cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Odd-like (Even-like) Functions on (a, b)

when f (x) is an odd function (i.e., f (−x) = − f (x) for all x). Therefore, it would be useful for students to know when a function on (a, b) can be translated to describe an odd function on a corresponding interval (−c, c). Suppose f (x) is defined on the interval (a, b). Then (see Figure 1), f (a + b − x) = − f (x) for all x in (a, b) is equivalent to g(x) = f (x + a+b 2 ) being an odd function on the interval (− b−a 2 , b−a 2 ), since
Transport of Steroid Hormones, Phytoestrogens, and Estrogenic Activity across a Swine Lagoon/Sprayfield System

The inflow, transformation, and attenuation of natural steroid hormones and phytoestrogens and estrogenic activity were assessed across the lagoon/sprayfield system of a prototypical commercial swine sow operation. Free and conjugated steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, and progesterone) were detected in urine and feces of sows across reproductive stages, with progesterone being the most abundant steroid hormone. Excreta also contained phytoestrogens indicative of a soy-based diet, particularly, daidzein, genistein, and equol. During storage in barn pits and the anaerobic lagoon, conjugated hormones dissipated, and androgens and progesterone were attenuated. Estrone and equol persisted along the waste disposal route. Following application of lagoon slurry to agricultural soils, all analytes exhibited attenuation within 2 days. However, analytes including estrone, androstenedione, progesterone, and equol remained detectable in soil at 2 months postapplication. Estrogenic activity in the yeast estrogen ...
Epidemiology survey of dyslipidemia among residents in Wuxi City and its influence factors

Objective To investigate the prevalence and influence factors of dyslipidemia among residents in Wuxi city.Methods A Total of 2 102 persons aged over 35 years were invited to participate the investigation with multi-stage random cluster sampling.Diet survey with SQFFQ,meanwhile,physical examination,laboratory testing(total cholesterol,high density lipoprotein,triglycerides) were conducted for them,and the data were made statistical analysis.Results The prevalence rate of dyslipidemia for residents over 35 years in Wuxi was 43.86%,and hypertriglyceridemia was the leading category.The prevalence rate of dyslipidemia in rural area(47.3%) was higher than that of urban area(40.6%),and it was highest for residents ages ranged from 55-64 years old.Intakes of eggs,milk,beans and fruits in patient group were significantly lower than those in control group,while intake of oil was opposite(P0.05).The prevalence rate of dyslipidemia for groups of obesity,overweight and hypertension was significantly higher than that of control groups(P0.001).Conclusion The prevalence rate of dyslipidemia in Wuxi is a higher level,and dyslipidemia showed a younger trend,dyslipidemia is closely related to obesity and hypertension.There are risk factors and protective factors in diet.Suitable health education should be proposed to improve dietary pattern and strengthen physical activity to control the epidemiology of dyslipidemia.
Accuracy and procedural characteristics of standard needle compared with radiofrequency needle transseptal puncture for structural heart interventions.

Objectives Our objectives were to assess for differences between standard and radiofrequency (RF) needle in procedural times, success, and spatial accuracy. Background Targeted transseptal (TS) puncture is essential for structural heart interventions. Spatial accuracy of standard versus RF needle has not been reported. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing structural heart interventions requiring TS puncture were studied retrospectively. A standard needle was alternated with a RF needle. Procedural success and times were recorded. Measurements based on intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiograms of the intended versus final TS crossing site were obtained. Pre-puncture and maximal tenting of the septum were also recorded. Results Twenty-five patients underwent standard needle and 27 RF TS access. All RF needle attempts to cross were successful without an assistance wire. Three standard needle patients required assisted crossing. After failed TS access, two patients had successful RF TS access. TS procedural times significantly favored the RF needle for time from septum to puncture (P = 0.02). Both standard and RF access yielded accurate crossing with no significant differences between the intended and actual crossing site. Maximal tenting was significantly less with the RF needle (P = 0.004). There were no major complications. Conclusions In the hands of an experienced operator, there were no major clinically significant differences between the standard and RF needle approaches. However, procedural unassisted crossing success was higher with the RF needle approach as compared to standard needle. Procedural times and degree of septum tenting favored the RF over standard needle. Accuracy was similar with both approaches. RF was a successful strategy when standard needle failed. There were no major complications with either TS puncture strategy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of Image Gently Campaign at a Medium-Sized Teaching Hospital

Purpose: To determine if there was a shift from using ionizing to non-ionizing imaging exams at Loma Linda University Medical Center in pediatric patients since the implementation of the Image Gently Campaign in 2008. Materials and Methods: The number of CT, radiograph, US, MRI, and total number of imaging exams performed in pediatric patients were determined for each year between 2003 and 2013. A retrospective search was performed for years 2007, 2008, and 2013 on pediatric emergency department patients with suspected appendicitis. The imaging algorithm of these patients was investigated by determining whether the patient received an US or a CT exam first, and what imaging exams were ordered in total for the patient work-up. Results: When comparing the mean prior to the Image Gently Campaign (2003-2007) to data from 2013, there has been a 33% decrease in the number of CT exams, a 19% decrease in the number of radiograph exams, a 13% increase in the number of US exams, and a 19% increase in the number of MRI exams. In 2007, 37.5% received an US and 62.5% received a CT as the initial exam for suspected appendicitis. In 2013, 85.4% received an US and 14.6% received a CT as the initial imaging evaluation for suspected appendicitis. Conclusions: Since the Imaging Gently Campaign, there has been a shift away from the use of ionizing imaging exams in pediatric patients in favor of non-ionizing imaging alternatives such as US and MRI.
Assessment and management of severely obese children and adolescents

Approximately 3% of children and adolescents in the UK have severe obesity. The incidence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, hyperinsulinism and hyperlipidaemia approaches 20% in such individuals. Lifestyle intervention programmes and pharmacotherapy are effective in some individuals, but the relapse rate is high. In exceptional cases, bariatric surgery is effective. This review outlines the scale of the problem, highlights those at risk and discusses referral, current services, appropriate screening and therapeutic interventions.
Andeimalva, a New Genus of Malvaceae from Andean South America

Abstract: A new genus, Andeimalva, is described to accommodate four species previously placed in Tarasa and Malacothamnus. The taxonomic placement of the Chilean species M. chilensis in the primarily North American genus has been questioned for nearly 40 years. This species occurs in the Andes of central Chile, unlike the rest of the genus, which is distributed in California, Baja California, and Mexico. Molecular phylogenetic data revealed the strongly supported relationship of Malacothamnus chilensis to the Andean species Tarasa machupicchensis, T. mandonii, and T. spiciformis. The latter species share with M. chilensis the unusual base chromosome number of x = 6, which is not found in other members of Tarasa or other closely related genera (x = 5), or the North American Malacothamnus (x = 17). Considering the phylogenetic and chromosome data, as well as morphology and geography, these four species form a clade that merits generic status and are recognized at generic rank.
Biosensing Based upon Molecular Confinement in Metallic Nanocavity Arrays

We describe the basis for a hybridization array platform in which enhanced fluorescence transduction occurs through the optical excitation of molecules located within metallic nanocavities.
Abstract 1908: Evaulate biomarkers in NSCLC tumors receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy

In previous study, we have evaluated the ability of histopathologic response criteria to predict overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) and observed that the percentage of residual viable tumor cells were associated with OS and DFS in 192 NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In current study, we examined the selected protein biomarkers by IHC in surgical specimens of 98 NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. All NSCLC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy received a platinum and taxane-based. For IHC analysis of protein markers, we selected candidate biomarkers (VEGFR2, EZH2, ERCC1 and Rad51) on the basis of the literature. Next, the results of VEGFR2, EZH2, ERCC1 and Rad51 expression were analyzed with regard to pathologic response and overall survival time of the patients. The surgical pathologic stage, percentage of viable tumor cells and Rad51 were associated with OS in 98 NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy in univariate and multivariate analysis. We found that patients with high-level expression of Rad51 had a poorer prognosis than did those with low-level expression. We observed that Rad51 expression was associated with pathologic response (viable tumor cells). However, there is no association between VEGFR2, EZH2, or ERCC1 expression and pathologic response (viable tumor cells). We further examined K-Ras and EGFR Mutation in these NSCLC tumors receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed the hotsport mutations in K-Ras gene (Codon 12 and 13) and EGFR gene (Exon 19 and 21) by pyrosequencing and confirmed by direct sequencing method in 98 NSCLC tumors receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We observed both methods had similar results on these patients’ samples. The L858R mutation results in an amino acid substitution at position 858 in EGFR, from a leucine (L) to an arginine (R). This mutation occurs within exon 21, which encodes part of the kinase domain,We found K-Ras mutation tended to be associated with OS, but not EGFR mutation. There is no association between percentage of viable tumor cells, VEGFR2, EZH2, ERCC1, Rad51 expression and K-Ras or EGFR mutation. Citation Format: Apar Pataer, Ruping Shao, Arlene M. Correa, Carmen Behrens, Jack A. Roth, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Stephen G. Swisher. Evaulate biomarkers in NSCLC tumors receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1908. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1908
Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Moving Plans of Older Adults

Abstract Data from a longitudinal study of older adults in an upstate New York county (N = 333) show that poor housing “fit” increases the likelihood that older adults are currently considering a move, as does lower residential satisfaction. Those adults who said only that they “might consider moving” focused on health transitions that might signal a need for a new housing situation. Residential satisfaction predicts actual moves even when controlling for moving plans. Older adults may be “pushed” to make a move by a crisis, but those older adults planning moves tend to be “pulled” into housing arrangements with desirable features.
An Introduction to Neural Information Retrieval

Neural models have been employed in many Information Retrieval scenarios, including ad-hoc retrieval, recommender systems, multi-media search, and even conversational systems that generate answers in response to natural language questions. An Introduction to Neural Information Retrieval provides a tutorial introduction to neural methods for ranking documents in response to a query, an important IR task. The monograph provides a complete picture of neural information retrieval techniques that culminate in supervised neural learning to rank models including deep neural network architectures that are trained end-to-end for ranking tasks. In reaching this point, the authors cover all the important topics, including the learning to rank framework and an overview of deep neural networks. This monograph provides an accessible, yet comprehensive, overview of the state-of-the-art of Neural Information Retrieval.
In Silico Absorption Analysis of Valacyclovir in Wildtype and Pept1 Knockout Mice Following Oral Dose Escalation

We developed simulation and modeling methods to predict the in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles of acyclovir, following escalating oral doses of valacyclovir, in wildtype and Pept1 knockout mice. We also quantitated the contribution of specific intestinal segments in the absorption of valacyclovir in these mice. Simulations were conducted using a mechanistic advanced compartmental absorption and transit (ACAT) model implemented in GastroPlus™. Simulations were performed for 3 h post-dose in wildtype and Pept1 knockout mice following single oral doses of 10, 25, 50 and 100 nmol/g valacyclovir, and compared to experimentally observed plasma concentration-time profiles of acyclovir. Good fits were obtained in wildtype and Pept1 knockout mice. Valacyclovir was primarily absorbed from duodenum (42%) and jejunum (24%) of wildtype mice, with reduced uptake from ileum (3%) and caecum/colon (1%), for a total of 70% absorption. In contrast, the absorption of valacyclovir in Pept1 knockout mice was slow and sustained throughout the entire intestinal tract in which duodenum (4%), jejunum (14%), ileum (10%) and caecum/colon (12%) accounted for a total of 40% absorption. The ACAT model bridged the gap between in situ and in vivo experimental findings, and facilitated our understanding of the complicated intestinal absorption processes of valacyclovir.
Scientific and technological (human) social capital formation and Industry–University Cooperative Research Centers: a quasi-experimental evaluation of graduate student outcomes

In the current paper, we attempt to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of science, technology and innovation (STI) outputs and outcomes through the application of a Scientific and Technical Human Capital (STHC) evaluation framework. We do this by describing a study that focuses on a type of STI initiative that appears ripe with potential to affect STHC impacts—Industry–University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRCs). In doing so we summarize relevant theory related to the STHC framework and social capital formation more generally. We also define IUCRCs and highlight the program mechanisms that appear likely to impact the STHC outcomes. Finally, we narrow our focus to a relatively neglected research target of the STI evaluation—science and engineering (S&E) doctoral students. We compare social capital and other students’ outcomes by employing a rare quasi-experimental design with two training modalities: IUCRC and more traditional, non-center training. We show that our results demonstrate strong evidence for positive effects of IUCRC training on graduate S&E students’ outcomes. We also explain significant moderating effect of citizenship status on some of our results where international students, who account for 50% of this population, do not receive the same social capital outcomes as students with US citizenship or permanent resident status. In addition, we describe patterns in international students’ intentions to stay in the US and how they are affected by students’ training modality. Finally, we discuss the results and implications in the context of graduate training, STHC evaluation framework and STI and immigration policy.
Patch burning on tall-grass native prairie does not negatively affect stocker performance or pasture composition.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine stocker BW gain on patch-burned native tall-grass prairie while also determining plant species influenced by fire. The study was conducted in a split-block experimental design where treatments consisted of a yearly spring burn on the pastures (CON) or patch burning of one-third pasture per year (PB). Stocker steers grazed the pastures using a three-quarter-season (~114 d) grazing period from about mid-April to mid-August from 2006 to 2012. Steer ADG, final weight, and total BW gain were not different by treatment (P > 0.35). However, when comparing treatment effects with precipitation classification (high, average, low), cattle on PB had a greater ADG (P = 0.02; 0.10 kg/d), final weight (P = 0.07; 12 kg), and total BW gain (P = 0.02; 11.8 kg) in low precipitation years (2011 and 2012). Overall, patch burning provides similar BW gains as yearly burning on native tall-grass prairie, while providing a BW gain advantage in low precipitation years. The switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) population declined (P
A parametric study of multiscale transport phenomena and performance characteristics of capacitive deionization systems

Abstract Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a relatively novel desalination technology which uses electrically charged porous electrodes to remove ions from low salinity water streams. The interplay between the micro- and macroscale transport mechanisms in the porous electrodes and bulk flow of the CDI unit dictates the concentration profile at the exit. A thorough understanding of these interactions is important towards achieving high-efficiency systems. Through permutation of the associated transport time constants, we conduct a parametric study to investigate the coupling of multiscale phenomena in CDI. Moreover, we propose a new multi-cycle arrangement to further improve the desalination performance of a given saline solution. In these systems, the regeneration feed stream used for each cycle highly affects the efficiency of the whole system, as it directly affects the water recovery ratio, the total duration of the process, and the desalination performance of the next cycle. We propose three regeneration schemes, with different regeneration feed streams to enhance the desalination/regeneration performance of the multi-cycle arrangements. To obtain comprehensive characterization of desalination and regeneration performances of different units, we introduce new inclusive metrics that encompass different aspects of the system. The results indicate trade-offs between desalination performance and energy efficiency of the proposed arrangements.
Non-reciprocal wave phenomena through pump-signal wave interaction in discrete systems with asymmetric subwavelength geometry

Acoustic non-reciprocity has been shown to enable a plethora of effects analogous to phenomena seen in quantum physics and electromagnetics, such as immunity from back-scattering, unidirectional band gaps, and topologically protected states, which could lead to the design of direction-dependent acoustic devices. One class of material that holds promise as a means to achieve acoustic non-reciprocity is the “Willis medium,” which exhibits strain-momentum coupling owing to asymmetry and non-local effects in the material microstructure. This work considers a method for obtaining non-reciprocal elastic wave propagation in a system with sub-wavelength asymmetry inspired by asymmetric Willis microstructures. Non-reciprocity is achieved through application of a slowly-varying pump wave that acts as a spatio-temporal modulation of the material, which is modeled as a discrete system with geometric nonlinearity. The modulation generates momentum bias for a fast-varying signal wave with pump-signal interaction enable...
Characteristics of effective astronomer-educator partnerships in formal urban middle school science classrooms

Effective scientist-teacher partnerships, as defined by those in them, require positive collaborative actions in addition to supportive and productive characteristics and dispositions.
Looking at Early Development in Xenopus Laevis Using Nmr Micro-Imaging

High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging has been applied to image individual cell lineages in developing frog embryos. By injecting a single cell with a contrast agent based on the gadolinium chelate, Gd-DTPA-dextran, its progeny could be followed uniquely over time. This technique allows the continued acquisition of three-dimensional images of the developing embryo for periods of several days, thus permitting both prospective and retrospective analyses of cell lineages and movements. As an example, we used high-resolution MRI to follow in vivo the relative motions and reorganizations of the different cell layers during amphibian gastrulation and neurulation.
Effect of screening and brief intervention for illegal drug use in Southern California

The California Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (CASBIRT) program provided services to over 120,000 emergency/trauma patients throughout ethnically diverse San Diego County from 2007–2010. This study examined outcomes for drug users screened in emergency departments (ED) throughout the county. Universal screening using the ASSIST was offered to all capable adult patients by trained bilingual/bicultural health educators in 12 ED/trauma centers over a three-year period. Patients who screened positive on the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) were given brief motivational feedback/intervention matched to risk level. A random sample of patients was targeted for a follow-up telephone interview six months later. This analysis included participants who reported risky drug use in addition to risky alcohol use at their initial screening (N = 1171). About 32% of the sample (n = 373) were actually interviewed by telephone at follow-up. We conducted analyses per intent to treat and recoded missing follow-up values using the “last value carried forward” approach. Half of the resulting sample of 1171 patients was male; the average age was 37 (SD = 13.3). The sample was 44% non-Latino white, 35% Latino, 15% black, and 7% other racial/ethnic groups. The substance most commonly reported was marijuana (29%) followed by methamphetamine (13%) and heroin (7%). There was a significant entry-to-follow-up reduction in the percent reporting any use of illegal drugs in the past month (53% to 38%, F = 35.33, p < 0.001). Days of use of illegal drugs also showed reductions, from a mean of five days to four days (F = 63.74, p < 0.001). These results, based on a conservative analysis approach, demonstrated that CASBIRT had a statistically significant positive effect on self-reported illegal drug use.
Filter Media and Use of Filter Aids

In conventional filter-medium filtration practices, the filter medium may be described as the workhorse of the process. Proper selection is often the most important consideration for assuring efficient suspension separation. A good filter medium should have the following characteristics: • The ability to retain a wide size distribution of solid particles from the suspension,
Low-cost media formulation for culture of brain tumor spheroids (neurospheres)

Recent studies have found that the biological features of primary tumors are faithfully recapitulated when a patient's tumor is processed and then maintained as a 3-D spheroid in specialized cell culture media. However, a major drawback for maintenance and routine passage of primary tumors as spheroids has been the high cost of custom-formulated media compared to regular serum-supplemented media. Here we report the formulation of a cost-effective, serum-free medium in which high-grade primary brain tumor (glioblastoma) explants can be established and maintained as spheroids. Based on DMEM, this formulation requires only supplementation with several amino acids, vitamins, synthetic EGF, and bFGF, with most of the cost being associated with the growth factors. A simple addition of BSA (fraction V) obviated the need for numerous other components (or human serum) commonly used in the specialized commercial media formulations.
Designing Mechanisms for Workspace Fit

In this paper we examine the problem of designing a mechanism such that its tool frame comes closest to reaching a set of desired goal frames. We regard SE(3), the Euclidean group of rigid-body motions, as a Lie group, and demonstrate that a left-invariant Riemannian metric on SE(3) provides not only a solution that is invariant with respect to choice of inertial frame, but also a natural means of regarding SE(3) as a metric space. To illustrate our methodology this metric is applied to the design and positioning of certain planar and spherical mechanisms.
Novel microbial community composition and carbon biogeochemistry emerge over time following saltwater intrusion in wetlands

Sea level rise and changes in precipitation can cause saltwater intrusion into historically freshwater wetlands, leading to shifts in microbial metabolism that alter greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration. Saltwater intrusion modifies soil physicochemistry and can immediately affect microbial metabolism, but further alterations to biogeochemical processing can occur over time as microbial communities adapt to the changed environmental conditions. To assess temporal changes in microbial community composition and biogeochemical activity due to saltwater intrusion, soil cores were transplanted from a tidal freshwater marsh to a downstream mesohaline marsh and periodically sampled over 1 year. This experimental saltwater intrusion produced immediate changes in carbon mineralization rates, whereas shifts in the community composition developed more gradually. Salinity affected the composition of the prokaryotic community but did not exert a strong influence on the community composition of fungi. After only 1 week of saltwater exposure, carbon dioxide production doubled and methane production decreased by three orders of magnitude. By 1 month, carbon dioxide production in the transplant was comparable to the saltwater controls. Over time, we observed a partial recovery in methane production which strongly correlated with an increase in the relative abundance of three orders of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Taken together, our results suggest that ecosystem responses to saltwater intrusion are dynamic over time as complex interactions develop between microbial communities and the soil organic carbon pool. The gradual changes in microbial community structure we observed suggest that previously freshwater wetlands may not experience an equilibration of ecosystem function until long after initial saltwater intrusion. Our results suggest that during this transitional period, likely lasting years to decades, these ecosystems may exhibit enhanced greenhouse gas production through greater soil respiration and continued methanogenesis.
Novel Methodology to Detect Physical Interaction of Inositol Phospholipid with Potassium Ion Channel Using Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Abstract Membrane proteins like ion channels are located within a lipid environment. While the bulk lipids provide a supporting architecture for proteins, some lipids also play important signaling roles in modulating protein activity. This modulation can occur through direct interaction with proteins without involving second messenger pathways. Phosphoinositides are one such lipids, which have been implicated in interactions with a diverse range of proteins and such interactions mediate a variety of cellular functions. Towards understanding how these lipids play their roles in regulating protein functions It is necessary to detect interactions between proteins and lipids and to identify binding sites on proteins. However, detection of protein-lipid interactions has been difficult especially in their native environment because only a fraction of lipids are bound to proteins while the bulk is freely diffusing. The purpose of this study is to develop an experimental method capable of identifying protein-lipid interactions in membrane environments. The strategy involves luminescence energy transfer to locally illuminate lipids around proteins thereby suppressing the large background of light from unbound lipid molecules. The approach is applied to an inward rectifier potassium ion channel for its interactions with phosphoinositide lipids. Experiments show that it can successfully detect phosphoinositides bound to proteins, and when combined with mutagenic approaches, can further identify binding site. The approach thus provides a valuable methodology for probing protein-lipid interactions in a native-like lipid environment.
Observed relationship between the Turkana low-level jet and boreal summer convection

The Turkana low-level jet is a circulation feature over northern Kenya that is not spatially well-resolved in many observational datasets. Here, high-resolution TRMM, IMERG, and CMORPH precipitation estimates, along with the ERA5 and MERRA2 reanalyses are analyzed to better understand the controls on jet strength and the relationship between the jet and boreal summer rainfall variability in the jet exit region over South Sudan. The height of the South Sudan wet season, August, is analyzed for 2000–2017. Climatologically, rainfall peaks over the jet exit region during the early morning hours, coinciding with the jet maximum. The strong jet enhances low-level wind convergence and briefly shifts the low-level zonal moisture gradient westward. Over the western South Sudan, rainfall peaks in the late afternoon/evening in association with daytime heating. The correlation between the daily Turkana Jet strength and precipitation indicates a significant negative relationship over eastern South Sudan, and over the Ethiopian and East African Highlands. Composite analysis of strong and weak jet periods reveal that the atmospheric conditions associated with a strong jet include enhanced low-level ridging along the East African coast south of the equator resulting in a stronger height gradient in the Turkana Channel, as well drier conditions over the channel and adjacent highlands. These conditions support a stronger jet that is further enhanced by katabatic flow due to the stronger nighttime cooling over the highlands, as well as enhanced dry air advection over the jet exit region. Thus, while low-level convergence may increase, convection weakens over eastern South Sudan due to the reduced atmospheric moisture content and weaker instability. The opposite occurs for the weak jet case.
Multivariate calibration of large scale hydrologic models: The necessity and value of a Pareto optimal approach

Abstract Multivariate calibration using measurements of multiple water balance components has emerged as a potential solution for improving the performance and realism of large scale hydrologic models. In this study we develop a novel multivariate calibration framework to rigorously test whether incorporation of multiple water balance components into calibration can result in sufficiently accurate (behavioral) solutions for all model responses. Unlike previous studies, we use Bayesian calibration to formally define limits of acceptability or error thresholds in order to distinguish behavioral solutions for each of the incorporated fluxes. We apply the framework in the Mississippi river basin for the calibration of a large scale distributed hydrologic model (Noah-MP) with different combinations of model responses - evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture (SM), and streamflow (SF). The results of the study show that incorporation of additional fluxes and soil moisture (a storage variable) is not always valuable due to significant trade-offs in accuracy among the model responses. In our experiments, only ET and SF could be simulated simultaneously to a reasonable degree of accuracy. In addition, we quantify the trade-offs in accuracy between the model responses using the concept of Pareto optimality. We find that combining ET with other fluxes entails higher trade-offs in accuracy compared to either SM or SF. Unlike deterministic calibration, with the developed framework we are able to identify deficiencies in model parameterization that lead to significant trade-offs in accuracy, especially between ET and SM. We find that the parameters which are insensitive to individual model responses can influence the trade-off relationship between them.
Effectiveness of Virtual vs In-Person Inhaler Education for Hospitalized Patients With Obstructive Lung Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Many patients who are hospitalized cannot use inhalers correctly, yet education for their use is often not provided. To address the need for an effective intervention feasible for wide-scale implementation, a virtual teach-to-goal intervention was developed to provide tailored patient-directed education using adaptive learning technology. Objective To assess whether the virtual teach-to-goal intervention is noninferior to an in-person teach-to-goal intervention for improving inhaler technique. Design, Setting, and Participants An equivalence and noninferiority randomized clinical trial took place from January 13, 2016, through September 20, 2017, with analyses conducted between October 25, 2017, and September 23, 2019. Adult inpatients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admitted to general inpatient wards were eligible. Enrolled participants were randomized to virtual (n = 61) or in-person (n = 60) educational interventions. Investigators and research assistants were masked to interventions. Initial enrollment, study assessments, and delivery of the educational intervention occurred in the hospital; participants returned at 30 days for a follow-up research visit. Interventions Virtual education was a module delivered via handheld tablet with self-assessment questions before demonstration, narrated video demonstration of the correct technique, and self-assessment questions after demonstration; up to 3 rounds were repeated as needed. In-person education participants received iterative rounds of inhaler technique assessment and education by trained staff. Main Outcomes and Measures Noninferiority testing of whether virtual vs in-person education achieved an equal percentage with correct inhaler technique after education (>9 of 12 steps correct) against an a priori noninferiority limit of –10%; logistic regression models were used to adjust for differences in baseline technique and health literacy. Results Among 118 participants (59 in each group), most were black (114 [97%]) and female (76 [64%]), with a mean (SD) age of 54.5 (13.0) years. Correct technique increased similarly before vs after education in virtual (67%; range, 2%-69%) and in-person (66%; range, 17% to 83%) groups, although the difference after intervention exceeded the noninferiority limit (–14%; 95% CI lower bound, –26%). When adjusting for baseline inhaler technique, the difference was equivalent to the noninferiority limit (–10%; 95% CI lower bound, –22%). Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that patient-directed virtual education similarly improved the percentage of participants with correct technique compared with in-person education. Future work should confirm whether virtual teach-to-goal education is noninferior to in-person education and whether it is associated with long-term skills retention, medication adherence, and improved health outcomes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT02611531
Software Defined Cyber-Physical Testbed for Analysis of Automated Cyber Responses for Power System Security

As the power grid becomes more interconnected the attack surface increases and determining the causes of anomalies becomes more complex. Automated responses are a mechanism which can provide resilience in a power system by responding to anomalies. An automated response system can make intelligent decisions when paired with an automated health assessment system which includes a human in the loop for making critical decisions. Effective responses can be determined by developing a matrix which considers the likely impacts on resilience if a response is taken. A testbed assists to analyze these responses and determine their effects on system resilience.
Structure of a paramyxovirus polymerase complex reveals a unique methyltransferase-CTD conformation.

Paramyxoviruses are enveloped, nonsegmented, negative-strand RNA viruses that cause a wide spectrum of human and animal diseases. The viral genome, packaged by the nucleoprotein (N), serves as a template for the polymerase complex, composed of the large protein (L) and the homo-tetrameric phosphoprotein (P). The ∼250-kDa L possesses all enzymatic activities necessary for its function but requires P in vivo. Structural information is available for individual P domains from different paramyxoviruses, but how P interacts with L and how that affects the activity of L is largely unknown due to the lack of high-resolution structures of this complex in this viral family. In this study we determined the structure of the L-P complex from parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) at 4.3-A resolution using cryoelectron microscopy, as well as the oligomerization domain (OD) of P at 1.4-A resolution using X-ray crystallography. P-OD associates with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain of L and protrudes away from it, while the X domain of one chain of P is bound near the L nucleotide entry site. The methyltransferase (MTase) domain and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of L adopt a unique conformation, positioning the MTase active site immediately above the poly-ribonucleotidyltransferase domain and near the likely exit site for the product RNA 5' end. Our study reveals a potential mechanism that mononegavirus polymerases may employ to switch between transcription and genome replication. This knowledge will assist in the design and development of antivirals against paramyxoviruses.
A family of multivariate non‐gaussian time series models

In this article, we propose a class of multivariate non‐Gaussian time series models which include dynamic versions of many well‐known distributions and consider their Bayesian analysis. A key feature of our proposed model is its ability to account for correlations across time as well as across series (contemporary) via a common random environment. The proposed modeling approach yields analytically tractable dynamic marginal likelihoods, a property not typically found outside of linear Gaussian time series models. These dynamic marginal likelihoods can be tied back to known static multivariate distributions such as the Lomax, generalized Lomax, and the multivariate Burr distributions. The availability of the marginal likelihoods allows us to develop efficient estimation methods for various settings using Markov chain Monte Carlo as well as sequential Monte Carlo methods. Our approach can be considered to be a multivariate generalization of commonly used univariate non‐Gaussian class of state space models. To illustrate our methodology, we use simulated data examples and a real application of multivariate time series for modeling the joint dynamics of stochastic volatility in financial indexes, the VIX and VXN.
Managing management buyouts: a US-UK comparative analysis

This chapter comparatively assesses U.S. and U.K. law governing management buyouts (MBOs), focusing on the duties of directors and officers in these systems. The analysis casts doubt on persistent but mistaken perceptions about U.S. and U.K. corporate fiduciary duties for self-dealing. The U.K. no-conflict rule is seen as strict, the U.S. fairness rule as flexible and pragmatic. As the analysis for MBOs demonstrates, these fiduciary rules operate similarly, tasking neutral or disinterested directors with policing self-dealing, enabling commercially sensitive responses to conflicts of interest. The analysis also reveals stronger formal private enforcement of corporate law and more robust disclosure rules in the United States. But because the available empirical evidence fails to justify broad claims that corporate fiduciaries’ misconduct is more severe under either regime, the analysis identifies U.K. law-related measures that may serve similar functions to formal enforcement and mandated disclosure in constraining misconduct by corporate fiduciaries. These include informal enforcement by the U.K. Takeover Panel, stronger shareholder rights, and potentially greater monitoring by institutional investors.
Answers to 'Essentials of Business Communication' by Mary Ellen Guffey and Dana Loewy

Guffey and Loewy (2006) demystify business communication by providing a "bible" that business executives can use from time to time to ace their communication. In "Essentials of Business Communication" they explain various aspects of communication including verbal and non verbal communication; they look at the dos and don'ts of business communication; from spoken, to written then to non verbal communication sharing the science behind them and what to do in order to hone one's presentation skills. They advise that it is important to always put the audience in mind before any communication is done so that the message is tailored accordingly and can thereby effectively be understood by the recipient(s). They emphasize the need to align communication to digital era dynamics and advise those using this type of communication to leverage on its strengths but also beware of how they can safe guard their privacy because online presence leaves a lasting footprint.
17.5 A 98.2%-Efficiency Reciprocal Direct Charge Recycling Inductor-First DC-DC Converter

Inductive DC-DC converters are fundamentally limited by the trade-off between conduction losses and switching losses. Miniaturized converters used in applications such as mobile devices suffer badly from this trade off, as a small inductor has a large DCR, which contributes large I2 R DCR conduction losses, while a small inductance desires high frequency operation, which implies high C GATE V2 f hard charging switching losses from the power MOSFET gate drivers. Interestingly, the rise/fall time of such drivers cannot be too rapid, regardless of switching frequency, due to inductive ringing causing potential voltage stresses [1], [2]. To ease the conduction/switching loss trade-off, it is possible to exploit the requirement for finite rise/fall time by replacing conventionally hard-switching gate drivers with adiabatic charge-recycling (CR) gate drivers. As depicted in Fig. 17.5.1 (top right), CR can, through the help of inductor L R , recycle the charge stored on C GATE to another capacitance, C STORE (and vice-versa), theoretically with 100% efficiency. This approach was demonstrated in [3], where the charge on the power MOSFET gates are recycled to two auxiliary capacitors through two separate inductors (Fig. 17.5.1, top left). However, besides the overhead of two inductors, recycling with separate storage capacitors introduces indirect losses, while the separated duty-cycled resonate gate drivers makes non-overlap timing control between power MOSFETs difficult. By AC-coupling the power NMOS to the resonant gate driver as in [4] (Fig. 17.5.1, bottom left), it is possible to reduce the number of resonant inductors to 1. However, the non-overlap time cannot be precisely controlled, leading to potentially large overlap losses, and the limited duty-cycle control through driver slope modulation prevents robust regulation across a wide output range.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Regulation of Macrophage Phagocytosis; Quantitation and Imaging

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have traditionally been studied for their regenerative properties, but more recently, their immunoregulatory characteristics have been at the forefront. They interact with and regulate immune cell activity. The focus of this study is the MSC regulation of macrophage phagocytic activity. Macrophage (MΦ) phagocytosis is an important part of the innate immune system response to infection, and the mechanisms through which MSC modulate this response are under active investigation. Presented here is a method to study MΦ phagocytosis of non-opsonized zymosan particles conjugated to a pH-sensitive fluorescent molecule while in co-culture with MSC. As phagocytic activity increases and the labeled zymosan particles are enclosed within the acidic environment of the phagolysosome, the fluorescence intensity of the pH-sensitive molecule increases. With the appropriate excitation and emission wavelengths, phagocytic activity is measured using a fluorescent spectrophotometer and kinetic data is presented as changes in relative fluorescent units over a 70 min period. To support this quantitative data, the change in the phagocytic activity is visualized using dynamic imaging. Results using this method demonstrate that when in co-culture, MSC enhance MΦ phagocytosis of non-opsonized zymosan of both naive and IFN-γ treated MΦ. These data add to the current knowledge of MSC regulation of the innate immune system. This method can be applied in future investigations to fully delineate the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.
Diagnostic Markers of Subclinical Depression Based on Functional Connectivity

Major depression disorder is often accompanied by the dysfunction of the lateral habenula nucleus (LHb). The onset of subclinical depression is often a precursor to the onset of major depression disorder (MDD), and the brain function patterns of patients with subclinical depression are similar to those of patients with major depression. Therefore, it seems that the functional connection pattern of LHb and its surrounding regions can be used to predict subclinical depression. This chapter reviews a subclinical depression prediction model that detects abnormal functional connections through machine learning. By means of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the functional connections of the brain regions were calculated, and the functional brain network was modeled. Functional connections with significant differences were entered into the machine learning model as classifier features. Anomalous functional connections, which have a greater impact on classification results, are evaluated for accuracy, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and area under curve (AUC). Based on the analysis of the functional connection network of the whole brain, we found five brain regions having the greatest difference between the subclinical depression (SD) group and the healthy control (HC) group: anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, superior parietal lobule, superior frontal gyrus, and posterior superior temporal sulcus. Among the thalamus-related functional connections, the right posterior parietal thalamus, where LHb located, has the most abnormal functional connections, the number of which is 18, and in the left LHb, there are only 3 abnormal functional connections. At a significant level p < 0.01, the network node degree of ten subregions of the thalamus in the SD group showed a significant difference from the corresponding node degree in the HC group. Therefore, we believe that functional connection analysis based on the thalamus and habenula nucleus can provide a high accuracy biomarker for the prediction of subclinical depression.
Three-Dimensional Direct Scattering Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the tools for the calculation of the differential cross section of elastic potential scattering and its properties, either for single particles subject to a given potential V(x) or for pairs of particles in their centre-of-mass (c.m.) system whose mutual interaction is described by V(x). The Fourier transform (with respect to the time) Ψ(+) of the configuration-space wave function of this particle solve the time-independent Schrodinger equation. The functions Ψ(+) , together with the bound-state eigenfunctions form a complete set on L2(R3) in the sense of generalized Fourier integrals. The high-energy behavior of the scattering amplitude depends critically on the scattering direction. In dispersion relation, its analog in optics expresses the frequency dependence of the real part of the index of refraction in terms of its imaginary part, i.e., of the absorption coefficient.