cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEDIMENT, CARBON, AND NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION AT TWO 10-YEAR-OLD CREATED RIVERINE MARSHES

Two 1-ha riverine wetlands at the Olentangy Wetland Research Park in Columbus, Ohio, USA were constructed in 1993 with a nearly identical geomorphology and have maintained an identical hydrology since their creation. The only initial difference was that one wetland was planted with native macrophytes in 1994 while the other was not. Sediment and nutrient accumulation was evaluated in May 2004, ten years after the wetlands were created. Higher mean sediment accumulation was detected in the deeper open water (OW) zones of both wetlands (6.1 ±0.6 and 7.3 ±0.5 kg m−2 yr−1) than in the emergent (EM) vegetation zones (3.7 ±0.2 and 3.9 ±0.3 kg m−2 yr−1). Directional spatial structure associated with sediment accumulation was detected in both wetlands and was attributed to the greater accumulation in the OW zones and the gradual decrease in accumulation from inflow to outflow. Despite several years of markedly higher productivity in Wetland 2, this wetland showed no evidence of greater organic C accumulation; however, the dense Typha established during those years may have elicited greater deposition and reduced re-suspension of sediment in the OW zones. Large accumulations of Ca (235 ±23 and 235 ±15 kg m−2 yr−1) and inorganic C (71.6 ±6.9 and 70.3 ±4.8 g m−2 yr−1) in the OW zones of both wetlands suggest that CaCO3 deposition has remained a critical process where alga productivity has been highest. Annual rates of sediment and nutrient accumulation for each wetland were lower than those calculated in previous years and typically fall between ranges seen for newly created wetlands and natural wetlands.
Display Workstation: Hardware Architecture

In radiological applications two classes of display workstation are usually considered. These are the high-definition (2K) workstation for primary diagnosis and the medium-definition (1K) workstation for uses primarily outside the radiology department. The hardware architecture of each class of workstation is discussed at the level of system integration for the 2K workstation and at the board-level design for the 1K workstation.
Depth of origin of secondary ions: Suppression and enhancement of ions upon passage through overlayers

The authors are investigating the transmission of low energy ions (<10 eV) through ultrathin films of condensed rare gases. The goal is to address the issue of the depth of origin of secondary ions that desorb from solid surfaces under the impact of ionizing radiation, such as electrons, photons, or through ion sputtering. The secondary ions are produced by electron stimulated desorption (ESD) from a suitable substrate, such as an oxide or an adsorbate on a metal single crystal; the overlayer gas is condensed onto this substrate. The yield, energy and angular distributions of the ions are measured as a function of overlayer thickness. They find that 7 eV oxygen ions can be transmitted through rate gas films (Kr, Xe) several ML thick. In contrast, O{sup +} is completely suppressed by 0.5 ML of H{sub 2}O. Surprisingly, they find the F{sup {minus}} yield to be 4 times higher in the presence of 1 ML of Xe, compared to the clean surface value, accompanied by a dramatic change in the ions` angular distribution. They discuss a model which considers elastic scattering and charge transfer of the ions with rare gas atoms, as well as the structure of the surface and themore » electronic properties of the solid-vacuum interface.« less
Methods of Feeding Ducks

Abstract THE common recommendation for feeding ducks is that the ration be fed as a moist mash. Lee (1932) states that “all duck rations are fed as a moist mash.” Horton (1932) says that “the duck is quite particular in that it wants a mash that sticks together fairly well.” Pardee (1930) recommends that “all feeds for ducks and ducklings should be fed moist (crumbly) but not sloppy.” He states that the ducks’ bills “are so constructed that it is difficult for them to pick up small grain so it is necessary to moisten the ground grain and form it into lumps or have it crumbly so they can readily pick it up.” According to the different recommendations the ducklings should be given this moist mash four or five times daily during the first week, four times daily until three or four weeks old, and then three times daily until marketed. . . .
Emerging techniques for pathogen discovery in endophthalmitis.

Purpose of review Despite the inability to detect certain organisms and relatively low yield, microbial culture is the current gold standard for the diagnosis of most intraocular infections. Research on alternative molecular diagnostic methods has produced an array of strategies that augment and improve pathogen detection. This review summarizes the most recent literature on this topic. Recent findings The yield of traditional microbial culture has not improved since the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study results were published 20 years ago. Advances in PCR methods have enabled quantification of pathogen load and screening for multiple organisms at once. More recently, deep sequencing techniques allow highly sensitive detection of any DNA-based life form in a specimen. This offers the promise of not only improved detection of traditional organisms but can also identify organisms not previously associated with endophthalmitis. Summary Molecular diagnostic methods enhance the results of microbial culture and may become the new standard in the diagnosis of intraocular infections.
Stereotype Threat: A Clarification

The Review by D. Lewis (24 June 2005, p. [1871][1]) of the book Gender Differences in Mathematics ([1][2]) inadvertently perpetuates misinformation that has appeared elsewhere ([2][3]–[4][4]) about a key finding in our study of stereotype threat on an Advanced Placement calculus test ([5][5], [6][
Left ventricular force-length relations of isovolumic and ejecting contractions

To determine the interrelationships between ejecting and isovolumic force-length relations and the extent to which the left ventricle will shorten, data obtained in 27 isolated, servo-regulated hearts were examined. For each heart a series of contractions, variably loaded (delta L) were derived for a thickwalled sphere and normalized by the cross-sectional area of muscle and length at zero end-diastolic pressure. It was found that within the physiological range examined total and active force were essentially a linear function of initial L with respective increments or reductions in slope produced by positive or negative shifts in contractile state. The force-L relations obtained isovolumically and at end ejection were virtually identical. For a given ejection pressure, end-systolic L was constant, despite variations in filling and therefore independent of initial L and deltaL; moreover, the L to which the ventricle shortened was determined by the course of the systolic force L-relation. Thus, irrespective of loading, delta L occurs within the confines of the contractile state-dependent isovolumic force-L relation and where the latter is equivalent to the end-systolic force-length relation.
Coping with lengthy ballots

Given voters' limited cognitive abilities, the learning environments voters face may have implications for how voters learn and make decisions. One prominent feature of American elections is the variation in the length of the ballot across jurisdictions and elections. This paper explores the consequences of lengthy ballots on the ability of voters to learn about candidates. Using an experimental design and a dynamic information board (Lau and Redlawsk, 2006), subjects participate in a mock election where they are asked to gather information about a single election or multiple elections. The results indicate that while voters compare more information as ballot length increases, they spend significantly less time learning about individual pieces of candidate information.
Pupa and Puparium

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the pupa stage in insect life cycle. Pupa is the stage in the development of holometabolous insects between the mature larva and the adult wherein major morphological reorganization takes place. Pupation usually occurs in a protected location (in a cell or cocoon), but in some groups, such as many butterflies, the pupa (chrysalis) is suspended openly and is usually well camouflaged by its shape and color. There are two basic kinds of pupae, exarate and obtect. An exarate pupa has free appendages. An obtect pupa has the appendages adhering to the body wall. Most Lepidoptera, most lower Diptera, some chrysomelid and staphylinid beetles, and many chalcidoid Hymenoptera have obtect pupae; nearly all other pupae are exarate. Most pupae are inactive, their body movements often limited to the abdominal segments. However, pupae in some groups are capable of locomotion, and some have functional mandibles that enable them to cut their way out of the pupal cell, cocoon, or chamber. These active pupae are sometimes referred to as pharate adults because the adult is enclosed in the pupal cuticle.
Living an Educational Mission to Meet the Needs of Community and Public Health: Community Engagement in Pharmacy Education:

The Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences (PPPS) department on the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy (COP) was established in 2004 to meet the health-related ...
Deep-sequence identification and role in virus replication of a JC virus quasispecies in patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

ABSTRACT JC virus (JCV) is a DNA virus causing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunodeficient patients. In the present study, 22 genetic quasispecies with more than 1.5% variant frequency were detected in JCV genomes from six clinical samples of PML by next-generation sequencing. A mutation from A to C at nucleotide (nt) 3495 in JCV Mad1 resulting in a V-to-G amino acid substitution at amino acid (aa) position 392 of the large T antigen (TAg) was identified in all six cases of PML at 3% to 19% variant frequencies. Transfection of JCV Mad1 DNA possessing the V392G substitution in TAg into IMR-32 and human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells resulted in dramatically decreased production of JCV-encoded proteins. The virus DNA copy number was also reduced in supernatants of the mutant virus-transfected cells. Transfection of the IMR-32 and HEK293 cells with a virus genome containing a revertant mutation recovered viral production and protein expression. Cotransfection with equal amounts of wild-type genome and mutated JCV genome did not reduce the expression of viral proteins or viral replication, suggesting that the mutation did not have any dominant-negative function. Finally, immunohistochemistry demonstrated that TAg was expressed in all six pathological samples in which the quasispecies were detected. In conclusion, the V392G amino acid substitution in TAg identified frequently in PML lesions has a function in suppressing JCV replication, but the frequency of the mutation was restricted and its role in PML lesions was limited. IMPORTANCE DNA viruses generally have lower mutation frequency than RNA viruses, and the detection of quasispecies in JCV has rarely been reported. In the present study, a next-generation sequencer identified a JCV quasispecies with an amino acid substitution in the T antigen in patients with PML. In vitro studies showed that the mutation strongly repressed the expression of JC viral proteins and reduced the viral replication. However, because the frequency of the mutation was low in each case, the total expression of virus proteins was sustained in vivo . Thus, JC virus replicates in PML lesions in the presence of a mutant virus which is able to repress virus replication.
Association of Therapy for Autoimmune Disease With Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Importance Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms are a potentially life-threatening consequence of treatment for autoimmune disease (AID) and an emerging clinical phenomenon. Objective To query the association of cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulating agents to treat patients with AID with the risk for developing myeloid neoplasm. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective case-control study and medical record review included 40 011 patients with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision , coded diagnosis of primary AID who were seen at 2 centers from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2014; of these, 311 patients had a concomitant coded diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Eighty-six cases met strict inclusion criteria. A case-control match was performed at a 2:1 ratio. Main Outcomes and Measures Odds ratio (OR) assessment for AID-directed therapies. Results Among the 86 patients who met inclusion criteria (49 men [57%]; 37 women [43%]; mean [SD] age, 72.3 [15.6] years), 55 (64.0%) had MDS, 21 (24.4%) had de novo AML, and 10 (11.6%) had AML and a history of MDS. Rheumatoid arthritis (23 [26.7%]), psoriasis (18 [20.9%]), and systemic lupus erythematosus (12 [14.0%]) were the most common autoimmune profiles. Median time from onset of AID to diagnosis of myeloid neoplasm was 8 (interquartile range, 4-15) years. A total of 57 of 86 cases (66.3%) received a cytotoxic or an immunomodulating agent. In the comparison group of 172 controls (98 men [57.0%]; 74 women [43.0%]; mean [SD] age, 72.7 [13.8] years), 105 (61.0%) received either agent ( P = .50). Azathioprine sodium use was observed more frequently in cases (odds ratio [OR], 7.05; 95% CI, 2.35- 21.13; P Conclusions and Relevance In a large population with primary AID, azathioprine exposure was associated with a 7-fold risk for myeloid neoplasm. The control and case cohorts had similar systemic exposures by agent category. No association was found for anti–tumor necrosis factor agents. Finally, no timeline was found for the association of drug exposure with the incidence in development of myeloid neoplasm.
Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer: the key role of molecular pathological epidemiology.

Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer or so-called “interval cancer” has emerged as one of new research topics, attracting much attention of endoscopists, gastroenterologists, and oncologists alike (1-4). In addition to lesions missed during the index colonoscopy due to technical issues (e.g., skills of endoscopists, quality of bowel preparation) or tumor morphology (e.g., sessile serrated adenoma/polyps) (5), some tumors arising after colonoscopy may have rapidly-growing biological behavior with distinct molecular and pathological features (1-4). Colonoscopy has remained the cornerstone of colorectal cancer screening which can provide primary prevention, early detection, and pathological diagnosis of neoplastic lesions, potentially leading to the reduction in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality (4,6).
Abstract 12522: Downregulation of Aryl-hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator (ARNT) Exacerbates Cardiac Insulin Resistance After High Fat Diet

Introduction: Altered cardiac insulin sensitivity, substrate utilization, and energetics have been reported in diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanism behind insulin resistance in the heart in diabetes remain poorly understood. Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) have been linked to cellular metabolism, and their deletion in the heart resulted in metabolic changes. We have previously demonstrated that cardiac-specific knockout of ARNT, the obligatory binding partner of HIFs, causes spontaneous cardiomyopathy bearing similarity to diabetic cardiomyopathy, and its levels are reduced in genetic- and diet-induced obesity models. Here, we hypothesize that downregulation of ARNT in vivo exacerbates cardiac insulin resistance after high fat diet (HFD). Results: Mice with cardiac-specific heterozygous deletion of ARNT (cs-ARNT +/- ) had normal cardiac function at baseline, and had comparable food intake and weight gain during HFD treatment. We then evaluated cardiac substrate utilization using an ex vivo heart perfusion system. When perfused with a buffer without insulin, hearts from wild type (WT) and cs-ARNT +/- mice displayed comparable substrate utilization both after normal chow and after HFD. Addition of insulin to the perfusion system led to comparable increase in glucose utilization in hearts from normal chow-fed WT and ARNT +/- mice. However, the increased glucose utilization in response to insulin was attenuated in hearts from WT mice after HFD, while hearts from cs-ARNT +/- after HFD demonstrated virtually no increase in glucose utilization in response to insulin. This difference was not due to cardiac function as the cardiac work (assessed by heart rate and developing pressure) is comparable among all groups. Using neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, we also demonstrated that ARNT knockdown decreased glucose uptake and AKT phosphorylation in response to insulin, consistent with a blunted insulin-signaling pathway. Conclusion: Cardiac-specific ARNT heterozygote deletion exacerbates insulin resistance in a diet-induced obesity model, and the reduction of ARNT levels in various mouse models of diabetes is likely be a maladaptive response. Therefore, increasing ARNT signaling can be a potential therapy for diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Understanding the Effects of Middle School Algebra: A Regression Discontinuity Approach

We identify California public middle schools that use a 7th grade achievement threshold to place students into 8th grade Algebra. These schools provide 439 opportunities to estimate regression discontinuity effects of 8th grade Algebra placement. We meta-analyze these effects and find small positive effects on students’ high school math and English achievement, and substantial positive effects on high school math course-taking. Further, our analyses indicate substantial treatment effect heterogeneity across schools. Descriptive analyses suggest a positive relationship between treatment effects and average school student achievement and the location of the placement threshold, and a negative relationship with student poverty.
Modular domain swapping among the bacterial cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF) family for efficient cargo delivery into mammalian cells

Modular AB-type bacterial protein toxins target mammalian host cells with high specificity and deliver their toxic cargo into the cytosol. Hence, these toxins are being explored as agents for targeted cytosolic delivery in biomedical and research applications. The cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF) family is unique among these toxins in that their homologous sequences are found in a wide array of bacteria, and their activity domains are packaged in various delivery systems. Here, to study how CNF cargo and delivery modules can be assembled for efficient cytosolic delivery, we generated chimeric toxins by swapping functional domains among CNF1, CNF2, CNF3, and CNFy. Chimeras with a CNFy delivery vehicle were more stably expressed, but were less efficient at cargo delivery into HEK293-T cells. We also found that CNFy cargo is the most universally compatible and that CNF3 delivery vehicle is the most flexible and efficient at delivering cargo. These findings suggest that domains within proteins can be swapped and accommodate each other for efficient function and that an individual domain could be engineered for compatibility with multiple partner domains. We anticipate that our insights could help inform chemical biology approaches to develop toxin-based cargo-delivery platforms for cytosolic cargo delivery of therapeutics or molecular probes into mammalian cells.
Understanding When and How Explanation Promotes Exploration

Receiving and generating explanations is fundamental to children’s acquisition of scientific concepts. Explanations not only support conceptual change, but they can also promote further exploration and learning. For explanations to lead to exploration, children must first recognize when the explanations that they encounter are faulty or unsatisfactory. Recognizing gaps in explanatory knowledge is a powerful motivator for children’s interest in seeking out additional information to fill those gaps. However, not all children react to explanations in the same way. The likelihood of engaging in exploration may reflect individual differences in children’s background knowledge and their willingness to incorporate new information into their existing beliefs. Children’s responses to explanations may also be influenced by their prior experiences at home, and in their society. Understanding when and how explanations lead to exploration has important implications for education, particularly in the sciences.
Assessing Deficits and Supports in the Elderly

This chapter is based upon the view that the “aging process” and its associated behaviors reflect interaction between the individual and often changing environmental events and consequences. For these reasons, a practical and less biased approach to assessing the behavior of aged individuals is through a behavioral interview that taps person—situation interaction. Also, the interview/assessment approaches presented in this chapter presume that the professional (a) will view the elderly from a perspective larger than that defined by his or her specific training; (b) will see major areas needing evaluation other than physical problems; (c) will see aging as a developmental rather than pathological process (with change not necessarily occurring across all areas); (d) will not view the elderly as rigid, slow to change, or hopeless; and (e) will seek other than custodial or limited intervention.
Prophylactic Antibiotic Use in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

Patients with RA who undergo total hip or knee replacement are at increased risk for prosthetic joint infection, which is further increased in the setting of revision arthroplasty and a previous prosthetic joint infection “as reported by Poss et al. (Clin Orthop 182:117–126, 1984) and Bongartz et al. (Arthritis Rheum. 59(12):1713–20, 2008).” Perioperative prophylactic measures and vigilance during the postoperative period are important in assuring good outcomes in such patients.
Study of aluminoborane compound AlB_4H_(11) for hydrogen storage

Aluminoborane compounds AlB_4H_(11), AlB_5H_(12), and AlB_6H_(13) were reported by Himpsl and Bond in 1981, but they have eluded the attention of the worldwide hydrogen storage research community for more than a quarter of a century. These aluminoborane compounds have very attractive properties for hydrogen storage: high hydrogen capacity (i.e., 13.5, 12.9, and 12.4 wt % H, respectively) and attractive hydrogen desorption temperature (i.e., AlB_4H_(11) decomposes at ~125 °C). We have synthesized AlB_4H_(11) and studied its thermal desorption behavior using temperature-programmed desorption with mass spectrometry, gas volumetric (Sieverts) measurement, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Rehydrogenation of hydrogen-desorbed products was performed and encouraging evidence of at least partial reversibility for hydrogenation at relatively mild conditions is observed. Our chemical analysis indicates that the formula for the compound is closer to AlB_4H_(12) than AlB_4H_(11).
500.04 Clinical Outcomes of the COBRA Polyzene-F Coronary Stent System for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Coronary Syndromes

The COBRA-Polyzene-F (PzF) (CeloNova Biosciences, SanFransisco, Texas) is a novel coronary stent with PzF nano-coating. Preclinical studies have shown that PzF has a low surface thrombogenicity and is known to have anti-inflammatory, bacterial resistant, and pro-healing properties. Between April
Gut microbial diversity increases with social rank in the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni

Social dominance hierarchies are a common system of within-group social ranking. Animals occupying subordinate and dominant ranks within these hierarchies differ in their access to food and mating opportunities. Thus, these animals often have different levels of stress, energy reserves and metabolic activity, leading to distinctive behavioural and physiological phenotypes. We hypothesized that phenotypes associated with social rank would affect the gut microbiome, a community of microbes intimately involved in host physiological and metabolic processes. Using male Astatotilapia burtoni, a well-studied species of cichlid, we implemented noninvasive sampling techniques to track microbial variation within individuals occupying different ranks. Our results indicated a lag between the behavioural and physiological changes and microbial community shifts associated with rank change. Given this, subordinate males had higher levels of pathogenic clades and decreased overall community diversity (alpha diversity) while dominant males had higher levels of protective clades and increased alpha diversity. The distributions of several differentially abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were highly correlated with alpha diversity, suggesting that these clades might be involved in structuring the community as a whole. Taken together, our results indicate that behavioural and phenotypic states associated with social rank induce dynamic, population-level shifts in microbiome composition, an effect putatively mediated by the presence of certain bacterial clades. This study is one of the first to evaluate and track the effects of social rank on teleost microbiomes and highlights the importance of integrating microbiome-derived physiological effects into future studies of behaviour.
Importing the Laboratory Model to the Social Sciences: Prospects for Improving Mentoring of Undergraduate Researchers

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) have been identified as High-Impact Practices that increase understanding of complex concepts, foster independent inquiry, and improve educational outcomes...
Impact of Metazooplankton Filter Feeding on Escherichia coli under Variable Environmental Conditions.

ABSTRACT The fecal indicator bacterial species Escherichia coli is an important measure of water quality and a leading cause of impaired surface waters. We investigated the impact of the filter-feeding metazooplankton Daphnia magna on the inactivation of E. coli. The E. coli clearance rates of these daphnids were calculated from a series of batch experiments conducted under variable environmental conditions. Batch system experiments of 24 to 48 h in duration were completed to test the impacts of bacterial concentration, organism density, temperature, and water type. The maximum clearance rate for adult D. magna organisms was 2 ml h−1 organism−1. Less than 5% of E. coli removed from water by daphnids was recoverable from excretions. Sorption of E. coli on daphnid carapaces was not observed. As a comparison, the clearance rates of the freshwater rotifer Branchionus calyciflorus were also calculated for select conditions. The maximum clearance rate for B. calyciflorus was 6 × 10−4 ml h−1 organism−1. This research furthers our understanding of the impacts of metazooplankton predation on E. coli inactivation and the effects of environmental variables on filter feeding. Based on our results, metazooplankton can play an important role in the reduction of E. coli in natural treatment systems under environmentally relevant conditions. IMPORTANCEEscherichia coli is a fecal indicator bacterial species monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess microbial water quality. Due to the potential human health implications linked to high levels of E. coli, it is important to understand the inactivation or reduction mechanisms in surface waters. Our research examines the capacities of two types of widespread filter-feeding freshwater metazooplankton, Daphnia magna and Brachionus calyciflorus, to reduce E. coli concentrations. We examine the impacts of different environmentally relevant conditions on the clearance rates. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the importance of metazooplankton in controlling E. coli concentrations and what conditions will reduce or increase grazing. These results provide baseline data to support future efforts to develop a quantitative model relating zooplankton uptake rates to relevant environmental variables.
High-severity wildfire limits available floral pollen quality and bumble bee nutrition compared to mixed-severity burns

High-severity wildfires, which can homogenize floral communities, are becoming more common relative to historic mixed-severity fire regimes in the Northern Rockies of the U.S. High-severity wildfire could negatively affect bumble bees, which are typically diet generalists, if floral species of inadequate pollen quality dominate the landscape post-burn. High-severity wildfires often require more time to return to pre-burn vegetation composition, and thus, effects of high-severity burns may persist past initial impacts. We investigated how wildfire severity (mixed- vs. high-severity) and time-since-burn affected available floral pollen quality, corbicular pollen quality, and bumble bee nutrition using percent nitrogen as a proxy for pollen quality and bumble bee nutrition. We found that community-weighted mean floral pollen nitrogen, corbicular pollen nitrogen, and bumble bee nitrogen were greater on average by 0.82%N, 0.60%N, and 1.16%N, respectively, in mixed-severity burns. This pattern of enhanced floral pollen nitrogen in mixed-severity burns was likely driven by the floral community, as community-weighted mean floral pollen percent nitrogen explained 87.4% of deviance in floral community composition. Only bee percent nitrogen varied with time-since-burn, increasing by 0.33%N per year. If these patterns persist across systems, our findings suggest that although wildfire is an essential ecosystem process, there are negative early successional impacts of high-severity wildfires on bumble bees and potentially on other pollen-dependent organisms via reductions in available pollen quality and nutrition. This work examines a previously unexplored pathway for how disturbances can influence native bee success via altering the nutritional landscape of pollen.
IMPACT OF CARDIOVASCULAR AND NON-CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITALIZATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE AND REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQL), and clinical events throughout the course of the disease could affect these measures. We evaluated the influence of non-fatal cardiovascular (CV) and non-cardiovascular (non-CV) events
Aberration correction for SLM-generated Bessel beams propagating through tilted interfaces

Abstract It is known that an axicon forms an aberrated Bessel beam when the input light is incident at an oblique angle, and the aberration can be removed by adding ellipticity to the axicon. The present work shows that the approach does not recover the Bessel beam along its entire depth of field when an additional tilted optical window is present in the beam path. This situation is increasingly common in advanced applications, where the sample may reside between two glass slides, within a vacuum chamber, or in a gas-tight enclosure. An improved method is introduced in which a single phase map on a spatial light modulator is used to generate the Bessel beam and compensate for both the aberration caused by oblique incidence (equivalent to the tilted axicon) and that due to an additional tilted optical window. Beam-quality metrics are used to quantify the effectiveness of the new method. This work extends the applicability of Bessel beams to other modes of fabrication, imaging, and signal processing.
Relationship Between Task-Based and Parent Report-Based Measures of Attention and Executive Function in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

A majority of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have demonstrated attention and executive function deficits as measured by both parent report measures and performance on tasks requiring sustained levels of attention. However, prior studies have consistently reported a lack of association between parental report-based and task-based performance measures. The current study investigated whether changes in performance over time within-task (i.e., first-half versus second-half) better correspond to parental reports of executive function and temperament in children with FASD. Greater differences in split-half performance during a continuous performance task were found to be associated with higher parent-reported levels of behavioral regulation and inhibitory control. These findings suggest that within-task performance differences may more accurately reflect individual differences in executive function and temperament as measured by parental report and help to further inform the way in which cognitive processes are measured in children with FASD.
Long-term impact of obesity on patient-reported outcomes and patient satisfaction after lumbar spine surgery: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE Obese body habitus is a challenging issue to address in lumbar spine surgery. There is a lack of consensus on the long-term influence of BMI on patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the differences in patient-reported outcomes over the course of 12 and 24 months among BMI classifications of patients who underwent lumbar surgery. METHODS A search was performed using the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) Spine Registry from 2012 to 2018 to identify patients who underwent lumbar surgery and had either a 12- or 24-month follow-up. Patients were categorized based on their BMI as normal weight (≤ 25 kg/m2), overweight (25-30 kg/m2), obese (30-40 kg/m2), and morbidly obese (> 40 kg/m2). Outcomes included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain (BP) and leg pain (LP), and patient satisfaction was measured at 12 and 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS A total of 31,765 patients were included. At both the 12- and 24-month follow-ups, those who were obese and morbidly obese had worse ODI, VAS-BP, and VAS-LP scores (all p < 0.01) and more frequently rated their satisfaction as "I am the same or worse than before treatment" (all p < 0.01) compared with those who were normal weight. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the BMI cutoffs for predicting worsening disability and surgery dissatisfaction were 30.1 kg/m2 and 29.9 kg/m2 for the 12- and 24-month follow-ups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Higher BMI was associated with poorer patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction at both the 12- and 24-month follow-ups. BMI of 30 kg/m2 is the cutoff for predicting worse patient outcomes after lumbar surgery.
Imaging the Pediatric Patient

A large number of disease processes can involve the orbits and produce nonspecific signs and symptoms, including pain, proptosis, vision loss, and ophthalmoplegia. Further, adequate ophthalmologic assessment may be challenging in patients in the acute setting, such as those presenting with severe trauma. This is particularly relevant in the pediatric population, who may not be able to fully cooperate or verbalize their symptoms during a physical examination. Imaging, therefore, plays a vital role in identifying pathology and delineating the complete extent of disease. This facilitates forming a differential or definitive diagnosis and in guiding clinical and surgical management. By the end of this chapter, the reader should become familiar with the different types of imaging studies available to those caring for pediatric patients in the emergent setting, the specific indications for each, and special considerations for imaging in children.
Credit Analysis Basics

Capital markets facilitate the appropriate exchange of money. For lenders and borrowers, the interest rate is the primary pricing mechanism that markets use in this exchange. For borrowers deemed to have higher credit risk, lenders add a risk premium to the interest rate to compensate for higher risk. Credit risk is the risk that the borrower will default on (not pay) the payments agreed upon in the loan. Such risk-based interest rates ensure that money flows appropriately between lenders and borrowers.Credit analysis is the process of determining a potential borrower's credit risk. This note explores credit analysis and its relation to the credit-risk premium in interest rates. Excerpt UVA-F-1898 Mar. 9, 2020 Credit Analysis Basics Capital markets facilitate the appropriate exchange of money. For lenders and borrowers, the interest rate is the primary pricing mechanism that markets use in this exchange. For borrowers deemed to have higher credit risk, lenders add a risk premium to the interest rate to compensate for higher risk. Credit risk is the risk that the borrower will default on (not pay) the payments agreed upon in the loan. Such risk-based interest rates ensure that money flows appropriately between lenders and borrowers. Credit analysis is the process of determining a potential borrower's credit risk. This note explores credit analysis and its relation to the credit-risk premium in interest rates. . . .
Trip generation, trip chains and polycentric development in metropolitan USA: A Case Study of the Wasatch Front Region, Utah

Abstract Polycentric development is being promoted to lessen problems of urban sprawl and reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This study examines polycentric development in the Wasatch Front Region (WFR), Utah, from a morphological perspective using employment data and a functional perspective by analyzing trip chain behavior. We find that morphologically, the WFR is more dispersed than centered but only has one functional urban center as the downtown Salt Lake City. Regarding trip chains, we find that although the automobile is the dominant travel mode outside urban centers, the trip chains by walking and biking are common in urban centers. Furthermore, we employed a multinomial logit model to examine travel behavior associated with urban centers. The results suggest that the WFR is still dominated by a single urban center, rather than being polycentric, reflecting the reality of many U.S. metropolitan regions. Our study suggests that job opportunities and amenities are critical to increasing functional polycentricity. Moreover, compact development, open space, and walkability encourage trip chain generation in urban centers. Last, improved public transportation facilities in the urban centers provide more options for commuting beyond the automobile and are necessary to increase the functional polycentricity of urban centers.
Using Embedded Feature Selection and CNN for Classification on CCD-INID-V1-A New IoT Dataset.

As Internet of Things (IoT) networks expand globally with an annual increase of active devices, providing better safeguards to threats is becoming more prominent. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is the most viable solution that mitigates the threats of cyberattacks. Given the many constraints of the ever-changing network environment of IoT devices, an effective yet lightweight IDS is required to detect cyber anomalies and categorize various cyberattacks. Additionally, most publicly available datasets used for research do not reflect the recent network behaviors, nor are they made from IoT networks. To address these issues, in this paper, we have the following contributions: (1) we create a dataset from IoT networks, namely, the Center for Cyber Defense (CCD) IoT Network Intrusion Dataset V1 (CCD-INID-V1); (2) we propose a hybrid lightweight form of IDS—an embedded model (EM) for feature selection and a convolutional neural network (CNN) for attack detection and classification. The proposed method has two models: (a) RCNN: Random Forest (RF) is combined with CNN and (b) XCNN: eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) is combined with CNN. RF and XGBoost are the embedded models to reduce less impactful features. (3) We attempt anomaly (binary) classifications and attack-based (multiclass) classifications on CCD-INID-V1 and two other IoT datasets, the detection_of_IoT_botnet_attacks_N_BaIoT dataset (Balot) and the CIRA-CIC-DoHBrw-2020 dataset (DoH20), to explore the effectiveness of these learning-based security models. Using RCNN, we achieved an Area under the Receiver Characteristic Operator (ROC) Curve (AUC) score of 0.956 with a runtime of 32.28 s on CCD-INID-V1, 0.999 with a runtime of 71.46 s on Balot, and 0.986 with a runtime of 35.45 s on DoH20. Using XCNN, we achieved an AUC score of 0.998 with a runtime of 51.38 s for CCD-INID-V1, 0.999 with a runtime of 72.12 s for Balot, and 0.999 with a runtime of 72.91 s for DoH20. Compared to KNN, XCNN required 86.98% less computational time, and RCNN required 91.74% less computational time to achieve equal or better accurate anomaly detections. We find XCNN and RCNN are consistently efficient and handle scalability well; in particular, 1000 times faster than KNN when dealing with a relatively larger dataset-Balot. Finally, we highlight RCNN and XCNN’s ability to accurately detect anomalies with a significant reduction in computational time. This advantage grants flexibility for the IDS placement strategy. Our IDS can be placed at a central server as well as resource-constrained edge devices. Our lightweight IDS requires low train time and hence decreases reaction time to zero-day attacks.
The Exit Theory of Judicial Appraisal

For many years, we and other commentators have observed the problem with allowing judges wide discretion to fashion appraisal awards to dissenting shareholders on the basis of widely divergent, expert valuation evidence submitted by the litigating parties. The results of this discretionary approach to valuation have been to make appraisal litigation less predictable and therefore more costly and likely. While this has been beneficial to professionals who profit from corporate valuation litigation, it has been harmful to shareholders, making deals costlier and less likely to complete. In this Article, we propose to end the problem of discretionary judicial valuation by tracing the origins of the appraisal remedy and demonstrate that its true purpose has always been to protect the exit rights of minority shareholders when a cash exit is otherwise unavailable, and not to judge the value of the deal. While such reform would be costly to valuation litigation professionals, their loss would be more than offset by the benefit of such reforms to shareholders involved in future corporate transactions. Shareholders presently have adequate protections, both from private arrangements and legal doctrines involving fiduciary duties.
Agency Theory, Accounting Based Performance Evaluation Systems and IFRS: A Brief Relational Overview

This paper covers multiple related topics. To begin, the use of a performance evaluation system is helpful to the success of an organization (Wu et al., 2018). Performance evaluation systems drive corporate governance by results. The metrics used in the evaluation determine the direction that the executives of a company will govern it; corporate governance influences firm performance (Brahmana et al. 2018). The research topic covered is Agency Theory, its relation to corporate governance on an international scale related to IFRS. The paper concludes the issues with a look at the possible future effect on corporate governance and areas of future research.
Formal Verification of a Distributed Dynamic Reconfiguration Protocol.

We present a formal, machine checked TLA+ safety proof of MongoRaftReconfig, a distributed dynamic reconfiguration protocol. MongoRaftReconfig was designed for and implemented in MongoDB, a distributed database whose replication protocol is derived from the Raft consensus algorithm. We present an inductive invariant for MongoRaftReconfig that is formalized in TLA+ and formally proved using the TLA+ proof system (TLAPS). We also present a formal TLAPS proof of two key safety properties of MongoRaftReconfig, LeaderCompleteness and StateMachineSafety. To our knowledge, these are the first machine checked inductive invariant and safety proof of a dynamic reconfiguration protocol for a Raft based replication system.
Susceptibility Weighted Imaging the of Brain in Infective Endocarditis (P1.003)

Objective: to define the prevalence and spectrum of abnormalities on susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) of the brain in infectious endocarditis (IE). Background: Patients with IE frequently suffer neurological complications. SWI is exquisitely sensitive for detecting hemorrhagic processes within the brain and may add value in the evaluation of patients with IE. Design/methods: All cases of definite IE from 2009-2014 treated at Yale New-Haven Hospital who underwent susceptibility weighted imaging were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Sixty-six cases were included -- 94[percnt] had microbleeds and the average number of microbleeds was 22. In several of the cases, microhemorrhages were the only MRI evidence of endocarditis and the subjects had no focal neurological symptoms. A direct comparison of gradient-echo T2* and susceptibility weighted imaging was done in ten cases; in this sub-group, 120 microbleeds were detected by SWI and 74 by GRE-T2*. The majority of microhemorrhages were between 1 and 2mm on SWI; many in this size-range were not detected by GRE-T2*. The appearance and distribution of microbleeds were compared to cases of severe hypertension and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) (10 cases each). Microhemorrhages were widely distributed with a significant preference for the posterior circulation in a pattern distinct from both hypertension and CAA-related microbleeding. Small subarachnoid hemorrhage or superficial siderosis was also frequently detected, but was not associated with mycotic aneurysms. Mycotic aneurysms were usually undetectable on SWI. Conclusions: Neurological involvement in IE has been reported to herald a worse prognosis -- susceptibility weighted imaging is a useful diagnostic technique for detecting silent microembolic phenomena in the brain in subjects with IE. Study Supported by: no support Disclosure: Dr. Schrag has nothing to disclose. Dr. Youn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schindler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Greer has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Seminars in Neurology. Dr. Malhotra has nothing to disclose.
An Intelligence Analysts’ Code of Ethics

This code of ethics for intelligence analysts is derived directly from Intelligence Community Directive Number 200, “Management, Integration, and Oversight of Intelligence Community Analysis” (ICD 200), issued by the Director of National Intelligence January 8, 2007.This Code is divided into five parts. The first part identifies assumptions. The second part is concerned with the broad values identified in ICD 200. The third part contains norms applicable to all persons subject to the Code. The fourth contains norms for persons in analysis who are in a managerial role, regardless of level. The fifth part contains norms for analysts. A person may be both a manager and an analyst.
Journey towards sustainable development: A role for chemical engineers

Since the publication of the report entitled, Our Common Future, under the auspices of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), also known as the Brundtland Commission, it has been generally acknowledged that the increasing use of non-renewable resources to support an increasing population has created an unsustainable situation. Should this rate of use be maintained, two dire consequences will follow: first, the future generations will be unable to maintain a high standard of living, and second, developing countries will have less of an opportunity to bring their living standards to a level comparable to that of the affluent West. The practice of chemical engineering, perhaps more than any other technical discipline, involves the use of natural material and energy resources for the production of value-added articles and services of commerce, It is critically important that chemists and chemical engineers incorporate the ideas of sustainability into process and product design, manufacturing, and value chain management for the purpose of minimizing resource utilization and adverse environmental impact. This paper deals with the ideas of sustainability, and what chemists and chemical engineers can do to prevent the consequences of unsustainable resource utilization.