cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scheduling and Control of Mobile Communications Networks with Randomly Time Varying Channels by Stability Methods

Consider a communications network consisting of mobiles, some of which can serve as a receiver and/or transmitter in a multihop path. There are random external data processes, each destined for some destinations. At each mobile the data is queued according to the source-destination pair until transmitted. The capacities of the connecting channels are randomly varying. Time is divided into small scheduling intervals. At the beginning of the intervals, the channels are estimated via pilot signals and this information is used for the scheduling decisions during the interval, concerning the allocation of transmission power and/or time, bandwidth, and perhaps antennas, to the various queues in a queue and channel-state dependent way, to assure stability. Lost packets might or might not have to be retransmitted. General networks are covered, conditions used in previous works are weakened, and the distributions of the input file lengths can be heavy tailed. The resulting controls are readily implementable. The choice of Liapunov function allows a range of tradeoffs between current rates and queue lengths, under very weak conditions. Because of the non-Markovian nature of the problem, we use the perturbed Stochastic Liapunov function method, which is designed for such problems. Extensions concerning acknowledgments, multicasting, non-unique routes, and others, are available.
Corticotropin-releasing factor antagonists in affective disorders.

Following a search lasting nearly three decades, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a 41 amino acid-containing peptide, was isolated and characterised in 1981. In the preceding 18 years, a concatenation was developed that appears to show that CRF integrates not only the endocrine, but also the autonomic, immunologic and behavioural responses of mammalian organisms to stress. Direct CNS administration of CRF to laboratory animals produces actions similar to those observed after exposure to stress. Moreover, CNS administration of peptidergic CRF antagonists blocks many of the behavioural responses to stress. Since both early untoward life events as well as recently experienced stress have been implicated in the pathophysiology of affective disorders, and because there is substantial evidence for CRF neuronal hyperactivity in patients with affective disorders, small molecule, lipophilic CRF antagonists have been hypothesised to possess antidepressant and/or anxiolytic activity. Within the last few years, ...
Psychophysical Scaling of Stressful Life Events

Birnbaum and Sotoodeh (PS 2(4), 1991, pp. 236–240) used psychophysical techniques to generate severity weightings for the stressful life events from Holmes and Rake's (1967) Social Readjustment Rating Scale. The techniques Birnhaum and Sotoodeh applied are designed to uncover the structure of judgments and decisions, but in the context of predicting physical symptoms, they do not improve on the original weightings published in 1967. Neither the original Holmes and Rahe weights nor Birnbaum and Sotoodeh's weights were significantly better than unit weighting (1 if event occurred, 0 if not) for predicting physical symptoms of 115 college students.
Baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels in men undergoing radical prostatectomy: is there an association with adverse pathologic features?

Abstract Introduction/Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D (VitD) deficiency in men undergoing radical prostatectomy and determine whether an association exists between preoperative VitD levels and adverse pathologic features. Patients and Methods Patients scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease from January to August 2012 were prospectively followed and those with available preoperative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were included. Men with a known diagnosis of VitD deficiency or taking VitD supplementation were excluded. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine whether preoperative VitD level is predictive of adverse pathologic outcomes. Results One hundred consecutive men were included. Mean age was 62 (range, 42-79) years and mean VitD level was 26 (range, 6-57) ng/mL. Overall, 65 men (65%) had suboptimal levels of VitD ( P = .5). In logistic regression analysis, VitD level was not predictive of pathologic Gleason ( P = .11), pathologic stage ( P = .7), or positive margin status ( P = .8). Conclusion The association between VitD and prostate cancer has been controversial and data suggesting an increased risk of aggressive cancer in men with low levels of VitD have been inconsistent. We found that baseline preoperative VitD level was not associated with any adverse pathologic features. However, VitD deficiency is a common finding in this population, although unrelated to patient age. These results represent the first time the correlation between VitD and prostate cancer has been evaluated in a cohort of men undergoing radical prostatectomy.
Adherence to Guidelines for Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, and Influenza Vaccination in Patients With Diabetes

IN BRIEF This single-center, cross-sectional study was designed to assess adherence to national guidelines for the immunization of patients with diabetes and to evaluate predictors of vaccination with the hepatitis B, influenza, and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines. In patients considered to be at increased risk for infection and infectious disease complications because of their history of diabetes, extensive nonadherence to immunization recommendations for all three vaccines was found. Nonadherence to the 2011 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination was ubiquitous. Allocation of health care resources to increase vaccine coverage should remain a priority, with a focus on spreading awareness of the hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for people with diabetes.
Headbob Display Structure in the Naturalized Anolis Lizards of Bermuda: Sex, Context, and Population Effects

Many members of the Iguania group of lizards engage in stereotyped and species-specific ''pushup'' or ''headbob'' displays. Temporal attributes of displays have been quantified for a number of species in the genus Anolis, but few of these studies have examined effects on display structure of signaler sex, display context, and population. With this goal in mind we conducted a comparative study of three Anolis species permanently established (''naturalized'') on the island of Bermuda: Anolis grahami from Ja- maica, Anolis extremus from Barbados, and Anolis leachi from Antigua and Barbuda. These anoles are dis- tantly related to each other and to Anolis carolinensis—the only Anolis species for which all of the above influences on display structure have been examined in detail. Adults were field-captured and transported to the laboratory where paired interactions were videotaped and headbob displays analyzed. Results re- vealed one or more variables to exhibit sexual dimorphism in each species, and display context had little influence on signal structure. We then compared results from our founder populations on Bermuda with those published for two of our study species' source populations. No significant differences in headbob display units were found between A. grahami on Bermuda and on Jamaica. In contrast, male A. extremus on Bermuda produced fewer units per display than did males from Barbados, although the nature of the published data prevented statistical comparison.
Interaction of Saturn's magnetosphere and its moons: 1. Interaction between corotating plasma and standard obstacles

[1] The interaction of Saturn's inner magnetosphere with its moons ranges from the addition of significant quantities of gas, dust, and plasma, causing significant consequences for the dynamics and energetics of the entire Saturnian magnetosphere, to the simple absorption of plasma and energetic particles by the icy moons with non-electrically conducting interiors. The interaction with these moons is complex with the contribution of many physical processes, depending on the geometry of any plume, the structure of the atmosphere, and its interaction with the surface and interior of the moon, the latter by induced fields. Our ultimate goal is to understand the complexities of this interaction and its temporal variations, especially at Enceladus. In this paper we use magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code for addressing the flow around obstacles that are simpler than the Enceladus interaction. These simulations both help us understand the interaction with other icy moons and prepare us for the simulation of the flow around Enceladus. The processes involved include ordinary collisions, impact ionization, photoionization, and charge exchange. We examine a series of simple canonical interactions before we later apply our simulation where the multiple processes are occurring simultaneously with asymmetric geometries. We apply our 3-D MHD model to simulate the interaction between the Saturnian corotational plasma flow for the following cases: an absorbing body having an insulating surface; ion pickup via photo and impact ionization from a spherically symmetric neutral cloud; charge exchange with such a neutral cloud; and ion pickup at an insulating, absorbing body with an atmosphere acted upon by the sum of the three ionization processes. In addition to validating the model and obtaining a deeper understanding of the consequences of each interaction, we can immediately make some conclusions about the Enceladus interaction. We find that the magnetometer data are most consistent with the surface of Enceladus being absorbing and insulating, rather than the surface being reflecting and electrically conducting. For the conditions in the corotating flow at Enceladus, the perturbation to the plasma flow produced by photo/impact ionization is an order of magnitude smaller than that produced by charge exchange. Moreover, the perturbation to the magnetic field Bz component by a spherically symmetric mass loading source alone is an order of magnitude smaller than that observed in the neighborhood of the plume. Thus, the perturbation observed in the magnetometer data is primarily due to the mass loading in the plume, which is primarily ion-neutral charge exchange. The geometry and source strength of the plume are investigated in a following paper.
Abstract 37: Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase In Infiltrating Neutrophils Mediates Neurotoxicity After Ischemic Brain Injury In Mice

Nitric oxide produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) contributes to brain damage after cerebral ischemia and iNOS-deficient mice have smaller infarcts after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) (J Neurosci, 17:9157, 1997). However, the cell type(s) expressing iNOS and mediating tissue damage remain to be defined. We tested the hypothesis that iNOS expressed in neutrophils infiltrating the ischemic brain contributes to tissue injury. To this end, we examined the outcome of cerebral ischemia in iNOS -/- mice reconstituted with iNOS+/+ leukocytes. Lethally irradiated iNOS -/- mice were transplanted with iNOS+/+ bone marrow (BM) to produce chimeric mice expressing iNOS in peripheral leukocytes. Control chimeras were also obtained by transplanting iNOS+/+ or -/- BM in iNOS+/+ or -/- mice, respectively. Five weeks later, mice underwent transient MCAO (n=10/group) and injury volume was assessed after 3 days in cresyl violet-stained brain sections. Chimerism was 89%, indicating successful BM engraftment. iNOS -/- mice transplanted with iNOS+/+ BM had larger infarcts (40±3 mm3; Mean±SE) than iNOS -/- mice receiving iNOS -/- BM (25±3 mm3; p 0.05). Cell sorting demonstrated iNOS expression in neutrophils infiltrating the infarct of iNOS -/- mice transplanted with iNOS+/+ BM. To confirm that iNOS in neutrophils contributes to tissue damage, adoptive transfer experiments were performed. Neutrophils (Ly6G positive) from iNOS+/+ or -/- mice were isolated by negative selection and 5x105 cells were administered i.v. to iNOS+/+ or -/- mice 24h after MCAO (n=10/group). Consistent with the result in chimeric mice, transfer of iNOS+/+ neutrophils into iNOS -/- mice increased the infarct 3 days after MCAO (vehicle: 35±6; iNOS+/+ neutrophils: 47±6 mm3; p>0.05 from iNOS+/+ mice receiving vehicle), but not when iNOS -/- neutrophils were transferred (38±8 mm3; p>0.05 from iNOS -/- mice). The findings identify iNOS in infiltrating leukocytes, particularly neutrophils, as a mediator of neurotoxicity in the post-ischemic brain and establish iNOS in circulating leukocytes as a therapeutic target for ischemic brain injury. Supported by NIH grant NS34179
Living on the Edge: The Margins of Legal Personhood, Symposium Foreword

In January 2008, at the Association of American Law Schools' annual meeting, the Jurisprudence Section conducted a panel on "The Margins of Legal Personhood." The goal of this panel was to draw (or sever) connections between and among different "marginal" entities: the psychopath, the animal, and the embryo or fetus. As is perhaps immediately apparent, these entities are not marginalized in a political sense, but rather lie at the margins of our moral and legal communities. Prima facie, they may have some, but lack all, of the capacities necessary for full membership. Because they live on the edge, we must question whether they may be held responsible and whether they have rights. And, throughout our analysis, we should remain consistent - the test for one entity should apply to another, absent some principled distinction between them. The articles in this symposium take seriously these concerns with regard to animals, abortion, and psychopathy. This brief Foreword serves both to introduce the ideas presented in the articles and to attempt to draw connections between them.
99mTc(CO)3(NTA): A renal tracer equivalent to 131I-OIH in patients with renal failure

594 Objectives Studies in rats and normal volunteers have shown that the pharmacokinetics of the tricarbonyl core radiotracer 99mTc(CO)3-nitrilotriacetic acid, 99mTc(CO)3(NTA), are comparable to those of I-131 ortho-iodohippuran (I-131 OIH). Our objective was to compare the pharmacokinetics of these two tracers in patients with renal failure. Methods 99mTc(CO)3(NTA) was prepared with commercially available NTA and an IsoLink kit (Covidien) and isolated by RP HPLC. Approximately 74 MBq (2.0 mCi) of 99mTc(CO)3(NTA) were co-injected with ~ 11.1 MBq (300 µCi) of 131I-OIH in eight subjects with stage 3-4 renal failure; simultaneous images were obtained for 24 minutes followed by an anterior image over the gall bladder. Plasma clearances were determined from 10 blood samples obtained 3 to 180 minutes post-injection using the single-injection, two-compartment model. Plasma protein binding (PPB), red cell uptake, and percent injected dose in the urine at 30 and 180 minutes were determined. Results There was no difference in the plasma clearances of 99mTc(CO)3(NTA) and I-131 OIH, 204 ± 83 mL/min versus 198 ± 88 mL/min, respectively (P = 0.50). The plasma protein binding and red cell uptake of 99mTc(CO)3(NTA) were 35 ± 7% and 6 ± 3%, respectively; both values were significantly lower, (P Conclusions Initial results in patients with renal failure indicate that the pharmacokinetic behavior of 99mTc(CO)3(NTA) is equivalent to that of I-131 OIH. Research Support NIH/NIDDK, R37 DK03884
Introducing Entropy for the Statistical Energy Analysis of an Artificially Damped Oscillator

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of entropy for a main resonator attached to a “fuzzy structure”. This structure is described explicitly using the Lagrangian method, and is treated as a layer of discrete resonators. A generic entropy formulation is then developed for the layer of resonators, which is used to determine the individual oscillator entropies. The combined entropy of the linear resonator system is then determined and compared numerically to the sum of the individual oscillator entropies. The entropy behavior of the system is then related to the energy behavior of the system and explained in regards to the the “artificial damping” of the main resonator.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Aircraft Usage and Effects on Engine Life

Factors which affect engine life include design practices, manufacturing processes, materials, engine installations, usage, and maintenance system practices. While engine life definition and management are dependent upon the development and organization of these factors, aircraft engine power usage is a major factor affecting engine life in field operations. This statement is based upon an improved understanding of engine usage as functions of aircraft characteristics and the nature of missions which are flown. Increasing amounts of data have been acquired in recent years that provide insights into the magnitude and variability of engine life for several aircraft systems.This paper will compare aircraft usage and engine life relationships for representative aircraft systems. An outline of procedures used to evaluate engine usage and its effects shall also be presented.Copyright © 1983 by ASME
A TWO-PHASE FLOW MODEL FOR SIMULATING AIR ENTRAPMENT DURING MOLD FILLING OF HIGH PRESSURE DIE CASTING PROCESS

The most common defect found in high pressure die casting(HPDC) process is the gas porosity which significantly affects the mechanical properties of the final components.The generation of gas porosity is known mainly due to the air entrapment in the liquid metal during the mold filling stage. Knowing the trapped-air location and amount could allow for a more accurate and objective analysis of casting quality.In the past few decades,extensive efforts have been made to develop simulation codes of casting flow.Most of these codes solve the velocity,pressure and fluid fraction only in the liquid phase with the assumption that the effect of air in the die cavity is negligible.As a matter of fact,the air in the die cavity has significant influence on the filling pattern of the molten metal and the gas porosity distribution of the die casts.Recently,following the development of computational fluid dynamics(CFD),two-phase flow models have drawn continuous attention in the numerical simulation of casting processes,but there are still few models and further studies are needed.In this study,the mechanism of the formation of air entrapment defects in the HPDC process was discussed and it turned out that the air flow in the die cavity as well as the interaction between air and liquid metal resulted in the final air entrapment.In order to consider the air flow in the die cavity,an incompressible two-phase flow model was presented to simulate the air bubbles entrapped by the free surface of liquid metal during the mold filling stage.Two numerical benchmark tests of fluid dynamics were performed to verify the validity and stability of the model.Furthermore,a high speed water analog experiment similar to real die casting process was designed and carried out to compare the experimental results with the simulation ones.Good agreements obtained demonstrate that the two-phase flow model has acceptable prediction accuracy in modeling the filling behavior of liquid and tracking the entrapped air bubbles.
Kiva Diversity in the Point of Pines Region of Arizona

ABSTRACTDiversity in kiva architecture and internal organization has long been of interest to Southwestern archaeologists. As communal architecture, kivas are integrally tied to processes of sociopolitical integration of both communities and regions. Kivas, therefore, can provide important data that allow us to better understand how prehistoric inhabitants of the Southwest dealt with the tensions inherent in both aggregation and migration. This study examines the variability of kivas in the Point of Pines region of Arizona. Twenty-three kivas have been excavated in the study area and range in date from A.D. 400 to 1450
Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptors: An Update

Publisher Summary Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a potent lipid mediator involved in a variety of signaling pathways that play major roles in diverse physiological processes, including angiogenesis, immune cell trafficking, and development. S1P is formed by phosphorylation of sphingosine catalyzed by one of two sphingosine kinase isoenzymes (SphK1 and SphK2). Studies suggest that S1P has intracellular actions that promote cell growth and inhibit apoptosis. Also, the S1PRs have been shown to regulate a diverse set of signaling pathways due to their differential coupling to G proteins. Studies have also characterized the roles of these receptors in cell physiology, including motility, cytoskeletal rearrangements, NO production, and calcium mobilization. This chapter reviews recent evidence for roles of the S1PRs in the immune system and the cardiovascular system. It also suggests that these receptors are important in other physiological systems and in several other pathophysiological conditions. In the nervous system S1PRs promote differentiation, neurogenesis, neurite growth, and astrocyte migration, among other functions. However, very little is still known of the physiological functions of S1P4 and S1P5, the “newest” S1PRs. As new generations of more specific S1PR agonists and antagonists are developed, together with cell and tissue-specific knockout and “knock-in” models, more roles for S1PRs are likely to be uncovered.
Exploring the Effects of Source Credibility on Information Adoption on YouTube

This research-in-progress paper explores the effects of information source credibility (brands versus vloggers), information type (how-to tutorial versus product demonstration), and viewer characteristics on perceptions of information quality, information usefulness, information satisfaction, and information adoption in the context of YouTube videos regarding a technology product, the Apple Watch. The primary goal of this study is to understand how users process information provided through YouTube videos by brands and vloggers, as well as extend existing models of information adoption that solely focus on information and source characteristics without considering characteristics of the user or viewer. Envisioned future steps in this project are discussed as well as implications for research and practice. Data collection will be completed prior to the HCII conference, where results will be presented.
Windows of opportunity for synchronization in stochastically coupled maps

Abstract Several complex systems across science and engineering display on–off intermittent coupling among their units. Most of the current understanding of synchronization in switching networks relies on the fast switching hypothesis, where the network dynamics evolves at a much faster time scale than the individual units. Recent numerical evidence has demonstrated the existence of windows of opportunity, where synchronization may be induced through non-fast switching. Here, we study synchronization of coupled maps whose coupling gains stochastically switch with an arbitrary switching period. We determine the role of the switching period on synchronization through a detailed analytical treatment of the Lyapunov exponent of the stochastic dynamics. Through closed-form expressions and numerical findings, we demonstrate the emergence of windows of opportunity and elucidate their nontrivial relationship with the stability of synchronization under static coupling. Our results are expected to provide a rigorous basis for understanding the dynamic mechanisms underlying the emergence of windows of opportunity and leverage non-fast switching in the design of evolving networks.
Low Income, Ethnicity, and Voluntary Association Involvement

Data on voluntary association participation among low-income members of major ethnic groups in the U.S. are reviewed. Low-income blacks are most likely to participate, followed by (2) whites and Mexican Americans and (3) Italian Americans and Puerto Ricans. Reasons for these ethnic differences are considered. More general factors affecting voluntary association patterns of low-income persons are also considered, and a means for increasing their voluntary association involvement is suggested. Participation in voluntary associations has been shown to have a number of important effects, including increased likelihood of voting and other political activity (e.g., Sallach et al., 1972), acquisition of useful social skills (e. g., Lyden and Thomas, 1969) and development of a more positive self-image (e. g., Aberback, 1969). These effects are especially meaningful for lower income individuals, regardless of ethnicity. In addition, voluntary association activity is generally viewed as a necessary ingredient in community organization. Williams et al. (1973:637-638) recently noted that "the literature related to the extent of participation among minorities is one of the most confusing. " The relatively high participation rate of lower income blacks has been difficult for sociologists to explain, given the repeated research finding that voluntary association rates generally vary directly with income and other measures of socio-economic status. Voluntary association researchers first suggested that black social participation may be in some measure "compensatory" in nature--reflecting an attempt to fulfill needs which cannot readily be filled in the larger society. According to this theory, those in lower-status positions affiliate and participate in voluntary associations for prestige, ego enhancement, and achievement restricted or denied them in the larger society (Williams et al., 1973:638). A related interpretation, recently suggested by Olsen (1970), is that members of a given ethnic community are brought together in associations as a result of *Critical review of the manuscript by Elmer C. Hall, Emory University, is gratefully acknowledged.
SNP Marker Discovery in Pima Cotton ( Gossypium barbadense L.) Leaf Transcriptomes.

The objective of this study was to explore the known narrow genetic diversity and discover single-nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers for marker-assisted breeding within Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) leaf transcriptomes. cDNA from 25-day plants of three diverse cotton genotypes [Pima S6 (PS6), Pima S7 (PS7), and Pima 3-79 (P3-79)] was sequenced on Illumina sequencing platform. A total of 28.9 million reads (average read length of 138 bp) were generated by sequencing cDNA libraries of these three genotypes. The de novo assembly of reads generated transcriptome sets of 26,369 contigs for PS6, 25,870 contigs for PS7, and 24,796 contigs for P3-79. A Pima leaf reference transcriptome was generated consisting of 42,695 contigs. More than 10,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified between the genotypes, with 100% SNP frequency and a minimum of eight sequencing reads. The most prevalent SNP substitutions were C—T and A—G in these cotton genotypes. The putative SNPs identified can be utilized for characterizing genetic diversity, genotyping, and eventually in Pima cotton breeding through marker-assisted selection.
Aerosol Drug Delivery During Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation: Effects of Intersubject Variability and Excipient Enhanced Growth.

Abstract Background: Nebulized aerosol drug delivery during the administration of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) is commonly implemented. While studies have shown improved patient outcomes for this therapeutic approach, aerosol delivery efficiency is reported to be low with high variability in lung-deposited dose. Excipient enhanced growth (EEG) aerosol delivery is a newly proposed technique that may improve drug delivery efficiency and reduce intersubject aerosol delivery variability when coupled with NPPV. Materials and Methods: A combined approach using in vitro experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to characterize aerosol delivery efficiency during NPPV in two new nasal cavity models that include face mask interfaces. Mesh nebulizer and in-line dry powder inhaler (DPI) sources of conventional and EEG aerosols were both considered. Results: Based on validated steady-state CFD predictions, EEG aerosol delivery improved lung penetration fraction (PF) values by fact...
Network tearing interface for FPGA simulation

Due to the larger scale of power systems and larger number of converters involved, the simulation of power systems becomes slower, with lower accuracy. FPGA is the new generation computation hardware, which is an integrated circuit designed for a special function. However, FPGA simulation still requires the parallel technology to extend the simulation scale. Network tearing interfaces can be used to divide a power system into several subsystems and simulate several subsystems in parallel. This paper studies the algorithm of network tearing interfaces and how to implement it in FPGA. And four typical type mode of the simulation, which are proposed in this paper, relies on the network tearing interfaces. A power system with VSC-HVDC is tested on the hybrid simulation platform of HPC+FPGA to verify the feasibility and accuracy of network tearing interfaces for the FPGA simulation.
Big data techniques for public health: a case study

Public health researchers increasingly recognize that to advance their field they must grapple with the availability of increasingly large (i.e., thousands of variables) traditional population-level datasets (e.g., electronic medical records), while at the same time integrating additional large datasets (e.g., data on genomics, the microbiome, environmental exposures, socioeconomic factors, and health behaviors). Leveraging these multiple forms of data might well provide unique and unexpected discoveries about the determinants of health and wellbeing. However, we are in the very early stages of advancing the techniques required to understand and analyze big population-level data for public health research. To address this problem, this paper describes how we propose that big data can be efficiently used for public health discoveries. We show that data analytics techniques traditionally employed in public health studies are not up to the task of the data we now have in hand. Instead we present techniques adapted from big data visualization and analytics approaches used in other domains that can be used to answer important public health questions utilizing these existing and new datasets. Our findings are based on an exploratory big data case study carried out in San Diego County, California where we analyzed thousands of variables related to health to gain interesting insights on the determinants of several health outcomes, including life expectancy and anxiety disorders. These findings provide a promising early indication that public health research will benefit from the larger set of activities in contemporary big data research.
Bondage by contract in the late Roman empire

Abstract Legal codes and other documents of the late Roman Empire reveal a system, the colonate or sometimes (redundantly) the bound colonate in which farmers (coloni) had their (head and land) taxes paid by estate owners in whose census rolls they were registered. If the land changed ownership coloni were entitled to stay and were registered in the tax roll of the new owner. However, coloni and their offspring lacked the right to migrate. Developing some previously advanced ideas about patrocinium “patronage,” this article argues that the pristine or original form of the colonate is a voluntary contractual arrangement among free farmers, estate owners, and the imperial Fiscus which acquired a public law dimension because it required a change in the personal status of the farmer. By means of this bondage contract the contractors expected to share in the aggregate gains from reducing tax-collection costs and from stabilizing tax revenues. The paper goes on to consider the implications of the colonate for economic efficiency and concludes with some observations on the reasons for changes over time in its importance.
Osseous and Adipocytic Differentiations in the Intraocular Lens and Vitreous

Purpose To analyze 3 unusual mesenchymal transformations within the eye: adipose or osseous metaplasia of the lens and adipose tissue in the vitreous cavity. Design Observational case series. Methods Reevaluation of clinicopathologic diagnoses and histopathologic findings in sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) reaction, and Masson trichrome method. Results The 3 cases of mesenchymal transformation occurred in microphthalmic eyes with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (more recently termed persistent fetal vasculature). In 1 case there was total lens replacement with lamellar bone; in another, total replacement of the crystalline lens by adipose tissue; and in a third, an anomalous pocket of adipose tissue in the central vitreous. Multifocal remnants of the lens capsule were seen in the osseous case but were absent from the adipocytic cases. The vitreous adipose tissue was surrounded by an elaborate capillary plexus with an empty, collapsed PAS-positive lens capsule in the pupillary region. Anterior pigmented neuroectodermal disorganization, dysgenesis of angle structures, and a hypoplastic or disorganized iris were also observed in the 3 cases. Conclusions After review of the literature, it appears that lenticular osseous replacement occurs more often than adipocytic. In addition to vascularization of the lens through a capsular dehiscence, other causes are explored, including direct epithelial-mesenchymal transformations of the lens epithelium or, less likely, of the disorganized adjacent neuroectoderm. The focus of vitreous adipose tissue may represent a transformed luxated lens extruded from its capsule, which was left behind in the pupillary zone.
Comparison of efficiency and bandwidth of slow and fast wave amplifiers

In conventional microwave tubes electron beams propagate through structures which effectively reduce the phase velocity of electromagnetic waves below the speed of light in vacuo. In such cases, an electron beam propagating parallel to the waves with a velocity close to the wave phase velocity can engage in a resonant interaction with a high intrinsic efficiency.
Thermal stability of nanocrystalline Al-5at.%Ni and Al-5at.%V alloys produced by high-energy ball milling

Abstract Nanocrystalline Al-5at.%V and Al-5at.%Ni alloys, prepared by high-energy ball milling and subsequent consolidation under uniaxial pressure of 3 GPa, were subjected to isothermal heat treatment for one hour at various temperatures—ranging from 100 to 614 °C. Grain growth, solid solubility of the alloying elements, and formation of additional phases following heat treatment were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). Vickers hardness was measured after heat treatment and correlated with the heat treatment temperature, composition, and microstructure. The heat treatment temperature and alloying element had a strong influence on hardness. The Influence of heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of the alloys was dependent upon the diffusion coefficients of the alloying elements in Al.
Lanthanide ion emission in multicolor OLEDs (Ce3+, Pr3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Tm3+, and white light Eu3+/Tb3+ hybrid systems) and device characterization

Abstract Organic light-emitting diodes are ubiquitous in our daily lives, for cell phone displays, television screens, and visual interfaces. A multicolor display relies on the combination of three colors, namely, red, green, and blue. Eu3+-/Sm3+-based red emissive phosphors were discussed in the previous chapter; here, we will focus on other emission colors in OLEDs achieved by lanthanide ions. We will give a brief introduction of the advantages of OLEDs over other display technologies, followed by a section discussing the techniques used to measure photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and device efficiency. We will then present the emissive profiles of visible-emitting lanthanide ions and recent literature examples of such phosphors.
REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT MODELS: IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

ABSTRACT Systems models for regional development are seldom implemented or carried through to completion. Aside from social and political constraints, there are technical reasons why implementation and completion are difficult: (a) regional plans usually assume an optimum solution of an aggregated abstraction of the ecological resource base and plan objectives; disaggregation of this abstraction to the real ecological systems require adjustments which are sub-optimal as far as the model is concerned; and (b) planning models usually assume that information is certain. Monitoring for plan compliance is feasible with relaxed constraints and relatively precise information. However, with a high degree of uncertainty, the planning system needs an adaptive control procedure.
N,N′-diaryl-bishydrazones in a biphenyl platform: Broad spectrum antifungal agents

Abstract N,N′-Diaryl-bishydrazones of [1,1′-biphenyl]-3,4′-dicarboxaldehyde, [1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-dicarboxaldehyde, and 4,4′-bisacetyl-1,1-biphenyl exhibited excellent antifungal activity against a broad spectrum of filamentous and non-filamentous fungi. These N,N′-diaryl-bishydrazones displayed no antibacterial activity in contrast to previously reported N,N′-diamidino-bishydrazones and N-amidino-N′-aryl-bishydrazones. The leading candidate, 4,4′-bis((E)-1-(2-(4-fluorophenyl)hydrazono)ethyl)-1,1′-biphenyl, displayed less hemolysis of murine red blood cells at concentrations at or below that of a control antifungal agent (voriconazole), was fungistatic in a time-kill study, and possessed no mammalian cytotoxicity and no toxicity with respect to hERG inhibition.
Student understanding of linear combinations of eigenvectors

To contribute to the sparse educational research on student understanding of eigenspace, we investigated how students reason about linear combinations of eigenvectors. We present results from student reasoning on two written multiple-choice questions with open-ended justifications involving linear combinations of eigenvectors in which the resultant vector is or is not an eigenvector of the matrix. We detail seven themes that analysis of our data revealed regarding student responses. These themes include: determining if a linear combination of eigenvectors satisfies the equation $$A\varvec{x}=\lambda \varvec{x}$$; reasoning about a linear combination of eigenvectors belonging to a set of eigenvectors; conflating scalars in a linear combination with eigenvalues; thinking eigenvectors must be linearly independent; and reasoning about the number of eigenspace dimensions for a matrix. In the discussion, we explore how themes sometimes cut across questions and how looking across questions gives insight into individuals’ conceptions of eigenspace. Implications for teaching and future research are also offered.
Electronic excitations and optical properties of YbFe2O4 thin films

Abstract We present the structural, optical properties, and electronic excitation spectra of the YbFe2O4 thin film deposited on (0001) sapphire substrates. The optical spectra of a YbFe2O4 thin film show several electronic transitions, dominated by Fe d to d on-site electronic transitions as well as O 2p to Fe 3d, Yb 6s, and Yb 5d charge-transfer electronic transitions. The direct energy band gap of YbFe2O4 has been found to be 1.40 ± 0.01 eV at 300 K. Moreover, the electronic transitions centered at 1.75 eV and 2.41 eV exhibit strong temperature dependence with a discontinuity at ∼190 ± 10 K, indicating evidence for a structural instability in the system. The optical spectra of YbFe2O4 have been analyzed and also compared with that of isostructural YFe2O4 and LuFe2O4.
The effects of class size and instructional technology on student learning performance

Abstract Class size increase and instructional technology implementation are two conspicuous changes in higher education in recent years. By analyzing unique datasets from the author's own teaching experience in a large urban university from 2012 to 2016, this paper examines the effects of class size and instructional technology on student learning performance in an operations management course. The analytical results show no statistically significant gap in learning performance between mega and regular sections, for both quantitative and qualitative course materials. On the other hand, implementation of instructional technology, such as clicker devices, improves average learning performance across the observation periods, but not all the results are statistically significant.
Trauma-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy of a Patient With PTSD in a Veterans Affairs Setting.

Objective:This article aims to articulate the use of trauma-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (TFPP) for a 33-year-old U.S. Army veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a Veterans Af...
Follow‐up outcomes of benign vascular lesions of breast diagnosed on core needle biopsy: A study of 117 cases

Benign vascular lesions of breast are uncommon findings on core biopsy and surgical excision has been recommended to rule out a more serious lesion. However, a recent study suggested that excision may be spared for vascular lesion without atypia. The aim of this study was to assess the follow-up outcomes in lesions yielding benign vascular lesions on core biopsy. We retrospectively reviewed 117 patients with diagnosis of hemangioma (106 patients) and atypical hemangioma (11 patients) on core biopsy at our institution over an 18-year period. Majority of benign vascular lesions were followed-up clinically and/or radiologically. Surgical excision was performed on 18 patients (16.9%) with benign hemangiomas and all 11 patients (100%) with atypical hemangiomas. Upon excision, the majority of patients (82.8%, 24/29) retained benign final pathology and five patients (17.2%) were atypical hemangioma. There was no upgrade on excision. All patients had a benign course regardless whether the lesions were excised or not. Our findings support the recent study that benign vascular lesion of breast may not require surgical excision.
Healthcare utilization and financial impact of acute-graft-versus host disease among children undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The impact of AGVHD on healthcare utilization and cost is not well described. In this retrospective single center cohort study of 240 pediatric patients, we analyzed cost, healthcare utilization and patient outcomes for the first year post-alloHCT. Costs were estimated from charges recorded in the Pediatric Health Information System database and the hospital’s accounting system. The overall incidence of grade I–IV aGVHD was 40.4%. The incidence of grade I, grade II, and grade III–IV aGVHD was 6.6%, 16.2%, and 17.5%, respectively. The overall incidence of steroid refractory (SR)-aGVHD was 10.8%. The median number of days of hospitalization in the first year post-alloHCT was significantly higher for patients with aGVHD vs. no aGVHD: 113 days (range: 35–354 days) vs. 63 days (range: 25–298 days), p < 0.001. Patients with SR-aGVHD had increased hospitalization compared with the patients with steroid responsive aGVHD (152.8 ± 66.6days vs. 111.3 ± 59.3 days, p = 0.004), with associated increased alloHCT cost of ~$200,000. On multivariable analysis of risk factor for alloHCT cost, aGVHD, was associated with significantly higher cost ($141,094 [SE = 31247], p < 0.001). In summary, aGVHD and SR-aGVHD is associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher cost and inferior survival among children. Better aGVHD prevention strategies are desperately needed. Despite significant advances, lack of effective salvage regimens for SR-aGVHD remains a major concern.
Chapter Seventeen – Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are drugs that alter consciousness by distorting primarily auditory and visual perception but can affect any sensory system. Hallucinogens also affect judgment, orientation, memory, and emotions. Despite profound alterations in perception, adverse effects are minimal and hallucinogens are not addictive. Hallucinogen use has its roots in shamanic practices of indigenous cultures and is even incorporated in today's religions like the Native American church. By putting a person in an altered state of consciousness, many religions believed that the user was able to see beyond the boundaries of reality and reach out to mythical beings. Hallucinogen use in scientific research was not popular until the 1950s when Albert Hoffman discovered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The discovery of the drug encouraged further research into understanding its mechanisms and its relationship with mental diseases like schizophrenia. Unfortunately, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 significantly limited hallucinogenic research and human research for 42 years before 2012. However, animal research between 1990 and 2010 has determined the importance of serotonergic mechanisms and more specifically the 5-HT2A receptors in mediating LSD's hallucinogenic effects. Researchers continue to identify mechanisms of LSD action through additional receptors such as dopaminergic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Positron emission tomography scans and functional magnetic resonance imaging have also revealed the importance of the prefrontal cortical region and its interaction with other areas during a hallucinogenic state. Although human clinical research is limited, recent research sees a much deeper relationship by linking LSD brain activity and neurotransmitter levels to psychotic behaviors. The relationship between LSD and acute psychosis is being explored via animal models. Further understanding of hallucinogens on a physiological and psychological level has led to possible psychotherapeutic areas of research in anxiety and substance abuse. This chapter describes a brief history of hallucinogenic research, the pharmacology and neuroanatomy of serotonergic hallucinogens, the acute and chronic adverse effects of serotonergic hallucinogens, the possible treatments for complications with hallucinogenic use, the epidemiology, the relationship between hallucinogens and schizophrenia, and possible therapeutic uses of serotonergic hallucinogens.
Pragmatism, pluralism, and eclecticism: Sil and Katzenstein’s “Analytic eclecticism” in Beyond Paradigms:

This paper seeks to show ways in which analytic eclecticism can be strengthened to encourage hybrid theorizing capable of yielding more practically useful principles for foreign policy decision-mak...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Roles in Hurricane Response and Postdisaster Mosquito Control1

ABSTRACT Hurricanes and other natural disasters leave behind multifaceted and complex environmental challenges that may contribute to adverse health outcomes, such as increased potential for exposu...
Breakthrough venous thromboembolic events in five patients with COVID-19 on direct oral anticoagulants

What is known and objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Guidance for VTE prophylaxis continues to evolve, including addressing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) continued upon hospitalization. Case summaries We present 5 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 while on DOACs. Four patients had atrial fibrillation and had a previous VTE. Four patients developed acute VTE and one developed stroke-like symptoms. Monitoring D-dimer assisted with the detection of VTE. Three patients died, and two were discharged alive. What is new and conclusion Therapeutic failure with DOACs appears to be commonplace in COVID-19. Further research is needed to determine whether there is an underlying cause to this association.