cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Facet engineered elevated source/drain by selective Si epitaxy for 0.35 micron MOSFETS

A novel facet-engineered elevated source/drain formation design is presented. It is found that the ex situ clean prior to selective Si epitaxial growth (SEG) determines the resulting facets on the SEG-source/drain. We show that low angle facets are very advantageous for minimizing parasitic Miller capacitances, while simultaneously grading the source/drain junction near the gate edge and retrieving the source/drain junction from the substrate elsewhere, thus reducing the junction capacitance. Further, we show that both a strong current drive (I/sub DS/) increase and a reduction in parasitic junction capacitance can be realized with facet-engineered phosphorus doped SEG-source/drain with no detrimental effects to short channel device behavior. >
Distal airway dysfunction identifies pulmonary inflammation in asymptomatic smokers.

Smoking induced inflammation leads to distal airway destruction. However, the relationship between distal airway dysfunction and inflammation remains unclear, particularly in smokers prior to the development of airway obstruction. Seven normal controls and 16 smokers without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied. Respiratory function was assessed using the forced oscillation technique (FOT). Abnormal FOT was defined as elevated resistance at 5 Hz (R5). Parameters reflecting distal lung function included frequency dependence of resistance (R5–20) and dynamic elastance (X5). Inflammation was quantified in concentrated bronchoalveolar lavage utilising cell count differential and cytokines expressed as concentration per mL epithelial lining fluid. All control subjects and seven smokers had normal R5. Nine smokers had elevated R5 with abnormal R5–20 and X5, indicating distal lung dysfunction. The presence of abnormal FOT was associated with two-fold higher lymphocyte and neutrophil counts (p 0.47, p Distal airway dysfunction in smokers without COPD identifies the presence of distal lung inflammation that parallel reported observations in established COPD. These findings were not evident on routine pulmonary function testing and may allow the identification of smokers at risk of progression to COPD.
Sleep disruption and duration in late pregnancy is associated with excess gestational weight gain among overweight and obese women.

Background Poor sleep during pregnancy has been associated with poorer birth outcomes. High body mass index (BMI) is often associated with poor sleep, but little is known about the relationship between gestational weight gain and sleep in late pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships of both gestational weight gain and pre-pregnancy BMI to objective and subjective measures of sleep during late pregnancy. Methods Pregnant women (n=128) were recruited from prenatal clinics and childbirth classes primarily serving low-income women. Their sleep (disruption and duration) was objectively assessed in their last month of pregnancy with 72 hours of wrist actigraphy monitoring. Their perceived sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pre-pregnancy and late pregnancy height and weight were assessed by self-report and used to calculate BMI and gestational weight gain, which were then grouped into standardized categories. Results Mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was 6.8 ± 3.1 (range 2–16). Sixty percent had excess gestational weight gain and it was associated with poorer perceived sleep quality, but was unrelated to objective measures of sleep duration and disruption. Pre-pregnancy BMI was unrelated to all sleep parameters. However, analyses of the interaction of pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain indicated that excess weight gain was associated with shorter sleep duration and more sleep disruption, but only among women who were overweight before pregnancy. Conclusion Pregnancy is an opportunity to promote long-term women's health with a better understanding of the relationship between weight management and healthy sleep habits.
Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values of Prostate Cancer: Comparison of 2D and 3D ROIs.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare the reproducibility and diagnostic performance of 2D and 3D ROIs for prostate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. MATERIALS AND ME...
The One-Shot Library Instruction Survival Guide. 2nd Ed. Buchanan, Heidi E., and McDonough, Beth A: Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2017, vii + 154pp., $50.00, ISBN 978-0-8389-1486-1.

Column description. Books reviewed in the Professional Reading column will fit one or more of the following topics: reference and research services, user education, information literacy, personnel ...
Is Minority Stress in the Eye of the Beholder? A Test of Minority Stress Theory with Christians.

Studies using minority stress theory have focused on the experiences of numerical and social power minorities, though majority individuals may also perceive themselves to be minorities. We explored minority stress theory among a sample of members of a numerically and socially dominant group: Christians in the USA. Perceiving oneself to be a member of a minority as a Christian was associated with stress indirectly via perceived experiences of faith-based discrimination (i.e., harassment due to being Christian). Being more open about one’s religion moderated the relationship between experiences of faith-based discrimination and stress, such that those who were open about their faith reported a stronger relationship between experiences of faith-based discrimination and stress. These findings indicate that perceptions of minority status are important to understanding stress and have implications for minority/majority dialogues.
The History of the Provincial Press in England

By Rachel MatthewsNew York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017, 256 pp.Before Rachel Matthews investigated the origins of key values in journalism—serving the community and informing citizens, which are ess...
Local IgA Anamnestic Response Following Peroral Immunization with Shigella Flexneri Antigens

It is clear that secretory IgA is the main immunoglobulin class secreted from the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract (1). The mechanism involved in optimally stimulating a mucosal IgA response to enteric pathogens is unclear. Further, it is unclear whether a mucosal memory response similar to the systemic anamnestic response can be found in intestinal secretions after oral or parenteral immunization. In this presentation, we outline a method to probe the IgA memory response in intestinal secretions after oral immunization with the enteric pathogen Shigella flexneri.
Corepressors and retinoblastoma protein function.

The retinoblastoma protein (Rb) is a ubiquitous transcriptional repressor and a negative regulator of the Gl-to-S phase transition in the eukaryotic cell cycle. Through this inhibitory activity, Rb plays a critical role in suppressing neoplastic transformation and is disrupted in most cancers, either by mutation of the Rb gene (Lee et al. 1988; Shew et al. 1989; Bookstein et al. 1990; Kubota et al. 1995), or by functional inactivation of Rb by hyperphosphorylation (Sherr 1996). DNA tumor viruses transform cells, at least in part, by expressing oncoproteins such as adenovirus Ela, SV40 large tumor antigen, and human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 which bind and inactivate Rb (Decaprio et al. 1988; Dyson et al. 1989). In addition, Rb plays an important role in development as underscored by the embryonic lethal phenotype of Rb(−) knockout mice (Clarke et al. 1992; Jacks et al. 1992; Lee et al. 1992). The transcriptional repression by Rb is dependent on interaction of Rb with various corepressors.
Proton-driven dipeptide uptake in primary cultured rabbit conjunctival epithelial cells.

RESULTS. Uptake of L-carnosine by primary cultured conjunctival epithelial cells in the presence of an inwardly directed proton gradient showed directional asymmetry (favoring apical uptake by a factor of five), temperature dependence, and saturability correlated with substrate concentration, with a Michaelis-Menten constant (KJ of 0.3 ± 0.03 mM and a maximum uptake rate (Y ) of 22.0 ±1.0 picomoles per milligram protein per minute. L-Carnosine uptake was optimal at pH 6.0 and was reduced by 60% and 35%, respectively, by 50 /mMp-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (a proton ionophore) and by acid preloading with 50 mM NH4C1. The constituent amino acids did not inhibit L-carnosine uptake. L-Carnosine uptake was inhibited, however, from 50% to 80% by other dipeptides and structurally similar drugs such as bestatin, j3-lactam antibiotics, and angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors. The LL, LD, or DL forms of the dipeptide Leu-Leu inhibited tritiated L-carnosine uptake by approximately 60%, 40%, and 70%, respectively. By contrast, the DD form did not inhibit uptake. Results from computer modeling suggest that an appropriate dipeptide Nterminal to C-terminal distance and a favorable orientation of the side chains may be important for svibstrate interaction with the conjunctival dipeptide transporter. CONCLUSIONS. Uptake of the dipeptide L-carnosine in primary cultured pigmented rabbit conjunctival epithelial cells is probably mediated by a proton-driven dipeptide transporter. This transporter may be used for optimizing the uptake of structurally similar peptidomimetic drugs. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Set. 1998;39:2365-2373)
Apes, Humans, and Molecular Clocks

It has been over 100 years since T. H. Huxley wrote these words. Yet debate still centers on the exact genealogical relationships of apes and humans. The magnitude of this gap is of great concern. Fifteen years ago Sarich (1967) noted that the gap was “narrow yet deep.” Narrow in the sense that at the structural gene level, humans and the African apes are almost identical; deep because there are substantial morphological and profound behavioral differences between these close relatives. These differences may result from some few small genetic changes each with large phenotypic effects. An examination of the evidence of the genetic differences among the living species can place into perspective the nature of the gap separating hominids from other hominoids.
REFLECTIONS ON AN AMERICAN’S JOURNEY TO ISLAM: A SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF DA’WAH METHODOLOGY

Da’wah among non-Muslims as a practice necessitates the development of cross-cultural understanding. Attempts to draw non-Muslims towards Islam will be largely fruitless without taking into account strategic concerns regarding the dominant rhetorical and interpersonal traits of the unique cultures in which they live. In this paper, I present a narrative on my personal journey to Islam and discuss the implications it holds for da’wah strategies among non-Muslims in an American context, while acknowledging the vast diversity within this sphere. I make an analytical distinction between values particular to Islam, like the ṣhalāt prayers and the ḥajj pilgrimage, and universal values, like kindness and social justice. Based on my experience, I argue that an emphasis on Islam’s universal values will create far more appeal among non-Muslims, as their existing value systems place no importance on rituals such as ṣhalāt . In the American cultural and political context, I insist that overt da’wah will be counter-productive and drive non-Muslims away, whereas da’wah given by good example will - although less effective in the short term - be more fruitful overall. The best da‘is are those who live out and pursue the social ideals of Islam, regardless of whether or not they even intend to conduct da’wah. While the specific conclusions which provided in this paper in an American context, I argue that da’wah in any unique cultural context requires socio cultural analysis in order to maximize da’wah efficiency.
Campus Sexual Assault: Constitutional Rights and Fundamental Fairness

Sexual assault on college campuses has drawn tremendous public attention and colleges are under great pressure to respond. In many cases, the result has been a system of sexual assault tribunals that violates the rights of alleged assailants and assault survivors. Gerstmann shows how colleges are often punishing students as sex offenders without a fair hearing and are defining sexual offenses in an unconstitutionally broad manner. Using unbiased and accessible language, this book avoids easy answers and asks: how are colleges failing to assess accusations in a fair manner? Why are 'affirmative consent' laws unconstitutional? How can we do a better job preventing sexual assault? The author argues that colleges are too often making poor choices in terms of how they respond to allegations of sexual assault and, in doing so, they are depriving students of due process, while failing to protect victims of assault.
Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration

Patients with late-onset retinal degeneration (LORD) usually present with nyctalopia in the fifth or sixth decade of life. The fundus shows yellowish-white, punctate deposits, usually progressive and giving rise to scalloped areas of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy in the mid-periphery and posterior pole (Fig. 23.1). The anterior segment shows elongated zonules with central lens insertion and transillumination defect in the iris, due to iris atrophy.
Consensus Damping of Inter-Area Oscillations using Utility-Scale Solar-Battery Generation

There are increasingly routine situations where inverter-based generation from wind and solar power resources provides more than 50% of generation capacity during light load conditions in various regions of North America. This leads to increasing concerns for meeting NERC power system reliability and frequency stability requirements. This paper presents a method for designing a decentralized consensus protocol such that utility-scale solar-PV generation is able to detect and compensate for power flow oscillations. The method incorporates local synchrophasor measurements in conjunction with wide-area SCADA messages to inject controlled power flows to increase system damping. Simulation results for a three-area interconnected power system corresponding to a major disturbance event that occurred June 17, 2016 in the US Eastern Interconnection indicates the benefits of the proposed method for improving frequency recovery and minimizing power flow oscillations.
High-dose melphalan and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in patients with AL amyloidosis and cardiac defibrillators

Cardiac deposition of misfolded light chains is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with immunoglobulin (AL) amyloidosis. Cardiac defibrillators can be used in the management of patients with advanced cardiac amyloidosis, but data concerning the use of these devices in patients undergoing treatment with high-dose melphalan followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (HDM/SCT) is limited. Herein we describe a single-institution experience of HDM/SCT in 15 patients with cardiac defibrillators. During the peri-transplant period, five of these patients (33%) had detectable cardiac arrhythmias and two patients (13%) had implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) discharges. Thirteen of the 14 evaluable patients (93%) achieved at least a partial hematologic response. Transplant-related mortality was 6.7% and median overall survival was 40.8 months, with multiple patients achieving an overall survival of >10 years. These data highlight the feasibility of HDM/SCT in patients with an ICD due to advanced cardiac AL amyloidosis, but highlight the need for additional research to appropriately determine which patients will benefit from this aggressive therapy.
Minimal uranium immunotoxicity following a 60-day drinking water exposure to uranyl acetate in male and female C57BL/6J mice.

Historical uranium (U) mining in the Southwestern United States resulted in significant environmental contamination throughout this region and presents a significant risk of chronic metal exposure and toxicity for communities living in close proximity to mine waste sites. Uranium exposure is associated with numerous deleterious health effects including immune dysfunction; however, its effects on the immune system have yet to be fully characterized. We recently published that drinking water exposure to U, in the form of uranyl acetate (UA), results in low overall tissue retention of U (<0.01%), with very little accumulation in immune organs (blood, bone marrow, spleen, and thymus) of male and female mice. In the present study we characterized the immunotoxicity of U, in the form of UA, following a 60-day drinking water exposure to 5 and 50 ppm in male and female C57BL/6J mice. The following immunotoxicity endpoints were evaluated: hematology, immune tissue weights and total cell recoveries, immunophenotying of the spleen and thymus, and immune cell function (lymphocyte mitogenesis and T-dependent antibody response). Uranium exposure had subtle impacts on the immune endpoints evaluated, likely due to low U accumulation at these sites. The only significant alterations were a slight decrease in the percentages of splenic natural killer T-cells and macrophages in exposed male mice. Despite minimal immunological effects, this study highlights the importance of investigating toxicological endpoints in both sexes and developing accurate animal models that model epidemiological exposures in the future.
Evaluation of a Nurse-Delivered Pre-Chemotherapy Educational Intervention to Increase Knowledge and Reduce Anxiety Among Ethnically Diverse Patients

Patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer often have high-unmet information and psychological needs at the beginning of their treatment. Pre-chemotherapy education is an oncology nursing standard of care. However, few pre-chemotherapy education interventions have reported on their effectiveness among ethnically diverse samples. The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation of an oncology nurse-led pre-chemotherapy intervention delivered to an ethnically diverse sample of patients treated at a comprehensive cancer center on day one of their first chemotherapy cycle. The aim of the intervention was to increase knowledge about treatment in order to improve patient self-management and to reduce treatment-related anxiety. We found that the intervention was effective in improving patient self-reported knowledge and decreasing treatment-related anxiety; however, differential effects were found for Hispanic/Latino patients, whose anxiety increased post-intervention, as well as for patients who reported poorer health status. These findings suggest that further research should investigate what factors trigger an increase in anxiety among diverse patient populations, and how these factors can be mitigated through development of tailored and culturally competent interventions.
Behavioural and physiological responses to simulated predator-induced stress in the eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina

In spite of the fully-hinged shell being the defining characteristic of box turtles, few studies have quantified the behavioural use of the shell in response to predator encounters. While it is often assumed that box turtles simply withdraw into their shell in response to threats, we expected variability among individuals in shell usage and in the degree of head and limb retraction because withdrawal is likely to be costly. We tested the behavioural and physiological responses of free-ranging eastern box turtles to stimuli of varying intensity: observation only, a visual stimulus, a poke on the leg, or a pinch on the leg before being flipped. The more intense the simulated predatory stimulus, the more likely turtles were to fully close their shell. However, stimulus intensity did not affect plasma corticosterone or lactate levels. This may be due to too brief or weak of a stimulus, increased parasympathetic activity, or seasonal effects. Upon capture and during handling, almost all turtles withdrew into their shells and closed their anterior plastron, although fewer closed their posterior plastron, and a few engaged in other behaviours such as biting and urinating. Older, larger turtles were able to close their shells with greater strength than younger and smaller turtles. Our results indicate that in spite of their fully closable shell, box turtles exhibit a graded response to perceived threats. This suggests that full closure of the shell is likely to be costly and occurs only in response to the most intense stimuli.
Chapter 7 – Transform Methods

This chapter discusses transform methods that are useful in computing moments of random variables. In particular, it discusses the characteristic function, the z-transform of the probability mass functions of discrete random variables and the s-transform of the probability distribution functions of continuous random variables.
Prostate cancer outcomes by ESRD status.

e17513Background: Persons with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) comprise a vulnerable subgroup of the population. Yet, rarely have studies on cancer disparities accounted for ESRD status. We sought t...
Oleic acid and derivatives affect human endothelial cell mitochondrial function and vasoactive mediator production.

Inhalation of common air pollutants such as diesel and biodiesel combustion products can induce vascular changes in humans which may contribute to increased mortality and morbidity associated with fine particulate matter exposures. Diesel, biodiesel, and other combustion byproducts contain fatty acid components capable of entering the body through particulate matter inhalation. Fatty acids can also be endogenously released into circulation following a systemic stress response to some inhaled pollutants such as ozone. When in the circulation, bioactive fatty acids may interact with cells lining the blood vessels, potentially inducing endothelial dysfunction. To examine whether fatty acids could potentially be involved in human vascular responses to air pollutants, we determined the effects of fatty acids and derivatives on important vascular cell functions. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed in vitro to oleic acid (OA) or OA metabolites for 4-48 h. Cytotoxicity, vasodilator production (by ELISA measurement), mitochondrial function (using Sea Horse assays), and iron metabolism (inferred by ICP-OES measurements) were examined, with standard statistical testing (ANOVA, t-tests) employed. Dose-dependent cytotoxicity was noted at 24 h, with 12-hydroxy OA more potent than OA. Mitochondrial stress testing showed that 12-hydroxy OA and OA induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Analysis of soluble mediator release from HUVEC showed a dose-dependent increase in prostaglandin F2α, a lipid involved in control of vascular tone, at 24 h (85% above controls) after OA-BSA exposure. RT-PCR analysis revealed OA did not induce changes in gene expression at noncytotoxic concentrations in exposed HUVEC, but 12-OH OA did alter ICAM and COX2 gene expression. Together, these data demonstrate that FA may be capable of inducing cytotoxic effects and altering expression of mediators of vascular function following inhalation exposure, and may be implicated in air pollutant-induced deaths and hospitalizations. (267 of max 350 words).
National levels of human development and number of mental hospital beds.

Aims The number of mental hospital beds per population varies widely across countries, and the reasons for this variation are not fully understood. Given that differences in disease prevalence do not explain variation in inpatient mental health care availability, we examined the relationship between mental hospital beds and national income, education and longevity as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). Methods We used an international dataset of social, economic and structural measures to conduct a mixed-effects longitudinal regression of predictors of the number of mental hospital beds per 100 000 in the overall population for 86 countries for years 2005-2015. Results Our initial dataset contained 1881 observations consisting of 11 years of potential measurements across 171 countries. After eliminations based on missing data and subsequent imputation, the dataset for the final regression model included 946 observations over 86 countries. The primary predictors of a country's number of mental hospital beds were year, HDI and GINI coefficient, the latter being a measure of income disparity. Holding all other factors constant, the number of beds decreased 8% per year, reflecting the ongoing international trend of deinstitutionalisation. As hypothesised, higher HDI predicted more mental hospital beds. Every 0.1 increase in HDI (0-1.0) was associated with a 126% increase in the number of hospital beds at the sample's mean GINI index score of 38 (0-100). However, a strong interaction between HDI and the GINI coefficient indicated that a high level of income disparity attenuated the positive association between HDI and mental hospital beds. At a GINI index score of 48, every 0.1 increase in HDI was associated with a 71% increase in the number of hospital beds. Conclusions As countries reduce the number of hospital beds over time, higher levels of economic disparity are associated with a reduction in the strength of the association between national prosperity and investment in mental hospitals. As power becomes increasingly concentrated, perhaps those with the least are more easily forgotten.
Scattering matrix pole expansions for complex wave numbers in R -matrix theory

In this followup article to Ducru et al. [Phys. Rev. C 103, 064608 (2021)], we establish new results on scattering matrix pole expansions for complex wave numbers in $R$-matrix theory. In the past, two branches of theoretical formalisms emerged to describe the scattering matrix in nuclear physics: $R$-matrix theory and pole expansions. The two have been quite isolated from one another. Recently, our study of Brune's alternative parametrization of $R$-matrix theory has shown the need to extend the scattering matrix (and the underlying $R$-matrix operators) to complex wave numbers. Two competing ways of doing so have emerged from a historical ambiguity in the definitions of the shift $\mathbit{S}$ and penetration $\mathbit{P}$ functions: the legacy Lane and Thomas's ``force closure'' approach versus analytic continuation (which is the standard in mathematical physics). The $R$-matrix community has not yet come to a consensus as to which to adopt for evaluations in standard nuclear data libraries, such as ENDF. In this article, we argue in favor of analytic continuation of $R$-matrix operators. We bridge $R$-matrix theory with the Humblet-Rosenfeld pole expansions, and discover new properties of the Siegert-Humblet radioactive poles and widths, including their invariance properties to changes in channel radii ${a}_{c}$. We then show that analytic continuation of $R$-matrix operators preserves important physical and mathematical properties of the scattering matrix---canceling spurious poles and guaranteeing generalized unitarity---while still being able to close channels below thresholds.
Understanding adversarial examples requires a theory of artefacts for deep learning

Deep neural networks are currently the most widespread and successful technology in artificial intelligence. However, these systems exhibit bewildering new vulnerabilities: most notably a susceptibility to adversarial examples. Here, I review recent empirical research on adversarial examples that suggests that deep neural networks may be detecting in them features that are predictively useful, though inscrutable to humans. To understand the implications of this research, we should contend with some older philosophical puzzles about scientific reasoning, helping us to determine whether these features are reliable targets of scientific investigation or just the distinctive processing artefacts of deep neural networks. DNN classifiers are vulnerable to small, specific perturbations in an input that seem benign to humans. To understand this phenomenon, Buckner argues that it may be necessary to treat the patterns that DNNs detect in these adversarial examples as artefacts, which may contain predictive information.
Chlorophylls derivatives: Photophysical properties, assemblies, nanostructures and biomedical applications

Abstract Chlorophylls are one of the most abundant organic pigments on the earth, which play an important role in the photosynthesis of plants, algae and bacteria. With the development of chromatography and chemical synthesis technology, many new chlorophylls from nature have been identified, and similar typical heterocyclic macrocyclic chlorophyll derivatives have also been designed and synthesized. Their chemical structures have significantly affected the absorption of light, energy transfer efficiency, excited-state lifetime, etc. Inspired by the chlorophylls interactions in chloroplasts for light-harvesting, we realized that intramolecular assembly and the resultant nanostructures played a more prominent role in their photophysical and photochemical properties, even in further biomedical applications, such as photodynamic and photothermal therapy, photocatalytic diagnosis, as well as optical, photoacoustic, magnetic resonance and nuclear medical imaging. In this review, we discuss the photo-properties of chlorophylls, overview the driving forces of assembly, and summarize biomedical-relevant advantages incorporated supramolecular nanostructures. In particular, the dynamic assembly under physiological condition provides unpredictable and interesting biological effects, such as aggregation/assembly induced drug retention in disease areas, optimized biodistribution and optimized the pharmacokinetics. The labeling on the assembly also provides a useful tool for us to observe the self-assembled nanostructures in vivo in a non-invasive way. Through the elaboration of different examples of chlorophylls, we hope to provide some inspiration for the biomedical application design of chlorophylls derivatives.
Collaborative Physician-Pharmacist Multiple Myeloma Clinic Improves Guideline Adherence and Prevents Treatment Delays

Abstract Although survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) has improved in the last decade, achieving optimal outcomes requires timely delivery of anti-myeloma therapy as well as adherence to supportive care guidelines and patient education. We hypothesized that a multidisciplinary approach of a collaborative physician-pharmacist MM clinic would have a positive impact on clinical measures such as guideline adherence as well as improve the workflow process and prevent treatment delays. From March 2014 to February 2015, we initiated a collaborative MM clinic at our institution, whereby in addition to normal physician care, a dedicated board-certified oncology pharmacist provided consultation on all new and continuing patients. The pharmacist provided education and medication lists, completed medication reconciliation, monitored for adherence and side effects, recommended management of toxicity and supportive care, and navigated issues involving enrollment and access to oral specialty medications. All consultations were documented in the patient's medical chart using a template addressing these key components. Outcomes were compared to those of patients being treated by the same physician during the previous year, when ad-hoc pharmacist consultation was available (traditional model). We compared clinical measures related to guideline adherence and analyzed delays in obtaining immunomodulator drugs (IMiDs) using available dispensing records. Patient characteristics were similar between the collaborative and traditional models including age, sex, race, ISS stage, protein subtype, treatment type, and prior number of therapies. During the 12-month study period when a collaborative model was implemented, 399 pharmacist consultations occurred during 551 physician visits (n=57 patients). During the prior year when a traditional model existed, there were 26 pharmacist consultations on 355 physician encounters (n=44 patients) (7.3% versus 72.4%, p We observed improved adherence to bisphosphonates (BP) in the collaborative clinic (55 (96%) versus 30 (68%) patients, p=0.0002). Among patients receiving BP, the time to initiation from diagnosis and re-initiation after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) was 5.5 versus 97.5 days (p Here we pilot a multidisciplinary approach that leads to increased guideline adherence and prevents delay in anti-myeloma treatment. The collaborative clinic model could be applied to several different practice sites in order to establish an improved and more systematic approach in the management of MM patients. Prospective studies analyzing clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and cost effectiveness of this approach are warranted. Disclosures Wirth: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Patel: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria.
Ensemble Machine Learning Methods for better Dynamic Assessment of Transformer Status

Analyzing dissolved gases in the transformer's mineral oil helps to detect and classify the systemic faults in electric power transformers. Formerly, empirical methods such as Rogers ratio, Duval triangles 1–4–5, and pentagons 1–2 were used for transformer fault classification. Loose fit for every transformer type is one of the most prominent disadvantages of conventional methods. Formulating robust machine learning algorithms, such as the decision trees, can significantly overcome the loose fit issue. This paper focuses on implementing four different decision tree algorithms, including a regular decision tree classifier, a bagging classifier, a boosting classifier, and a stacking classifier to classify six different transformer fault types distinctly. Further, this study shows that the efficacy and accuracy of the four mentioned classifiers could be far exceeded when combined using a wisdom of the crowd approach. The wisdom of the crowd approach essentially merges the predicted classes from the four individual classifiers and decides on the final prediction via a hard-voting routine. The computational evaluation revealed that the given voting approach could significantly improve power transformers' online diagnostic accuracy up to 91%, thus aiding early forecast of power transformers' preventive maintenance.
Can Online Juries Make Consistent, Repeatable Decisions?

A jury of one’s peers is a prominent way to adjudicate disputes and is increasingly used in participatory governance online. The fairness of this approach rests on the assumption that juries are consistent: that the same jury would hand down similar judgments to similar cases. However, prior literature suggests that social influence would instead cause early interactions to cascade into different judgments for similar cases. In this paper, we report an online experiment that changes participants’ pseudonyms as they appear to collaborators, temporarily masking a jury’s awareness that they have deliberated together before. This technique allows us to measure consistency by reconvening the same jury on similar cases. Counter to expectation, juries are equally consistent as individuals, a result that is “good for democracy.” But this consistency arises in part due to group polarization, as consensus develops by hardening initial majority opinions. Furthermore, we find that aggregating groups’ perspectives without deliberation erodes consistency.
Analysis of Discrimination in Prime and Subprime Mortgage Lending and the Impact of Predatory Lending Legislation

The recent development of the subprime mortgage lending market allows us to examine implications of taste-based and information-based theories of discrimination in an important asset class, namely, residential real estate. The existing studies on race-based discrimination in mortgage lending use single equation regressions. At the individual loan level, we show that race is correlated with both observable and unobservable risk variables and is therefore correlated with the disturbance term. To rectify this problem we specify a system of equations and use a novel econometric technique (Full Information Maximum Likelihood) that does not need to identify instrumental variables for system identification. Using a unique data set we find that African Americans and Minorities are no more likely to be rejected than Whites in both prime and subprime markets. This evidence is in contrast to the predictions of either taste-based or information-based discrimination theories. The individual loan level results are robust when we use neighborhood data. We also find that predatory lending legislation, such as the New Jersey Home Ownership Security Act (NJHOSA), which intends to curtail lending abuses in subprime market, results in tighter subprime credit, but generally does not have a significant impact on lending discrimination. These results are supportive of the private interest theory of regulation.
Using consumer’s surplus to bound willingness to pay for non-market goods

Abstract Measuring willingness to pay for non-market goods continues to be problematic for the benefit-cost analyst. This note presents a new procedure for placing a lower bound on that value. The measure identified herein offers the advantage of not requiring any assumptions that are not empirically verifiable, and can be taken using the market demand schedule for any good that has the quantity of the non-market good consumed as an argument.
Spatial and Temporal Potato Intensification Drives Insecticide Resistance in the Specialist Herbivore, Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Landscape-scale intensification of individual crops and pesticide use that is associated with this intensification is an emerging, environmental problem that is expected to have unequal effects on pests with different lifecycles, host ranges, and dispersal abilities. We investigate if intensification of a single crop in an agroecosystem has a direct effect on insecticide resistance in a specialist insect herbivore. Using a major potato pest, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, we measured imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) resistance in populations across a spatiotemporal crop production gradient where potato production has increased in Michigan and Wisconsin, USA. We found that concurrent estimates of area and temporal frequency of potato production better described patterns of imidacloprid resistance among L. decemlineata populations than general measures of agricultural production (% cropland, landscape diversity). This study defines the effects individual crop rotation patterns can have on specialist herbivore insecticide resistance in an agroecosystem context, and how impacts of intensive production can be estimated with general estimates of insecticide use. Our results provide empirical evidence that variation in the intensity of neonicotinoid-treated potato in an agricultural landscape can have unequal impacts on L. decemlineata insecticide insensitivity, a process that can lead to resistance and locally intensive insecticide use. Our study provides a novel approach applicable in other agricultural systems to estimate impacts of crop rotation, increased pesticide dependence, insecticide resistance, and external costs of pest management practices on ecosystem health.
Thermal Radiation Properties of Lunar Materials from the Apollo Missions

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the results of investigators on the thermal radiation properties of lunar material returned by the Apollo 11, 12, 14, and 15 missions, and where possible, compares these results with remote sensing data. The thermal radiation properties of lunar fines and rocks have been reviewed in this chapter. The chapter considers only those concepts that present results that have a direct bearing on heat-transfer calculations. Their results for the most part are for the far infrared region. This chapter illustrates that the reviewed properties have been used by Cremers et al to calculate the temperature variations and heat flow on the lunar surface.
SCHOOL BUS PASSENGER PROTECTION

FINDINGS FROM THE FIRST SERIES OF COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL BUS COLLISION EXPERIMENTS ARE PRESENTED. THREE FULL-SCALE COLLISION EXPERIMENTS INVOLVING A SCHOOL BUS WERE CONDUCTED USING RESEARCH TECHNIQUES AND ENGINEERING METHODOLOGY DESIGNED TO PROVIDE REALISTIC AND OBJECTIVE FINDINGS RELATING TO SCHOOL BUS PASSENGER SAFETY. THE EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED WERE: A HEAD-ON COLLISION BETWEEN TWO FULLY LOADED, MODERATE-SIZED SCHOOL BUSES, EACH TRAVELING 30 MPH; A STATIONARY BUS REAR-ENDED BY A PASSENGER CAR TRAVELING 60 MPH; A STATIONARY BUS IMPACTED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE BY A PASSENGER CAR TRAVELING 60 MPH. THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES RELATING TO PASSENGER INJURY CAUSATION WERE STUDIED: LOCATION AND TYPE OF IMPACT, STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF VEHICLES, VEHICLE SIZE, SEAT DESIGN TYPE OF RESTRAINT OR SIZE, STANDING VERSUS SEATED PASSENGERS, PASSENGER KINEMATICS AND INTERACTIONS, FORCES SUSTAINED BY PASSENGERS AND MANY RELATED FACTORS. ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION CINSISTED OF 61 TRANSDUCERS POSITIONED IN THE ANTHROPMETRIC DUMMY PASSENGERS, ON THE SAFETY BELTS AND ON THE VEHICLES TO RECORD ACCELERATIONS AND FORCES DURING COLLISION. PHOTOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTATION INCLUDED THIRTY-THREE HIGH SPEED MOTION PICTURE CAMERAS AND SPECIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICES THAT WERE ARRANGED WITHIN, AROUND AND ABOVE THE COLLIDING VEHICLES TO PROVIDE DETAILED OBSERVATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF THESE COLLISION EXPERIMENTS. /SRIS/
3-dimensional wide scan angle optical scanning using code-multiplexed optical scanner

A novel 3-D optical scanning technique based on holography and code multiplexing is discussed. A proof of concept experiment demonstrates the code multiplexed optical scanner and its ability to scan the beam in 3-D with wide scan angles and large apertures. Future work relates to using high efficiency holographic storage materials such as photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glasses.
Sr isotope evidence for sources of terrigenous sediment in the southeast Atlantic Ocean: Is there increased available Fe for enhanced glacial productivity?

[1] Sr isotope ratios of the terrigenous sediments from the Cape Basin (southeast Atlantic Ocean) exhibit a systematic pattern of climate-related variability from the Holocene through the last glacial period. Values are high during warm climate intervals (marine isotope stages (MISs) 1 and 3) and lower during full glacial periods (MISs 2 and 4). The variability is large (87Sr/86Sr = 0.717–0.723), and the rapid changes correspond temporally to abrupt climate change during the MIS 5a/4 and 2/1 transitions and through MIS 3. The Sr isotope variability corresponds to changes in δ13C of benthic foraminifera at orbital frequencies and within periods of rapid variability. Prior studies have suggested that benthic δ13C records from the Cape Basin follow Greenland ice core variability and thus global overturning circulation. Other studies suggest that these benthic δ13C records contain a strong overprint from isotopically light carbon, possibly associated with high fluxes of organic matter to the seabed. We explore the scenario that the relationship between lower terrigenous 87Sr/86Sr and lighter benthic δ13C may reflect high productivity during cold climatic intervals as a result of iron fertilization of the southern Atlantic Ocean. Increased supply of iron during cold periods may be associated with greater terrigenous sediment fluxes from South America, characterized by a less-radiogenic Sr isotopic signature.
Sleep Quality and Sleep Hygiene Behaviors of Adolescents during Chemotherapy

Study Objectives:Describe the self-reported sleep quality and sleep hygiene behaviors of adolescents before diagnosis and during chemotherapy (CTX), compare their sleep quality and sleep hygiene be...
The Psychology of Inspiration

Inspiration is a concept of longstanding interest in diverse areas of academia, but it has only recently become the subject of rigorous scientific investigation. In this article, we review the emerging scientific literature on inspiration, with a focus on both theory and findings. First, we present a general definition of inspiration based on an integrative literature review, and we outline approaches to differentiating the general inspiration construct into specific types. Second, we review the literature on construct validity. Third, we present substantive theory and findings, with an emphasis on the role of inspiration in promoting attainment of elusive goods, such as creativity, productivity, and happiness. Finally, we respond to frequent questions and misconceptions about inspiration, and we offer recommendations about how to promote inspiration in others or oneself.
Heteronuclear gradient-enhanced NMR for the study of 20–30kDa proteins: Application to human carbonic anhydrase II

Publisher Summary Human carbonic anhydrase (HCA) is ubiquitous in living systems with seven different mammalian isozymes (CAI to CAVII), and HCAII is one of the largest monomeric proteins currently, being studied by NMR, making it a good system on which to demonstrate the advantages of pulsed field gradients (PFG) technology. This chapter describes the utilization of 2-D and 3-D homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR experiments optimized for use with proteins and peptides including the enzyme HCA. Pulsed field gradients are added to existing NMR pulse sequences to suppress artifacts and/or to select certain coherence transfer pathways. The signal-to-noise ratio obtained is better when higher power shorter duration gradients are used, as long as the gradient times do not become too short for proper amplifier response. These results can be used directly to implement gradient versions of NH detected 13 C/ 15 N/ 1 H 3-D experiments for protein assignments purposes resulting in data with higher sensitivity and less coherent noise using significantly shorter instrument times, when compared with their non-gradient precursors. These experiments allow for the study of proteins 30kDa and larger greatly expanding the quantity and types of systems now accessible.
Motor primitives and synergies in the spinal cord and after injury—the current state of play

Modular pattern generator elements, also known as burst synergies or motor primitives, have become a useful and important way of describing motor behavior, albeit controversial. It is suggested that these synergy elements may constitute part of the pattern-shaping layers of a McCrea/Rybak two-layer pattern generator, as well as being used in other ways in the spinal cord. The data supporting modular synergies range across species including humans and encompass motor pattern analyses and neural recordings. Recently, synergy persistence and changes following clinical trauma have been presented. These new data underscore the importance of understanding the modular structure of motor behaviors and the underlying circuitry to best provide principled therapies and to understand phenomena reported in the clinic. We discuss the evidence and different viewpoints on modularity, the neural underpinnings identified thus far, and possible critical issues for the future of this area.
What Is Neoconstructivism

Abstract— Piaget’s theory is no longer the dominant approach to cognitive development. Instead, many leading theorists now embrace some version of nativism. There are several alternatives to nativism, however. This article argues that neoconstructivism is an umbrella term that covers these alternatives. It delineates the essential elements of this style of thinking and outlines some key differences among neoconstructivist theories.