cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mineralogy and phase chemistry of Mount St. Helens tephra sets W and Y as keys to their identification

Abstract Voluminous and widespread tephras were produced frequently during the last 36,000 yr of volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens. Numerous tephra sets have been defined by D. R. Mullineaux, J. H. Hyde, and M. Rubin (1975, U.S. Geological Survey Journal of Research , 3 , 329–335) on the basis of field relations, FeMg phenocryst assemblage, and 14 C chronology and are valuable marker beds for regional stratigraphic studies. In this study modal abundances and mineral compositions were determined (via petrographic and electron microprobe techniques) for numerous samples of individual layers within tephra sets W and Y to evaluate the degree of compositional variability within and between tephra layers and criteria by which to distinguish among Mount St. Helens and other Pacific Northwest tephras. Although individual layers within a set (e.g., We, Wn) cannot be distinguished from each other on the basis of mineralogic characteristics examined, mineral compositions allow distinction among layers W and Y and other Pacific Northwest tephras (e.g., Mazama, Glacier Peak). FeTi oxide compositions and T- f O 2 estimates derived using coexisting magnetite-ilmenite are especially useful due to the compositional homogeneity of these minerals both within and between samples of a given unit over a wide geographic area. The silicates show more compositional variability than the oxides, but iO 2 Al 2 O 3 contents in hornblende and Fe/Mg ratios in hypersthene aid in distinguishing among Pacific Northwest tephras.
The Use of Real and Imaginary Cases in Communicating the Nature of Science: A Course Outline

This chapter features a discussion of a three-pronged course-based approach to the nature of science within an upper level philosophy of science course at a small liberal arts university. Students in this course are typically undergraduate science majors who have chosen it as an elective to fulfill a general education requirement in the humanities. The three elements that form the focus of instruction include an examination of science as doctrine (i.e., content), as process (i.e., methods), and as social institution (i.e., values). I suggest that this approach is more informative and productive for students than traditional approaches which focus on topics such as confirmation, explanation, realism, etc. In my course I have found it profitable and interesting to use case studies as the basis for discussion of science and its nature. One such case, the mass extinction debate, is particularly illustrative and will serve as a central example of my instructional strategy in this chapter. ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE Science as doctrine means that one way in which the sciences are conceived and demarcated from non -science is in terms of what it investigates, or in terms of its content. Many students quickly accept this distinction. After all, what students study in biology classes is quite different from what they study in foreign language courses. Science as process characterizes the sciences not in terms of what they investigate — even poets and philosophers talk about evolution -- but in terms of how they study what they study. Most students enter the philosophy of science course proclaiming reliance on and a belief in “the scientific method.” Science as a social institution looks at the sciences as enterprises conducted by scientists, real-live members of society, who reflect and shape social perspectives and values. Students are often quick to identity (and misidentify) where the sciences and society drectly interface (e.g., nuclear power). Table I is an outline of the course, with the section on “epistemic concepts” focusing on doctrine, “change and progress” examining process, and “values and society” investigating social institutions.
Prospects for computerized memory training in normal elderly : Effects of practice on explicit and implicit memory tasks

We gave 12 cognitively normal, elderly adults (mean age = 76.33 years) training and practice on the Colorado Neuropsychology Tests, a computerized battery of explicit and implicit memory tasks. Half the subjects practised on the explicit memory tasks for 1.5 hours a week for 9 weeks with the assistance of a psychologist, while the other half practised on the implicit tasks for the equivalent amount of time. Subjects in both training conditions showed significant improvement within and across training sessions, with those in the implicit memory condition showing the most overall improvement, as indicated by standardized change scores. However, the improved performance on the training tasks did not result in more positive self-assessments of memory capability. In general, subjects displayed favourable attitudes toward the computer technology and were capable of learning to operate the computer software. The results support the practical application of computerized memory training with normal elderly adults.
Salt geometry influence on present-day stress orientations in the Nile Delta: Insights from numerical modeling

The offshore Nile Delta displays sharply contrasting orientations of the maximum horizontal stress, SH, in regions above Messinian evaporites (suprasalt) and regions below Messinian evaporites (subsalt). Published stress orientation data predominantly show margin-normal suprasalt SH orientations but a margin-parallel subsalt SH orientation. While these data sets provide the first major evidence that evaporite sequences can act as mechanical detachment horizons, the cause for the stress orientation contrast remains unclear. In this study, 3D finite element analysis is used to investigate the causes for stress re-orientation based on two different hypotheses. The modeling study evaluates the influence of different likely salt geometries and whether stress reorientations are the result of basal drag forces induced by gravitational gliding or whether they represent localized variations due to mechanical property contrasts. The modeling results show that when salt is present as a continuous layer, gravitational gliding occurs and basal drag forces induced in the suprasalt layers result in the margin-normal principal stress becoming the maximum horizontal stress. With the margin-normal stress increase being confined to the suprasalt layers, the salt acts as a mechanical detachment horizon, resulting in different SH orientations in the suprasalt compared to the subsalt layers. When salt is present as isolated bodies localized stress variations occur due to the mechanical property contrasts imposed by the salt, also resulting in different SH orientations in the suprasalt compared to the subsalt layers. The modeling results provide additional quantitative evidence to confirm the role of evaporite sequences as mechanical detachment horizons.
The Housing and Credit Bubbles in the US and Europe: A Comparison

This paper examines the house price boom that occurred simultaneously in the United States and in a number of European countries in 2003 to 2007. In the United States, Spain, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, and Denmark, a house price boom peaked in 2007 and, in each case, was accompanied by a rapid expansion of financing — mortgage lending and mortgage securitization. Were "innovations" in securitization a common cause of the crisis of what was a global cycle? Here we consider the role of financial innovations in securitization along with the incompleteness of real estate markets in the global financial crisis.
Oral Biofilm Architecture at the Microbial Scale

The application of Spectral Imaging FISH to oral biofilm samples has permitted the direct, simultaneous observation of up to nine different bacterial taxa. This has revealed a complex yet organized microbial architecture, identifying the key microorganisms in the community and detecting the existing interspecies physical interactions at the micron scale.
Motion modulated sensitivity gating (MMSG) using internal signal for quantitative PET

Nuclear imaging modalities such as PET and SPECT are used as quantification tools for tumor staging, planning, and response evaluation. The imaging findings of these modalities are largely affected by respiratory motion [1]. Common approach to motion management is to acquire and reconstruct the data in relation to externally recorded signal by motion detection systems. Currently available respiratory motion detection systems typically account for the surrogate structures. However, the surrogate structures can be an inaccurate representation of internal motion [2]. Therefore, a respiratory motion management technique that entirely relies on external breathing motion detection system could lead to potentially significant errors in quantification. We hypothesize that for a given PET bed position, the temporal pattern of cumulative counts within a predefined time bin can provide a direct measurement of internal organ motion and thus lead to more accurate quantification of images being acquired. Therefore, instead of using approximately one third of total counts for image reconstruction of all bed position in a whole body scan, different percentage of total counts depending on the magnitude of motion occurred within the FOV of each bed acquisition can be used for image reconstruction.
Elevation of granulomatous lymph-node and serum lysozyme in sarcoidosis and correlation with angiotensin-converting enzyme.

Granulomatous lymph nodes, lungs, and sera from patients with sarcoidosis were investigated for lysozyme and angiotensin-converting enzyme contents to determine whether the sarcoid granulomas might be the source of elevated serum lysozyme and to explore the relationship between lysozyme and angiotensin-converting enzyme in sarcoidosis. Lysozyme was assayed turbidimetrically with Micrococcus lysodeikticus as substrate. Angiotensinconverting enzyme was assayed spectrophotometrically (tissues) and spectrofluorimetrically (serum) with the substrate hippuryl- L-histidyl-L-leucine. Lysozyme was significantly and markedly elevated in sarcoid lymph nodes (9.05 ± 1.53 µ g/mg protein; n = 11) compared with normal controls (1.57 ± 0.40 µ g/mg; n = 5; p .01), but this correlation was not significant for the 11 sarcoid lymph nodes alone (r = 0.424; p > .05). Lysozyme in the lung in sarcoidosis (5.66 ± 1.57 µ g/mg protein; n = 5) was similar to control levels (5.73 ± 0.66 µ g/mg; n = 4), probably due mainly to normally high lysozyme levels in lung and variable fibrosis in the sarcoid lung. It is suggested that active synthesis of lysozyme by the granulomas may be responsible for elevation of this enzyme in the serum in sarcoidosis, and that the biosynthesis of lysozyme and that of angiotensin-converting enzyme may be controlled at a similar high level.
Fully non-linear hyper-viscoelastic modeling of skeletal muscle in compression.

Understanding the behavior of skeletal muscle is critical to implementing computational methods to study how the body responds to compressive loading. This work presents a novel approach to studying the fully nonlinear response of skeletal muscle in compression. Porcine muscle was compressed in both the longitudinal and transverse directions under five stress relaxation steps. Each step consisted of 5% engineering strain over 1 s followed by a relaxation period until equilibrium was reached at an observed change of 1 g/min. The resulting data were analyzed to identify the peak and equilibrium stresses as well as relaxation time for all samples. Additionally, a fully nonlinear strain energy density-based Prony series constitutive model was implemented and validated with independent constant rate compressive data. A nonlinear least squares optimization approach utilizing the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was implemented to fit model behavior to experimental data. The results suggested the time-dependent material response plays a key role in the anisotropy of skeletal muscle as increasing strain showed differences in peak stress and relaxation time (p 0.05). The optimizing procedure produced a single set of hyper-viscoelastic parameters which characterized compressive muscle behavior under stress relaxation conditions. The utilized constitutive model was the first orthotropic, fully nonlinear hyper-viscoelastic model of skeletal muscle in compression while maintaining agreement with constitutive physical boundaries. The model provided an excellent fit to experimental data and agreed well with the independent validation in the transverse direction.
Ethnofederalism and the Management of Ethnic Conflict: Assessing the Alternatives

The use of ethnofederalism as an institutional means of managing ethnic problems remains controversial. For critics, it is an imprudent institutional choice that hardens and deepens ethnic divisions and all but guarantees secession and state collapse. To dismiss ethnofederalism as an imprudent choice, however, is to imply that alternative institutions exist that are both feasible to implement and that would plausibly succeed where ethnofederalism fails. To date, critics have struggled to make a convincing case on either point. This article examines empirically the viability of institutional alternatives to ethnofederalism. Based on data drawn from post 1945 and using a “same-system” comparative design, the results indicate that where ethnofederal systems have failed, they have generally failed in contexts where no institutional alternatives could plausibly have succeeded, and that in the majority of cases, ethnofederalism has succeeded where other institutional forms have demonstrably failed.
REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF ADAPTIVE DIVERGENCE IN DROSOPHILA PSEUDOOBSCURA.

In an attempt to gain insight into the process of the development of reproductive isolation, eight populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura were studied
Implications of Proposed Medicare Reforms to Counteract High Cancer Drug Prices

Implications of Proposed Medicare Reforms to Counteract High Cancer Drug Prices Sham Mailankody;Vinay Prasad; JAMA
Analysis of birth characteristics of migrant population and resident population in Pudong New District from2009 to 2013

Objective:To analyze birth characteristics of migrant population and resident population in Pudong New District,Shanghai and to provide a reference for maternal and child health management,disease control and prevention policies.Methods:A describing analysis on birth characteristics was conducted using monitoring data from the birth registration system.Results:In migrant population,the sex ratio at birth was 119.67,the cesarean section rate was43.87%,the incidence of fetal macrosomia was 7.93%,the incidence of low birth weight was 3.23%.The incidences of fetal macrosomia and low birth weight in migrant population were higher than those in resident population.The reporting rate of birth defects in migrant population was 10.51‰,which was higher than that in resident population.Conclusion:It is necessary to be strengthened that the concept of gender equality and the education on health birth and child development in migrant population.And the prenatal health service and health resource of migrant population should be provided.
Cause Analysis and Countermeasures of Steam-Excited Vibration of 600MW Steam Turbine Unit

The abnormal low-frequency vibration of high and intermediate pressure rotors of one 600 MW steam turbine unit is described in the paper.The analysis indicates that such kind vibration results from steam-excited.The mechanism and features of steam-excited vibration are analyzed.From adjusting the operation modes and improving the system damping ete.aspects,the inhibition measures of steam-excited vibration are given out,and the vibration status of units after the measures are taken is briefed.
Meta Analysis of Risk Factors for Measles

[Objective]To study the main risk factors of measles,provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of measles.[Methods]Using Meta analysis,data of risk factors for measles in case-control study reported in domestic documents from 2006 to 2010 were analyzed synthetically.[Results]10 literatures of case-control study for risk factors of measles were identified.After homogeneity test,fixed effect model and random effect model were adopted to merge the OR value and calculate 95% CI.The merging values of five risk factors were as follows: history of contacting with rash and fever patients was 6.75(4.37～10.43),blank immunization of measles was 6.69(3.74～11.94),exposure history of hospital was 5.47(3.04～9.87),floating population was 3.25(2.25～4.70) and household income was 2.18(1.51～3.16).[Conclusion]The main risk factors of measles are history of contacting with rash and fever patients,blank immunization of measles,exposure history of hospital,floating population and low household income.It is necessary to carry out the specific prevention measures to achieve the goal of measles elimination.
The incremental predictive validity of teaching, cognitive and social presence on cognitive load

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of teaching, cognitive and social presence from a cognitive load perspective when perceived learning satisfaction was under control. To serve this purpose, this study included hierarchical multiple regression analyses run on data collected in a fully online graduate program. The results indicated that the presences could statistically significantly predict intrinsic, extraneous, and total loads with a small effect size. Individually, cognitive presence turned out to be the best predictor of intrinsic load while teaching presence was the best predictor of extraneous and total loads. Even though social presence was not a best predictor on its own, it contributed to the presences prediction of cognitive load as a group. As a result, all these findings pointed to a small-size predictive power of the presences on cognitive load thereby providing evidence for their incremental predictive validity and the importance of perceived learning satisfaction.
Recombinase-Dependent Mouse Lines for Chemogenetic Activation of Genetically Defined Cell Types.

Chemogenetic technologies, including the mutated human Gq-coupled M3 muscarinic receptor (hM3Dq), have greatly facilitated our ability to directly link changes in cellular activity to altered physiology and behavior. Here, we extend the hM3Dq toolkit with recombinase-responsive mouse lines that permit hM3Dq expression in virtually any cell type. These alleles encode a fusion protein designed to increase effective expression levels by concentrating hM3Dq to the cell body and dendrites. To illustrate their broad utility, we targeted three different genetically defined cell populations: noradrenergic neurons of the compact, bilateral locus coeruleus and two dispersed populations, Camk2a+ neurons and GFAP+ glia. In all three populations, we observed reproducible expression and confirmed that activation of hM3Dq is sufficient to dose-dependently evoke phenotypic changes, without extreme phenotypes associated with hM3Dq overexpression. These alleles offer the ability to non-invasively control activity of diverse cell types to uncover their function and dysfunction at any developmental stage.
Invasive pythons, not anthropogenic stressors, explain the distribution of a keystone species

Untangling the causes of native species loss in human-modified systems is difficult and often controversial. Evaluating the impact of non-native species in these systems is particularly challenging, as additional human perturbations often precede or accompany introductions. One example is the ongoing debate over whether mammal declines within Everglades National Park (ENP) were caused by either the establishment of non-native Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) or the effects of other anthropogenic stressors. We examined the influence of both pythons and a host of alternative stressors—altered hydrology and habitat characteristics, mercury contamination and development—on the distribution of the marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris), a once common mammal in ENP. Distance from the epicenter of the python invasion best explained marsh rabbit occurrence in suitable habitat patches, whereas none of the alternative stressors considered could explain marsh rabbit distribution. Estimates of the probability of marsh rabbit occurrence ranged from 0 at the python invasion epicenter to nearly 1.0 150 km from the invasion epicenter. These results support the hypothesis that invasive pythons shape the distribution of marsh rabbits in southern Florida. The loss of marsh rabbits and similar species will likely alter trophic interactions and ecosystem function within the Everglades, an internationally important hotspot of biodiversity. Further, our results suggest that non-native species can have profound impacts on mainland biodiversity.
Swedish Fiscal Doctrine: The Collective Choice Approach

There is an unmistakable affinity between Austrian and Swedish perspectives of the public economy. On may add that the Swedish fiscal doctrine is a natural extension of the principles set forth by Wieser and Sax. The two Austrian political economists were responsible for resting the entire fiscal process on the platform of subjective valuation, thus making the theory of the public economy an integral part of political economy. To Sax, collective valuation had its full explanation in the general, that is, individual nature of value. In his characterization, both Robinson Crusoe as a single soul and an entire nation of a hundred million people would obey one and the same law in their economic transactions, that of subjective value.1 For, all goods, private or public, derived their value from whatever uses they were intended to serve. This is not to say that there exists a perfect parallel between the two categories of goods. In the public economy, due to the variability in personal wants and incomes, the same amounts of collective goods are valued differently. Alternatively, the same amounts of value are expressed in different quantities of collective goods. Wieser expands on Sax’s point: [E]very intending purchaser who goes on to the market calculates to himself, or ought to calculate, the money equivalent of the goods he wishes to buy, i.e., the sum of money whose value to him will equal the value of the goods, so that it is not economically permissible for him to go beyond it.
The Assurance Point Model for Consistency and Recovery in Service Composition

This research has defined an abstract execution model for establishing user-defined correctness and recovery in a service composition environment. The service composition model defines a hierarchical service composition structure, where a service is composed of atomic and/or composite groups. The model provides multi-level protection against service execution failure by using compensation and contingency at different composition granularity levels. The model is enhanced with the concept of assurance points (APS) and integration rules, where APs serve as logical and physical checkpoints for user-defined consistency checking, invoking integration rules that check pre and post conditions at different points in the execution process. The unique aspect of APs is that they provide intermediate rollback points when failures occur, thus allowing a process to be compensated to a specific AP for the purpose of rechecking pre-conditions before retry attempts. APs also support a dynamic backward recovery process, known as cascaded contingency, for hierarchically nested processes in an attempt to recover to a previous AP that can be used to invoke contingent procedures or alternate execution paths for failure of a nested process. As a result, the assurance point approach provides flexibility with respect to the combined use of backward and forward recovery options. Petri Nets have been used to define the semantics of the assurance point approach to service composition and recovery. A comparison to the BPEL fault handler is also provided.
Artificial Intelligence and Responsible Innovation

Researchers in AI often highlight the importance of socially responsible research, but the current literature on the social impacts of AI tends to focus on particular application domains and provides little guidance to researchers working in other areas. Additionally, such social impact analysis tends to be done in a one-off fashion, proposing or problematizing a particular aspect of AI at a time, rather than being deeply integrated into innovation processes across the field. This paper argues that work on the societal dimensions of AI can be enriched by engagement with the literature on “responsible innovation,” which has up until now focused on technical domains like nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and geoengineering. Drawing on this literature, the paper describes and justifies three interrelated aspects of what a more deeply integrated, ongoing practice of responsibility in AI would look like: consideration of the social contexts and consequences of decisions in the AI design space; reflectiveness about one’s emphasis on theoretical vs. applied work and choice of application domains; and engagement with the public about what they desire from AI and what they need to know about it. Mapping out these three issues, it is argued, can both describe and theorize existing work in a more systematic light and identify future opportunities for research and practice on the societal dimensions of AI. Finally, the paper describes how philosophical and theoretical aspects of AI connect to issues of responsibility and technological governance.
Disorders in Brain Development

Disorders of brain development arise from a variety of causes (Aicardi, 1992; Capone, 1996; Nickel, 1992; Shonkoff & Marshall, 1990). Because brain formation is such a complex process, it is not surprising that it can be disturbed at any stage by numerous factors. Brain malformations may result from to genetic disorders, prenatal or perinatal insults, teratogens, metabolic insults, or infections. In as many as 60% of cases, brain abnormalities may have an obscure or unidentified etiology. These disorders may reflect a structural departure from normal brain development, and the functional and neuropsychological consequences can be extremely variable, ranging from severe disability to normal or near-normal function. Therefore, clinicians should not always assume the worst prognosis in such situations.
Sources and Interpretation Theories: An Interdependent Relationship

What is the relationship between international law’s sources and its theories of interpretation? Challenging assumptions that the two concepts are, at best, casual acquaintances, this chapter reveals and explores a much deeper, interdependent relationship. Sources set the nature and scope of international legal interpretation by delineating its appropriate objects. Interpretation, meanwhile, operates existentially to identify what constitutes the sources of international law in the first place. The two concepts thus appear mutually constitutive across a range of doctrines, theories and authorities. Understanding these ties may offer a more nuanced image of the current international legal order. At the same time, they highlight future instrumental opportunities where efforts to change one concept might become viable via changes to the other. This chapter concludes with calls for further research on whether and how such changes might occur and asks if international lawyers should embrace (or resist) such a mutually constitutive relationship.
Collapse of a historic adobe wall

AbstractThe city of Leon, Nicaragua is a stunning example of Spanish colonial architecture. The historic buildings of Leon were built using adobe construction, which was typical of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, and the city is working hard to preserve their historical architectural heritage. Unfortunately, the Office of Historic Preservation in the town of Leon, Nicaragua received a call that an adobe wall had collapsed. Fortunately no one was injured, but this was not an ordinary wall. The city of Leon lost a portion of an important historic structure. The historic adobe building was being carefully remodelled. The walls were to remain intact while the inside structure was removed and replaced with a new structure. The guidelines instructed them to leave 70 cm of foundation next to the adobe walls while excavating the basement. This was not sufficient and the weight of the wall caused a breach in the basement portion of the wall and the wall collapsed by sliding out like an avalanche. This ...
Citizen science and conservation: Recommendations for a rapidly moving field

Abstract Research taking place at the intersection of conservation and citizen science holds great potential for advancing both fields as well as for addressing grand challenges in the field of conservation. This Special Issue highlights the work of twenty research groups actively working at this intersection and examining participant motivation, learning and action; evaluating and improving research design and data quality; and investigating conservation science applications. The results of these studies directly contribute to advancing our understanding of the role that citizen science can play in conservation. As research continues in these fields, directing our efforts toward communicating insights, creating interdisciplinary teams that use citizen science to tackle wicked problems, and improving coordination among investments in citizen science are actions likely to have the greatest impact. We invite conservation and citizen science practitioners to contribute to the dialogues initiated by articles in this Special Issue.
Enhanced Performance of Blended Polymer Excipients in Delivering a Hydrophobic Drug through the Synergistic Action of Micelles and HPMCAS.

Blends of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and dodecyl (C12)-tailed poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) were systematically explored as a model system to dispense the active ingredient phenytoin by rapid dissolution, followed by the suppression of drug crystallization for an extended period. Dynamic and static light scattering revealed that C12-PNIPAm polymers, synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization, self-assembled into micelles with dodecyl cores in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 6.5). A synergistic effect on drug supersaturation was documented during in vitro dissolution tests by varying the blending ratio, with HPMACS primarily aiding in rapid dissolution and PNIPAm maintaining supersaturation. Polarized light and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy experiments revealed that C12-PNIPAm micelles maintain drug supersaturation by inhibiting both crystal nucleation and growth. Cross-peaks between the phenyl group of phenytoin and t...
Essential competencies in global health research for medical trainees: A narrative review

AbstractIntroduction: Participation in short-term educational experiences in global health (STEGHs) among medical trainees is increasingly accompanied by interest in conducting research while abroad. Because formal training in both global health and research methods is currently under-represented in most medical curricula, trainees are often unfamiliar with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to design and conduct research successfully. This narrative review identifies essential global health research competencies for medical trainees engaged in STEGHs.Methods: The authors searched the literature using the terms global health, competency, research, research methods/process/training, scholarly project, medical student, and medical education/education. Because articles directly addressing global health research competencies for medical trainees were limited, the authors additionally drew on the broader literature addressing general research competencies and global health competencies.Findings: Ar...
Energetics and evasion dynamics of large predators and prey: pumas vs. hounds.

Quantification of fine-scale movement, performance, and energetics of hunting by large carnivores is critical for understanding the physiological underpinnings of trophic interactions. This is particularly challenging for wide-ranging terrestrial canid and felid predators, which can each affect ecosystem structure through distinct hunting modes. To compare free-ranging pursuit and escape performance from group-hunting and solitary predators in unprecedented detail, we calibrated and deployed accelerometer-GPS collars during predator-prey chase sequences using packs of hound dogs (Canis lupus familiaris, 26 kg, n = 4–5 per chase) pursuing simultaneously instrumented solitary pumas (Puma concolor, 60 kg, n = 2). We then reconstructed chase paths, speed and turning angle profiles, and energy demands for hounds and pumas to examine performance and physiological constraints associated with cursorial and cryptic hunting modes, respectively. Interaction dynamics revealed how pumas successfully utilized terrain (e.g., fleeing up steep, wooded hillsides) as well as evasive maneuvers (e.g., jumping into trees, running in figure-8 patterns) to increase their escape distance from the overall faster hounds (avg. 2.3× faster). These adaptive strategies were essential to evasion in light of the mean 1.6× higher mass-specific energetic costs of the chase for pumas compared to hounds (mean: 0.76 vs. 1.29 kJ kg−1 min−1, respectively). On an instantaneous basis, escapes were more costly for pumas, requiring exercise at ≥90% of predicted V ˙O2MAX and consuming as much energy per minute as approximately 5 min of active hunting. Our results demonstrate the marked investment of energy for evasion by a large, solitary carnivore and the advantage of dynamic maneuvers to postpone being overtaken by group-hunting canids.
A rare case of pulmonary toxoplasmosis in a patient with undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis on chronic methotrexate and corticosteroid therapy.

Pulmonary toxoplasmosis is a serious pulmonary condition caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. It typically affects immunocompromised patients presenting acutely with cough, fever, myalgias, arthralgias and lymphadenopathy, and chronically with persistent cough and dyspnoea. Because of its protean features, it can mimic many more common lung conditions in the immunocompromised patient, including atypical pneumonia, Pneumocystis pneumonia and interstitial lung disease. In this article, we present the case of a 55-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with persistent dyspnoea and cough, initially suspected to have an arthritis-related interstitial lung disease. She received a final diagnosis of pulmonary toxoplasmosis after lung biopsy demonstrated Toxoplasma cysts, later confirmed by serology. Treatment with trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole resulted in significant improvement of her respiratory symptoms after 3 months.
An Advanced Three-Level Active Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter With Improved Fault-Tolerant Capabilities

A resilient fault-tolerant silicon carbide (SiC) three-level power converter topology is introduced based on the traditional active neutral-point-clamped converter. This novel converter topology incorporates a redundant leg to provide fault tolerance during switch open-circuit faults and short-circuit faults. Additionally, the topology is capable of maintaining full output voltage and maximum modulation index in the presence of switch open and short-circuit faults. Moreover, the redundant leg can be employed to share load current with other phase legs to balance thermal stress among semiconductor switches during normal operation. A 25-kW prototype of the novel topology was designed and constructed utilizing 1.2-kV SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors. Experimental results confirm the anticipated theoretical capabilities of this new three-level converter topology.
Predicting high risk births with contraceptive prevalence and contraceptive method-mix in an ecologic analysis.

Increased contraceptive use has been associated with a decrease in high parity births, births that occur close together in time, and births to very young or to older women. These types of births are also associated with high risk of under-five mortality. Previous studies have looked at the change in the level of contraception use and the average change in these types of high-risk births. We aim to predict the distribution of births in a specific country when there is a change in the level and method of modern contraception. We used data from full birth histories and modern contraceptive use from 207 nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys covering 71 countries to describe the distribution of births in each survey based on birth order, preceding birth space, and mother’s age at birth. We estimated the ecologic associations between the prevalence and method-mix of modern contraceptives and the proportion of births in each category. Hierarchical modelling was applied to these aggregated cross sectional proportions, so that random effects were estimated for countries with multiple surveys. We use these results to predict the change in type of births associated with scaling up modern contraception in three different scenarios. We observed marked differences between regions, in the absolute rates of contraception, the types of contraceptives in use, and in the distribution of type of birth. Contraceptive method-mix was a significant determinant of proportion of high-risk births, especially for birth spacing, but also for mother’s age and parity. Increased use of modern contraceptives is especially predictive of reduced parity and more births with longer preceding space. However, increased contraception alone is not associated with fewer births to women younger than 18 years or a decrease in short-spaced births. Both the level and the type of contraception are important factors in determining the effects of family planning on changes in distribution of high-risk births. The best predictions for how birth risk changes with increased modern contraception and for different contraception methods allow for more nuanced predictions specific to each country and can aid better planning for the scaling up of modern contraception.
Impact of Family History of Substance Abuse on Admission Opioid Dose, Depressive Symptoms, and Pain Catastrophizing in Patients with Chronic Pain.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to examine association between a family history of substance abuse and admission morphine equivalent dose, depression and pain catastrophizing screening scores, as well as reported personal history of substance use. The retrospective research was completed in an interdisciplinary three-week pain rehabilitation center. The subject cohort included admissions from January through December 2014 with 351 datasets for family history of substance abuse and oral morphine equivalency and 341 for depression, pain catastrophizing and use of substances. Outcome measures included admission self-reported data on family history of substance abuse and past and current substance use, admission morphine equivalency dose, and scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. One hundred forty-seven patients were using opioid medications on admission and those with a positive family history of substance abuse had an oral morphine equivalency (M = 92.12, SD=95.32) compared to a negative history (M = 80.34, SD=64.86); the difference was not statistically significant, t (120.01) =.87, p = .39. Patients with a positive family history reported higher levels of both depression, t (327.40) = 3.15, p = .002 and pain catastrophizing, t (338) = 2.76, p = .01. Those with a positive family history endorsed greater frequency of past alcohol use χ 2 (1, N = 326) = 6.67, p = 0.1 and marijuana use χ 2 (1, N = 341) = 4.23, p = .04 and past χ 2 (1, N = 329) = 9.90, p = .002 and current tobacco use χ 2 (1, N = 327) = 8.81, p = .003. Use of family history of substance abuse information may help provide data for multimodal treatments of chronic non-cancer-pain. The findings from this study can be used to guide future research.
Operations on Z-numbers with acceptable degree of specificity

Abstract Basically, the concept of a Z-number relates to the issue of reliability of information. Existing studies on operations over Z-numbers are based on classical interval and fuzzy arithmetic. Operation over a set of Z-numbers produces a Z-number with a very lengthy supports of its components. This result some times is practically unsuitable for users. The second limitation here is that some fundamental properties of operations over real numbers are lost. All the existing works on computation of Z-numbers are characterized by increasing of entropy. In particular, these approaches are not able to account for informativeness of computation results. An importance of informativeness of Z-numbers was first mentioned by Zadeh. This paper describes some preliminary investigations on informativeness of Z-number calculus by using concept of specifity and concept of horizontal membership functions. We propose a strategy for optimizing informativeness of Z-number operations with desired degree of specificity. Validity of the proposed approach is illustrated in an examples.
How are health literacy principles incorporated into breast cancer chemotherapy education? A review of the literature

Background: Chemotherapy is commonly used in combination with other treatments for breast cancer. However, low adherence to chemotherapy is a growing concern, particularly among breast cancer patients. Side effects such as nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and arthralgia can contribute to reduced adherence. Other factors such as provider communication and limited insurance coverage can affect adherence. Studies have shown that as much as 28% of patients with breast cancer did not continue with their prescribed dose of chemotherapy. Research suggests that chemotherapy education materials can be critical to addressing problems with non-adherence, and may include written materials, verbal instruction, and multimedia programs. Despite this wide variety, the effectiveness and benefit of chemotherapy education hinges on the patients’ health literacy. Breast cancer patients with low health literacy may be unclear about chemotherapy or face difficulty adhering to treatment if they do not understand the information provided to them. Thus, this scoping review summarizes the existing research on how health literacy principles are incorporated into breast cancer chemotherapy education materials. Methods: Using a combination of keywords (e.g. chemotherapy, education) and Medical subject headings (MeSH) terms (e.g., drug therapy, antineoplastic agents), we searched five databases (1977-2017): CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Results: Eight of 4,624 articles met the inclusion criteria. Five articles incorporated health literacy principles (e.g., plain language, maintaining an active voice, using white space) into the development of written materials. Few articles used a theoretical framework to guide education material development (n = 3). Of the three articles that described pilot-testing of educational materials, two used post-tests only and one used a pre/post-test design. Conclusions: Findings indicated that limited research exists regarding the use of health literacy principles in chemotherapy education materials. Much of the development of chemotherapy education is not grounded in theory and the application of health literacy principles is limited. Implementing health literacy principles may improve overall comprehension of education thereby increasing adherence.
Effect of a Collaborative Care Intervention vs Usual Care on Health Status of Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: The CASA Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Many patients with chronic heart failure experience reduced health status despite receiving conventional therapy. Objective To determine whether a symptom and psychosocial collaborative care intervention improves heart failure–specific health status, depression, and symptom burden in patients with heart failure. Design, Setting, and Participants A single-blind, 2-arm, multisite randomized clinical trial was conducted at Veterans Affairs, academic, and safety-net health systems in Colorado among outpatients with symptomatic heart failure and reduced health status recruited between August 2012 and April 2015. Data from all participants were included regardless of level of participation, using an intent-to-treat approach. Interventions Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive the Collaborative Care to Alleviate Symptoms and Adjust to Illness (CASA) intervention or usual care. The CASA intervention included collaborative symptom care provided by a nurse and psychosocial care provided by a social worker, both of whom worked with the patients’ primary care clinicians and were supervised by a study primary care clinician, cardiologist, and palliative care physician. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was patient-reported heart failure–specific health status, measured by difference in change scores on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (range, 0-100) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included depression (measured by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (measured by the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire), overall symptom distress (measured by the General Symptom Distress Scale), specific symptoms (pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath), number of hospitalizations, and mortality. Results Of 314 patients randomized (157 to intervention arm and 157 to control arm), there were 67 women and 247 men, mean (SD) age was 65.5 (11.4) years, and 178 (56.7%) had reduced ejection fraction. At 6 months, the mean Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score improved 5.5 points in the intervention arm and 2.9 points in the control arm (difference, 2.6; 95% CI, –1.3 to 6.6;P = .19). Among secondary outcomes, depressive symptoms and fatigue improved at 6 months with CASA (effect size of –0.29 [95% CI, –0.53 to –0.04] for depressive symptoms and –0.30 [95% CI, –0.55 to –0.06] for fatigue;P = .02 for both). There were no significant changes in overall symptom distress, pain, shortness of breath, or number of hospitalizations. Mortality at 12 months was similar in both arms (10 patients died receiving CASA, and 13 patients died receiving usual care;P = .52). Conclusions and Relevance This multisite randomized clinical trial of the CASA intervention did not demonstrate improved heart failure–specific health status. Secondary outcomes of depression and fatigue, both difficult symptoms to treat in heart failure, improved. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01739686