cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Butler lies from both sides: actions and perceptions of unavailability management in texting

In an always-connected world, managing one's unavailability for interaction with others can be as important and difficult as coordinating mutual availability. Prior studies have identified the butler lie, a linguistic strategy commonly used to manage unavailability, and examined message-level data to examine how message senders' use of butler lies varies across media and situations. This study is the first to examine how butler lies are perceived by those who receive them. Pairs of student participants provided messages sent to each other in real conversations and indicated whether these messages were deceptive or not. These messages were then passed to the partner, who indicated perceived deception and provided an explanation. Results suggest that participants expect butler lies regularly although not as often as they are actually produced, and participants are not very accurate in identifying butler lies. Moreover, detailed analysis of messages and explanations suggests that butler lies play a relational role that is expected by both parties in a dialog.
Origins of Meaning: Must We 'Go Gricean'?

The task of explaining language evolution is often presented by leading theorists in explicitly Gricean terms. After a critical evaluation, I present an alternative, non-Gricean conceptualization of the task. I argue that, while it may be true that nonhuman animals, in contrast to language users, lack the 'motive to share information' understood ` al aGrice, nonhuman animals nevertheless do express states of mind through complex nonlinguistic behavior. On a proper, non-Gricean construal of expressive communication, this means that they show to their designated audience (without intentionally telling)—and their designated audience recognizes (without rationally inferring)—both how things are in the world and how things are with them. Recognizing that our nonhuman predecessors were already proficient—though non-Gricean—sharers of such information would free us to focus on the more tractable problem of explaining how linguistic expressive vehicles came to replace, augment, and transform the nonlinguistic expressive means to which nonhuman animals are consigned.
Strong-coupling expansion for the pairing Hamiltonian for small superconducting metallic grains

The paper is devoted to the study of the effects due to superconducting pairing in small metallic grains. We explicitly determine the low-energy spectrum of the problem at strong superconducting coupling and in the limit of large Thouless conductance. We start with the strong-coupling limit and develop a systematic expansion in powers of the inverse coupling constant for the many-particle spectrum of the system. The strong- coupling expansion is based on the formal exact solution of the Richardson model and converges for realistic values of the coupling constant. We use this expansion to study the low-energy excitations of the system, in particular energy and spin gaps in the many-body spectrum.
Undergraduate students' perspectives on primary care.

Background and Objectives: Despite the need for more primary care physicians, the number of medical students choosing primary care careers remains lower than other specialties. While undergraduate ...
Electrodeposition of polyurethane adhesive for MEMS application

This paper presents a polymer electrodeposition process to prepare micro-size adhesive on electrically conductive substrates, and demonstrates its application for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). UV-curable polyurethane latex was first formulated for cathodic electrodeposition process. Polyurethane was then conformally coated onto the conductive substrates by electrodeposition of polyurethane aqueous latex at 25 V for 1 minute. The coated polyurethane films is adherent, as a result it can be used as adhesive to bond other microstructures. The polyurethane adhesive can be further solidified by UV radiation for 2 minutes. Photolithography was used to pattern the conductive substrates with photoresist layer, which help to localize the polymer electrodeposition at specific surface locations. The deposited adhesive volume is able to be controlled in the magnitude of 10 femtoliters by adjusting the pattern size and the electrodeposition time. The electrodeposited polyurethane adhesive is useful for MEMS bonding.
Highly sensitive protein sensor based on thermally-reduced graphene oxide field-effect transistor

We report the fabrication of a highly sensitive field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor using thermally-reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) sheets functionalized with gold nanoparticle (NP)-antibody conjugates. Probe antibody was labeled on the surface of TRGO sheets through Au NPs and electrical detection of protein binding (Immunoglobulin G/IgG and anti-Immunoglobulin G/anti-IgG) was accomplished by FET and direct current (dc) measurements. The protein binding events induced significant changes in the resistance of the TRGO sheet, which is referred to as the sensor response. The dependence of the sensor response on the TRGO base resistance in the sensor and the antibody areal density on the TRGO sheet was systematically studied, from which a correlation of the sensor response with sensor parameters was found: the sensor response was more significant with larger TRGO base resistance and higher antibody areal density. The detection limit of the novel biosensor was around the 0.2 ng/mL level, which is among the best of reported carbon nanomaterial-based protein sensors and can be further optimized by tuning the sensor structure. Open image in new window
Characterization and Lithographic Performance of Silsesquioxane 193 nm Bilayer Resists

Positive 193 nm bilayer resists based on polysilsesquioxane are described. Fluoroalcohol is employed as an acid group instead of carboxylic acid because of its more attractive dissolution properties. Polymers were carefully analyzed by 19F, 13C, and 29Si NMR to determine composition and to quantify residual acetyl, silanol, and Q/T. In an attempt to better understand the dissolution behavior of exposed resist films, the silsesquioxane resist polymers were partially and fully deprotected in solution with acid and their dissolution kinetics investigated by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The exposed areas of the silsesquioxane resists can have a very fast dissolution rate (Rmax) of >20,000 A/sec (or even >100,000 A/sec). Heating the fully deprotected model polymers to 150 °C did not reduce the dissolution rate much, suggesting thermal condensation of silanol end groups is insignificant. Model deprotected polymers containing triphenylsulfonium nonaflate were exposed to 254 nm radiation, baked, and subjected to QCM measurements in order to probe whether or not acid-catalyzed silanol condensation would reduce the dissolution rate. A combination of high dose and high temperature bake resulted in significant reduction of the dissolution rate in the silsesquioxane polymer containing a small trifluoroalcohol. However, the dissolution behavior of the polymer bearing a bulky norbornene hexafluoroalcohol was unaffected by exposure and bake. Chemical and development contrast curves were generated by using a thermal gradient hotplate and bake temperature effects investigated. A postexposure bake temperature effect was quite small. The process window of the silsesquioxane bilayer resists was comparable to that of a high performance commercial 193 nm single layer resist for both isolated and nested contact hole imaging, Superior performance of our silsesquioxane resist was demonstrated in patterned etch in comparison with a cycloolefin-maleic anhydride bilayer resist.
Reassessing the association between facial structure and baseball performance: a comment on Tsujimura & Banissy (2013).

Are the associations between the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and Japanese male baseball player performance documented by Tsujimura & Banissy [[1][1]] robust to controlling for body mass index (BMI)? Two factors motivate this question. First, research suggests that BMI is positively
Mutational Analysis of the Varicella-Zoster Virus ORF62/63 Intergenic Region

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF62/63 intergenic region was cloned between the Renilla and firefly luciferase genes, which acted as reporters of ORF62 and ORF63 transcription, and recombinant viruses were generated that carried these reporter cassettes along with the intact native sequences in the repeat regions of the VZV genome. In order to investigate the potential contributions of cellular transregulatory proteins to ORF62 and ORF63 transcription, recombinant reporter viruses with mutations of consensus binding sites for six proteins within the intergenic region were also created. The reporter viruses were used to evaluate ORF62 and ORF63 transcription during VZV replication in cultured fibroblasts and in skin xenografts in SCIDhu mice in vivo. Mutations in putative binding sites for heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1), nuclear factor 1 (NF-1), and one of two cyclic AMP-responsive elements (CRE) reduced ORF62 reporter transcription in fibroblasts, while mutations in binding sites for HSF-1, NF-1, and octamer binding proteins (Oct-1) increased ORF62 reporter transcription in skin. Mutations in one CRE and the NF-1 site altered ORF63 transcription in fibroblasts, while mutation of the Oct-1 binding site increased ORF63 reporter transcription in skin. The effect of each of these mutations implies that the intact binding site sequence regulates native ORF62 and ORF63 transcription. Mutation of the only NF-κB/Rel binding site had no effect on ORF62 or ORF63 transcription in vitro or in vivo. The segment of the ORF62/63 intergenic region proximal to ORF63 was most important for ORF63 transcription, but mutagenesis also altered ORF62 transcription, indicating that this region functions as a bidirectional promoter. This first analysis of the ORF62/63 intergenic region in the context of VZV replication indicates that it is a dual promoter and that cellular transregulatory factors affect the transcription of these key VZV regulatory genes.
Advances in understanding and treating ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurocognitive behavioral developmental disorder most commonly seen in childhood and adolescence, which often extends to the adult years. Relative to a decade ago, there has been extensive research into understanding the factors underlying ADHD, leading to far more treatment options available for both adolescents and adults with this disorder. Novel stimulant formulations have made it possible to tailor treatment to the duration of efficacy required by patients, and to help mitigate the potential for abuse, misuse and diversion. Several new non-stimulant options have also emerged in the past few years. Among these, cognitive behavioral interventions have proven popular in the treatment of adult ADHD, especially within the adult population who cannot or will not use medications, along with the many medication-treated patients who continue to show residual disability.
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO LATE POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE.

Abstract Ninety cases of late postpartum hemorrhage of the placental site were identified from records of three Cincinnati hospitals from 1952 through 1958. Pertinent information on each patient was compiled from hospital obstetric data recorded before hemorrhage occurred. To establish control subjects, similar data were obtained for the immediately preceding and following puerperas of the same race who were delivered in the same obstetric unit. The onsets of excessive hemorrhage in the 90 cases were scattered over 8 weeks post partum, half occurring within the first two weeks. In two hospitals where records were presumed complete, the attack rate of onset was 2.4 cases per 1,000 live births in 1957 and 1958. In mean age and parity the subjects with hemorrhage and control subjects were similar. Likewise they were similar in duration of labor and obstetric hospitalization; frequencies of placenta previa and abruptio placentae; and in their types, frequencies, and amounts of operative obstetrics and drug usage. In contrast those with hemorrhage experienced shorter gestational periods and were delivered of lighter infants than were the controls. Patients were more apt to sustain uterine bleeding during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. They were also less apt to breast-feed their infants before (and presumably after) discharge from the obstetric unit. Spontaneous abortion of prior pregnancies in multigravidous women had occurred among more hemorrhage patients than among control subjects. Uterine bleeding during the second or third trimester, absence of breast-feeding, and a prior history of abortion were indicted as increasing the risk of late hemorrhage from the placental site. Attention to these factors may offer a rational basis to identify the puerperas susceptible to late postpartum hemorrhage.
Fluorescence Quenching Studies on Enzyme I of the Bacterial Phosphotransferase System

Enzyme I is the first protein involved in the series of phosphoryl transfer steps catalyzed by the glycose: pyruvate phosphotransferase system (PTS) (Meadow et al., 1984). The PTS is responsible for the phosphoryla-tion and concomitant transport of its sugar substrates across the bacterial membrane, and in this process phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) serves as the phosphoryl donor. It has been previously observed (Kukuruzinska et al., 1982) that the subunits of Enzyme I associate in a temperature-dependent manner to form dimers. The enzyme contains two tryptophans per subunit and their intrinsic emission have been characterized at 2°C for the monomer and 23°C for the dimer. The decay of the fluorescence intensity has been resolved into a double exponential decay for both the conformations of the protein (Neyroz et al., 1984). At 2°C a short lifetime of 3 ns and a long one of 7.5 ns were found that account for the 17% and 83% of the total emitted light, respectively. At 23°C the recovered decay constants were 3.7 ns and 7.5 ns with an increase of the fractional contribution of the short lifetime to 43% of the total intensity. Two different decay associated spectra (DAS) (Knutson et al., 1982) were obtained for each decay component. A spectrum with its maximum at 330 nm was found for the short lifetime and a second spectrum centered at 345 nm was resolved for the longer lifetime. Changes in the proportions of the two spectra obtained at 2°C and 23°C well reproduced the difference of amplitudes reported above when the protein was excited at 295 nm and the fluorescence observed at 340 nm.
Calcium Supplementation Does Not Contribute to Constipation in Healthy Women

Purpose: It is commonly suggested that calcium supplementation contributes to constipation; however, little research has explored the effects of calcium supplementation on gut motility. Methods: In an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, crossover pilot study, healthy females (n = 27, aged 43.0 ± 10.6 years) received a split dose of 500 mg/d of elemental calcium from calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate each for 2 weeks, after a 2-week baseline and separated by a 2-week washout. Participants completed daily questionnaires of stool frequency, Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), and supplement intake compliance. Results: There were no differences among periods. Mean ± SE stool frequency averaged 1.3 ± 0.1 stools/d in each period. Participants reported 34%, 34%, 37%, and 29% of stools were indicative of slow transit or constipation (BSFS of 1 or 2) during baseline, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and washout periods, respectively. Participants also reported from 6% to 10% of stools as fast transit or diarr...
Zombie Apocalypse: Can the Undead Teach the Living How to Survive an Emergency?

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether or not CDC's zombie apocalypse campaign had the ability to achieve the agency's goals of educating young people about emergency preparedness and prompting them to get ready by developing an emergency kit and plan. While the campaign was extremely popular, we examined the question of whether the campaign had the capability to translate into knowledge and action. METHODS: We conducted an online experiment with 340 undergraduate students divided randomly into two groups. One group was exposed to CDC's zombie blog post; the other to the same preparedness information presented in CDC's traditional, straightforward way. Participants then completed a survey designed to gauge their affective feelings, perceptions, retention of preparedness preparation, and intent to develop an emergency kit and plan. RESULTS: While participants who viewed the humorous zombie material clearly enjoyed it, their positive affect did not lead to greater retention of preparedness information or greater expressed intent to prepare, compared with participants exposed to the factual treatment. The zombie approach had no influence on retention or resulted in less retention relative to the factual approach. Also, there was no significant between-group difference in reported likelihood of developing an emergency kit or plan. CONCLUSION: While the campaign drew unprecedented traffic to CDC's website, our findings suggest that it lacked the capability to fully achieve the agency's goals of educating people about preparedness and prompting them to get ready. This finding supports previous studies concluding that it is challenging to design public health messages that evoke positive affect as well as intended changes in intentions or behaviors. Language: en
Stay the Execution, Don't Kill the Golden Goose: Fair Use, Creativity, Property and the Internet

This article argues for the vital importance of fair use in any copyright regime because of its intimate ties to the generation of new work and education. The nature of the Internet confers the possibility of much greater control and surveillance of intellectual property use and its vast scale seems to require automated systems. Because fair uses are defined by context, automated systems will cause chaos. The analysis treats the Internet as a distinctive medium itself first a picture in a monitor's frame, then copies of content, neither of which do a good job of signalling property ownership to users.
Fractions of brucella for adsorbed antigens for collodion agglutination and hemagglutination tests.

The limitations of the standard agglutination test for the diagnosis of brucellosis are well known and have been described by many authors, among them Huddleson (1943), Griggs and Case (1948), and Steele and Emik (1950). The great variation in the performance of these tests using so-called standard methods has indicated the need for a better diagnostic test. Furthermore, the difficulty of isolating brucella from blood cultures and the
The Trans-Pacific Partnership--Is It Bad for Your Health?

Several leaked chapters of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement indicate that it could have a substantial effect on health, largely by increasing the costs of medications in both low-income and high-income countries.
Consumer Switching Behavior of Banking Services: A Conceptual Model

A conceptual model specifying consumer satisfaction with banking services and importance of services as the critical variables in determining likelihood of a consumer switching from a bank to its competitor. The model is further expanded to include various determinants that may jointly influence the likelihood of switching entire set of banking services. Several hypotheses are proposed in this context and a plan to test the same via a field survey is also presented.
Analysis and Suggestions of the Assessment Method of Power Factors at 220 kV Substations in Jiangsu Power Grid

The assessment method of power factors at 220kV substations in Jiangsu Power Grid is introduced in the paper.This method is then analyzed along with some operational data saved by the energy management systems(EMS) at the dispatch center.Several drawbacks of the assessment method are pointed out.Finally,a more comprehensive assessment standard is proposed.The proposed standard considering reverse reactive power flow,qualified voltage interval and low power factor situations can be used as reference for the optimization of reactive power and voltage management in the future.
Melt Spinning of Syndiotactic Polypropylene: Structure Development and Implications for Oriented Crystallization

Stereoregular polymers prepared using metallocene catalyst systems have become quite important. The different molecular configurations of these polymers lead to changes in crystallization and melting behavior. These changes affect the properties of products made from these polymers. In the study presented in this chapter, syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) is melt spun and the fibers are analyzed to understand the development of structure and morphology. Most studies of sPP are focused on conformational structure and the nature of crystals, usually in the form of isotropic films. Only a few studies have examined oriented products such as fibers. It is well known that orientation has a profound effect on the rate and extent of crystallization in melt spinning. A theoretical framework is developed that explains the enhancement in crystallization kinetics because of enhanced orientation. Higher strain rate, at higher spinning speed, results in greater segmental orientation prior to crystallization. However, it can also change the conformational composition of the sPP segments and, consequently, the crystallization behavior of oriented sPP filaments.
Acute ascorbic acid infusion increases left ventricular diastolic function in postmenopausal women

Abstract Objectives We tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress contributes to reductions in left ventricular diastolic (LV) function in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, related in part to reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Study design LV diastolic function – recorded using transthoracic echocardiography and determined as the peak early (E) to late (A) mitral inflow velocity ratio and the E to peak early (e’) mitral annular velocity ratio – and brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD), a biomarker of NO bioavailability, were measured during acute systemic infusions of saline (control) and ascorbic acid (experimental model to decrease oxidative stress) in healthy premenopausal women (N = 14, 18–40 years) and postmenopausal women (N = 23, 45–75 years). Results The E/A ratio was lower (1.16[1.06–1.33] vs 1.65[1.5–2.3]; median[interquartile range]) and the E/e’ ratio was elevated (8.8[7.6–9.9] vs. 6.6[5.5–7.3]) in postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women, indicating reduced LV diastolic function. E/A and E/e’ were correlated with FMD (r = 0.54 and r = −0.59, respectively, both P Conclusion The current study provides evidence that oxidative stress contributes to reduced LV diastolic function in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, possibly by reducing the availability of NO.
Meaning and the Nature of Physicians’ Work

Perhaps the greatest opportunity for improving physicians' professional satisfaction in the short term lies in restoring our connections with one another. We will have to rebuild a sense of teamwork, community, and the ties that bind us together as human beings.
Personal Digital Assistant-Based Self-Work Sampling Study of Pediatric Interns Quantifies Workday and Educational Value

Abstract Objective Optimizing clinical proficiency and education of residents has become more important with restricted residency duty hours. Our objective was to investigate how interns spend their time on inpatient rotations and the perceived educational value of workday activities. Methods We performed a descriptive self-work sampling study using a personal digital assistant (PDA) to randomly query interns on inpatient rotations in real time regarding their activity and the perceived educational value of that activity on a 4-point Likert scale. Results A total of 31 interns participated on 88 workdays over a 5-month period, generating 2082 samples from which the average workday was modeled. Time spent using the electronic health record (EHR) accounted for 33% of intern time, communicating with the health care team 23%, educational activities 17%, and time with patients and families 12%. Time with patients and families was perceived to be the most educational part of clinical service. Time spent using the EHR was perceived as the least educational. Interns perceived clinical service as excellent or good 37% of the time, while planned educational activities were perceived as excellent or good 81% of the time. Conclusions Interns spend the majority of their time using the EHR and communicating with the health care team. Interns perceive time spent in planned educational activities has more educational value than time spent in clinical service. The distribution of daily activities is discordant with the perceived educational value of those activities.
A mantle wave magnitude for the St. Elias, Alaska, earthquake of 28 February 1979

abstract We have investigated surface and mantle waves from the St. Elias earthquake (28 February 1979, 21:27:06.1 UTC) using standard time-domain techniques and highly automated procedure for frequency-domain analysis. Mantle wave spectral densities at periods of 100, 150, 200, and 250 sec were determined from R 1 through R 5 and G 1 through G 6 recorded by 10 stations of the Global Digital Seismograph Network using a method similar to one developed by Brune and Engen (1969) for 100-sec Love waves. For comparison we have generated synthetic seismograms by normal mode summation using two published fault plane solutions (Lahr et al. , 1979; Hasegawa et al. , 1980) and assuming a point source. For the St. Elias event we find that the precise orientation of the focal mechanism has a significant impact on the efficiency of mantle wave generation and hence on moment inference. Further, source finiteness effects, expressed as distortion of the radiation pattern and a disparity between moment estimates made using Love and Rayleigh waves, are clearly visible at all periods we examined. However, these effects decrease dramatically with increasing periods and are gratifyingly small by 250 sec allowing us to make a moment estimate. We have made the following measurements of the size of the St. Elias earthquake
Microbial metabolites in health and disease: Navigating the unknown in search of function

The gut microbiota has been implicated in the development of a number of chronic gastrointestinal and systemic diseases. These include inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, and metabolic (i.e. obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and diabetes) and neurological diseases. The advanced understanding of host-microbe interactions has largely been due to new technologies such as 16S rRNA sequencing to identify previously unknown microbial communities and, more importantly, their functional characteristics through metagenomic sequencing and other multi-omic technologies, such as metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics. Given the vast array of newly acquired knowledge in the field and technological advances, it is expected that mechanisms underlying several disease states involving the interactions between microbes, their metabolites, and the host will be discovered. The identification of these mechanisms will allow for the development of more precise therapies to prevent or manage chronic disease. This review discusses the functional characterization of the microbiome, highlighting the advances in identifying bioactive microbial metabolites that have been directly linked to gastrointestinal and peripheral diseases.
It takes a village to raise a militia: local politics, the Nuer White Army, and South Sudan's civil wars

Why does South Sudan continue to experience endemic, low intensity conflicts punctuated by catastrophic civil wars? Reporters and analysts often mischaracterise conflicts in the young country of South Sudan as products of divisive ‘tribal’ or ‘ethnic’ rivalries and political competition over oil wealth. More nuanced analyses by regional experts have focused almost exclusively on infighting among elite politicians and military officers based in Juba and other major cities who use patronage networks to ethnicise conflicts. This paper argues instead that civilian militias known as the Nuer White Army have consistently rebelled against elites who they blame for mounting inequalities between urban areas and the rural communities regardless of their ethnicity. While unable to stop governments and NGOs from funnelling almost all their resources to the cities, these militias have consistently mobilised local resources for violent campaigns that redistribute wealth by pillaging urban areas.
A Supply Chain Coordination Mechanism for Common Items Subject to Failure in the Electronics, Defense, and Medical Industries

Abstract Prior research on inventory management for imperfect items assumes that such items can be dealt with through salvage or rework. Increased repair costs and decreased production costs arising from modern production processes (e.g. miniaturization, 3D printing), however, have led suppliers to increasingly eschew such solutions in favor of items and components which are discarded upon failure rather than being reworked or scrapped. In this paper, we first determine optimal supplier and buyer inventory policies for items which fail and which cannot be reworked. We then develop a supply chain coordination mechanism which uses a common replenishment time to coordinate a supply chain consisting of a single supplier and n buyers. Our coordination mechanism yields a global minimum for system-wide costs. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate important conditions under which our model is particularly effective at reducing system-wide costs.
Near-infrared surface-enhanced-Raman-scattering (SERS) mediated identification of single optically trapped, bacterial spores

A novel methodology has been developed for the investigation of bacterial spores. Specifically, this method has been used to probe the spore coat composition of several Bacillus species. This technique may be useful in many applications; most notably, development of novel detection schemes toward potentially harmful biological agents. This method would also be useful as an ancillary environmental monitoring system where sterility is of importance (i.e., food preparation areas as well as invasive and minimally invasive medical applications). This unique detection scheme is based on the near-infrared (NIR) Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Scattering (SERS) from single, optically trapped, bacterial spores. The SERS spectra of several bacterial spores in aqueous media have been measured using SERS substrates based on 60-nm diameter gold colloids bound to 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane derivatized glass. The light from a 785-nm laser diode was used to capture/manipulate as well as simultaneously excite the SERS of an individual bacterial spore. The collected SERS spectra were examined for uniqueness and the applicability of this technique for the species identification of bacterial spores.
Caffeine alters emotion and emotional responses in low habitual caffeine consumers.

Caffeine reliably increases emotional arousal, but it is unclear whether and how it influences other dimensions of emotion such as emotional valence. These experiments documented whether caffeine i...
Examining 30-day COPD readmissions through the emergency department.

Background Thirty-day readmission in COPD is common and costly, but potentially preventable. The emergency department (ED) may be a setting for COPD readmission reduction efforts. Objective To better understand COPD readmission through the ED, ascertain factors associated with 30-day readmission through the ED, and identify subgroups of patients with COPD for readmission reduction interventions. Patients and methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2009 to September 2015 in patients with COPD of age ≥18 years. Electronic health record data were abstracted for information available to admitting providers in the ED. The primary outcome was readmission through the ED within 30 days of discharge from an index admission for COPD. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between potential risk factors and 30-day readmission. Results The study involved 1,574 patients who presented to the ED within 30 days on an index admission for COPD. Of these, 82.2% were readmitted through the ED. Charlson score (odds ratio [OR]: 3.6; 95% CI: 2.9-4.4), a chief complaint of breathing difficulty (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.6), outpatient utilization of albuterol (OR: 4.1; 95% CI: 2.6-6.4), fluticasone/salmeterol (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.3-4.2), inhaled steroids (OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.3-10.7), and tiotropium (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0-3.2), as well as arterial blood gas (OR: 4.4; 95% CI: 1.3-15.1) and B-type natriuretic peptide (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4-3.5) testing in the ED were associated with readmission (c-statistic =0.936). Seventeen-point-eight percent of patients with COPD presented to the ED and were discharged home; 56% presented with a complaint other than breathing difficulty; and 16% of those readmitted for breathing difficulty had a length of stay <48 hours. Conclusion Intensive outpatient monitoring, evaluation, and follow-up after discharge are needed to help prevent re-presentation to the ED, as practically all patients with COPD who represent to the ED within 30 days are readmitted to the hospital and for a variety of clinical complaints. Among those patients with COPD who present with breathing difficulty, improved decision support algorithms and alternative management strategies are needed to identify and intervene on the subgroup of patients who require <48-hour length of stay.
The K-INBRE symposium: a 10-institution collaboration to improve undergraduate education

The Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) is an infrastructure-building program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Undergraduate education, through undergraduate research, is a key component of the program. The K-INBRE network includes 10 higher education institutions in Kansas and northern Oklahoma, with over 1,000 student participants in 16 yr. Since 2003, the K-INBRE has held an annual state-wide research symposium that includes national and regional speakers and provides a forum for undergraduates to give platform and poster presentations. The symposium is well attended by K-INBRE participants and has grown to a size of over 300 participants per year from all 10 K-INBRE schools. Two surveys were distributed to students and mentors to assess the impact of the symposium on student learning. Surveys (153) were distributed to students who participated in K-INBRE from 2013 through 2015 with a 51% response rate. Mentors were surveyed with a response of 111 surveys out of 161. Survey results indicate that students and mentors alike find the symposium to be beneficial and enriching of the student experience. Almost 80% of student respondents indicated that their participation in the symposium fostered appreciation of research. In short, the K-INBRE symposium provides a unique opportunity for students to gain experience in collecting, preparing, and communicating research in a professional environment. The collaborative experience of the annual K-INBRE symposium, the impact it has on student learning, and how it has influenced the research culture at our 10 institutions will be described.
Molecular discrimination of multiple primary versus metastatic cancers of the lung and head and neck

140 Exposure of the epithelium of the aerodigestive and respiratory tracts to cigarette smoke results in cancers of the lung and head and neck (H/N) region. Patients with cancers of the H/N are at a high risk of developing subsequent tumors in the lungs, often characterized as metastatic lesions, even though they present as a solitary mass in the majority of cases. The distinction between a metastatic lesion and new primary tumor is difficult when the tumors are of the same histologic type. Thus, molecular methods are needed to discriminate tumor lineage and relatedness (metastasis versus multiple primary tumors). The goal of our study was to refine a method to analyze multiple tumors that does not rely on collection of normal tissue and can be performed with minimal tumor sample. Genomic DNA was collected from 5 patients that presented with squamous cell carcinoma in both the lung and H/N (2-3 tumors per patient) and analyzed using a PCR-based approach to assay for allelic loss. Allelic loss of a single marker in tumor 1 plus allelic loss of a separate marker residing on a different chromosome in tumor 2 was defined as a mutually exclusive allelic loss (MEAL). Analysis of a subset of tumors revealed that intra-tumor heterogeneity resulted in approximately 5% allelic variation (1 out of 20 markers). Therefore, tumor pairs that contained two or more MEALs were categorized as highly probable independent primary tumors. We concluded that 3 of the 5 patients had multiple primary tumors. Clinically, 2 of these 3 cases would have been classified as metastases due to the short interval between tumor onset (26 and 19 months). The third patient presented with a lung tumor, followed 3.5 years by two simultaneous, distinct tumors of the pharynx. Tumor relatedness would have been questioned clinically for the H/N tumors, although molecular analysis clearly classified all three tumors as multiple primary lesions. The results of this study demonstrate that molecular methods can distinguish multiple primary squamous cell carcinomas involving the lung and H/N regions. This method is rapid, sensitive, does not rely on normal tissue for analysis, and is amenable to the analysis of DNA from archived tumor specimens. R.R.M. is supported by a training grant from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, T32 ES017017. This research is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, CA 78343.
An Experimental Validation of Robotic Tactile Mapping in Harsh Environments such as Deep Sea Oil Well Sites

This work experimentally validates the feasibility of a tactile exploration approach to map harsh environments such as deep sea oil well sites. The recent collapse of the offshore oil-drilling platform Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the largest marine accidental disaster in history. Initial attempts to control the spill failed because of the very challenging environmental conditions. Knowing the shape and dimensions of the cracks in the leaking structure could have provided critical information to maneuver the Remotely Operated Vehicles. Here, a method developed in our previous work for tactile exploration of oil wells is applied to the problem of mapping underwater oil well sites. This method only requires a manipulator provided with joint encoders, and does not need any range, tactile or force sensor. This makes the approach robust and directly applicable to the mapping of underwater sites. This paper focuses on the experimental validation of the approach. Several experiments are described, showing the effectiveness of the approach in mapping unknown structured environment in short time, and demonstrating its reliability under very harsh conditions, such as irregular environment surfaces, surrounding viscous fluids and high manipulator joint backlash.
Cardiac Cytoarchitecture: How to Maintain a Working Heart—Waste Disposal and Recycling in Cardiomyocytes

Normal development and maintenance of the heart is determined by the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. The regulation of this balance is critical, as increased protein synthesis is linked to hypertrophy of the heart, whereas increased degradation is usually associated with atrophy. Hypertrophy and atrophy of the heart are just two examples of cardiomyopathies, where the cellular equilibrium between synthesis and degradation is out of balance. It has become increasingly clear that impaired degradation of cardiac proteins is associated with the development of many cardiomyopathies. Here we discuss the functions of cardiac waste disposal and recycling systems, examine their regulation, and summarize recent developments that outline how cardiac-specific as well as ubiquitously expressed components of the cellular degradation systems contribute to the development and maintenance of a healthy heart.
Baroreceptor modulation of active cutaneous vasodilation during dynamic exercise in humans.

The hypothesis that baroreceptor unloading during dynamic limits cutaneous vasodilation by withdrawal of active vasodilator activity was tested in seven human subjects. Increases in forearm skin bl...
Interplay of Grain Size, Crystal Orientation, and Performance in Mixedion Lead Halide Perovskite Films

Mixed-cation lead mixed-halide perovskite thinfilms are a promising alternative to methylammonium lead iodide due to higher long-term stability, photostability and bandgap tenability. However, the crystallinity of the absorber layer plays an important role for charge carrier collection as well as for an efficient transport between the different device layers. In this contribution, we investigate the influence of grain size by changing the molar concentration of the perovskite precursor containing Rb, Cs, MA, FA, Pb, I and Br on the charge carrier dynamics. We find that with increasing molar precursor concentration, the grain sizes increase and the perovskite grains become more oriented with an improved charge carrier lifetime. In particular, films with small grains show mostly random grain orientation angles, whereas films with larger grains are oriented with {100} planes around an angle of 20° relative to the surface normal. These findings may be the crucial factor in engineering high-quality films leading to high power conversion efficiencies.
An optimal reverse material supply chain for U.S. Aluminum scrap

Abstract Only around half of U.S. end of life (EOL) aluminum scrap is recycled. We investigate the extent to which the EOL recycling rate is constrained by the ability to collect EOL scrap versus the ability to recycle scrap into new alloys given the compositional mismatch between available scrap and the new alloys demanded by industry. The compositional mismatch means that scrap must be "sweetened" during recycling with virgin metals (primary unalloyed aluminum and alloying elements) to satisfy the chemistry constraints of the new alloys. If the mismatch is too great, then recycling becomes unviable. We first review the reasons for the compositional mismatch by examining its three causes: contamination with tramp elements; mixing of different aluminum scrap during recycling; and shifting demand for new alloys. A linear optimization model is then used to analyze the current and potential domestic U.S. recycling rate at different levels of collection from end use scrap categories such as buildings. The model determines the minimum quantity of virgin metal needed to satisfy new alloy demand if different metal sources (including scrap and virgin metal) can be combined to make the new alloys just like they are in the recycling industry. Optimization constraints include not exceeding the use of available scrap, satisfying demand for new alloys, meeting the chemical composition limits of the new alloys, and an economic furnace constraint that limits the weight fraction of virgin metals used in a recycling furnace. The results show that even if all EOL aluminum scrap could be collected in the U.S. then, because of the compositional mismatch between scrap and new alloys, only around 70% could be recycled domestically.
Fractional Sensitivity Equation Method: Application to Fractional Model Construction

Fractional differential equations provide a tractable mathematical framework to describe anomalous behavior in complex physical systems, yet they introduce new sensitive model parameters, i.e. derivative orders, in addition to model coefficients. We formulate a sensitivity analysis of fractional models by developing a fractional sensitivity equation method. We obtain the adjoint fractional sensitivity equations, in which we present a fractional operator associated with logarithmic-power law kernel. We further construct a gradient-based optimization algorithm to compute an accurate parameter estimation in fractional model construction. We develop a fast, stable, and convergent Petrov–Galerkin spectral method to numerically solve the coupled system of original fractional model and its corresponding adjoint fractional sensitivity equations.
Cognitive reappraisal and the association between depressive symptoms and perceived social support among older adults

Objectives: There is an association between depression and diminished social support; indeed, interpersonal dysfunction is often a central feature of depression. The purpose of this study is to exa...
High-resolution analysis of differential gene expression during skeletal muscle atrophy and programmed cell death.

Skeletal muscles can undergo atrophy and/or programmed cell death (PCD) during development or in response to a wide range of insults, including immobility, cachexia, and spinal cord injury. However...
JointVesselNet: Joint Volume-Projection Convolutional Embedding Networks for 3D Cerebrovascular Segmentation

In this paper, we present an end-to-end deep learning method, JointVesselNet, for robust extraction of 3D sparse vascular structure through embedding the image composition, generated by maximum intensity projection (MIP), into the 3D magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) volumetric image learning process to enhance the overall performance. The MIP embedding features can strengthen the local vessel signal and adapt to the geometric variability and scalability of vessels. Therefore, the proposed framework can better capture the small vessels and improve the vessel connectivity. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a deep learning framework is proposed to construct a joint convolutional embedding space, where the computed joint vessel probabilities from 2D projection and 3D volume can be integrated synergistically. Experimental results are evaluated and compared with the traditional 3D vessel segmentation methods and the state-of-the-art in deep learning, by using both public and real patient cerebrovascular image datasets.
Lattice Kerker effect in the array of hexagonal boron nitride antennas

Subwavelength particles with hyperbolic light dispersion in the constituent medium are a promising alternative to plasmonic, high-refractive-index dielectric, and semiconductor structures in the practical realization of nanoscale optical elements. Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a layered van der Waals material with natural hyperbolic properties and low-loss phonon-polaritons at the same time. In this work, we consider multipole excitations and antennas properties of hBN particles with an emphasis on the periodic arrangement and collective array modes. We analyze excitation of lattice resonances in the antenna array and effect of resonance shifts and overlap with other multipoles supported by particles in the lattice. In such periodic structure, a decrease of reflectance from the array is achieved with appropriate lattice spacing (periods) where the electric and magnetic multipoles overlap, and the resonance oscillations are in phase and comparable in magnitude. We theoretical demonstrate that in this case, generalized Kerker condition is satisfied, and hBN antennas in the array efficiently scatter light in the predominantly forward direction resulting in near-zero reflectance. The resonant lattice Kerker effect with hyperbolic-medium antennas can be applied in developing metasurfaces based on hBN resonators for mid-infrared photonics.