cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting postcompletion errors using eye movements

A postcompletion error is a distinct type of procedural error where one fails to complete the final step of a task. While redesigning interfaces and providing explicit cues have been shown to be effective in reducing the postcompletion error rate, these methods are not always feasible or well liked. This paper demonstrates how specific eye movement measures can be used to predict when a user will make a postcompletion error. We describe a real-time eye gaze system that provides cues to the user if and only if there is a high probability of the user making a postcompletion error.
Anatomical Comparison of Platysmal Tightening Using Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Plication vs Deep-Plane Rhytidectomy Techniques

Objectives To quantify the degree of submental platysmal tightening that can be accomplished with superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) plication vs deep-plane rhytidectomy techniques in a cadaveric anatomical study to help dictate the need for midline platysmal surgery when using different rhytidectomy techniques. Methods The lateral distraction of the medial edge of the platysma muscle was measured during tightening of the SMAS-platysmal complex on 5 cadaver heads. The measurements were taken after the following 3 rhytidectomy techniques: SMAS-platysmal plication, deep-plane rhytidectomy, and extended deep-plane rhytidectomy continuing the flap below the angle of the mandible into the neck with release of the platysma and cervical retaining ligaments. Results The medial edge of the platysma muscle was distracted laterally 427% more with deep-plane rhytidectomy compared with SMAS-platysmal plication (P Conclusions Extending a traditional deep-plane rhytidectomy inferiorly to release the lateral platysma and cervical retaining ligaments to the sternocleidomastoid muscle achieves the greatest lateral motion of the midline platysma, theoretically obviating the need for midline platysmal plication except in cases of severe platysmal laxity and banding. Because of the limited platysmal motion during SMAS plication, midline platysmal plication should routinely be used as an adjunct procedure except in cases of no or minimal platysmal laxity.
Quantum Modeling of Thermoelectric Properties of Si/Ge/Si Superlattices

Using a nonequilibrium Green's function approach, quantum simulations are performed to assess the device characteristics for cross-plane transport in Si/Ge/Si-superlattice thin films. The effect of quantum confinement on the Seebeck coefficient and electrical transport and its impact on the power factor of superlattices are studied. In this case, decreasing well width leads to an increased subband spacing causing the Seebeck coefficient of the superlattice to decrease. Electron confinement also causes a drastic reduction in the overall available density of states. Results show that confinement effects in the silicon barrier are responsible for a 40% decrease in the electrical conductivity of superlattices where barrier films are thinner by a factor of 1.5. In the same two devices, there is a negligible change in the Seebeck coefficient, which results in a decrease in the power factor corresponding to the decrease in conductivity. This decrease in the electrical performance for superlattices with thinner layers may offset the previously hypothesized gains of highly scaled superlattice structures resulting from reduced thermal conductivity. Simulations of the present superlattice structure at varying doping levels show a decrease in power factor with a decrease in device size parameters.
Knowledge on Aging and Preferences to Work with the Elderly

Eighty-seven undergraduate students were surveyed using an instrument which assessed knowledge on aging and students' desire to work with various age groups following graduation. Twelve students were currently enrolled in an introductory course on aging, while the remaining students served as a comparison group. The inventory was administered on the first day of class, and once again, at the end of the semester, 15 weeks later. Generally, the undergraduates demonstrated less accurate knowledge on aging than did graduate students surveyed using the same instrument a decade ago (Geiger, 1978). The undergraduates, however, did increase their knowledge levels as a result of exposure to the course on aging. Most interestingly, students enrolled in this course reported a significantly lessened preference to work with the elderly at posttest. Discussion of attitudinal change and alternative curriculum formats is presented.
First Report of Alfalfa mosaic virus Infecting Basil (Ocimum basilicum) in California.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) plants collected from three fields in Imperial County, CA in May, 2011 were found to be exhibiting yellowing, chlorotic sectors and spots on leaves, resulting in unmarketable plants. Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) was present in one of the fields, but was not visibly associated with symptomatic plants. Total nucleic acid was extracted from four symptomatic and three asymptomatic basil plants, as well as from the dodder plant with the RNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). Nucleic acid extracts were tested by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for the presence of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) using primers designed to amplify a 350-nt region of the AMV coat protein gene (3). RT-PCR produced bands of the expected size in extracts from all symptomatic plants and the dodder sample. No amplification was obtained from symptomless plants. A 350-nt band amplified from one plant was gel-extracted, sequenced (TACGen, Richmond, CA), and confirmed to be AMV by comparison to sequences available in G...
Labour-management bargaining modelled as a dynamic game†

Labour-management bargaining is a special case of bargaining, an important problem in economics and politics, which attracts the attention of many scholars. If we can analyse bargaining problems through the use of mathematical models, we may be able to have conflicts resolved in an efficient way. In general, there are four categories of literature in discussing bargaining problems. The first category characterizes the problem and discusses its aspects and bargaining skills without an attempt to provide mathematical models. The second category consists of empirical analyses : experimental work to investigate bargaining behaviour,2 and model matching in which mathematical formulae are abstracted and model parameters are interpolated based on actual bargaining experience^.^ Non-game-theorectic prescriptive (mathematical) models appear in the third category, in which behavioural models are postulated and the concessions of the players are based on reasoning which does not utilize optimization concept^.^-^ The fourth category consists of game-theoretic prescriptive models in which the players endeavour to optimize their utilities in a bargaining situation. We are interested in a quantitative investigation of labour-management bargaining. Empirical analyses are descriptions based on actual behaviour during bargaining. Prescriptive models are prescriptions for supposed behaviour of bargainers. Bargaining is a dynamic process. However, the classical prescriptive models do not give a good portrayal of dynamic behaviour. For example, the costs due to time in bargaining are characterized roughly by an exponential decay factor; only consecutive concessions are prescribed without explicit considerations of time. The use of the theory of differential games provides one remedy for these defects in previous models. Furthermore, optimization is a reasonable and strong motivation in bargaining if the utility functions truly represent the players’ interests and intentions. We consider labour-management bargaining as a bilateral monopoly problem. For theoretical convenience the process is assumed to be continuous rather than discrete. We treat only bargaining under strike; in Reference 12 strike is considered as a strategy component of labour in the process. The non-cooperative solution concepts, Nash equilibrium and Stackelberg, are presented in Sections 2 and 3, respectively. In Reference 13, on which Section 2 of this paper is based, cooperative bargaining via Pareto-optimality is also considered.
VERTEX ISOPERIMETRIC PARAMETER OF A COMPUTATION GRAPH

Let G = (V,E) be a computation graph, which is a directed graph representing a straight line computation and S ⊂ V. We say a vertex v is an input vertex for S if there is an edge (v, u) such that v ∉ S and u ∈ S. We say a vertex u is an output vertex for S if there is an edge (u, v) such that u ∈ S and v ∉ S. A vertex is called a boundary vertex for a set S if it is either an input vertex or an output vertex for S. We consider the problem of determining the minimum value of boundary size of S over all sets of size M in an infinite directed grid. This problem is related to the vertex isoperimetric parameter of a graph, and is motivated by the need for deriving a lower bound for memory traffic for a computation graph representing a financial application. We first extend the notion of vertex isoperimetric parameter for undirected graphs to computation graphs, and then provide a complete solution for this problem for all M. In particular, we show that a set S of size M = 3k2 + 3k + 1 vertices of an infinite directed grid, the boundary size must be at least 6k + 3, and this is obtained when the vertices in S are arranged in a regular hexagonal shape with side k + 1.
Abstract 20437: Gene Expression Profiling Identifies Differentially Expressed Genes in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

BACKGROUND: Coronary angiography is the current gold standard for screening and diagnosis of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). Given the invasiveness and marginal sensitivity associated with angiography, minimally invasive sensitive biomarkers are needed to identify CAV early. The goal of our study is to determine differentially expressed genes in CAV that may serve as targets for biomarker development. Methods: Gene expression profiling and transcriptome analysis using Illumina HiSeq 2000, was performed on 23 cardiac transplant recipients (12 severe CAV ISHLT grade 3 and 11 without CAV) who were matched by age, gender, and duration of transplant. Fastqc, Tophat, Samtools, and CuffDiff were utilized for quality control of raw reads, mapping short reads to reference genomes and testing differential expression between healthy subjects and transplant subject, respectively. Pathway analysis to identify molecular pathways that show expression change in transplant recipients was done using ingenuity pathway...
The Fallacy of OSS Discrimination by FRAND Licensing: An Empirical Analysis

This article attempts to explain the interplay between open source software licensing and FRAND licensing in both the development of standards and with respect to firms seeking to use both OSS and proprietary software. Tension has risen in particular in the standards context, where those who create and distribute code under Open Source Software licenses claim that they are disadvantaged by standards where patent owners are allowed to seek royalties on patents that apply to the standard. The charge that "FRAND discriminates against OSS" is a popular belief among the OSS community. Many believe that FRAND is fundamentally incompatible with OSS viewing the complete absence of royalties as the only compatible option.An empirical examination of all OSS licenses approved by the OSI reveals that there is no inherent conflict between OSS and FRAND. Of the eight most popular OSS licenses, only the GPL and the Lesser GPL license conflict with the FRAND model. And only a small fraction of the remaining 59 OSI-approved licenses have any conflict with FRAND. Indeed, the vast majority of OSS licenses are fully compatible with FRAND, with regard to both monetary and non-monetary terms.Additionally, as a policy matter, it is in the best interests of consumers and the ICT ecosystem for different methods of software production to be allowed to compete and flourish in the marketplace through the creation of technology standards and products.
Individual and Institutional Productivity in Educational Psychology Journals from 2009 to 2014

This article examines the productivity of both individuals and institutions, indexed through an examination of five educational psychology journals (Cognition and Instruction, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychologist, Educational Psychology Review, and Journal of Educational Psychology) from 2009 to 2014. These results are discussed relative to four previous studies (Hsieh et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29, 333–343, 2004; Jones et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 35, 11–16, 2010; Smith et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 23, 173–181, 1998; Contemporary Educational Psychology, 28, 422–430, 2003). Vanderbilt University and Fred Paas replaced the University of Maryland and Richard E. Mayer as the top research institution and author, respectively. Sixteen of the top 19 researchers’ institutions were outside the USA, compared to only 10 of the top 32 during 2003–2008 and three of the top 20 during 1991–1996. Educational psychology research continues the trend of becoming more international.
Intercorrelations of Measures of Reading and Writing: Implications for College Research on Reading and Writing

64 college students participated in a study to examine the intercorrelationships of reading and writing measures which included The Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Form E, a randomly deleted cloze test, and the Test of Standard Written English. The latter correlated highly with the cloze and The Nelson-Denny tests, each contributing about an equal amount of common variance. The common variance between The Nelson-Denny and cloze was substantially less, so it was concluded that research at the college level should utilize both cloze and standardized reading tests to investigate the effect of sentence-combining on reading comprehension.
A Two Step Rapid Thermal Annealing Process for Be Implant Activation in GaAs

A two step rapid thermal anneal (RTA) has been studied for activating Be implanted GaAs, where a short duration, high temperature step is used to electrically activate the Be followed by a longer, low temperature anneal for lattice regrowth. p-n diodes show a substantial reduction in reverse diode leakage current after the low temperature second step anneal, when compared to a single step RTA or to furnace annealing (FA). For low energy Be implants, no difference in elecrical activiation between the two step anneal is observed. Raman studies demonstrate that residual substrate impurities and high Be concentrations inhibit restoration of single crystal lattice characteristics after RTA. Lattice quality is shown not to limit diode characteristics in the RTA material.
Regret-Based Automated Decision-Making Aids for Domain Search Tasks Using Human-Agent Collaborative Teams

In this paper, we consider domain search tasks using a human-agent collaborative team. An automated Bayesian sequential decision-making strategy is first proposed for the optimal allocation of manual and autonomous sensing modes in the presence of sensing uncertainty. An agent will generate a request for human intervention whenever the manual mode is deemed optimal. However, this type of optimal strategy is not always the style of human decision making under uncertainty. In particular, regret has been shown to play a critical role in human’s rational decision making. Humans experience regret when they perceive that they are better off with another option and tend to make choices to avoid such experience. Furthermore, it has been shown that team members who share the same mental model perform better than teams with a more accurate but less similar mental model. Therefore, to enable more effective human-agent collaboration (HAC) and improve joint performance, we embed regret analysis into the proposed decision-making framework to provide suboptimal but more humanlike automated decision aids. We will reconcile the dominant Bayesian methods with the analysis of human behaviors during decision making. We provide the simulation results to compare the decision-making strategies with and without regret analysis and show that regret-based decision making can integrate human tendency in risk averse and risk seeking for better HAC.
Omnifocus image synthesis using lens swivel

We present a simple technique for synthesizing an infinite depth of field image from a sequence of photographs captured while rotating a symmetric lens about the center of the entrance pupil. We discuss the feasibility conditions and provide a Zemax simulation that verifies the method.
“By G–d, he drinks like a man!”

In his memoirs, published in 1858, the Reverend Edward Bannerman Ramsay of the Scottish Episcopal Church recounted a story that was told to him by his friend, the author Henry Mackenzie (1745–1831). As the story goes, Mackenzie was involved in “a regular drinking party” sometime around the turn of the nineteenth century, and “was keeping as free from the usual excesses as he was able.” After hours of imbibing wine, Mackenzie noticed “companions around him falling victims to the power of drink,” so he “dropped off under the table among the slain, as a measure of precaution. Lying there, his attention was called to a small pair of hands working at his throat; on asking what it was, a voice replied, ‘Sir, I’m the lad that’s to lowse the neck-cloths.’” “Here, then,” remarked Ramsay, “was a family where, on drinking occasions, it was the appointed duty of one of the household to attend, and when the guests were becoming helpless, to untie their cravats in fear of apoplexy and suffocation.”1
Philosophie und Syntax

Bei den Fragen, um die es sich in irgendeinem theoretischen Grebiet handelt — und ebenso bei den zugehorigen Satzen und Behauptungen —, kann man etwa unterscheiden zwischen Objektfragen und logischen Fragen. (Diese Unterscheidung macht keinen Anspruch auf Exaktheit ; sie soll nur die folgenden inhaltlichen, unexakten Uberlegungen vorbereiten.) Unter Objektfragen sind dabei solche verstanden, die sich auf die Objekte des betreffenden Gebietes beziehen und etwa nach ihren Eigenschaften und Beziehungen fragen. Die logischen Fragen dagegen beziehen sich nicht direkt auf die Objekte, sondern auf die Satze, Begriffe, Theorien usw., die ihrerseits auf die Objekte bezogen sind. (Die logischen Fragen mogen sich dabei entweder auf den Sinn und Inhalt der Satze, Begriffe usw. oder nur auf ihre Form beziehen; daruber spater.) In gewissem Sinne sind die logischen Fragen allerdings auch Objektfragen, da sie sich ja auf gewisse Objekte beziehen, namlich auf die Begriffe, Satze usw., also auf Objekte der Logik. Wenn aber von einem nicht-logischen, eigentlichen Objektbereich die Rede ist, so ist die Unterscheidung zwischen den Objektfragen und den logischen Fragen deutlich.
Accessible polling places for the visually impaired: a compilation of survey results

The Help America Vote Act mandated that all polling places have an accessible method of voting that provides privacy and independence. Direct Recording Electronic voting machines (DREs) have been assumed to be the solution to providing accessible voting, but there is reason to believe extant systems do not adequately serve this goal (Runyan, 2007). This survey builds upon previous work with the visually disabled population and provides the opinions and recommendations of 202 legally blind voters. Topics addressed include obstacles at the polling place, multiple modality systems, voting confidence, and input devices. Data-based recommendations for auditory modes of voting systems include adjustable speed and volume, using male text-to-speech synthesized voices, and allowing for flexible navigation and the ability to skip through sections of text.
Abstract 1139: Tumor-associated fibroblasts facilitate head and neck cancer metabolism

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive malignancy affecting 40,000 cases in the USA annually, associated with poor prognosis and significant morbidity. HNSCC tumors are dysplastic with up to 80% fibroblasts. We reported that tumor associated fibroblasts (TAFs) facilitate HNSCC progression. However, the molecular mechanisms that facilitate TAF-mediated tumor growth and metastasis remain unknown. Unlike normal cells, malignant cells often display increased glycolysis, even in the presence of oxygen; a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. As a consequence, there is an increase in lactic acid (LA) production. It has been reported that HNSCC tumors have high LA levels that correlate with reduced survival. The mechanisms whereby HNSCC tumors survive in highly acidic conditions remain unknown. We reported that activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase, c-Met, by TAF-secreted hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) contributes to HNSCC progression. The role of TAFs-secreted HGF in HNSCC metabolism remains unknown. In addition, we were unable to detect HGF secretion by HNSCC indicating paracrine activation of c-Met. In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, c-Met inhibition down regulates the TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) and NADPH production. We hypothesized that TAF-secreted HGF regulates HNSCC glycolysis via c-Met. Further, HNSCC cells regulate metabolism in TAFs. We found that PF2341066, a c-Met inhibitor significantly decreased glycolysis (p = 0.0023) and hexokinase-II levels in HNSCC cells. These data demonstrate that c-Met regulate glycolysis in HNSCC through modulation of hexokinase-II. In admixed cultures, HNSCC and TAFs demonstrate higher expression of the bi-directional lactate transporter monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT-1). Our data demonstrate that TAFs have a higher capacity to proliferate than HNSCC in the presence of LA. Others have reported that NFκB increases MCT-1 levels in tumor associated stroma under high LA conditions. In ongoing studies, we will determine the role of HNSCC in regulating MCT-1 levels in TAFs. Further, the role of c-Met in regulating expression of MCT-1 in HNSCC will be elucidated. Based on the cumulative data we conclude that TAF-secreted HGF regulates HNSCC metabolism and TAFs utilize LA as a carbon source making the microenvironment more conducive to tumor progression. Keywords : HNSCC, TAFs, HGF, Glycolysis, OXPHOS Citation Format: Dhruv Kumar, Partha Kasturi, Bennett Van Houten, Sufi Thomas. Tumor-associated fibroblasts facilitate head and neck cancer metabolism. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1139. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1139
O'Mara, Margaret Pivotal Tuesdays: Four Elections that Shaped the Twentieth Century Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press 256 pp., $34.95, ISBN 978-0812247466 Publication Date: August 2015

Not all elections are equal. Some elections are more important than others from a historical standpoint. The 1824 election between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson and the 1860 election come to...
Exploring the Case for a Global Alliance for Medical Diagnostics Initiative.

In recent years, the private and public sectors have increased investments in medical diagnostics for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite these investments, numerous barriers prevent the adoption of existing diagnostics and discourage the development and introduction of new diagnostics in LMICs. In the late 1990s, the global vaccine community had similar challenges, as vaccine coverage rates stagnated and the introduction of new vaccines was viewed as a distraction to delivering existing vaccines. To address these challenges, the international community came together and formed the Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative (GAVI). Sixteen years after the formation of GAVI, we see evidence of a healthier global vaccine landscape. We discuss how GAVI’s four guiding principles (product, health systems strengthening, financing and market shaping) might apply to the advancement of medical diagnostics in LMICs. We present arguments for the international community and existing organizations to establish a Global Alliance for Medical Diagnostics Initiative (GAMDI).
Slope–velocity equilibrium and evolution of surface roughness on a stony hillslope

Abstract. Slope–velocity equilibrium is hypothesized as a state that evolves naturally over time due to the interaction between overland flow and surface morphology, wherein steeper areas develop a relative increase in physical and hydraulic roughness such that flow velocity is a unique function of overland flow rate independent of slope gradient. This study tests this hypothesis under controlled conditions. Artificial rainfall was applied to 2 m by 6 m plots at 5, 12, and 20 % slope gradients. A series of simulations were made with two replications for each treatment with measurements of runoff rate, velocity, rock cover, and surface roughness. Velocities measured at the end of each experiment were a unique function of discharge rates, independent of slope gradient or rainfall intensity. Physical surface roughness was greater at steeper slopes. The data clearly showed that there was no unique hydraulic coefficient for a given slope, surface condition, or rainfall rate, with hydraulic roughness greater at steeper slopes and lower intensities. This study supports the hypothesis of slope–velocity equilibrium, implying that use of hydraulic equations, such as Chezy and Manning, in hillslope-scale runoff models is problematic because the coefficients vary with both slope and rainfall intensity.
NATIONWIDE TRENDS OF SURGICAL AND ENDOVASCULAR REVASCULARIZATION PROCEDURES FOR HOSPITAL ADMISSION, COST UTILIZATION, ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY, AND MAJOR AMPUTATION AMONG ADULTS WITH CRITICAL LIMB ISCHEMIA FROM 2003-2012

We evaluated the trends and outcomes following hospitalization of patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) in the US from 2003 to 2012 We used the 2003-12 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. In-hospital death and amputation were co-primary outcomes. Length of stay (LOS) and cost of hospitalization were
Ebola-Related Attitudes in the U.S. Vary by Party Affiliation and Education

Importance: Educated adults tend to resemble medical professionals in attitudes towards infectious diseases, but little is known about how political partisanship attenuates the effect of education. Objective: To examine whether partisanship moderated the effect of education in (a) attitudes toward Ebola virus disease (EVD) and (b) policies to combat EVD, such that the partisan gap was widest among highly educated adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: An online survey of 1,461 non-institutionalized adults in the U.S. drawn from a probability-based panel and weighted to produce representative results. Data were collected during the 2015 EVD epidemic. Main Outcomes and Measures: The survey measured three personal and four policy-related attitudes. The personal attitudes were subjective fear of personal infection, estimated severity of Ebola, and suspicion of potentially infected entities. The policy-related attitudes were support for quarantine policies, estimated government preparedness, support for low-intensity interventions, and support for high-intensity interventions. Results: Data from 1,461 respondents (mean age, 50 years; 49.2% women; 73% white) revealed that highly educated Democrats uniquely diverged from other respondents in being less fearful of catching EVD, less suspicious of disease-carrying entities, and less supportive of quarantine policies. They were also uniquely confident about EVD preparedness in Western nations, but this effect was only marginally significant. For intervention support and estimated severity, no party-by-education interactions were found. There was greater overall support for low-intensity interventions than high-intensity interventions, and Democrats were more likely to support interventions overall. This partisan gap was larger for expensive high-intensity interventions. Support for interventions was correlated with education. EVD severity was generally rated as high, and severity ratings were also correlated with education. Conclusions and Relevance: Consistent with prior findings, education was a predictor of more informed attitudes. However, in a number of cases, this effect was moderated such that only highly educated Democrats had attitudes that resembled those of health professionals. The salutary effects of education may be tempered in a highly polarized political climate.
An Overview of Special Education Law, 504, FERPA, and Issues Relevant for Pediatric Neuropsychologists

The article presents an overview of the basic legal framework for special education law and how records are handled at a school. It is important for neuropsychologists working with children and families to understand both the legal mechanisms by which children are able to access educational services as well as supplementary health services that may be available through the school. It is also important that neuropsychologists understand how records provided by schools may be handled so that they can better inform and coordinate with patients. We have organized the current information into strands related to school records, eligibility, and protection from discrimination. Pediatric neuropsychologists may find the concrete suggestions provided at the end of the article helpful when consulting with both families and the schools attended by the students.
Hospitalization Risk and Potentially Inappropriate Medications among Medicare Home Health Nursing Patients

Hospitalizations and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use are significant and costly issues among older home health patients, yet little is known about the prevalence of PIM use in home health or the relationship between PIM use and hospitalization risk in this population. To describe the prevalence of PIM use and association with hospitalization among Medicare home health patients. Cross-sectional analysis using data from 132 home health agencies in the US. Medicare beneficiaries starting home health nursing services between 2013 and 2014 (n = 87,780). Prevalence of individual and aggregate PIM use at start of care, measured using the 2012 Beers criteria. Relative risk (RR) of 30-day hospitalization or re-hospitalization associated with individual and aggregate PIM use, compared to no PIM use. In total, 30,168 (34.4%) patients were using at least one PIM, with 5969 (6.8%) taking at least two PIMs according to the Beers list. The most common types of PIMs were those affecting the brain or spinal cord, analgesics, and medications with anticholinergic properties. With the exception of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), PIM use across all classes was associated with elevated risk (10–33%) of hospitalization compared to non-use. Adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, patients using at least one PIM (excluding NSAIDs) had a 13% greater risk (RR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.17) of being hospitalized than patients using no PIMs, while patients using at least two PIMs had 21% greater risk (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.30). Similar associations were found between PIMs and re-hospitalization risk among patients referred to home health from a hospital. Given the high prevalence of PIM use and the association between PIMs and hospitalization risk, home health episodes represent opportunities to substantially reduce PIM use among older adults and prevent adverse outcomes. Efforts to address medication use during home health episodes, hospitalizations, and care transitions are justified.
Geography and ethics III: Whither the next moral turn?:

The 20 years since geography’s ‘moral turn’ have generated a robust field of scholarship around diverse ethical engagements. However, as geographers continue to build articulate claims to care and ...
Mixed halide hybrid perovskites: a paradigm shift in photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have improved at an unprecedented rate, reaching over 22% power conversion efficiency in less than a decade, and have generated a wealth of high impact work in the literature studying the properties of these unique materials. While the highest performance and best progress have been observed with methylammonium lead triiodide perovskites, their low tolerance to moisture and rapid degradation when exposed to UV light and high temperatures have posed a major setback to their commercialization. Recently, mixed halide hybrid perovskites (MHHPs) where I− is substituted with Br− and Cl− have driven a paradigm shift in PSCs, synergistically combining high performance with high ambient stability. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the progress made in the past 5 years in methylammonium-based organic–inorganic MHHPs and cesium-based all inorganic MHHPs. We discuss the fabrication approaches for halide substitution and the resulting crystal structure, long-term stability and durability, and device performance. Unique from other reviews, we focus this review on the optical properties of MHHPs, including light-induced phase segregation and alterations in the optical band gap and photoluminescence with halide substitution. We also summarize trends in carrier dynamics, including carrier thermalization, recombination, and charge transfer probed with time-resolved optical spectroscopies. Furthermore, we provide a short overview on mixed cation hybrid perovskites, where methylammonium is substituted with formamidinium/cesium or Pb is substituted with less toxic and benign metals to improve both the stability and the environmental impact of PSCs. We discuss the optical characteristics of mixed cation perovskites and approaches to lower nonradiative recombination with cation substitution. We conclude this review with a discussion on innovative future directions that will propel research on MHHPs as a game changer in perovskite-based optoelectronics.
Use of event-specific tertiles to analyse the relationship between serum androgens and athletic performance in women

Bermon and Garnier1 summarised their recent findings by stating that in 5 of 21 events, ‘female athletes with high testosterone levels benefit from a 1.8% to 4.5% competitive advantage over other female competitors with normal androgen levels’. As the authors did not divide female athletes into comparison groups based on a value of free testosterone (fT) determined a priori to be ‘high’, the study’s design does not allow for this conclusion. Given the authors contextualise the study using the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) suspension of the International Association …
Sovereignty and its Defenses: Psychic Retaliation and the Theologico-Political in Derrida’s Death Penalty Seminars

In his Death Penalty Seminars, Derrida contends that analyzing the logic of the death penalty requires thinking the logic of the precarious psyche in the theologico-political sovereignty. Working c...
Complexity reduction effects on transient, atomic plasmas

Abstract Plasma simulations involving collisional-radiative processes present many computational challenges because of the wide range in scales spanned by the governing set of plasma physics equations. These numerical challenges are primarily caused by limitations in resources such as memory and computational time. Collisional-radiative models deliver a part of the challenge because of the large number of levels and transitions that are associated with atomic plasmas. Multiple complexity reduction techniques have been introduced in the past to overcome this obstacle, including the quasi-steady-state solution, uniform grouping, and the recently-devised Boltzmann grouping. These reduction schemes were tested against full numerical simulations of a simplified, time-dependent argon model, with and without an external Planckian radiation field. Results will show the advantages and disadvantages of using complexity reduction techniques when employed in various plasma regimes.
Combatting resistant enterococcal infections: a pharmacotherapy review.

Introduction: The role of enterococci in infectious diseases has evolved from a gut and urinary commensal to a major pathogen of concern. Few options exist for resistant enterococci, and appropriat...
Improved Renal Function Following Aggressive Treatment of Urolithiasis and Concurrent Mild to Moderate Renal Insufficiency

AbstractTo our knowledge the prevalence of urinary stone disease and concurrent mild to moderate renal insufficiency has never been reported. A review of our last 2,000 urinary stone patients identified 33 (1.65%) with serum creatinine levels of 2.0mg./dl. or greater at presentation. Chemical composition, location and complexity of the calculi, types of procedures required to render the patient stone-free and the effect of surgical intervention (independent of relief of obstruction) on renal function were evaluated.Mean serum creatinine level before surgical intervention and after placement of a ureteral stent or percutaneous nephrostomy tube in patients with evidence of obstruction was 3.2mg./dl. (range 2.0 to 7.5). Complete or partial staghorn calculi were found in 21 of the 33 patients (64%), including 8 with bilateral staghorn calculi. Seven patients required 1 procedure, 1 required urinary alkalization alone and the other 25 required an average of 3.5 procedures each. Stone analysis revealed struvite...
Direct Evidence for a Bipolar Stellar Wind in NGC 2392

Very high spectral resolution slit spectra have been used to investigate the kinematic structure of the double shell planetary nebula NGC 2392, the Eskimo Nebula. Each shell produces a spectrum corresponding to the projected radial velocity, a pattern which varies according to the position angle of the spectrograph’s entrance slit. Multiple slit observations were used to determine that the inner shell is an incomplete prolate spheroid pointed almost at the observer and missing the tip ends. The outer shell is nearly spherical and more uniform.
At the Interface: Advanced Microfluidic Assays for Study of Cell Function

Understanding basic biology and disease mechanisms, testing drug safety and efficacy, engineering tissues and cell-based biosensors all require methods to study and manipulate mammalian cell function. A convenient method that has been developed over the past century for these purposes is in vitro cell culture where cells are taken out of their normal physiological environment inside the body and kept alive in a dish. Although in vitro cell culture is powerful, there is increasing evidence that cellular responses in culture dishes do not necessarily reflect how cells may behave in vivo. This discrepancy is due, at least in part, to the fact that much of what happens in living organisms is affected by microscale patterns and heterogeneity which are not well controlled in traditional macroscopic culture systems. Cells, which are micron-sized, determine their behavior based on cues from their microenvironment. Cellular behaviors such as subcellular signaling, chemotaxis (directed migration towards a chemical), growth, differentiation, and death, for example, are determined by subcellular stimulation, microscale chemical gradients, and adhesive micro- & nanopatterns. Microfluidics and other microscale phenomena dominate at this level making microtechnology crucial to the understanding of the cellular basis of life.
Phase Change at Interfaces

Conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium and expressions for evaporative flux at liquid–vapor interfaces are introduced. The results are applied to modeling of a steady evaporating meniscus and a thin axisymmetric liquid droplet on a uniformly heated solid surface. Model of evaporation into air are then discussed and applied to evaporation of thin liquid layers. The effects of disjoining pressure are incorporated into the models.
Recommendations of Active Surveillance for Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer: Results from a National Survey of Radiation Oncologists and Urologists.

Abstract Background While active surveillance (AS) for intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial, perceptions of AS and treatment recommendations among PCa specialists are largely unknown. Thus, we performed a national survey of radiation oncologists (ROs) and urologists (UROs) to elicit attitudes and AS recommendations for intermediate-risk PCa. Objective To determine whether AS for PCa is becoming readily accepted by PCa specialists in the USA. Design, setting, and participants From January to July 2017, we conducted a national survey of 915 ROs and 940 UROs on perceptions of AS and its use among patients with intermediate-risk PCa. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Perceived effectiveness and comfort with AS and recommendation of AS from case presentations represented the primary outcomes. Pearson chi-square and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify physician characteristics associated with primary outcomes. Results and limitations Overall, the response rate was 37.3% (n = 692) and was similar for ROs and UROs (35.7% vs 38.7%; p = 0.18). For intermediate-risk PCa, both UROs and ROs expressed limited favorable views that AS is effective (39.8% vs 33.0%; p = 0.06) and felt comfortable recommending it (37.6% vs 25.9%; p = 0.001). From clinical scenarios, both specialties infrequently recommended AS for a healthy patient diagnosed with intermediate-risk PCa. For a healthy 55-yr-old patient with PSA of 8 ng/ml and Gleason 3 + 4 PCa, few ROs and UROs recommended AS (2.8% vs 4.3%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.42; p = 0.12). AS was more likely to be recommended equally by ROs and UROs for a healthy 75-yr-old with the same clinicopathologic characteristics (29.0% vs 35.4%; AOR 0.68; p = 0.09). Limitations include a modest response rate for our survey. Conclusions Our national survey revealed that many ROs and UROs do not believe that AS is effective or feel comfortable recommending it or selecting it as an option for younger patients with intermediate-risk PCa. Patient summary We performed a national survey of radiation oncologists and urologists to assess attitudes regarding active surveillance (AS) and its use among patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Our study demonstrates that radiation oncologists and urologists are not yet comfortable with recommending AS and rarely endorse its use for younger patients.
Variable Focusing and Steering Using High Speed MEMS Phased Array

Focusing combined with translation in one transversal plane is demonstrated using a high-speed linear MEMS phased array. Total scan ranges of 80 mm in the depth dimension and 16 mrad in the transversal dimension are demonstrated.
Market Structure and Market Growth in Restricted Demand Markets

Our work aims at broadening the scope of theory of regulation through the examination of demand restriction regulations. We show that distinguishing between market failure regulations and demand re...
Fiber motion in highly confined flows of carbon fiber and non-Newtonian polymer

Abstract Inks compounded of short carbon fibers suspended in polymer resin can be extruded to produce composite materials during additive manufacturing or 3D printing processes. The flow process induces anisotropic orientation of the fibers which is set into the matrix and significantly affects the mechanical and physical properties of the final product. Therefore, the flow of fiber suspensions needs to be understood in order to predict the orientation distribution of the fibers during such manufacturing processes. There is still a lack of knowledge for extrusion of the complex mixture of a non-Newtonian polymer containing a high-volume fraction of fibers with high fiber aspect ratio, where both inter-particle, fluid-particle and fiber-wall interactions are computationally evaluated. This paper presents predictive numerical simulations and experimental results of such confined flow in a concentrated regime. The code is based on Lagrange multiplier technique and resolves each particle and interaction between the fibers and surrounding fluid and nozzle walls. We investigate numerically how the fiber length impacts the fiber alignment during extrusion. We found that a fiber length above 67% of the nozzle's diameter induces dramatic change in the fiber flow, causing fibers to concentrate at the nozzle boundaries with very low concentration of fibers in the center of the nozzle. It was found that the best fiber alignment is reached for fiber lengths equal to 40–50% of the nozzle diameters. Numerical findings are supported by experimental results. This work improves understanding of fiber orientation during 3D printing and is an important milestone for the prediction of the complex mechanical properties of additively manufactured fiber composites.
Ruining popcorn? The welfare effects of information

Some information is beneficial; it makes people’s lives go better. Some information is harmful; it makes people’s lives go worse. Some information has no welfare effects at all; people neither gain nor lose from it. Under prevailing executive orders, federal agencies must investigate the welfare effects of information by reference to cost-benefit analysis. Federal agencies have (1) claimed that quantification of benefits is essentially impossible; (2) engaged in “breakeven analysis”; (3) projected various endpoints, such as health benefits or purely economic savings; and (4) relied on private willingness to pay for the relevant information. All of these approaches run into serious objections. With respect to (4), people may lack the information that would permit them to make good decisions about how much to pay for (more) information; they may not know the welfare effects of information. Their tastes and values may shift over time, in part as a result of information. These points suggest the need to take the willingness-to-pay criterion with many grains of salt, and to learn more about the actual effects of information, and of the behavioral changes produced by information, on people’s experienced well-being.
The role of concealment and relationship quality on patient hospitalizations, care strain and depressive symptoms in heart failure dyads.

Background:Heart failure is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization among older adults and negatively influences person-reported outcomes of patients and their care partners. Moreover, t...
White matter T2 hyperintensities and blood‐brain barrier disruption in the hyperacute stage of subarachnoid hemorrhage in male mice: The role of lipocalin‐2

Aims The current study examined whether white matter injury occurs in the hyperacute (4 hours) phase after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and the potential role of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and an acute phase protein, lipocalin 2 (LCN2), in that injury. Methods Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced by endovascular perforation in adult mice. First, wild-type (WT) mice underwent MRI 4 hours after SAH to detect white matter T2 hyperintensities. Second, changes in LCN2 expression and BBB disruption associated with the MRI findings were examined. Third, SAH-induced white matter injury at 4 hours was compared in WT and LCN2 knockout (LCN2 KO) mice. Results At 4 hours, most animals had uni- or bilateral white matter T2 hyperintensities after SAH in WT mice that were associated with BBB disruption and LCN2 upregulation. However, some disruption and LCN2 upregulation was also found in mice with no T2-hyperintensity lesion. In contrast, there were no white matter T2 hyperintensities in LCN2 KO mice after SAH. LCN2 deficiency also attenuated BBB disruption, myelin damage, and oligodendrocyte loss. Conclusions Subarachnoid hemorrhage causes very early BBB disruption and LCN2 expression in white matter that is associated with and may precede T2 hyperintensities. LCN2 deletion attenuates MRI changes and pathological changes in white matter after SAH.
Improved Atmospheric Corrosion Testing for Aluminum Alloys, Part I: Deconstructing ASTM G85-A2

In this work, the testing environment generated during ASTM G85-A2 exposure was deconstructed for two different commercial salt spray chambers. It was found that relative humidity (RH) control was ...