cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional dependence underlies a positive plant-grasshopper richness relationship

Abstract A central focus of ecology is identifying the factors that shape spatial patterns of species diversity and this is particularly relevant in an era of global change. Positive relationships between plant and consumer diversity are common, but could be driven by direct responses of each trophic level to underlying environmental gradients, or indirectly where changes in environmental conditions propagate through food webs. Here we use structural equation modeling to examine the relative importance of soil resource availability and disturbance (fire) in mediating relationships between plant and grasshopper richness in insular grasslands. We found a positive relationship between plant and consumer richness that became stronger after accounting for disturbance, despite unique responses of plants and consumers to the two environmental gradients. Plant richness responded to an underlying gradient in soil resource availability. Time since the last fire had a direct positive effect on grasshopper richness but had no effect on plant richness. This work supports that plant and consumer richness are functionally linked, rather than having similar responses to environmental gradients. By disentangling the direct and indirect processes underlying a positive relationship between plant and consumer diversity in a natural system that spans multiple environmental gradients, we demonstrate the importance of investigating biodiversity through explicit multivariate models.
Comment on “Phase stability and segregation behavior of nickel-based nanoalloys based on theory and simulation”

Abstract In a recent paper, Zhao et al. [Journal of Alloys and Compounds (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.03.027] studied the Ni-Pt, Ni-Ir and Ni-Ru phase diagrams at the bulk and nano-scales by using an ideal solution model. In this comment, we demonstrate that the correct way to predict those phase diagrams is to use a non-ideal solution model as shown by the comparison between the theory and the experimental data.
Using natural cotton fibers to synthesize carbon nanotubes and electromagnetic wave absorption properties

Abstract In this paper, we report a new method for synthesizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) through catalytic thermolysis of natural cotton fibers. Using the new method, long CNTs (L-CNTs), which could reach to 20 μm or longer, can be readily synthesized from natural cotton fibers under hydrogen environment at a thermolysis temperature around 1200 °C. The analysis of the microstructure of synthesized L-CNTs showed that the CNT growth from the catalytic thermolysis of cotton fibers may not undergo a carbon-containing gas generation step that is different from most of other growth methods. We further studied the dielectric and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties of synthesized CNTs by embedding them in a epoxy matrix. The measurement results show that complex dielectric permittivity ɛ and EMW absorption ratio of the composites strongly depend on CNT loading in the frequency range from 8 to 26 GHz.
Engineering Scalable, Secure, Multi-Tenant Cloud for Healthcare Data

Cloud-based analytics allow for inexpensive processing of large amount of data. However, processing protected health information (PHI) in cloud is a challenging task due to strict regulations (e.g., HIPAA) requiring features (e.g., dataisolation) which most cloud-based platforms do not currentlysupport in their offerings. This makes it difficult to leveragemany technologies well suited to the cloud (e.g., Apache Spark)to process PHI. To address this issue, we have developedthe Watson Health Cloud (WHC), a cloud-based platformfor the storage and analysis of large amount of PHI. TheWHC enables all the features necessary to store and processPHI, with little customization needed by the end-user. Thispaper describes the lessons learned from developing a cloudplatform for PHI. Specifically, we discuss the architecture andimplementation challenges we faced throughout development. We hope the insights gained from our experiences help otherswhen designing frameworks and applications which processPHI.
Coins, Forts and Commercial Exchanges in the Sixth‐ and Early Seventh‐Century Balkans

Summary The nature of settlements in the sixth-century Balkans is a matter of current debate. Amphorae and hoards of iron implements and weapons have been discussed in relation to this controversy. A key problem is that of the use of coins in an economic environment without any large-scale agricultural production. While hoards of coins have been analyzed in relation to the presence of the military in the Balkans, single finds of coins remain a category of archaeological evidence commonly neglected in discussions of the sixth-century economy. The article offers an explanation connected with the quaestura exercitus implemented in 536, and its conclusion is that the small copper denominations discovered on hilltop sites in the Balkans were not obtained on the market (none existed in any of the many hilltop sites known so far), but piggybacked on transports of annona.
A Cross-Cultural Study of Interpersonal Trust in Social Commerce

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the effect of interpersonal trust upon people’s intention to use social commerce. In particular, trust is validated as a construct of three dimensions of competence,...
Relationship of Sequence and Phase Separation in Protein Low-Complexity Regions

Liquid–liquid phase separation seems to play critical roles in the compartmentalization of cells through the formation of biomolecular condensates. Many proteins with low-complexity regions are found in these condensates, and they can undergo phase separation in vitro in response to changes in temperature, pH, and ion concentration. Low-complexity regions are thus likely important players in mediating compartmentalization in response to stress. However, how the phase behavior is encoded in their amino acid composition and patterning is only poorly understood. We discuss here that polymer physics provides a powerful framework for our understanding of the thermodynamics of mixing and demixing and for how the phase behavior is encoded in the primary sequence. We propose to classify low-complexity regions further into subcategories based on their sequence properties and phase behavior. Ongoing research promises to improve our ability to link the primary sequence of low-complexity regions to their phase behavi...
Individual- and county-level predictors of cervical cancer screening: a multi-level analysis.

Abstract Objectives Despite the gains in cervical cancer screening, there remain persistent socio-economic, geographical, racial, and ethnic disparities. This study examines the combined effect of individual- and county-level characteristics on the use of cervical cancer screening tests such as Papanicolaou (Pap) tests in Texas. Study design Cross-sectional study. Methods Individual-level information was obtained from 2014–2015 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Using the county of residence of the study population, the BRFSS data were linked to the American Community Survey (2010–2014) and the Area Health Resources File (2015). Women aged between 21 and 65 years, with no history of hysterectomy, and residing in 47 counties in Texas were included in the study ( n = 4276). Multi-level logistic regression was used to assess the independent influences of individual- and county-level covariates on receipt of a Pap test in the past 3 years. Results The odds of timely Pap testing were lower among women aged greater than 50 years, single women, and those with low education and income ( Conclusions There are significant disparities in the uptake of cervical cancer screening across Texas counties. Individual-level socio-economic disparities as well as the number of obstetric-gynecologic physicians in a county are predictors of these disparities.
Consultation as a Mode of Field Instruction

In recent years both pedagogical and pragmatic considerations have prompted numerous experiments in field instruction for social work education. A novel approach used by one school is based on a consultation model. In this mode of field instruction a faculty based field instructor serves as a consultant to the student placed in a community agency. The relationship between consultee and consultant is distinctly different from that which exists between a student and a "teacher," "instructor," or "supervisor" in traditional field placements. Rather than a hierarchical, obligatory relationship, there exists between consultant and consultee a coordinate, facultative relationship in which the consultant's role is primarily that of problem-solving. Advantages of this approach include maximization of faculty resources, increased school control of field learning, utilization of a greater variety of field agencies, and facilitation of student choice in developing programs for learning as recommended by numerous reformers in professional education. I. The Need for Experimental Approaches to Field Instruction During the past decade there has been a proliferation of theory, research, and experimentation regarding modes of field instruction. This effort has been brought about by several factors. The first set of reasons for the experimentation in field instruction modalities are educational in nature. Many of the newly tried ideas have been attempts to deal with the shortcoming of the traditional type of curriculum model sometimes referred to as the work model. One widely recognized problem with the traditional model has been the dichotomy of class and field.3 The need for linkage between class and field has long been recognized. For instance, in 1951 Hollis and Taylor wrote that "the objectives of field teaching should be identical with those of classroom work and should be as carefully organized into teaching units." As schools have sought to establish this linkage and provide the most effective balance and timing possible between the knowledge base and practice or skill components in social work education, numerous experiments in field instruction
Afropithecus, Proconsul, and the Primitive Hominoid Skeleton

Many distinctive synapomorphies of modern apes (and humans) are found in the postcranial skeleton. These characters reflect a basic adaptation, variably developed and practiced among modern species, to forelimb-dominated arboreal locomotion, including climbing, brachiation, and/or forelimb suspension (e.g., Cartmill and Milton, 1977; Fleagle et al., 1981; Hunt, 1992; Keith, 1923; Stern, 1971; Stern et al., 1977). The morphological pattern shared by modern hominoids has led to the general assumption that locomotor divergence was an initial hallmark of the hominoid lineage, setting them apart from their monkey-like forbears. As more is learned about the earliest hominoids, however, paleontologists realize that not all apes share a similar pattern of postcranial anatomy and locomotor behavior, and that the suite of features seen in extant apes evolved in a mosaic fashion over the course of hominoid evolutionary history (reviews and references in Begun et al., 1997a).
Ochotona rufescens rufescens (Afghan pika)

The karyotypes are gifts of Dr. A. Puget (Toulouse, France) who prepared these plates from lymphocyte cultures of animals captured in Afghanistan. The karyotypes and the idiogram of the present specimens were found to be identical to that reported by Nadler et al. (1969).
Impact of initial temporary abdominal closure in damage control surgery: a retrospective analysis.

Damage control surgery has revolutionized trauma surgery. Use of damage control surgery allows for resuscitation and reversal of coagulopathy at the risk of loss of abdominal domain and intra-abdominal complications. Temporary abdominal closure is possible with multiple techniques, the choice of which may affect ability to achieve primary fascial closure and further complication. A retrospective analysis of all trauma patients requiring damage control laparotomy upon admission to an ACS-verified level one trauma center from 2011 to 2016 was performed. Demographic and clinical data including ability and time to attain primary fascial closure, as well as complication rates, were recorded. The primary outcome measure was ability to achieve primary fascial closure during initial hospitalization. Two hundred and thirty-nine patients met criteria for inclusion. Primary skin closure (57.7%), ABThera™ VAC system (ABT) (15.1%), Bogota bag (BB) (25.1%), or a modified Barker’s vacuum-packing (BVP) (2.1%) were used in the initial laparotomy. Patients receiving skin-only closure had significantly higher rates of primary fascial closure and lower hospital mortality, but also significantly lower mean lactate, base deficit, and requirement for massive transfusion. Between ABT or BB, use of ABT was associated with increased rates of fascial closure. Multivariate regression revealed primary skin closure to be significantly associated with primary fascial closure while BB was associated with failure to achieve fascial closure. Primary skin closure is a viable option in the initial management of the open abdomen, although these patients demonstrated less injury burden in our study. Use of vacuum-assisted dressings continues to be the preferred method for temporary abdominal closure in damage control surgery for trauma.
Statistical Modeling for the Heart Disease Diagnosis via Multiple Imputation

During statistical analysis of clinic data, missing data is a common challenge. Incomplete datasets can occur via different means, such as mishandling of samples, low signal-to-noise ratio, measurement error, non-responses to questions, or aberrant value deletion. Missing data causes severe problems in statistical analysis and leads to invalid conclusions. Multiple imputation is a useful strategy for handling missing data. The statistical inference of multiple imputation is widely accepted as a less biased and more valid result. In the chapter, we apply the multiple imputation to a public-accessible heart disease dataset, which has a high missing rate, and build a prediction model for the heart disease diagnosis.
Do more bees imply higher fees? Honey bee colony strength as a determinant of almond pollination fees

Abstract Markets for pollination services have been growing in importance all over the world as pollinator populations and habitats have decreased over the last few decades (Potts et al., 2010; Gonzalez-Varo et al., 2013). An early econometric analysis of pollination markets noted that honey bee colony strength in the California almond pollination market is highly variable and as such has an influence on pollination fees (Cheung, 1973). More recent economic analyses of pollination services markets have ignored the influence of colony strength on the supply and demand for pollination services. This paper provides the first econometric investigation of delivered colony strength as a determinant of almond pollination fees. I analyze the California State Beekeeper’s Association pollination fee survey responses for years 2008–2016, a total of 263 beekeeper-reported observations. I find that providing weak colonies for almond pollination results in lower fees collected by the beekeeper. By implication, beekeepers who experience high winter mortality rates likely also receive lower per-colony almond pollination fees due to low delivered colony strength. I estimate that a 10 percentage point increase in a beekeeper’s winter mortality rate leads to an average decrease of 16% in total revenues from almond pollination, a substantial overall loss given that almond pollination is a primary source of U.S. commercial beekeepers’ revenues. Additionally, I estimate that when colony strength is accounted for, payments from the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey bees and Farm-Raised Fish Program in 2016 would have compensated many beekeepers for less than half of their total revenue losses in almond pollination from the corresponding 10 percentage point increase in winter mortality rates. This compensation rate is likely much lower than previously thought. This research highlights the need for additional research on the total economic impact of threats to the health of honey bee colonies, especially given the rise in recent policies enacted globally with the goal of improving honey bee health and assisting beekeeping operations.
Improving coarsening resistance of dilute Al-Sc-Zr-Si alloys with Sr or Zn additions

Abstract We study the effect of a small addition of Zn (0.5 at.%) or a micro-addition of Sr (0.005 at.%) to a dilute Al-0.05Sc-0.07Zr-0.02Si (at.%) on precipitation of Al3(Sc,Zr) nanoprecipitates. Upon aging at 400 °C, both the Zn- and Sr-modified alloys retain peak-aged hardness (600 ± 10 MPa) for at least two weeks, while the Zn/Sr-free control alloy shows lower peak hardness (475 ± 8 MPa), which starts dropping after only 3 days. Similarly, peak hardness values achieved at 475 °C during isochronal aging, are much higher for the Zn/Sr-modified alloy (610 ± 10 and 590 ± 14 MPa) than for the Zn/Sr-free alloy (480 ± 5 MPa). Local electrode atom probe tomography shows that Sr and Zn atoms segregate to the Al3(Sc,Zr) nanoprecipitates: up to 0.1 at. % for Sr, and up to 1.1 at.% for Zn, with a peak of ∼5 at.% at the interface with the matrix. This may affect their coarsening rate by (i) reducing the diffusivity of Sc and Zr in the matrix and (ii) altering the precipitate/matrix interfacial energy. In the peak-aged condition, the Zn-modified alloy has the same creep resistance at 300 °C than the Zn-free control alloy, but its higher overaging resistance allows for longer creep operating times.
Study of micropolar nanofluids with power-law spin gradient viscosity model by the Keller box method

The spin gradient viscosity with power-law model and its representation of the heat transfer capabilities of nanofluids have been examined. The theoretical analysis provides an insight into the hea...
Ab initio based examination of the kinetics and thermodynamics of oxygen in Fe-Cr alloys

The behavior of oxygen in Fe-Cr binary alloys is important to understand for a variety of applications including fuel cell interconnects and nuclear energy systems. In this work, we performed an ab initio investigation of the binding of oxygen in the entire compositional range of Fe-Cr at minima and saddles. This database was subsequently used to parametrize concentration-dependent local cluster expansions which were utilized to examine the kinetics of oxygen transport in the alloy and the thermodynamics of the system. The behavior of oxygen in the alloy system was investigated using our cluster expansion model and a convex hull diagram was recorded. The most favorable composition for the incorporation of oxygen was found to occur at 70% Cr. The dependence of the oxygen solution energy on the Cr occupation of the nearest neighbor shells was carefully characterized. It was determined that the third nearest neighbor Cr occupation was unfavorable and that, generally speaking, the first and second nearest neighbor shell Cr occupation was favored with a few exceptions. Kinetic Monte Carlo models at dilute oxygen levels were performed using two models [a kinetically resolved activation (kRA) model and a cluster expansion model for the saddle points]. The models qualitatively agreed with the observed trends in the literature which reported a decrease in diffusivity at dilute Cr levels, but the models predicted different behaviors beyond the dilute Cr limit. Finally, using grand canonical Monte Carlo, we further examined the thermodynamics of oxygen incorporation into the alloy. Together, our results offer new insight into the behavior of oxygen in Fe-Cr alloys that have ramifications on the early stages of the corrosive behavior of the material.
Families in Transition: The Lived Experience of Parenting a Transgender Child:

Research exploring the parents' experience of their child undergoing gender transition is almost nonexistent. However, as the number of individuals who identify as transgender increases, gender identity will continue to evolve; therefore, supporting families of these individuals is paramount. Parents of transgender children were interviewed and yielded five themes: (a) It Rocks Your World; (b) Dancing Around in a Way that Doesn't Distance; (c) Your Child Is Still Your Child; (d) Worrying About the Future; and (e) Transformational: Finally an Answer. These themes begin to identify the complex nature and struggles parents face as they encounter the emotional and physical aspects of their child's gender transition. The findings raise awareness of the parents' perspective, provide a better understanding of the complex family issues that occur, and provide nursing suggestions on how to continue to work to facilitate "healthy families" and promote cultural sensitivity.
Undetectable Monitoring in a Fully-Virtualized Environment A Continuation of the HAL Keystroke Logger

Virtualization is ever an expanding research field and, as many predict, the way of the future for large scale business and server solutions. Originally designed as a method of centralizing physical resources and maintenance, recent research has developed methods of also utilizing virtualization for centralizing machine monitoring. Recently, there have been substantial advances in centralized monitoring in a virtualized environment[1]. Specifically, researchers at the Georgia Tech have developed XenAccess, a system for monitoring memory in a paravirtualized environment [2]. This paper highlights the differences between two popular virtualization methods, paravirtualization and full-system virtualization. A comparison between techniques used by XenAccess to those implemented in our undetectable Hardware
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Cancer-Related Versus Non-Cancer-Related Sepsis Hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVE Cancer and its treatment are known to be important risk factors for sepsis, contributing to an estimated 12% of U.S. sepsis admissions in the 1990s. However, cancer treatment has evolved markedly over the past 2 decades. We sought to examine how cancer-related sepsis differs from non-cancer-related sepsis. DESIGN Observational cohort. SETTING National Readmissions Database (2013-2014), containing all-payer claims for 49% of U.S. POPULATION PATIENTS A total of 1,104,363 sepsis hospitalizations. INTERVENTIONS We identified sepsis hospitalizations in the U.S. National Readmissions Database using explicit codes for severe sepsis, septic shock, or Dombrovskiy criteria (concomitant codes for infection and organ dysfunction). We classified hospitalizations as cancer-related versus non-cancer-related sepsis based on the presence of secondary diagnosis codes for malignancy. We compared characteristics (site of infection and organ dysfunction) and outcomes (in-hospital mortality and 30-d readmissions) of cancer-related versus non-cancer-related sepsis hospitalizations. We also completed subgroup analyses by age, cancer types, and specific cancer diagnoses. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS There were 27,481,517 hospitalizations in National Readmissions Database 2013-2014, of which 1,104,363 (4.0%) were for sepsis and 4,150,998 (15.1%) were cancer related. In-hospital mortality in cancer-related sepsis was 27.9% versus 19.5% in non-cancer-related sepsis. The median count of organ dysfunctions was indistinguishable, but the rate of specific organ dysfunctions differed by small amounts (e.g., hematologic dysfunction 20.1% in cancer-related sepsis vs 16.6% in non-cancer-related sepsis; p < 0.001). Cancer-related sepsis was associated with an adjusted absolute increase in in-hospital mortality ranging from 2.2% to 15.2% compared with non-cancer-related sepsis. The mortality difference was greatest in younger adults and waned with age. Patients (23.2%) discharged from cancer-related sepsis were rehospitalized within 30 days, compared with 20.1% in non-cancer-related sepsis (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of over 1 million U.S. sepsis hospitalizations, more than one in five were cancer related. The difference in mortality varies substantially across age spectrum and is greatest in younger adults. Readmissions were more common after cancer-related sepsis.
Effectiveness and Safety of Sofosbuvir in Treatment-NäiveChildren with Hepatitis C Infection.

Objective To determine the effectiveness and safety of Sofosbuvir and Ribavirin combination in treatment-naivechildren with HCV infection. Study design An experimental study. Place and duration of study Gastroentrology, Hepatology Department, The Children's Hospital and The Institute of Child Health, Lahore, from January to December 2016. Methodology HCV PCR positive treatment-naivepatients, 5 to 18 years of age, were enrolled by consecutive nonprobability sampling. Clinical features and investigations including complete blood count, bilirubin, ALT, PTand HCV genotyping were done. All patients were started on Sofosbuvir 400 mg once daily and Ribavirin 10-15 mg/kg/day. Patients were followed on 4-weekly basis. PCR was done after 4 weeks; if positive then again at 12 weeks. End of treatment and 12 weeks post treatment PCR was done in all patients. Total duration of therapy was 24 weeks. Computer program SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Results Atotal of 35 patients with mean age of 10.24 ±2.80 years, including 22 boys (62.86%), and 13 girls (37.14%) were included. The most common HCV genotype was genotype 3 encountered in 27 (77.15%), followed by genotype 1 in 6 (17.14%), while 2 (5.71%) patients were untypable. Thirty (85.71%) patients achieved rapid virological response while the rest 5 (14.28%) had early virological response. End-of-treatment PCR was negative in all patients. SVR was achieved by 34 (97.14%) patients. The treatment was well tolerated. Headache was observed in 8 (22.86%) patients, which improved spontaneously. Conclusion Sofosbuvir and Ribavirin combination is highly effective in HCV genotypes 1 and 3 with no major undesirable short-term side effects.
Utilising the Aharonov-Bohm effect in quantum device design

The Aharonov-Bohm effect – where electron-interference fringe positions are shifted based on the presence of a non-local magnetic field – has not yet been utilised to its full potential in quantum device design. In this paper, we show that the de Broglie wavelength of the electron is changed locally by its interaction with the magnetic vector potential. The vector potential thus acts as a quantum “phase plate”, changing the phase difference between interfering electron wavefunctions in a non-dispersive, gauge-invariant manner. This model is then shown to be applicable to the design and optimisation of phase-dependent quantum devices such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), quantum sensors, and so on.
MAIAC Thermal Technique for Smoke Injection Height From MODIS

We present a new algorithm to derive smoke plume height ( $\text{H}^{\mathrm {a}}$ ) using the thermal contrast from the rising mixture of aerosol and emitted gases in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 11- $\mu \text{m}$ channel. Validation shows good agreement with the wind-corrected Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR)-MISR Interactive Explorer (MINX) values, with about 60% of the MODIS Terra thermal retrievals within 500 m of MISR $\text{H}^{\mathrm {a}}$ and 450 m lower on average. The bias is expected because the thermal technique represents an effective rather than a top plume height from MISR MINX. The comparison of MODIS Aqua retrievals with Cloud-Aerosol LiDAR with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) Cloud-Aerosol LiDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) shows similar statistics, with a standard deviation of 458 m for the mean plume height and 216 m lower on average. $\text{H}^{\mathrm {a}}$ is part of the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) MODIS Collection 6 suite of products (MCD19), accessible via the Land Product Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). Aerosol injection height is reported in the daily MAIAC atmospheric product MCD19A2 along with the cloud mask (CM), column water vapor, aerosol optical depth (AOD), AOD uncertainty, and aerosol type, at 1-km resolution on a global sinusoidal grid. Despite some limitations, the vastly increased coverage from MODIS observations makes it a valuable data set complementing the established MISR and CALIOP products.
Impacts of Exhaust Transfer System Contamination on Particulate Matter Measurements

As the measurement of low levels of particulate matter (PM) and solid particulate number (PN) from light-duty vehicles becomes more critical, it is becoming more important to understand the potential impacts of exhaust transfer system contamination. This phenomenon occurs when, as it relates to vehicle emission testing, particles deposit and semi-volatile materials are adsorb onto the inner surfaces of the exhaust transfer system, which includes the vehicle exhaust pipe, the exhaust transfer line, and the constant volume sampling (CVS) system, and may subsequently re-entrain and desorb in subsequent vehicle tests. A soot loading cycle was successfully developed and resulted in 36 to 8600 mg of PM mass passing through the CVS tunnel. The results from cleaning tests suggested that majority of particles released during the cleaning tests are semi-volatiles with little presence of soot. A series of chassis dynamometer tests were conducted to characterize the differences between “clean” and “contaminated” sampling system and their impact on low level PM measurements. The results from this study show no measurable PM mass impacts between the “dirty” and clean tunnel conditions that were observed until after a high emitter was tested (80–120 mg/mi diesel vehicle).
Psychosocial interventions help facilitate recovery following musculoskeletal sports injuries: a systematic review

Context: Recent research demonstrates a connection between psychological factors and return to play following a musculoskeletal sports injury. Although it has been shown that psychological factors ...
BAG3-dependent autophagy maintains sarcomere function in cardiomyocytes

Compromised force-generating capacity is a hallmark of heart failure both at the organ1 and single-cell level2-6. This is primarily due to changes at the sarcomere7, the functional unit in cardiomyocytes responsible for contraction. However, the mechanisms of sarcomeric force depression in heart failure are incompletely understood. We show in human heart failure that myofilament BAG3 levels predict the severity of sarcomere dysfunction and in a mouse heart failure model, increasing BAG3 expression rescues contractile function. Further, myofilament ubiquitin increases in heart failure, indicating impaired protein turnover, but is reduced with increased BAG3 expression. Mass spectrometry revealed Hsp70, HspB8 associate with myofilament BAG3, forming a conserved selective autophagy complex, which localizes to the Z-disc. Assembly of this complex at the sarcomere is BAG3-dependent and triggered by proteotoxic stress, however, its clearance stalls in heart failure. Together, these findings identify BAG3-dependent autophagy as essential for functional maintenance of the cardiac sarcomere.
Modular output circuits of the fastigial nucleus mediate diverse motor and nonmotor functions of the cerebellar vermis

Abstract The cerebellar vermis, long associated with axial motor control, has been implicated in a surprising range of neuropsychiatric disorders and cognitive and affective functions. Remarkably little is known, however, about the specific cell types and neural circuits responsible for these diverse functions. Here, using single-cell gene expression profiling and anatomical circuit analyses of vermis output neurons in the mouse fastigial (medial cerebellar) nucleus, we identify five major classes of glutamatergic projection neurons distinguished by gene expression, morphology, distribution, and input-output connectivity. Each fastigial cell type is connected with a specific set of Purkinje cells and inferior olive neurons and in turn innervates a distinct collection of downstream targets. Transsynaptic tracing indicates extensive disynaptic links with cognitive, affective, and motor forebrain circuits. These results indicate that diverse cerebellar vermis functions are mediated by modular synaptic connections of distinct fastigial cell types which differentially coordinate posturomotor, oromotor, positional-autonomic, orienting, and vigilance circuits.
Active Learning of Relationship-Based Access Control Policies

Understanding access control policies is essential in understanding the security behavior of systems. However, often times, a complete and accurate specification of the enforced access control policy in a system is not available. In fact, scale and complexity of a system, or unavailability of its source code, may prevent users and even its developers from having access to such accurate specification. In this paper, we propose a novel, systematic approach for learning access control policies where target systems are treated as black boxes. In particular, we show how we can construct a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) characterizing the relationship-based access control (ReBAC) policy of a system by interacting with its access control engine using minimal number of access requests. Our experiments on realistic application scenarios and their promising results demonstrate the feasibility, scalability and efficiency of our learning approach.
Concurrent Training Improves the Performance of Behavioral Cloning from Observation.

Learning from demonstration is widely used as an efficient way for robots to acquire new skills. However, it typically requires that demonstrations provide full access to the state and action sequences. In contrast, learning from observation offers a way to utilize unlabeled demonstrations (e.g., video) to perform imitation learning. One approach to this is behavioral cloning from observation (BCO). The original implementation of BCO proceeds by first learning an inverse dynamics model and then using that model to estimate action labels, thereby reducing the problem to behavioral cloning. However, existing approaches to BCO require a large number of initial interactions in the first step. Here, we provide a novel theoretical analysis of BCO, introduce a modification BCO*, and show that in the semi-supervised setting, BCO* can concurrently improve both its estimate for the inverse dynamics model and the expert policy. This result allows us to eliminate the dependence on initial interactions and dramatically improve the sample complexity of BCO. We evaluate the effectiveness of our algorithm through experiments on various benchmark domains. The results demonstrate that concurrent training not only improves over the performance of BCO but also results in performance that is competitive with state-of-the-art imitation learning methods such as GAIL and Value-Dice.
450 nm Gallium Nitride Alternating Current Light-Emitting Diode

Gallium Nitride (GaN) based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are being utilized in an ever expanding number of applications. The persistent issues, however, have been the use of alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converters and the inefficient p-type doping compared to n-type doping. Here, a novel hybrid AC InGaN quantum well (QW) LED without a p-GaN layer is demonstrated at 450 nm. A tunneling LED is fabricated through use of InGaN QWs, combined with a thin Al2O3 dielectric with NiO as the source of the holes. This hybrid InGaN LED utilizes Fowler-Nordheim tunneling and band bending in order to inject holes into the active region. Due to the symmetric nature of the tunneling, hole or electron injection through the top oxide layer leads to AC performance. Room temperature and cryogenic I-V measurements are performed to evaluate the tunneling mechanism. Tunneling of holes is found to lead to earlier device turn-on of ∼0.5 V compared with conventional blue LEDs at ∼2 V. The presented work can lead to a number of novel applications such as on-chip communication, monolithic integration with transistors, and LiFi.
White Matter Integrity Predicts Electrical Stimulation (tDCS) and Language Therapy Effects in Primary Progressive Aphasia.

BackgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in conjunction with language therapy, improves language therapy outcomes in primary progressive aphasia (PPA). However, no studies show whe...
Theoretical trends of research on technology and L2 vocabulary learning: A systematic review

Vocabulary development is critical for second language (L2) learners in both English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Recently, a large body of research has been dedicated to how computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) can facilitate vocabulary knowledge in L2 learners in both EFL and ESL settings. A number of reviews on this topic have been conducted, however, little attention has been given to learners in PreK-12. Also missing from the existing research is an in-depth examination of the theories underlying vocabulary learning within technological programs. However, understanding theoretical foundations of vocabulary learning is critical for both researchers and educators who seek to improve vocabulary development in L2 learners. The current study aims to close these gaps by investigating research on the use of technology for L2 vocabulary learning for learners in PreK-12 between 2011 and 2020. Using systematic review procedures, a total of 80 articles were identified for analysis. Results showed information/cognitive theories were most frequently and explicitly referenced, followed by social theories of learning. Consistent with previous research syntheses on CALL and MALL, many studies did not articulate an explicit theoretical framework used in their research. These findings suggest that research on technology-mediated vocabulary learning for Prek-12 L2 learners should be conducted from more diverse and explicit theoretical perspectives.
Temporally-Informed Random Forests for Suicide Risk Prediction

Background. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet clinicians find it difficult to reliably identify individuals at high risk for suicide. Algorithmic approaches for suicide risk detection have been developed in recent years, mostly based on data from electronics health records (EHRs). These models typically do not optimally exploit the valuable temporal information inherent in these longitudinal data. Methods. We propose a temporally enhanced variant of the Random Forest model - Omni-Temporal Balanced Random Forests (OTBRFs) - that incorporates temporal information in every tree within the forest. We develop and validate this model using longitudinal EHRs and clinician notes from the Mass General Brigham Health System recorded between 1998 and 2018, and compare its performance to a baseline Naive Bayes Classifier and two standard versions of Balanced Random Forests. Results. Temporal variables were found to be associated with suicide risk. RF models were more accurate than Naive Bayesian classifiers at predicting suicide risk in advance (AUC=0.824 vs. 0.754 respectively). The OT-BRF model performed best among all RF approaches (0.339 sensitivity at 95% specificity), compared to 0.290 and 0.286 for the other two RF models. Temporal variables were assigned high importance by the models that incorporated them. Discussion. We demonstrate that temporal variables have an important role to play in suicide risk detection, and that requiring their inclusion in all random forest trees leads to increased predictive performance. Integrating temporal information into risk prediction models helps the models interpret patient data in temporal context, improving predictive performance.
Chemical Exposure-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity in Head-Regenerating Schmidtea Mediterranea

The growing number of commercially-used chemicals that are under-evaluated for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) combined with the difficulty in describing the etiology of exposure-related neurodevelopmental toxicity has created a reticent threat to human health. Current means of screening chemicals for DNT are limited to expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive traditional laboratory animal models. In this study, we hypothesize that exposed head regenerating planarian flatworms can effectively and efficiently categorize DNT in known developmental neurotoxins (ethanol and bisphenol A (BPA)). Planarian flatworms are an established alternative animal model for neurodevelopmental studies and have remarkable regenerative abilities allowing neurodevelopment to be induced via head resection. Here, we observed changes in photophobic behavior and central nervous system (CNS) morphology to evaluate the impact of exposure to low concentrations of ethanol, BPA, and BPA industry alternatives bisphenol F (BPF), and bisguaiacol (BG) on neurodevelopment. Our studies show that exposure to 1% v/v ethanol during regeneration induces a recoverable 48-hour delay in the development of proper CNS integrity, which aligns with behavioral assessments of cognitive ability. Exposure to BPA and its alternatives induced deviations to neurodevelopment in a range of severities, distinguished by suppressions, delays, or a combination of the two. These results suggest that quick and inexpensive behavioral assessments are a viable surrogate for tedious and costly immunostaining studies, equipping more utility and resolution to the planarian model for neurodevelopmental toxicity in the future of mass chemical screening. These studies demonstrate that behavioral phenotypes observed following chemical exposure are classifiable and also temporally correlated to the anatomical development of the central nervous system in planaria. This will facilitate and accelerate toxicological screening assays with this alternative animal model.
Foveal cone photopigment distribution: small alterations associated with macular pigment distribution.

PURPOSE. To map the photopigment distribution of central foveal cones in healthy adult subjects before potential onset of age-related macular degeneration. To compare alterations in cone photopigment distribution to those of macular pigment and examine those loci for subretinal changes. METHODS. Eleven healthy subjects (age range, 31-59 years) underwent reflectometry with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The difference in cone photopigment density in the fovea was mapped for the long-wavelength- and middle-wavelength-sensitive cones, using 594-nm light. Macular pigment was mapped with 488-nm and 514-nm light. Subretinal changes were investigated with infrared imaging (830-860 nm). RESULTS. Most subjects had small alterations in the regularity of their foveal cone photopigment distribution. Alterations were spatially related to macular pigment alterations but not to the presence of subretinal defects. Subjects were classified into three groups according to the type of alterations in the regularity of pigment distributions: central peak of photopigment and macular pigment, small foveal alterations, and broad distribution with missing central peak of photopigment or macular pigment. The resultant groups differed significantly in age, 43, 46, and 59 years, for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS, Small alterations in the distributions of foveal cone photopigmcnt or macular pigment were found that varied among the subjects. Larger alterations in older subjects may indicate changes in foveal architecture with age, including potential vulnerability of central cones before the onset of clinically significant changes in the retinal pigment epithelium.
Do differences matter? Women members of congress and the Hyde amendment

Abstract Have women members of Congress made a difference? A handful of studies have answered this “so what” question by looking for differences between male and female legislators. We build on previous research and propose an additional way of answering this question. If women members are making a difference, then they should be changing how men behave in Congress. Specifically, if women members are making a difference, then they should be changing how their male colleagues debate the issues. We content-analyze each House floor debate on the Hyde Amendment to see if women are changing how men debate the abortion issue. We find that men and women frame the abortion debate differently, and we find some evidence that women members of Congress have shifted the debate over time to focus less on the morality of abortion and more on the health of the pregnant women. We hope our research stimulates further work that not only looks for differences between men and women legislators, but also looks to see if the di...
The Nature of Self-Regulatory Fatigue and “Ego Depletion” Lessons From Physical Fatigue

Self-regulation requires overriding a dominant response and leads to temporary self-regulatory fatigue. Existing theories of the nature and causes of self-regulatory fatigue highlight physiological substrates such as glucose, or psychological processes such as motivation, but these explanations are incomplete on their own. Historically, theories of physical fatigue demonstrate a similar pattern of useful but incomplete explanations, as recent views of physical fatigue emphasize the roles of both physiological and psychological factors. In addition to accounting for multiple inputs, these newer views also explain how fatigue can occur even in the presence of sufficient resources. Examining these newer theories of physical fatigue can serve as a foundation on which to build a more comprehensive understanding of self-regulatory fatigue that integrates possible neurobiological underpinnings of physical and self-regulatory fatigue, and suggests the possible function of self-regulatory fatigue.
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor [GEM] Adult Population Survey Data Sets: 1998-2003: Codebook and Data Set Description

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor [GEM] research program was developed to provide harmonized comparisons among countries related to the level of participation in entrepreneurial activities. The initial data was assembled as a pretest of five countries in 1998; by 2003, more than forty countries and three sub-national regions were involved in the program. While the initial design was based on the first U.S. Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics [PSED I], the GEM design evolved to capture a wider range of individual participation in business ownership and management with annual adjustments and enhancements to the data collection procedure. The current consolidated data set focuses on the first six years. The project has continued in 2004-2007, providing a potential for adding more countries and more cases for continuing countries.
Ceramic Implant Materials

Ceramics are refractory, polycrystalline compounds, usually inorganic, including silicates, metallic oxides, carbides, and various refractory hydrides, sulfides, and selenides. Oxides such as Al2O3, MgO, and SiO2 contain metallic and nonmetallic elements, whereas others such as NaCl, CsCl, and ZnS are ionic salts. Exceptions are diamond and carbonaceous structures like graphite and pyrolized carbons, which are covalently bonded. Important factors influencing the structure-property relationship of the ceramic materials are radius ratios (Section 2.2.2) and the relative electronegativity between the positive and negative ions.