cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Examination of the Influence of Household Financial Decision Making on the US Housing Market Crisis

This paper investigates the impact of what the extant literature has come to view as some of the major causes of the 2007 US housing market crisis. In particular we investigate the hypothesized effect of, lax financial regulations, the “savings glut” that is invested in the US from abroad, government support for increased home ownership, rising homeowners’ equity due to the real-estate boom, expansionary monetary policy, and bankruptcy reform. We examine how these hypothesized causes, working through household and institutional level decision-making, based on information availability and incentives, influenced the outcomes in the market for homes. Using a system dynamics model of household finance, we overlay the hypothesized causes chronologically to extrapolate their real-world simultaneous impact and test the hypothesis that they could have together led to the crisis, by simulating and checking against observed data. We find that with the exception of lax financial regulations, each cause by itself provides only a partial explanation of the crisis. Interestingly, the controversial expansionary monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, blamed by some for fueling the crisis, actually prevents the housing market boom from becoming too large. However on the downside, it discourages household savings and causes the fall in home prices to be deeper, due to weak household finances that result from low savings. We confront our model’s assumptions and outcomes with US economic data. We find our model assumptions are justified and simulation results are strongly supported by the data.
Adherence to Mammography Screening Guidelines Among Transgender Persons and Sexual Minority Women

We used retrospective (2012–2013) chart review to examine breast cancer screening among transgender persons and sexual minority women (n = 1263) attending an urban community health center in Massachusetts. Transgender were less likely than cisgender patients and bisexuals were less likely than heterosexuals and lesbians to adhere to mammography screening guidelines (respectively, adjusted odds ratios = 0.53 and 0.56; 95% confidence intervals = 0.31, 0.91 and 0.34, 0.92) after adjustment for sociodemographics. Enhanced cancer prevention outreach is needed among gender and sexual minorities.
Parathyroid Hormone and the Use of Diuretics and Calcium-Channel Blockers: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Thiazide diuretic (TZ) use is associated with higher bone mineral density, whereas loop diuretic (LD) use is associated with lower bone density and incident fracture. Dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels are expressed on parathyroid cells and may play a role in parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulation. The potential for diuretics and calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) to modulate PTH and calcium homeostasis may represent a mechanism by which they influence skeletal outcomes. We hypothesized that the use of LD and dihydropyridine CCBs is associated with higher PTH, and TZ use is associated with lower PTH. We conducted cross-sectional analyses of participants treated for hypertension in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who did not have primary hyperparathyroidism or chronic kidney disease (n = 1888). We used adjusted regression models to evaluate the independent association between TZ, LD, and CCB medication classes and PTH. TZ use was associated with lower PTH when compared with non-TZ use (44.4 versus 46.9 pg/mL, p = 0.02), whereas the use of LD and CCBs was associated with higher PTH when compared with non-users of each medication class (LD: 60.7 versus 45.5 pg/mL, p < 0.0001; CCB: 49.5 versus. 44.4 pg/mL, p < 0.0001). Adjusted regression models confirmed independent associations between TZ use and lower PTH (β = -3.2 pg/mL, p = 0.0007), and LD or CCB use and higher PTH (LD: β = +12.0 pg/mL, p < 0.0001; CCB: +3.7 pg/mL, p < 0.0001). Among CCB users, the use of dihydropyridines was independently associated with higher PTH (β = +5.0 pg/mL, p < 0.0001), whereas non-dihydropyridine use was not (β = +0.58 pg/mL, p = 0.68). We conclude that in a large community-based cohort with normal kidney function, TZ use is associated with lower PTH, whereas LD and dihydropyridine CCB use is associated with higher PTH. These associations may provide a mechanistic explanation linking use of these medications to the development of skeletal outcomes. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
RBPJ in mouse Sertoli cells is required for proper regulation of the testis stem cell niche

Stem cells are influenced by their surrounding microenvironment, or niche. In the testis, Sertoli cells are the key niche cells directing the population size and differentiation fate of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Failure to properly regulate SSCs leads to infertility or germ cell hyperplasia. Several Sertoli cell-expressed genes, such as Gdnf and Cyp26b1, have been identified as being indispensable for the proper maintenance of SSCs in their niche, but the pathways that modulate their expression have not been identified. Although we have recently found that constitutively activating NOTCH signaling in Sertoli cells leads to premature differentiation of all prospermatogonia and sterility, suggesting that there is a crucial role for this pathway in the testis stem cell niche, a true physiological function of NOTCH signaling in Sertoli cells has not been demonstrated. To this end, we conditionally ablated recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin kappa J region (Rbpj), a crucial mediator of NOTCH signaling, in Sertoli cells using Amh-cre. Rbpj knockout mice had: significantly increased testis sizes; increased expression of niche factors, such as Gdnf and Cyp26b1; significant increases in the number of pre- and post-meiotic germ cells, including SSCs; and, in a significant proportion of mice, testicular failure and atrophy with tubule lithiasis, possibly due to these unsustainable increases in the number of germ cells. We also identified germ cells as the NOTCH ligand-expressing cells. We conclude that NOTCH signaling in Sertoli cells is required for proper regulation of the testis stem cell niche and is a potential feedback mechanism, based on germ cell input, that governs the expression of factors that control SSC proliferation and differentiation.
Parent Care in the First One-child Generation Families:A case study of Beijing

In regards to the current living condition of Chinese people,the parents of the first one-child generation may choose to live at home when they grow older However,the one-child generation's ability in caring their parents,esp.their ability in looking after their parents physically and psychologically in daily times is decreasing.This paper proposes that community services should be established and improved,governments should build a supporting system,and one-child-generation parents should also have the sense of self-supporting.
SEISMIC REACTION OF EARTH AND ROCKFILL DAM:CENTRIFUGE MODELING TEST AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION

The numerical analysis results from LIQCA are compared with the centrifugal testing results;and the response of earth and rockfill dam during seismic load is also studied.In general,the acceleration is amplified from the base of foundation to the top of earth and rockfill dam;and the predominant period and band width of soil acceleration are almost the same along the depth.The excessive pore water pressure is accumulated during the base shaking;and the final excessive pore water pressure increases with depth.This fact can also be explained by the stress path analysis from conventional cyclic triaxial testing result and LIQCA analytical results.
Viewpoints: Letter from the Editor

The breadth and depth of the columns and articles in this issue clearly demonstrate how dance benefits all people in experiencing the sheer wonder of moving. At the 2019 National Association of Sch...
American Immigration and the Common Market

One interesting aspect of migrations to the United States in recent years is the so-called “brain-drain” of professional people, mostly from Europe, rising from 11,000 in 1947 to 30,000 in 1966. Britain, Germany and the Netherlands have been the chief losers in these categories. And unfortunately for many developing countries, many of their young people who come to the U.S. for technical training try to remain in the U.S. for good. During the period 1961—1965, 3,000 scientists, engineers and physicians migrated permanently to the United States from Latin American countries.la
Low Cost Compact Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma System for Environmental and Biomedical Applications

Nanosecond pulsed non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasmas are promising for numerous applications including air and water purification, ozone synthesis, surface sterilization, material processing, and biomedical care. However, the high cost of the nanosecond pulsed power sources has hindered adaptation of the plasma-based technologies for clinical and industrial use. This paper presents a low cost ( 10 kV, a 3 ns rise time (10 to 90 %), and a 10 ns pulse duration (full width at half maximum) at a pulse repetition rate of up to 500 Hz were achieved in the present study. It has been successfully tested to power three different plasma reactors to form pulsed corona discharges, dielectric barrier discharges, and sliding discharges. The energy efficiency of such a nanosecond pulsed sliding discharge system was assessed in the context of ozone synthesis using air or oxygen as the feed gas, and was found comparable to a previously reported non-thermal plasma system that used commercial high voltage pulsed power sources. This study demonstrated that this low-cost nanosecond pulsed power source can prove to be an energy efficient and simple supply to drive various non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma reactors for environmental, medical and other applications.
Correlates of Disclosure Cessation After Sexual Assault.

Contacts with responders after sexual assault may influence further disclosure, but this possibility has not been explored empirically. Thus, this study investigates associations between survivors’...
Rodolfo Lanciani’s Dismissal

This essay deals with an episode in the career of classical archaeologist Rodolfo Lanciani (1845–1929), director of excavations of the Roman Forum from c. 1877 to 1886. Despite his success as a scholar and excavator, the Italian government dismissed him from the archaeological service for improprieties in 1890. The major charges against Lanciani reveal the tensions between the city of Rome and the Italian state on issues related to owning, caring for, and displaying the nation’s antiquities. Significant social, economic, and political changes in the decades after the establishment of the new nation fueled the tensions.
Verb-Second (V2) Phenomena

The previous chapter provided evidence to support the claim that in Kashmiri the lexical projections (including verb) are head-final and the functional projections are head-initial. There is, however, a generalization about Kashmiri word order that I have not fully addressed yet: The finite verb in declarative main and some subordinate clauses invariably occupies the clause-second position. This generalization, known in the generative grammar as the verb-second phenomenon, holds remarkably consistently across Germanic languages, with the exception of English.1
Potential application and prevalence of the CD30 (Ki-1) antigen among solid tumors: A focus review of the literature

Abstract Background CD30 (Ki-1) is a cell membrane protein derived from the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family. The CD30 antigen has been associated primarily with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting the CD30 antigen. FDA approval for BV includes relapsed and refractory HL and sALCL. The CD30 antigen also has been identified in many solid tumors, predominantly of germ cell origins and early clinical data is promising. Objective Perform a focus literature review evaluating the prevalence of the CD30 antigen among nonlymphomatous tumors with a potential correlate for CD30 targeted therapy. Eligibility criteria Inclusion criteria: all retrospective reviews and case reports citing CD30 positivity or negativity in non-lymphomatous malignancies in which data were presented based on location. Exclusion criteria: studies with hematopoetic malignancies, cutaneous malignancies, non-human populations, and non-english publications. Included studies A total of 119 articles met these criteria and are summarized in this manuscript. Conclusion The CD30 antigen has shown variable prevalence among non-hematopoetic tumors, most notably among germ cell tumors and mesothelioma. With additional, preclinical and properly powered clinical studies, CD30 targeted therapy such as that of BV, alone or in combination with other agents may prove to be a strong candidate in the treatment of various CD30+ malignancies.
A Flipped Classroom Approach to Conveying the Basics of Systems Thinking to Engineering Undergraduates

Engineering students spend the majority of their academic careers learning tools to enable tasks related to detailed design. For example, a mechanical engineer may learn to size a heat exchanger so that an engine would not overheat, an electrical engineer may learn to specify gains in a control system to provide desired performance, and a civil engineer may learn to size columns to avoid buckling. While these analytical capabilities are essential to the execution of engineered systems, there are tools and perspectives related to systems and their design that are historically absent in an undergraduate engineering education. Through the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) and the University of New Haven, the authors have developed a flipped classroom module that provides a basis in systems thinking as related to the conception and execution of complex engineered systems. The module could be useful in several areas of the curriculum, but is primarily intended to develop perspectives and skills necessary to ensure a successful capstone design experience.The module is broken into five lessons: (1) Foundational Concepts, (2) Key Systems Principles, (3) Architecture Development, (4) Multiple Views of a System, and (5) System Verification and Validation. Lesson 1 begins with the importance of the problem statement, and then proceeds to introduce form and function, function mapping, and many key definitions (system, interface, architecture, systems engineering, and complexity). Lesson 2 introduces key systems principles, including systems thinking, systems of systems, and system decomposition. Lesson 3 overviews the systems architecting process and summarizes the four most typical methods used to develop a system architecture. Lesson 4 discusses viewing a system from six different perspectives. Lesson 5 presents the systems engineering V model, requirements cascading, and verification and validation.The module includes several interactive activities and built in knowledge checkpoints. There is also a final challenge wherein the students must apply what they’ve learned about systems thinking and systems engineering to a hypothetical problem.This paper will further describe the module content and format. The paper will also make the case that the content included in the module is essential to an efficient, effective, and rewarding capstone design experience. This is achieved by summarizing common pitfalls that occur in a capstone design project and how good systems thinking can avert them. The pitfalls covered include failure to fully understand all key stakeholders’ most important needs, failure to understand desired system function in a solution-neutral way and failure to follow a robust process to map function to form, poor choice of how to decompose the system into subsystems, errors/inefficiencies in interface definition and management, and poor (if any) planning for design verification and validation.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
QUERY SYSTEMS FOR LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODELS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses query systems for linear programming models and focuses on the special requirements placed upon a query system for mathematical programming models and solution. In the process of maturation of linear programming applications, there is a growing sophistication and appreciation of the information present in a model and model solution. The types of queries placed on a model fall into two broad categories: (1) reactive and (2) interactive. A reactive query is one, which can be satisfied by a non-inferential examination of the data base. For example, requests of activities that are basic or for aggregates are reactive. Interactive requests are met by inferring information and can be met by the query monitor, heavily interacting with processors that are not simple.
Self-dual Codes

In this chapter, we describe self-dual codes over Frobenius rings. We give constructions of self-dual codes over any Frobenius ring. We describe connections to unimodular lattices, binary self-dual codes and to designs. We also describe linear complementary dual codes and make a new definition of a broad generalization encompassing both self-dual and linear complementary codes.
Anger tendencies and sleep: Poor anger control is associated with objectively measured sleep disruption

Abstract This study investigated whether trait anger linked to actual sleep behavior and what anger tendencies play the most important role for particular aspects of sleep. Data from 436 adults in Midlife of the United States Study were used to link anger tendencies to both objectively (actigraphy) and subjectively (daily diary) assessed sleep across a week. Overall, individuals who had poor anger control also had worse objectively and subjectively measured sleep and these relations were robust to effects of gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, and stress. The findings tie actual sleep behavior to individual differences in anger, suggesting poor anger control plays the most important role, and add to the growing evidence that anger and sleep depend on each other.
Child Development Accounts and Saving for College: Mediated by Parental Educational Expectations?*

Objective Child Development Accounts (CDAs) are universal and progressive savings accounts that facilitate saving for long‐term developmental goals, including postsecondary education. We examine whether parents’ educational expectations for their children motivate them to increase saving for children's education and whether parents’ expectations mediate the positive effect of CDAs on parental saving. Methods We use logistic regressions to analyze data from SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK), a randomized policy experiment implemented in Oklahoma (N = 2,161). Results Our study shows that the likelihood of holding a 529 college savings account is greater among treatment mothers than among control‐group counterparts and greater for mothers with higher expectations. Yet, we find no evidence that parents’ expectations play a mediating role in the SEED OK intervention's relationship with 529 account holding. Conclusions Institutional supports from CDAs and enabling parents to maintain positive parental expectations would make substantial differences in parents’ financial investment for their child's education.
“Now” is Here: Disillusionment and Urgency in Anita Desai's Cry, the Peacock

This essay argues that Anita Desai's novel Cry, the Peacock registers post-independence disillusionment in India through its exploration of gender, disenfranchisement, and time. Like the “novels of...
Digital Rehabilitation: A Model of Reentry Into the Digital Age:

Despite societal dependence on digital technologies and the Internet across the developed world, current prisoner rehabilitation, reentry models, and practices across most U.S. state correctional systems only target offline realms and issues while disregarding the digital realm. By integrating existing models of rehabilitation and reentry with recently developed and refined digital divide theories, this article develops a new model of digital rehabilitation, considering both the online and the offline realms. The proposed model fills a gap in the literature and allows for a more complete understanding of the problems that parolees encounter on release from prison. By conceptualizing corresponding fields and resources across three realms—prison, reentry, and digital—the digital rehabilitation and reentry model enables systematic research into the extent to which the digital realm can assist in a more successful reentry process.
Preventable Causes of Renal Failure in the Elderly

One of the great mental traps for the physician treating elderly patients is his assumption that a clinical syndrome or an evidence of deterioration always is due to a chronic or degenerating disease. He is lured into this trap by a graying patient who introduces his symptoms with some variant of a famous line attributed to Dorothy Thompson, ‘After fifty, it’s patch, patch, patch’. The astute and experienced physician recognizes the senior citizen’s reference to the ‘one horse shay falling apart’ as a method for coping rather than a clue to the diagnosis. Sadly, the contrary assumption or the physician&s acceptance of degenerative disease as the sole explanation for clinical syndromes becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. To make it happen the doctor needs only to let it happen. For this reason, it is worthwhile reviewing some of the preventable causes of renal failure in the elderly patients. Table I lists some of the causes we will discuss.
The Multistage Concept of Carcinogenesis

The recognition of carcinogenesis as a complex multievent process has developed from evidence gained over the past 50 years of research in experimental oncology demonstrating that tumors can be induced in high yield by the combined administration of agents that may have little or no carcinogenic activity when given singly. Three major types of tumorigenic enhancement may be defined on the basis of the types of inducing agents used and of the temporal relationships of their administration: 1. Syncarcinogenesis: Synergistic enhancement of tumor formation by simultaneous1 or sequential treatment2 with two carcinogens that separately may have relatively little carcinogenic activity 2. Cocarcinogenesis: Enhancement of tumor formation by simultaneous administration of a carcinogen and an additional agent (cocarcinogen) that has no intrinsic carcinogenic activity but facilitates carcinogen action3–8 3. Two-stage, or initiation-promotion carcinogenesis: Enhancement of tumor formation by the sequential administration of a carcinogen (initiator) and an additional agent (promoter) that has no intrinsic carcinogenic activity but facilitates expression of prior carcinogen-induced cryptic cellular changes.3 In this context, an initiating agent is exemplified by a subcarcinogenic dose of carcinogen, i.e., one that will not elicit neoplasms within the life span of an animal but that will produce an irreversible fundamental change (i.e., mutation) in the cells of a target organ or tissue so as to predispose them to neoplastic transformation when they are further subjected to an appropriate tumor promoting stimulus. A tumor promoter, exemplified by certain plant products, hormones, and xenobiotics acts to affect gene expression and to stimulate a hyperplastic expansion of the initiated cell population. This process ultimately results in the development of persistent precancerous nodules, papillomas, or polyps within the target tissue or organ. Some of these lesions can then undergo progression to malignant neoplasms (see Chapter 10).
Wheat and Maize Flour Fortification

Abstract Wheat and maize flour can be fortified with vitamins and minerals to increase their intake by vulnerable populations. Where the combined availability of wheat and maize flour is ≥75 g/capita/day, WHO estimates that flour can be adequately fortified to meet micronutrient needs; this is the case for 161 countries. Currently, 86 countries mandate the fortification of either grain with one or more of several vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, D) and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc). Millers’ internal monitoring as well as governments’ regulatory monitoring (external, import, commercial) should ensure quality fortified flour is continuously produced and imported into countries. Effectiveness evaluations consistently show reductions in neural tube defects when flour is fortified with folic acid. Iron deficiency and anemia reductions are less consistently observed. Several challenges must be overcome to accelerate the coverage and impact of wheat and maize flour fortification.
Bayesian Data Synthesis and Disclosure Risk Quantification: An Application to the Consumer Expenditure Surveys

The release of synthetic data generated from a model estimated on the data helps statistical agencies disseminate respondent-level data with high utility and privacy protection. Motivated by the challenge of disseminating sensitive variables containing geographic information in the Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we propose two non-parametric Bayesian models as data synthesizers for the county identifier of each data record: a Bayesian latent class model and a Bayesian areal model. Both data synthesizers use Dirichlet Process priors to cluster observations of similar characteristics and allow borrowing information across observations. We develop innovative disclosure risks measures to quantify inherent risks in the confidential CE data and how those data risks are ameliorated by our proposed synthesizers. By creating a lower bound and an upper bound of disclosure risks under a minimum and a maximum disclosure risks scenarios respectively, our proposed inherent risks measures provide a range of acceptable disclosure risks for evaluating risks level in the synthetic datasets.
A Feedback Perspective on Forced Oscillation/Small-Signal Stability Discrimination

Recent deployment of wide-area measurement systems with increased reporting rates viz-a-viz SCADA protocol have revealed the presence of forced oscillatory behavior in electric power grids. Real-time discrimination between forced oscillations and a system at the onset of rotor instability poses a difficult problem to researchers wishing to develop algorithms intended to inform operators of the true stability status. However, wide-area damping controllers (WADCs) designed to prevent small-signal instability events from occurring are not confused by the potential failure to discriminate the events correctly and are capable of maintaining stability, regardless of the excitation source. Thus, it is suggested that a feedback controller is the appropriate architecture for ensuring stability of the smart grid. This notion is supported by analysis of a linear system representative of the western North American Power System which is destabilized, followed by the stable system subject to disturbances at several critical frequencies. A full nonlinear model replicating the major components of the wNAPS is utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of the WADC under similar influence of forced oscillations and decaying plant stability.
Clinical Research Is a Team Sport.

This time it’s personal. (Jaws: The Revenge [fourth movie in the Jaws series ] 1987)In their article, Morain, Joffe, and Largent (2019) speak to an issue I had to confront as a physician investigat...
Integrating Heterogeneous Datasets by Using Multimodal Deep Learning

Rapid collection of data sources, varying in volume and structure poses a challenge for scientists to establish a practical approach to manipulating heterogeneous data sources. A multimodal learning and an integrated analysis make it possible to extract much worthwhile information from a collection of multiple simple raw data. Therefore, data integration can lead to a more reliable and robust result. High-throughput sequencing technologies, especially next-generation sequencing, leave us with multi-platform genomic data such as gene expression, SNP, CNV, DNA methylation, and miRNA expression. In this paper, we represented a multimodal deep neural network to exploit the mutual information between three different modalities to classify breast cancer patients into two groups based on their survival rate. Experimental results indicate that our method improves the classification accuracy and performs better on imbalanced data compared to the other single-modal state-of-the-art methods.
Competitive interactions among H, Cu, and Zn ions moderate aqueous uptake of Cu and Zn by an aquatic insect.

Abstract The absorption of aqueous copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) by aquatic insects, a group widely used to assess water quality, is unresolved. This study examined interactions among Cu, Zn, and protons that potentially moderate Cu and Zn uptake by the acid-tolerant stonefly Zapada sp. Saturation uptake kinetics were imposed to identify competitive mechanisms. Decreasing pH reduced the maximum transport capacity, Jmax, in both metals, had little effect on the Cu dissociation constant, KD, and increased the Zn KD. Partial noncompetitive (Cu) and partial mixed competitive (Zn) inhibitor models most closely tracked the observed Cu and Zn influx rates across pH treatments. The estimated values for acid dissociation constants for the binary (proton-receptor) and ternary (proton-metal-receptor) complexes indicated the strong inhibitory effect of protons on Cu and Zn. In neutral pH water, Cu inhibited Zn influx, but Zn had little effect on Cu influx. The mechanism of Cu-Zn interaction was not identified. Results from separate Zn experiments suggested that the insect's developmental stage may affect the apparent Jmax. The study underscores some of the challenges of modeling metal bioaccumulation and informs future research directions.
Evaluation of the Functional Mobility Assessment Through Rasch Analysis

Abstract Objective To determine the effectiveness of the Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) when measuring an individual’s satisfaction with functional mobility. Design Secondary analysis of cross-sectional self-report data. Setting Assistive technology center within an academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. Participants Individuals with a disability that use or plan to use a mobility device (N=871). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures FMA. Results All FMA items (10/10) contributed to a single unidimensional construct with good to strong fit to a unidimensional confirmatory factor model. Rasch analysis revealed that the rating scale, majority of persons (>90%), and all items fit the Rasch measurement model. The FMA demonstrated adequate reliability (person reliability=0.85) and separated persons into 3 strata: those with high, medium, and low satisfaction with functional mobility. Conclusions The FMA is an appropriate measure for use in research and clinical settings to quantify satisfaction with functional mobility among mobility device users.
Thoracic Duct Embolization

Chylothorax results from lymphatic leakage containing chylomicrons and triglycerides in the pleural cavity following damage to the thoracic duct along its intrathoracic route.
Fat Mass Is Negatively Associated with Muscle Strength and Jump Test Performance.

It is known that maintenance of muscle mass cannot prevent loss of muscle strength in older adults. Recent evidence suggests that fat mass can weaken the relationship between muscle mass and functional performance. No information exists if fat mass can independently affect muscle strength and jump test performance in middle-aged and older adults. To assess the independent relationships between fat mass, leg muscle mass, lower extremity muscle strength, and jump test performance in adults, 55–75 years of age. Cross-sectional. University laboratory. Fifty-nine older adults (men, n = 27, age = 64.8 + 6.5 years; women, n = 32, age = 62.5 + 5.1 years) participated in this study. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure fat mass and leg muscle mass. An average of 3 maximal countermovement jumps was used to calculate jump power and jump height. Two leg press and hip abduction strength were assessed by 1-repetition maximum testing. Stepwise sequential regression analysis of fat mass and leg muscle mass versus jump test performance and measures of muscle strength after adjusting for age, height, and physical activity revealed that fat mass was negatively associated with jump height (p = 0.047, rpartial = −0.410) in men. In women, fat mass was negatively associated with jump height (p = 0.003, rpartial = −0.538), leg press (p = 0.002, rpartial = −0.544), and hip abduction strength (p < 0.001, rpartial = −0.661). Leg muscle mass was positively associated with jump power in women (p = 0.047, rpartial = 0.372) only. Fat mass has an independent negative relationship with jump test performance in middle-aged and older men and women. This has clinical implications for rehabilitating neuromuscular performance in middle-aged and older adults.
New HST data and modeling reveal a massive planetesimal collision around Fomalhaut

The apparent detection of an exoplanet orbiting Fomalhaut was announced in 2008. However, subsequent observations of Fomalhaut b raised questions about its status: Unlike other exoplanets, it is bright in the optical and nondetected in the infrared, and its orbit appears to cross the debris ring around the star without the expected gravitational perturbations. We revisit previously published data and analyze additional Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data, finding that the source is likely on a radial trajectory and has faded and become extended. Dynamical and collisional modeling of a recently produced dust cloud yields results consistent with the observations. Fomalhaut b appears to be a directly imaged catastrophic collision between two large planetesimals in an extrasolar planetary system. Similar events should be very rare in quiescent planetary systems of the age of Fomalhaut, suggesting that we are possibly witnessing the effects of gravitational stirring due to the orbital evolution of hypothetical planet(s) around the star.
Role of microstructure on CO corrosion of SiC layer in UO2-TRISO fuel

Abstract The Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Qualification and Development (AGR) program has focused on qualification of UCO kernel tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel relative to UO2 kernel TRISO particle fuel. However, a UO2 kernel variant was included in the second AGR irradiation experiment (AGR-2) for comparison and to connect to historic fuel irradiation data. The development of a multiscale, post-irradiation examination (PIE) analysis approach through the AGR Program has allowed for a comprehensive understanding of individual particle failure. This approach has been applied to gain an understanding of SiC layer failure in UO2 kernel TRISO fuel from AGR-2 after safety testing at 1600–1700 °C. Particle failure by intergranular CO corrosion, facilitated by a compromised inner pyrolytic carbon layer, has been confirmed through the combined application of modern x-ray computed tomography and electron microscopy techniques. Additionally, a relationship between grain boundary character and CO corrosion has been identified. This finding provides an opportunity to develop mitigating strategies to improve the resilience of the SiC layer to CO corrosion in UO2 TRISO fuel.
CHAPTER 3 – Topological Spaces

Publisher Summary A topological space is a set of points, along with a set of neighbourhoods for each point, that satisfy a set of axioms relating points and neighbourhoods. The definition of a topological space relies only upon set theory and is the most general notion of a mathematical space that allows for the definition of concepts, such as continuity, connectedness, and convergence. Other spaces such as manifolds and metric spaces are the specializations of topological spaces with extra structures or constraints. The topological spaces are a central unifying notion and appear in virtually every branch of modern mathematics. The branch of mathematics that studies topological spaces in their own right is called point-set topology or general topology. The concept of a topological space is introduced in terms of the axioms for the open sets. The closure operator is just one of a number of operators that can be used to define a topology. To completely determine a topological space, both the points and the open sets in the space should be specified. The two topological spaces are the same if both the points and the family of open sets are the same in each.
Outcome of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation after Venetoclax and Hypomethylating Agent Therapy for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.

ABSTRACT The combination of hypomethylating agents with the selective Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax (HMA-VEN) has emerged as a highly active regimen in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in both the upfront and relapsed/refractory (r/r) settings. We report our early experience with a cohort of patients who were able to proceed to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) after HMA-VEN therapy. Thirty-two patients with AML (19 r/r and 13 de novo) with a median age of 62 years underwent alloHCT after HMA-VEN therapy. Twenty-two (68.8%) were in complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete count recovery at time of HCT. With a median follow up of 14.4 months, the 1-year overall survival (OS) was 62.5%, and disease-free survival was 43.8%. The 1-year nonrelapse mortality rate was 18.8%, and the cumulative incidence of relapse was 37.5%. Among patients who underwent alloHCT in CR, the 1-year OS was 77.3%, and the cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was 9.1%. The cumulative incidence of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease was 43.8%. We conclude that alloHCT after HMA-VEN is therapy associated with favorable allogeneic HCT outcomes in newly diagnosed older patients with AML, as well as those with r/r AML.
Prostate Cancer Screening Patterns Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals.

Abstract One in six gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations are under-represented in cancer research, and guidelines on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening are limited. We performed a cross-sectional study to assess patterns of PSA screening and decision-making in this cohort. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database was queried for LGBT adults for 2014–2016 and 2018, when PSA questions were asked in the annual survey. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association of LGBT status with PSA screening and informed and shared decision-making. A total of 164 370 participants were eligible for PSA screening, representing a weighted estimate of 1.2 million LGBT individuals. Compared to cisgender (CG) straight individuals, CG gay/bisexual cohorts were more likely to participate in PSA screening (CG gay: odds ratio [OR] 1.07; p Patient summary This large study of sexual and gender minorities in the USA suggests that gay and bisexual individuals were more likely to undergo prostate cancer screening and that select gay individuals were more likely to make informed and shared decisions. However, transgender individuals were less likely to have prostate cancer screening and make informed decisions.
Immune response against Clostridioides difficile and translation to therapy.

The pathogenesis of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has largely been attributed to the action of two major toxins – A and B. An enhanced systemic humoral immune response against these toxi...
Lung shunt fraction calculation using 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT imaging for 90Y microsphere selective internal radiation therapy of liver tumors.

99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) scintigraphy is utilized in treatment planning for Yttrium-90 (90Y) Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) of liver tumors to evaluate hepatopulmonary shunting by calculating the lung shunt fraction (LSF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate if LSF calculation using SPECT/CT instead of planar gamma camera imaging is more accurate and if this can potentially lead to more effective treatment planning of hepatic lesions while avoiding excessive pulmonary irradiation. LSF calculation was obtained using two different methodologies in 85 cases from consecutive patients intended to receive 90Y SIRT. The first method was based on planar gamma camera imaging in the anterior and posterior views with geometric mean calculation of the LSF from regions of interest of the liver and lungs. The second method was based on segmentation of the liver and lungs from SPECT/CT images of the thorax and abdomen. The differences in planar imaging versus SPECT/CT derived LSF values along with the estimated absorbed lung mean dose (LMD) were evaluated. The LSF values were higher in planar imaging versus SPECT/CT in 81/85 cases, with a mean value of 8.5% vs. 4.6% respectively; the difference was statistically significant using a paired t-test (alpha = 0.05). In those patients who received SIRT, the estimated absorbed LMD calculated with planar imaging was significantly higher than with SPECT/CT (t-test, P < 0.005). Repeated phantom experiments using an anthropomorphic torso phantom with variable 99mTc activity concentrations for the liver and lungs were performed with the standard patient protocol, demonstrated improved accuracy of the LSF calculation based on SPECT/CT than planar imaging (mean overestimated value of 6% vs. 26%). This study demonstrates that LSF calculation using planar imaging can be significantly overestimated while calculation using SPECT/CT imaging and appropriate segmentation tools can be more accurate. Minimizing the errors in obtaining the LSF can lead to more effective 90Y SIRT treatment planning for hepatic tumors while ensuring the lung dose will not exceed the standard acceptable safety thresholds.
Turnover of Putrescine in a Pseudomonas Species

Abstract A Pseudomonas species was found to readily take up labeled putrescine added in trace amounts to any of four growth media, bis-(3-aminopropyl)-amine, 4-aminobutyrate, glucose-NH3, and Casamino Acids, although the rate of uptake varied considerably from one medium to another. Putrescine degradation, as well as excretion and conversion to hydroxyputrescine, was demonstrated in all four media, indicating that this organism has a constitutive putrescine degradation pathway. The extents of putrescine degradation, excretion, and conversion to hydroxyputrescine are shown for these four growth media through an incubation period of 1 hr. These results document more fully the experimental details behind a previous communication which postulated that the constitutive degradation of putrescine participates in the regulation of intracellular putrescine concentration. The significance of this apparent violation of the general concept that synthetic end products are normally not degraded is discussed.
Judicial Institutionalization and Business Elite Trust in the Post-Communist Courts

The existing survey research in post-communist societies focuses disproportionately on the mass citizenry and largely ignores questions about elite support for judicial institutions. This study examines business elite’s confidence in the post-communist legal systems and assesses the effects of judicial institutionalization on their perceptions. It argues that as post-communist constitutional courts develop, their institutionalization helps generate positive elite perceptions of the country’s legal system. This study tests hypotheses regarding business elite confidence in the legal system with the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey data. The results show that the level of constitutional court institutionalization is an important determinant of business elite’s perceptions of the legal system. During the 1999-2005 period, businesspersons in countries with highly institutionalized constitutional courts are on average 23.5% more likely to express high level of confidence in their legal systems relative to businesspersons in countries where constitutional courts are weakly institutionalized.
Data mining for human resource information systems

This chapter focuses on the potential contributions that Data Mining (DM) could make within the Human Resource (HR) function in organizations. We first provide a basic introduction to DM techniques and processes and a survey of the literature on the steps involved in successfully mining this information. We also discuss the importance of data warehousing and datamart considerations. An examination of the contrast between DM and more routine statistical studies is given, and the value of HR information to support a firm's competitive position and organizational decision-making is considered. Examples of potential applications are outlined in terms of data that is ordinarily captured in HR information systems.
Inhibiting TWEAK (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis) signaling ameliorates blood brain barrier integrity and neuronal damage in neuropsychiatric lupus prone MRL/lpr mice (CCR3P.212)

Neuropsychiatric disease (NPSLE) is one of the most common manifestations of human lupus, but remains poorly understood. TWEAK is a cytokine member of the TNF superfamily; its sole receptor, Fn14, is expressed in brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, microglia and neurons. In vitro, TWEAK signaling promotes expression of MCP-1, IL-6 and IL-8, decreases ZO-1 expression, and increases the permeability of human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Our previous study showed that Fn14 knockout (KO) in the MRL/lpr lupus strain led to markedly attenuated neuropsychiatric disease, as revealed by significant reduction in depressive-like behavior and improved cognitive function. The purpose of the present study was to determine the mechanisms by which TWEAK signaling is instrumental in the pathogenesis of NPSLE. We found that Fn14KO mice had improved BBB integrity as shown by decreased fibronectin and IgG deposition in the brain. Further, there were fewer cellular infiltrates in Fn14KO mice. Additionally, Fn14KO mice displayed reduced neuron apoptosis and hippocampal gliosis. Interestingly, there were no differences in neurogenesis and microglia activation, or in circulating autoantibody titers, between Fn14KO and Fn14WT mice. Our studies indicate that TWEAK/Fn14 interactions play a central role in the pathogenesis of NPSLE by improving BBB integrity and reducing neuronal damage, suggesting a novel target for therapeutic intervention for this major disease manifestation.
The state of state

We are all aware of the "memory wall" and the deleterious effects of bandwidth and latency limitations on performance. We also watch with some degree of amazement at the relentless march of Moore's Law as ever-larger numbers of transistors are used in increasingly clever architectural and microarchitectural techniques to attempt to reduce the effects of the wall. What have not risen to the same level of consciousness, however, are the effects that all of this has on the size of "program state" and our ability to manipulate it, and move it, to avoid the wall. Instead, the Law of Unintended Consequences has left us with heavier and heavier state, which in turn condemns them to continued existence in the bowels of bigger and bigger microprocessor chips, and farther and farther away from the data they seek in memory. This talk is a plea to architects to reconsider what we have been doing to ourselves, and ask if there are alternatives that have been overlooked. The talk will begin by revisiting the notion of state, and plot its explosive growth over the last 30 years. The key points of expansion will be correlated with architectural and microarchitectural "advances." Then we will walk through some observations gained from exploring designing in some emerging technologies, and ask the question of what alternative execution models, particularly premised on light weight states, might do to increase performance and reduce complexity.