cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Long-Term Hydrologically Based Dataset of Land Surface Fluxes and States for the Conterminous United States*

Abstract A frequently encountered difficulty in assessing model-predicted land–atmosphere exchanges of moisture and energy is the absence of comprehensive observations to which model predictions can be compared at the spatial and temporal resolutions at which the models operate. Various methods have been used to evaluate the land surface schemes in coupled models, including comparisons of model-predicted evapotranspiration with values derived from atmospheric water balances, comparison of model-predicted energy and radiative fluxes with tower measurements during periods of intensive observations, comparison of model-predicted runoff with observed streamflow, and comparison of model predictions of soil moisture with spatial averages of point observations. While these approaches have provided useful model diagnostic information, the observation-based products used in the comparisons typically are inconsistent with the model variables with which they are compared—for example, observations are for points or a...
Comparative In Vitro Activities of Daptomycin and Vancomycin against Resistant Gram-Positive Pathogens

The in vitro activity of daptomycin against 224 current gram-positive clinical isolates including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. (MRSS), and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) was evaluated. The MICs at which 90% of isolates are inhibited for daptomycin and vancomycin, respectively, were as follows: MRSA, 1 and 2 μg/ml; MRSS, 1 and 4 μg/ml; PRSP, 1 and 0.5 μg/ml; and VREF, 2 and >64 μg/ml. Daptomycin was bactericidal against 82% of 17 VREF isolates. The antibacterial activity of daptomycin was strongly dependent on the calcium concentration of the medium. Daptomycin was active against all gram-positive cocci tested.
Taming wild behavior: the input observer for obtaining text entry and mouse pointing measures from everyday computer use

We present the Input Observer, a tool that can run quietly in the background of users' computers and measure their text entry and mouse pointing performance from everyday use. In lab studies, participants are presented with prescribed tasks, enabling easy identification of speeds and errors. In everyday use, no such prescriptions exist. We devised novel algorithms to segment text entry and mouse pointing input streams into "trials". We are the first to measure errors for unprescribed text entry and mouse pointing. To measure errors, we utilize web search engines, adaptive offline dictionaries, an Automation API, and crowdsourcing. Capturing errors allows us to employ Crossman's (1957) speed-accuracy normalization when calculating Fitts' law throughputs. To validate the Input Observer, we compared its measures from 12 participants over a week of computer use to the same participants' results from a lab study. Overall, in the lab and field, average text entry speeds were 74.47 WPM and 80.59 WPM, respectively. Average uncorrected error rates were near zero, at 0.12% and 0.28%. For mouse pointing, average movement times were 971 ms and 870 ms. Average pointing error rates were 4.42% and 4.66%. Average throughputs were 3.48 bits/s and 3.45 bits/s. Device makers, researchers, and assistive technology specialists may benefit from measures of everyday use.
Mps3p is a novel component of the yeast spindle pole body that interacts with the yeast centrin homologue Cdc31p

Accurate duplication of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae spindle pole body (SPB) is required for formation of a bipolar mitotic spindle. We identified mutants in SPB assembly by screening a temperature-sensitive collection of yeast for defects in SPB incorporation of a fluorescently marked integral SPB component, Spc42p. One SPB assembly mutant contained a mutation in a previously uncharacterized open reading frame that we call MPS3 (for monopolar spindle). mps3-1 mutants arrest in mitosis with monopolar spindles at the nonpermissive temperature, suggesting a defect in SPB duplication. Execution point experiments revealed that MPS3 function is required for the first step of SPB duplication in G1. Like cells containing mutations in two other genes required for this step of SPB duplication (CDC31 and KAR1), mps3-1 mutants arrest with a single unduplicated SPB that lacks an associated half-bridge. MPS3 encodes an essential integral membrane protein that localizes to the SPB half-bridge. Genetic interactions between MPS3 and CDC31 and binding of Cdc31p to Mps3p in vitro, as well as the fact that Cdc31p localization to the SPB is partially dependent on Mps3p function, suggest that one function for Mps3p during SPB duplication is to recruit Cdc31p, the yeast centrin homologue, to the half-bridge.
A digital neurosynaptic core using embedded crossbar memory with 45pJ per spike in 45nm

The grand challenge of neuromorphic computation is to develop a flexible brain-like architecture capable of a wide array of real-time applications, while striving towards the ultra-low power consumption and compact size of the human brain—within the constraints of existing silicon and post-silicon technologies. To this end, we fabricated a key building block of a modular neuromorphic architecture, a neurosynaptic core, with 256 digital integrate-and-fire neurons and a 1024×256 bit SRAM crossbar memory for synapses using IBM's 45nm SOI process. Our fully digital implementation is able to leverage favorable CMOS scaling trends, while ensuring one-to-one correspondence between hardware and software. In contrast to a conventional von Neumann architecture, our core tightly integrates computation (neurons) alongside memory (synapses), which allows us to implement efficient fan-out (communication) in a naturally parallel and event-driven manner, leading to ultra-low active power consumption of 45pJ/spike. The core is fully configurable in terms of neuron parameters, axon types, and synapse states and is thus amenable to a wide range of applications. As an example, we trained a restricted Boltzmann machine offline to perform a visual digit recognition task, and mapped the learned weights to our chip.
Development of portable multicoincidence radionuclide analysis systems

Abstract Multicoincidence radionuclide analysis systems consisting of light-charged-particle detectors operating in coincidence with photon spectrometers are being developed to improve the sensitivity of radionuclide analysis in field applications. Requiring charged-particle/photon coincidence provides active shielding from environmental photon sources, and mapping photon–photon events into a coincidence plane can remove photon spectroscopy interferences. List-mode data acquisition and flexible hardware design ensures that the most sensitive coincidence schemes involving β, atomic electron, γ and X-ray emissions can be used for radionuclide quantification. System hardware design and preliminary measurement data are discussed. A centerpiece component of this project, the development of analysis tools and data libraries required to perform automated multicoincidence analysis, is also described.
Interdiffusion in SiC-AlN and AlN-Al2OC systems

AlN, Al2OC, and the 2H form of SiC are isostructural. Both SiC–AlN and AlN–Al2OC form homogeneous solid solutions above 2000° and 1950°C, respectively. The kinetics of phase separation in the two systems, however, are quite different. Interdiffusion in both SiC–AlN and AlN-Al2OC systems was examined in the solid-solution regime in an attempt to elucidate differences in the kinetics of phase separation that occur in the two systems when annealed at lower temperatures. Diffusion couples of (SiC)0.3(AlN)0.7/(SiC)0.7(AlN)0.3 and (AlN)0.7(Al2OC)0.3/(AlN)0.3(Al2OC)0.7 were fabricated by hot pressing and were annealed at high temperatures by encapsulating them in sealed SiC crucibles to suppress loss due to evaporation. Interdiffusion coefficients in (SiC)0.3-(AlN)0.7/(SiC)0.7(AlN)0.3 diffusion couples were measured at 2373, 2473, and 2573 K, and the corresponding activation energy was determined to be 632 kJ/mol. (AlN)0.7(Al2OC)0.3/ (AlN)0.3(Al2OC)0.7 samples were annealed at 2273 K. The interdiffusion coefficient measured in the AlN–Al2OC system was much larger than that in the SiC–AlN system.
Properties of Li Nanocomposite Electrode Materials Prepared via Hydrogen-Driven, Solid-State, Metallurgical Reactions

This paper discusses the ex situ preparation of Li nanocomposite materials for use as Li battery anodes. The syntheses involve high-lemperature, hydrogen-driven, solid-state reactions consisting of alloy disproportionation and metathetical transformations, The following systems are described, LiAlH 4 /SnO, LiAlH 4 /SiO 2 , and LiH/SnO, as well as pertinent electrochemical properties of their nanocomposite products. The properties of nanoscale LiAl particles produced by the decomposition and subsequent disproportionation of LiAlH 4 are also discussed. Electrochemical experiments were carried out using Li metal as the anode. The possible extension of the process to appropriate, precursor intermetallic compounds is also examined.
Optical confinement methods for continued scaling of CMOS image sensor pixels

The pixels that make up CMOS image sensors have steadily decreased in size over the last decade. This scaling has two effects: first, the amount of light incident on each pixel decreases, making optical efficiency, i.e., the collection of each photon, more important. Second, diffraction comes into play when pixel size approaches the wavelength of visible light, resulting in increased spatial optical crosstalk. To address these two effects, we investigate and compare three methods for guiding incident light from the microlens down to the photodiode. Two of these techniques rely on total internal reflection (TIR) at the boundary between dielectric media of different refractive indices, while the third uses reflection at a metal-dielectric interface to confine the light. Simulations are performed using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method on a realistic 1.75-µm pixel model for on-axis as well as angled incidence. We evaluate the optical efficiency and spatial crosstalk performance of these methods compared to a reference pixel and find significant (10%) improvement for the TIR designs with properly chosen parameters and nearly full spatial crosstalk elimination using metal to confine the light. We also show that these improvements are comparable to those achieved by thinning the image sensor stack.
A new perspective on adiposity in a naturally obese mammal

Many mammals seasonally reduce body fat due to inherent periods of fasting, which is associated with decreased leptin concentrations. However, no data exist on the correlation between fat mass (FM) and circulating leptin in marine mammals, which have evolved large fat stores as part of their adaptation to periods of prolonged fasting. Therefore, FM was estimated (by tritiated water dilution), and serum leptin and cortisol were measured in 40 northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) pups early ( 0.10) with leptin at either period. The present study suggests that these naturally obese mammals appear to possess a novel cascade for regulating body fat that includes cortisol. The lack of a correlation between leptin and FM may reflect the different functions of fat between terrestrial and marine mammals.
Imaging surveillance and multidisciplinary review improves curative therapy access and survival in HCC patients.

Introduction. Imaging surveillance and multidisciplinary conference (MDC) review can potentially improve survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by increasing access to liver transplantation. Geographic disparities in donor organ availability may reduce this benefit. This study evaluated the impact of HCC surveillance on use of curative therapies and survival in a region with long transplant waiting times. Material and methods. 167 HCC patients were retrospectively studied. Subjects had an established HCC diagnosis or were diagnosed during hepatology follow-up. Collected data included patient demographics, HCC surveillance and MDC review status, portal hypertension complications, laboratory and radiologic parameters, tumor size, therapeutic interventions, tumor progression, and mortality. The primary outcome measures were use of curative treatments and survival. A Cox-regression model was constructed utilizing factors associated with survival in univariate analysis. Results. 58% of subjects underwent surveillance and MDC review of HCC. These patients were more likely to have received treatment with ablation or resection (16 vs. 3%, P = 0.006) and transplantation (23 vs. 4%, P = 0.001), and were less likely to develop tumor progression (45 vs. 68%, P = 0.005) or metastases (0 vs. 19%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, surveillance and MDC review (P = 0.034, HR 0.520, 95% CI 0.284-0.952), tumor meeting Milan criteria (P < 0.001, HR 0.329, 95% CI 0.178-0.607), curative therapy application (P = 0.048, HR 0.130, 95% CI 0.017-0.979), and transplantation (P = 0.004, HR 0.236, 95% CI 0.088-0.632) were associated with survival. Conclusion. In conclusion, imaging surveillance and MDC review is associated with detection of early stage HCC, increased access to curative therapies and transplantation, and prolonged survival.
The Jury and the Exclusionary Rules of Evidence

HE Anglo-Saxon trial by ordeal and trial by compurgation and the Anglo-Norman trial by battle were essentially adversary proceedings, conducted under public supervision, by which the litigants appealed to the Deity for a decision. The institution of trial by inquest or recognition, from which trial by jury soon evolved, not only substituted a resort to reason for reliance on superstition, but also removed the proceeding completely from the control of the adversaries. It compelled them to submit to "the test of what a set of strangers might say, witnesses selected by a public officer."T This set of strangers was originally an investigative body chosen for the supposed capacity of its members to answer the disputed question without help from the court and without aid or hindrance from the parties. The parties were permitted to state what they respectively asserted to be the facts. I.ater they secured the privilege of presenting additional information through witnesses. By the middle of the Sixteenth Century this had become a common practice. The jury came to rely more and more upon what the parties presented in open court and less and less upon what its individual members knew or learned from other sources, so that at the beginning of the Seventeenth Century Coke could truly say that "most commonly juries are led by deposition of witnesses."2 Less than a century and a half later it had become established that the jury must base its verdict not upon the private knowledge or information of its members but solely upon the evidence given in open court.3 And this evidence was furnished
The Benefits and Limitations of Income Tax Reform

A number of recent proposals have called for broadening the individual income tax base while lowering statutory income tax rates. Such proposals would eliminate or curtail various preferential income tax provisions and use some or all of the resulting revenue to lower statutory tax rates. In this Outlook, we analyze the economic effects of this approach to tax reform.
Natural History of Experimental Myocardial Ischemia. Observations in Acute and Chronic Studies

Introduction of ST segment mapping to experimental (Maroko et al., 1971) and clinical investigations (Awan et al., 1976; Madias et al., 1975 and 1976) on the effects of interventions intended to reduce ischemic myocardial damage was followed by a renewed interest in studying the effects of ischemia on the electrocardiogram. Although the effects of ischemia on the endocardial, intramural, epi-cardial and precordial electrocardiograms have been the subject of studies for several decades (Madias, 1979), there is relatively little knowledge regarding the natural history of these changes based on continuous observations over extended periods of time.
Self assembly of nanoislands on YSZ-(001) surface: a mechanistic approach toward a robust process.

We experimentally investigate the mechanism of formation of self-assembled arrays of nanoislands surrounding dopant sources on the (001) surface of yttria-stabilized zirconia. Initially, we used lithographically defined thin-film patches of gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) as dopant sources. During annealing at approximately one-half the melting temperature of zirconia, surface diffusion of dopants leads to the breakup of the surface around the source, creating arrays of epitaxial nanoislands with a characteristic size (∼100 nm) and alignment along elastically compliant directions, ⟨110⟩. The breakup relieves elastic strain energy at the expense of increasing surface energy. On the basis of understanding the mechanism of island formation, we introduce a simple and versatile powder-based doping process for spontaneous surface patterning. The new process bypasses lithography and conventional vapor-source doping, opening the door to spontaneous surface patterning of functional ceramics and other refractory materi...
Diphoton resonances in the renormalizable coloron model

Author(s): Chivukula, R Sekhar; Farzinnia, Arsham; Mohan, Kirtimaan; Simmons, Elizabeth H | Abstract: The renormalizable coloron model, which has previously been shown in the literature to be consistent with a wide array of theoretical and precision electroweak constraints, includes a pair of spinless bosons (one scalar, one pseudoscalar). We show that either of them, or both together if they are degenerate, could be responsible for the diphoton resonance signal for which both CMS and ATLAS have seen evidence. Because either of these bosons would be produced and decay through loops of spectator fermions, the absence of signals in dijet, $t\bar{t}$, and electroweak boson pair channels is not a surprise.
The effect of coenzyme Q10 on endothelial function in a young population

Objective: Coenzyme (CoQ10) is an enzymatic co factor used in normal cellular metabolism. Recent evidence shows that in people with heart disease it can reverse endothelial cell damage in the blood vessels. It is also a potent antioxidant. Design: One group pretest-posttest design. Methods: In the present study, endothelial function was evaluated using the response to occlusion and heat before and 2 weeks after administration of CoQ10, 300 mg/day. Thirty Eight subjects, who are physical therapy students, participated in a series of experiments to see if taking 300 mg of CoQ10 daily for 2 weeks would impact resting blood flow in the forearm skin and the blood flow response to 4 minutes of vascular occlusion and the response to local heat () for 6 minutes. Results: The results showed that, for this population, there was no difference in the response to heat. However, the response to occlusion was improved after administration of CoQ10. Conclusions: It would appear that in a young population CoQ10 has no effect on the nitric oxide vasodilator pathway in skin but does influence other vasodilator pathways.
Essays on managing distributed software development

Prior research shows that despite advances in communication technology, distributed software teams face several challenges in bridging space over time and achieving high performance. However software firms are increasingly adopting strategies to leverage global resources and distributed software development is becoming pervasive in the software industry. It is important to understand how the effect of distance could be mitigated in distributed software development and how software firms embarking on distributed development could achieve desired results. In this dissertation I examine the role of structured software processes and process based resource allocation models for managing distributed software development. First, I examine the impact of investments in structured processes deployed by a software firm that operates at the level 5 of the Capability Maturity Model. I analyze data collected from a field study of forty two projects completed by the firm to build and test an econometric model of distributed software development. I find that investments in structured software processes improved distributed software project productivity and decreased software failures. However, qualitative data I collected in the field study indicates that the widely accepted and influential CMM software process model does not adequately address the specific needs of distributed software teams. Then, using an action research approach, I identify twenty four key process areas that specifically address the social needs of software teams and arrange them in an evolutionary process maturity framework. Implementation of the process maturity framework at a leading enterprise software development firm indicates that teams with higher process maturity ratings according to the framework had increased levels of customer satisfaction scores and decreased number of failures. Another key inference from the implementation of the distributed process maturity framework at the firm was that top management must clearly articulate the goals for process induced organizational changes they pursue and employee support at all ranks is necessary for successful adoption of structured software process models. Finally, to address the challenge of resource allocation in distributed software development, I developed an analytic model of offshore software development that accounts for labor cost differences, distributed process costs and the development methodology employed for software creation. Applying the model to project data from a leading offshore software firm, I find that significant improvement in project performance could be achieved by utilizing the heuristic developed in the analytic model.
Common Laboratory Values

The most common laboratory values used in the assessment of critically ill patients are presented in this chapter. They have been organized in alphabetical order and according to biologic source where (P) represents plasma, (B) blood, (S) serum, (U) urine, (CSF) cerebrospinal fluid, (RBCs) red blood cells, and (WBCs) white blood cells. These values are not intended to be definitive since normal ranges vary from hospital to hospital. Both traditional units and system international (SI) units are presented. The values may vary among different laboratories. We encourage the reader to consult their respective laboratory reference values.
Endothelial progenitor cell number and ERK phosphorylation serve as predictive and prognostic biomarkers in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib.

ABSTRACTSorafenib is an oral anti-angiogenic multi-kinase inhibitor used for systemic therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are not suitable candidates for surgery or liver transplantation. An earlier study conducted with HCC tumor tissue suggested that ERK phosphorylation (pERK), a downstream target of sorafenib, may serve as a potential biomarker for therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib. However, no study thus far has utilized a minimal invasive procedure to predict HCC patient responsiveness to sorafenib. We evaluated the biomarker utility of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) frequency and intracellular pERK levels in EPCs in peripheral blood obtained pre- and post-sorafenib therapy or after transarterial chemoembolistaion (TACE). A statistically significant reduction in the level of ERK phosphorylation and in the absolute number of EPCs was detected following in vivo sorafenib treatment (p < 0 .01 for both). In contrast, the decrease in the level of ERK phosph...
F-element metalated dipyrrins: synthesis and characterization of a family of uranyl bis(dipyrrinate) complexes

Using an improved, chromatography-free dipyrrin synthesis, the α,β-unsubstituted dipyrrins [RC(C4H2N)2H] (2) (R = tolyl (2tolyl), p-OMe-C6H4 (2anis), mesityl (2mes), ferrocenyl (2Fc)) were isolated in good to excellent yields. Deprotonation of 2 with Na[N(SiMe3)2] gives the alkali metal salts [Na(DME)n][RC(C4H2N)2] (3) which reacts with UO2Cl2(THF)3 to give the uranyl bis(dipyrrinates) UO2[RC(C4H2N)2]2(L) (L = THF (4R-THF); DMAP (4R-DMAP)) (R = tolyl, p-OMe-C6H4, mesityl, ferrocenyl). The THF adducts, 4R-THF, are unstable in aromatic and nonpolar solvents and rapidly decompose to 2 and an intractable uranium-containing solid. On the other hand, the DMAP adducts, 4R-DMAP, are indefinitely stable in solution. The solid-state structures of 4R-THF and 4R-DMAP reveal distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometries. In the solid-state, the dipyrrinate ligands exhibit significant distortions including bowing and, in some instances, out-of-plane equatorial N-atom coordination, likely as a consequence of steric crowding and interligand repulsion. The complexes, 4R-DMAP, have been fully characterized by NMR, UV/Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopies, and their electrochemical properties have been investigated through cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammograms of 4R-DMAP display several redox features but present a reversible wave at ca. −1.9 V (vs. Fc0/+) attributable to a ligand centred reduction. Fluorescence measurements of all compounds reveal that only the mesityl derivatives 2mes, 3mes, and 4mes fluoresce with modest Stokes shift that ranges from ca. 30–70 nm, with 4mes displaying the greatest relative emission intensity.
Autism in International Relations: A critical assessment of International Relations’ autism metaphors:

In this article, I explain how International Relations scholarship relates to ableism. Ableism is a sociopolitical system of narratives, institutions, and actions collectively reinforcing an ideolo...
Book Review: Christ's Gift, Our Response: Martin Luther and Louis-Marie Chauvet on the Connection between Sacraments and Ethics:

Christ's Gift, Our Response: Martin Luther and Louis-Marie Chauvet on the Connection between Sacraments and Ethics. By Benjamin Durheim. Collegeville, Minn.: Michael Glazier, 2015. xviii + 184 pp. $24.95 (paper).The phenomenological approach to the sacrament of the eucharist from the French Catholic theologian Louis-Marie Chauvet (b. 1942) has become somewhat de rigueur among contemporary sacramental and liturgical theologians. In the last decade, a spate of English monographs on Chauvet have appeared and at least two studies set Chauvet in direct conversation with other thinkers (Heidegger and Benedict XVI, and Rahner, respectively). Benjamin Durheim s slim volume contributes ably to this conversation and with a new methodology: placing Chauvet and Martin Luther, through the Finnish School of Luther Interpretation, "side-by-side as sources for each other" (p. 145).He offers this as a new sort of ecumenical endeavor to see how the others theology might strengthen the theology of ones own tradition. Durheim attempts "to read each theologian in light of the other and to allow the insights of each theologian to speak to the tensions of the other," thus producing not "unity in thought" but a new kind of "unity of purpose" (p. 145). A similar approach birthed the Finnish School through its engagement with Eastern Orthodoxy. The reason for choosing Chauvet is directly tied to Durheims ecumenical goal: sacraments and ethics are the two places that embody both the church's internal division and its relationship to the world, and they are also central to Chauvet's project. The most significant interconnection between these two theologians is precisely what Durheim hopes each theologian and his followers can be to the other: gift.Chapter 1 sets up the background for a conversation on sacraments and ethics in the twentieth century. The scope here is quite broad: the American liturgical movement's unique vision; the original sacraments-ethics union in Don Saliers, Jean-Marie Roger Tillard, and Bruce Morrill; the philosophical basis of Chauvet's work (especially Heidegger, and Marcel Mauss); and a summary of the Finnish School of Luther Interpretation with its reading of justification as union with Christ. Durheim's summaries are succinct and extremely clear, particularly his summary of Heidegger.Chapter 2 presents Luther's sacramental theology, which Durheim frames through the interlaced triad of Christ's gift, presence, and promise. Because Christ is truly given to the Christian in the sacraments through the mechanism of faith, Christ dwells in the Christian by faith such that ethics becomes Christian (or, he suggests, "Christ-in") ethics. Chapter 3 provides an overview of Chauvet's take on the relationship between sacraments and ethics, most especially in his magnum opus, Symbol and Sacrament (French, 1987; English, 1995). …
Craniomandibular Anatomy of the Subterranean Meridiolestidan Necrolestes patagonensis Ameghino, 1891 (Mammalia, Cladotheria) from the Early Miocene of Patagonia

ABSTRACT Among the collections made during the 1896–1899 Princeton Expeditions to Patagonia are three specimens with partial crania and postcrania of Necrolestes patagonensis Ameghino, 1891, from Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Necrolestes has anatomical specializations found in extant subterranean mammals, and other features identifying Necrolestes as a late Miocene member of the South American Meridiolestida, a non-therian clade that otherwise is limited to the Cretaceous and Paleocene. Anatomical aspects of the three Princeton specimens have been reported previously but they are more fully described here after additional preparation. The most novel discoveries concern specializations of the snout that help identify Necrolestes as a head-lift digger, as are the extant African golden moles and Australian marsupial moles. As in other meridiolestidans and most non-therian mammals, Necrolestes has a septomaxilla at the external nasal aperture. However, the septomaxilla of Necrolestes has structures that but...
Klotho Inhibits Interleukin-8 Secretion from Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelia

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF) and associated with increased production of transforming growth factor (TGF) β and interleukin (IL)-8. α-klotho (KL), a transmembrane or soluble protein, functions as a co-receptor for Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) 23, a known pro-inflammatory, prognostic marker in chronic kidney disease. KL is downregulated in airways from COPD patients. We hypothesized that both KL and FGF23 signaling modulate TGF β-induced IL-8 secretion in CF bronchial epithelia. Thus, FGF23 and soluble KL levels were measured in plasma from 48 CF patients and in primary CF bronchial epithelial cells (CF-HBEC). CF patients showed increased FGF23 plasma levels, but KL levels were not different. In CF-HBEC, TGF-β increased KL secretion and upregulated FGF receptor (FGFR) 1. Despite increases in KL, TGF-β also increased IL-8 secretion via activation of FGFR1 and Smad 3 signaling. However, KL excess via overexpression or supplementation decreased IL-8 secretion by inhibiting Smad 3 phosphorylation. Here, we identify a novel signaling pathway contributing to IL-8 secretion in the CF bronchial epithelium with KL functioning as an endocrine and local anti-inflammatory mediator that antagonizes pro-inflammatory actions of FGF23 and TGF-β.
Decision satisfaction among women choosing a method of pregnancy termination in the setting of fetal anomalies and other pregnancy complications: A qualitative study.

Abstract Objective The decision to undergo a surgical or medical method of second-trimester termination for pregnancy complications should be preference-sensitive. Decision satisfaction has not been described in this population; understanding how women describe decision satisfaction in this setting could inform decision support efforts. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews with women one to three weeks after termination who chose either a surgical or medical termination for fetal anomalies, pregnancy complications or fetal demise. We analyzed transcripts using modified grounded theory in an iterative manner with a generative thematic approach. Results We interviewed 36 women (24 surgical and 12 medical). Subjects connected decision satisfaction with counseling experiences and their personal values, including (1) importance of adequate information, (2) autonomous decision making, and (3) choosing the method that facilitates coping. Conclusion Offering women a choice between surgical and medical termination procedures in the setting of pregnancy complications is integral to decision satisfaction. Women in our study reported wanting this decision to be driven by their personal values. Practice implications : Women should be able to choose between surgical and medical termination based on preference and not availability of services. Decision support from women’s health providers should be based on values clarification and providing accurate information.
An Algorithm for Choosing of a Multiobjective Technique

The problem of model choice in multiobjective decision making, that is, the selection of the appropriate multiobjective solution technique to solve an arbitrary multiobjective decision problem, is considered. Classifications of the available techniques are discussed, leading to the development of a set of 28 model choice criteria and an algorithm for model choice. This algorithm divides the criteria into four groups, only one of which must be reevaluated for each decision problem encountered. Through the evaluation of the available multiobjective techniques with respect to each of the model choice criteria, the model choice problem itself is modeled as a multicriterion decision problem. Compromise programming is then used to select the appropriate technique for implementation. The case study presented is a structural design problem where a pre-defined set of alternatives is to be ranked with respect to a set of criteria. Using the model choice algorithm, an appropriate multiobjective solution technique is selected.
The Effect of Flocculent, Dispersants, and Binder on Wet–laid Process for Recycled Glass Fiber/PA6 Composite:

The papermaking industry has been using the wet-laid process to suspend paper pulp-derived fibers in water and drain the solution through a forming mesh. This process has recently been adopted to p...
Categorical and Informational Diversity and Diversity of Thought

This paper contributes to the diversity literature (especially as it relates to teams) by exploring an important and relatively under researched assumption, namely, that more variety in demographic...
Association of State Medicaid Expansion With Quality of Care and Outcomes for Low-Income Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Importance Lack of insurance is associated with worse care and outcomes among adults hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It is unclear whether states’ decision to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2014 were associated with improved quality of care and outcomes among low-income patients hospitalized with AMI. Objective To investigate whether rates of uninsurance, quality of care, and outcomes changed among patients hospitalized for AMI 3 years after states elected to expand Medicaid compared with nonexpansion states. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study completed at hospitals participating in National Cardiovascular Data Registry Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry. Participants were patients younger than 65 years hospitalized for AMI from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. Exposures State Medicaid expansion in 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of uninsured and Medicaid-insured hospitalizations for AMI in states that expanded Medicaid vs those that did not. Comparison of in-hospital care quality, procedure use, and mortality between expansion and nonexpansion states for the years prior to and after Medicaid expansion. Hierarchical logistic regressions models were used to assess the association between Medicaid expansion and outcomes. Results The initial cohort included 325 343 patients. Uninsured AMI hospitalizations declined in expansion states (18.0% [4395 of 24 358 hospitalizations] to 8.4% [2638 of 31 382 hospitalizations]) and more modestly in nonexpansion states (25.6% [7963 of 31 137 hospitalizations] to 21.1% [8668 of 41 120 hospitalizations]) from 2012 to 2016 (P Conclusions and Relevance Medicaid expansion was associated with a significant reduction in rates of uninsurance among patients hospitalized with AMI. Quality of care and outcomes did not improve among low-income adults in expansion compared with nonexpansion states. Hospital care for AMI may be less sensitive to insurance than has been recognized in the past.
Efficient phosphorus removal from MBR effluent with heated aluminum oxide particles (HAOPs)

Abstract Biological processes and chemical precipitation in combination with polishing by granular media or membrane filtration can remove 90–95% of the phosphorus (P) from wastewater. However, reducing the concentration to levels near those in high-quality receiving waters requires additional advanced treatment, typically including adsorption onto specialty media. These processes are often costly, they can be hard to control when the P loading varies, and their effectiveness can be compromised by the presence of competing adsorbates in the water. In this work, a novel process that might mitigate or overcome some of these challenges was explored. In the process, water is treated by passage through micron-sized adsorbent particles (Heated Aluminum Oxide Particles, HAOPs) packed in a layer that is In laboratory tests using both synthetic feed and the effluent from an MBR at a full-scale wastewater treatment plant, the process removed P very efficiently until the HAOPs’ capacity was nearly exhausted, at which point rapid breakthrough of P occurred. The removal capacity was proportional to the thickness of the HAOPs layer and declined by only ∼20% when SO42−, Cl−, and NO3− were all added to the MBR effluent at concentrations of 30 mM (2880, 1065, and 1860 mg/L, respectively). Increasing the solution pH from 7.0 to 8.5 had a similar effect, and increasing the flux of water through the adsorbent layer from 200 to 600 LMH had an even smaller effect (∼10% reduction in removal capacity). In 18 days of continuous pilot-scale operation at the treatment plant, the process performed well, achieving 99.5% P removal steadily during the final seven days of testing, during which the P concentration in the feed ranged from 4 to 9 mg/L. The process also removed 52% of the organic matter in the MBR effluent, as represented by UV254. The sludge generated by the process was extremely easy to dewater and dry.
Typical angina in a patient with Takayasu arteritis

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a well-reported form of large-vessel vasculitis that primarily affects the aorta and its major branches. Cardiac manifestations of TA have been reported and can include typical angina secondary to coronary artery involvement; however, typical angina in the setting normal coronary arteries is uncommon. We describe a case of typical angina in a patient with TA with normal coronary arteries secondary to diastolic hypotension, in the absence of significant aortic regurgitation, likely from poor aortic distensibility and elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure.
A Sharp Inequality for Martingale Transforms

If d= (d 1, d 2, …) is a martingale difference sequence and e1e2,… are numbers in {– 1, 1}, then $$P\left( {|\sum \nolimits ^n_{k = 1^{\varepsilon_k}}\,{{d_k}}| \geq \lambda } \right) \leq c||\sum \nolimits ^n_{k = 1}\,{d_k} |{|_1}$$ (1) where c is some absolute constant.
Brain Anatomical Covariation Patterns Linked to Binge Drinking and Age at First Full Drink Prior to 21 Years

Binge drinking and age at first full drink of alcohol prior to 21 years (AFD<21) have been linked to neuroanatomical differences in cortical and subcortical grey matter (GM) volume, cortical thickness, and surface area. Despite the potential to reveal novel network-level relationships, structural covariation patterns among these morphological measures have yet to be examined relative to binge drinking and AFD<21. Here, we used the Joint and Individual Variance Explained (JIVE) method to characterize structural covariation patterns common across and specific to morphological measures in 293 participants (149 individuals with binge drinking and 144 healthy controls) from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). An independent dataset (Nathan Kline Institute Rockland Sample; NKI-RS) was used to examine reproducibility/ generalizability. We identified a highly reproducible joint component dominated by structural covariation between GM volume in the brainstem and thalamus proper, and GM volume and surface area in prefrontal cortical regions. Using linear mixed regression models, we found that this joint component was related to AFD<21 in both the HCP and NKI-RS datasets, whereas the individual thickness component associated with binge drinking and AFD<21 in the HCP dataset was not statistically significant in the NKI-RS sample. Taken together, our results show that a highly reproducible structural pattern involving covariation in brain regions relevant to thalamic-PFC-brainstem neural circuitry is linked to age at first full drink.
Maternal aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation protects newborns against necrotizing enterocolitis.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a disease of premature infants characterized by acute intestinal necrosis. Current dogma suggests that NEC develops in response to post-natal dietary and bacterial factors, and so a potential role for in utero factors in NEC remains unexplored. We now show that during pregnancy, administration of a diet rich in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligand indole-3-carbinole (I3C), or of breast milk, activates AHR and prevents NEC in newborn mice by reducing Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in the newborn gut. Protection from NEC requires activation of AHR in the intestinal epithelium which is reduced in mouse and human NEC, and is independent of leukocyte activation. Finally, we identify an AHR ligand (“A18”) that limits TLR4 signaling in mouse and human intestine, and prevents NEC in mice when administered during pregnancy. In summary, AHR signaling is critical in NEC development, and maternally-delivered, AHR-based therapies may alleviate NEC. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a disease of prematurity requiring Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation on the gut epithelium. Here the authors show that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) mediates NEC pathogenesis via effects on TLR4, and that supplementing the diet with AHR ligands during pregnancy or postnatally prevents NEC.
Exploring machine learning algorithms for early prediction of clinical mastitis

Abstract Different classification machine learning techniques (Naive Bayes, Random Forest and Extreme Gradient Boosting) were evaluated to identify cows positive for clinical mastitis (CM) during their first lactation (1st lactation) and to daily predict the onset of CM (continuous). Integrated data from different software were used to feed the algorithms. In both cases, the best predictions were obtained with the Random Forest algorithm. The algorithms correctly classified 71% and 85% of the CM cows for the 1st lactation and continuous models, respectively. Both analyses had the same accuracy of 72%. Results showed that it is feasible to integrate different data streams to develop predictive and prescriptive decision support tools. Having two different algorithms working concomitantly, one for predicting the imminent risk and the other one for the overall risk during the first lactation, could help in the short, mid-, and long-term decision-making process.
Thermal Characterization of Ferroelectric Aluminum Scandium Nitride Acoustic Resonators

This work presents the high-temperature characterization of ferroelectric wurtzite Aluminum Scandium Nitride films and acoustic devices. Compared to the room temperature measurements, we observe up to 3 times reduction in the measured coercive field of the sputtered Mo (100nm)/Al0.7Sc0.3N (900nm)/Mo (100nm) capacitors at elevated temperatures up to 600K. Such coercive field reduction translates into significantly lower polarization switching voltages required for a given ferroelectric film thickness. Here, we study the dependency of the coercive field on the device temperature and propose to use temperature control to fine-tune the coercive field and the associated polarization switching voltage. Furthermore, two types of acoustic devices are cofabricated on the same piezo-stack on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform: (i) Al 0.7 Sc 0.3 N thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) released from the front side by etching the Si device layer, with an overall resonant stack thickness of 1.1 μ m. (ii) Al 0.7 Sc 0.3 N-on-Si composite FBAR (CFBAR), released from the backside, with the resonant stack including a passive 3.5 μm-thick Si device layer. The hightemperature frequency responses of the two acoustic devices are studied showing an excellent temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) match between COMSOL finite element analysis (FEA) and measured results. Finally, the frequency tunability of the ferroelectric FBAR is tested at 600K with the DC bias ranging from 0 to -100V, showing 3 times higher frequency tuning than at room temperature under the same DC bias conditions. This proves that a larger tuning range and polarization switching can be achieved with lower DC voltages at higher temperatures.
Congestion State Prediction in QUIC Protocol Streaming in Flow-Based Network

Congestion events prediction methods can be considered for avoiding additional network overhead which occurs due to additional event state message propagation using control packets. The congestion event prediction can be done using different neural network models, current network characteristic features and with different numeric values of parameters. The numeric feature extraction and using such features for training the neural network model is the main idea of the paper. The QUIC protocol-based streaming demands are established using Mininet open flow architecture for dataset preparation with respect to network states such as congestion and normal. Also, the trained model performance is evaluated in terms of accuracy, which shows RNN-based models making use of LSTM provide better results for prediction of network state as congestion or normal.
Physics-Based Stabilization of Spectral Elements for the 3D Euler Equations of Moist Atmospheric Convection

In the context of stabilization of high order spectral elements, we introduce a dissipative scheme based on the solution of the compressible Euler equations that are regularized through the addition of a residual-based stress tensor. Because this stress tensor is proportional to the residual of the unperturbed equations, its effect is close to none where the solution is sufficiently smooth, whereas it increases elsewhere. This paper represents a first extension of the work by Nazarov and Hoffman (Int J Numer Methods Fluids 71:339–357, 2013) to high-order spectral elements in the context of low Mach number atmospheric dynamics. The simulations show that the method is reliable and robust for problems with important stratification and thermal processes such as the case of moist convection. The results are partially compared against a Smagorinsky solution. With this work we mean to make a step forward in the implementation of a stabilized, high order, spectral element large eddy simulation (LES) model within the Nonhydrostatic Unified Model of the Atmosphere, NUMA.