cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bayesian transformation model for wavelet shrinkage

Wavelet shrinkage estimators, in general, make the additive normal noise assumption and disregard the nonlinear nature of contamination. We develop Bayesian wavelet shrinkage estimators (based on the power transformations in the linear model) to accommodate a broad class of noise models in image processing applications. We intend to admit, under one roof, the widespread additive model, the product models common in imaging (such as in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery), as well as noise that may exist amid these two extremes. Tactful prior elicitation in this model, such as the simultaneous assignment of mixture priors for wavelet coefficients and the transformation, imparts flexibility and ample insight into the underlying structure. The model permits estimation with unknown noise structure for reasonably unimodal and well-behaved (on the tails) distributions, wherein it can outperform common shrinkage estimators. Extensions with multiple transformations and Markov random field priors are also considered for adaptation to local variations in contamination. Modern Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Bayesian computation has been used for simulations and several examples are reported.
The Fear Factor: Exploring Predictors of Fear Among Stalking Victims Throughout the Stalking Encounter

The crime of stalking has received much research attention, yet there are still important questions to be explored surrounding this behavior. One such question relates to definitions of stalking, including the requirement that victims must express fear to qualify as victims of stalking. The current study addresses this issue by exploring the “fear factor” among stalking victims. In particular, the authors examine the effects situational and victim characteristics have on the fear experienced by stalking victims. Furthermore, as stalking is a crime of repeated pursuit, precursors to fear are examined at two points during the stalking encounter: when the pursuit first began and as it progressed. The results revealed not only that certain situational and victim characteristics produced fear in victims but also that these influences differed across time periods.
Differentail Board/Backplane Optical Interconnects for High-Speed Digital Systems Part II: Simulation Results

For pt.I see ibid., vol.11, no.7, p.1234-49 (1993). The performance of a DC-coupled fully-differential interconnect is analyzed in terms of the deterministic vertical and horizontal eye closure at Gb/s for different optical power levels and extinction ratios in the two complementary arms. Two types of transmitters are investigated, one based on an ideal optical modulator switch (IOMS) and the other based on conventional modulation of two separate lasers. In general, it is found that the timing jitter increases when the imbalance between the power levels in the two arms increases, when the difference between the laser turn-on delay in the two arms increases, and when the receiver and transmitter bandwidth is reduced. To achieve low latency and to accept a maximum power imbalance of 4-5 dB at the receiver, the IOMS and the lasers should be modulated to produce an extinction ratio of at least 10 dB, and the lasers should be biased above threshold. If low latency is not the main concern, an improvement in the maximum tolerable imbalance can be obtained with regular laser modulation by biasing the lasers below threshold. The fitter can be reduced and the maximum tolerable imbalance be increased if faster receivers and transmitters are employed. >
Species Have (Partly) Intrinsic Essences

The paper defends the doctrine that Linnaean taxa, including species, have essences that are, at least partly, underlying intrinsic, mostly genetic, properties. The consensus among philosophers of biology is that such essentialism is deeply wrong, indeed incompatible with Darwinism. I argue that biological generalizations about the morphology, physiology, and behavior of species require structural explanations that must advert to these essential properties. The paper concludes by summarizing my responses to the objection that, according to current “species concepts,” species are relational, and to the objection that essentialism cannot accommodate features of Darwinism associated with variation and change.
A Review of: “Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals, Part One: Why? When? and How?, by M. M. Clay (2005).”

Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals, Part One: Why? When? and How? by the late Marie Clay replaces Reading Recovery: A Guidebook for Teachers in Training (Clay, 1993) as an instructional reso...
EpiProfile Quantifies Histone Peptides With Modifications by Extracting Retention Time and Intensity in High-resolution Mass Spectra

Histone post-translational modifications contribute to chromatin function through their chemical properties which influence chromatin structure and their ability to recruit chromatin interacting proteins. Nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS) has emerged as the most suitable technology for global histone modification analysis because of the high sensitivity and the high mass accuracy of this approach that provides confident identification. However, analysis of histones with this method is even more challenging because of the large number and variety of isobaric histone peptides and the high dynamic range of histone peptide abundances. Here, we introduce EpiProfile, a software tool that discriminates isobaric histone peptides using the distinguishing fragment ions in their tandem mass spectra and extracts the chromatographic area under the curve using previous knowledge about peptide retention time. The accuracy of EpiProfile was evaluated by analysis of mixtures containing different ratios of synthetic histone peptides. In addition to label-free quantification of histone peptides, EpiProfile is flexible and can quantify different types of isotopically labeled histone peptides. EpiProfile is unique in generating layouts (i.e. relative retention time) of histone peptides when compared with manual quantification of the data and other programs (such as Skyline), filling the need of an automatic and freely available tool to quantify labeled and non-labeled modified histone peptides. In summary, EpiProfile is a valuable nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry-based quantification tool for histone peptides, which can also be adapted to analyze nonhistone protein samples.
Thermal decomposition of poly(propylene carbonate): End-capping, additives, and solvent effects

Abstract Two routes to the thermal decomposition of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) have been considered-polymer chain-end unzipping and random chain scission. The inhibition and catalysis of each mechanism has been studied. End-capping of low molecular weight (2 kDa) PPC has been achieved and confirmed with NMR analysis resulting in stabilization from unzipping. Citric acid was used as an additive and shown to stabilize the PPC backbone from random chain scission. The combination of both stabilizing agents (i.e. unzipping and ransom chain scission) results in the highest thermal stability. Photo-acid and base generators were incorporated into films and used to catalyze decomposition pathways of PPC. Residual solvent effects in PPC, such as methanol used in its purification, have been shown to affect the thermal stability through interactions with the backbone of PPC. This study demonstrates a widened thermal stability window for PPC, such as when used as a sacrificial material.
Source signature processing in deep water, Gulf of Mexico: comparison between deterministic deconvolution and phase conjugation

The Center for Marine Resources and Environmental Technology has been developing a new method to improve the resolution of high-resolution seismic profiling. To achieve this the source signature is recorded and the reflected data are sampled at a very high rate. In addition a certain amount of post processing is performed. During September 1999 a series of seismic profiles were acquired in the Gulf of Mexico using a 15 in³ watergun towed at the surface and a short single-channel hydrophone array towed about 250 m below the surface. The profiles were digitized at a rate of 80 000 samples per second; the length of each record was 4 s. Two different processes were applied to the data: deterministic deconvolution and phase conjugation. Both have the effect of compressing each reflected wavelet into a short pulse that is symmetrical about a central lobe. The ratio of compression obtained by applying deterministic deconvolution on the source signature pulse was about 300; it was about 160 when applying phase conjugation. This produced a resolution of about 6 cm by the deconvolution process and about 10 cm by using phase conjugation. The deconvolution process however is more subject to noise so the better result in this experiment was found to be provided by phase conjugation.
Challenges of Engineering Grain Boundaries in Boron-Based Armor Ceramics

Boron-based ceramics are appealing for lightweight applications in both vehicle and personnel protection, stemming from their combination of high hardness, high elastic modulus, and low density as compared to other ceramics and metal alloys. However, the performance of these ceramics and ceramic composites is lacking because of their inherent low fracture toughness and reduced strength under high-velocity threats. The objective of the present article is to briefly discuss both the challenges and the state of the art in experimental and computational approaches for engineering grain boundaries in boron-based armor ceramics, focusing mainly on boron carbide (B4C) and boron suboxide (B6O). The experimental challenges involve processing these ceramics at full density while trying to promote microstructure features such as intergranular films to improve toughness during shock. Many of the computational challenges for boron-based ceramics stem from their complex crystal structure which has hitherto complicated the exploration of grain boundaries and interfaces. However, bridging the gaps between experimental and computational studies at multiple scales to engineer grain boundaries in these boron-based ceramics may hold the key to maturing these material systems for lightweight defense applications.
Vibration Suppression in a Pinned-Pinned Nonlinear Rod Using a Frictionless Slider

We propose a new method for vibration suppression in a flexible structure using a frictionless sliding constraint. The constraint force applied by the slider is assumed known from measurements and the slider motion is prescribed to do negative work on the structure. The structure is modeled as a two-dimensional nonlinear rod with pinned-pinned boundary conditions and the slider is assumed to constrain the position of one point on the rod but not its slope. The problem is formulated using variable-length finite elements in the framework of Arbitrary Lagrange-Euler (ALE) description. The governing equations of motion are derived using the principle of virtual displacements and D’Alembert’s principle. Numerical simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control strategy based on the idea of negative work. To meet the bandwidth requirement of the actuator, a nonlinear filter is placed in the feedback loop and asymptotic stability of the equilibrium configuration is established using Lyapunov stability theory.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Macrophages in Vascular Inflammation: Origins and Functions

Macrophages influence various processes of cardiovascular inflammation. Whether they are of embryonic or post-natal hematopoietic origin, their balance in differential activation may direct the course of inflammation. Accelerated macrophage activation and accumulation through a pro-inflammatory signaling pathway may result in extensive tissue damage, adverse repair, and worsened clinical outcomes. Attenuation of such a mechanism and/or promotion of the anti-inflammatory macrophage activation may lead to early resolution of inflammation. Elucidating multiple novel mechanisms of monocyte and macrophage activation leads to a better understanding of their roles in vascular inflammation. In turn, this begets better therapeutic target identification and biomarker discovery. Combined with increasingly sensitive and specific imaging techniques, we continue to push back early detection and monitoring to provide us with a greater window for disease modification. The potential success of cytokine-targeted therapy will be solid proof of the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis.
Bodies of Evidence: The Practice of Queer History . By Nan Alamilla Boyd and Horacio N. Roque Ramírez.

The fields of oral history and queer studies are each gaining academic and institutional traction in this new millennium, and Nan Alamilla Boyd and Horacio N. Roque Ramirez argue, in a book of essa...
Principles and Methods of Teachers' Explaining in Intermediate Chinese Listening Comprehension

In the teaching of intermediate Chinese listening comprehension,teachers' explaining is a crucial part.Some main principles should be adopted just like the explaining should be heuristic,directive and validity.The teachers' explaining could use some methods just like contrast,diagram,sentence completion,etc.In addition,teacher should pay attention to some problems,such as preparing lessons by listening,optimizing the classroom climate,summing up the teaching in time,increasing the capability of predicting students' trouble.
Nondetections: censored and truncated data

The astronomical context Observational astronomers always struggle, and often fail, to characterize celestial populations in an unbiased fashion. Many surveys are flux-limited (or, as expressed in traditional optical astronomy, magnitude-limited) so that only the brighter objects are detected. As flux is a convolution of the object's intrinsic luminosity and the (often uninteresting) distance to the observer according to Flux = L/ 4 πd 2 , this produces a sample with a complicated bias in luminosity: high-luminosity objects at large distances are over-represented and lowluminosity objects are under-represented in a flux-limited survey. This and related issues with nondetections have confronted astronomers for nearly 200 years. A blind astronomical survey of a portion of the sky is thus truncated at the sensitivity limit, where truncation indicates that the undetected objects, even the number of undetected objects, are entirely missing from the dataset. In a supervised astronomical survey where a particular property (e.g. far-infrared luminosity, calcium line absorption, CO molecular line strength) of a previously defined sample of objects is sought, some objects in the sample may be too faint to detect. The dataset then contains the full sample of interest, but some objects have upper limits and others have detections. Statisticians refer to upper limits as left-censored data points. Multivariate problems with censoring and truncation also arise in astronomy. Consider, for example, a study of howthe luminosity function of active galactic nuclei (AGN) depends on covariates such as redshift (as a measure of cosmic time), clustering environment, host galaxy bulge luminosity and starburst activity.
Postsilicon Trace Signal Selection Using Machine Learning Techniques

A key problem in postsilicon validation is to identify a small set of traceable signals that are effective for debug during silicon execution. Structural analysis used by traditional signal selection techniques leads to a poor restoration quality. In contrast, simulation-based selection techniques provide superior restorability but incur significant computation overhead. In this paper, we propose an efficient signal selection technique using machine learning to take advantage of simulation-based signal selection while significantly reducing the simulation overhead. The basic idea is to train a machine learning framework with a few simulation runs and utilize its effective prediction capability (instead of expensive simulation) to identify beneficial trace signals. Specifically, our approach uses: 1) bounded mock simulations to generate training vectors for the machine learning technique and 2) a compound search-space exploration approach to identify the most profitable signals. Experimental results indicate that our approach can improve restorability by up to 143.1% (29.2% on average) while maintaining or improving runtime compared with the state-of-the-art signal selection techniques.
A New Tool in the Toolbox: The Optional Protocol to the Convention

The Optional Protocol (OP) to the Convention adds two new dimensions to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee’s mandate of monitoring treaty implementation: an individual complaint mechanism and an inquiry procedure. This chapter first presents the scope of the OP as result of a swift but controversial drafting process. Secondly, it gives an overview of the Committee’s activities in regard to the OP since its entry into force in the year 2000. The Committee’s jurisdiction was first shaped by finding a legally accurate voice. Over time, it has developed a victim-oriented treaty interpretation in particular in the fields of violence against women and reproductive rights. This has added to CEDAW’s international visibility, and, in a limited number of cases, made States Parties take measures to correct women’s rights violations.
Peripheral Neurolopathy in Xeroderma Pigmentosum

The peripheral nerve pathology in two autopsied cases of group A xeroderma pigmentosum (De Sanctis Cacchione syndrome) is reported from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, and Tokyo Metropolitan Kita Medical and Rehabilitation Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Bipolar circuit reliability simulation

A model for bipolar hot-carrier degradation has been implemented into the BERT circuit reliability simulator, thus allowing both bipolar and BiCMOS circuit degradation to be simulated. The bipolar module consists of a preprocessor and post-processor for SPICE that require no modification to the SPICE code. Experimental results indicate that the degradation due to alternating reverse-forward stressing representative of BiCMOS gate operation agrees with the Delta I/sub B/ model from DC measurements. The base current degradation for a single device due to electrostatic discharge stress and the offset voltage degradation for an emitter-coupled pair due to DC stress are accurately predicted by the simulator. >
Silent Spring, Loud Legacy: How Elite Media Helped Establish an Environmentalist Icon:

Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring, is widely credited with altering Americans’ environmental consciousness and changing people’s relationship with nature, science, and government. One means ...
An attenuated Machupo virus with a disrupted L-segment intergenic region protects guinea pigs against lethal Guanarito virus infection

Machupo virus (MACV) is a New World (NW) arenavirus and causative agent of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever (HF). Here, we identified a variant of MACV strain Carvallo termed Car91 that was attenuated in guinea pigs. Infection of guinea pigs with an earlier passage of Carvallo, termed Car68, resulted in a lethal disease with a 63% mortality rate. Sequencing analysis revealed that compared to Car68, Car91 had a 35 nucleotide (nt) deletion and a point mutation within the L-segment intergenic region (IGR), and three silent changes in the polymerase gene that did not impact amino acid coding. No changes were found on the S-segment. Because it was apathogenic, we determined if Car91 could protect guinea pigs against Guanarito virus (GTOV), a distantly related NW arenavirus. While naive animals succumbed to GTOV infection, 88% of the Car91-exposed guinea pigs were protected. These findings indicate that attenuated MACV vaccines can provide heterologous protection against NW arenaviruses. The disruption in the L-segment IGR, including a single point mutant and 35 nt partial deletion, were the only major variance detected between virulent and avirulent isolates, implicating its role in attenuation. Overall, our data support the development of live-attenuated arenaviruses as broadly protective pan-arenavirus vaccines.
The relationship between mismatch response and the acoustic change complex in normal hearing infants.

Abstract Objective To examine the utility of the mismatch response (MMR) and acoustic change complex (ACC) for assessing speech discrimination in infants. Methods Continuous EEG was recorded during sleep from 48 (24 male, 20 female) normally hearing aged 1.77 to –4.57 months in response to two auditory discrimination tasks. ACC was recorded in response to a three-vowel sequence (/i/-/a/-/i/). MMR was recorded in response to a standard vowel, /a/, (probability 85%), and to a deviant vowel, /i/, (probability of 15%). A priori comparisons included: age, sex, and sleep state. These were conducted separately for each of the three bandpass filter settings were compared (1–18, 1–30, and 1–40 Hz). Results A priori tests revealed no differences in MMR or ACC for age, sex, or sleep state for any of the three filter settings. ACC and MMR responses were prominently observed in all 44 sleeping infants (data from four infants were excluded). Significant differences observed for ACC were to the onset and offset of stimuli. However, neither group nor individual differences were observed to changes in speech stimuli in the ACC. MMR revealed two prominent peaks occurring at the stimulus onset and at the stimulus offset. Permutation t-tests revealed significant differences between the standard and deviant stimuli for both the onset and offset MMR peaks (p Conclusion Both ACC and MMR responses were observed to auditory stimulation suggesting that infants perceive and process speech information even during sleep. Significant differences between the standard and deviant responses were observed in the MMR, but not ACC paradigm. These findings suggest that the MMR is sensitive to detecting auditory/speech discrimination processing. Significance This paper identified that MMR can be used to identify discrimination in normal hearing infants. This suggests that MMR has potential for use in infants with hearing loss to validate hearing aid fittings.
Characterization of Isolated Ga3+ Cations in Ga/H-MFI Prepared by Vapor-Phase Exchange of H-MFI Zeolite with GaCl3

Ga/H-MFI was prepared by vapor-phase reaction of GaCl3 with Bronsted acid O–H groups in dehydrated H-MFI zeolite. The resulting [GaCl2]+ cations in the as-exchanged zeolite are treated in H2 at 823...
Frailty status as a predictor of 3-month cognitive and functional recovery following spinal surgery: a prospective pilot study

Abstract Background Context As increasing numbers of elderly Americans undergo spinal surgery, it is important to identify which patients are at highest risk for poor cognitive and functional recovery. Frailty is a geriatric syndrome that has been closely linked to poor outcomes, and short-form screening may be a helpful tool for preoperative identification of at-risk patients. Purpose This study aimed to conduct a pilot study on the usefulness of a short-form screening tool to identify elderly patients at increased risk for prolonged cognitive and functional recovery following elective spine surgery. Study Design/Setting This is a prospective, comparative cohort study. Patient Sample The sample comprised 100 patients over age 65 who underwent elective spinal surgery (cervical or lumbar) at a single, large academic medical center from 2013 to 2014. Outcome Measures Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, Loss of Weight (FRAIL) scale, Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale (PQRS), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scores were the outcome measures. Methods Included patients were assessed with the FRAIL scale and stratified as robust, pre-frail, or frail. The PQRS and IADL scores were also obtained. Patients were re-examined at 1 day, 3 days, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery for cognitive recovery at 3 months, and secondarily, functional recovery at 3 months. Results At 3 months, only 50% of frail patients had recovered to their cognitive baseline compared with 60.7% of pre-frail and 69.2% of robust patients (trend). At 3 months, 66.7% of frail patients had recovered to their functional baseline compared with 57% of pre-frail and 76.9% of robust patients (trend). Using multivariate regression modeling, at 3 months, frail patients were less likely to have recovered to their cognitive baseline compared with pre-frail and robust patients (odds ratio 0.39, confidence interval 0.131–1.161). Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates a trend toward poorer cognitive recovery 3 months following elective spinal surgery for frail patients. Frailty screening can help preoperatively identify patients who may experience protracted cognitive and functional recovery.
Theaters of Alternative Industry: Hobbyist Repair Collectives and the Legacy of the 1960s American Counterculture

This chapter describes initial results from an ethnographic study of design and engineering engagements in community-operated sites at which hobbyists mend and repair mass-produced goods. We conducted participant observation at seven repair events and two collectives in the San Francisco Bay area where consumer electronics are reassembled, and spoke with approximately eighty repair practitioners. Here we describe surprising connections between repair and social movements that, in turn, reveal deep ties between contemporary hobbyist repair and countercultural design practices of the 1960s. These links, we argue, open new and important areas for design research.
Divine authority and divine perfection

L'A. traite de la perfection et de l'autorite divines. Il decrit d'abord la relation entre deux etres rationnels ou l'un a l'autorite sur l'autre, montre que les perfections divines n'entrainent pas l'autorite et donne des raisons de douter de l'idee que l'autorite est une perfection divine.
Transitional Urology Care for Patients with Spina Bifida

Patients with spina bifida require urologic care and follow-up throughout all phases of life. The transition from adolescence to adult care represents a high-risk time for these individuals and their families and can be challenging for providers. In this review, we seek to analyze the literature on spina bifida patients regarding issues pertinent to transition of their urologic care to adult clinics, providers, and hospitals, and to summarize the experience in the field to date. Experience in transitioning spina bifida patients to adult care is increasing. Efforts to better define the factors that determine successful transition and affect long-term care outcomes are ongoing. A growing body of literature exists regarding spina bifida patients transitioning to adult care, but further experience and research will be required to define optimal ways to manage and provide care for these individuals in the future.
A multifrontal QR factorization approach to distributed inference applied to multirobot localization and mapping

QR factorization is most often used as a "black box" algorithm, but is in fact an elegant computation on a factor graph. By computing a rooted clique tree on this graph, the computation can be parallelized across subtrees, which forms the basis of so-called multifrontal QR methods. By judiciously choosing the order in which variables are eliminated in the clique tree computation, we show that one straightforwardly obtains a method for performing inference in distributed sensor networks. One obvious application is distributed localization and mapping with a team of robots. We phrase the problem as inference on a large-scale Gaussian Markov Random Field induced by the measurement factor graph, and show how multifrontal QR on this graph solves for the global map and all the robot poses in a distributed fashion. The method is illustrated using both small and large-scale simulations, and validated in practice through actual robot experiments.
Accommodation of Conversational Code-Choice

Bilingual speakers often freely mix languages. However, in such bilingual conversations, are the language choices of the speakers coordinated? How much does one speaker’s choice of language affect other speakers? In this paper, we formulate code-choice as a linguistic style, and show that speakers are indeed sensitive to and accommodating of each other’s code-choice. We find that the saliency or markedness of a language in context directly affects the degree of accommodation observed. More importantly, we discover that accommodation of code-choices persists over several conversational turns. We also propose an alternative interpretation of conversational accommodation as a retrieval problem, and show that the differences in accommodation characteristics of code-choices are based on their markedness in context.
Resting-state white matter-cortical connectivity in non-human primate brain

Numerous studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to characterize functional connectivity between cortical regions by analyzing correlations in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals in a resting state. However, to date, there have been only a handful of studies reporting resting state BOLD signals in white matter. Nonetheless, a growing number of reports has emerged in recent years suggesting white matter BOLD signals can be reliably detected, though their biophysical origins remain unclear. Moreover, recent studies have identified robust correlations in a resting state between signals from cortex and specific white matter tracts. In order to further validate and interpret these findings, we studied a non-human primate model to investigate resting-state connectivity patterns between parcellated cortical volumes and specific white matter bundles. Our results show that resting-state connectivity patterns between white and gray matter structures are not randomly distributed but share notable similarities with diffusion- and histology-derived anatomic connectivities. This suggests that resting-state BOLD correlations between white matter fiber tracts and the gray matter regions to which they connect are directly related to the anatomic arrangement and density of WM fibers. We also measured how different levels of baseline neural activity, induced by varying levels of anesthesia, modulate these patterns. As anesthesia levels were raised, we observed weakened correlation coefficients between specific white matter tracts and gray matter regions while key features of the connectivity pattern remained similar. Overall, results from this study provide further evidence that neural activity is detectable by BOLD fMRI in both gray and white matter throughout the resting brain. The combined use of gray and white matter functional connectivity could also offer refined full-scale functional parcellation of the entire brain to characterize its functional architecture.
Carbon Dynamics at Harvard Forest: Ecological Responses to Changes in the Growing Season

Our understanding of forest carbon dynamics is a crucial component of global carbon management given the potential impacts from future climatic changes. Observed increases in carbon storage in New England forests are not fully understood, and explanations range from increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition to longer growing seasons. These explanations highlight the importance of investigating the phenological and ecosystem function responses to increases in the growing season. Responses were modeled and studied at Harvard Forest, a temperate deciduous forest located in Petersham, MA. Ongoing biometric and eddy flux measurements at the forest provided 17 years of data for this study. Measurements included biometry components, such as leaf area index (LAI) and aboveground woody biomass, and the eddy flux parameters, including carbon flux and measurements of PAR and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze these data and investigate their whole ecosystem direct and indirect interactions. SEM allowed for analyses that addressed the complexity of forest ecosystems and their components. Growing season length was a significant driver of carbon uptake, and was heavily influenced by soil temperatures below the surface. Analyses of the eddy flux data resulted in a model that accurately portrayed the interactions between the eddy flux components and the growing season (GFI = 0.90). Further, the best-fit integrated model simulated an ecological 1-year time lag between the eddy flux and biometry data (GFI = 0.78). This study presents a basis for SEM analyses with the biometry and eddy flux measurements at Harvard Forest. Further research is needed to investigate the ecosystem function responses to changes in the growing season.
Determination of Phthalic Acid, 2-(3',5'-Dibromo-2',4'-Dihydroxybenzoyl) Benzoic Acid, and Tribromoresorcinol in the Color Additives D&C Red No. 21, D&C Red No. 22 (Eosin Y), and Their Lakes Using UHPLC.

Background: Certain impurities in the color additives drug and cosmetic (DC the manufacturing by-products, 2-(3',5'-dibromo-2',4'-dihydroxybenzoyl)benzoic acid (Br2BBA); and brominated resorcinol. "Brominated resorcinol" implies the sum of all possible brominated resorcinols, but the current work focused on 2,4,6-tribromoresorcinol (Br3R) as the most probable side-reaction product. Objective: An improved method was needed to quantify PhthAc, Br2BBA, and Br3R in R21, R22, and their lakes. Methods: A rapid ultra-HPLC (UHPLC) method was developed to replace the gravity flow method for quantitative determination of PhthAc, Br2BBA, and Br3R. Results: PhthAc, Br2BBA, and Br3R were quantified by using five-point calibration curves with data point ranges of 0.11-1.55, 0.06-0.77, and 0.04-0.61% by weight, respectively. LODs for the analytes ranged from 0.01 to 0.03%. Recoveries of the analytes ranged from 90.6 to 99.9%. Conclusions: The UHPLC method is accurate and significantly more rapid than the gravity -flow method, requiring approximately 7 min as compared with 6 h to detect PhthAc, Br2BBA, and Br3R in one sample. Highlights: A rapid UHPLC method was developed to determine CFR-specified impurities in the color additives D&C Red Nos. 21 and 22 and their lakes.
Non–Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases a patient's stroke risk four- to five-fold. Anticoagulation with the vitamin K antagonist (VKA) warfarin reduces the risk of stroke by 67%, but warfarin carries a significant risk of major bleeding and has unpredictable pharmacodynamics with a narrow therapeutic window, necessitating frequent monitoring of its anticoagulant effect. The non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban provide more predictable anticoagulant activity than warfarin with a lower risk of major bleeding, and each is noninferior to warfarin for the prevention of stroke. All have earned regulatory approval in the past eight years. At least one of the NOACs is approved for use in all patients with AF, except those with mechanical valves and rheumatic mitral valve disease, for whom warfarin remains the only option. Recent clinical trials have shown that antithrombotic regimens including NOACs are safe and effective in patients with AF who need potent antiplatelet therapy.
Urgent-start peritoneal dialysis catheter placement: Comparative study between percutaneous image-guided versus laparoscopic techniques

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes and complications of percutaneous image-guided versus laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement techniques in the urgent-start setting. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 273 patients who had their first PD catheter between November 2012 and May 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into radiologic group (n = 26) and laparoscopic group (n = 16). Descriptive and Kaplan–Meier (KM) analysis were used to compare time to first complication, time to catheter removal, and patient survival between the two groups. Complication-free and catheter removal rates at 1, 3, and 12 months were estimated from KM analysis. Results: A total of 42 patients were included in the study. The baseline demographics were similar between the two groups. In the radiologic group, the estimated 1, 3, and 12 months' complication-free rate were 100%, 94%, and 67%, respectively, which was not significantly different from 93%, 85%, and 45%, respectively, in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.543). The rate of catheter complications was not significantly different between the radiologic group (50%) and the laparoscopic group (31%) (P = 0.3382). The catheter removal rate in the radiologic group was 8, 18%, and 38% at 1, 3, and 12 months, respectively, versus 0%, 8%, and 20%, respectively, in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.298). The overall patient survival between two groups was not significantly different (P = 0.116) with estimated patient mortality of 15.4% at 12 months in the radiologic group and no deaths in the laparoscopic group. Conclusion: Image-guided percutaneously placed PD catheters have a similar complication and removal rates compared to laparoscopically placed catheters in the urgent-start setting.
A longitudinal assessment of aluminum contents in foodstuffs and aluminum intake of residents in Tianjin metropolis.

Aim In this report, we retrieved and analyzed the data of aluminum contents in foodstuffs over a 6-year span between 2010 and 2015 and assessed the risk of dietary aluminum exposure in residents of Tianjin metropolis. Methods A multistage random clustering method was used to survey Tianjin residents between 2010 and 2015. Samples were mainly purchased from breakfast vendors, farmers' markets, and supermarkets in Tianjin between 2009 and 2015. A total of 1,814 persons aged at least 2 years from 1,262 households from randomly chosen communities were asked to complete the questionnaire on food consumption. Aluminum contents in the food samples were determined. Results Totally 21.14% of food samples exceeded the recommended aluminum residue limit over the study period. The mean aluminum levels in the food samples over the 6-year span were 111.9 7 ± 265.26 mg/kg, and the mean P95 was 597.00 mg/kg. Totally 21.14% of the food samples exceeded the recommended aluminum residue limit (100 mg/kg). The lowest mean aluminum levels in food were detected in 2010, and the highest levels were found in 2015. The highest mean aluminum levels were found in jellyfish. The highest total mean aluminum intake in food was 83.61 mg/day in those aged at least 50 years and younger than 66 years. Meanwhile, children aged at least 2 years and less than 8 years had the highest mean weekly aluminum intake (18.19 mg/kg body weight/week); they also had the highest MOS (18.19). Conclusion The findings indicate that despite the implementation since 2014 of the new policy on the use of aluminum food additives in China, residents in Tianjin still face high levels of aluminum exposure in foodstuffs with young children particularly vulnerable. Public awareness of the new policy should be enhanced, and more vigorous supervision of the use of aluminum food additives should be undertaken.
Relationship between nursing home quality indicators and potentially preventable hospitalisation.

Background Hospitalisations are very common among nursing home residents and many of these are deemed inappropriate or preventable. Little is known about whether clinical care quality is related to hospitalisation, especially potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPHs). Among the few studies that have been conducted, the findings have been inconsistent. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between quality indicators and overall and PPHs among Medicaid beneficiaries aged 65 years and older receiving care at nursing homes in Minnesota. Methods 23 risk-adjusted quality indicators were used to assess nursing home quality of care. Quality indicators and other facility-level variables from the Minnesota Nursing Home Report Card were merged with resident-level variables from the Minimum Data Set. These merged data were linked with Medicaid claims to obtain hospitalisation rates during the 2011–2012 period. The sample consisted of a cohort of 20 518 Medicaid beneficiaries aged 65 years and older who resided in 345 Minnesota nursing homes. The analyses controlled for resident and facility characteristics using the generalised linear mixed model. Results The results showed that about 44 % of hospitalisations were PPHs. Available quality indicators were not strongly or consistently associated with the risk of hospitalisation (neither overall nor PPH). Among these 23 quality indicators, five quality indicators (antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis, unexplained weight loss, pressures sores, bladder continence and activities of daily living [ADL] dependence) were related significantly to hospitalisation and only four quality indicators (antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis, unexplained weight loss, ADL dependence and urinary tract infections) were related to PPH. Conclusion Although general quality indicators can be informative about overall nursing home performance, only selected quality indicators appear to tap dimensions of clinical quality directly related to hospitalisations.
Coaching Generation Z Athletes

How Generation Z athletes' (those born after 1996) characteristics influence coaching practice has not been examined. This study examines coaches' perceptions of Gen Z athlete characteristics, chal...
The Effect of Shareholder Approval of Equity Issuances Around the World

Mandatory shareholder approval of equity issuances varies considerably across and within countries. In the United States and a few other countries, management typically needs the approval of only its board of directors to issue common stock. In most countries, however, by law or stock exchange rule, shareholders must vote to approve equity issuances when using certain methods or contemplating offers that exceed a specified fraction of outstanding shares. In some countries, shareholders must approve all equity issuances. Even in the United States, shareholder approval is mandatory under certain circumstances. The differences in the stock market reaction to shareholder‐approved equity issuances and to issues undertaken unilaterally by management are strikingly and consistently large. When shareholders approve stock issuances, whether public or rights offerings, or private placements, the average announcement returns are significantly positive, on the order of 2%. But when managers issue stock without shareholder approval, as in the case of U.S. public offerings, returns are significantly negative and 4% lower, on average, than for shareholder‐approved issues. What's more, the closer in time the shareholder vote is to the issue date, and the greater the required plurality (say, two‐thirds instead of half the vote required for approval), the more positive is the market reaction to the issue—and these findings hold for each of the three main kinds of offerings that take place in all 23 countries in the author's sample. Also telling, in countries where shareholder approval is required, such as Sweden and Malaysia, rights offers predominate over public issues. But in countries like the U.S. and Japan, where managers may generally issue stock without shareholder approval, public offers predominate over rights issues. These findings suggest that agency problems—the tendency of corporate managements to put their own interests before their shareholders'—play a major role in equity issuances. Such findings are also largely inconsistent with the adverse selection, market timing, and signaling explanations that currently dominate academic thinking about equity issuances by public corporations.
Dynamics modeling and verification of a large-displacement precision preloaded-flexure stage

Abstract Precision stages, specifically flexure stages, are critical elements in micro- and nano-fabrication and metrology because of their ability to produce motion with nanoscale resolution as they are not limited by the effects of friction at sliding surfaces. In addition, they have the advantages of lower wear, longer life, no maintenance, and more repeatable and robust behaviors. However, these advantages come at the expense of the travel range. Displacements of flexure stages are typically very small and attempts to extend the range of motion by using less stiff flexures also increase the stage’s susceptibility to parasitic motions. Thus, in situations where accuracy, resolution, range, and stiffness are simultaneously needed, one is forced to deal with nonlinear (stiffening) behaviors that are inherent in any flexure stages. This paper addresses the problem of modeling the dynamics of a typical flexure stage used for producing oscillating linear motions for a micro-machining system. The nonlinear behavior of the flexure stage due to stretching of the flexures is modeled from first principles. Practical considerations associated with flexure stages such as preloading of the flexures, the distribution of its mass at different locations, and coupling to an actuator that itself has dynamics are also included in the model. Experimental verification of the model is used to assess its accuracy. Simulations are used to predict behavior in regimes not accessible by experiments.
Creating an Edible Dialogue for Peace: Community Gardening, Horticulture, and Urban Fruit Tree Orchards

This chapter examines the psychological benefits of “green” space environments and how sustainable programs provide greater opportunities for positive intergroup contact that can also help establish community resilience and empowerment. In this chapter, James Kelly’s (American Psychologist 21: 535–539, 1966) ecological analogy is discussed, and how green space environments and community gardens can provide opportunities for the development of interdependence, adaptation, recycling of resources, and succession. Additionally, in this chapter also discussed is how communities may reduce violence and conflict through the implementation of programs that support superordinate goals (i.e., healthy foods), interdependency, and increased positive contact. The chapter concludes by providing several examples of how the application of environmental stewardship and green space programs (i.e., “The Sandy Hook Victory Gardens” and the “9/11 Living Trees Memorial Project”) can help teach the natural and organic principles that promote peace and resilience in communities that have been impacted by tragedy.
Abstract 360: Loss of Endothelial CXCR7 Exacerbates Wire-injury Induced Neointimal Formation

CXCR7 is a non-classical chemokine receptor for CXCL12, whose gene represents a genome-wide association locus for coronary artery disease. Global deletion of CXCR7 increased experimentally induced ...
Review of Coca Wine. Angelo Mariani’s Miracolous Elixir and the Birth of Modern Advertising

Coca Wine. Angelo Mariani’s Miracolous Elixir and the Birth of Modern Advertising, by Aymon de Lestrange. Park Street Press, 2018
Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure and Native Lung Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Exacerbation in Single-lung Transplant Patients with Cytomegalovirus Disease: A Case Series.

Abstract Background Our case series describes three patients who have received single-lung transplantations for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that develop cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease and hypoxemic respiratory failure with radiographic opacification of the native lung and sparing of the allograft. Results Hypoxemia resolved with treatment and with resolution of CMV viremia. Viral infections causing IPF exacerbations have been described in the literature, however, pulmonary CMV disease in single-lung transplant recipients has typically been observed as pneumonitis of the allograft. Conclusions These clinical scenarios are consistent with acute exacerbation of native-lung IPF and subradiographic pneumonitis of the allograft caused by CMV disease.