cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new model for nurse practitioner utilization in primary care: increased efficiency and implications.

Background Nurse practitioners (NPs) play an important role in providing quality primary care. However, little is known about organizational processes that best utilize NPs in care delivery and what kind of resources and support NPs need to deliver quality care within their organizations. In primary care settings, NPs often receive little support from ancillary personnel compared with physicians. Purpose The aim of this article was to compare the productivity and cost efficiency of NP utilization models implemented in primary care sites with and without medical assistant (MA) support. Methodology/approach We develop queueing models for these NP utilization models, of which the parameters are extracted from literature or government reports. Appropriate analyses are conducted to generate formulas and values for the productivity and cost efficiency. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to investigate different scenarios and to verify the robustness of findings. Findings The productivity and cost efficiency of these models improve significantly if NPs have access to MA support in serving patients. On the basis of the model parameters we use, the average cost of serving a patient can be reduced by 9%-12% if MAs are hired to support NPs. Such improvements are robust across practice environments with different variability in provider service times. Improving provider service rate is a much more effective strategy to increase productivity compared with reducing the variability in provider service times. Practice implications To contain costs and improve the utilization of NPs in primary care settings, MA assistance for NPs is necessary.
Avian Parrasites and Infectious Diseases

Current interest in the biological resources of Australia and the possible impact of large-scale ecological developments such as man-made lakes and national reserves demands that the parasites and infectious diseases (health patterns) of its wild fauna are fully delineated and studied in detail. A short selected re- view outlines aspects associated with avifauna, where contributions have been made to the understanding of the role of these organisms with respect to avifauna in general. Detailed study of the subject in Australia is lacking.
Aromatase expression and regulation in breast and endometrial cancer

Long-term exposure to excess estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer and type 1 endometrial cancer. Most of the estrogen in premenopausal women is synthesized by the ovaries, while extraovarian subcutaneous adipose tissue is the predominant tissue source of estrogen after menopause. Estrogen and its metabolites can cause hyperproliferation and neoplastic transformation of breast and endometrial cells via increased proliferation and DNA damage. Several genetically modified mouse models have been generated to help understand the physiological and pathophysiological roles of aromatase and estrogen in the normal breast and in the development of breast cancers. Aromatase, the key enzyme for estrogen production, is comprised of at least ten partially tissue-selective and alternatively used promoters. These promoters are regulated by distinct signaling pathways to control aromatase expression and estrogen formation via recruitment of various transcription factors to their cis-regulatory elements. A shift in aromatase promoter use from I.4 to I.3/II is responsible for the excess estrogen production seen in fibroblasts surrounding malignant epithelial cells in breast cancers. Targeting these distinct pathways and/or transcription factors to modify aromatase activity may lead to the development of novel therapeutic remedies that inhibit estrogen production in a tissue-specific manner.
Correlation of inhibin and follicle regulatory protein activities with follicular fluid steroid levels in anovulatory patients

University of Southern California School of Medicine, Livingston Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Los Angeles, California Follicular fluid was obtained from anovulatory patients (n = 12), stimulated with human menopausal gonadotropin, clomiphene, and human chorionic gonadotropin to evaluate the relative responses of inhibin, follicle regulatory protein, and steroid levels in follicles from ovaries requiring exogenous stimulation for follicular development. Follicular fluid concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and 3 α -androstenediol were determined by radioimmunoassay. Follicular fluid inhibin activity was determined by suppression of rat pituicyte follicle-stimulating hormone, and follicle regulatory protein activity was determined by suppression of porcine granulosa cell aromatase. The mean level of steroids were progesterone (7529 ± 1601 ng/ml), estradiol (1082 ± 158 ng/ml), androstenedione (15.2 ± 3.17 ng/ml), 3 α -androstenediol (0.90 ± 0.13 ng/ml), testosterone (2.23 ± 33 ng/ml), and dihydrotestosterone (0.77 ± 0.11 ng/ml). Follicle regulatory protein activity was 16.6% ± 4.3% and mean inhibin level was 62.9 ± 7.52 U. These results are in contrast to reports of follicular fluid steroid levels from normal ovulatory patients treated with exogenous gonadotropin. Although altered levels of hormones were present within these follicles, they clearly were not atretic, as evidenced by elevated estradiol levels and estradiol/androstenedione ratios. Alterations in the normal follicular response to pharmacologic gonadotropin stimulation in the follicles of anovulatory women suggest the presence of granulosa cell dysynchrony.
Maintaining Posture and Avoiding Tripping: Optical Information for Detecting and Controlling Orientation and Locomotion

In attempting to understand the role of visual perception in falls and their prevention, the relationship between the locomoting individual and the surrounding environment must be considered. Falls will occur when necessary properties of the environment and visual sources of information about them are inadequate, or when the individual is not adequately sensitive to or attentive to them. Body sway and tripping, two major problems contributing to falls, are examined. In regard to the prevention of falls, implications for the design of environments and training of the individuals who must move about in them are discussed.
Search for exotic spin-dependent interactions with a spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometer

We propose a novel experimental approach to explore exotic spin-dependent interactions using a spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometer, the most sensitive noncryogenic magnetic-field sensor. This approach studies the interactions between optically polarized electron spins located inside a vapor cell of the SERF magnetometer and unpolarized or polarized particles of external solid-state objects. The coupling of spin-dependent interactions to the polarized electron spins of the magnetometer induces the tilt of the electron spins, which can be detected with high sensitivity by a probe laser beam similarly as an external magnetic field. We estimate that by moving unpolarized or polarized objects next to the SERF Rb vapor cell, the experimental limit to the spin-dependent interactions can be significantly improved over existing experiments, and new limits on the coupling strengths can be set in the interaction range below ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}$.
Site-mixing effect on the XMCD spectrum in double perovskite Bi2FeMnO6

We investigate magnetization in double perovskite multiferroic Bi2FeMnO6 (BFMO) thin film using density functional theory (DFT) simulations, and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements. The exchange interaction between Fe and Mn sites gives rise to a ferrimagnetic ordering in BFMO. When grown without structural defects, distinct XMCD signal is expected from this system. The site resolved magnetization, thus, can be extracted using XMCD sum rules. Although our theoretical calculations are consistent with this expectation for the ideal BFMO system, experimental measurements find evidence of anomalous peak for the L2 and L3 edges of XMCD signals, and thus, the XMCD sum rules are no longer valid. We theoretically explain this phenomenon by considering both tetragonal (near interface), and monoclinic (bulk) phases of BFMO system, with Fe and Mn ions interchanged between their respective sites. Such site-mixing between magnetic cations are commonly found during the synthesis process. Our DFT calculations of XMCD for site interchanged Fe and Mn ions in the bulk phase (monoclinic) of BFMO are in good agreement with experimental XMCD signal and reproduce the anomalous peak features at L2/L3 edges.
Sustaining a Statewide Simulation Alliance

Abstract Background A central component of successful simulation alliances is planning for sustainability. Consistent long-term funding provides predictable resources with which to conduct operations, develop simulation assets, identify best practices, and advocate for the expert use of simulation in healthcare education and practice. However, little has been published on revenue models for simulation alliances. The purpose of this report is to describe the sustainability plan for the California Simulation Alliance (CSA). Methods Utilizing various types of revenue streams, such as industry partnerships, subscription fees, and educational courses, the CSA has been able to sustain the alliance. Results A reputable statewide simulation alliance of over 4,000 members sustained with no outside grant funding for eight years. Conclusions Planning for sustainability of a simulation alliance is an important task that should be undertaken well in advance of its formation. Developing multiple funding streams improves cash flow and should be an early focus of activity.
Batch fabrication of radial anisotropy toroidal inductors

Many high-performance magnetic materials for integration of power magnetics are anisotropic. This poses a challenge for toroidal cores in which the flux direction varies around the circumference. Applying a radial field during deposition or annealing of a toroidal core can result in radial anisotropy that allows these materials to be used effectively in toroids. A design is presented for a radial field fixture that can produce many radial field regions using only a few permanent magnets, to enable fabrication of many toroidal inductors on a single substrate. A fabrication process is also described.
The Carter Administration and Regulatory Reform: Searching for the Right Way

The Carter administration’s regulatory reform program comprised three interrelated segments: deregulation legislation, regulatory procedural reform legislation, and improved presidential supervisio...
Abstract A56: Association between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and recurrent colorectal adenoma

Cellular-level studies demonstrate that availability of the steroid hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) to colon cells induces anti-carcinogenic activities. Although epidemiological data are relatively sparse, suggestive inverse trends have been reported for circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and risk of colorectal neoplasia. Further, recent epidemiologic work has identified an inverse association between variation in circulating concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a hormone demonstrated to interfere with the anti-carcinogenic effects of 1,25(OH)2D, indicating that concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D may vary more widely than previously thought. We therefore conducted logistic regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between variation in serum 1,25(OH)2D concentrations and characteristics of baseline and recurrent colorectal adenomas among 1,151 participants from the Ursodeoxycholic Acid clinical trial. No relationship between 1,25(OH)2D and colorectal adenoma recurrence overall was observed. However, a statistically significant inverse association was observed between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and odds of proximal colorectal adenoma recurrence, with an OR (95% CI) of 0.71 (0.52-0.98) for individuals in the highest tertile of circulating 1,25(OH)2D compared to those in the lowest (p-trend = 0.04). A significantly greater proportion of women were identified in the lowest 1,25(OH)2D tertile (p Citation Format: Elizabeth A. Hibler, Christine L. Sardo, Peter Lance, Peter Jurutka, Elizabeth T. Jacobs. Association between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and recurrent colorectal adenoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr A56.
Substation Automation System for 33/66 kV S/S at North Delhi Power Limited

The adoption of the substation automation (SA) technology for the grids and substations is been increasingly used by the different power utilities all over the world. The old systems are being replaced by these new technologies and this is almost made mandatory by the Regulatory authorities, fn the last couple of years most of the power distribution utilities in India have adapted state of the art substation automation technologies for their grids for energy management systems, distribution management systems and supervisory control and data control as per the respective requirements. North Delhi Power Limited is a major power distribution company in North India. The paper is projected on the systems that have been implemented for the substation automation of the 66/33 kV grids at the utility for metering; monitoring and control. The architecture consists of integrating intelligent electronic devices along with the existing 11 kV grids with Master SCADA
Pathogenic PARK2 Variants in Early-Onset Essential Tremor Families (S27.003)

Objective: To identify essential tremor (ET) genes, whole exome sequencing was performed in 37 early-onset ET families with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Background: ET is among the most common tremor disorders. Despite its high heritability and prevalence, few susceptibility genes have been identified. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is another tremor disorder. Patients with ET and PD share a variety of motor and non-motor features. Kindreds have been described in which some individuals have ET while others have both ET and PD. These and other data suggest that these two tremor disorders may share common causal mechanisms and susceptibility genes. Methods: The pedigrees for 37 families were exome sequenced. All ET cases were diagnosed using rigorous research-grade criteria; none had PD. All samples were processed using the Agilent SureSelect XT kit (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA) for library preparation and exome captured using the All Exon v5+UTRs library (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA). Paired-end sequencing was performed at >40X coverage per sample. Obtained libraries were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq2500 instrument (Illumina, HiSeq2500 instrument). Sequence alignment to the human reference genome (UCSC hg19) was performed using the Burrows-Wheeler Aligner (BWA) algorithm, and variant calling was performed using the genome analysis toolkit (GATK; Broad Institute). Variants were annotated using in silico prediction tools. Results: Among 37 early-onset ET families analyzed, we identified two independent families with two heterozygous pathogenic variants in PARK2 (PARKIN, OMIM 602544) that were previously reported in PD. In family A, all three affected ET individuals were heterozygous for the PARK2, c.245C>A (p.Ala82Glu)(rs55774500) pathogenic variant. In family B, two affected ET individuals were heterozygous for the PARK2, c.823C>T (p.Arg275Trp)(rs34424986) pathogenic variant. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the PARK2 gene may be a susceptibility gene for ET. Comprehensive molecular genetic analyses of PARK2 in ET families and cohorts is warranted. Disclosure: Dr. Clark has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hernandez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ottman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Louis has nothing to disclose.
Mid-Term Outcomes in Patients with Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries: A Single Center Experience

Background Optimal management of patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) is unclear. The goal of this study was to compare the outcomes in patients with ccTGA undergoing different management strategies. Study Design Patients with ccTGA believed suitable for biventricular circulation, treated between 1995 and 2016, were included. The cohort was divided into 4 groups: systemic right ventricle (RV) (patients without surgical intervention or with a classic repair), anatomic repair, Fontan palliation, and patients receiving only a pulmonary artery band (PAB) or a shunt. Transplant-free survival from presentation was calculated for each group. Results The cohort included 97 patients: 45 (46%) systemic RV, 26 (27%) anatomic repair, 9 (9%) Fontan, and 17 (18%) PAB/shunt. Median age at presentation was 2 months (range 0 days to 69 years) and median follow-up was 10 years (1 month to 28 years). At initial presentation, 10 (11%) patients had any RV dysfunction (8 mild, 2 severe), and 16 (18%) patients had moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). During the study, 10 (10%) patients died, and 3 (3%) patients underwent transplantation. At last follow-up, 11 (11%) patients were in New York Heart Association class III/IV, 5 (5%) had moderate or severe systemic ventricle dysfunction, and 16 (16%) had moderate or severe systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Transplant-free survivals at 10 years were 93%, 86%, 100%, and 79% for systemic RV, anatomic repair, Fontan palliation, and PAB/shunt, respectively (p = 0.33). On multivariate analysis, only systemic RV dysfunction was associated with a higher risk for death or transplant (p = 0.001). Conclusions Transplant-free survival in ccTGA appears to be similar between patients with a systemic RV, anatomic repair, and Fontan procedure. Systemic RV dysfunction is a risk factor for death and transplant.
Phase II trial of everolimus and erlotinib in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

6067 Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression but treatments targeting EGFR have met with limited clinica...
A Single-Chip Image Sensor Node With Energy Harvesting From a CMOS Pixel Array

This paper presents a single-chip image sensor node with energy harvesting from the pixel array. The design includes a $128 \times 96$ pixel array that can be reconfigured to form an on-chip photovoltaic cell to harvest energy. An on-chip power management unit harvests energy from the pixel array, and delivers multiple regulated output voltage domains to power the sensor, image processor, and memory. The image processor is a low-overhead moving object detection unit to reduce the volume of transmitted data. The proposed sensor node is implemented on a single die in 130-nm technology. The pixel array demonstrates the peak harvested power of $2.1\mu \text{W}$ . The power dissipation of sensor is reduced by utilizing low-power circuit techniques, including block-level pipelining, power gating, and low-voltage memory. The system can be self-powered to process a frame at every 7 s. We discuss design approaches for improving the self-power performance. The noise characteristic of the reconfigurable sensor is analyzed, and the need for noise-robust moving object detection is evaluated for better image quality and improved self-power performance.
Zwischen Nationalismus und Internationalismus: die Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft 1867–1945

Vor einhundertfunfzig Jahren, am Vorabend der Grundung des zweiten Deutschen Reichs, sammelten sich in Berlin rund einhundert Menschen, um die Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft (DChG) zu grunden. Ihr charismatischer Grundungsprasident war August Wilhelm von Hofmann, Prophet einer verbluffend produktiven und profitablen Symbiose zwischen Hochschule und Industrie in der organischen Chemie. Als Emil Fischer 1892 Hofmanns Nachfolger wurde, war die DChG die groste chemische Gesellschaft der Welt, mit mehr als dreitausend Mitgliedern und der auflagenstarksten Chemiezeitschrift, den Berichten. Unter Fischer forderte sie eine rege internationale Zusammenarbeit mit auslandischen Gesellschaften. 1900 kam die Einweihung des Hofmann-Hauses in Berlin als Sitz der Gesellschaft. Dort wurde die umfangreiche Publikationstatigkeit, darunter die Herausgabe des chemischen Zentralblatts und von Handbuchern, zentralisiert. Doch kaum funfzig Jahre spater, nach Krieg und rassistisch-nationalistischem Extremismus, lag das Haus in Ruinen und die Gesellschaft hatte aufgehort zu existieren. Der Jahrestag der Grundung dieser Gesellschaft sei hier Anlass zu fragen, warum ein so vielversprechender Anfang zu diesem schandlichen Ende fuhrte.
Active site of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase.

The properties, distribution, biogenesis, function, and regulation of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, as described elsewhere in this Symposium, are mainly integrated around the mechanism of action of the carboxylase and oxygenase reactions. Recently, interest has been stimulated by the discovery of the oxygenase reaction (1, 2) and its role in the glycolate pathway of photorespiration (3), and by the desirability of differential regulation of the carboxylase and oxygenase activities, if possible, in favor of the former in order to increase photosynthetic productivity. A prerequisite for such regulation is a thorough knowledge of the relationships between structure and function in this protein.
Interpreting Tense P

As discussed in Chapter 1, tensed sentences are often interpreted referentially/presuppositionally, picking out a time described by the preceding sentence. This anaphoric connection is illustrated in (1) below.
Biased signalling: from simple switches to allosteric microprocessors

A given G protein-coupled receptor can signal through a range of downstream transducers depending on the stimulating ligand, enabling biased signalling towards different biological outcomes. Lefkowitz and colleagues describe the latest advances in the field, including efforts to harness biased signalling for improved therapeutic outcomes. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest class of receptors in the human genome and some of the most common drug targets. It is now well established that GPCRs can signal through multiple transducers, including heterotrimeric G proteins, GPCR kinases and β-arrestins. While these signalling pathways can be activated or blocked by 'balanced' agonists or antagonists, they can also be selectively activated in a 'biased' response. Biased responses can be induced by biased ligands, biased receptors or system bias, any of which can result in preferential signalling through G proteins or β-arrestins. At many GPCRs, signalling events mediated by G proteins and β-arrestins have been shown to have distinct biochemical and physiological actions from one another, and an accurate evaluation of biased signalling from pharmacology through physiology is crucial for preclinical drug development. Recent structural studies have provided snapshots of GPCR–transducer complexes, which should aid in the structure-based design of novel biased therapies. Our understanding of GPCRs has evolved from that of two-state, on-and-off switches to that of multistate allosteric microprocessors, in which biased ligands transmit distinct structural information that is processed into distinct biological outputs. The development of biased ligands as therapeutics heralds an era of increased drug efficacy with reduced drug side effects.
Exposed subsurface ice sheets in the Martian mid-latitudes.

Thick deposits cover broad regions of the Martian mid-latitudes with a smooth mantle; erosion in these regions creates scarps that expose the internal structure of the mantle. We investigated eight of these locations and found that they expose deposits of water ice that can be >100 meters thick, extending downward from depths as shallow as 1 to 2 meters below the surface. The scarps are actively retreating because of sublimation of the exposed water ice. The ice deposits likely originated as snowfall during Mars’ high-obliquity periods and have now compacted into massive, fractured, and layered ice. We expect the vertical structure of Martian ice-rich deposits to preserve a record of ice deposition and past climate.
Information Retrieval II

This chapter extends the basic ideas of information retrieval in several directions. The emphasis moves away from remote services and bibliographic databases, towards full-text retrieval application, set up by large organisations for their own purposes. A short case study will describe how one company acquired, selected and indexed data for its own internal requirements. General-purpose commercial software is normally used to implement such systems, and an account will be given of two different packages and the facilities they provide for setting up and querying databases; these will be linked, respectively, to the use of parallel processing hardware, and integration with conventional relational database technology. The final topic to be discussed is text compression: as longer texts are stored it may become very desirable to reduce the database size as much as possible, and so this is an appropriate point to give an overview of the relevant techniques.
Selenium and vitamin E.

Deficiency of selenium and vitamin E has recently been identified as a major health concern of sheep producers in certain regions of the United States, and familiarity with published data on these nutrients seems to be of value to small ruminant practitioners. This article begins with a description of the biochemical roles and metabolism of selenium and vitamin E. A literature review follows in which the influence of these nutrients on the musculoskel-reproductive, and immune systems, as well as on flock productivity, is discussed. Methods for detection of deficiency and supplementation strategies are also described.
LUNAR PALAEOMAGNETISM AND EVIDENCE FOR SUPERHEAVY ELEMENTS IN THE MOON

ABSTRACT The discovery of remanent magnetization of the Apollo lunar samples was unexpected as the Moon today possesses no general magnetic field. Lunar palaeomagnetism and the discovery of lunar magnetic fields on the surface of the Moon in various experiments must be interpreted in terms of the Moon possessing an early magnetic field which has since been lost. The requires (1) The Moon to have melted to the centre a few hundred million years after its accretional origin, and (2) a heat source in the core to generate by dynamo action these fields, palaeointensity measurements of which are as high as 1.3 gauss 4 × 109 years ago. It is argued that superheavy elements existed in the Moon in its early history causing the melting and because they are expected to be siderphile, became the core heat source. On this hypothesis, the half life must lie between 1 and 2 × 108 years.
QCD: Photo/Hadroproduction of Heavy Flavors; Fermilab E691, E769 and Beyond

A series of heavy flavor experiments is being performed at the Fermilab Tagged Photon Laboratory. These experiments make use of accurate charged particle tracking, including precise vertex determinations, in an open geometry forward spectrometer. The global transverse energy trigger has high acceptance for all heavy flavor decay modes and allows a wide variety of questions to be addressed.
The Mindbrain and Dreams: An Exploration of Dreaming, Thinking, and Artistic Creation

In The Mindbrain and Dreams: An Exploration of Dreaming, Thinking, and Artistic Creation, Mark J. Blechner argues that the mind and brain should be understood as a single unit – the "mindbrain" – which manipulates our raw perceptions of the world and reshapes that world through dreams, thoughts, and artistic creation. This book explores how dreams are key to understanding mental processes, and how working with dreams clinically with individuals and groups provides an essential route towards achieving transformation within the psychoanalytic process. Covering such key topics as knowledge, emotion, metaphor, and memory, this book sets out a radical new agenda for understanding the importance of dreams in human thought and their clinical importance in psychoanalysis. Blechner builds on his previous work and takes it much further, drawing on the latest neuroscientific findings to set out a new way of how the mindbrain constructs reality, while providing guidance on how best to help people understand their dreams. The Mindbrain and Dreams: An Exploration of Dreaming, Thinking, and Artistic Creation will appeal to psychologists, psychoanalysts, philosophers, and cognitive neuroscientists who want new ways to explore how people think and understand the world.
Performance Measurement and the Kidney Quality Improvement Registry.

In the 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began the transition to a value-based payment system through implementation of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) ([1][1]). Representing a paradigm shift away from traditional volume-based
GQ8 ARE WE SERIOUS ABOUT ENDING HUNGER

Efforts to end hunger in the world have not led to significant improvements. There has been some progress but, apparently, global efforts to end hunger have not been serious. They could not have been expected to lead to the achievement of that goal. Many food policy analysts have shifted their attention to the issue of sustainability, with some focusing on the ways in which agricultural production might be harmed as a result of climate change. The sustainability of the world’s food system into the future is important, but it may be drawing attention away from the hunger problem that is already very real for millions of people. The sustainability and hunger issues should be addressed together.
Data-driven dispersive surface-wave prediction and mode separation using high-resolution dispersion estimation

Abstract In seismic data processing, surface waves and body waves are usually processed differently. We propose a data-driven approach to predict and separate the dispersive surface waves in multichannel seismic data. We first estimate high-resolution surface-wave phase velocities from the recorded data based on the multi-channel nonlinear signal comparison (MNLSC) technique. This enables us to predict the surface waves at each receiver location. We then separate the predicted surface waves from the seismic data. The predicted surface waves can be further separated into the fundamental mode and higher modes if they are present. We have successfully applied our approach on two synthetic seismic gathers and one field seismic gather. These examples show that our new approach could effectively predict and separate dispersive surface waves from the data without damaging reflections.
Rituximab in refractory chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Introduction Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a disorder in which early effective treatment is important to minimize disability from axonal degeneration. It has been suggested that some patients with CIDP may benefit from rituximab therapy, but there is no definitive evidence for this. Methods Baseline and post-rituximab-therapy neuromuscular Medical Research Council (MRC) sum scores, Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) disability score, and functional status were assessed in 11 patients with refactory CIDP. Results The MRC sum score, INCAT disability score, and functional status improved in all patients after rituximab therapy. Discussion Our study provides evidence of the efficacy of rituximab therapy in at least some patients with CIDP. A placebo-controlled study to assess the effectiveness of rituximab therapy in CIDP with and without nodal antibodies is required to identify disease markers that predict responsiveness.
Porosity predictions during co-cure of honeycomb core prepreg sandwich structures

Abstract Honeycomb core sandwich structures are co-cured to bond partially cured thermoset prepreg facesheets with an adhesive layer to either side of the honeycomb core under a prescribed pressure and temperature cycle in an autoclave. Defects such as porosity and poorly formed fillets of the adhesive bond-line can compromise the mechanical properties of the sandwich structure. High defect levels during the co-cure are common as the process development cycle is strongly dependent on complex relationships among material properties, part geometry and process parameters. A process model to predict bond-line porosity is formulated based on the understanding gathered about the physics of the co-cure process and the physics of bond-line formation. A three-step approach is adopted to simulate the bond-line porosity. The first step uses the knowledge of the diffusion-induced void growth in the form of a stability map to guide the design of the co-cure cycle. The second step develops the void growth model accounting for the diffusion of volatiles within the adhesive and the prepreg resin. In the final step, the voids that escape into the core from the bond-line are taken into account to calculate the porosity of the bond-line. With the help of two examples, it is shown that in addition to the initial radius of voids and the initial porosity of the bond-line, the interplay between the stability map and the process cycle also play an important role in prediction of the final porosity within the bond-line. This process model should prove useful in reducing or eliminating voids by optimizing the co-cure cycle.
KNOX HOMOLOGS SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) and KNAT6 are epistatic to CLAVATA3 (CLV3) during embryonic meristem development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract In Arabidopsis, the genes SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) and CLAVATA3 (CLV3) antagonistically regulate shoot meristem development. STM is essential for both development and maintenance of the meristem, as stm mutants fail to develop a shoot meristem during embryogenesis. CLV3, on the other hand, negatively regulates meristem proliferation, and clv3 mutants possess an enlarged shoot meristem. Genetic interaction studies revealed that stm and clv3 dominantly suppress each other’s phenotypes. STM works in conjunction with its closely related homologue KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX GENE 6 (KNAT6) to promote meristem development and organ separation, as stm knat6 double mutants fail to form a meristem and produce a fused cotyledon. In this study, we show that clv3 fails to promote post-embryonic meristem formation in stm-1 background if we also remove KNAT6. stm-1 knat6 clv3 triple mutants result in early meristem termination and produce fused cotyledons similar to stm knat6 double mutant. Notably, the stm-1 knat6 and stm-1 knat6 clv3 alleles lack tissue in the presumed region of SAM. stm knat6 clv3 also showed reduced inflorescence size and shoot apex size as compared to clv3 single or stm clv3 double mutants. In contrast to previously published data, these data suggest that stm is epistatic to clv3 in postembryonic meristem development. Highlight STM and KNAT6 genes determine post-embryonic meristem formation and activity in Arabidopsis. clv3 mutation is unable to rescue the stm knat6 meristemless phenotype.
Technological Discontinuities and Interfirm Cooperation: What Determines a Start-up's Attractiveness as Alliance Partner?

Incumbent firms often face severe challenges when confronted with technological discontinuous change. However, interfirm cooperation between incumbents and new entrants has been suggested as one way that incumbents can adapt to radical technological change. In particular, we are interested in the question of how incumbent pharmaceutical firms go about selecting alliance partners from the population of new biotechnology firms, in their quest to commercialize a discontinuous innovation. We propose that a start-up's new product development, economies of scale, public ownership, and geographic location in a regional technology cluster are positively associated with the start-up's attractiveness as an alliance partner. We find broad support for our model.
Spatially-resolved nanometer-scale measurement of cartilage extracellular matrix mobility.

Summary Objective Tissues have complex structures, comprised of solid and fluid phases. Improved understanding of interactions between joint fluid and extracellular matrix (ECM) is required in models of cartilage mechanics. X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) directly measures nanometer-scale dynamics and can provide insight into biofluid–biosolid interactions in cartilage. This study applies XPCS to evaluate dynamic interactions between intact cartilage and biofluids. Design Cartilage biopsies were collected from bovine femoral condyles. During XPCS measurements, cartilage samples were exposed to different fluids: deionized water, PBS, synovial fluid, or sonicated synovial fluid. ECM-biofluid interactions were also assessed at different length scales and different depths from the cartilage surface. Results Using XPCS, cartilage ECM mobility was detected at length scales from 50 to 207 nm. As length scale decreased, time scale for autocorrelation decay decreased, suggesting smaller ECM components are more mobile. ECM dynamics were slowed by dehydrating the sample, demonstrating XPCS assesses matrix mobility in hydrated environments. At all length scales, the matrix was more mobile in deionized water and slowest in synovial fluid. Using the 207 nm length scale assessment, ECM dynamics in synovial fluid were fastest at the cartilage surface and progressively slowed as depth into the sample increased, demonstrating XPCS can assess spatial distribution of ECM dynamics. Finally, ECM mobility increased for degraded synovial fluid. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential of XPCS to provide unique insights into nanometer-scale cartilage ECM mobility in a spatially resolved manner and illustrates the importance of biosolid-biofluid interactions in dictating ECM dynamics.
Benchmarking ideal sample thickness in cryo-EM using MicroED

The relationship between sample thickness and quality of data obtained by microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) is investigated. Several EM grids containing proteinase K microcrystals of similar sizes from the same crystallization batch were prepared. Each grid was transferred into a focused ion-beam scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) where the crystals were then systematically thinned into lamellae between 95 nm and 1650 nm thick. MicroED data were collected at either 120, 200, or 300 kV accelerating voltages. Lamellae thicknesses were converted to multiples of the calculated inelastic mean free path (MFP) of electrons at each accelerating voltage to allow the results to be compared on a common scale. The quality of the data and subsequently determined structures were assessed using standard crystallographic measures. Structures were reliably determined from crystalline lamellae only up to twice the inelastic mean free path. Lower resolution diffraction was observed at three times the mean free path for all three accelerating voltages but the quality was insufficient to yield structures. No diffraction data were observed from lamellae thicker than four times the calculated inelastic mean free path. The quality of the determined structures and crystallographic statistics were similar for all lamellae up to 2x the inelastic mean free path in thickness, but quickly deteriorated at greater thicknesses. This study provides a benchmark with respect to the ideal limit for biological specimen thickness with implications for all cryo-EM methods. Significance A systematic investigation of the effects of thickness on electron scattering from protein crystals was previously not feasible, because there was no accurate method to control sample thickness. Here, the recently developed methods for preparing protein crystals into lamellae of precise thickness by ion-beam milling are used to investigate the effects of increasing sample thickness on MicroED data quality. These experiments were conducted using the three most common accelerating voltages in cryo-EM. Data across these accelerating voltages and thicknesses were compared on a common scale using their calculated inelastic mean free path lengths. It is found that structures may accurately be determined from crystals up to twice the inelastic mean free path length in thickness, regardless of the acceleration voltage.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor is significantly elevated in liver transplant recipients with decompensated NASH cirrhosis.

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a prohaemostatic state with abnormal primary, secondary and tertiary haemostasis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 is the best-established marker for prohaemostasis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. While epidemiological studies demonstrate decompensated non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis patients have increased rates of venous thromboembolism, including portal vein thrombosis, mechanistic studies have focused exclusively on patients without or with compensated cirrhosis. We aimed to characterizecharacterise PAI-1 levels in decompensated NASH cirrhosis. Methods PAI-1 level was measured in consecutive adult liver transplant recipients immediately prior to liver transplantation. Multivariable models were constructed using linear regression to assess factors related to PAI-1 level. Results Forty-six subjects with mean age 57 (IQR 53–62) years and Model for Endstage Liver Disease (MELD) score of 34 (IQR 30–40) were enrolled. Baseline characteristics were similar between NASH (n=10) and non-NASH (n=36) subjects except for rates of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Mean PAI-1 level was greater in NASH (53.9, 95% CI 33.3 to 74.5 mg/mL) when compared with non-NASH (36.1, 95% CI 28.7 to 43.5), p=0.040. NASH remained independently predictive of PAI-1 level prior to transplant on adjusted multivariable modelling (β 40.13, 95% CI 14.41 to 65.86, p=0.003). Conclusions: PAI-1 level is significantly elevated in decompensated NASH cirrhosis independent of other pro-haemostatic factors. This may explain the greater rates of venous thromboembolism in decompensated NASH cirrhosis. Future study focusing on prevention of venous thromboembolism in this population is paramount to improve patient-oriented outcomes given the high morbidity and mortality of venous thromboembolism and the significant impact it has on transplant candidacy.
Completeness, Self-Sufficiency, and Intimacy in Seneca’s Account of Friendship

Examining Seneca’s account of friendship produces an interpretative puzzle: if the good of the Stoic sage is already both complete and self-sufficient, how can friendship be a good? I reject the so...
A mixed method analysis of the Better Business Bureau’s third-party seal and the extent to which it inculcates trust among consumers

Purpose – The paper aims to answer the central question: to what extent does the Better Business Bureau (BBB)’s policy of providing a third-party seal inculcate consumer trust from consumers to BBB-accredited business members? Design/methodology/approach – For this mixed-methods study, the qualitative section used a phenomenological approach with three focus groups of consumers and business owners. The quantitative section utilized binary logistic regression from consumer survey data conducted in Colorado. Additionally, document analysis was conducted to understand BBB history and policy details. Findings – Consumers who notice the BBB logo are 4.7 times more likely to trust a real estate sales business than if they do not notice the BBB logo. Furthermore, consumers who notice the BBB logo are 17 times more likely to trust an auto and boat sales business when they notice the BBB logo. Research limitations/implications – A main limitation of the study was the inconclusive data that appeared between the qua...
Bisimulation Minimization and Symbolic Model Checking

State space minimization techniques are crucial for combating state explosion. A variety of explicit-state verification tools use bisimulation minimization to check equivalence between systems, to minimize components before composition, or to reduce a state space prior to model checking. Experimental results on bisimulation minimization in symbolic model checking contexts, however, are mixed. This paper explores bisimulation minimization as an optimization in symbolic model checking of invariance properties. We consider three bisimulation minimization algorithms. From each, we produce a BDD-based model checker for invariant properties and compare this model checker to a conventional one based on backwards reachability. Our comparisons, both theoretical and experimental, suggest that bisimulation minimization is not viable in the context of invariance verification, because performing the minimization requires as many, if not more, computational resources as model checking the unminimized system through backwards reachability.
Policy transformations for preventing leakage of sensitive information in email systems

In this paper we identify an undesirable side-effect of combining different email-control mechanisms for protection from unwanted messages, namely, leakage of recipients' private information to message senders. The problem arises because some email-control mechanisms like bonds, graph-turing tests, etc., inherently leak information, and without discontinuing their use, leakage channels cannot be closed. We formalize the capabilities of an attacker and show how she can launch guessing attacks on recipient's mail acceptance policy that utilizes leaky mechanism in an effort to avoid unwanted mail. The attacker in our model guesses the contents of a recipient's private information. The recipients' use of leaky mechanisms allow the sender to verify her guess. We assume a constraint logic programming based policy language for specification and evaluation of mail acceptance criteria and present two different program transformations that can prevent guessing attacks while allowing recipients to utilize any email-control mechanism in their policies.
Neural origins of 'I remember'

An imaging study shows that recognition associated with a specific time and setting (episodic memory) activates the hippocampus—whereas other forms of recognition do not.
Paralytic supination contracture of the forearm.

Supination contracture of the forearm, not uncommonly seen in Erb's palsy and occasionally seen in infantile paralysis, follows the selective palsy of the muscles arising from the medial epicondyle of the humerus. The supination deformity of the forearm is the primary link in a chain of deformities which consists in a triple deformity of the shoulder in flexion, abduction, and medial rotation, a flexion contracture of the elbow, and hyperextension of the wrist. The first step in correction is to return the shoulder to the neutral position. This must be done before correcting the supination deformity or the dorsiflexion of the wrist. Operations used to relieve supination contracture of the forearm, especially osteotomy of the radius, are described. After section of the radius, there is dorsal and ulnar angulation of the radius by non-axial torsion of the distal fragment. The value of axial torsional osteotomy of the ulna to relieve supination contracture is noted.