cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A class of blind phase recovery techniques for higher order QAM modulations: estimators and bounds

This letter proposes a class of blind feedforward carrier-phase estimators for higher order quadrature amplitude-modulated transmissions. As an extension of the Viterbi and Viterbi (V&V) estimator, a constellation-dependent optimal matched nonlinear estimator is derived such that its asymptotic variance is minimized. The asymptotic variances of the optimal matched and V&V estimators are established in closed-form expressions and compared. Computer simulations are presented to corroborate the theoretical performance analysis.
GaInNAs Material Properties for Long Wavelength Opto-Electronic Devices

Abstract : Dilute nitrogen GaInNAs is a new promising material as an active region for use in 1.3 and 1.55 micrometers opto-electronic devices. It has been commonly observed that increasing the nitrogen content generally reduces the optical emission intensity and increases laser threshold. However, some non radiative recombination defects are removed from the material during a post-growth anneal. One drawback to the anneal is that nitrogen out-diffuses from the quantum wells and blue-shifts optical emission. Using a modified active region structure, we have decreased nitrogen out-diffusion and reduced the luminescence blue-shift while still improving crystal quality. The growth consists of high nitrogen GaNAs barriers grown between lower nitrogen GaInNAs quantum wells. As an added benefit, the nitride barriers strain compensate for the compression in the high in content GaInNAs wells. Furthermore, in order to improve luminescence at long wavelengths, we have added Sb to GaInNAs and have observed high intensity phototuminescence (PL) out to 1.6 micrometers. We have grown and fabricated in-plane GaInNAs lasers that emit at 1.3 micrometers with a current threshold density of 1.2 kA/sq cm and GaInNAsSb lasers with emissions at 1.46 micrometers with a current threshold of 2.8 kA/sq cm.
Quality-of-life assessment of surgical reconstruction after laparoscopic cholecystectomy-induced bile duct injuries: what happens at 5 years and beyond?

Hypothesis Quality of life of patients after biliary reconstruction for laparoscopic injuries is comparable to that of patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Design Outcomes study. Setting Tertiary referral center. Patients Records of 59 consecutive patients undergoing surgical reconstruction of the biliary tract after injury induced by laparoscopic cholecystectomy between 1990 and 1997 were reviewed. Hepp-Couinaud technique or Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was used in 53 patients; other procedures included cholangiojejunostomy, choledochorrhaphy, and hepaticoduodenostomy. Interventions Quality-of-life questionnaires (36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]) were mailed to each patient in the group and to patients who underwent uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy, matched individually by year, sex, and age group. Values from the general population matched by age and sex were gathered (national norms). Minimum time of follow-up was 5 years. Results Eighty-nine (81%) of 110 potential respondents to the survey completed the SF-36 questionnaires. All 8 values evaluated in the SF-36 questionnaire (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health index) for patients undergoing biliary reconstruction were similar to those of both their matched controls (all P >.10) and national norms (all P >.05). The standardized physical component scale was also similar between the 2 groups (cases vs controls, 51 vs 48; P = .47), as was the standardized mental component scale (cases vs controls, 55 vs 55; P = .60). Conclusions With a minimum of 5 years of follow-up, the quality of life after surgical biliary reconstruction compares favorably with that of both patients undergoing uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy and national norms.
Image retrieval: feature primitives, feature representation, and relevance feedback

In this paper feature selection and representation techniques in CBIR systems are reviewed and interpreted in a unified feature representation paradigm. We revise our previously proposed water-filling edge features with newly proposed primitives and present them using this unified feature formation paradigm. Experiments and comparisons are performed to illustrate the characteristics of the new features. Also proposed is sub-image feature extraction for regional matching. Relevance feedback as an on-line learning mechanism is adopted for feature and tile selection and weighting during the retrieval.
Urinary ATP synthase subunit β is a novel biomarker of renal mitochondrial dysfunction in acute kidney injury

Although the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction in acute kidney injury (AKI) has been documented, noninvasive early biomarkers of mitochondrial damage are needed. We examined urinary ATP synthase subunit β (ATPSβ) as a biomarker of renal mitochondrial dysfunction during AKI. Mice underwent sham surgery or varying degrees (5, 10, or 15 min ischemia) of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI. Serum creatinine, BUN, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were elevated only in the 15 min I/R group at 24 h. Immunoblot analysis of urinary ATPSβ revealed two bands (full length ∼52 kDa and cleaved ∼25 kDa), both confirmed as ATPSβ by LC-MS/MS, that increased at 24 h in 10- and 15-min I/R groups. These changes were associated with mitochondrial dysfunction evidenced by reduced renal cortical expression of mitochondrial proteins, ATPSβ and COX1, proximal tubular oxygen consumption, and ATP. Furthermore, in the 15-min I/R group, urinary ATPSβ was elevated until 72 h before returning to baseline 144 h after reperfusion with recovery of renal function. Evaluation of urinary ATPSβ in a nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model of liver injury only revealed cleaved ATPSβ, suggesting specificity of full-length ATPSβ for renal injury. Immunoblot analyses of patient urine samples collected 36 h after cardiac surgery revealed increased urinary ATPSβ levels in patients with postcardiac surgery-induced AKI. LC-MS/MS urinalysis in human subjects with AKI confirmed increased ATPSβ. These translational studies provide evidence that ATPSβ may be a novel and sensitive urinary biomarker of renal mitochondrial dysfunction and could serve as valuable tool for the testing of potential therapies for AKI and chemical-induced nephrotoxicity.
Surface-tension effects in the contact of liquid surfaces

The process by which two surfaces of the same liquid establish contact, as when two drops collide or raindrops fall on water, is studied. The mathematical formulation is based on the assumption of an incompressible, inviscid fluid with surface tension. A model problem with a simplified geometry is solved numerically by means of a boundary-integral method. The results imply that a number of toroidal bubbles form and remain entrapped between the contacting surfaces. Experimental evidence for this process, which is important for boiling nucleation and the formation of condensation nuclei for rain drops, is found in the literature.
Slow-wave sleep and symptomatology in schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders

Deficits in slow-wave sleep (SWS), or delta sleep, are frequently seen in schizophrenia, but their relation with schizophrenic symptomatology remains unclear. We examined the association between visually scored and automated measures of SWS and positive and negative symptoms in a series of unmedicated patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Total and average automated delta wave counts were significantly inversely associated with negative symptoms overall, and the psychomotor poverty syndrome in particular. Total delta counts were also inversely related to the disorganization syndrome. No relation was seen between reality distortion or the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) positive symptoms and SWS. These findings support the view that SWS deficits may be related to negative symptoms of schizophrenia and may perhaps be mediated by impaired functioning of frontothalamic neural circuits.
Competition for cellulose among three predominant ruminal cellulolytic bacteria under substrate-excess and substrate-limited conditions.

The ruminal cellulolytic bacteria Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1 and Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 coexisted in substrate-excess coculture with about equal population size, but R. flavefaciens outcompeted F. succinogenes for cellobiose in the substrate-limited cocultures whether the two strains were coinoculated or a steady-state culture of F. succinogenes was challenged by R. flavefaciens. This outcome of competition between these two strains is due to a classical pure and simple competition mechanism based on affinity for cellobiose. Although the population size of F. succinogenes was much higher (> 70%) than that of another cellulolytic species, Ruminococcus albus 7 in substrate-excess coculture, F. succinogenes was replaced by a population of R. albus in the substrate-limited coculture in both coinoculation and challenge experiments. R albus outcompeted F. succinogenes, apparently due to selection in the chemostat of a population of R. albus with a higher affinity for cellobiose. R. albus also outcompeted R. flavefaciens under substrate-limited conditions.
The molecular and genetic basis of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 disorders: the achondroplasia family of skeletal dysplasias, Muenke craniosynostosis, and Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans.

Achondroplasia, the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism in humans, occurs between 1 in 15,000 and 40,000 live births. More than 90% of cases are sporadic and there is, on average, an increased paternal age at the time of conception of affected individuals. More then 97% of persons with achondroplasia have a Gly380Arg mutation in the transmembrane domain of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 3 gene. Mutations in the FGFR3 gene also result in hypochondroplasia, the lethal thanatophoric dysplasias, the recently described SADDAN (severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans) dysplasia, and two craniosynostosis disorders: Muenke coronal craniosynostosis and Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans. Recent evidence suggests that the phenotypic differences may be due to specific alleles with varying degrees of ligand-independent activation, allowing the receptor to be constitutively active. Since the Gly380Arg achondroplasia mutation was recognized, similar observations regarding the conserved nature of FGFR mutations and resulting phenotype have been made regarding other skeletal phenotypes, including hypochondroplasia, thanatophoric dysplasia, and Muenke coronal craniosynostosis. These specific genotype-phenotype correlations in the FGFR disorders seem to be unprecedented in the study of human disease. The explanation for this high degree of mutability at specific bases remains an intriguing question. (Endocrine Reviews 21: 23‐39, 2000)
Structural priming in children with and without specific language impairment

Primary objective: To determine if structural priming can be demonstrated in young children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Research design: A mixed-model design was used to compare children with SLI to two groups of typically developing (TD) children, and to compare priming conditions. Methods and procedures: Eighteen children with SLI and 36 TD children (18 matched on age and 18 matched on MLU) participated. Children were asked to describe drawings compatible with both a transitive or an intransitive sentence structure, after being primed with one of the structures. Results: All groups of children were more likely to produce transitive sentences when they had just heard and repeated a transitive prime. Children with SLI did not differ from the other groups. Conclusions: Children with SLI show similar priming effects to TD children. Priming has promise as a method for investigating production factors in typical and atypical language development.
Cooking increases net energy gain from a lipid-rich food

Starch, protein, and lipid are three major sources of calories in the human diet. The unique and universal human practice of cooking has been demonstrated to increase the energy gained from foods rich in starch or protein. Yet no studies have tested whether cooking has equivalent effects on the energy gained from lipid-rich foods. Using mice as a model, we addressed this question by examining the impact of cooking on the energy gained from peanuts, a lipid-rich oilseed, and compared this impact against that of nonthermal processing (blending). We found that cooking consistently increased the energy gained per calorie, whereas blending had no detectable energetic benefits. Assessment of fecal fat excretion showed increases in lipid digestibility when peanuts were cooked, and examination of diet microstructure revealed concomitant alterations to the integrity of cell walls and the oleosin layer of proteins that otherwise shield lipids from digestive lipases. Both effects were consistent with the greater energy gain observed with cooking. Our findings highlight the importance of cooking in increasing dietary energy returns for humans, both past and present.
Novel Mutations in NPHS2 Detected in Both Familial and Sporadic Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome

ABSTRACT. Autosomal recessive steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRINS) belongs to the heterogeneous group of familial nephrotic syndrome and represents a frequent cause of end-stage renal disease in childhood. This kidney disorder is characterized by early onset of proteinuria, progression to end-stage renal disease, and histologic findings of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, minimal change nephrotic syndrome, or both. A causative gene, NPHS2 , has been mapped to chromosome 1q25-q31 and was recently identified by positional cloning. This study reports five novel NPHS2 mutations: A284V, R196P, V290M, IVS4-1G→T, and 460-467insT in 12 (46%) of 26 multiplex families and in 7 (28%) of 25 single patients with the clinical diagnosis of a SRINS. Because NPHS2 mutations were found in nearly 30% of these patients with “sporadic” SRINS, mutational analysis should also be performed in these patients. Besides better classification of the disease entity, identification of NPHS2 mutations may save some of these patients from unnecessary steroid treatment and also permit the prediction of absence of disease recurrence after kidney transplantation.
Temperature Dependence of Properties of Magnesium Ferrite

Magnesium ferrite varies in cell size, density, and refractive index, according to the temperature from which it was quenched, over the range 350° to 950°C. There is no evidence for long-range ordering, but the change toward a more inverse structure with decreasing temperature is toward a more ordered state. The DTA tracing shows a strong exothermic peak at 450°C. The effect of the cooling rate on the thermal contraction of magnesium ferrite is discussed.
Geometric Mapping of Switching Functions

The geometric map described in this paper is a graphic representation, using vectors, of the conditions desired in the design of switching networks. This mapping technique makes the well-known techniques such as Boolean algebra, the Quine-McCluskey minimization chart, and Huffman's flow table more effective when designing optimum circuits. Its degree of flexibility in the selection of vectors is advantageous in certain problems.
Automated synthesis of microcontroller based state machines

The alternatives for implementing state machines have evolved over the past few years from the SSI/MSI circuits to include PLDs, PLAs, LCAs, and most recently programmable microcoded sequencers. Effective design implementation of state machines is accomplished by choosing the correct hardware. Microcontrollers have come to ease the pressure on the designer by adding one more choice to the device list. This paper analyzes the performance of typical microcontrollers in state machines. Two basic design philosophies are introduced. The first method is a table driven implementation and the second uses line code. Typical state times which can be achieved are presented for a representative group of currently popular microcontrollers. A high-level language software tool for Binary Sequential Synchronous Machine code generation is also presented in this paper. This software translates the state diagram description of a given BSSM to the specified microcontroller code, leaving this aspect of the development cycle transparent to the user. >
Photonically controlled ultrasonic arrays: scenarios and systems

Wavelength diversity coupled with fiber-based time delay, optical energy delivery, and ultrasonic energy generation and sensing, are proposed for the first time to form a novel, rapidly tunable (e.g., 1 kHz-100 MHz) and wide instantaneous bandwidth (e.g., >50 % bandwidth at center carrier), ultrasonic probe system. This novel photonic system can be used for a wide variety of ultrasonic applications such as therapy, diagnostics, and non-invasive surgery, particularly for intracavity operation with a typical 100 channel/transducer element count. This ultrasonic system architecture relies on a novel multi-wavelength optical delay line module using two high speed (i.e., <10 microseconds wavelength switching time), bulk acousto-optic tunable filters, that provide collinear, high power, multi-wavelength optical input and output beams. This wavelength selection module also provides high optical throughput (e.g., 85% efficiency), and excellent, e.g., <-30 dB optical or <-60 dB electrical blockage of the unwanted leakage (undiffracted) light, preventing noise propagation when such modules are cascaded to provide switched signal time delays.
Concordance of molecular and morphological data: The example of the Acoela

Synopsis Morphological features of the Acoela appear to be quite plastic, including those of the copulatory organs, which provide the principle characteristics used for the systematics of this group. Consequently, classification schemes of the Acoela comprise numerous polyphyletic groupings. In this review, we detail recent revisions of acoel systematics using molecular sequence data and new and reevaluated morphological characteristics. Gene trees are discordant with traditional systematic schemes but strongly concordant with new morphological characteristics obtained through the use of transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy, namely, characteristics of body-wall and copulatory organ musculature, sperm, sperm ducts, sagittocysts, and immunocytochemistry of the nervous system. This merger of molecular and morphological data has led to significant changes in acoel classification, including a major emendation of the largest family of the Acoela, the Convolutidae, whereby half of its members were transferred to a newly created family, the Isodiametridae.
Cutting Calories and TXNIP From the Skeletal Muscle to Restore Insulin Sensitivity

It is quite possible that if she had seen but a glimpse of her young country’s future while writing “The New Colossus” in late 19th-century America, Emma Lazarus might have modified her famous line to read “Give me your…huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” well-nourished and long-lived . And indeed, at a time when food shortage and famine were sources of great suffering throughout much of the world, such a persuasive line would have seemed very compelling to the “masses.” How strange might it also have been for people at that time to be told of what we now know, which is that overnourishment typically prohibits a person from living a long and healthy life. Evidence of this fact is manifested in the rapidly rising rates of obesity-related pathologies, particularly cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes, which of course are hardly unique to the U.S. as recent reports show that rates of obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases are escalating worldwide, with the highest rates in developing countries across Africa and the Middle East (1,2). Lifestyle interventions to combat this epidemic are increasingly being prioritized by health care professionals who recognize that, unless action is taken, the tidal wave of associated costs and resource demands placed on hospitals and primary care providers will wash over us all with devastating consequences. Caloric restriction (CR) is an intervention that consistently leads to …
Abstract 625: Adipose-Associated Mediators Correlate with Anatomic and Physiologic Adaptations Following Fistula Placement: The Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation (HFM) Study

Introduction: Perivascular inflammation stands as an important regulator of vascular remodeling. We hypothesize that the phenotype of adipose tissue adjacent to a hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) modulates the anatomy and physiology of maturation. Methods: During AVF creation, adipose tissue adjacent to the vein was collected from 112 participants in the NIDDK HFM Study, and 9 adipose-associated mediator protein levels were measured. AVF duplex ultrasound was performed post-operatively at Day 1, and Weeks 2 and 6, and prior to 1st cannulation (Week 10-22) to define the changes in diameter and flow. Associations between biomarker levels and fistula remodeling were evaluated using mixed effects regression analyses. Results: Fractional changes in vein diameter decrease with increasing IL-6 and MCP-1 levels; changes in AVF flow decrease with increasing leptin (A). IL-6 demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with vein adaptations in the early time frame (1D-2W), but not in the later stag...
Further Studies on the Anodic Corrosion of Lead in H 2 SO 4 Solutions

Anodic corrosion of lead in sulfuric acid was studied in detail at potentials near the reversible potential. Results indicate that the first step in the corrosion process was reaction of lead with water to form lead dioxide. The solid‐phase reaction probably occurred below a certain potential, and this reaction plus two electrochemical reactions rendered lead dioxide unstable at lower potentials. A potential was found at which the corrosion rate reached a sharp peak. Above this peak lead dioxide was found in the reaction product.Kinetic treatment was only partially successful. In 30% acid, at potentials just below the reversible potential, conversion of lead dioxide film to lead sulfate took place, and the rate of corrosion appeared to be controlled by diffusion of the electrolyte into the film. Above the reversible potential, a protective lead dioxide film was formed, and a linear rate of corrosion was found which increased with increasing temperature and decreasing acid concentration.
Hardware/Software Codesign Research

Having taken a look at some important aspects of hardware and software development, it is now possible to embark on a discussion of hardware/software codesign. Attention is given to both past and current research. This chapter starts with an informal view of codesign and presents two related areas: hardware/software trade-offs and hardware/software cross fertilization. Next, a description of a typical codesign process is provided, and several topics are discussed within the context of this design process. Some codesign approaches and design environments are then presented. Following this discussion, a unified design environment is briefly described. This environment will be used to demonstrate many of the ideas developed in the monograph.
The Breast–Thyroid Cancer Link: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Rates of thyroid cancer in women with a history of breast cancer are higher than expected. Similarly, rates of breast cancer in those with a history of thyroid cancer are increased. Explanations for these associations include detection bias, shared hormonal risk factors, treatment effect, and genetic susceptibility. With increasing numbers of breast and thyroid cancer survivors, clinicians should be particularly cognizant of this association. Here, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature utilizing PubMed and Scopus search engines to identify all publications studying the incidence of breast cancer as a secondary malignancy following a diagnosis of thyroid cancer or thyroid cancer following a diagnosis of breast cancer. This demonstrated an increased risk of thyroid cancer as a secondary malignancy following breast cancer [OR = 1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.44-1.67] and an increased risk of breast cancer as a secondary malignancy following thyroid cancer (OR = 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09-1.26). There is a clear increase in the odds of developing either thyroid or breast cancer as a secondary malignancy after diagnosis with the other. Here, we review this association and current hypothesis as to the cause of this correlation.
Simultaneous control of composition and register of an AAB-type collagen heterotrimer.

Control over composition and register of the peptide chains in AAB-type collagen mimetic heterotrimers is critical in developing systems that show fidelity to native collagen. However, their design...
Insecticides for Frankliniella occidentalis and Lygus hesperus on Safflower Plants

Replicated small plot and aircraft tests on safflower showed that methidathion and oxydemetonmethyl effectively reduced bud damage from feeding by the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and Lygus hesperus Knight. Both insecticides at 0.56 kg AI/ha effectively controlled thrips damage and 2 applications (at prebloom and onset of bloom) were superior to one. Methidathion, applied at 0.56 kg and 1.12 kg AI/ha by aircraft, was more effective in controlling populations of L. hespersus than oxydemetonmethyl, and seed yields were significantly better than in the controls for both dosages. Residues of methidathion at 0.56 kg AI/ha after 3 hand or aircraft applications were low, and residues of oxydemethonmethyl after 3 hand applications also were low. Neither of these insecticides are registered for use on safflower.
NC-03POLYMORPHISMS IN THE COMT, BDNF AND DTNBP1 GENES AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH BRAIN TUMORS

BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction is prevalen among brain tumor patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT). However, little is known about genetic risk factors that may moderate their vulnerability for developing cognitive impairment. In this study, we examined the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three genes, Catechol-O-Methyl-Transferase (COMT), Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic-Factor (BDNF), and dystrobrevin binding protein 1 (DTNBP1), and cognitive functions in brain tumor survivors. METHODS: One hundred and fifty brain tumor patients participated in the study: ninety had been treated with RT ± CT, fifty-seven had CT alone, and three had no therapy. All Patients completed a battery of neuropsychological tests of attention, executive functions and memory, and provided a blood sample. Genotyping of SNPs in the BDNF (n = 9), COMT (n = 17) and DTNBP1 (n = 7) genes was performed. RESULTS: Linear regressions with stepwise backward elimination of SNPs based on change in AIC criterion, adjusting for age, education, and treatment type indicated a significant (p< 0.05) association between the COMT SNP rs4680 (Val158Met) and cognitive function, with lower working memory scores in homozygotes (G/G) and higher executive function and delayed recall scores in heterozygotes (A/G). Five additional SNPs in the COMT gene were significantly associated with lower scores in attention and executive functions. There were significant associations among five SNPs in the BDNF gene and lower performance in executive function, learning and delayed recall. Four SNPs in the DTNBP1 gene were associated with attention and memory scores. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that in brain tumor patients, cognitive outcome may be differentially affected by polymorphisms in genes previously associated with executive and memory functions in healthy individuals and other clinical populations. Further work is underway to quantify the variation in cognitive outcomes explained by these polymorphisms.
Humanistic Psychology and Christian Thought: A Comparative Analysis:

The relationship between psychological humanism and Christian thought is explored and critically evaluated. Three tenets of humanistic psychology are considered from a Christian perspective. Areas ...
Caveat Doctor: How to Analyze Claims-Based Report Cards

"Report cards" based on claims (billing) data are being widely used to evaluate the quality of care given by providers, even though they often lack sufficient clinical detail to render definitive judgments. Furthermore, their accuracy, especially for outpatient care, is quite variable. Nevertheless, claims data will continue to be used until better clinical information becomes widely available. To determine the suitability of automated claims data for measuring clinical performance, careful attention should be paid to the integrity of the data. Providers profiled by claims-based report cards should ask four questions about the source, robustness, management, and analysis of the data: 1. What are the key characteristics of the data set used to construct the profile? These include the insurer's name, coverage type, time period, geographic area, and number of patients, claims lines, and providers. 2. What clinical conditions and events are being measured and how well? In short, are the patients' conditions and their clinical encounters reasonably well characterized? 3. Is the information about the patients and providers accurate and up to date? 4. Once the insurer receives the medical claim, are data elements deleted or altered in ways that might affect their accuracy and completeness? Ensuring data integrity is not sufficient; the analysis of the data must be scrutinized. Potential pitfalls in analyzing claims data arise in choosing clinically meaningful measures, recognizing important differences in patients and their providers, and making fair comparisons against appropriate benchmarks. Monitoring patient care outcomes is no longer voluntary. By routinely constructing and augmenting profiles using outpatient claims data, provider groups become proactive rather than reactive in evaluating their patients' care.
The optimal TiO2/Ag/TiO2 electrode for organic solar cell application with high device-specific Haacke figure of merit

Abstract As a promising indium-free electrode, transparent composite electrode (TCE) TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 is an attractive alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO). The multilayer structure of TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 is deposited on glass substrate by room-temperature sputtering. The effects of deposition rate, thickness of Ag and TiO 2 layers on the electrical and optical properties of this TCE are presented. Results show that the Ag films tend to have fewer voids to form, if the Ag deposition rate is sufficiently high. The presence of fewer voids in the Ag layer results in higher transmittance and lower sheet resistance of the corresponding TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 structure. In order to increase the solar input to the P 3 HT:PC 61 BM organic solar cell, the layer thicknesses of TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 electrodes are theoretically and then experimentally optimized, such that its optical transmittances are maximized across the wavelength range where the light absorption of P 3 HT:PC 61 BM is highest. In this study, the device-specific Haacke figure of merit (FOM) of the TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 electrode is optimal with the use of 42 nm TiO 2 layers and 10 nm Ag layer. This optimal Haacke FOM is two times higher than that of ITO electrodes. The conventional bulk heterojunction organic solar cell (OSC) fabricated on optimized TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 electrode shows high power conversion efficiency (PCE), almost 100% higher than PCE of OSC fabricated on ITO. Our finding indicates that TiO 2 /Ag/TiO 2 electrode can be specifically tailored to particular applications. It can be implemented in organic solar cell and has considerable potential to replace ITO in solar cell applications.
Moderate to severe water limitation differentially affects the phenome and ionome of Arabidopsis.

Food security is currently one of the major challenges that we are facing as a species. Understanding plant responses and adaptations to limited water availability is key to maintain or improve crop yield, and this is even more critical considering the different projections of climate change. In this work, we combined two high-throughput -‘omic’ platforms (‘phenomics’ and ‘ionomics’) to begin dissecting time-dependent effects of water limitation in Arabidopsis leaves and ultimately seed yield. As proof of concept, we acquired high-resolution images with visible, fluorescence, and near infrared cameras and used commercial and open source algorithms to extract the information contained in those images. At a defined point, samples were also taken for elemental profiling. Our results show that growth, biomass and photosynthetic efficiency were affected mostly under severe water limitation regimes and these differences were exacerbated at later developmental stages. The elemental composition and seed yield, however, changed across the different water regimes tested and these changes included under- and over- accumulation of elements compared with well-watered plants. Our results demonstrate that the combination of phenotyping techniques can be successfully used to identify specific bottlenecks during plant development that could compromise biomass, yield, and the nutritional quality of plants.
La recreación de la experiencia del instante en Viaje a la Alcarria de Cela

?Por que preferir el Viaje a la Alcarria sobre otras obras de Cela? A pesar de que se inscribe en una amplia tradicion de libros de viajes, la variedad y discrepancia de reacciones de los criticos revela su desconcertante originalidad. Al carecer de una tesis abarcadora y enfocarse en la recreacion de diversos instantes deja a los lectores en libertad para alcanzar sus propias conclusiones. Como en el cuento de Perrault sobre las botas de siete leguas, al cual se hace alusion, se presenta los acontecimientos, por terribles que sean, sin moralizar. El mundo que se presenta vale por ser, no por significar. Su intensa presencia, sin embargo, se encuentra amenazada por la desaparicion, por lo que el Viaje a la Alcarria es a la vez recreacion y requiem. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ Recriando a experiencia do momento em Viaje a la Alcarria de Cela Resumo: Por que, entre todas as obras de Cela, escolher o Viaje a la Alcarria? Apesar de fazer parte de uma longa tradicao de livros de viagem, a variedade e a divergencia de reacoes dos criticos revelam a sua originalidade desconcertante. A falta de uma tese abrangente e o foco na recriacao de varios momentos, deixam os leitores livres para tirarem suas proprias conclusoes. Como no conto de Perrault sobre as botas de sete leguas, a qual Viaje a la Alcarria faz referencia, os eventos, mesmo que sejam terriveis, sao apresentados sem moraliza-los. O mundo que apresenta-se vale pelo fato dele existir, e nao significar. Sua presenca intensa, no entanto, encontra-se ameacada pelo desaparecimento, fazendo assim o Viaje a la Alcarria simultaneamente uma recreacao e requiem. Palavras-chave: Cela; Viaje a la Alcarria; Feijoo; Perrault ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ The Recreation of the Experience of the Instant in Cela’s Viaje a la Alcarria Abstract: Why prefer Viaje a la Alcarria over other works by Cela? In spite of its being grounded on a vast tradition of travel books, the variety and discrepancy of critics’ opinions reveals its disconcerting originality. Lacking a framing thesis and focusing on recreating a diversity of instants, readers are granted the freedom to reach their own conclusions. As in Perrault’s story about the seven league boots, to which Viaje a la Alcarria makes a reference, events are presented without moralizing, as terrible as they may be. The world presented finds it value in being, not in signifying. Its intense presence, though, is condemned to disappear, therefore making Viaje a la Alcarria simultaneously recreation and requiem. Keywords: Cela; Viaje a la Alcarria; Feijoo; Perrault
First Metatarsophalangeal Contact Properties Following Proximal Opening Wedge and Scarf Osteotomies for Hallux Valgus Correction: A Biomechanical Study.

Background:Proximal opening wedge osteotomy (POWO) is an established procedure for moderate to severe hallux valgus. A common concern of this procedure is that it results in lengthening of the firs...
Political Conditions and Currency Crises: Empirical Regularities in Emerging Markets

This paper demonstrates the impact of structural political conditions on the likelihood of currency crises in emerging markets. Controlling for a standard and parsimonious set of macroeconomic variables, I find that: left-wing government is more conducive to currency crises; democracies are less vulnerable; and strong governments (those with larger legislative majorities and those which face more fragmented legislative opposition) are also less vulnerable. In contrast to previous studies, I also find elections (and executive change) not to be associated with currency crises. Despite the strong statistical association between currency crises and these political variables, in- and out-of-sample predictions demonstrate the remaining difficulty of predicting the timing of currency crises.
Abstract P113: Use of Guideline Recommended Therapies for Heart Failure in Outpatient Settings Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Background: Most information about the use of guideline recommended therapies for heart failure (HF) is based on what occurs at discharge following an inpatient stay. Using a nationally representat...
Implementation of Real-Time Assessment of Patient-Reported Outcomes in a Heart Failure Clinic: A Feasibility Study

Abstract Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) quantify, from patients' perspectives, their symptoms, function, and quality of life. Our aim was to determine the feasibility of integrating PRO capture into routine clinical practice at a large heart failure (HF) clinic. Methods We examined the practicality of PRO completion at the time of clinic visit, the time required to complete the selected instruments, the completion rate, and the feasibility of immediate PRO scoring and integration of the results into the electronic health record (EHR). We deployed a computer program to capture PROs (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) on a portable computer platform at the time of a clinic visit. An automated algorithm identified patients scheduled for appointments at the HF clinic at registration, provided a portable tablet computer with which to complete the appropriate PRO instruments and then scored and immediately integrated the results in the patient's EHR. Results In a 12-month period, 862 unique patients completed 1,320 PRO assessments. The mean age of this cohort was 60.1 ± 16.3 years and 66% were male. The average time for PRO assessment was 6.7 minutes and the completion rate among eligible patients was 58%, with 91% of started assessments completed in full. Conclusions These preliminary data support the feasibility of serial PRO assessment with real-time integration into the EHR in a large outpatient population of patients with HF. We identified critical steps that should enhance adoption of this approach by clinicians and render PRO results meaningful and actionable in routine clinical care.
Response by Brinjikji et al to Letter Regarding Article, "Anesthesia-Related Outcomes for Stroke Revascularization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis".

We would like to thank the SAGA (SIESTA-AnSTroke-GOLIATH-Association) investigators for their letter regarding our recently published article titled “Anesthesia-Related Outcomes for Stroke Revascularization: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.”1 Overall, we agree wholeheartedly with the notion that there are substantial limitations to the current literature. Retrospective studies and post hoc analyses of randomized controlled trials are prone to substantial selection bias. Furthermore, marked heterogeneity in definition of general anesthesia as well as devices and techniques use during thrombectomy (pre- versus poststent retriever era) further cloud inferences. For these reasons, we performed meta-regression analyses adjusting for baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale as well as sensitivity analyses, including studies from …
Cultural Evolution: People's Motivations are Changing, and Reshaping the World

Cultural Evolution argues that people's values and behavior are shaped by the degree to which survival is secure; it was precarious for most of history, which encouraged heavy emphasis on group solidarity, rejection of outsiders, and obedience to strong leaders. For under extreme scarcity, xenophobia is realistic: if there is just enough land to support one tribe and another tribe tries to claim it, survival may literally be a choice between Us and Them. Conversely, high levels of existential security encourage openness to change, diversity, and new ideas. The unprecedented prosperity and security of the postwar era brought cultural change, the environmentalist movement, and the spread of democracy. But in recent decades, diminishing job security and rising inequality have led to an authoritarian reaction. Evidence from more than 100 countries demonstrates that people's motivations and behavior reflect the extent to which they take survival for granted - and that modernization changes them in roughly predictable ways. This book explains the rise of environmentalist parties, gender equality, and same-sex marriage through a new, empirically-tested version of modernization theory.
Diagnosing Neurotic Disorders

Among mental health practitioners, it is generally assumed that sound clinical work rests squarely on sound diagnostic assessment. This has long been a truism in all medical specialties. It was virtually the be-all and end-all of psychiatry during the last century and the beginning of this century. More recently, especially among nonmedical practitioners, the art of differential diagnosis is no longer so highly revered. Attaching a diagnostic label to a set of presenting symptoms or to a prevailing character style which a patient manifests initially in his work with a therapist has been reduced in many clinical settings to the status of an annoying bureaucratic requirement. There are some clinicians, most notably Karl Menninger (Menninger, Mayman, & Pruyser, 1963), who have spoken out forcefully and eloquently against the dangers inherent in diagnostic labeling, which too often becomes a subtle form of pejorative, dehumanizing rejection of the patient because of his illness.
Size in Relation to the Rate of Migration in the Slime Mold Dictyostelium Discoideum

In the amoeboid slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, separate amoebae aggregate to form sausage-shaped migrating pseudoplasmodia. The rates of movement of these pseudoplasmodia were found to be pro...
A two-layer model for dynamic pricing of electricity and optimal charging of electric vehicles under price spikes

Abstract Pilot projects in power networks conducted across continents have established the benefits of dynamic pricing by inducing increased demand response. However, a key hurdle in the growth of demand response is the lack of widespread availability of advanced metering infrastructure, which has stymied the adoption of dynamic pricing. We believe that this hurdle will be partially addressed by the growth of electric vehicles (EVs), as smart and connected EV parking lots will be a provider of demand response. We develop a two-layer optimization model that simultaneously determines dynamic pricing policy for the system operator and demand response strategies for the EV parking lots. The model minimizes the cost to consumers, while ensuring the system operator's revenue neutral status and addressing real-time price uncertainties. A variant of the 5-bus PJM network is used to demonstrate model implementation. Numerical results show that for a low to moderate price spike scenario, dynamic pricing with demand response from EVs alone can lower the daily average consumer cost of 1.42% compared to the cost of flat pricing. A cost reduction of 6.5% is achieved when price spikes are relatively high. Computational challenges of implementing our model for real networks are discussed in the concluding remarks.
Impact of Distribution Generation Penetration on Power System Dynamics considering Voltage Ride-Through Requirements

The recent increase in the penetration of Distribution Generators (DGs) has resulted in the imposition of requirements for voltage and frequency ride-through capabilities for small generators by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The IEEE standard 1547 provides a guideline for the interconnection of the DGs with electric power systems and associated interfaces. Another important consideration is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standard, TPL-001-4 which calls for transmission system planners to adopt a criteria for system voltage limits including transients. In this paper, post fault dynamics due to effect of the variation of DG levels and single-phase air-conditioning induction motor load composition is examined on a New England 39-bus system and violating buses are identified in view of the TPL-001-WECC-CRT-3.1 criteria and the DG voltage-ride through recommendations. The studies conducted indicate that increasing DG levels can cause more voltage violations.
Conversations between African American mothers and children about school and education.

Objectives This study investigated what low-income, African American mothers say to their children about the value of education and how children respond to these messages. Method Qualitative methods were used to analyze 43 videotaped mother-child conversations about disagreements regarding school and education. The conversations had been videotaped for the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project when children were in fifth grade. Results The majority of discussions about school and education were initiated by mothers, not children. Mothers' reasons concerning the importance of education mostly reflected utility values. No mother criticized teachers or accepted children's attempts to blame external factors for poor performance. Children were open with their mothers and seemed to accept their standards. Conclusions The findings underscore the sincerity of most mothers' communications to children about the importance of education and their children's receptivity to these messages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).