurs and ankylosaurs. This diversity in cranial muscle architecture provides an informative spectrum of numerous adaptations acquired given the evolution of various anatomical constraints in the skull. Anat Rec, 303:1104-1145, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.
Effect of overcharge on Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2/Graphite cells–effect of binder

Abstract Cells based on NMC/graphite, containing styrene-butadiene rubber/carboxymethylcellulose binder in the anodes and pVdF latex/carboxymethylcellulose in the cathodes, were systematically overcharged to 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 250% and 270% state-of-charge. The impact of the binder was characterized by elemental analysis, SEM, and HPLC. These results were compared to similar cells just using the poly (vinylidene difluoride) binder. Not only did the binder impact the rate of transition metal transport from the cathode to the anode, it also had a marked effect on the microstructure and composition of the materials on the anode surface.
Central configurations in the planar 6-body problem forming two equilateral triangles

Abstract A Central Configuration (CC) is a special arrangement of masses in the n -body problem where the gravitational force on each body points proportionally toward the center of mass. A stacked CC is a CC that has a proper subset of the n bodies also forming a CC. In this paper, six bodies are located on two equilateral triangles Δ 123 and Δ 456 . Assume that both triangles are symmetrical about the line connecting m 3 and m 4 . Within these configurations, the six body configuration is not a central configuration if the triangle Δ 123 is above or below the triangle Δ 456 . It is also not a central configuration if more than two of the six bodies are collinear. When the two equilateral triangle configurations have a common centroid, masses on each equilateral triangles must be same respectively and the configuration can form a central configuration only if the ratio of the lengths of the sides between Δ 123 and Δ 456 falls into one of five intervals. Moreover there are some numerical evidences that, first there are exactly two nested central configurations but there may be one, two, or three twisted nested CCs for a given mass ratio; and second, there exists central configurations other than same centroid.
Minerals from Grabiszyce, Poland by Tomasz Praszkier and Lukasz Tekiela. Published by Wydawca: Wystawy Mineralow; order from spiriferminerals.com. 81 pages; 2019; $12 plus shipping and handling (softbound)

Minerals from Grabiszyce, Poland describes a relatively new (2015) discovery of unusual calcite specimens in the basalt flows at Lesna in southwestern Poland near the border with the Czech Republic...
United network for organ sharing outcomes after heart transplantation for al compared to ATTR cardiac amyloidosis.

Light-chain (AL) cardiac amyloidosis (CA) has a worse prognosis than transthyretin (ATTR) CA. In this single-center study, we compared post-heart transplant (OHT, orthotopic heart transplantation) survival for AL and ATTR amyloidosis, hypothesizing that these differences would persist post-OHT. Thirty-nine patients with CA (AL, n = 18; ATTR, n = 21) and 1023 non-amyloidosis subjects undergoing OHT were included. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to evaluate the impact of amyloid subtype and era (early era: from 2001 to 2007; late era: from 2008 to 2018) on survival post-OHT. Survival for non-amyloid patients was greater than ATTR (P = .034) and AL (P < .001) patients in the early era. One, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were higher for ATTR patients than AL patients in the early era (100% vs 75%, 67% vs 50%, and 67% vs 33%, respectively, for ATTR and AL patients). Survival in the non-amyloid cohort was 87% at 1 year, 81% at 3 years, and 76% at 5 years post-OHT. In the late era, AL and ATTR patients had unadjusted 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates of 100%, which was comparable to non-amyloid patients (90% vs 84% vs 81%). Overall, these findings demonstrate that in the current era, differences in post-OHT survival for AL compared to ATTR are diminishing; OHT outcomes for selected patients with CA do not differ from non-amyloidosis patients.
Ecological parameter reductions, environmental regimes, and characteristic process diagram of carbon dioxide fluxes in coastal salt marshes.

We investigated the ecological parameter reductions (termed "similitudes") and characteristic patterns of the net uptake fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in coastal salt marshes using dimensional analysis method from fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering. Data collected during May-October, 2013 from four salt marshes in Waquoit Bay and adjacent estuary, Massachusetts, USA were utilized to evaluate the theoretically-derived dimensionless flux and various ecological driver numbers. Two meaningful dimensionless groups were discovered as the light use efficiency number (LUE = CO2 normalized by photosynthetically active radiation) and the biogeochemical number (combination of soil temperature, porewater salinity, and atmospheric pressure). A semi-logarithmic plot of the dimensionless numbers indicated the emergence of a characteristic diagram represented by three distinct LUE regimes (high, transitional, and low). The high regime corresponded to the most favorable (high temperature and low salinity) condition for CO2 uptake, whereas the low regime represented an unfavorable condition (low temperature and high salinity). The analysis identified two environmental thresholds (soil temperature ~ 17 °C and salinity ~ 30 ppt), which dictated the regime transitions of CO2 uptake. The process diagram and critical thresholds provide important insights into the CO2 uptake potential of coastal wetlands in response to changes in key environmental drivers.
Adolescent and Parent Emotions and Perceptions Regarding News Media Stories About Bullying: a Qualitative Study

News articles covering bullying have often focused on tragic situations. The purpose of this study was to understand adolescents’ and parents’ emotions and perceptions related to bullying news media coverage. Participants were recruited as adolescent-parent dyads from pediatric clinics. During qualitative interviews, participants read and commented on two news article excerpts: (1) a tragic “fear-based” individual bullying news story and (2) a public health-oriented bullying news story. Qualitative analysis used the constant comparative approach. Our 50 participants included 25 adolescents with mean age 16.1 years (SD = 0.97), 44% female and 72% Caucasian, and 25 parents with mean age 49.2 (SD = 6.7) years, 80% female and 76% Caucasian. After reading the fear-based news excerpt, 19 adolescents (76%) and 18 parents (72%) responded that they felt negatively. For the public health-oriented excerpt, 12 adolescents (48%) and 20 parents (80%) felt positively. Further, over half of participants felt the news articles related to their lived experiences. Our data support that fear-based articles were associated with feelings of sadness and hopelessness, while public health-oriented news articles contributed to positive feelings and perceptions. This finding supports the potential of news media about bullying to serve as a venue for education or empowerment for families.
Small-diameter TIPS combined with splenic artery embolization in the management of refractory ascites in cirrhotic patients.

Purpose Maximally decreasing portal pressures with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is associated with improved ascites control but also increased encephalopathy incidence. Since splenic venous flow contributes to portal hypertension, we assessed if combining small-diameter TIPS with splenic artery embolization could improve ascites while minimizing encephalopathy. Methods Fifty-five patients underwent TIPS creation for refractory ascites. Subjects underwent creation of 8 mm TIPS followed by proximal splenic artery embolization (group A, n=8), or of 8 mm (group B, n=6) or 10 mm TIPS (group C, n=41) without splenic embolization. Data were retrospectively reviewed. Results In group A, median portosystemic gradient decreased from 19 mmHg to 9 mmHg after TIPS, and 8 mmHg after subsequent splenic artery embolization. In groups B and C, gradient decreased from 15 mmHg to 8 mmHg and 16 mmHg to 6 mmHg. All patients except for one in group A and two in C had greater than 50% reduction in the number of paracenteses in 3 months. Any postprocedural encephalopathy incidence was 62%, 50%, 83% in groups A, B, and C, respectively. Overall, 20% of subjects with 10 mm TIPS required TIPS reduction/closure compared to 7% of subjects with 8 mm TIPS. Conclusion We found that 8 mm diameter TIPS provided similar ascites control compared to 10 mm TIPS regardless of splenic embolization. While more patients with 10 mm TIPS required reduction/closure for severe encephalopathy, the study was underpowered for definitive assessment. Splenic embolization might have the potential to further decrease portosystemic gradient and ascites as an alternative to dilation of TIPS to 10 mm minimizing the risk of encephalopathy, but larger studies are warranted.
Trends of hand injuries presenting to US emergency departments: A 10-year national analysis.

Abstract Background The purpose was to observe current incidence and trends of hand and wrist injuries presenting to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) over a decade. Methods The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for hand and wrist injuries from January 2009–December 2018. Descriptive analyses were used to report injury types to the hand and wrist. Incidence, age, gender, race, injury location, and type of injury were recorded. Linear regression analyses were used to assess changes in trends over time. A p value Results In total, 649,131 cases of hand and wrist injuries were identified in the NEISS from 2009 to 2018, correlating to 25,666,596 patients nationally. Incidence rates for finger, hand, and wrist were 450, 264, and 182 per 100,000 people. The estimated number of patients per year declined by 8.6% from 2009 to 2018. Male adults (aged 18–39) were the most frequent demographic. Total national estimates of hand (−8.2%; p = 0.001), wrist (−6.1%; p = 0.007), and finger (−9.9%; p Conclusions The estimated annual number of hand/wrist injuries presenting to US EDs was 2.6 million with gradual decline over the decade. Hand injury registries could assist in quality improvement measures targeted toward increased efficiency and resource allocation and education.
Muslims’ emotions toward Americans predict support for Hezbollah and Al Qaeda for threat-specific reasons

Using a random sample of 243 Muslims in Lebanon and Syria, we examined whether support for Hezbollah or for Al Qaeda is predicted by functionally-relevant emotional responses to specific threats perceived to be posed by Americans. In line with the sociofunctional approach, perceived resource domination threat from Americans elicited anger, and perceived value contamination threat elicited disgust/contempt toward Americans. Importantly, these intergroup emotions in turn differentially predicted support for Hezbollah and Al Qaeda through desires for the organizations to accomplish different goals to address the threat perceptions. Specifically, anger toward Americans predicted support for Hezbollah through desires for the organization to restore threatened symbolic resources by bringing pride and respect to Arabs. In contrast, disgust/contempt toward Americans predicted support for Al Qaeda through desires for the organization to protect threatened ingroup values by de-contaminating Islam from Western cultural influence. Theoretical explanations and implications for addressing and mitigating hostilities between the groups are discussed.
Mediators of adolescents' stress in a college preparatory environment

This study examined four variables (sense of control, perceived social support, degree of achievement motivation, and experienced satisfaction) hypothesized to mediate or buffer adolescents from the negative impact of academic and social stressors. The subjects were 61 high school students enrolled in a college preparatory setting with high academic standards and 63 of their parents. Students and parents were asked to rate student responses to stress that is related to both academic and nonacademic activities. Student-reported Control, Support, and Achievement Motivation were found to be strongly related to reported stress levels, although only Control and Achievement were entered in the full model of a stepwise regression analysis. Differences in the sample in terms of boarding versus day-student status, as well as differences between male and female student reports were examined.
Circular macroparticle accelerator: Impact fusion propulsion

Abstract Combining the previously proposed two-stage magnetic booster impact fusion concept with a circular magnetic macroparticle accelerator to drive the booster stage reduces the size of the macroparticle accelerator to dimensions commensurable with the requirements for propulsion. In the proposed concept, two magnetic dipole projectiles are accelerated in opposite directions in two stacked channels of the circular accelerator. After the projectiles have reached a velocity of about 25 km/s, they implode upon impact a small centimeter-size chamber, making up the booster stage and containing a high density magnetized deuterium-tritium plasma, generated by a relativistic electron beam. The impact causes the plasma in the booster stage to be compressed to high densities, resulting in its thermonuclear ignition. The thermonuclear energy released in the booster stage can thereafter ignite a second, high-gain and high yield stage. The second stage can release most of its energy from deuterium burn. Because of its smaller neutron yield, it is better suited for propulsion.