cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic and environmental influences on item response pattern scalability

Numerous studies have examined how genetic and environmental factors determine individual differences on multi-item personality scales. Few studies, however, have examined how genes and the environment influence the route by which individuals obtain their scores on these scales. Specifically, on a multi-item test, dozens of item response patterns result in equivalent total scores, though some response patterns are more likely to be observed than others. For many scales it may be of interest to determine the genetic and environmental influences on the item responsepatterns, as well as the sum of the item responses. We discuss a latent trait measure of item response pattern scalability, called Zl (Levine and Drasgow, 1982), and investigate the properties of this index from a behavioral genetics perspective. Using a large sample of identical and fraternal twins from the Minnesota Twin Registry (Lykkenet al., 1990), item response pattern scalability is shown to be moderately heritable. On the four scales of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Tellegen, 1982) that were investigated, approximately 20% of the variation in scalability was due to genetic diversity between subjects of our sample. Follow-up analyses, using a factor-analytically based, genotype-environment model of item response behavior, indicated that specific genetic and environmental factors play a substantial role in determining item response pattern variation.
Snx10: a newly identified locus associated with human osteopetrosis.

The health and economic impact of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by excessive osteoclastic bone resorption, continues to make studies of bone resorption by osteoclasts a critically important research area. Most of what we know about the normal function of the osteoclast comes, paradoxically, from the study of osteopetrosis, a heterogeneous genetic disease characterized by osteoclast failure.1 Osteopetrosis can be the result of reduced osteoclast numbers and/or impaired osteoclast function. While the former indicates a genetic defect that affects osteoclast differentiation, the latter suggests that the mutation affects osteoclast activity. To date, several genes have been demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease in humans. These mutations affect either differentiation (that is, RANKL, RANK) or activity (ATP6i, Clc-7, PLEKHM1 and OSTM1) of osteoclasts. However, approximately 25% of all human osteopetrosis cases are caused by mutations in still unidentified genes. Therefore, the identification of these new genes is critical to improve diagnosis and clinical outcomes. In addition, as each gene is expected to be required for normal osteoclast function, each discovery will lead to a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying osteoclast formation and activity and provide new potential therapeutic targets to treat bone diseases.
Large Eddy Simulations of Fully Developed Flow Through a Spanwise Rotating Infinite Serpentine Passage

The ability to predict turbine blade heat transfer is an important problem and is strongly dependant on the ability to predict the turbulent flow-field. Turbine blade internal coolant flow is often subjected to strong curvature and possibly rotational effects, two flow characteristics that make RANS modeling efforts difficult. An assessment of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) has been conducted for a flow with strong streamline curvature and rotational effects. Simulations of fully developed turbulent flow in an isothermal, smooth-wall, serpentine passage have been performed and compared to the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) data of Laskowski (2004). The flow is periodic in the stream-wise and span-wise directions and simulations were conducted for span-wise rotation numbers Rob = 0.0 and Rob = 0.32. The geometry has dimensions 12πδ × 2δ × 3πδ, in the stream-wise, wall-normal and span-wise directions, respectively, where δ is half the passage height. The inner radius of the bends is δ. The Reynolds number based on the bulk velocity and H = 2δ is Reb = 5600. A kinetic-energy conserving, finite-volume, collocated-mesh scheme (Felten and Lund, 2006) is applied to treat the streamwise and wall-normal directions, while Fourier collocation is used in the spanwise direction. A third-order Runge-Kutta explicit marching scheme is used to advance the solution in time and the pressure Poisson Equation is solved using a multigrid technique. The LES results are presented and close agreement with the DNS is noted for both the stationary and rotating cases.© 2007 ASME
Dynamic task assignment for throughput maximization with worksharing

The traditional assembly line balancing problem involves assigning a set of partially precedence constrained tasks to workstations to maximize efficiency. Each task is assigned to a unique workstation. The case is considered where task sequences are known but the workforce is partially cross-trained and some tasks can alternate between workstations. The flexibility afforded by cross-training allows the line balance to improve. Task times are allowed to be random and small buffers are allowed between workstations. Decision rules are developed and tested for various levels of cross-training between adjacent workers. Cross-training is shown to have significant impact on throughput and easy to administer rules are proven to be effective. The number of decision points for deciding to hold or pass a unit of product is also shown to be important.
Routine Contrast Imaging of Low Pelvic Anastomosis Prior to Closure of Defunctioning Ileostomy: is it Necessary?

Purpose The purpose of the study was to determine the utility of routine contrast enema prior to ileostomy closure and its impact on patient management in patients with a low pelvic anastomosis.
NUMERICAL SOLUTIONS OF QUANTUM MECHANICAL PROBLEMS USING THE BASIS-SPLINE COLLOCATION METHOD

The time-dependent and time-independent Schrodinger equations have been numerically solved for several quantum mechanical problems with known analytical solutions using the basis-spline collocation algorithm. This algorithm has been demonstrated to be efficient and versatile. The results from these calculations illustrate the necessary numerical considerations required for solving both time-independent and time-dependent Schrodinger equations and form a basis that could be used for solving these and similar problems.
Integrated energy systems with multi-objective

Integrated Energy System Problem represents variety of commonly used energy systems in buildings, cars or even small-scale power grid networks. In this paper, we use linear programming to formulate an Integrated Energy System Problem that minimizes total cost of energy system while satisfying operational constraints such as energy generation capacity, saving capacity and users demands. This model is completely flexible to changes in demand and energy price over time. It also has the ability to deal with energy shortage or energy surplus in different time periods. We also develop a multi-objective optimization, considering total cost and environmental impact, for above energy model and discuss a numerical example for multi-objective model.
Transfemoral venous approach for Onyx embolization of anterior fossa dural arteriovenous fistulae.

Background Dural arteriovenous fistulae (dAVF) of the anterior fossa have a malignant course since they exclusively drain into cortical frontal veins and warrant aggressive treatment. Classically, these lesions have been treated with microsurgical clipping of the fistulous connection. We describe a transvenous approach for Onyx embolization of these lesions that relies on distal venous access using a flexible new-generation guide catheter. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all patients with an anterior fossa dAVF treated at the Medical University of South Carolina since 2010. Charts, procedural records, angiographic images and follow-up were reviewed. Three patients were identified. Results Transfemoral venous access and distal transvenous sinus access was obtained in a retrograde fashion to at least the level of the right transverse sinus. Once a distal guide catheter position was obtained within the venous sinus system, a microcatheter was advanced into the predominant draining anterior frontal cortical vein in preparation for embolization. Onyx 34 embolization was then initiated from this position with the objective of achieving penetration across the vascular shunt. Conclusions Our experience demonstrates that transvenous Onyx embolization offers an effective and safe alternative to the classic neurosurgical treatment of anterior fossa dAVF.
Cambium cell stimulation from surgical release of the periosteum.

Abstract An autograft of periosteal tissue containing cambium cells has potential to become chondrogenic or osteogenic depending on the regeneration repair strategies. The potential number of harvestable cambium cells diminishes with age. Other factors may be associated with a reduction in the number or variable yields of cambium cells including harvest technique, harvest site location, and the time interval from harvest to implantation. Attempts to increase the number of cambium cells have included improvements in harvesting and handling technique, and expansion of the cells in tissue culture. An “in situ” stimulation and proliferation technique would offer the potential for increasing the number of cambium cells in a cost-effective manner for transplantation without the need for expansion in tissue culture. The hypothesis tested was that surgical release of the periosteum and its deep inner underlying cambium layer by sharply incising through the superficial periosteal fibrous layer down to and scoring the cortical bone surface would increase the number of cambium cells that could be harvested at a later time period. Two techniques for periosteal release were used to stimulate a proliferation of the underlying cambium layer and increase the cambium cells for harvest in skeletally mature goats: (1) sharply scoring all four-sides of the tissue test site perimeter, and (2) sharply scoring only two sides of the tissue test site. The two-sided and four-sided release scoring of the periosteum induced stimulatory responses in the number of cambium cells. In addition, a marked increase in mRNA expression for BMP-2 ( p
A class of multi-level balanced Foundation-Penalty cuts for mixed-integer programs

Glover and Sherali (2003) introduced a wide class of Foundation-Penalty (FP) cuts for GUB and ordinary mixed-integer programs. The FP cuts are easy to generate by exploiting routine branch-and-bound penalty calculations, and encompass other classical cuts such as disjunctive cuts, lift-and-project cuts, convexity cuts, Gomory cuts, and mixed-integer rounding cuts. Here we focus on two special classes of FP cuts, called balanced FP cuts and multi-level balanced FP cuts, and exhibit their relationship to special forms of disjunctive cuts. A numerical example illustrates the rich variety of cuts that can be generated.
Wavelength Dependence of Eddy Dissipation and Coriolis Force in the Dynamics of Gravity Wave Driven Fluctuations in the OH Nightglow

This paper examines the effect of inclusion of Coriolis force and eddy dissipation in the gravity wave dynamics theory of Walterscheid et al. (1987). It was found that the values of the ratio 'eta' (where eta is a complex quantity describing the ralationship between the intensity oscillation about the time-averaged intensity, and the temperature oscillation about the time-averaged temperature) strongly depend on the wave period and the horizontal wavelength; thus, if comparisons are to be made between observations and theory, horizontal wavelengths will need to be measured in conjunction with the OH nightglow measurements. For the waves with horizontal wavelengths up to 1000 km, the eddy dissipation was found to dominate over the Coriolis force in the gravity wave dynamics and also in the associated values of eta. However, for waves with horizontal wavelengths of 10,000 km or more, the Coriolis force cannot be neglected; it has to be taken into account along with the eddy dissipation.
Impedance-Based Stability Criterion for Grid-Connected Inverters

Grid-connected inverters are known to become unstable when the grid impedance is high. Existing approaches to analyzing such instability are based on inverter control models that account for the grid impedance and the coupling with other grid-connected inverters. A new method to determine inverter-grid system stability using only the inverter output impedance and the grid impedance is developed in this paper. It will be shown that a grid-connected inverter will remain stable if the ratio between the grid impedance and the inverter output impedance satisfies the Nyquist stability criterion. This new impedance-based stability criterion is a generalization to the existing stability criterion for voltage-source systems, and can be applied to all current-source systems. A single-phase solar inverter is studied to demonstrate the application of the proposed method.
The Impact of TCR-Binding Properties and Antigen Presentation Format on T Cell Responsiveness

TCR interactions with cognate peptide-MHC (pepMHC) ligands are generally low affinity. This feature, together with the requirement for CD8/CD4 participation, has made it difficult to dissect relationships between TCR-binding parameters and T cell activation. Interpretations are further complicated when comparing different pepMHC, because these can vary greatly in stability. To examine the relationships between TCR-binding properties and T cell responses, in this study we characterized the interactions and activities mediated by a panel of TCRs that differed widely in their binding to the same pepMHC. Monovalent binding of soluble TCR was characterized by surface plasmon resonance, and T cell hybridomas that expressed these TCR, with or without CD8 coexpression, were tested for their binding of monomeric and oligomeric forms of the pepMHC and for subsequent responses (IL-2 release). The binding threshold for eliciting this response in the absence of CD8 (KD = 600 nM) exhibited a relatively sharp cutoff between full activity and no activity, consistent with a switchlike response to pepMHC on APCs. However, when the pepMHC was immobilized (plate bound), T cells with the lowest affinity TCRs (e.g., KD = 30 μM) responded, even in the absence of CD8, indicating that these TCR are signaling competent. Surprisingly, even cells that expressed high-affinity (KD = 16 nM) TCRs along with CD8 were unresponsive to oligomers in solution. The findings suggest that to drive downstream T cell responses, pepMHC must be presented in a form that supports formation of appropriate supramolecular clusters.
Interrelationships among Construction Injury Prevention Strategies: A Cross-Impact Analysis

The construction industry consistently accounts for the highest fatality rate of all single-service industries in the US. In an effort to design effective safety programs, several studies have quantified the relative effectiveness of injury prevention strategies (i.e., safety program elements). These studies typically examine the effectiveness of safety program elements (e.g., inspections) in isolation. The objective of this paper is to describe a recent research study that aimed to evaluate the influence that various safety program elements have on the effectiveness of one another. Using the Delphi method, the cross-impacts of fifteen highly-effective safety program elements were quantified by determining the percent increase or decrease in effectiveness that each element has on the others. The results indicate that the most influential injury prevention strategies are employing a site-safety manager, upper management support and commitment, worker participation and involvement, safety and health committees, and a site-specific safety plan. The subsequent analysis can be used to better understand the synergistic effects that exist among various subgroups of elements and to strategically create the most effective safety program when resources are limited.
Lumped element model for computing the equilibrium charge distribution along a moving web

A lumped-element model has been used to explain charge conduction and convection in stationary and moving web systems. Incremental sectors of the web are assigned conductance and capacitance, and their individual potentials are computed. Ordinary circuit equations are used to determine the evolution of the charge distribution. The simulation method provides physical insight into the means by which charges are concentrated or rarified at points of geometrical transition, such as the peeling point between a web and a roller. Results compare favorably with the analytical solutions of other authors.
Point process approaches to the modeling and analysis of self-similar traffic .I. Model construction

We propose four fractal point processes (FPPs) as novel approaches to modeling and analyzing various types of self-similar traffic: the fractal renewal process (FRP), the superposition of several fractal renewal processes (Sup-FRP), the fractal-shot-noise-driven Poisson process (FSNDP), and the fractal-binomial-noise-driven Poisson process (FBNDP). These models fall into two classes depending on their construction. A study of these models provides a thorough understanding of how self-similarity arises in computer network traffic. We find that (i) all these models are (second-order) self-similar in nature; (ii) the Hurst parameter alone does not fully capture the burstiness of a typical self-similar process; (iii) the heavy-tailed property is not a necessary condition to yield self-similarity; and (iv) these models permit parsimonious modeling (using only 2-5 parameters) and fast simulation. Simulation verifies that these models exhibit a fractal behavior over a wide range of time scales.
Systemic sclerosis and bilateral lung transplantation: a single centre experience

Lung involvement is the leading cause of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but lung transplantation (LT) for systemic disease remains controversial. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate post-LT outcomes for SSc compared to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We retrospectively evaluated bilateral LT recipients (LTRs) with SSc or IPF at our centre between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2007. The primary end-point was all-cause mortality at 1 yr post-LT. Secondary end-points included assessments of acute rejection (AR), pulmonary function, infection and chronic rejection. 14 patients with SSc and 38 patients with IPF underwent LT. Apart from a younger SSc cohort (53.2 versus 58.8 yrs; p = 0.02), the two groups were well matched. 1-yr all-cause mortality was no different between SSc (6.6%) and IPF (13.1%) groups, after adjusting for age (p = 0.62). Rates of (AR) ≥2 were significantly increased for the SSc compared with the IPF group (hazard ratio (HR) 2.91; p = 0.007). Other end-points, including chronic rejection, infection and pulmonary function, showed no differences. SSc LTRs experience similar survival 1 yr post-LT when compared to IPF. AR rates may be significantly higher in the SSc group. Longer follow-up is necessary to determine the effects of gastrointestinal dysfunction and AR on late allograft function in SSc LTR.
Analysis of composite electrolytes with sintered reinforcement structure for energy storage applications

Abstract Effective conductivity and mechanical properties of composite polymer electrolytes, in which the reinforcement phase is a sintered packed bed of Li-ion conductive ceramics particles, were estimated using finite element analyses. The computations targeted estimation of the effect of sintering degree, i.e. size of the inter-particle connective necks, on the overall properties of the composite. Methods for microstructure generation and computational procedures were presented. The mechanical ability of the membrane to block lithium dendrites was assessed based on a stability criterion, which depends on the computed effective stiffness. It was found that the minimum size of the inter-particle connections necessary to provide mechanical stability without losing the enhancement in conductivity was 0.05 times the mean particle radius.
In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Gatifloxacin Against N. gonorrhoeae and H. influenzae

Gatifloxacin is a newer 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone with expanded potency against Gram-positive cocci and some anaerobes.[1,2] Activity against important Gram-negative bacilli and the commonly isolated or causative agents in community-acquired respiratory tract infections (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Legionella) has been maintained. This degree of activity for gatifloxacin was comparable to that of trovafloxacin and ciprofloxacin, although some variations from this conclusion have been described, possibly produced by differences in testing methods or media. Fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin are among the recommended therapies for treating uncomplicated gonorrhoea. Resistance to these agents among gonococci, although rare, is developing globally, and this requires that accurate and simple test methods be used when deciding on treatment options. We compared the potency of gatifloxacin with that of ciprofloxacin to determine its spectrum of activity against gonococci. This report summarises studies in which we used 3 methods to clarify the potency of gatifloxacin against H. influenzae: E-test (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden), disk diffusion and broth microdilution. We also tested gatifloxacin against N. gonorrhoeae to determine the activity of this new fluoroquinolone against routine clinical isolates and those with mutations that reduce the potency of drugs in this class. We compared disk diffusion zone diameter and E-test results with reference agar (GC medium) results.
Relevancy of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory in a Sport Environment

Abstract The relevance of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory was determined by having all 12 women varsity basketball players at the University of Kentucky complete the instrument 16 different times. The players completed the inventory before and after two baseline practice sessions and before and after three easy and three crucial games. The team won all three easy games and lost all three crucial games. Coefficients of internal consistency were rather high, ranging from .74 to .94 for 15 test sessions, and coefficients of stability were rather low. Scores on the instrument were indicative of changes in anxiety states before and after competition: State anxiety was significantly reduced after all games that were won but remained high after all three games that were lost. The girls were significantly more anxious before the crucial games when compared to the easy games. It is concluded that the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory is quite suitable for repeated assessment of athletes in a competitive ...
Characterization of Thin Copper Diffusion Barrier Layer in Beryllium Capsules

The point design of beryllium capsules includes three Cu-doped layers in a 160-μm-thick beryllium shell to achieve the desired X-ray absorption profile. The beryllium capsules were deposited on glo...
Engineers and Reverse Discrimination

The engineering community during the past few years, after considering the status of various minority groups in engineering, has recommended affirmative action educational procedures to bring racial and ethnic minorities into more meaningful participation in engineering. Li has properly concluded that the best approach toward fundamentally eliminating the issues of minority contractor participation is by providing equal educational opportunities for the disadvantaged majority of the minority.
Triploidy: Variation of Phenotype.

Objectives Triploidy (69, XXX; 69, XXY; 69, XYY) accounts for 1% of conceptions, but the affected fetus often does not survive past the first trimester. Fetal development in triploidy is rare. A consecutive series was used to describe the fetal and placental phenotypes and compare them with previous publications. Methods Fifty-four triploid fetuses were identified in the Active Malformations Surveillance Program between 1972 and 2012 at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The phenotype was described from prenatal imaging and autopsy findings. Results The diagnosis was confirmed by chromosome analysis in 53 of the 54 fetuses. Twenty-seven (50%) of the affected fetuses were identified during pregnancy. The abnormalities identified by prenatal ultrasound included renal malformations, heart defects, hydrocephalus, holoprosencephaly, and myelomeningocele. At autopsy, syndactyly, usually between fingers 3 and 4, was identified in 37 (69%) of the fetuses. Thirteen (24%) of the infants had the histologic features of a partial hydatidiform mole in the placenta. Conclusions The presence of major malformations and growth restriction during pregnancy makes triploidy a potential diagnosis. There are no obligate clinical features in triploidy. Syndactyly, especially 3-4 syndactyly of the hands, is a distinctive feature. Cystic changes in the placenta can be seen by ultrasound during pregnancy. There was no difference in the phenotype between triploid infants associated with partial moles and those with nonmolar placentas.
Tomography of Interacting Binary Systems: Algols to Gamma-Ray Binaries

Three-dimensional Doppler tomography of interacting binaries has now provided some interesting perspectives of the gas flows beyond the central plane corresponding to the orbital plane. These images suggest that the magnetic field of the mass losing star influences the gas flows in some cases. Earlier 2D tomograms displayed evidence of gas flows associated with the gas stream, accretion disks, accretion annuli, and hot spots as well as evidence of magnetic flows associated with the mass loser. These indirect images have revealed the active environments that exist in the slow-mass-transfer Algols, cataclysmic variables, polars, x-ray binaries, and gamma ray binaries.
A Generalized Law of Corresponding States for the Physisorption of Classical Gases with Cooperative Adsorbate–Adsorbate Interactions

The Law of Corresponding States for classical gases is well established. Recent attempts at developing an analogous Law of Corresponding States for gas physisorption, however, have had limited success, in part due to the omission of relevant adsorption considerations such as the adsorbate volume and cooperative adsorbate–adsorbate interactions. In this work, we modify a prior Law of Corresponding States for gas physisorption to account for adsorbate volume, and test it with experimental data and a generalized theoretical approach. Furthermore, we account for the recently reported cooperative adsorbate–adsorbate interactions on the surface of zeolite-templated carbon (ZTC) with an Ising-type model and in doing so show that the Law of Corresponding States for gas physisorption remains valid even in the presence of atypically enhanced adsorbate–adsorbate interactions.
A new science of security decision making

The computer science community has spent the last 40-plus years attempting to identify a science of secure systems. Such efforts have yielded formal methods for proving security properties of computing artifacts and systems. Despite these advances, there does not yet exist a widely-applicable science for holistically reasoning about security in heterogenous and changing network environments. This talk introduces the research objectives and early results of a 10-year project seeking to develop such a science. Embodied in the Cyber-Security Collaborative Research Alliance, this effort aims to develop a science of decision making in the presence of uncertainty and potentially hostile users, systems, and networks. We begin by outlining the challenges of such a science and describe our efforts in exploring new models of risk assessment, detection, and systems agility aimed at maximizing the outcomes of system activities. We consider the roles of users and the need to integrate models of human behaviors into models of security. We conclude the talk with a roadmap of future research within the consortium.
Hydrothermal precipitation and characterization of nanocrystalline BaTiO3 particles

Crystalline BaTiO3 powders were precipitated by reacting fine TiO2 particles with a strongly alkaline solution of Ba(OH)2 under hydrothermal conditions at 80°C to 240°C. The characteristics of the powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermal analysis and atomic emission spectroscopy. For a fixed reaction time of 24 hours, the average particle size of BaTiO3 increased from ∼50 nm at 90°C to ∼100 nm at 240°C. At synthesis temperatures below ∼150°C, the BaTiO3 particles had a narrow size distribution and were predominantly cubic in structure. Higher synthesis temperatures produced a mixture of the cubic and tetragonal phases in which the concentration of the tetragonal phase increased with increasing temperature. A bimodal distribution of sizes developed for long reaction times (96 h) at the highest synthesis temperature (240°C). Thermal analysis revealed little weight loss on heating the powders to temperatures up to 700°C. The influence of particle size and processing-related hydroxyl defects on the crystal structure of the BaTiO3 powder is discussed.
Proprotein convertases generate a highly functional heterodimeric form of thymic stromal lymphopoietin in humans

Rationale Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is known to be elevated and truncated in nasal polyps (NPs) of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and might play a significant role in type 2 inflammation in this disease. However, neither the structure nor the role of the truncated products of TSLP has been studied. Objective We sought to investigate the mechanisms of truncation of TSLP in NPs and the function of the truncated products. Methods We incubated recombinant human TSLP with NP extracts, and determined the protein sequence of the truncated forms of TSLP using Edman protein sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. We investigated the functional activity of truncated TSLP using a PBMC-based bioassay. Results Edman sequencing and mass spectrometry results indicated that NP extracts generated 2 major truncated products, TSLP (residues 29-124) and TSLP (131-159). Interestingly, these 2 products remained linked with disulfide bonds and presented as a dimerized form, TSLP (29-124 + 131-159). We identified that members of the proprotein convertase were rate-limiting enzymes in the truncation of TSLP between residues 130 and 131 and generated a heterodimeric unstable metabolite TSLP (29-130 + 131-159). Carboxypeptidase N immediately digested 6 amino acids from the C terminus of the longer subunit of TSLP to generate a stable dimerized form, TSLP (29-124 + 131-159), in NPs. These truncations were homeostatic but primate-specific events. A metabolite TSLP (29-130 + 131-159) strongly activated myeloid dendritic cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells compared with mature TSLP. Conclusions Posttranslational modifications control the functional activity of TSLP in humans and overproduction of TSLP may be a key trigger for the amplification of type 2 inflammation in diseases.
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

From the time of a new diagnosis, healthcare for older adults with serious illness or nearing the end of life emphasizes relief of suffering along with attempts at curative or disease-modifying treatments. Goals of care typically evolve as an illness progresses, from primarily curative to primarily palliative as the end of life approaches. End-of-life issues are intertwined with issues of grief and loss. Clinicians should elicit these concerns and employ empathy in an effort to support patients and families and relieve their distress. Clarification of healthcare goals helps the provider determine which treatments to offer and helps the patient and family decide which treatments to pursue. Palliative care is provided by interdisciplinary teams that offer an extra layer of support to patients and families, and is appropriate at any stage of illness. Medication choices for symptom relief should reflect geriatric prescribing principles such as “Start Low and Go Slow.”
How Preferences for Continuity and Access Differ Between Multimorbidity and Healthy Patients in a Team Care Setting

Introduction: Team-based care has become an essential part of modern medical practice. Patient-centered medical homes often struggle to balance the dual competing goals of acute access and continuity of care. Multimorbidity patients may value continuity more than healthy patients, and thus may prefer to wait to see their primary care physician (PCP). Methods: A total of 1700 randomly selected healthy adults and multimorbidity patients were asked to rate satisfaction with care and presented with 4 acute and 4 chronic scenarios to choose an access and continuity preference in an anonymous mailed survey. Results: In all, 770 responses were obtained. All respondents preferred to be seen 2.5 days sooner for acute appointments. Multimorbidity patients preferred to wait 0.28 days longer for acute issues to see their PCP. Patients who were not satisfied with their care team preferred to wait 0.75 days to see their PCP. Those not satisfied with their PCP choose to be seen 0.38 days sooner by their care team or any...
The association of neighborhood context with health outcomes among ethnic minority breast cancer survivors

While individual-level determinants of health, such as education and income, have been well documented among breast cancer survivors, little is known about the role of neighborhood context on survivorship outcomes among this population. The present study examined the association of neighborhood stress with multiple health outcomes among ethnic minority breast cancer survivors (BCS). A mixed-methods approach was used to recruit 320 African-American and Hispanic BCS who were 26-89 years and lived in metropolitan Los Angeles, CA. Neighborhood stress was assessed by six items taken from the Life Stress Scale. Health outcomes included (1) self-rated health, measured by the Short-Form-36 Health Survey, (2) number of comorbidities (0-14), (3) depressive symptoms, assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, and (4) psychological difficulties. Greater neighborhood stress was significantly associated with poorer self-reported health (adjusted β = -.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] -.40, -.05), greater number of comorbidities (adjusted risk ratio = .19, 95% CI .07, .30), more depressive symptoms (adjusted β = .10, 95% CI .06, .15), and a higher likelihood of psychological difficulties (adjusted odds ratio = 2.28, 95% CI 1.51, 3.45) among ethnic minority BCS. These findings underscored the importance of taking neighborhood context into account in examining the determinants of health, survivorship, and quality of life outcomes among cancer patients. Our findings may inform population health, health services, and interventions addressing neighborhood and individual-level factors to promote post treatment health and survivorship outcomes as well as to identify high-risk patients, especially among medically vulnerable communities.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate-Dependent Oligomerization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cytotoxin ExoU

ABSTRACT The Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system delivers effector proteins directly into target cells, allowing the bacterium to modulate host cell functions. ExoU is the most cytotoxic of the known effector proteins and has been associated with more severe infections in humans. ExoU is a patatin-like A2 phospholipase requiring the cellular host factors phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and ubiquitin for its activation in vitro. We demonstrated that PI(4,5)P2 also induces the oligomerization of ExoU and that this PI(4,5)P2-mediated oligomerization does not require ubiquitin. Single amino acid substitutions in the C-terminal membrane localization domain of ExoU reduced both its activity and its ability to form higher-order complexes in transfected cells and in vitro. Combining inactive truncated ExoU proteins partially restored phospholipase activity and cytotoxicity, indicating that ExoU oligomerization may have functional significance. Our results indicate that PI(4,5)P2 induces the oligomerization of ExoU, which may be a mechanism by which this coactivator enhances the phospholipase activity of ExoU.
A configurable H.265-compatible motion estimation accelerator architecture for realtime 4K video encoding in 65 nm CMOS

The design for a configurable motion estimation accelerator is presented and demonstrated as suitable for realtime digital 4K as well as H.265/HEVC. The design has two 4-KB frame memories necessary to hold the active and reference frames, designed using a standard cell memory technique, with line-based pixel write, and block-based pixel accesses. It computes a 16 pixel sum of absolute differences (SAD)s per cycle, in a 4 × 4 block, and is pipelined to take advantage of the high throughput block pixel memories. The architecture supports configurable search patterns and threshold-based early termination which allow for run-time tradeoffs to be made between pixel throughput and final quality of result. CMEACC is independently clocked and can operate up to 812 MHz at 1.3 V in 65 nm CMOS, achieving a throughput of 105 MPixel/sec for a single instance while consuming 0.933 pJ × sec/Pixel, and occupying approximately 1.04 mm2 post place-and-route in 65 nm CMOS. While operating at 0.9 V, the presented design consumes 0.393 nJ/Pixel, which scales to 8.06 mW at 22.26 FPS in 720p.
Tunnel structured manganese oxide nanowires as redox active electrodes for hybrid capacitive deionization

Abstract Hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI), which combines a capacitive carbon electrode and a redox active electrode in a single device, has emerged as a promising method for water desalination, enabling higher ion removal capacity than devices containing two carbon electrodes. However, to date, the desalination performance of few redox active materials has been reported. For the first time, we present the electrochemical behavior of manganese oxide nanowires with four different tunnel crystal structures as faradaic electrodes in HCDI cells. Two of these phases are square tunnel structured manganese oxides, α-MnO 2 and todorokite-MnO 2 . The other two phases have novel structures that cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed to have ordered and disordered combinations of structural tunnels with different dimensions. The ion removal performance of the nanowires was evaluated not only in NaCl solution, which is traditionally used in laboratory experiments, but also in KCl and MgCl 2 solutions, providing better understanding of the behavior of these materials for desalination of brackish water that contains multiple cation species. High ion removal capacities (as large as 27.8 mg g −1 , 44.4 mg g −1 , and 43.1 mg g −1 in NaCl, KCl, and MgCl 2 solutions, respectively) and high ion removal rates (as large as 0.112 mg g −1 s −1 , 0.165 mg g −1 s −1 , and 0.164 mg g −1 s −1 in NaCl, KCl, and MgCl 2 solutions, respectively) were achieved. By comparing ion removal capacity to structural tunnel size, it was found that smaller tunnels do not favor the removal of cations with larger hydrated radii, and more efficient removal of larger hydrated cations can be achieved by utilizing manganese oxides with larger structural tunnels. Extended HCDI cycling and ex situ X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the excellent stability of the manganese oxide electrodes in repeated ion removal/ion release cycles, and compositional analysis of the electrodes indicated that ion removal is achieved through both surface redox reactions and intercalation of ions into the structural tunnels. This work contributes to the understanding of the behavior of faradaic materials in electrochemical water desalination and elucidates the relationship between the electrode material crystal structure and the ion removal capacity/ion removal rate in various salt solutions.
Insomnia and Clinical Sleep Disturbance

Broadly speaking, insomnia is defined as a person’s dissatisfaction with the quality or quantity of their sleep. Specifically, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition; DSM-5; APA 2013) describe the characteristics of insomnia as including one or more of the following over three or more nights per week for a period of at least 3 months: difficulty falling asleep, frequent and extended nighttime awakenings or waking up earlier than planned. These symptoms occur despite the opportunity for adequate sleep and cause the individual distress and/or other symptoms of impairment, such as feelings of fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, and decreased motivation to keep up normally planned activities.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF SQUEEZING FLOW BETWEEN PARALLEL PLATES

ABSTRACT A formulation of the problem of laminar, incompressible squeezing flow between parallel plates is presented. It is shown that a two-parameter similar solution exists for the velocity profile. When the plates move with constant velocity, the solution reduces to a one-parameter similar solution where the parameter is a transverse Reynolds number. Also presented is the approximate solution of the problem of laminar, incompressible, squeeze flow between sinusoidally oscillating plates. The magnitude of the average (temporal) pressure is evaluated for one time period of oscillation and is found to be positive. For rectilinear flow, it is shown further that a set of characteristic velocity profiles exists when the wall motion is prescribed in a special way.
Checklist for Procuring an Intramural-Recreation Program Sponsor.

(1979). Checklist for Procuring an Intramural-Recreation Program Sponsor. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 82-83.
Patient-Centered information extraction for effective search on healthcare forum

Online healthcare forums are one of the major social media in Health 2.0 for patients and caregivers to share personal experience and to help each other. However, current forums do not support effective information search and thus users are unable to fully leverage the rich information in the forums. In this work, we propose patient-centered information extraction to better organize the information in the forum and have developed a patient-centered medical information database extracted from a forum. In this system, the patients discussed on the forum are identified and their shared medical information is aggregated and associated with the corresponding patients. The experimental evaluation shows that our system can provide better information search results than traditional approaches.
WHY DO PEOPLE TRY DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS? THE INVESTIGATION OF PERSONALITY, INVOLVEMENT, AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing customers’ variety-seeking behavior in the restaurant choice situations. Specifically, this study examined whether personality, involve...
Absorption kinetics of mercury (II) chloride into mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) solution

Abstract Different mercury species have been found in the oil and gas reservoirs. Dynamic absorption of mercury (II) chloride (HgCl2) into solutions of mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) is reported in this work. It was observed that absorption of HgCl2 into MEG solutions was comparable to the absorption in pure water and the effect on MEG was not seen for MEG concentrations of 2–30 v/v%. The absorption flux was mainly affected by the absorption temperature and the concentration of HgCl2 in the gas phase. Utilisation of several mercury analysis techniques such as flow injection mercury spectroscopy (FIMS), inductively couple plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy show that no interactions between HgCl2 and MEG were detected for the test parameters studied. The findings from this work helps to improve the knowledge on the behaviour of HgCl2 within natural gas processing facilities, especially during transportation in pipelines and the MEG regeneration process.
A Survey on Location Privacy Techniques Deployed in Vehicular Networks

Recent advancements in embedded technologies, pervasive computing, and ubiquitous connectivity have revolutionized our daily lives, making them safe, efficient and convenient as never before. These evolving technologies have not only transformed our workplaces but are also reshaping our living habits, including the way we communicate, travel, learn, and relax. In the field of transportation alone, a huge influx of highly-connected, situation-aware and even self-driving vehicles has been observed recently, thus revamping existing automobiles into smarter, automated and safer vehicular networks. This exponential rise in vehicular connectivity has introduced new terminologies such as Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANETs) and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), aiming towards road-safety, smart traffic management, and real-time information/incident sharing. However, these highly-connected vehicles have also introduced several novel security and safety threats both to the hosts and associated assets, inducing serious even life-threatening consequences. Compromise of location privacy and vehicular identity is one of such serious threats, which may be exploited by an adversary to launch sophisticated attacks including stalking, identity theft/manipulation or even tracking and sabotaging of VIP moves. Such threat vectors primarily exploit subtle vulnerabilities in resource-constrained communication protocols being deployed for vehicular connectivity as well as improper security configurations of associated systems. The threats can be countered by placement of robust network security techniques suiting the VANET environment. This survey paper aims to probe into these vulnerabilities of vehicular networks, classify associated security and safety threats, and ultimately asses various countermeasures to safeguard against privacy-breach situations. Besides presenting a holistic overview of emerging threats in vehicular networks, the paper critically analyzes some of the recent approaches (2008-2018) to safeguard against location privacy threats with reference to a range of operational and security considerations.
Decreasing Readmissions in Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery has experienced a tremendous improvement in clinical outcomes such as morbidity and mortality through the accreditation process. An additional area of improvement includes readmissions, which has significance to payors and patients alike. This chapter describes why readmissions matter, what readmissions risk factors are, and how readmissions can be prevented.
Multiple Targets for Drug-Induced Mitochondrial Toxicity

Mitochondrial toxicity is rapidly gaining the interest of researchers and practitioners as a prominent liability in drug discovery and development, accounting for a growing proportion of preclinical drug attrition and post-market withdrawals or black box warnings by the U.S. FDA. To date, the focus of registries of drugs that elicit mitochondrial toxicity has been largely restricted to those that either inhibit the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) or uncouple mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Less appreciated are the toxicities that are secondary to the drug affecting either the molecular regulation, assembly or incorporation of the ETC into the inner mitochondrial membrane or those that limit substrate availability. The current article describes the complexities of molecular events and biochemical pathways required to sustain mitochondrial fidelity and substrate homeostasis with examples of drugs that interfere which the various pathways. The principal objective of this review is to shed light on the broader scope of drug-induced mitochondrial toxicities and how these secondary targets may account for a large portion of drug failures.