cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transportation as a Stimulus of Welfare-to-Work Private versus Public Mobility

Using a rich panel of data on welfare recipients in Alameda County, California, this article examines the importance of transportation policy variables in explaining the ability of some individuals to find gainful employment. A multinomial logit model predicts the probability that someone found a job as a function of car ownership, transit service quality, regional job accessibility by different transportation modes, human-capital factors, and various control variables. Results show that car ownership and educational attainment significantly increased the odds that someone switched from welfare to work, while transit service quality variables were largely insignificant. Nor was regional accessibility important in explaining employment outcomes, a finding that casts doubt on the spatial mismatch hypothesis. Concentration of housing near bus and rail routes appeared most important in stimulating employment. However, improved automobility had far stronger effects on employment outcomes than improvements in t...
Location-aware mobile technologies: Historical, social and spatial approaches:

With the popularization of smartphones, location-based services are increasingly part of everyday life. People use their cell phones to find nearby restaurants and friends in the vicinity, and track their children. Although location-based services have received sparse attention from mobile communication scholars to date, the ability to locate people and things with one’s cell phone is not new. Since the removal of GPS signal degradation in 2000, artists and researchers have been exploring how location-awareness influences mobility, spatiality, and sociability. Besides exploring the historical antecedents of today’s location-based services, this article focuses on the main social issues that emerge when location-aware technologies leave the strict domain of art and research and become part of everyday life: locational privacy, sociability, and spatiality. Finally, this article addresses two main topics that future mobile communication research that focuses on location-awareness should take into considerati...
Epitaxy of TiO2 Thin Film on Sapphire by MOCVD

Epitaxial TiO{sub 2} films have been successfully grown on sapphire substrate at temperatures from 400 to 800{degree}C by thermally decomposing titanium isopropoxide in the presence of O{sub 2} in a cold wall low pressure MOCVD system. Rutile film was grown on sapphire (11{bar 2}0) at 800{degree}C with (101) being the growth plane and {l angle}1{bar 1}0{r angle} being parallel to sapphire {l angle}0001{r angle}. Anatase film was grown on sapphire (0001) at 400{degree}C with (112) being the growth plane and {l angle}1{bar 1}0{r angle} being parallel to sapphire {l angle}{bar 1}100{r angle}. The film structure as a function of substrate surface orientation and growth temperature is discussed in detail. 7 refs., 5 figs.
Sensitivity and convergence of uniformly ergodic Markov chains

For uniformly ergodic Markov chains, we obtain new perturbation bounds which relate the sensitivity of the chain under perturbation to its rate of convergence to stationarity. In particular, we derive sensitivity bounds in terms of the ergodicity coefficient of the iterated transition kernel, which improve upon the bounds obtained by other authors. We discuss convergence bounds that hold in the case of finite state space, and consider numerical examples to compare the accuracy of different perturbation bounds.
Role of SDF-1 as a regulatory chemokine in renal regeneration after acute kidney injury

Both the homing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to the bone marrow and their engraftment in recipients of bone marrow transplants are primarily mediated by the chemokine stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) or CXCL12, which activates CXCR4, its cognate receptor on HSCs. We showed that the recruitment and temporary attachment of CXCR4-expressing cells, such as HSCs and a fraction of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), to the kidney, following ischemia/reperfusion acute kidney injury, are similarly mediated by robustly upregulated SDF-1 in the kidney, indicating that such organ injury appears to lead to the transient expression of a facultative stem cell niche. This SDF-1 response of the injured kidney facilitates both the mobilization from the bone marrow and homing of precursor cells, and other CXCR4-expressing cells such as administered MSCs, to the kidney, where they aid in its protection and repair. Similar responses have been observed subsequent to the injury of other solid organs such as the heart, liver, and brain.
Observability Criteria for Angles-Only Navigation

The possibility of implementing angles-only navigation for orbital rendezvous, satellite formation flight, and other relative motion applications possesses great potential that is often discarded because of its inherent and misunderstood limitation in determining range. To formally characterize the conditions required for observability, an analytical expression for the observability criteria for angles-only navigation is derived. As anticipated, the criteria clearly shows that with angle measurements alone, the relative position and velocity cannot be determined for systems with linear dynamics. However, with a calibrated thrust maneuver, observability can be guaranteed for all possible relative trajectories. The solution, intended for relative orbital motion scenarios, is also valid for any system with linear dynamics and line-of-sight (LOS) measurements. An intuitive graphical interpretation is also provided along with several examples related to orbital rendezvous. The derived analytical observability criteria can be extended to include nonlinear systems. It can also be used to derive optimal maneuvers to maximize observability and determine the degree of detectability for a selected relative trajectory when sensor noise is considered.
Ice Nucleation by Aerosol Particles. Theory of Condensation-Freezing Nucleation

Abstract A probabillstic theory of heterogeneous condensation-freezing nucleation is developed for monodisperse aerosol particles. An assumption is made that the physical process is heterogeneous condensation nucleation followed by heterogeneous freezing nucleation. The theory is expanded to a polydisperse system. Computed results based on the theory show a striking resemblance particularly in shape with experimental data. Using the theory and an empirical expression for deposition nucleation, the ice nucleation probability of pure AgI particles is reconstructed on the supersaturation-supercooling plane. Importance of proper environmental conditions free from transient supersaturation for condensation-freezing nuclei measurement and necessity of condensation-freezing nucleation modeling are pointed out.
The Diurnal Variability of Florida Rainfall

Abstract The diurnal variation of precipitation over the Florida peninsula is investigated on the basis of harmonic analysis of hourly rainfall data. Hourly data on the frequency of three categories of precipitation events for around 70 stations in Florida were processed, generating statistics of amplitude and phase of the diurnal precipitation cycle at each station. Results are shown for all stations for the seasonal totals and for a selected cross section of stations for the detailed monthly totals. During the winter months a small morning maximum occurs in the northwest shifting abruptly to early afternoon across the northern panhandle. Most of the state during the remainder of the year depicts afternoon maxima. Interesting exceptions occur in the northwest and the Keys. The amplitude of the afternoon maximum decreases toward coastal areas suggesting that nocturnal rainfall decreases the relative importance of the afternoon maximum at these locations. It is suggested that the character of the harmonic ...
Degradable quantum channels using pure-state to product-of-pure-state isometries

We consider a family of quantum channels characterized by the fact that certain (in general nonorthogonal) pure states at the channel entrance are mapped to (tensor) products of pure states (PPP; hence ``pcubed'') at the complementary outputs (the main output and the ``environment'') of the channel. The pcubed construction, a reformulation of the twisted-diagonal procedure by M. M. Wolf and D. P\'erez-Garc\'{\i}a [Phys. Rev. A 75, 012303 (2007)], can be used to produce a large class of degradable quantum channels; degradable channels are of interest because their quantum capacities are easy to calculate. Several known types of degradable channels are either pcubed channels, or subchannels (employing a subspace of the channel entrance), or continuous limits of pcubed channels. The pcubed construction also yields channels which are neither degradable nor antidegradable (i.e., the complement of a degradable channel); a particular example of a qutrit channel of this type is studied in some detail. Determining whether a pcubed channel is degradable or antidegradable or neither is quite straightforward given the pure input and output states that characterize the channel. Conjugate degradable pcubed channels are always degradable.
Modification of the Physical Properties of Natural and Artificial Adobe by Chemical Consolidation

The use of commercially available chemical consolidants (hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) - derived polymers and silane esters) has been shown to increase the compressive strength of adobe and other natural building materials. Laboratory and field testing of chemically-treated adobe and sand-clay mixtures have also revealed an enhanced resistance to disintegration by water. In HDI-treated materials this resistance to disintegration is attained without a significant loss of porosity. Because porosity is not lost and the adobe can still transmit water, the uptake of water by capillary rise is less destructive than for an adobe whose surface is sealed against moisture penetration.
Abstract 1324: PMEPA1 enhances the prostate cancer cell growth inhibitory effect of MDV3100 and bicalutamide.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Introduction and Objective: PMEPA1 is a highly androgen-inducible gene in prostate cancer cells, recruits the NEDD4-1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, to degrade AR. We hypothesize that the frequently (65%) observed decrease or loss of PMPEA1 expression in human prostate tumors may lead to enhanced AR functions and accelerated prostate tumorigenesis. Therefore, we investigated the growth and survival of prostate cancer cells in the presence of AR inhibitors in response to PMEPA1 knockdown. Methods: PMEPA1 was silenced by PMEPA1 Mission shRNA lentivirus infection and puromycin selection in LNCaP and VCaP cells respectively. The PMEPA1 deficient LNCaP and VCaP cells were treated with the AR inhibitors (MDV3100 and bicalutamide), as well as the artificial synthesized androgen R1881. Ectopic NEDD4-1 was expressed by pCMV-XL4-NEDD4-1 eukaryotic expression vector. Cell growth was monitored by cell counting assay, BrdU incorporation assay and colony plating efficiency assay. Cell cycle was analyzed with propidium iodide staining based flowcytometry assay. Protein levels of AR, PMEPA1, PSA and NEDD4-1 were assessed by immunoblot assays. Results: PMEPA1 silenced LNCaP and VCaP cells had higher AR, PSA protein levels, suggesting activated AR signaling. Consistent with this observation, inhibition of PMEPA1-1 by shRNA resulted in increased cell growth, stronger BrdU incorporation ability and higher colony plating efficiency in both LNCaP and VCaP cells. Cell cycle assay showed more S-phase cells in PMEPA1 deficient LNCaP and VCaP cells in regular medium or R1881 supplemented charcoal-striped medium. Ectopic expression of NEDD4-1 could not inhibit cell growth in PMEPA1 silenced LNCaP cells. More interestingly, the PMEPA1 deficient CaP cells (both LNCaP and VCaP cells) demonstrated more resistance to the growth inhibitory effects of MDV3100 and bicalutamide. Conclusions: The frequently observed decreased expression of PMEPA1 results in elevated AR protein levels and activated AR signaling, which in turn promotes cell growth in androgen responsive prostate cancer cells. The PMEPA1 deficient cells develop more resistance to AR inhibitors. Our findings further suggest the important role of decreased PMEPA1 in AR related prostate tumorigenesis. These data highlight that PMEPA1 deficiency may confer resistance to AR inhibitors during CaP progression. This study is supported by the NIH grant (R01CA106653) to SS. Citation Format: Hua E. Li, Daniel Heidenberg, Albert Dobi, Shiv Srivastava. PMEPA1 enhances the prostate cancer cell growth inhibitory effect of MDV3100 and bicalutamide. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1324. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1324
Epilepsy Associated with ASD and Intellectual Disability

Abstract The co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and epilepsy is well established among clinicians and researchers. Epilepsy is reported to occur in ASD, with a prevalence ranging from 5% to 46%. Among patients with epilepsy, ASD symptoms may occur in 15–35% of children and about a quarter will also have ID. Epilepsy onset shows a bimodal curve with a first peak before 5 years of age and a second during adolescence. Seizures may be either focal or generalized including infantile spasms. Epileptic encephalopathies in addition to intractable seizures often manifest ID and ASD. The frequent association among epileptic, ID, and autistic phenotypes suggests that these disorders may share common predisposing genes. Molecular genetic studies and, more recently, whole-exome sequencing have indeed shown that mutations of specific genes may cause ASD, seizures, and ID, which confirms the common underlying pathophysiological mechanism at least in some patients.
Quarks for real

Robert Crease's fine article about the 'November revolution' in particle physics, in which I am quoted several times, hits the mark rather nicely (November pp18–19). This was not quite a true revolution in the sense often used by historians, philosophers and sociologists of science. Almost all the theoretical ideas that survived the pivotal discovery of the J/Ψ particle in November 1974 – and thereafter thrived – already existed by then. I agree that upheaval is a better, more accurate word, but somehow the 'November upheaval' does not seem to convey the drama of those tumultuous events, which I witnessed firsthand.
World Heritage Regionalism: UNESCO from Europe to Asia

UNESCO World Heritage regions are historically constructed categories that do not easily map onto global geographies, yet they still continue to have important political and ethical implications in the international arena. Since their inception, regional categories have been at the heart of debates over global representation and equity in the World Heritage Committee. We include the recent controversy over uneven regional representation in elections to the Committee and the measures adopted to remedy this for the future. Specifically, the “Europe and North America” regional group has historically been the most dominant region and, as we demonstrate, continues to be so despite measures such as the Global Strategy. In the last decade, however, the “Asia and the Pacific” regional group has exhibited a growing presence in many aspects of World Heritage. We go on to examine overall trends from annual sessions of the World Heritage Committee from its start in 1977 to 2014 in terms of site inscription on the World Heritage List, membership on the Committee and size of national delegations in order to look in greater detail at the rising profile of Asia. This leads to a discussion of the different forms and understandings of regionalism, whether for Europe or Asia, and how some Asian delegations see their increased role and visibility in World Heritage.
The Science, Ethics, and Politics of Stem Cell Research

Federal funding of stem cell research is a significant controversy, which has caught public attention from every part of society. The complex nature of the debate has led to divisions within religions and political parties, as well as forcing us to reconsider what it means to be â€œpro-life.â€ When President George W. Bush used his first televised public address to announce his policy on the federal funding of stem cell research, it brought new exposure to an issue that encompasses moral, ethical, religious, scientific, and economic grounds. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have presented bills that would repeal the Presidentâ€™s policy. This paper provides an explanation of what stem cell research is, and examines the ethical issues involved. With this background an assessment of the current debate involving the White House, Congress, and religious groups, as well as the public in general, is offered. Finally a recommendation is given that President Bush reconsider his position, and allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on excess embryos from in vitro fertilization.
Antibiotic Overuse: Clinicians Are the Solution.

The editorialists discuss Silverman and colleagues' findings and why they believe that the tipping point to a culture of judicious antibiotic use is within reach and that clinicians are at the fore...
Empirical evaluation of third-generation prospect theory

Third generation prospect theory (Schmidt et al. J Risk Uncertain 36:203–223, 2008) is a theory of choices and of judgments of highest buying and lowest selling prices of risky prospects, i.e., of willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA). The gap between WTP and WTA is sometimes called the “endowment effect” and was previously called the “point of view” effect. Third generation prospect theory (TGPT) combines cumulative prospect theory for risky prospects with the theory that judged values are based on the integration of price paid or price received with the consequences of gambles. In TGPT, the discrepancy between WTP and WTA is due to loss aversion-losses have greater absolute utility than gains of the same value. TGPT was developed independently of similar developments by Birnbaum and Zimmermann (Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 74(2):145–187, 1998) and Luce (Utility of gains and losses: measurement-theoretical and experimental approaches. Erlbaum, Mahwah, 2000). This paper reviews theoretical and empirical findings, to show that TGPT fails as a descriptive model of both choices and judgments. Evidence refutes three implications of TGPT, but they are consistent with configural weight models (Birnbaum and Stegner, J Personal Soc Psychol 37:48–74, 1979) in which loss aversion is not needed to describe the results. In the configural weight models, buyers place greater weight on lower consequences, attributes or estimates of value compared to sellers, who place greater configural weight on higher aspects of an object or prospect.
Double Archê: Heidegger's reading of aristotle's kinetic ontology

The central topic that pervades Heidegger's interpretation of Aristotle, and the one above all others that demonstrates his knowledge and insight, is the topic of kinesis.1 For Heidegger, the probl...
Origins of Executive Functions

The behavioral and cognitive consequences of frontal lobe damage were initially described during the nineteenth century. During the twentieth century, the term “frontal” or “prefrontal” syndrome was initially used; the name “executive function” is only found since the late twentieth century. A long discussion has existed about the unitarity or diversity of executive function, but a major distinction between metacognitive and emotional/motivational executive functions could be established; these two basic types of executive functions are associated with the dorsolateral and mesial–orbital prefrontal cortex activity. Inner speech depends on Broca’s area and associated brain network activity, which is closely related to grammar and executive functions. It has been proposed that the size of the prefrontal cortex cannot completely account for the human executive functions; some other factors should be considered, such as increased connectivity. Archeological analyses have discovered only some – if any– evidence of metacognitive executive functions in prehistorical man; consequently, metacognitive abilities represent a relatively new human intellectual acquisition, not obviously dependent on recent biological changes. Language as a mediator, used not only to conceptualize the immediate experience but also for the transmission of knowledge, has been proposed as the major cultural instrument for metacognition. There is no question that some other cultural mediators have also contributed to the development of metacognitive executive abilities.
Mechanics of Mass Murder: A Case for Understanding the Indonesian Killings as Genocide

ABSTRACTThis article presents an overview of new evidence recovered from the former Indonesian Intelligence Agency’s archives in Banda Aceh that is able to prove, for the first time, military agency behind the 1965–66 killings in Indonesia. The military leadership, these documents show, initiated and implemented the killings as part of a coordinated national campaign. This campaign was described by the military leadership as an “annihilation operation” and was implemented with the stated intention to “annihilate to the roots” the military’s major political rival, the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). This new evidence fundamentally changes what it is now possible to know about the 1965–66 killings, specifically as regards the question of military intent. Likewise, the process by which the military’s target group was identified and targeted for destruction can now be understood using the military’s own accounts of how this process occurred. This article argues that this new evidence strengthens the argumen...
Hepatitis viruses and hematopoietic cell transplantation: A guide to patient and donor management

H EMATOPOIETIC CELL transplantation (HCT) is performed annually in over 30,000 patients worldwide for a range of underlying disorders including hematologic malignancy, severe aplastic anemia, solid tumors, and genetic diseases.[1][1] While the risk of acquiring hepatitis virus infection from
An investigation of the vulnerabilities of scale invariant dynamics in large teams

Large heterogeneous teams in a variety of applications must make joint decisions using large volumes of noisy and uncertain data. Often not all team members have access to a sensor, relying instead on information shared by peers to make decisions. These sensors can become permanently corrupted through hardware failure or as a result of the actions of a malicious adversary. Previous work showed that when the trust between agents was tuned to a specific value the resulting dynamics of the system had a property called scale invariance which led to agents reaching highly accurate conclusion with little communication. In this paper we show that these dynamics also leave the system vulnerable to most agents coming to incorrect conclusions as a result of small amounts of anomalous information maliciously injected in the system. We conduct an analysis that shows that the efficiency of scale invariant dynamics is due to the fact that large number of agents can come to correct conclusions when the difference between the percentage of agents holding conflicting opinions is relatively small. Although this allows the system to come to correct conclusions quickly, it also means that it would be easy for an attacker with specific knowledge to tip the balance. We explore different methods for selecting which agents are Byzantine and when attacks are launched informed by the analysis. Our study reveals global system properties that can be used to predict when and where in the network the system is most vulnerable to attack. We use the results of this study to design an algorithm used by agents to effectively attack the network, informed by local estimates of the global properties revealed by our investigation.
Transport Phenomena in Cerebral Ischemia

The primary sequelae of cerebral ischemia are due to the lack of adequate blood circulation, which is the cause of insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. This circulatory disturbance is also one of the greatest obstacles to direct in vivo studies of processes involved in the transport of substrates into and out of the brain. Therefore, our previous investigations concerned with glucose transport in cerebral ischemia were performed at various periods following the reestablishment of cerebral blood circulation (11, 12, 14). Moreover, these limitations on the in vivo studies and the fact that the observed transport phenomena could have occurred in one or more sites such as capillary endothelium, glia and neurons have led so far to separate investigations of the cerebral microvessels and synapto-somes function.
Mechanistic modeling and applications for CHO cell culture development and production

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultures are widely used to produce biologics in the biopharmaceutical industry. The biopharmaceutical industry requires to improve the efficiency of process development as a response to the increasing market competition. The traditional approaches to optimize cell culture are typically empirically-based and generally time-consuming. The use of mechanistic models can be beneficial to these industrially relevant exercises and improve the efficiency of process development. This review introduces stoichiometric and kinetic models, the two commonly used mathematical approaches to describe cell system, and discusses the challenges associated such as parameterization and generalizability with respect to model applications. Examples of applying mechanistic models across the stages of process understanding, optimization and control are reviewed.
Functionalization of PDMS Nanocomposite Foams for Piezoelectric Applications

Functionalized, porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structures have been a topic of growing interest in the polymer foaming community for their unique properties. PDMS has been used in piezoelectric applications due to its high elasticity and ability to withstand repeated deformation. Under the same conditions, PDMS foams can deform more than solid bulk samples, making them better candidates for energy harvesting and sensing applications. In this paper, PDMS foam samples were prepared using sugar scaffolding methods with three different types of sugar. This process yielded open pore structures at varying densities and pore sizes. Our PDMS foams were functionalized with zinc oxide nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The mechanical characterization revealed that the foamed structures of the granulated sugar had the optimal results versus the brown and ultrafine sugar samples. Additionally, the electrical output in the granulated sugar foamed samples was higher than in the brown and ultrafine sugar samples. Our results demonstrate that PDMS foams are a promising material that can be used in future piezoelectric applications.
Analytic solution of an oscillatory migratory alpha^2 stellar dynamo

Analytic solutions of the mean-field induction equation predict a nonoscillatory dynamo for homogeneous helical turbulence or constant alpha effect in unbounded or periodic domains. Oscillatory dynamos are generally thought impossible for constant alpha. We present an analytic solution for a one-dimensional bounded domain resulting in oscillatory solutions for constant alpha, but different (Dirichlet and von Neumann or perfect conductor and vacuum) boundary conditions on the two boundaries. We solve a second order complex equation and superimpose two independent solutions to obey both boundary conditions. The solution has time-independent energy density. On one end where the function value vanishes, the second derivative is finite, which would not be correctly reproduced with sine-like expansion functions where a node coincides with an inflection point. The field always migrates away from the perfect conductor boundary toward the vacuum boundary, independently of the sign of alpha. The obtained solution may serve as a benchmark for numerical dynamo experiments and as a pedagogical illustration that oscillatory migratory dynamos are possible with constant alpha.
An update on the central nervous system manifestations of Li-Fraumeni syndrome

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), caused by the germline mutations in the TP53 gene, leads to significant lifetime risk to cancer in the central nervous system. Recognition of LFS, and elucidating its underlying cause has had a remarkable effect on our knowledge of the biology of brain tumors and represents a significant opportunity for cancer surveillance and screening. In this review, we discuss the historical context of the LFS with an emphasis on the clinicopathologic implications in clincal diagnosis, germline testing, and clinical management of brain tumor patients.
The Labor Market Skills Gap and Autism

Employers globally are struggling to find skilled workers and to fill the skills gap. Many individuals with ASD possess or can develop the skills needed to meet the labor market demands of employers. This chapter focuses on the need to obtain and utilize labor market data to enhance outcomes for individuals with ASD. Part of this process includes identifying labor market gaps and matching them to the specific skills of individuals with ASD. Information about how labor market data may be used to enhance employment outcomes is discussed. Labor market data for the United States and a sample state and county are presented. A localized labor market report explicitly based on the skills often associated with individuals with ASD is shared. A system-wide approach for improving the workforce pipeline is detailed.
Listener estimations of speaker height and weight in unfiltered and filtered conditions

Abstract Twenty speakers (10 male and 10 female) produced four steady-state vowels in which the fundamental frequency and first three formants were deleted by filtering. Forty listeners (20 male and 20 female) were asked to directly estimate both the height and weight of each speaker by listening to an unfiltered and each of the three filtered signals. Significant differences were found between actual and estimated heights and weights for individual listener estimates of individual speakers. The results do not support previous investigations which indicate that listeners are able to accurately estimate speaker physical characteristics using only information contained in the acoustic signal.
Multidimensional sleep health and subsequent health-care costs and utilization in older women.

Study objectives Determine the association of poor multidimensional sleep health with health-care costs and utilization. Methods We linked 1,459 community-dwelling women (mean age 83.6 years) participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Year 16 visit (2002-2004) with their Medicare claims. Five dimensions of sleep health (satisfaction, daytime sleepiness, timing, latency, and duration) were assessed by self-report. The number of impaired dimensions was expressed as a score (range 0-5). Total direct health-care costs and utilization were ascertained during the subsequent 36 months. Results Mean (SD) total health-care costs/year (2017 dollars) increased in a graded manner across the sleep health score ranging from $10,745 ($15,795) among women with no impairment to up to $15,332 ($22,810) in women with impairment in three to five dimensions (p = 0.01). After adjustment for age, race, and enrollment site, women with impairment in three to five dimensions vs. no impairment had greater mean total costs (cost ratio [CR] 1.34 [95% CI = 1.13 to 1.60]) and appeared to be at higher risk of hospitalization (odds ratio (OR) 1.31 [95% CI = 0.96 to 1.81]). After further accounting for number of medical conditions, functional limitations, and depressive symptoms, impairment in three to five sleep health dimensions was not associated with total costs (CR 1.02 [95% CI = 0.86 to 1.22]) or hospitalization (OR 0.91 [95% CI = 0.65 to 1.28]). Poor multidimensional sleep health was not related to outpatient costs or risk of skilled nursing facility stay. Conclusions Older women with poor sleep health have higher subsequent total health-care costs largely attributable to their greater burden of medical conditions, functional limitations, and depressive symptoms.
REPEAT PULMONARY VALVE REPLACEMENT: SIMILAR INTERMEDIATE-TERM OUTCOMES BETWEEN SURGICAL AND TRANSCATHETER PROCEDURES

There is no previous report comparing clinical or echocardiographic outcomes in patients with a history of prior surgical pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR) who undergo repeat SPVR or transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR). We retrospectively identified patients who had previous SPVR and
Ultrasound Sensing Can Improve Continuous Classification of Discrete Ambulation Modes Compared to Surface Electromyography

Clinical translation of “intelligent” lower-limb assistive technologies relies on robust control interfaces capable of accurately detecting user intent. To date, mechanical sensors and surface electromyography (EMG) have been the primary sensing modalities used to classify ambulation. Ultrasound (US) imaging can be used to detect user-intent by characterizing structural changes of muscle. Our study evaluates wearable US imaging as a new sensing modality for continuous classification of five discrete ambulation modes: level, incline, decline, stair ascent, and stair descent ambulation, and benchmarks performance relative to EMG sensing. Ten able-bodied subjects were equipped with a wearable US scanner and eight unilateral EMG sensors. Time-intensity features were recorded from US images of three thigh muscles. Features from sliding windows of EMG signals were analyzed in two configurations: one including 5 EMG sensors on muscles around the thigh, and another with 3 additional sensors placed on the shank. Linear discriminate analysis was implemented to continuously classify these phase-dependent features of each sensing modality as one of five ambulation modes. US-based sensing statistically improved mean classification accuracy to 99.8% (99.5-100% CI) compared to 8-EMG sensors (85.8%; 84.0-87.6% CI) and 5-EMG sensors (75.3%; 74.5-76.1% CI). Further, separability analyses show the importance of superficial and deep US information for stair classification relative to other modes. These results are the first to demonstrate the ability of US-based sensing to classify discrete ambulation modes, highlighting the potential for improved assistive device control using less widespread, less superficial and higher resolution sensing of skeletal muscle.
Tongue Fasciculations Presenting as an Early Clinical Sign of Cobalamin Deficiency (5164)

Objective: A unique case in which an isolated lower motor neuron finding – tongue fasciculations presents as the initial clinical manifestation of B12 deficiency. Background: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a water-soluble vitamin found in nutrition. It is necessary in many functions, including the synthesis of both DNA, RNA and myelin production, particularly in the spinal cord. Cobalamin deficiency can lead to a manifestation of neurologic symptoms, including ataxia, paresthesias, loss of vibratory and position sense, depression, and diminished cognitive function. Design/Methods: NA Results: A 40-year-old female with no significant past medical history presented with a year long history of progressive fatigue, dysphagia to liquids and left sided tongue fasciculations. Exam was notable for visible tongue fasciculations and a very weak gag reflex. Strength, sensation, reflexes and remaining cranial nerves were intact. MRI brain with and without contrast was normal, including the 12th cranial nerves. EMG/NCV of the right upper and lower extremities showed no evidence of a generalized peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, or motor neuron disorder. Laboratory testing was significant for low B12 level: 222 pg/mL. Lyme disease, Anti-MuSK, acetylcholine binding, blocking, modulating antibodies were unremarkable. Patient was supplemented with Vitamin B12 1000 mcg/mL IM every month. After two injections, symptoms dissipated with complete resolution after 6 months. Conclusions: Tongue fasciculations are visible, spontaneous and intermittent contractures of muscle fibers, that are often a neurological finding of concern, reportedly related to motor neuron disorders, most often ALS. However, the degree of skeletal pathophysiological involvement is broad, with tongue fasciculations found in movement disorders, electrolyte disorders, and even stress and fatigue. Physicians should suspect cobalamin deficiency as well in patients with tongue fasciculations in the absence of other neurologic findings. Disclosure: Dr. Singh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shaji has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bazer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kowalska has nothing to disclose.
The Effects of Universal Preschool on Child and Adult Outcomes: A Review of Recent Evidence from Europe with Implications for the United States

Abstract Public preschool programs can be universal, open to all age-eligible children, or targeted, with eligibility limited to children from lower-income families. The effects on children of targeted programs have been intensively studied in the US, with results showing substantial beneficial impacts on child development and subsequent adult outcomes for disadvantaged children. However, there is little reliable evidence on the medium and long run effects of universal preschool programs in the US. This paper reviews studies from Europe that have exploited quasi-experimental variation to estimate the causal impact of universal public preschool eligibility and enrollment on child and adult outcomes. The evidence shows that these programs provide substantial short and long run benefits to disadvantaged children, but relatively modest benefits to more advantaged children. The implications of the European evidence for the issue of universal versus targeted programs in the US are discussed.
No positive cross-resistance to Cry1 and Cry2 proteins favors pyramiding strategy for management of Vip3Aa resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda.

Background Pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops could delay insect resistance development by expressing multiple distinct Bt proteins to manage the same insect pest. The efficacy of pyramiding strategy for resistance management could be jeopardized by positive cross-resistance, which is defined as insects showing resistance to one Bt protein also exhibiting resistance to other Bt proteins. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a destructive agricultural pest and target of Vip3Aa. In this study, we evaluate the cross-resistance of Vip3Aa resistance in S. frugiperda to Bt cotton and corn plants, as well as purified Bt proteins. Results Diet bioassay showed that Vip3Aa-resistant (RR), -heterozygous (RS), and -susceptible (SS) insects of S. frugiperda performed similarly against Cry2Ab2 purified protein. The data also indicated that genotypes RR and RS were more susceptible to Cry1F and Cry2Ae purified proteins relative to SS. The diet bioassays suggested that resistance to Vip3Aa does not confer any positive cross-resistance to Cry1F, Cry2Ae or Cry2Ab2 in S. frugiperda. The plant bioassay indicated that the S. frugiperda resistance to Vip3Aa conferred no cross-resistance to corn and no cross-crop resistance to cotton plants expressing Cry1 and/or Cry2 proteins. Conclusion These findings indicate that a lack of positive cross-resistance to Cry1 and Cry2 proteins favors pyramiding strategy for managing S. frugiperda resistance to Vip3Aa protein. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
Does Uncertainty Over Economic Policy Harm Trade, Foreign Investment, and Prosperity?

This paper examines the impact of uncertainty about economic policy on US exports, imports, and direct foreign investment inflows. Uncertainty over domestic and international economic policy adversely affects the international ow of goods, services, and investment. When sunk costs are associated with acting, uncertainty about expected profits leads entrepreneurs to wait rather than act, reducing commerce domestically and internationally. A solution is for governments to commit to a set of rules that provides businesses with a predictable economic environment, reducing policy uncertainty. International organizations such as the World Trade Organization and agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement reduce policy uncertainty. The resulting positive effect on international commerce raises living standards in the United States and abroad.
ZnO nanowire embedded TiO2 film as an electrode for perovskite CsPbI2Br solar cells

A comparative study was conducted to look into the impact of various electron transporting films on the performance of perovskite CsPbI2Br solar cells. The solar cells with ZnO nanowires embedded TiO2 as an electrode outperformed those with pure TiO2 or pure ZnO. The enhanced performance is ascribed to the synergetic effect of both TiO2/ZnO constituent properties. In particular, an appropriate amount of ZnO nanowires embedded in TiO2 films could optimize the properties of the electron transporting layer by improving electron transport, light harvesting, and overall photovoltaic performance, leading to the power conversion efficiency as high as 10.53%.
DCLK1 isoforms and aberrant Notch signaling in the regulation of human and murine colitis.

Alternative promoter usage generates long and short isoforms (DCLK1-L and DCLK1-S) of doublecortin-like kinase-1 (DCLK1). Tight control of Notch signaling is important to prevent and restitute inflammation in the intestine. Our aim was to investigate whether Notch1–DCLK1 axis regulates the mucosal immune responses to infection and whether this is phenocopied in human models of colitis. In the FFPE (formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded) sections prepared from the colons of ulcerative colitis (UC) and immune-mediated colitis (IRAEC) patients, expression of DCLK1 isoforms correlated positively with Notch1 and negatively with a transcriptional repressor, FoxD3 (Forkhead Box D3). DCLK1 protein staining in these sections was predominantly sub-epithelial (stromal) wherein DCLK1 co-localized with NICD, CD68, CD11c, and neutrophil elastase (NE). NE also co-stained with Citrullinated-H3 indicating the presence of neutrophil extracellular traps. In human neutrophils, elevated levels of DCLK1-S, CXCL-10, Ly6G, MPO, NE, and Notch1/2 in LPS-treated cells were inhibited when LPS was added in conjunction with Notch blocker dibenzazepine (DBZ; LPS + DBZ group). In CR-infected Rag1−/− mice, higher levels of DCLK1 in the colonic crypts were inhibited when mice received DBZ for 10 days coincident with significant dysbiosis, barrier disruption, and colitis. Concurrently, DCLK1 immunoreactivity shifted toward the stroma in CR + DBZ mice with predominance of DCLK1-S that coincided with higher Notch1 levels. Upon antibiotic treatment, partial restoration of crypt DCLK1, reduction in MPO activity, and increased survival followed. When intestinal epithelial cell-specific Dclk1-knockout (Dclk1ΔIEC) or Dclk1ΔIEC;Rag1−/− double knockout (DKO) mice were infected with CR and given a single dose of DBZ, they developed barrier defect and severe colitis with higher levels of stromal DCLK1-S, Ly6G, NE, and Notch1. We therefore propose that, by regulating the mucosal immune responses, the Notch–DCLK1 axis may be integral to the development of murine or human colitis.
A multi-pillar piezoelectric stack transducer for nanodroplet mediated intravascular sonothrombolysis

Abstract We aim to develop a nanodroplet (ND)-mediated intravascular ultrasound (US) transducer for deep vein thrombosis treatments. The US device, having an efficient forward directivity of the acoustic beam, is capable of expediting the clot dissolution rate by activating cavitation of NDs injected onto a thrombus. We designed and prototyped a multi-pillar piezoelectric stack (MPPS) transducer composed of four piezoelectric stacks. Each stack was made of five layers of PZT-4 plates, having a dimension of 0.85 × 0.85 × 0.2 mm3. The transducer was characterized by measuring the electrical impedance and acoustic pressure, compared to simulation results. Next, in-vitro tests were conducted in a blood flow mimicking system using the transducer equipped with an ND injecting tube. The miniaturized transducer, having an aperture size of 2.8 mm, provided a high mechanical index of 1.52 and a relatively wide focal zone of 3.4 mm at 80 Vpp, 0.96 MHz electric input. The mass-reduction rate of the proposed method (NDs + US) was assessed to be 4.1 and 4.6 mg/min with and without the flow model, respectively. The rate was higher than that (1.3–2.7 mg/min) of other intravascular ultrasound modalities using micron-sized bubble agents. The ND-mediated intravascular sonothrombolysis using MPPS transducers was demonstrated with an unprecedented lysis rate, which may offer a new clinical option for DVT treatments. The MPPS transducer generated a high acoustic pressure (~3.1 MPa) at a distance of approximately 2.2 wavelengths from the small aperture, providing synergistic efficacy with nanodroplets for thrombolysis without thrombolytic agents.
Discrepancies between self-reported and device-measured sleep parameters in adults with multiple sclerosis.

Study Objectives:Sleep problems are a common consequence of multiple sclerosis (MS); however, there is limited evidence regarding the agreement between device-measured and self-reported sleep param...
Embedded contamination induced by etching in E-beam deposited silica: A possible precursor to laser damage

We investigate contamination induced in grating-like structures during the etching process as a possible precursor to laser-induced damage. Our experimental model utilizes 5-mm line structures fabricated in E-beam–deposited coatings of silica using reactive ion etching (RIE) and reactive ion beam etching (RIBE). This makes it possible to compare the behavior in the pillars and trench regions. The results suggest that surface contaminants are primarily fluorinated polymers, while embedded contaminants consist primarily of carbon with very low detection of fluorine. Samples fabricated by the RIBE method exhibit significantly reduced roughness in the trenches, yet still present similar embedded contamination.
Study of protein structural deformations under external mechanical perturbations by a coarse-grained simulation method

The mechanical properties of biomolecules play pivotal roles in regulating cellular functions. For instance, extracellular mechanical stimuli are converted to intracellular biochemical activities by membrane receptors and their downstream adaptor proteins during mechanotransduction. In general, proteins favor the conformation with the lowest free energy. External forces modify the energy landscape of proteins and drive them to unfolded or deformed conformations that are of functional relevance. Therefore, the study of the physical properties of proteins under external forces is of fundamental importance to understand their functions in cellular mechanics. Here, a coarse-grained computational model was developed to simulate the unfolding or deformation of proteins under mechanical perturbation. By applying this method to unfolding of previously studied proteins or protein fragments with external forces, we demonstrated that our results are quantitatively comparable to previous experimental or all-atom computational studies. The model was further extended to the problem of elastic deformation of large protein complexes formed between membrane receptors and their ligands. Our studies of binding between T cell receptor (TCR) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) illustrated that stretching of MHC ligand initially lowers its binding energy with TCR, supporting the recent experimental report that TCR/MHC complex is formed through the catch-bond mechanism. Finally, the method was, for the first time, applied to pulling of an eight-cadherin cluster that was formed by their trans and cis binding interfaces. Our simulation results show that mechanical properties of adherens junctions are functionally important to cell adhesion.