cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pricing Strategies for Hybrid Bundles: Analytical Model and Insights

Abstract Retailers are increasingly offering hybrid bundles—products that combine both good(s) and service(s). Some hybrid bundles, such as Lowe's flooring that combines flooring material (good) and flooring installation (service) are sold in traditional stores, while others, such as Best Buy's bundle that includes a computer (good) and tech support (service) are also offered online. The pricing strategy of a hybrid bundle is critical to its success. While pricing strategies for a goods bundle have been well-studied, those for a services bundle have been underexplored. Hybrid bundles, which fundamentally differ from bundles of goods or bundles of services, primarily with regard to quality variability and scalability, have received even less attention. Drawing from the pricing and bundling literatures for both goods and services, we develop an analytic model of optimal pricing for hybrid bundles by a monopolist retailer. We derive and illustrate many useful propositions, several of which are counter-intuitive. Our results show that an increase in quality variability of the service is associated with a higher optimal hybrid bundle price and a lower optimal price of the good, but a lower overall bundle profit. Our findings also reveal that the optimal price of the service (good) in a hybrid bundle is higher (lower) when the good has diminishing unit cost and the service has constant unit cost (i.e., the good is more scalable than the service). Our results also show that higher unit costs incurred to achieve lower service quality variability can result in higher (lower) profits when the cost increase is low (high). We discuss important implications of these insights for researchers and practitioners.
The Decision to Grant

Why does Congress design some programs as grants to states, thereby relinquishing some control over how federal money gets spent, while designing other programs to be administered centrally? We evaluate this question empirically, finding that one reason Congress chooses a grant design for new programs is when the complexity of state and local spending in a sector is high. When the existing network of programs in a sector is large, with numerous programs potentially overlapping using a grant design for new programs has the potential to enhance the coordination and integration of program resources.
Quality Support for ICT in Schools

This chapter addresses issues related to the quality support needed for ICT to fulfil its potential in school programs. It begins with a discussion of ICT integration that serves as a foundation for the chapter-what are the goals for ICT use in schools, what hardware distribution best supports these goals, and what kinds of support are needed to make this all work on a school wide basis? Framed within theoretical perspectives of supporting teacher learning, the chapter explores issues pertaining to professional development, the role of school level coordinators, and how ICT leadership functions can be distributed among school personnel. The chapter concludes that high quality support requires robust access to technology and effective technical and pedagogical support. It further suggests that optimal support strategies should include a team approach that helps teachers identify promising practices while also providing for the essential conditions that support effective school-wide implementation.
Institutional Change in the Era of Globalization: A Comparison of Corporate Pension Policies in Japan and the U.S.

The relationship between globalization and institutional change is an issue frequently debated in economic geography and the social sciences. Some see firms, whatever their national culture or heritage, as facing common market forces that undermine self-determination and predict convergence towards a set of global best practice. Others are sceptical, arguing that different country-specific 'varieties of capitalism' have market distorting effects due to long-established differences in domestic institutions, resulting in path dependence that limits the strength of global incentives to converge at the firm-level. Others still are unconvinced by both these arguments. As such, this paper seeks to advance our understanding of globalization's impact on institutional change by adopting a firm-based perspective that tests whether the Japanese corporate pension experience parallels US corporate pension experiences. This allows for certain path dependence axioms to be tested. This paper finds that American and Japanese pension sponsors, despite clear manifestations of societal differences, have had similar private pension experiences. So, some of the predictions held by path dependence and the varieties of capitalism are not confirmed in this case. However, convergence towards a 'best practice' pension solution is also rejected. As such, the paper concludes that emerging concepts from the geography of finance may provide useful insights.
Absorption of inorganic phosphate in the human small intestine

1. Intestinal phosphate absorption in human subjects was studied by the technique of triple lumen intestinal perfusion in vivo. 2. Ileal phosphate absorption increased as the intraluminal phosphate concentration was increased. 3. Ileal rates of phosphate absorption were lower at any given intraluminal phosphate concentration than previously described jejunal rates. Acidification of the ileal lumen did not increase phosphate absorption. 4. Phosphate absorption was shown in the jejunum to be dependent on the intraluminal sodium concentration. 5. Phosphate absorption in the human small intestine consists of at least two components, one directly proportional to water movement and the second apparently independent of water movement.
Antioxidant Treatment Limits Neuroinflammation in Experimental Glaucoma.

Purpose Besides primary neurotoxicity, oxidative stress may compromise the glial immune regulation and shift the immune homeostasis toward neurodegenerative inflammation in glaucoma. We tested this hypothesis through the analysis of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative outcomes in mouse glaucoma using two experimental paradigms of decreased or increased oxidative stress. Methods The first experimental paradigm tested the effects of Tempol, a multifunctional antioxidant, given through osmotic mini-pumps for drug delivery by constant infusion. Following a 6-week treatment period after microbead/viscoelastic injection-induced ocular hypertension, retina and optic nerve samples were analyzed for markers of oxidative stress and cytokine profiles using specific bioassays. We also analyzed a redox-sensitive transcriptional regulator of neuroinflammation, namely NF-κB. The second paradigm included a similar analysis of the effects of overloaded oxidative stress on retina and optic nerve inflammation in mice knockout for a major antioxidant enzyme (SOD1(-/-)). Results Increased antioxidant capacity and decreased protein carbonyls and HNE adducts with Tempol treatment verified the drug delivery and biological function. Among a range of cytokines measured, proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1, IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, exhibited more than 2-fold decreased titers in Tempol-treated ocular hypertensive eyes. Antioxidant treatment also resulted in a prominent decrease in NF-κB activation in the ocular hypertensive retina and optic nerve. Although pharmacological treatment limiting the oxidative stress resulted in decreased neuroinflammation, ocular hypertension-induced neuroinflammatory responses were increased in SOD1(-/-) mice with defective antioxidant response. Conclusions These findings support the oxidative stress-related mechanisms of neuroinflammation and the potential of antioxidant treatment as an immunomodulation strategy for neuroprotection in glaucoma.
A poster and a mobile healthcare application as information tools for dental trauma management

Background/Aims Prompt management of dental trauma in children affects outcomes, and multiple educational resources are available. The aim of this study was to compare subjects’ accuracy in answering a survey about dental trauma management utilizing a poster and a mobile healthcare application and to determine user preference for mode of delivery of information. Materials and methods A survey was administered to parents of patients in two pediatric dental practices. Questions collected demographic information, frequency of internet use, and responses to questions regarding dental trauma management for two separate scenarios. Participants used both a poster and a mobile application, but were randomly assigned as to which tool was utilized first. Results Eighty-nine surveys were usable. The majority of respondents were aged 36–45 years (50.6%), had education beyond high school (64%), and had private insurance (52.8%). Less-educated individuals were more likely to report searching the Internet (74%) compared to individuals with a graduate degree (57%) (P = 0.017). The majority of subjects answered trauma management questions correctly with both tools. However, for an avulsed permanent tooth, individuals receiving the mobile application were more likely to select: ‘put the tooth back in place’ (71.1%) compared to those utilizing the poster, who chose ‘put the tooth in milk’ (56.8%) (P = 0.004). Less-educated individuals were willing to pay more for the application (P = 0.015) and were more likely to report being interested in receiving dental information through mobile technology in the future (P = 0.006). Conclusions Both a poster and a mobile healthcare application are effective in delivering dental trauma information.
One More Disguise in the Stealth Behavior of Streptococcus pyogenes

The ability to hide in the animal kingdom is essential for survival; the same is true for bacteria. Streptococcus pyogenes is considered one of the more successful stealth bacteria in its production of a hyaluronic acid capsule that is chemically identical to the hyaluronic acid lining human joints. It has also acquired the capacity to enter eukaryotic cells to avoid the onslaught of the host's immune defenses, as well as drugs. From this intracellular vantage point, it may remain dormant from days to weeks, only to cause disease again at a later time, perhaps causing a relapse in a drug-treated patient. We now learn that it is able to enter macrophages as well, enabling the Streptococcus to use this "Trojan horse" approach to be transported to distant sites in the body.
Chest Radiology Today: Overview

The purpose of this contribution is to review the current status of chest radiology in the world today, and to indicate new developments that have taken place during the past couple of years. I wish also to address briefly the question “where are we going?” The first of these tasks — an update of current knowledge — has proven relatively easy. I have reviewed the radiologic literature, chiefly American, of the past 2 or 3 years and have selected those contributions which I have felt have been most significant. I must emphasize the fact that I have only casually surveyed contributions made to chest radiology in the physiologic, pathologic, medical, and surgical journals. This is perhaps a serious omission since it is probable that the explosion of knowledge that has occurred in the field of chest disease over the past few years has been more physiologic and clinical than radiologic. With the exception of computerized tomography, I must conclude that major advances in the radiologic diagnosis of chest disease have been less than auspicious.
Pivotal Politics and the ideological content of Landmark Laws

The Pivotal Politics model (Krehbiel) has significantly influenced the study of American politics, but its core empirical prediction – that the size of the gridlock interval is negatively related to legislative productivity – has not found strong empirical support. We argue that previous research featured a disconnect between the exclusively ideological theory and tests that relied on outcome variables that were not purely ideological. We remedy this by dividing landmark laws (Mayhew) into two counts – those that invoke ideological preferences and those that do not – and uncover results consistent with Pivotal Politics’ core prediction: the size of the gridlock interval is negatively related to the production of ideological legislation. We also find that the size of the gridlock zone is positively related to the production of nonideological legislation. These results hold up in the face of various sensitivity analyses and robustness checks. We further show that Pivotal Politics explains variation in ideological legislation better than alternative theories based on partisan agenda control.
High-CO2 Requirement as a Mechanism for the Containment of Genetically Modified Cyanobacteria

As researchers engineer cyanobacteria for biotechnological applications, we must consider potential environmental release of these organisms. Previous theoretical work has considered cyanobacterial containment through elimination of the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) to impose a high-CO2 requirement (HCR), which could be provided in the cultivation environment but not in the surroundings. In this work, we experimentally implemented an HCR containment mechanism in Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7002 (PCC7002) through deletion of carboxysome shell proteins and showed that this mechanism contained cyanobacteria in a 5% CO2 environment. We considered escape through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and reduced the risk of HGT escape by deleting competence genes. We showed that the HCR containment mechanism did not negatively impact the performance of a strain of PCC7002 engineered for L-lactate production. We showed through coculture experiments of HCR strains with ccm-containing strains that this HCR mechanism ...
The Meaning and Predictive Value of Self-rated Mental Health among Persons with a Mental Health Problem:

Self-rated health is a valid measure of health that predicts quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. Its predictive value reflects a conceptualization of health that goes beyond a traditional medical model. However, less is known about self-rated mental health (SRMH). Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (N = 2,547), we examine how rating your mental health as good—despite meeting criteria for a mental health problem—predicts outcomes. We found that 62% of people with a mental health problem rated their mental health positively. Persons who rated their mental health as good (compared to poor) had 30% lower odds of having a mental health problem at follow-up. Even without treatment, persons with a mental health problem did better if they perceived their mental health positively. SRMH might comprise information beyond the experience of symptoms. Understanding the unobserved information individuals incorporate into SRMH will help us improve screening and treatment interventions.
An Ecological Perspective in Casework Practice

Services that make help available when and where it is needed in the life-space of people represent a beginning commitment to a new point of view
Chemical Weathering Yields from Basement and Orogenic Terrains in Hot and Cold Climates

The 18O record in benthonic foraminifera over the last 70 million years can only be interpreted in terms of a more-or-less continual climatic deterioration over the period of record.1–2 Abyssal water temperatures record winter conditions in the oceanic areas where climatic extremes generate the densest waters. The isotopic temperatures in the abyssal waters in the early Eocene, 50 million years ago, were about 15°C higher than at present. It is unlikely that a Mediterranean-type “warm salty bottom water” could have dominated the global circulation in the face of freezing temperatures as ice-brine formation should have prevailed as the major source of convection, then much as it does today. Hence the mean surface temperature must have been much higher than at present, and the latitudinal climatic gradient much lower; this is in accord with the fossil record. The only feasible way to achieve this climatic optimum appears to be through an enhanced greenhouse effect involving greatly elevated atmospheric pCO2, despite the fact that general circulation model (GCM) runs following this approach have been less than successful in simulating the conditions inferred from the geologic observations.3–6 The problem then is to explain the mechanisms responsible for large oscillations (order tenfold) in pCO2 on geologic timescales.
Dopamine agonists: structure-activity relationships

In the several years since Blaschko [1] first suggested that dopamine might be a neurotransmitter substance, many chemical compounds have been found to possess dopamine-like actions. This review surveys classes of structures for which putative dopaminergic agonism has been reported, and cites structure-activity correlations. Some aspects of metabolism of the agents are addressed, which seem to have relevance to structure-activity considerations and to strategy of drug design.
A developmental and psychobiologic framework for understanding the role of culture in child and adolescent psychiatry.

The developmental perspective represents a bridge between evidence-based methods for understanding human development and clinical practice. This perspective is unique because it is intrinsic to different aspects of psychiatry. It readily accommodates the descriptive-empirical model by means of concepts borrowed from developmental psychopathology and psychobiology. These concepts include normalcy, life cycle, risk and resilience, and protective mechanisms within a dynamic construction of development that involves an interchange among biology-personsociety-culture. The developmental perspective can also make important contributions to a process-oriented approach to measurement beyond a textually defined Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders structure.
Characterization of Flaw Shape and Orientation Using Ultrasonic Angular Scans

To exploit theoretical advances in elastic wave inverse scattering, an automated multiviewing ultrasonic transducer system and the associated signal processing algorithms have been developed at the Ames Laboratory for the reconstruction of the size, shape, and orientation of volumetric flaws [1]. The flaw sizing algorithm is based on elastic wave inverse scattering theories in the long and intermediate wavelength, regime [2,3] and the three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm finds the equivalent ellipsoid that best fits the flaw sizes in the various viewing directions [4,5]. The original multiprobe system consists of six peripheral transducers equally spaced in a circle surrounding one transducer at the center. The peripheral transducers may be tilted at an angle toward the center to increase the aperture and can also be translated along their respective axes to allow an equilization of the acoustic propagation time. The axis of the aperture cone is normally placed perpendicular to the part surface. The flaw sizing procedure was a one-dimensional inverse Born algorithm to determine the flaw’s centroid-to-tangent plane distances for a number (normally 13 or 19) of pulse-echo or pitch-catch scattering directions within a finite aperture cone. The flaw sizes are then used as inputs to a nonlinear least squares regression program to yield a complete geometric reconstruction in the form of three semi-axes and three Euler angles of the best-fit ellipsoid. Using this system, successful reconstructions have been obtained for both oblate spheroidal (disk-like) and prolate spheroidal (rod-like) inclusions and voids. The readers are referred to a complete description of the system in Ref. 1.
Ongoing barriers to immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception: a physician survey.

Postpartum women are at risk for unintended pregnancy. Access to immediate long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) may help decrease this risk, but it is unclear how many providers in the United States routinely offer this to their patients and what obstacles they face. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of United States obstetric providers that offer immediate postpartum LARC to their obstetric patients. We surveyed practicing Fellows and Junior Fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) about their use of immediate postpartum LARC. These members are demographically representative of ACOG members as a whole and represent all of the ACOG districts. Half of these Fellows were also part of the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network (CARN), a group of ACOG members who voluntarily participate in research. We asked about their experience with and barriers to immediate placement of intrauterine devices and contraceptive implants after delivery. There were a total of 108 out of 600 responses (18%). Participants practiced in a total of 36 states and/or US territories and their median age was 52 years. Only 26.9% of providers surveyed offered their patients immediate postpartum LARC, and of these providers, 60.7% work in a university-based practice. There was a statistically significant association between offering immediate postpartum LARC and practice type, with the majority of providers working at a university-based practice (p < 0.001). Multiple obstacles were identified, including cost or reimbursement, device availability, and provider training on device placement in the immediate postpartum period. The majority of obstetricians surveyed do not offer immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception to patients in the United States. This is secondary to multiple obstacles faced by providers.
Efficacy and safety of an internal magnet traction device for endoscopic submucosal dissection: ex vivo study in a porcine model (with video).

Appropriate traction allows for safer and easier endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an internal magnet traction device (MTD) for ESD in an ex vivo porcine model. The MTD consisted of a small neodymium magnet and a suture attached to a through-the-scope clip. A circumferential mucosal incision was completed around a 30-mm diameter template that served as the target lesion. The first MTD was deployed at the proximal edge of the lesion. A second MTD was deployed on the wall opposite the lesion. With both magnets connected, this created traction or lifting of the target lesion towards the opposing wall during submucosal dissection. Primary endpoint was comparison of submucosal dissection times between conventional ESD (C-ESD) and MTD-assisted ESD (MTD-ESD). Twenty lesions along the anterior wall, posterior wall and greater curvature were resected using either C-ESD or MTD-ESD. The submucosal dissection time in MTD-ESD was significantly shorter than C-ESD (median: 6.4 [interquartile range {IQR} 4.6–8.7] min vs. 14.4 min [IQR 11.8–18.0], p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between MTD-ESD and C-ESD in total procedure times for lesions on the posterior gastric wall and greater curvature (median: 23.0 min [IQR 21.1–24.5] vs. 29.2 min [IQR 24.8–33.2], p < 0.05) with no difference for lesions on the anterior gastric wall (median: 18.8 min [IQR 15.5–20.5] vs. 17.1 min [IQR 13.1–20.0], p = 0.5). The number of muscularis propria injuries per lesion was significantly lower in MTD-ESD than C-ESD (median: 0 [IQR 0–0] vs. 1 [IQR 0–2], p < 0.05). MTD for ESD is effective and safe when compared to C-ESD. This approach significantly reduced submucosal dissection times with less injury to the muscularis propria. Furthermore, MTD-ESD was particularly beneficial for more challenging gastric lesions located on the posterior wall and greater curvature.
Brain Metastases From Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Prevalence, Current Therapies, and Outcomes

Background and Objective The brain is an unusual site for distant metastases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The aim of this study was to document the prevalence of brain metastases from DTC at our institutions and to analyze the current therapies and the outcomes of these patients. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with DTC and secondary neoplasia of the brain. Results From 2002 to 2016, 9514 cases of thyroid cancer were evaluated across our institutions and 24 patients met our inclusion criteria, corresponding to a prevalence of 0.3% of patients with DTC. Fourteen (58.3%) were female and 10 (41.7%) were male. Fifteen patients had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) (62.5%). Brain metastases were diagnosed 0 to 37 years (mean ± SD, 10.6 ± 10.4 years) after the initial diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Patients undergoing surgery had a median survival time longer than those that did not undergo surgery (27.3 months vs 6.8 months; P = 0.15). Patients who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) had a median survival time longer than those that did not receive SRS (52.5 months vs 6.7 months; P = 0.11). Twelve patients (50%) were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and they had a better survival than those who have not used a TKI (median survival time, 27.2 months vs 4.7 months; P < 0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of brain metastases of DTC in our institutions was 0.3% over 15 years. The median survival time after diagnosis of brain metastases was 19 months. In our study population, the use of TKI improved the survival rates.
Vortex shedding from a circular cylinder in shear-thinning Carreau fluids

Results from numerical simulations of two-dimensional, shear-thinning Carreau fluid flow over an unconfined circular cylinder are presented in this paper. Parametric sweeps are performed over the various Carreau model parameters, and trends of the time-averaged force coefficients and vortex characteristics are reported. In general, increased shear-thinning results in lower viscous forces on the body but greater pressure forces, resulting in a complex non-monotonic drag response. Lift forces generally increased with shear-thinning due to the dominant pressure contribution. The decrease in fluid viscosity also led to shorter vortex formation lengths and the consequent rise in the Strouhal frequency of vortex shedding. It is expected that these results will be useful for verification of computational models of unsteady non-Newtonian flows.
Leveraging the Imaging Transmit Pulse to Manipulate Phase-Change Nanodroplets for Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

Phase-change perfluorohexane nanodroplets (PFHnDs) are a new class of recondensable submicrometer-sized contrast agents that have potential for contrast-enhanced and super-resolution ultrasound imaging with an ability to reach extravascular targets. The PFHnDs can be optically triggered to undergo vaporization, resulting in spatially stationary, temporally transient microbubbles. The vaporized PFHnDs are hyperechoic in ultrasound imaging for several to hundreds of milliseconds before recondensing to their native, hypoechoic, liquid nanodroplet state. The decay of echogenicity, i.e., the dynamic behavior of the ultrasound signal from optically triggered PFHnDs in ultrasound imaging, can be captured using high-frame-rate ultrasound imaging. We explore the possibility to manipulate the echogenicity dynamics of optically triggered PFHnDs in ultrasound imaging by changing the phase of the ultrasound imaging pulse. Specifically, the ultrasound imaging system was programmed to transmit two imaging pulses with inverse polarities. We show that the imaging pulse phase can affect the amplitude and the temporal behavior of PFHnD echogenicity in ultrasound imaging. The results of this study demonstrate that the ultrasound echogenicity is significantly increased (about 78% improvement) and the hyperechoic timespan of optically triggered PFHnDs is significantly longer (about four times) if the nanodroplets are imaged by an ultrasound pulse starting with rarefactional pressure versus a pulse starting with compressional pressure. Our finding has direct and significant implications for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of droplets in applications such as super-resolution imaging and molecular imaging where detection of individual or low-concentration PFHnDs is required.
Diagnosis: What Historical Features and Laboratory Test(s) Are the Most Helpful to Make the Diagnosis? Is There Really a Normal Lipase with Active Pancreatitis? What “Red Flags” Suggest a Complicated Course?

Acute pancreatitis is defined as abdominal pain in the epigastric area with elevated pancreatic enzymes or signs of pancreatitis on advanced imaging. Two out of three characteristics are required to make the diagnosis. Both pancreatic enzymes amylase and lipase may be elevated, but lipase is more specific and can be used alone to make the diagnosis. Most cases of pancreatitis are mild and require only supportive care; however, signs of dehydration, infection, and persistent inflammation may indicate a more complicated course. It is difficult to determine learnersdictionary.com in the emergency department which patients will have a more severe course.
A Demographic Turnpike for Long-Range Manpower Planning in Developing Economies

Publisher Summary Demographic considerations are involved in a number of ways in planning for economic development. The size, growth, composition, and distribution of the population and the characteristics of its working-age contingent are all important determinants of consumption, production, and employment. When employment has become a high-priority goal of economic policy, these demographic factors are more explicitly incorporated in planning and frequently taken as a point of departure. This is particularly true in the less developed nations. The importance of demographic variables in economic planning also derives from their being a consequence of economic and social development. Mortality, fertility, composition, distribution, and participation in the labor force are all affected by economic development policy and so are social expectations and the aspirations of a population for improving its standard of living. This chapter presents a dynamic model for exploring whether economic needs and the aspirations of a population for type and place of employment is largely satisfied and if not totally satisfied at least compensated partially by monetary means.
Abstract 5158: Hypoxia alters the release and size distribution of extracellular vesicles in pancreatic cancer cells to support their adaptive survival

Pancreatic tumors are characterized by poor vasculature and fibrous stromal tissue networksthat create an extensive hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in pancreatic tumor pathobiology by supporting inter-cellular communications. They arebroadly classified into three subtypes: exosomes (Exo; 30-150 nm), microvesicles (MVs; 100 nm-1 µm) and apoptotic bodies (Abs; 1-5 µm), according to their cellular origin. Here, we studied the effect of hypoxic stress on the release kinetics and size distribution of EVs in pancreatic cancer cells. Further, we also investigated the role of different EV subtypes in adaptive survival of pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxia.Our data demonstrated that under hypoxic conditions, pancreatic cancer cells (MiaPaCa and AsPC1) shed greater amount of EVs with most noticeable changes recorded for the small size EVs. Moreover, all EVs (small, moderate, large) showed a shift towards reduced size depending upon the extent of hypoxia. When examined for subtype-specific markers, we observed mixed profiles. Thrombospondin (marker for Abs) and Arf6 (marker for MVs) were exclusively detected in large and moderate size fractions, respectively, under both normoxia and hypoxia. However, CD9 (marker for Exo) was detected in both small and moderate size EVs under hypoxia. Furthermore, in release kinetics studies we observed cyclic increases in accumulation of EV subtypes under hypoxic conditions. In addition, our data demonstrated that EVs from hypoxic cancer cells promoted survival of cancer cells under hypoxia,with small EVs being the most active. Altogether, our findings establish that hypoxia alters shedding of EVs in supporting adaptive survival of pancreatic cancer cells; associated differences could possibly be exploited for effective cancer management. Citation Format: Mary C. Patton, Haseeb Zubair, Mohammad Aslam Khan, Seema Singh, Ajay P. Singh. Hypoxia alters the release and size distribution of extracellular vesicles in pancreatic cancer cells to support their adaptive survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5158.
A Multivariate Rank-Based Two-Sample Test Statistic

The problem of testing whether two samples come from the same or different populations is a classical one in statistics. A new distribution-free test based on standardized ranks for the univariate two-sample problem is studied. Providing a distribution-free (nonparametric) method offers a valuable technique for analyzing data that consists of ranks or relative preferences of data, and of data that are small samples from unknown distributions. The proposed test statistic examines the difference between the average of between-group rank distances and the average of within-group rank distances. This test statistic is closely related to the classical two-sample Cramer–von Mises criterion; however, they are different empirical versions of the same quantity for testing the equality of two population distributions. The advantage of the proposed rank-based test over the classical one is its ease to generalize to the multivariate case. In addition, the motivation of the proposed test is its application to microarray analyses in identifying sets of genes that are differentially expressed in various biological states, such as diseased versus non-diseased. A numerical study is conducted to compare the power performance of the rank formulation test with other commonly used nonparametric tests.
Sarcoidosis: A Diagnosis of Exclusion.

OBJECTIVE. This article will review the typical and atypical imaging features of sarcoidosis, identify entities that may be mistaken for sarcoidosis, and discuss patterns and clinical scenarios tha...
The Use of Traditional Fear Tests to Evaluate Different Emotional Circuits in Cattle

Animal temperament is complex and has implications for productivity and economic profitability. Quantifying an animal's response to differing stimuli may facilitate breeding selections and identify animals that are better suited to specific management strategies. Multiple tests have been developed to evaluate cattle temperament (e.g., exit velocity, chute score, pen score, open field test, startle test, bovine zero maze), but each of these tests evaluates the animal's response to different stimuli (e.g., isolation, novel environment, startle, willingness to enter an enclosed area). Cattle temperament has been observed to be relatively stable over time. However, the evaluation of temperament has the potential to be influenced by current conditions, previous experiences, and observer bias. Many of these temperament tests have been improperly categorized as fear tests and have also been criticized for being subjective. This paper provides a framework for standardizing behavioral tests for cattle and suggests that these different evaluations assess different aspects of the animal's overall temperament.
Scalable nanolaminated SERS multiwell cell culture assay.

This paper presents a new cell culture platform enabling label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) analysis of biological samples. The platform integrates a multilayered metal-insulator-metal nanolaminated SERS substrate and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) multiwells for the simultaneous analysis of cultured cells. Multiple cell lines, including breast normal and cancer cells and prostate cancer cells, were used to validate the applicability of this unique platform. The cell lines were cultured in different wells. The Raman spectra of over 100 cells from each cell line were collected and analyzed after 12 h of introducing the cells to the assay. The unique Raman spectra of each cell line yielded biomarkers for identifying cancerous and normal cells. A kernel-based machine learning algorithm was used to extract the high-dimensional variables from the Raman spectra. Specifically, the nonnegative garrote on a kernel machine classifier is a hybrid approach with a mixed nonparametric model that considers the nonlinear relationships between the higher-dimension variables. The breast cancer cell lines and normal breast epithelial cells were distinguished with an accuracy close to 90%. The prediction rate between breast cancer cells and prostate cancer cells reached 94%. Four blind test groups were used to evaluate the prediction power of the SERS spectra. The peak intensities at the selected Raman shifts of the testing groups were selected and compared with the training groups used in the machine learning algorithm. The blind testing groups were correctly predicted 100% of the time, demonstrating the applicability of the multiwell SERS array for analyzing cell populations for cancer research. Researchers in the USA have developed a cell culture platform which enhances spectroscopic analysis, making it possible to carry out molecular profiling of biological samples without any labeling. A team led by Masoud Agah and Wei Zhou of Virginia Tech incorporated nanolaminated plasmonic structures into the surface of a multi-well cell culture plate. This modification improves the performance of Raman spectroscopy, facilitating more sensitive and precise biochemical profiling, and the resulting spectra were analyzed via machine learning. The team tested their approach by using it to discriminate samples of normal breast tissue, breast cancer cells, and prostate cancer cells. The analysis distinguished the cell types with over 90% accuracy. This approach can be used for label-free analysis of diagnostic biomarkers to identify specific cancer subtypes, and further work may make it possible to analyze samples of mixed cells.
Solar for industrial process heat: A review of technologies, analysis approaches, and potential applications in the United States

Abstract Renewable energy integration in the industrial sector is a key step in achieving low-carbon production systems. Solar for industrial process heat (SIPH) is gaining attention towards this goal and has the potential for significant scale up, particularly in the United States, which combines a large and diverse industrial sector with rich solar resources. Currently, there are knowledge gaps related to a granular understanding of industrial energy use and of technical and economic parameters for evaluating SIPH adoption in the U.S. In this review, we discuss the industrial process heating landscape, the current state of SIPH technologies, their potential applications in the context of U.S. industry, the status of modeling and data for determining potential, known barriers to adoption, and future research paths. This review highlights industries and SIPH technologies for policy recommendation and provides insights on modeling approaches for evaluation of SIPH projects.
Mobility-aware computation offloading in edge computing using prediction

A key use case of edge computing is computation offloading that augments the capabilities of resource-constrained mobile devices by conserving their energy consumption and reducing latency of their applications. Edge computing resources, called cloudlets, are resource-rich computing infrastructures nearby users that aim at mitigating the overload of mobile devices and providing low-latency services. A main challenge in computation offloading to cloudlets is how to assign mobile applications to cloudlets efficiently such that the assignment captures the mobility inherent of mobile devices and leads to minimum latency during runtime of the applications. We address this problem by proposing a novel offloading approach that considers dynamics of mobile applications including mobility and changing specifications, and fully assigns applications to cloudlets, while minimizing their turnaround time (latency and execution time). We first formulate the problem as an integer programming model to minimize the turnaround time of mobile applications. This problem is an NP-hard problem. To tackle the intractability, we design a computation offloading algorithm, called OAMC, utilizing future specifications of mobile applications to obtain smart mobility-aware offloading decisions based on our prediction models. We conduct several experiments to evaluate the performance of our proposed approach. The results reveal that OAMC leads to near-optimal turnaround time in a reasonable running time.
Human Commensal Prevotella histicola Ameliorates Disease as Effectively as Interferon-Beta in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Gut microbiota has emerged as an important environmental factor in the pathobiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Both genetic and environmental factors have been shown to play an important role in MS. Among genetic factors, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II allele such as HLA-DR2, DR3, DR4, DQ6, and DQ8 show the association with the MS. We have previously used transgenic mice expressing MS susceptible HLA class II allele such as HLA-DR2, DR3, DQ6, and DQ8 to validate significance of HLA alleles in MS. Although environmental factors contribute to 2/3 of MS risk, less is known about them. Gut microbiota is emerging as an imporatnt environmental factor in MS pathogenesis. We and others have shown that MS patients have distinct gut microbiota compared to healthy control (HC) with a lower abundance of Prevotella. Additionally, the abundance of Prevotella increased in patients receiving disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) such as Copaxone and/or Interferon-beta (IFNβ). We have previously identified a specific strain of Prevotella (Prevotella histicola), which can suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease in HLA-DR3.DQ8 transgenic mice. Since Interferon-β-1b [IFNβ (Betaseron)] is a major DMTs used in MS patients, we hypothesized that treatment with the combination of P. histicola and IFNβ would have an additive effect on the disease suppression. We observed that treatment with P. histicola suppressed disease as effectively as IFNβ. Surprisingly, the combination of P. histicola and IFNβ was not more effective than either treatment alone. P. histicola alone or in combination with IFNβ increased the frequency and number of CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Treatment with P. histicola alone, IFNβ alone, and in the combination decreased frequency of pro-inflammatory IFN-γ and IL17-producing CD4+ T cells in the CNS. Additionally, P. histicola alone or IFNβ alone or the combination treatments decreased CNS pathology, characterized by reduced microglia and astrocytic activation. In conclusion, our study indicates that the human gut commensal P. histicola can suppress disease as effectively as commonly used MS drug IFNβ and may provide an alternative treatment option for MS patients.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Lung Transplantation: Superior to Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Comparable to Off-Pump Strategy

Purpose Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be used in combination with or in place of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during lung transplantation (LTx). We hypothesize that in our center, intra-operative ECMO utilization yields superior outcomes to CPB alone. Methods Single-institution data for 742 LTx patients from February 2012 to March 2020 was collected based on intra-operative pump support; ECMO, CPB, “off-pump” and combined (CPB and ECMO). Patients with heart-lung transplant (HLT), concomitant procedures, and re-do LTx were excluded. Survival between groups (n=641) was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Disparities in variables between groups were analyzed with ANOVA and Chi-squared tests. Significant variables were included in a Cox regression to determine potential impacts on survival corresponding to pump support. P values Results Cox regression displayed significant survival differences between ECMO (n=59), CPB (n=120), “off-pump” (n=458) and combined (n=4) groups (p=0.044). Compared to “off-pump”, only CPB support (RR 1.52, 95%CI 1.11-2.10, p=0.01) had a significant negative survival impact. ANOVA and Chi-squared tests showed significant differences between groups in lung allocation score (p Conclusion Our center's results indicate comparable survival post-LTx with ECMO support as compared to off-pump technique. Independent CPB support displayed a significantly unfavorable survival outcome. This underscores the utility of ECMO support in future lung transplantation procedures.
Optimization of NPN ESD Protection Device for Improved Failure Current

This paper presents a high voltage NPN based ESD protection device with a designed PBL under collector region. Experiment on silicon shows it achieves 2.7X failure current improvement compared to structure without PBL. It has a flexible feature of tunable trigger voltage and holding voltage without I t2 degradation.
Fluorescent visualization of oil displacement in a microfluidic device for enhanced oil recovery applications

A microfluidic device was developed to mimic the reservoir pore-scale and track the oil/water phases during air flooding. The chip was generated by combining soft-lithography and NOA81 replication. A unique feature of this approach is the inclusion of fluorescent dyes into the oil/water phases, allowing for real-time visualization of oil recovery without altering the phases’ surface properties. As a proof of concept, the air was injected into the water/oil-flooded device for enhanced oil recovery applications.
A symphony within: Frequent participation in performing arts predicts higher positive mental health in young adults

Abstract Rationale. Positive mental health is a critical component of overall mental health, but our understanding of the potential drivers of positive mental health is lacking. Participation in the arts may contribute to positive mental health through the mechanism of flow, a mental state of becoming completely engrossed in an enjoyable activity. Participation in performing arts specifically may be especially predictive of positive mental health due to its collective nature. Objective and methods This study uses the Population Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Transition to Adulthood Sample (N = 5657 person-years) to investigate whether participation in performing arts predicts positive mental health in young adults in the US through adjusted least squares and individual-level fixed-effects linear regression models across three waves of data per individual. Additionally, the study investigates different levels of participation to establish a dose response and employs stratified analyses by race/ethnicity, income, and gender. Results Results show that, compared to no participation, participating in the performing arts every day is associated with an increase in positive mental health of a 0.315 effect size [p Conclusion This study shows strong associations between frequent performing arts participation and positive mental health and suggests that more resources should be allocated to performing arts access for young adults from diverse backgrounds.