cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Connecting carbon and nitrogen storage in rural wetland soil to groundwater abstraction for urban water supply

We investigated whether groundwater abstraction for urban water supply diminishes the storage of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and organic matter in the soil of rural wetlands. Wetland soil organic matter (SOM) benefits air and water quality by sequestering large masses of C and N. Yet, the accumulation of wetland SOM depends on soil inundation, so we hypothesized that groundwater abstraction would diminish stocks of SOM, C, and N in wetland soils. Predictions of this hypothesis were tested in two types of subtropical, depressional-basin wetland: forested swamps and herbaceous-vegetation marshes. In west-central Florida, >650 ML groundwater day(-1) are abstracted for use primarily in the Tampa Bay metropolis. At higher abstraction volumes, water tables were lower and wetlands had shorter hydroperiods (less time inundated). In turn, wetlands with shorter hydroperiods had 50-60% less SOM, C, and N per kg soil. In swamps, SOM loss caused soil bulk density to double, so areal soil C and N storage per m(2) through 30.5 cm depth was diminished by 25-30% in short-hydroperiod swamps. In herbaceous-vegetation marshes, short hydroperiods caused a sharper decline in N than in C. Soil organic matter, C, and N pools were not correlated with soil texture or with wetland draining-reflooding frequency. Many years of shortened hydroperiod were probably required to diminish soil organic matter, C, and N pools by the magnitudes we observed. This diminution might have occurred decades ago, but could be maintained contemporarily by the failure each year of chronically drained soils to retain new organic matter inputs. In sum, our study attributes the contraction of hydroperiod and loss of soil organic matter, C, and N from rural wetlands to groundwater abstraction performed largely for urban water supply, revealing teleconnections between rural ecosystem change and urban resource demand.
Statistical distributions for ocean waves

Results are presented from the analysis of data obtained by underwater pressure recorders in the Pacific Ocean. Computed parameters describing the statistical distribution of wave heights and wave periods are given and incorporated into one-parameter probability models closely fitting the data. The model for wave-height distributions is found to provide a satisfactory explanation for the ratios among the mean and certain specified wave heights reported by other observers. The degree of relation between the heights or periods of successive waves or between the height and the period of the same wave was found to be relatively low.
The Role of Tax Reform in Deficit Reduction

Income tax reform discussions too often are exercises in tax nostalgia. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 was revenue neutral because it could afford to be. (It also was preceded and followed by major tax increases.) The fact that we must raise revenues today means that a contemporary incremental income tax reform effort will look different, not that it is impossible. Unlike in 1986, when the tax system overflowed with unintended tax shelters that could be cleaned up and traded off against lower rates, modern tax reform must tackle some of the deliberate Congressional subsidy programs baked into the tax code, which is to say, tax expenditures. Of these, the most important to address are the personal itemized deductions. They are extraordinarily costly - about $250 billion/year in forgone tax revenues. And they are inefficient, poorly targeted and unfair. The personal itemized deductions invariably are described as political “sacred cows.” But they are sacred cows that we can no longer afford to maintain. Either we eliminate these sacred cows, or we allow them to stampede over us. Incremental income tax reform also must address the corporate income tax, but here there is no choice but a revenue-neutral approach, because the U.S. corporate rate is now a global outlier. A corporate tax reform package should be fashioned along the following lines: (1) Eliminate business tax expenditures; (2) Reduce the corporate tax rate to a rate in the range of 25-27 percent; (3) Tax multinationals on their worldwide income through worldwide tax consolidation. The resulting corporate tax system would represent a huge competitive boost for American domestic firms, would attract inward investment, and would provide a fair tax environment for U.S.-based multinationals.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Rare Human Group C Rotavirus Strains Isolated from Two Cases of Acute Gastroenteritis.

ABSTRACT This is a report of the complete genomic sequences of two rare group C rotavirus strains RVC/SZ94/CHN/2011 and RVC/SZ272/CHN/2011, isolated from two cases of acute gastroenteritis in Shenzhen, southern China, in 2011. These two strains display a close genetic relationship to 2007 Chinese strain YNR001 and 2008 Japanese strain BK0830.
The association of race and survival from sepsis after injury.

Genetic variation is associated with outcome disparity in critical illness. We sought to determine if race is independently associated with the development of posttraumatic sepsis and subsequent related mortality. Our Intensive Care Unit database was queried for admissions from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2007. Patients were prospectively followed for sepsis (Any four of the following symptoms: temperature > or =38 degrees C, heart rate (HR) > or =90 b/m, RR > or =20 b/m (or PaCO2 or =12, or vasopressor requirement all with an infectious source). White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian groups were defined. "Other" race was excluded. Most of the 3998 study patients were male (3157, 79.0%). Blunt trauma (2661, 66.6%) predominated. Six-hundred-seventy-seven (16.9%) met sepsis criteria. Mortality was 14.0 per cent (560). Sepsis was increased in Asians versus all others combined (23.7% vs. 16.1%). Race was independently associated with sepsis (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.12 (1.01-1.24), P value = 0.03). Sepsis associated mortality was 36.9 per cent (250/677). Black race demonstrated an increased survival versus all others after sepsis (25.4% vs. 37.7%) but this was not statistically significant (adjusted OR 0.96 (0.73-1.18), P value = 0.71). Race is independently associated with posttraumatic sepsis and possibly subsequent sepsis associated mortality. Further related study is needed with the ultimate goal of genetically based treatments for the prevention and treatment of sepsis after injury.
Ligand Coordination and Spin Crossover in a Nickel Porphyrin Anchored to Mesoporous TiO2 Thin Films

The coordination and spin equilibrium of a NiII meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin compound, NiP, was quantified both in fluid solution and when anchored to mesoporous, nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films. This comparison provides insights into the relative rate constants for excited-state injection and ligand field population. In the presence of pyridine, the spectroscopic data were consistent with the presence of equilibrium concentrations of a 4-coordinate low-spin S = 0 (1A1g) NiII compound and a high-spin S = 1 (3B1g) 6-coordinate compound. Temperature-dependent equilibrium constants were consistently smaller for the surface-anchored NiP/TiO2, as were the absolute values of ΔH and ΔS. In the presence of diethylamine (DEA), the ground-state 6-coordinate compound was absent, but evidence for it was present after pulsed light excitation of NiP. Arrhenius analysis of data, measured from −40 to −10 °C, revealed activation energies for ligand dissociation that were the same for the compound in fluid solution...
AxGames: Towards Crowdsourcing Quality Target Determination in Approximate Computing

Approximate computing trades quality of application output for higher efficiency and performance. Approximation is useful only if its impact on application output quality is acceptable to the users. However, there is a lack of systematic solutions and studies that explore users' perspective on the effects of approximation. In this paper, we seek to provide one such solution for the developers to probe and discover the boundary of quality loss that most users will deem acceptable. We propose AxGames, a crowdsourced solution that enables developers to readily infer a statistical common ground from the general public through three entertaining games. The users engage in these games by betting on their opinion about the quality loss of the final output while the AxGames framework collects statistics about their perceptions. The framework then statistically analyzes the results to determine the acceptable levels of quality for a pair of (application, approximation technique). The three games are designed such that they effectively capture quality requirements with various tradeoffs and contexts. To evaluate AxGames, we examine seven diverse applications that produce user perceptible outputs and cover a wide range of domains, including image processing, optical character recognition, speech to text conversion, and audio processing. We recruit 700 participants/users through Amazon's Mechanical Turk to play the games that collect statistics about their perception on different levels of quality. Subsequently, the AxGames framework uses the Clopper-Pearson exact method, which computes a binomial proportion confidence interval, to analyze the collected statistics for each level of quality. Using this analysis, AxGames can statistically project the quality level that satisfies a given percentage of users. The developers can use these statistical projections to tune the level of approximation based on the user experience. We find that the level of acceptable quality loss significantly varies across applications. For instance, to satisfy 90% of users, the level of acceptable quality loss is 2% for one application (image processing) and 26% for another (audio processing). Moreover, the pattern with which the crowd responds to approximation takes significantly different shape and form depending on the class of applications. These results confirm the necessity of solutions that systematically explore the effect of approximation on the end user experience.
Calculating Sums of Infinite Series

(1992). Calculating Sums of Infinite Series. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 99, No. 7, pp. 649-655.
O-005 Frequency of Post-Procedural Diffusion Weighted Imaging Abnormalities and Association with Delayed Ipsilateral Intracerebral Haemorrhages in Patients Undergoing Endovascular Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms with the Pipeline Embolization Device

Purpose To determine the frequency and predictors of post-procedural diffusion-weighted-imaging (DWI) abnormalities in patients with cerebral aneurysms treated with the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED). Methods Two interventional neuroradiologists reviewed post-procedural MRI examinations performed in patients with cerebral aneurysms treated with the PED at our institution to determine the number of DWI abnormalities present in the vascular territory of the treated aneurysm. Baseline patient and aneurysm characteristics and procedural variables were recorded. Results Twenty-two patients were included, 15 female (68%) and 7 male (32%), mean age 53.2 years (25–79 years). Mean aneurysm size 11.2 mm (2.5–22 mm), mean neck size 6.5 mm (1.6–17 mm), 5 aneurysms were fusiform (22.7%). Mean pre-procedure P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) value was 164.9 (81–275). PEDs were deployed in the internal carotid artery (ICA) in 16 patients (72.8%), middle cerebral artery in 3 patients (13.6%) and vertebral artery in 3 patients (13.6%). Mean procedure time was 86 min (median 75 min, range 39–189 min). Mean number of PEDs deployed was 1.2. At the time of post-procedural MRI, 4 patients exhibited focal neurological deficits (18%, mean 3.5 days post-procedure) and 18 were asymptomatic (82%, all on post-operative day [POD] 1). At least 1 DWI abnormality was observed in 17 patients (77%), including all 4 symptomatic (100%) and 13 asymptomatic patients (72%). Mean number of DWI abnormalities was 12.5 (median 4, range 0–70), with a trend towards a higher number in symptomatic patients (mean 26.8, range 5–70) than in asymptomatic patients (mean 9.3, range 0–48, p-value 0.1). Eleven patients had a high DWI burden, defined as ≥5 DWI abnormalities (50%). Predictors of a high DWI burden were fusiform aneurysm morphology (100%, p-value 0.035), female sex (67%, p-value 0.06), and procedure time >90 min (70%, p-value 0.09). Conclusion We observed a high rate of asymptomatic ipsilateral DWI abnormalities after PED procedures (72%). The combination of a high DWI burden and P2Y12-receptor over-inhibition post-procedure may play an important role in the aetiology of delayed ipsilateral ICHs encountered after PED procedures. Disclosures J. Delgado Almandoz: 2; C; Covidien/ev3. Y. Kadkhodayan: 2; C; Covidien/ev3. J. Fease: None. J. Scholz: None. A. Blem: None. K. Tran: None. B. Crandall: 2; C; Covidien/ev3.
Magnetic defects in La2-xSrx

We report the magnetization as a function of magnetic field and temperature for as-grown and doped La/sub 2/CuO/sub 4/. Two samples of La/sub 2/CuO/sub 4/ with differing oxygen treatment and a sample of La/sub 1.995/Sr/sub 0.005/CuO/sub 4/ exhibited T/sub N/ of 225, 240, and 215 K, respectively. An anomalous magnetic field dependence of the magnetization was observed above and below T/sub N/ for each of these samples, suggestive of the presence of small ferromagnetically coupled domains present within each of these samples. Below T/sub N/ these ferromagnetic regions appear antiferromagnetic until application of a critical field switches them to a ferromagnetic domain. Samples of La/sub 2-//sub x/Sr/sub x/CuO/sub 4/ with x = 0.05 and 0.15 show no antiferromagnetic ordering and no anomalous ferromagnetic domains. These anomalous magnetic effects give credence to models of formation of unusual magnetic domains within these antiferromagnetically coupled materials.
Following a rigid plan and treatment protocol will maximize dental implant success--Part II.

A properly established protocol ensures success when providing implant therapy for the dental patient. The basis for achieving doctor/patient objectives emphasizes esthetics, phonetics, function, longevity and maintainability. Too often patients are presented with completed prosthetics without prior consideration of their expectations. This article identifies and describes each phase of pre- and post-surgical planning and the role of each implant team member. The goal of this article is to illustrate the value of utilizing specific treatment protocols to guide the restoring dentist, surgeon, technician and patient toward predictable results while minimizing uncertainties.
What's new? Clinical progression and staging of Parkinson's disease

Several new advances facilitate current understanding of the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The application of statistical modeling techniques has helped to estimate rates of clinical decline in the context of symptomatic interventions. These approaches may allow a new means for testing neuroprotection effects even when patients are on dopaminergic treatment. Further, the development of new rating scales, specifically the Movement Disorder Society-initiated revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale has capitalized on a greater clinical appreciation of non-motor elements of Parkinson’s disease. Finally, adaptations of new technologies that are computer-based and enable data transmission from at-home environments allow researchers to capture disease impairment and disability with potentially greater precision and much more frequently than permissible in a hospital clinic or practice setting.
Role of biobanking in urology: a review

In the current era of individualized medicine, a biorepository of human samples is essential to support clinical and translational research. There have been limited efforts in this arena within the field of urology, as cost, logistical and ethical issues represent significant deterrents to biobanking. The Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute Biorepository was founded in 1994 as a resource to facilitate discovery. Since its inception, the biorepository has enabled numerous research endeavours including pivotal trials leading to the regulatory approval of four diagnostic tests for prostate cancer. In the present review, we discuss the current state of biobanking within urology, outline the specific ethical and financial challenges to biobanking as well as solutions, and describe the operations of a successful urological biorepository.
THE TENTH-CENTURY TRANSFORMATION

The political order in early medieval Alsace was transformed in the tenth century, when monasteries began to emancipate themselves from lay domination. As was the case elsewhere in east Francia, and in Burgundy beyond the east Frankish kingdom, monastic reform in Alsace progressed with the acquiescence of the lay aristocracy. Later, in the eleventh century, the reform popes were able to build upon these impulses and harness lay piety and unrest to redefine the relationship between royal and ecclesiastical authority. Meanwhile, in the tenth century, monastic reform in the Vosges – indeed in many other regions of east Francia – was profoundly shaped by a newly assertive royal authority administered by the Ottonian kings, the dynasty that succeeded the Carolingians in east Francia. The energy of the Ottonian dynasty was not apparent from its inception under Henry, the duke in Saxony, who succeeded the reputedly ill-fated reign of the Franconian duke Conrad, who had succeeded the last Carolingian king in the east, Louis the Child. Henry did successfully organize defences against Magyar raids and fashioned a system of cooperative rule with the by now entrenched regional dukes. For much of his reign, Henry left Alsace to its own devices. Partly, this was a logical outgrowth of the horizontal rulership he fostered with the dukes, which in Alsace meant deference to Duke Burchard of Swabia, whose sphere of influence encompassed the southwestern sector of the east Frankish realm.
Does Welfare Inhibit Success? The Long-Term Effects of Removing Low-Income Youth from the Disability Rolls

I estimate the effects of removing low-income youth with disabilities from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on their earnings and income in adulthood. Using a regression discontinuity design based on a 1996 policy change in age 18 medical reviews, I find that youth who are removed from SSI at age 18 recover one-third of the lost SSI cash income in earnings. SSI youth who are removed and stay off SSI earn on average $4,400 annually, and they lose $76,000 in present discounted observed income over the 16 years following removal relative to those who do not receive a review. (JEL I30, I38, J14) Supporters of welfare programs defend them as vital lifelines for those who face barriers to work, while critics charge that these programs create perverse incentives to qualify and perpetuate dependency. Encapsulating this debate is the controversy over the US Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a program that provides cash payments and Medicaid eligibility to low-income children and adults with disabilities and the aged elderly. After three decades of rapid expansion, SSI is now the largest nonwork-based cash welfare program in the United States, paying about $50 billion each year to 8 million recipients, including 1.3 million children. 1 SSI has been singled out by policymakers and the media for potential perverse incentives,
On How and Who to Dialogue with the Muslim World

The struggle against terrorism in the Middle East has led to a quest to find ways to counter the appeal of violent extremists. Thus far, US counter-messaging has failed to articulate a normative position that is responsive to the deeply-held beliefs of the majority of the world’s Muslims. To form a sounder approach, one must acknowledge that there are two fundamentally different interpretations of Islam, both of which are supported by a close reading of the Qur’an and major texts. This article explains the reasons behind the US’s previous failure to clearly articulate its message. It concludes with raising the question of which messenger is best equipped to promote the normative message and what steps are required to lift the chosen agent to the needed scale.
Categorical Abstract Algebraic Logic: (ℐ,N)-Algebraic Systems

Algebraic systems play in the theory of algebraizability of π-institutions the role that algebras play in the theory of algebraizable sentential logics. In this same sense, ℐ-algebraic systems are to a π-institution ℐ what $\mathcal{S}$ -algebras are to a sentential logic $\mathcal{S}$ . More precisely, an (ℐ,N)-algebraic system is the sentence functor reduct of an N′-reduced (N,N′)-full model of a π-institution ℐ. Algebraic systems are formally introduced and their relationship with full models and with bilogical morphisms is investigated.
Type I collagen–targeted PET probe for pulmonary fibrosis detection and staging in preclinical models

Pulmonary fibrosis is scarring of the lungs that can arise from radiation injury, drug toxicity, environmental or genetic causes, and for unknown reasons [idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)]. Overexpression of collagen is a hallmark of organ fibrosis. We describe a peptide-based positron emission tomography (PET) probe (68Ga-CBP8) that targets collagen type I. We evaluated 68Ga-CBP8 in vivo in the bleomycin-induced mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. 68Ga-CBP8 showed high specificity for pulmonary fibrosis and high target/background ratios in diseased animals. The lung PET signal and lung 68Ga-CBP8 uptake (quantified ex vivo) correlated linearly (r2 = 0.80) with the amount of lung collagen in mice with fibrosis. We further demonstrated that the 68Ga-CBP8 probe could be used to monitor response to treatment in a second mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis associated with vascular leak. Ex vivo analysis of lung tissue from patients with IPF supported the animal findings. These studies indicate that 68Ga-CBP8 is a promising candidate for noninvasive imaging of human pulmonary fibrosis.
From the Failure to Consolidate Democracy to the Recurrence of Violent Political Conflicts: The Case of Madagascar Under the Third Republic (1992-2009)

Following the democratization process in 1992, Madagascar under the 3rd Republic (1992-2009) was viewed by many observers as a “democratic country.” However, it was also marked by two major violent political conflicts: the post-electoral crisis of 2001-2002 which escalated to a minor civil war, and the political crisis of March 2009 which led to the resignation of the democratically elected president Marc Ravalomanana and the end of the 3rd Republic itself. This short-lived democratic experience demonstrates the importance of democratic consolidation for new democracies in Africa and anywhere else in the world, and the connection between the failure to consolidate democracy (or regime type in general) and the recurrence of violent political conflicts, including civil wars. The purpose of this study is to explore this connection. In doing so, it builds on the literature on conflict analysis, democratic consolidation and democratic civil peace, and makes the argument that the failure of the Malagasy political leaders to consolidate democracy under the 3rd Republic had a tremendous impact on the recurrence and escalation of violent political conflicts in this country.
An experimental approach to understanding elevation limits in a montane terrestrial salamander, plethodon montanus

Understanding the abiotic and biotic factors that determine the limits to species9 range is an essential goal in ecology, biogeography, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology. Moreover, predictions of shifts in species9 distributions under future changes in climate can be improved through understanding the spatial variation in survival, growth, and reproduction. A long-standing hypothesis postulates that, for Northern Hemisphere species, abiotic factors like temperature limit northern and/or higher elevation extents, while biotic factors like competition limit the southern and/or lower elevation range edges; though amphibians may not follow this general trend. Therefore, we combined environmental suitability models and a reciprocal transplant experiment across an elevational gradient to explore the role of the abiotic environment on the range limits of a montane salamander (Plethodon montanus). We first determined suitability of the abiotic environment for P. montanus, under current (1960 - 2000) and future (2050) climate scenarios. Second, we collected juveniles from each of three elevations and transplanted them within mesocosms such that each origin population was represented within each transplant location and vice-versa. We found that environmental suitability in 2050 decreased throughout the range compared to current predictions, especially at lower elevations. Additionally, we found that individuals9 starting body condition and transplant location were important predictors of survival, growth, and reproduction condition; importantly, individuals transplanted to low elevation had lower survival and growth rates compared to those moved to mid or high elevations. Our study provides experimental support that the abiotic environment limits the lower elevation distribution of P. montanus and, unfortunately, our results also paint a possible bleak future for this species and likely other montane terrestrial plethodontids. The abiotic environment, which will become increasingly limited under future changes in climate, was found to have more influence on survival and growth than population identity.
Documenting Land Cover History of a Humid Tropical Environment in Northeastern Costa Rica Using Time-Series Remotely Sensed Data

A time-series of aerial photography and Landsat TM data were compiled for an area of the Caribbean lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica from 1960–1996. Geo-referenced, ground-based information was collected in 1996 and 1997. Changes in land cover were mapped and landscape fragmentation was examined using landscape pattern metrics. By 1996 the area was characterized by a complex mosaic of forests, pastures, and crop lands of different ages and disturbance histories. The most important forces driving land use changes were colonization, infrastructure development, and changes in export markets, but the spatial patterns of land use change were determined by the physical landscape. In terms of long-term forest health and conservation, there are three considerations: (1) whilst forests remain an important component of the unprotected landscape in the region, and deforestation rates have declined, the forests are highly fragmented and the area exposed to edge effects is high; (2) the secondary forests in the area are young and transient in nature; and (3) never cleared forests are in good condition, but they are susceptible to disturbance in the future.
Dual Emissive Multinuclear Iridium(III) Complexes in Solutions: Linear Photophysical Properties, Two-Photon Absorption Spectra, and Photostability

Linear steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic properties, degenerate two-photon absorption (2PA) spectra, and photochemical stability of IrIII complexes TCQ[IrIII(ppz)2]n, (TCQ = tricycloquinazoline; ppz = 1-phenylpyrazole; n = 1 (1), n = 2 (2), and n = 3 (3)) are presented for liquid solutions. The analysis of the linear photophysical properties revealed the nature of the observed dual-component fluorescence–phosphorescence emission of 1–3 at room temperature. The values of 2PA cross sections were determined by open aperture Z-scans using a 1 kHz femtosecond laser system. The specific dependence of the 2PA efficiency on the number of ppz ligand units in 1–3 was determined. The quantum yields, Φph, for photochemical decomposition of TCQ[IrIII(ppz)2]n complexes were obtained for the first time using the absorption method [Corredor, C. C.; J. Photoch. Photobio. A 2006, 184, 105−112] with continuous wave laser irradiation, and the highest stability of Φph ≈ 4 × 10–6 was shown for 2 in toluene.
Human hepatocyte transplantation: biology and therapy

The biology and technology of hepatocyte isolation and transplantation has been developed over three decades. This chapter which focuses on human hepatocytes, is divided into four sections. First, the methodology and clinically applied preparation, preservation, and banking of human hepatocytes will be described. The subsequent three sections will deal with human hepatocyte transplantation in acute and chronic liver failure and in four characterized primary hepatocellular metabolic disorders. Relevant, but limited animal modelling followed by human data is outlined.
Two-step cycle sequencing improves base ambiguities and signal dropouts in DNA sequencing reactions using energy-transfer-based fluorescent dye terminators.

The use of automated fluorescent DNA sequencer systems and PCR-based DNA sequencing methods plays an important role in the actual effort to improve the efficiency of large-scale DNA analysis. While dideoxy-terminators labeled with energy-transfer dyes (BigDyes) provide the most versatile method of automated DNA sequencing, premature terminations result in a substantially reduced reading length of the DNA sequence. Premature terminations are usually evidenced by base ambiguities and are often accompanied by diminished signal intensity from that point on in the sequence. I studied a two-step protocol for Taq cycle sequencing using the ABI BigDye terminator for reducing premature terminations in DNA sequences. I demonstrate that combining the annealing step with the extension step at one temperature (60°C) reduces premature terminations in DNA sequences that regularly contain premature terminations when the three temperature steps are used. This modification significantly increases the number of accurately read bases in DNA sequences.
Cooperative Output Regulation of Multi-Agent Systems in a Switching Network with Incomplete Exosystem Measurement

In this paper we study the cooperative output regulation of linear multi-agent systems under switching communication topology and exosystem detectability constraints. As compared to similar works in the literature, in this paper we consider the problem scenario in which none of the agents can estimate the exosystem states from their individual measurements on any of the switching configurations of the system. In other words, no agent in the system can solve the output regulation problem independently. By devising a distributed observer on the exosystem states, and under certain intuitive assumption on the combined detectability of the multi-agent system and joined connectivity of the information graphs, we are able to solve the regulation problem by a distributed state feedback protocol. An illustrative example is offered to verify the theoretical results developed in this paper.
Back-End Layout Reflection for Test Chip Design

At advanced technology nodes, complex interactions between layout features and the process can lead to manufacturability issues that reduce yield. Due to the huge number of layout geometries inherent to random logic, logic-only test chips are increasingly employed during yield ramp. This work describes a design methodology that incorporates complex layout geometries into an optimally testable full-flow logic test chip. Experiments comparing properties among test-chip, benchmark, and actual product designs demonstrate the efficacy of the methodology. Specifically, our test chips achieve 100% coverage for various fault models, and on average, incorporate the layout geometries of interest while being 96% less layout area and 63% less wire length compared to various benchmark and product designs.
Moral Injury: Restoring Wounded Souls

Graham’s final book, published only three months before his death, is the eulogy he wished us to hear. His contributions to the field of pastoral theology are all in evidence between the covers thi...
Course and Predictors of Sleep and Co-occurring Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The chronicity of sleep disturbance and its relation to co-occurring symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well understood. The current study examined longitudinal relations among sleep and co-occurring symptoms in a large well-characterized sample of 437 children with ASD assessed at baseline and follow-up (M = 3.8 years later). Twenty-three percent experienced worsening sleep problems over time, while 31.5% showed improvement. Path analysis indicated that sleep problems at baseline predicted later development of ADHD symptoms in younger children and somatic complaints in older children. For younger children, sensory over-responsivity predicted future sleep problems. Findings suggest that sensory over-reactivity may contribute to sleep problems in some children with ASD, and that sleep problems may result in poor daytime functioning.
A case of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis presenting during relapse of ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND Extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) include thromboembolic events that can present as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a rare complication of IBD that can be associated with high morbidity and mortality. This report is of a case of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis presenting in a young man during a relapse of ulcerative colitis (UC). CASE REPORT A 27-year-old man presented with seizures and focal neurological deficit during a relapse of chronic UC. He was found to have left cerebral venous sinus thrombosis complicated by left frontotemporal infarction that was treated with anticoagulation therapy. CONCLUSIONS Thromboembolic events are well documented extra-intestinal manifestation of IBD. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a rare but serious complication that can be fatal. The correct diagnosis and timely management require a high degree of suspicion in patients with IBD who present with a new-onset headache, focal neurological symptoms, seizure, or altered mental status.
Media Darlings, Art Scene and Money: Saving the Goodman Building

Many in the City’s elite came to see the Goodman struggle as one of struggling artists and literary expression. 5 years on the strike had occupied empty storefronts and had a thriving theater, community gallery and workshops. The historic nature of the building had garnered it a recognition on the National Register for Historic Places due to the work of the tenants, arts community and local Democratic elite.
Pre transplant herbicide application and cultivation to manage weeds in southeastern broccoli production

Abstract The East Coast broccoli (Brassica oleracea, L group Italica) industry in the United States is growing, and optimizing weed control strategies in southeastern US environments is important for the expansion of commercial broccoli in the region. Research was conducted in Charleston, SC to evaluate the impact of four herbicides (pyroxasulfone, napropamide, S-metolachlor, and oxyfluorfen) applied pre-transplant and two cultivation practices (cultivation after transplanting or no cultivation) on weed control, broccoli safety, broccoli quality characteristics and yield attributes for two broccoli hybrid cultivars, Emerald Crown and Lieutenant. The trials were conducted during the fall of 2017 and the spring of 2018. No injury was observed during the fall trial, though injury occurred from napropamide and pyroxysulfone application in the spring. Generally, weed competition did not significantly influence quality ratings at all. Stem diameter of broccoli was generally greater with cultivation, though likely due to enhanced aeration of broccoli roots than the added weed control. Based on the results of these studies cultivation is important for maximizing broccoli yield characteristics in coastal South Carolina while herbicide application may be less critical.
Drosophila and its gut microbes: A model for drug-microbiome interactions

Drosophila is an excellent system to investigate how the presence and composition of the gut microbiome influences the efficacy of therapeutic drugs and downstream consequences for host health. These opportunities derive from two key attributes of Drosophila. First, Drosophila is amenable for microbiome research, with simple, standardized methods to produce large numbers of microbiologically-sterile flies and flies with a standardized gut microbiome, thereby facilitating experimental reproducibility. Second, Drosophila is a well-established genetic model that is increasingly used to elucidate the molecular and physiological basis of lesions associated with human disease alleles; this provides the opportunity to link microbiome/drug interactions to previously-described processes shaping health and disease. In this way, Drosophila can fast-track understanding of fundamental biology to generate precise hypotheses for testing in mammalian systems. Drosophila is particularly well-suited to investigate the incidence of microbiome/drug interactions mediated by different mechanisms, including microbial drug metabolism (to active, inactive or toxic derivatives), microbial production of compounds that inhibit drug efficacy, and off-target effects of the drug on the microbiome, resulting in dysbiosis and host ill-health. Drosophila can also be used to investigate how interactions between the microbiome and host genotype may shape responses to therapeutic drugs, informing the reliability of precision medicine based exclusively on human genomic markers.
Early mortality after resection of locally advanced rectal cancer in elderly United States patients.

11529Background: Early mortality after resection of locally advanced rectal cancer in patients age 75 and older has not been studied in the United States. This information could inform clinical dec...
What do patients learn about psychotropic medications on the web? A natural language processing study.

Abstract Background Low rates of medication adherence remain a major challenge across psychiatry. In part, this likely reflects patient concerns about safety and adverse effects, accurate or otherwise. We therefore sought to characterize online information about common psychiatric medications in terms of positive and negative sentiment. Methods We applied a natural language processing tool to score the sentiment expressed in web search results for 51 psychotropic medications across 3 drug classes (antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers), as a means of seeing if articles referencing these medications were generally positive or generally negative in tone. We compared between medications of the same class, and across medication classes. Results Across 12,733 web search results, significant within-class differences in positive (antidepressants: F(24,2682) = 2.97, p Limitations While these results provide a novel means of comparing medications, the present analyses cannot be linked to individual patient consumption of this information, or to its influence on their future clinical interactions. Conclusions Overall, a subset of psychotropic medications were associated with significantly more negative sentiment. Characterizing these differences may allow clinicians to anticipate patient willingness to initiate or continue medications.
Shapeshifting fields: Mao Chenyu’s rural media ecology

This paper examines the recent moving image work of artist, researcher, and rice farmer Mao Chenyu, who has spent over a decade making ethnographically inflected documentary work in his village out...
Body-Mounted MRI-Conditional Parallel Robot for Percutaneous Interventions Structural Improvement, Calibration, and Accuracy Analysis

To assist in percutaneous interventions in the lower back under magnetic resonance imaging guidance, a 4 degree-of-freedom body-mounted parallel robot is developed. The robot structure is improved comparatively to a previously developed robot, to increase the stability, enhance accuracy, and streamline the assembly and calibration process. The optimized assembly and calibration workflows are carried out, and the system accuracy is evaluated. The results demonstrate that the system positioning and angular accuracy are 2.28±1.1 mm and 1.94±1.01 degrees respectively. The results show that the new system has a promising and consistent behavior.
Contrasting environmental factors drive local adaptation at opposite ends of an environmental gradient in the yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus).

Premise Identifying the environmental factors responsible for natural selection across different habitats is crucial for understanding the process of local adaptation in plants. Despite its importance, few studies have successfully isolated the environmental factors driving local adaptation in nature. In this study, we evaluated the agents of selection responsible for local adaptation of the monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus to California's coastal and inland habitats. Methods We implemented a manipulative reciprocal transplant experiment at coastal and inland sites, where we excluded aboveground stressors in an effort to elucidate their role in the evolution of local adaptation. Results Excluding aboveground stressors, most likely a combination of salt spray and herbivory, completely rescued inland annual plant fitness when transplanted to coastal habitat. The exclosures in inland habitat provided a benefit to the performance of coastal perennial plants. However, the exclosures are unlikely to provide much fitness benefit to the coastal plants at the inland site because of their general inability to flower in time to escape from the summer drought. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that a distinct set of selective agents (aboveground vs. belowground) are responsible for local adaptation at opposite ends of an environmental gradient.
Spectrum Reuse among Aerial and Ground Users in mmWave Cellular Networks in Urban Settings

To address the demands for more capacity and higher data rates, the fifth generation network (5G) technology is being developed and gradually rolled out by major cellular carriers. Millimeter wave (mmWave) systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are two critical enablers of 5G. To ease the integration of 5G into existing networks, it is essential to study how base stations (BSs) can be used to serve both ground and aerial users simultaneously in a mmWave network. In this work, we consider BSs equipped with two antennas- one tilted down to serve ground users and another tilted up to serve aerial users. Using ray tracing simulations, we investigate the ideal tilt of these two antennas. Our results indicate that reusing the spectrum effectively in urban environments requires an understanding of the interplay between the effects of shadowing due to buildings, ground reflections, beam orientation, BS separation, interference between the two beams, and UAV heights. Specifically, to simultaneously serve UAVs at a height of 200 m and ground users, it is desirable to use a BS equipped with one antenna tilted up at 30 degrees and another tilted down at of 10 degrees. This achieves the best compromise between the above effects for the simulation configuration considered in this paper. Further, it was observed that the aerial and ground users are, in some scenarios, actually better served by the antenna not meant for them.
Introduction: Sampling Love—Romance and Television in Post-socialist China

This chapter is a brief review of romantic love and its cultural referents in both Chinese and Western contexts, stressing the values of examining the national and collective beliefs surrounding romantic relationships in contemporary Chinese media and cultural discourse.
Benchmarking Machine Learning Techniques with Di-Higgs Production at the LHC

Many domains of high energy physics analysis are starting to explore machine learning techniques. Powerful methods can be used to identify and measure rare processes from previously insurmountable backgrounds. One of the most profound Standard Model signatures still to be discovered at the LHC is the pair production of Higgs bosons through the Higgs self-coupling. The small cross section of this process makes detection very difficult even for the decay channel with the largest branching fraction ($hh\rightarrow b\bar{b}b\bar{b}$). This paper benchmarks a variety of approaches (boosted decision trees, various neural network architectures, semi-supervised algorithms) against one another to catalog a few of the various techniques available to high energy physicists as the era of the HL-LHC approaches.
Cryptogenic Pyogenic Liver Abscess Due to Fusobacterium nucleatum in an Immunocompetent Patient.

In this case, a 76-year-old female presented with 3-4 days of fever with no other localizing signs. Notably, she had had an untreated Fusobacterium bacteraemia approximately 8 weeks prior to admission. She underwent abdominal imaging which demonstrated a liver abscess and had percutaneous drainage of the same. Blood and pus cultures both grew Fusobacterium nucleatum, which is an unusual organism to be associated with a liver abscess, especially in an immunocompetent host with no risk factors for this condition. Interestingly, this patient did not have any history of dental work, instrumentation, liver function test (LFT) abnormalities and no extrahepatic source for the abscess. This case highlights the importance of having a high index of clinical suspicion for an occult source of infection and emphasizes the importance of following up on cultures even after discharge of a patient, since anaerobic infections such as those caused by Fusobacterium can have a largely indolent course. Learning points Fever of unknown aetiology with prior bacteraemia merits a thorough work-up for occult sources such as a localized abscess or malignancy, which can cause bacterial translocation.Fusobacterium and other anaerobic infectious agents should be considered in the context of an indolent disease course since they are slow-growing in cultures, and also, if the patient has risk factors such as immunosuppression, diabetes, poor oral hygiene and so on.It is important to have systems in place in hospitals to ensure follow-up for patients who may have a positive culture after discharge from hospital to confirm that the infection is adequately addressed.