cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hyperdeactivation of the Default Mode Network in People With Schizophrenia When Focusing Attention in Space

When studying selective attention in people with schizophrenia (PSZ), a counterintuitive but replicated finding has been that PSZ display larger performance benefits than healthy control subjects (HCS) by cues that predicts the location of a target stimulus relative to non-predictive cues. Possible explanations are that PSZ hyperfocus attention in response to predictive cues, or that an inability to maintain a broad attentional window impairs performance when the cue is non-predictive. Over-recruitment of regions involved in top-down focusing of spatial attention in response to predictive cues would support the former possibility, and an inappropriate recruitment of these regions in response to non-predictive cues the latter. We probed regions of the dorsal attention network while PSZ (N = 20) and HCS (N = 20) performed a visuospatial attention task. A central cue either predicted at which of 4 peripheral locations a target signal would appear, or it gave no information about the target location. As observed previously, PSZ displayed a larger reaction time difference between predictive and non-predictive cue trials than HCS. Activity in frontoparietal and occipital regions was greater for predictive than non-predictive cues. This effect was almost identical between PSZ and HCS. There was no sign of over-recruitment when the cue was predictive, or of inappropriate recruitment when the cue was non-predictive. However, PSZ differed from HCS in their cue-dependent deactivation of the default mode network. Unexpectedly, PSZ displayed significantly greater deactivation than HCS in predictive cue trials, which may reflect a tendency to expend more processing resources when focusing attention in space.
The Party Variable in Judges' Voting: Conceptual Notes and a Case Study*

Since the writings of the judicial realists in the 1920's and 1930's almost all social scientists have accepted the concept that the judicial process is basically political. One line of reasoning points out that judges inevitably are policy makers because of their functions, such as constitutional and statutory interpretation. Politics is conflict among interests or values or demands, and any activity, including judicial decisions, which advantages one interest as opposed to others is political activity. Since judges decide cases involving interest conflicts, theirs is “interest activity not as a matter of choice but of function.” Robert H. Jackson made the point cogently when he argued that the “Supreme Court has, from the very nature of its functions, been deep in power politics …” Of the power of judicial review, he said, “The ultimate function of the Supreme Court is nothing less than the arbitration between fundamental and ever-present rival forces or trends in our organized society.” Although these remarks were addressed to the Supreme Court, they are true to a substantial degree of judicial power throughout the American system. Many of the conflicts adjudicated by the judiciary advance some interests or values and disadvantage others.At the same time that the judicial function has been recognized as political in its consequences, the process of judicial decision making has come to be viewed as involving wide opportunities for discretion by the judges. The mechanical theory of judging, enunciated most clearly by the late Justice Owen Roberts, is now generally in disrepute, and realists prefer to cite Charles Evans Hughes who stated “We are under the Constitution, but the Constitution is what the judges say it is.”
Intrinsic Carrier Concentrations in Long Wavelength HgCdTe Based on the New, Nonlinear Temperature Dependence of Eg(x,T)

Intrinsic carrier concentrations of narrow-gap Hg1-xCdxTe alloys (0.17≦ x ≦0.30) have been calculated as a function of temperature between 0 and 300 K by using the new nonlinear temperature dependence of the energy gap obtained previously by twophoton magneto-absorption measurements for samples with 0.24≦ x ≦0.26. We report here experimental values for Eg (x,T) for samples with x = 0.20 and 0.23 obtained by one-photon magneto-absorption measurements. These data confirm the validity of the new Eg (x,T) relationship for these : values. In this range of composition and temperature, the energy gap of mercury cadmium telluride is small, and very accurate values are needed for the gap to obtain reliable values for the intrinsic carrier density. Large percentage differences exist between our new calculations and previous values for ni at low temperatures. Even at 77 K, differences approaching 10 percent exist, confirming the importance of using the new ni results for materials and device characterization and a proper understanding of device operation in long-wavelength materials.
Investigating correlates of sedentism and domestication in prehistoric North America

Throughout the Holocene occupation of the North American continent, residential mobility declined while plant domestication increased. Direct results of these processes have been investigated through structural, paleobotanical and ceramic analyses, but have rarely been detected in assemblages of stone tools. This study involves intensive technological and use-wear analyses of lithic materials from five excavated sites in the Illinois Valley that span 7,500 years of the Holocene. Results of functional trends analyzed through time indicate that most of the specific activities and worked materials in which the tools were engaged are stochastic in nature. Nevertheless, certain trends, including increases in the proportion of chopping/percussion damage and the presence of hoeing wear in later components, are consistent with changes in mobility and plant manipulation. The presence of other coeval processes is indicated by increases in wear from drilling and projectile use. In addition, support is found for the contention that highly mobile foragers of the Early Holocene needed standardized, multi-functional implements such as bifaces. The decline in bifacial technologies throughout the Holocene provides a measure of increasing sedentism, as considerations of versatility and portability were eschewed in favor of more expedient technologies.
Effects of calcium application on super hybrid rice lodging resistance.

The lodging resistance and related morphological and physiological traits of two super hybrid rice varieties Zhunliangyou 527 and Liangyou 293 at their late growth stage were investigated under three calcium application levels.The results showed that medium and high calcium application levels markedly improved the lodging-resistance of Zhunliangyou 527 at its late growth stage,but not benefited the decrease of the lodging index of Liangyou 293 at its ripening.There was a significant difference in the lodging resistance between the two varieties.The lodging index of test varieties increased obviously at their late growth stage,but their sensitive lodging stage differed.The lodging index had significant correlations with lodging resistance per plant,apparent lodging rate,plant height,aboveground biomass per plant,and dry mass and its transferring rate of stem and sheath.
A discussion on shale stability coupling with mechanics and chemistry

Shale stability coupling with mechanics and chemistry is a focus of attention in the field of borehole wall stability study. After reviewing this issue′s studies at home and abroad, four kinds of research method and theory are classified which are: mechanism of water transmitting in shale; theory of total adsorption water; theory of equivalent pore pressure; and incremental elastic theory based on total aqueous potential. Through comprehensive analysis, it is found that: In the fluid-shale system, water and ions flow into or out of shale, changing the shale properties and stress distribution around wellbore. This change can be quantitatively analyzed by the methods above. On the other hand, because of extremely complication of the problem, those methods and theories do not agree on some basic points, each of them has their own disadvantages. More realizable and realistic theory and more deep mechanism research are required in order to understand shale hydration from coupling viewpoint of mechanics and chemicals.
Pancreatic cancer stem cells in patient pancreatic xenografts are sensitive to drozitumab, an agonistic antibody against DR5

Therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence are two major hurdles in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Recent findings suggest that both of these attributes are associated with a small subset of pancreatic tumor initiating cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here, we demonstrate that drozitumab, a human agonistic monoclonal antibody which binds the death receptor DR5, selectively eliminates CSCs, resulting in tumor growth inhibition and even regression of pancreatic tumors. To examine the efficacy of drozitumab against pancreatic CSCs, we treated patient-derived pancreatic tumor xenografts (PDX) in immunocompromised SCID mice and evaluated tumor control. To assess apoptosis following drozitumab treatment, we identified the CSCs as CD24+, CD44+, and EpCAM+ by FACS analysis, and measured in vivo and in vitro levels of cleaved caspase-3. Lastly, in vitro evaluation of DR5 re-expression was performed using isolated patient pancreatic cancer xenograft cells along with the cell line, Panc-1. After treatment with drozitumab, the remaining DR5- cells were assessed by FACS analysis for DR5 expression at the cell surface at 8, 24 and 48 h post-treatment. All in vivo growth data was analyzed by 2-way Anova, incidence data was analyzed using Mantel-Cox, and in vitro studies statistics were performed with a t-test. We find that while 75–100 % of CSCs express DR5, only 25 % of bulk tumor cells express the death receptors at any one time. Consequently, drozitumab treatment of SCID mice bearing PDX kills higher percentages of CSCs than bulk tumor cells. Additionally, SCID mice implanted with isolated CSCs and then immediately treated with drozitumab fail to ever develop tumors. In vitro studies demonstrate that while drozitumab treatment reduces the DR5+ cell population, the remaining tumor cells begin to express DR5, suggesting a mechanism by which continuous administration of drozitumab can ultimately result in tumor regression despite the initially low percentage of DR5+ cells. Overall, our work reveals that treatment of pancreatic tumors with the drozitumab can lead to long-term tumor control by targeting both bulk cells and CSCs.
Physical and chemical components of the empty body during compensatory growth in beef steers.

The composition of carcass and noncarcass tissue growth was quantified by serial slaughter of 26 Angus x Hereford crossbred steers (initial age and weight 289 +/- 4 d and 245 +/- 4 kg) during continuous growth (CON) or compensatory growth (CG) after a period of growth restriction (.4 kg/d) from 245 to 325 kg BW. All steers were fed a 70% concentrate diet at ad libitum or restricted levels. Homogenized samples of 9-10-11th rib and noncarcass tissues were analyzed for nitrogen, fat, ash, and moisture. Growth rate from 325 to 500 kg BW was 1.54 and 1.16 kg/d for CG and CON steers. The weight of gut fill in CG steers was 10.8 kg less (P less than .05) before realimentation and 8.8 kg more (P less than .10) at 500 kg BW than in CON steers. The allometric accretive rates for carcass chemical components relative to the empty body were not affected by treatment. However, the accretive rates for CG steers were greater (P less than .01) for noncarcass protein (.821 vs .265), noncarcass water (.861 vs .507), and empty-body protein (.835 vs. .601) than for CON steers. Final empty-body fat was lower (P less than .001; 24.2 vs 32.4%) and empty-body protein higher (P less than .001; 16.6 vs 14.8%) in CG steers than in CON steers. Consequently, net energy requirements for growth (NEg) were approximately 18% lower for CG steers. We conclude that reduced NEg requirements and changes in gut fill accounted for most of the compensatory growth response exhibited in these steers.
Tailored Benders Decomposition for a Long-Term Power Expansion Model with Short-Term Demand Response

We present a long-term power generation expansion planning model that features a long planning horizon, an hourly time resolution, multiperiod investment and retirement decisions, transmission constraints, start-up restrictions, and short-term demand response. Demand response is the capability of power load to react to short-term changes in electricity prices. It plays an increasingly important role in today’s electricity markets but has not been taken into consideration in long-term power generation expansion planning problems, which mostly treat demand as perfectly inelastic. Given mild assumptions for the underlying demand function, the resulting model is a large-scale, concave, linearly constrained maximization problem. We exploit the model structure by developing a new approach to generalized Benders decomposition (GBD). In particular, we present two algorithmic ideas: (1) solving the nonlinear Benders subproblem as a linear programming (LP) problem with the aid of dynamic linear overestimation, refe...
Speedup Bounds for Parallel Programs

In this chapter we consider a more idealized model according to which a program consists of a series of atomic operations. Based on this model we discuss how one can compute speedup values for inter and intra-task parallelism. Then we consider nested doacross loops and give a generalized speedup formula. Let us state the assumptions and describe the model before we proceed to the derivation of speedup formulas.
Kinematic artifacts in the subsurface-offset extended image and their elimination by a dip-domain specularity filter

ABSTRACTCommon-image gathers in the dip-angle domain may be computed in relation to wave-equation migration methods, extended by the subsurface offset. They involve the application of a postmigration local Radon transform on the subsurface-offset extended image. In the dip-angle domain, seismic reflections are focused around the specular dip angle of reflection. This focusing distinguishes them from any other event in the image space. We have incorporated the dip-angle information about the presence of specular reflections into the computation of the conventional scattering-angle-dependent reflection coefficient. We have designed a specularity filter in the dip-angle domain based on a local semblance formula that recognizes and passes events associated with specular reflections, while suppressing other sorts of nonspecular signal. The filter is remarkably effective at eliminating either random or coherent noises that contaminates the prestack image. In particular, our dip-angle filter provides a method fo...
VA Suicide Prevention Applications Network: A National Health Care System-Based Suicide Event Tracking System.

Objectives:The US Department of Veterans Affairs’ Suicide Prevention Applications Network (SPAN) is a national system for suicide event tracking and case management. The objective of this study was to assess data on suicide attempts among people using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services.Methods:We assessed the degree of data overlap on suicide attempters reported in SPAN and the VHA’s medical records from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2014—overall, by year, and by region. Data on suicide attempters in the VHA’s medical records consisted of diagnoses documented with E95 codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.Results:Of 50 518 VHA patients who attempted suicide during the 4-year study period, data on fewer than half (41%) were reported in both SPAN and the medical records; nearly 65% of patients whose suicide attempt was recorded in SPAN had no data on attempted suicide in the VHA’s medical records.Conclusion:Evaluation of administrative data suggests that use ...
Evaluating the effect of grain size and salts on liquid water content in frozen soils of Antarctica by combining NMR, chemical equilibrium modeling, and scattered diffraction analysis

Abstract Recent studies point to the possible existence of liquid water on Mars surface. While many efforts have focused on experimental determination and modeling of liquid water content in inorganic-salt rich soils, additional factors that govern liquid water formation remain largely unexplored. The purpose of this study is to determine main soil properties that will affect unfrozen water content. We analyzed liquid water content and bulk freezing points using high field deuterium NMR measurements and compared the results to the amount of liquid water content at the same temperatures based on salt concentration and composition using an empirical chemical equilibrium model (FREZCHEM). We selected soils with a wide range of salt concentrations and composition collected from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The comparison indicates that at 50% unfrozen water content the freezing temperatures deviate substantially from water content modeled based on salt composition. In particular, the NMR freezing points are lower than those calculated with FREZCHEM for all low to medium salt content samples. The results indicate that soil properties other than aqueous chemical composition add to liquid water content. Particle size does not necessarily correlate with the liquid water content, revealing that more detailed investigation including surface area and composition may be necessary to describe the dependence of unfrozen water content on soil properties. The study highlights the necessity of experimental measurements of water content due to effects of multiple factors that are difficult to take into account in simulations.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Subunit B Signaling Promotes Pericyte Migration in Response to Loud Sound in the Cochlear Stria Vascularis.

Normal blood supply to the cochlea is critical for hearing. Noise damages auditory sensory cells and has a marked effect on the microvasculature in the cochlear lateral wall. Pericytes in the stria vascularis (strial pericytes) are particularly vulnerable and sensitive to acoustic trauma. Exposure of NG2DsRedBAC transgenic mice (6–8 weeks old) to wide-band noise at a level of 120 dB for 3 h per day for 2 consecutive days produced a significant hearing threshold shift and caused pericytes to protrude and migrate from their normal endothelial attachment sites. The pericyte migration was associated with increased expression of platelet-derived growth factor beta (PDGF-BB). Blockade of PDGF-BB signaling with either imatinib, a potent PDGF-BB receptor (PDGFR) inhibitor, or APB5, a specific PDGFRβ blocker, significantly attenuated the pericyte migration from strial vessel walls. The PDGF-BB-mediated strial pericyte migration was further confirmed in an in vitro cell migration assay, as well as in an in vivo live animal model used in conjunction with confocal fluorescence microscopy. Pericyte migration took one of two different forms, here denoted protrusion and detachment. The protrusion is characterized by pericytes with a prominent triangular shape, or pericytes extending fine strands to neighboring capillaries. The detachment is characterized by pericyte detachment and movement away from vessels. We also found the sites of pericyte migration highly associated with regions of vascular leakage. In particular, under transmission electron microscopy (TEM), multiple vesicles at the sites of endothelial cells with loosely attached pericytes were observed. These data show that cochlear pericytes are markedly affected by acoustic trauma, causing them to display abnormal morphology. The effect of loud sound on pericytes is mediated by upregulation of PDGF-BB. Normal functioning pericytes are required for vascular stability.
Optimierung expliziter Abhängigkeitsgraphen

Wir fuhren nun die Ergebnisse aus den vorigen beiden Kapiteln wieder zusammen und zeigen, wie sich damit die in Kapitel 2 skizzierten Optimierungsaufgaben losen lassen. Zunachst werden effiziente Graphersetzungen als Basismechanismus fur die Optimierung auf expliziten Abhangigkeitsgraphen eingefuhrt. Konkret betrachten wir dann die Adaption traditioneller Optimierungen auf EAGs und stellen anschliesend spezielle Optimierungen vor, mit denen sich die hauptsachlichen Ineffizienzen objektorientierter Programme beseitigen lassen.
Histological and ultrastructural evaluation of cardiac lesions in idiopathic cardiomyopathy in dogs.

Abstract Described are pathological studies of eight dogs which died in congestive heart failure, with a clinical diagnosis of congestive cardiomyopathy. Examination revealed marked dilatation and enlargement of all four chambers of the heart. The ventricular walls were thin with small atrophic papillary muscles. Histological studies on the myocardium revealed scattered areas of myocardial necrosis, especially around the papillary muscles of the left ventricle and random scattered areas of fibrosis. Electron microscopic studies revealed fewer and disoriented myofibrils, myocytolysis, increased numbers of mitochondria with swelling and inclusions, increased glycogen granules and increased numbers of lysosomes, lipofuscin granules and lipid droplets. Mild Z-band abnormalities were found throughout the myofibers.
Immigration reform and the health of Latino immigrants in California.

This paper examines Latino immigrant health within the context of the current debate over immigration reform and the resulting cultural construction of public health in California. A review of epidemiologic and ethnographic data indicates that the subordinate socioeconomic status of Latino immigrants plays a major role in both disease etiology and access to health services. However, this status does not explain why certain patterns of health services utilization and disease morbidity and mortality persist although political and economic circumstances have changed. These patterns include the reluctance to utilize certain health services despite access to health insurance and the presence of an epidemiologic paradox in which Latinos have health status indicators comparable to or better than that of other ethnic groups despite high poverty, low education, and lack of access to care. An “economy of culture” model is used to explain these inconsistences in the political economy model of Latino immigrant health.
Compliant rolling-contact architected materials for shape reconfigurability

Architected materials can achieve impressive shape-changing capabilities according to how their microarchitecture is engineered. Here we introduce an approach for dramatically advancing such capabilities by utilizing wrapped flexure straps to guide the rolling motions of tightly packed micro-cams that constitute the material’s microarchitecture. This approach enables high shape-morphing versatility and extreme ranges of deformation without accruing appreciable increases in strain energy or internal stress. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional macroscale prototypes are demonstrated, and the analytical theory necessary to design the proposed materials is provided and packaged as a software tool. An approach that combines two-photon stereolithography and scanning holographic optical tweezers is demonstrated to enable the fabrication of the proposed materials at their intended microscale. The authors introduce a compliant rolling-contact architected material as a class of shape reconfigurable mechanical metamaterial. They also devise an approach that combines two photon stereolithography and scanning holographic optical tweezers, which allows them to fabricate these architected materials on the microscale.
Isotopes in karst waters and cave sediments

Abstract Isotopes—atoms of the same chemical element with varying mass and behavior—are used widely in cave research to understand modern and ancient karst systems. Radioisotopes decay spontaneously, and their well-defined decay rates are used for age dating water and materials in caves. Stable isotopes, which do not decay, are used to study modern karst including distinguishing sources of cave air, water, and contaminants and to study past climates and environments through interpretations of isotopes preserved in cave formations (speleothems) and sediments. Radioisotopes used in cave research include carbon-14 in charcoal or bones, uranium-234 and thorium-230 in speleothems, aluminum/beryllium ratios of quartz sediment transported into caves, and tritium and chlorine-36 in karst waters. Stable isotopes used to study caves include oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of water, inorganic carbon (both dissolved and bound in calcite of bedrock or speleothems), and possible contaminants in water, such as nitrate and sulfate.
Incommensurability: Truth or Consequences?

Frederick Schauer wants to bypass the question of whether the "incommensurability thesis" is true.1 His question is whether it would be good to believe the thesis along some nonepistemic dimension (such as whether it is utility-maximizing). Eric Posner thinks we can explain why people affirm belief in incommensurability, quite apart from the truth of the thesis.2 In this sense, both of their articles might just as well have appeared in a symposium on "Norms for Belief" or "Explanations for Normativity," as in one on " Law and Incommensurability." The claims that human beings possess free will, that judges are bound to decide according to law and have little or no room for the exercise of discretion, or that creationism is as much "science" as evolution, are all claims that might be addressed in the spirit of Posner and Schauer. We might, of course, ask, "Are these claims true?"-the standard philosophical question-or we could ask, a la Posner and Schauer, "Is it or would it be useful or advantageous to believe these claims?" What we might call the "truth-norm"-the norm that we should only believe what is true-is ordinarily the dominant norm in academic discourse. Even indirect utilitarians like
Screening Instruments for Developmental and Behavioral Concerns in Pediatric Hispanic Populations in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background Racial and ethnic disparities in the identification of developmental and behavioral concerns in children are public health problems in the United States. Early identification of developmental delay using validated screening instruments provides a pathway to prevention and intervention in pediatric health care settings. However, the validity of Spanish-language screening instruments, used in clinical settings in the United States, has not been systematically examined. Objective This study aims to review the literature of clinically administered developmental and behavioral instruments with Hispanic caregivers to investigate implementation variation due to language and cultural factors. Methods A systematic literature review using PubMed and PsycINFO was conducted of articles published from January 1, 2006 to December 12, 2017. Abstract, full-text, and critical appraisal resulted in 11 studies that met criteria for inclusion. Results Five different instruments were used to screen Hispanic or Spanish-speaking caregivers of children younger than 6 years. None of the instruments established validity and reliability apart from Spanish translation. Two studies identified differences in screening results with Spanish-speaking caregivers due to language and 6 described cultural differences that impacted screening implementation. Two studies reported differential item functioning in Spanish-translated instruments. Conclusions Language and cultural considerations are critical to the administration of valid and reliable screening in pediatric health care settings. Available developmental and behavioral Spanish-language-screening instruments function differently because of both language and culture, suggesting the tools are not as psychometrically valid when administered to Spanish-speaking families. Validation of translated screening instruments is essential to eliminate the possibility of detection bias or misidentification of developmental risk, improving early access to clinical services for Hispanic and Spanish-speaking families.
High-isolation Low-coupling-capacitance Standalone Gate Drive Power Supply for SiC-based Medium-Voltage Power Electronic Systems

This paper presents a standalone gate drive power supply for medium-voltage SiC-based power electronic systems. The developed power supply is rated at 10 W and provides regulated 24 V at its output with output short-circuit protection. It features high-isolation working voltage of 10 kV RMS, creepage distance of over 100 mm and coupling capacitance of 1 pF between its input and the output terminals. The power supply has 4 times smaller coupling capacitance and 2.6 times higher power density compared to the commercial product.
Outcomes Following Shock Aortic Valve Replacement: Transcatheter Versus Surgical Approaches.

Abstract Objectives To compare transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for patients in shock. Background There are minimal data on the clinical and echocardiographic outcomes for patients in shock that undergo TAVR and no data comparing these outcomes to similar patients undergoing SAVR. Methods This is a single center, retrospective cohort study of patients having Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-defined urgent or emergent AVR for aortic stenosis with clinical signs and symptoms of shock. Inclusion criteria were based on the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) shock consensus statement and included: the need for inotropic or vasopressor agents, mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy or newly initiated hemodialysis, and/or utilization of mechanical hemodynamic support. Clinical and echocardiographic outcomes for TAVR and SAVR were compared. Results Thirty-seven patients met the inclusion criteria for this study (17 TAVR, 20 SAVR). TAVR patients had a higher STS Predicted Risk of Mortality (PROM) score of 22.3% compared to 11.8% for SAVR patients (p = 0.001). No significant differences were found in baseline echocardiographic results. TAVR procedures required less procedure room time (185.9 min TAVR, 348.5 min SAVR, p Conclusions Despite a higher risk TAVR group, patients in shock undergoing either TAVR or SAVR have similar 30-day mortality. At one year, SAVR patients have a numerically better, though not statistically significant, survival. These findings support the use of TAVR for patients in shock with aortic stenosis.
A hybrid particle-ensemble Kalman filter for problems with medium nonlinearity.

A hybrid particle ensemble Kalman filter is developed for problems with medium non-Gaussianity, i.e. problems where the prior is very non-Gaussian but the posterior is approximately Gaussian. Such situations arise, e.g., when nonlinear dynamics produce a non-Gaussian forecast but a tight Gaussian likelihood leads to a nearly-Gaussian posterior. The hybrid filter starts by factoring the likelihood. First the particle filter assimilates the observations with one factor of the likelihood to produce an intermediate prior that is close to Gaussian, and then the ensemble Kalman filter completes the assimilation with the remaining factor. How the likelihood gets split between the two stages is determined in such a way to ensure that the particle filter avoids collapse, and particle degeneracy is broken by a mean-preserving random orthogonal transformation. The hybrid is tested in a simple two-dimensional (2D) problem and a multiscale system of ODEs motivated by the Lorenz-‘96 model. In the 2D problem it outperforms both a pure particle filter and a pure ensemble Kalman filter, and in the multiscale Lorenz-‘96 model it is shown to outperform a pure ensemble Kalman filter, provided that the ensemble size is large enough.
Tb-Doped core–shell–shell nanophosphors for enhanced X-ray induced luminescence and sensitization of radiodynamic therapy

The development of radiation responsive materials, such as nanoscintillators, enables a variety of exciting new theranostic applications. In particular, the ability of nanophosphors to serve as molecular imaging agents in novel modalities, such as X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT), has gained significant interest recently. Here, we present a radioluminescent nanoplatform consisting of Tb-doped nanophosphors with an unique core/shell/shell (CSS) architecture for improved optical emission under X-ray excitation. Owing to the spatial confinement and separation of luminescent activators, these CSS nanophosphors exhibited bright optical luminescence upon irradiation. In addition to standard physiochemical characterization, these CSS nanophosphors were evaluated for their ability to serve as energy mediators in X-ray stimulated photodynamic therapy, also known as radiodynamic therapy (RDT), through attachment of a photosensitizer, rose bengal (RB). Furthermore, cRGD peptide was used as a model targeting agent against U87 MG glioblastoma cells. In vitro RDT efficacy studies suggested the RGD-CSS-RB in combination with X-ray irradiation could induce enhanced DNA damage and increased cell killing, while the nanoparticles alone are well tolerated. These studies support the utility of CSS nanophosphors and warrants their further development for theranostic applications.
Correlation in Bivariate Poisson Regression Model

We consider a bivariate Poisson model that is based on the lognormal heterogeneity model. Two recent applications have used this model. We suggest that the correlation estimated in their model frameworks is an ambiguous measure of the correlation of the variables of interest, and may substantially overstate it. We conclude with a detailed application of the proposed method using the data employed in one of the two aforementioned bivariate Poisson studies. JEL classification: C14; C23; C25
Risk of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in statin users in a large nationwide US study

Objective To evaluate the association between statin use and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a large, US case-control study. Methods Using the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, RA cases were identified as patients aged ≥18 years with ≥2 RA diagnoses between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2019 and ≥1 prescription fills for methotrexate within 1 year of the first RA diagnosis. The first RA diagnosis was the index date. Cases were matched 1:1 to controls on age, sex, region, year of index date, and length of baseline coverage. Statin users were defined by having ≥2 statin prescription fills at least 90 days pre-index. Patients identified as statin users were further classified by statin user status (current or former), statin use duration, and intensity of statin exposure. Odds ratios for RA risk with statin use were estimated using logistic regression. Results 16,363 RA cases and 16,363 matched controls were identified. Among RA cases, 5509 (33.7%) patients were statin users compared to 5164 (31.6%) of the controls. Statin users had a slightly increased risk of RA compared to non-users (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06-1.18), and former statin users had an increased RA risk compared to current users (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.28). However, risk was eliminated following adjustment for hyperlipidemia. The risk estimates for statin use duration and intensity did not reach significance. Conclusion This study demonstrates no significant increase in the risk of developing RA for statin users compared to non-users after adjustment for hyperlipidemia in addition to other relevant confounders. However, more information from prospective studies would be necessary to further understand this relationship.
Faith Community Nurses as Health Leaders During a Pandemic.

ABSTRACT In the face of a public health emergency, nurses, particularly those serving faith communities, need to understand and live out their roles in adhering to evidence-based practice while demonstrating grace and obedience to Scripture. Serving as public health role models and advocates, nurses in faith communities can inform and support church leaders in following government directives for the common good. Applicable Scripture, ethical, and research considerations are presented.
Glomalin, an arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungal soil protein, responds to land-use change

Glomalin is a soil proteinaceous substance produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Most of the information available concerning this protein has been collected in relation to its role in soil aggregation. In this study, we explored the distribution of glomalin across soil horizons, decomposition of glomalin, and relationship with soil C and N in an agricultural field, a native forest, and an afforested system. Glomalin was present in A, B, and C horizons in decreasing concentrations. Land-use type significantly affected glomalin concentrations (mg cm −3 ), with native forest soils having the highest concentrations of the three land-use types in both A and B horizons. In terms of glomalin stocks (Mg ha −1 ), calculated based on corrected horizon weights, the agricultural area was significantly lower than both afforested and native forest areas. As measured after a 413 day laboratory soil incubation, glomalin was least persistent in the A horizon of the afforested area.. In agricultural soils and native soils, ca. 50% of glomalin was still remaining after this incubation, indicating that some glomalin may be in the slow or recalcitrant soil C fraction. Comparison of glomalin decomposition with CO2-C respired during incubation indicates that glomalin makes a large contribution to active soil organic C pools. Soil C and N were highly correlated with glomalin across all soils and within each land-use type, indicating that glomalin may be under similar controls as soil C. Our results show that glomalin may be useful as an indicator of land-use change effects on deciduous forest soils.
Software Measurement and Experimentation Frameworks, Mechanisms, and Infrastructure

Software measurement and experimentation provide a cross-cutting foundation for software understanding, analysis, evaluation, and improvement. Effective measurement and experimentation requires a variety of issues to be addressed ranging from goal specification to metric definition to data interpretation. This paper focuses on a subset of the measurement and experimentation issues related to frameworks, mechanisms, and infrastructure. In particular, the paper highlights research issues or results in these areas: frameworks for measurement and experimentation, existing measures, determining appropriate measures, data collection, experimental designs, and infrastructure for measurement.
Test techniques for obtaining off-nominal compressor data during engine tests

Several unique techniques and related devices are described which are in use at the Lewis Research Center for off-design testing of fan and compressor sections in full-scale jet engines. The devices presented permit a wide range of experimental conditions and minimize downtime for hardware changes. The techniques involve use of such devices as inlet pressure distortion jets, a hydrogen burner for inlet temperature distortions, fan back pressure jets to simulate a variable area nozzle, and either an inflow-outflow bleed system or a fuel spurt system to alter compressor discharge pressure.
Spatial and Angular Moment Analysis of Continuous and Discretized Transport Problems

A new theoretical tool for analyzing continuous and discretized transport equations is presented. This technique is based on a spatial and angular moment analysis of the analytic transport equation, which yields exact expressions for the 'center of mass' and 'squared radius of gyration' of the particle distribution. Essentially the same moment analysis is applied to discretized particle transport problems to determine numerical expressions for the center of mass and squared radius of gyration. Because this technique makes no assumption about the optical thickness of the spatial cells or about the amount of absorption in the system, it is applicable to problems that cannot be analyzed by a truncation analysis or an asymptotic diffusion limit analysis. The spatial differencing schemes examined (weighted- diamond, lumped linear discontinuous, and multiple balance) yield a numerically consistent expression for computing the squared radius of gyration plus an error term that depends on the mesh spacing, quadrature constants, and material properties of the system. The numerical results presented suggest that the relative accuracy of spatial differencing schemes for different types of problems can be assessed by comparing the magnitudes of these error terms.
Dreaming against a Backdrop

There are no pictures of our parents' wedding, so imagine one instead, a restaging of the day with scenery. See, the kitchen floor painted green becomes a garden where the reception has begun. Here's our mother's Brownie; take a snapshot and put it in an album. Father in his uniform, Mother in her blue suit, on her hand a wedding band, the one that I wear now, trying to bring luck to such a luckless thing.
In-vitro studies of nanoparticle-virus complexes

We have enclosed an optically active nanoparticle inside a virus coat to create a virus-like, intracellular optical probe. The core-shell interactions of the self-assembled, nanoparticle-enclosing capsids are investigated spectroscopically and compared with intact viruses.
Daily supplementation of D-ribose shows no therapeutic benefits in the MHC-I transgenic mouse model of inflammatory myositis.

Background Current treatments for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (collectively called myositis) focus on the suppression of an autoimmune inflammatory response within the skeletal muscle. However, it has been observed that there is a poor correlation between the successful suppression of muscle inflammation and an improvement in muscle function. Some evidence in the literature suggests that metabolic abnormalities in the skeletal muscle underlie the weakness that continues despite successful immunosuppression. We have previously shown that decreased expression of a purine nucleotide cycle enzyme, adenosine monophosphate deaminase (AMPD1), leads to muscle weakness in a mouse model of myositis and may provide a mechanistic basis for muscle weakness. One of the downstream metabolites of this pathway, D-ribose, has been reported to alleviate symptoms of myalgia in patients with a congenital loss of AMPD1. Therefore, we hypothesized that supplementing exogenous D-ribose would improve muscle function in the mouse model of myositis. We treated normal and myositis mice with daily doses of D-ribose (4 mg/kg) over a 6-week time period and assessed its effects using a battery of behavioral, functional, histological and molecular measures. Results Treatment with D-ribose was found to have no statistically significant effects on body weight, grip strength, open field behavioral activity, maximal and specific forces of EDL, soleus muscles, or histological features. Histological and gene expression analysis indicated that muscle tissues remained inflamed despite treatment. Gene expression analysis also suggested that low levels of the ribokinase enzyme in the skeletal muscle might prevent skeletal muscle tissue from effectively utilizing D-ribose. Conclusions Treatment with daily oral doses of D-ribose showed no significant effect on either disease progression or muscle function in the mouse model of myositis.
Computer Procedure to Compute Unweighted Means Analysis for Two-Factor Fixed Effects Analysis of Variance.

A computer program is described that computes F ratios and attendant probabilities for two-factor fixed effects analysis of variance designs with disproportional cell frequencies. The number of levels for each factor is limited to five and all zero values are considered to be equivalent to missing values.
Computer-assisted laser volumetric resection of intracranial lesions

Computer-assisted stereotactic neurological surgery, together with laser instruments, can help neurosurgeons locate and resect deep brain tumor more accurately and more conveniently than traditional techniques. Several successful neurosurgical computer imaging systems already exist, such as Compass and the Neurosurgical Planning System (NSPS-3.0). These systems offer successful software and hardware tools for surgery planning as well as real-time laser instrument guidance.
The ethynyl radical C2H - A new interstellar molecule

Four new interstellar lines have been detected near 87.3 GHz. Based on laboratory ESR data these lines have been positively defined as hyperfine components of the lowest rotational transition of the ethynyl radical C2H. The observations gave precise values for the C2H rotation, spin-doubling, and hyperfine constants. C2H is probably one of the most abundant interstellar polyatomic molecules yet detected.
Modeling price-driven interactions between wood bioenergy and global wood product markets.

Abstract Higher and more volatile liquid fossil fuel prices have had profound effects on international energy and wood product markets. Understanding this evolving economic and technological landscape requires economic models that capture the interconnections between energy markets and wood product markets, and can be used to forecast the impact of alternative policy and market incentives. The need for such an analytic framework is underscored by the consensus that efficiently produced wood bioenergy could provide many climate benefits compared to fossil-fuel intensive substitutes. A model is presented for analysis of how increased use of wood bioenergy, in the forms of fuelwood, cellulosic ethanol from woody biomass, and electricity produced from wood, might interact with global markets for wood products; liquid, solid, and gaseous fuels; and electricity produced from other sources. It links U.S. energy markets with wood product markets and endogenizes the demand for wood bioenergy with price-driven market clearing mechanisms. Projections made with the model point to a substantial increase in demand for woody cellulosic ethanol in the U.S. for the next 30 years if oil prices remain high.
704-1 Relationship Between Regional Myocardial Blood Flow and Regional Wall Motion at Rest and with Stress in Humans with Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease

Few data are available regarding the relationship between regional wall motion (RWM) and regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF) in humans with chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD). This study tests the hypothesis that: 1) at rest, degree of RMW abnormality correlates with level of RMBF and 2) RMBF response to adenosine (Ado) correlates with RWM response to dobutamine stress. RMBF (ml/min/g) was measured by PET (13NH3) at rest and with Ado (140 μg/kg/min × 5 min) in 12 patients (Pts) with cath documented IHD. Each Pt also had rest, low (5 μg/kg/min) and high dose (40 μg/kg/min) dobutamine echo performed on the day of the PET exam. RMBF (ml/min/g) by PET in distal, mid and proximal left ventricular short axis slices (8 segments (segs)/slice) was correlated with RWM by echo in comparable segs. Rest RMBF in segs with normal RWM (n = 135; 12 pts) was similar to that of hypokinetic (n = 79) segs (0.74 ± 0.34 vs 0.68 ± 0.35, respectively; Mean ± SD) but greater (P l 0.005) than that of akinetic segs (0.60 ± 0.40; n = 94). Segs with normal RWM at rest which augmented normally at high dose dobutamine (n = 116; 11 pts) had higher rest RMBF vs those (n = 19; 9 pts) which became hypo/akinetic (0.77 ± 0.35 vs 0.56 ± 0,22, respectively, P l 0.02). The absolute increment in RMBF with Ado in segs having normal RWM at rest and at high dose dobutamine (0.47 ± 0.53 ml/min/g) exceeded that of segs which became hypo/akinetic (0.16 ± 0.34, P l 0.02). Segs hypokinetic at rest which normalized at low dose dobutamine tended to have a larger increment in RMBF with Ado (0.57 ± 0.60) versus hypokinetic segs which were unchanged (0.35 ± 0.52; p = 0.11). Thus: 1) at rest, degree of RMW abnormality correlates generally with level of RMBF and 2) RMBF response to adenosine (Ado), a measure of coronary flow reserve, correlates with RWM response to dobutamine stress which depends at least in part on augmentation of coronary flow.