cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Archaic lists, writing and mind

Theories of writing and mind have proposed that the uses of literacy give rise to a distinct repertoire of cognitive skills, attitudes, and concepts. This paper reconsiders the earliest lexical lists of the Ancient Near East as one type of evidence on writing and mind. Past and present conceptions of the lists are briefly reviewed. Early views cast the lists as reflecting a Sumerian mentality or a uniquely literate mode of thought, while recent accounts suggest they may simply be routine scribal exercises. A view from the philosophy of science, on which lists are considered a sub-type of ordering system, suggests a way of aligning a scribal practice account with aspects of earlier views by articulating the nature of list entries and the intentions of the list makers. On this account, the Ancient Near Eastern lists can be seen both as uniquely literate and as uniquely informative on the role of writing in mind.
Assessment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea using a drug‐induced sleep endoscopy rating scale

Objectives/Hypothesis Assess the reliability of a Sleep Endoscopy Rating Scale (SERS) and its relationship with pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity. Study Design Retrospective case series of pediatric patients who underwent drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) at the time of surgery for OSA from January 1, 2013 to May 1, 2014. Methods Three blinded otolaryngologists scored obstruction on DISE recordings as absent (0), partial (+1), or complete (+2) at six anatomic levels: nasal airway, nasopharynx, velopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and arytenoids. Ratings were summed for a SERS total score (range, 0–12). Reliability was calculated using a κ statistic with linear weighting. SERS ratings and obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) were compared using Spearman correlation. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined the ability of the SERS total score to predict severe OSA (OAHI >10). Results Thirty-nine patients were included (mean age, 8.3 ± 5.1 years; 36% obese; mean OAHI, 19.1 ± 23.7). Intrarater and inter-rater reliability was substantial-to-excellent (κ = 0.61-0.83) and fair-to-substantial (κ = 0.33-0.76), respectively. Ratings correlated best with OAHI for the oropharynx (r = 0.54, P = .02), hypopharynx (r = 0.48, P = .04), and SERS total score (r = 0.75, P = .002). In ROC analysis, a SERS total score ≥6 demonstrated sensitivity/specificity of 81.8%/87.5%, respectively, and correctly classified 84% of patients. Conclusions The SERS can be applied reliably in children undergoing DISE for OSA. Ratings of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and SERS total score demonstrated significant correlation with OSA severity. A SERS total score ≥6 was an accurate predictor of severe OSA. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2016
A College and Career Readiness Framework for Secondary Students With Disabilities

In this qualitative study, a proposed organizing framework of college and career readiness for secondary students with disabilities was developed based on a synthesis of extant research articulating student success. The original proposed framework included six domains representing academic and nonacademic skills associated with college and career readiness: academic engagement, academic mind-sets, learning processes, critical thinking, social skills, and transition knowledge. Focus groups were conducted to examine perspectives among state-level stakeholders with knowledge and expertise regarding college and career readiness, drop-out prevention, and secondary transition. Through an iterative process, the focus group data were analyzed and the framework was refined based on findings. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Study on the Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Immunization in Longyan city in 2009-2010

Objective To analyze the features of adverse events following immunization(AEFl) that reported by AEFI Information Management System in 2009-2010 in Longyan city,and to evaluate the report quality of the Information Management System and the safety of vaccines.Methods According to the AEFI data through AEFI Information Management System,using the descirptive methodology to analyze.Results The AEFI of 17 categories of 24 vaccines were being monitored in whole city during 2009-2010.176 AEFI cases were reported.The rare adverse reaction accounted for 48.86%,common adverse reaciton accounted for 46.59%,coincidental event accounted for 3.41%,injection reacition accounted for 1.14%.THE highest rate of AEFI was caused by DTwP and DTaP,which reported AEFI rate was 40.84 per 10 million doses.Redness and fever dominated the clinical diagnosis of common adverse reaciton,which accounted for 74.39%.Allergic skin rash was the most common clinical diagnosis of rare adverse reaction,which accounted for 43.02%.The most AEFI cases were happened in≤1 year old babeis,accounted for 40.34%.The reported integrity rate reached 100%,the timely report rate in 48 hours was 87.5%,the timely investigation rate in 48 hours was 87.5%.Conclusion The study showed that the quality of AEFI reported and the safety of vaccines were satisfactory.The integrality and timeliness of surveillance system were good,but that deed to be improved as well.
An Online Monitoring Approach for Energy Efficiency of Machine Tools Based on Characteristics of Additional Load Loss

It is an important step for reducing the energy consumption of machine tools in the operation to on-line monitor the energy. An on-line monitoring approach based on characteristic of additional load loss of the spindle system of machine tool was proposed to monitor the consumed energy in the operation process. The energy consumption model of machine tools was established in which the consumed energy was divided into variable energy and constant energy that can be measured and store in database in advance; then,the additional power loss characteristic function was obtained using the measured input power and cutting power. Further more,the variable energy consumption was obtained from the estimated cutting power using the power balance equation and the additional power loss function identified in advance. The verified experiments and case study were conducted on the CNC lathe CJK6136. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the method.
Silicon Micro/Nanowire Solar Cells

Abstract Photovoltaic (PV) devices based on arrays of silicon wires with diameters in the nanometer to micron range have sparked considerable interest due to their attractive light trapping characteristics and the prospects to enhance carrier collection in radial junction structures. This chapter reviews fabrication techniques, design and testing considerations, and the PV performance of silicon wire devices. Common bottom-up and top-down wire fabrication methods are initially reviewed including vapor–liquid–solid growth, metal-assisted chemical etching, and deep reactive ion etching. Design considerations for wire array solar cells are discussed such as the impact of wire array geometry on light absorption and the effects of wire diameter and doping on PV performance. Device results for three common wire junction geometries are then reviewed including radial and axial junction wire structures and planar junctions with nanowire surface texturing. Methods to form radial junctions in silicon wires are compared such as the use of an electrolyte, thermal diffusion of dopants, and wire-coating techniques based on chemical vapor deposition. Applications for nanowire texturing of silicon monocrystalline and multicrystalline cells are described. The advances in device design and processing have resulted in continual improvements in the PV performance of silicon wire array devices to the point where efficiencies ranging from ~ 10% for radial junction cells up to as high as 22.1% for nanowire-textured devices have been reported.
Ligand-Specific Conformational Changes in CCR7 Coupled to Selecting Different Signaling Pathways upon CCL19 And CCL21 Ligand Binding

Chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is activated by ligands CCL19 and CCL21. The ligands are expressed in different parts of the body as gradients to aid in homing of T cells and antigen-presenting dendritic cells to the lymph nodes. Although both ligands have similar structures and activate the same receptor (CCR7), they induce distinct signaling pathways. While both ligands mediate their signaling through G-protein and GRK6, only CCL19 induces CCR7 desensitization and internalization through phosphorylation by GRK3 and recruitment of β-arrestin. The functional diversity of receptor-ligand binding is related to decoupled or partially decoupled conformational changes. We will present the results of Anton molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of free CCR7 and the complexes CCL19-CCR7 and CCL21-CCR7 and discuss long-range conformational changes associated with receptor activation pathways upon ligand binding. Differences in the conformational changes of the three systems are quantitatively assessed with a range of structural metrics, including intermolecular interactions and torsion angles. We observe that the presence of the CCL21 introduces distinct side chain rearrangements from CCL19, which result in larger domain motions within CCR7's transmembrane helices. Such motions may be necessary to predispose the receptor to accommodate G protein binding and to initiate intra-cellular signaling pathways. This work aims to delineate the structural elements that are responsible for biased receptor activation, and the conformational changes and long-range motions that link extracellular ligand binding with intracellular protein binding and selection of signaling pathways.
Microbiota of the Intestine: Prebiotics

The intestinal microflora serves multiple health and maintenance functions for the host, including metabolic, trophic, and protective roles. A summation of microflora development and factors that influence its bacterial diversity and composition is presented in this article. Emphasis on the metabolic activity of the microflora with relation to nutrient and host interactions is discussed. Effects of the microflora on the intestinal environment and immune response are addressed. The concept of prebiotics, including definitions, dietary sources of fructans, and clinical effects, is presented.
Z-DNA Binding Protein Mediates Host Control of Toxoplasma gondii Infection

Intrinsic to Toxoplasma gondii infection is the parasite-induced modulation of the host immune response, which ensures establishment of a chronic lifelong infection. This manipulation of the host immune response allows T. gondii to not only dampen the ability of the host to eliminate the parasite but also trigger parasite differentiation to the slow-growing, encysted bradyzoite form. We previously used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile the transcriptomes of mice and T. gondii during acute and chronic stages of infection. One of the most abundant host transcripts during acute and chronic infection was Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1). In this study, we determined that ZBP1 functions to control T. gondii growth. In activated macrophages isolated from ZBP1 deletion (ZBP1(-/-)) mice, T. gondii has an increased rate of replication and a decreased rate of degradation. We also identified a novel function for ZBP1 as a regulator of nitric oxide (NO) production in activated macrophages, even in the absence of T. gondii infection. Upon stimulation, T. gondii-infected ZBP1(-/-) macrophages display increased proinflammatory cytokines compared to wild-type macrophages under the same conditions. These in vitro phenotypes were recapitulated in vivo, with ZBP1(-/-) mice having increased susceptibility to oral challenge, higher cyst burdens during chronic infection, and elevated inflammatory cytokine responses. Taken together, these results highlight a role for ZBP1 in assisting host control of T. gondii infection.
Book Review of Govern Like Us: U.S. Expectations of Poor Countries. M. A. Thomas. New York: Columbia University Press, 2015.

Should international partners drastically change the way they support poor governments? Thomas’ idea of leveraging patronage networks for better results is not new, as presented in the book reviewed here. Others have argued before that there are conditions under which corruption can provide the solution to development problems such as overcoming divisions among ruling elites that could lead to violence. And many to this day argue that effective support needs to be designed and implemented in accord with contextual reality. But there is no magic bullet to improve governance. Thomas’ focus on the revenue constraint is a useful contribution to add to the mix, but reformers will need a larger toolbox to make headway.
In vitro and ex vivo screening of candidate therapeutics to restore neurotransmission in nerve terminals intoxicated by botulinum neurotoxin serotype A1.

Abstract Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are exceedingly potent neurological poisons that block cholinergic release in the peripheral nervous system and cause death by asphyxiation. While post-exposure prophylaxis can effectively eliminate toxin in the bloodstream, there are no clinically effective treatments to prevent or reverse disease once BoNT has entered the neuron. To address the need for post-symptomatic countermeasures, we designed and developed an in vitro assay based on whole-cell, patch-clamp electrophysiological monitoring of miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents in synaptically active murine embryonic stem cell-derived neurons. This synaptic function-based assay was used to assess the efficacy of rationally selected drugs to restore neurotransmission in neurons comprehensively intoxicated by BoNT/A. Based on clinical reports suggesting that elevated Ca 2+ signaling promotes symptomatic relief from botulism, we identified seven candidate drugs that modulate presynaptic Ca 2+ signaling and assessed their ability to reverse BoNT/A-induced synaptic blockade. The most effective drugs from the screen were found to phasically agonize voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) activity. Lead candidates were then applied to ex vivo studies in BoNT/A-paralyzing mouse phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm (PND) preparations. Treatment of PNDs with VGCC agonists after paralytic onset transiently potentiated nerve-elicited muscle contraction and delayed progression to neuromuscular failure. Collectively, this study suggests that Ca 2+ -modulating drugs represent a novel symptomatic treatment for neuromuscular paralysis following BoNT/A poisoning.
DICE: Compressing DRAM Caches for Bandwidth and Capacity

This paper investigates compression for DRAM caches. As the capacity of DRAM cache is typically large, prior techniques on cache compression, which solely focus on improving cache capacity, provide only a marginal benefit. We show that more performance benefit can be obtained if the compression of the DRAM cache is tailored to provide higher bandwidth. If a DRAM cache can provide two compressed lines in a single access, and both lines are useful, the effective bandwidth of the DRAM cache would double. Unfortunately, it is not straight-forward to compress DRAM caches for bandwidth. The typically used Traditional Set Indexing (TSI) maps consecutive lines to consecutive sets, so the multiple compressed lines obtained from the set are from spatially distant locations and unlikely to be used within a short period of each other. We can change the indexing of the cache to place consecutive lines in the same set to improve bandwidth; however, when the data is incompressible, such spatial indexing reduces effective capacity and causes significant slowdown.Ideally, we would like to have spatial indexing when the data is compressible and TSI otherwise. To this end, we propose Dynamic-Indexing Cache comprEssion (DICE), a dynamic design that can adapt between spatial indexing and TSI, depending on the compressibility of the data. We also propose low-cost Cache Index Predictors (CIP) that can accurately predict the cache indexing scheme on access in order to avoid probing both indices for retrieving a given cache line. Our studies with a 1GB DRAM cache, on a wide range of workloads (including SPEC and Graph), show that DICE improves performance by 19.0% and reduces energy-delay-product by 36% on average. DICE is within 3% of a design that has double the capacity and double the bandwidth. DICE incurs a storage overhead of less than 1KB and does not rely on any OS support.
Tendencias en homogamia educacional en México

A partir de los microdatos de los censos mexicanos de 1970, 1990 y 2000, en este articulo se examina la homogeneidad de los matrimonios y uniones atendiendo al nivel de instruccion de los conyuges en las ultimas tres decadas, caracterizadas por una fuerte expansion de la escolaridad, por el incremento de los rendimientos de la educacion y por la reduccion progresiva de las diferencias de genero en materia educativa. Tres conclusiones brotan del examen de los datos: el aumento significativo de la homogamia entre los mas escolarizados, la consolidacion de dos zonas extendidas de homogamia, y la reduccion de las diferencias en torno a la manera en que los hombres y las mujeres incorporan la educacion en la seleccion conjugal.
A plasma amplifier to combine multiple beams at NIF

Combining laser beams in a plasma is enabled by seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering which allows cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) to occur and re-distributes the energy between beams that cross with different incident angles and small differences in wavelength [Kirkwood et al. Phys. Plasmas 4, 1800 (1997)]. Indirect-drive implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Haynam et al. Appl. Opt. 46, 3276–3303 (2007)] have controlled drive symmetry by using plasma amplifiers to transfer energy between beams [Kirkwood et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 55, 103001 (2013); Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 020501 (2014); and Hurricane et al. Nature 506, 343–348 (2014)]. In this work, we show that the existing models are well enough validated by experiments to allow a design of a plasma beam combiner that, once optimized, is expected to produce a pulse of light in a single beam with the energy greatly enhanced over existing sources. The scheme combines up to 61 NIF beams with 120 kJ of available energy...
The Vacuum Wavefunctional

The static quark potential arises from vacuum fluctuations of the gauge fields; this is clear from the fact that the potential is extracted from the vacuum expectation value of a Wilson loop. In a Euclidean functional integral, the orientation of a rectangular R × T loop is obviously irrelevant to the expectation value, and in particular it can be oriented in a plane at a fixed time.
Is Dysphasia Rehabilitation Effective

Aphasiologists are no longer satisfied with impressionistic judgements as to the effectiveness of dysphasia rehabilitation. Instead they seek scientific evidence, through formal studies, that treatment has a significantly positive effect on dysphasic patients. When undertaking any treatment study, certain variables which may confound the results must be identified and controlled. The most potent of the variables to be considered in dysphasia rehabilitation is the phenomenon known as spontaneous recovery. This is the period during which structurally undamaged portions of the brain regain function following insult. If treatment is administered during the period of natural recovery, then the investigator has the task of differentiating effect of treatment from effect of spontaneous improvement. There is, however, little agreement as to exactly how long spontaneous recovery takes place. Vignolo (1964) retrospectively examined the evolution of dysphasia in 69 non-traumatic patients and found that patients seen after 2 months had only a limited possibility of spontaneous recovery compared to patients seen before 2 months. Culton (1969) studied the recovery patterns of 21 dysphasics and concluded that the greatest degree of recovery takes place in the first month post onset, and that little more occurs after 2 months. Butfield and Zangwill (1946) and Luria (1963), on the other hand, State that spontaneous recovery takes place for as long as six months, particularly in traumatic dysphasias. Other authors use a 3 month cut off point (Sarno and Levita, 1971). Despite the disagreement as to the length of the spontaneous recovery period, the phenomenon is real, and must be reckoned with in any dysphasia treatment study.
Learning to learn: algorithmic inspirations from human problem solving

We harness the ability of people to perceive and interact with visual patterns in order to enhance the performance of a machine learning method. We show how we can collect evidence about how people optimize the parameters of an ensemble classification system using a tool that provides a visualization of misclassification costs. Then, we use these observations about human attempts to minimize cost in order to extend the performance of a state-of-the-art ensemble classification system. The study highlights opportunities for learning from evidence collected about human problem solving to refine and extend automated learning and inference.
Spatio-Temporal Potential Fields of Evoked Responses Recorded Transcranially: Prelude to Stimulation

The spatio-temporal potential field characteristics of the EEG have been investigated over the years by numerous investigators but there have been less investigations of averaged responses (see, e.g. Gastaut and Regis, 1965, Remond 1965). We were motivated to use an array of electrodes in our study of the visual evoked response (VER) for numerous reasons, among which are included the detection of loci for visual defects such as amblyopia and the determination of anatomical locations of information processing and perception of various visual stimuli. Thus, we seek to monitor cortical information processing occurring temporally in numerous spatial neuronal populations (ensembles). It is our belief that a study of the spatiotemporal potential field characteristics of the VER obtained as a result of monitoring an array of electrodes located on the occipital scalp of humans will provide us with insight into how the brain encodes, processes, and perceives visual stimuli.
Synthesis of MOFs for heterogeneous catalysis via linker design

Abstract Metal–organic frameworks have been proved as ideal platforms for heterogeneous catalysis, and they have been utilized in a wide range of chemical reactions with promising catalytic performance. Due to the multicomponent nature of MOFs, active sites can be functionalized on metal nodes, organic struts, and/or encapsulated within the pores. Among them, linker functionalization provides a direct and efficient way to build MOFs with high loadings of catalytic-active sites. In this review, we will discuss the recent advances in synthesizing MOF-based catalysts through rational linker design in catalogues of different types of catalytic active sites. Reactions catalyzed by those functionalized materials, along with major findings on the relationship between MOF structures and their catalytic performance, will also be summarized.
Corporate Governance and Payout Commitments

This paper examines corporate payout and debt policies from an agency perspective. We argue that corporate governance and precommitment to cash distributions are alternative methods of addressing manager-shareholder conflicts. We find that total cash distributions, total payouts to shareholders, cash dividends, share repurchases, and interest payments to debtholders are decreasing in corporate governance. Corporate governance also affects the structure of cash distributions. Among different forms of payout to shareholders, irregular payouts such as repurchases or special dividends have the weakest precommitment effect, whereas regular quarterly cash dividends have the strongest effect. Firms with weak governance combine debt and dividends, set high interest and dividend payments, and include short-term debt. Firms affected by the passage of state antitakeover laws increase cash dividends, total payouts to shareholders, and total distributions committed to shareholders and debtholders (dividends and interest).
The Dynamic Capsid Structures of the Noroviruses.

Noroviruses are responsible for almost a fifth of all cases of gastroenteritis worldwide. New strains evolve every 2–4 years by escaping herd immunity and cause worldwide epidemics. In the US alone, noroviruses are responsible for ~20 million cases and more than 70,000 hospitalizations of infected children, annually. Efforts towards a vaccine have been hindered by a lack of detailed structural information about antibody binding and the mechanisms of antibody escape. Caliciviruses have 180 copies of the major capsid protein (VP1; ~58 kDa), that is divided into the N-terminus (N), the shell (S) and C-terminal protruding (P) domains. The S domain forms a shell around the viral RNA genome, while the P domains dimerize to form protrusions on the capsid surface. The P domain is subdivided into P1 and P2 subdomains, with the latter containing the binding sites for cellular receptors and neutralizing antibodies. There is increasing evidence that these viruses are extremely dynamic and this flexibility is critical for viral replication. There are at least two modes of flexibility; the entire P domain relative to the shell and within the P domain itself. Here, the details and possible roles for this remarkable flexibility will be reviewed.
Intestinal Microbiota and Host Metabolism Respond Differentially in Lean and Obese Individuals Following Six-Week Consumption of Galloyl Derivatives from Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) Pulp

Obesity-associated inflammation has been an increasing concern in public health. This study investigated changes in the gut microbiome, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of galloyl metabolites, and...
Development of a Micro Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate System with the Potential for In-Home Use

OBJECTIVE: To develop a micro erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) system using capillary blood with potential for in-home use by patients. DESIGN: Blood was collected in EDTA and the cells were separated from the plasma. Plasma was divided into three aliquots and spiked with defined amounts of fibrinogen. Fifteen hundred microliters of autologous cells were resuspended in 1500 μL of plasma. ESRs were performed using the Westergren method and four potential micro ESR systems, utilizing a micro-hematocrit tube, Scientific Products (S/P) capillary blood gas tube, Natelson blood collecting tube, and Caraway micro blood collecting tube. Micro ESR results were correlated to the Westergren results. SETTING: Saint Louis University. PATIENTS/SAMPLES: Twenty-eight volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60 with no underlying conditions other than the common cold. INTERVENTIONS: Hematocrit was standardized to approximately 40% for all samples and fibrinogen concentrations of approximately 200 mg/dL, 382 mg/dL, and 563 mg/dL were achieved for each subject. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ESRs were measured in mm/hour and percentage. Micro ESR values were plotted versus Westergren ESR values and the data were analyzed using Pearson correlation. RESULTS: When compared to the Westergren ESR method, the following correlation coefficients were achieved: S/P tube (r = 0.808), Caraway tube (r = 0.797), Natelson tube (r = 0.719), and micro-hematocrit tube (r = 0.655). CONCLUSION: Three of the four micro ESR methods tested achieved acceptable correlation coefficients, with the potential of being converted into a capillary ESR system for in-home use. ABBREVIATIONS: ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; S/P = Scientific Products.
Adaptive Stress Testing with Reward Augmentation for Autonomous Vehicle Validation

Determining possible failure scenarios is a critical step in the evaluation of autonomous vehicle systems. Real-world vehicle testing is commonly employed for autonomous vehicle validation, but the costs and time requirements are high. Consequently, simulation-driven methods such as Adaptive Stress Testing (AST) have been proposed to aid in validation. AST formulates the problem of finding the most likely failure scenarios as a Markov decision process, which can be solved using reinforcement learning. In practice, AST tends to find scenarios where failure is unavoidable and tends to repeatedly discover the same types of failures of a system. This work addresses these issues by encoding domain relevant information into the search procedure. With this modification, the AST method discovers a larger and more expressive subset of the failure space when compared to the original AST formulation. We show that our approach is able to identify useful failure scenarios of an autonomous vehicle policy.
Diabetic kidney diseases revisited: A new perspective for a new era.

Abstract Background Globally, diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. As the most common microvascular complication of diabetes, DKD is a thorny, clinical problem in terms of its diagnosis and management. Intensive glucose control in DKD could slow down but not significantly halt disease progression. Revisiting the tremendous advances that have occurred in the field would enhance recognition of DKD pathogenesis as well as improve our understanding of translational science in DKD in this new era. Scope of review In this review, we summarize advances in the understanding of the local microenvironmental changes in diabetic kidneys and discuss the involvement of genetic and epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis of DKD. We also review DKD prevalence changes and analyze the challenges in optimizing the diagnostic approaches and management strategies for DKD in the clinic. As we enter the era of ‘big data’, we also explore the possibility of linking systems biology with translational medicine in DKD in the current healthcare system. Major conclusion Newer understanding of the structural changes of diabetic kidneys and mechanisms of DKD pathogenesis, as well as emergent research technologies will shed light on new methods of dealing with the existing clinical challenges of DKD.
Proxy evidence from the Gartnerkofel-1 core (Carnic Alps, Austria) for hypoxic conditions in the western Tethys during the end-Permian mass-extinction event

Abstract The most severe mass extinction in the Phanerozoic in the latest Permian Period (251.9 Ma), has been attributed to environmental effects related to the massive coeval Siberian flood-basalt eruptions. A potential causal link between the eruptions and the marine extinctions arises from lethal global warming from greenhouse-gas emissions and the resulting development of widespread hypoxic conditions in the warm oceans. The 331-m Gartnerkofel-1 core (Carnic Alps, Austria) penetrated the Permian-Triassic boundary interval in a western Tethys shallow carbonate-ramp setting. We calculated U/Th ratios and element-enrichment factors (for U, Cr, V, Co, and Ni) using the previously published raw elemental data from the core. These redox-sensitive proxy calculations provide evidence for an ~60-ky long episode of anoxic to euxinic ocean conditions in the shallow western Tethys at the time of the abrupt end-Permian mass extinction (EPME). Subsequent fluctuating dysoxic conditions were coincident with a negative excursion of δ13Ccarb that is estimated to have lasted ~450 ky in the earliest Triassic at the GK-1 site. These findings in a high-deposition-rate section support previous reports of widespread anoxia in the western Tethys, and in the oceans in general, coincident with the EPME and its aftermath.
Operating Room Setup and Intraoperative Considerations for Robotic Ventral Hernia Repair

Techniques of ventral hernia repair have continued to evolve with the advent of more sophisticated technology. Minimally invasive ventral/incisional hernia repair is associated with less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and fewer wound complications (Deldi G, Ipaktchi R, Wagner M, et al. Surg Endosc. 2006;20:92–5). Robotic approach with articulating instruments may provide an opportunity for repair of larger, more complex hernias in a minimally invasive fashion. It also allows for closure of the fascial defect. This chapter discusses patient selection, operating room setup, instrument selection, patient positioning, and other intraoperative considerations in an attempt to streamline the process of robotic ventral/incisional hernia repair.
Bayesian Model Selection on Random Networks

A general Bayesian framework for model selection on random network models regarding their features is considered. The goal is to develop a principle Bayesian model selection approach to compare different fittable, not necessarily nested, models for inference on those network realisations. The criterion for random network models regarding the comparison is formulated via Bayes factors and penalizing using the mostwidely used loss functions. Parametrizations are different in different spaces. To overcome this problem we incorporate and encode different aspects of complexities in terms of observable spaces. Thus, given a range of values for a feature, network realisationsare extracted. The proposed principle approach is based on finding random network models, such that a reasonable trade off between the interested feature and the complexity of the model is preserved, avoiding overfitting problems.
Law Enforcement in the American Security State

This Article documents the evolution of the modern American police state and the symbiotic nature of the relationship between government actors across the three sectors of national security, domestic policing, and immigration enforcement. Policies from one area make their way into the other two, with the net result being that the powers of government actors are increased in all three areas. Critical to this dynamic is the construction of the target in each arena — the terrorist, the criminal, the illegal immigrant — as foreign, whether literally or figuratively. Although these targets are ostensibly limited to those deemed outside the mainstream, the result is a society in which security personnel can monitor and detain the citizenry at ever earlier intervals, often on evidentiary showings that are at best minimal. The relationship between war on terror practices and traditional policing is symbiotic; sometimes a tactic migrates from the foreign arena to the domestic, and in other instances police practices are brought to bear in the context of war. This state of affairs fuels the notion that policing has become more and more of a national security enterprise. Additionally, the operation of a separate system of immigration enforcement at the nation’s borders and points of entry also plays a role in expanding law enforcement powers and creates new areas of enhanced powers less susceptible to outside review. Driving the constant push for greater law enforcement powers across the three zones is the concept that violations of the law can be prevented. In each case, the notion of prevention is rooted in law enforcement’s unshakeable belief that target communities commit more crime, are just a step away from being radicalized into terrorist attackers, or will illegally cross the border to break the law here with impunity. In exploring the practices and theoretical underpinnings of the security state, as well as the legal framework that has broadened police powers and justified its excesses to a great degree, the Article probes how much the United States has come to resemble a police state.
Use of an educational intervention to increase screening for antenatal depression in an obstetrics and gynecology practice.

Background Depression affects approximately 12% of pregnant women and increases maternal and fetal risk during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The United States Preventative Services Task Force and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that all prenatal care include depression screening. This study assessed the effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase screening for depression during prenatal care. Local problem The clinical site serves a socioeconomically and culturally high-risk population. Prior to the intervention, prenatal depression screening was not incorporated into prenatal care. Methods Health records of patients presenting for prenatal care to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic were analyzed before an educational intervention on prenatal depression was delivered to providers at the practice site. Data for prenatal depression screening rates, treatment plans, and patient demographic information were extracted and compared to determine compliance with antenatal depression screening guidelines. Interventions The primary intervention of this initiative is the provision of education on the importance of and techniques for prenatal depression screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Results Prenatal depression screening increased from 0% to 27% of patients following the intervention. No significant correlation was found between factors of age, gestational age, gravidity, parity, or marital status. A total of 2.8% of screened patients scored positive for severe depression, 5.7% indicated moderate depression, and 51% indicated mild depression. Conclusions Education and training improves provision of prenatal depression screening, but further work is needed to improve the accurate and timely identification of depression, as well as its appropriate treatment, referral, and follow-up.
Negative emotion increases false memory for person/action conjunctions.

Two experiments demonstrate that eyewitnesses often falsely recognise an actor performing an action that had actually been performed by someone else, even if the action involves negative emotions a...
Physics Based Degradation Models for Electrolytic Capacitor Prognostics under Thermal Overstress Conditions

Electronics subsystems play an increasingly important role in safety critical systems for monitoring, control, and enhanced functionality. Electrolytic capacitors are an important component in ,amy subsystems that range from power supplies on safety critical avionics equipment to power drivers for electro-mechanical actuators. These capacitors are ideal forpassing or bypassing low-frequency signals in power supplies but are known to have lower reliability compared to ceramic and tantalum capacitors, and given their criticality in electronicssubsystems they are a good candidate for component level monitoring and prognostics. Prognostics provides a way to assess remaining useful life of components and systems based on their current state of health and their anticipated future use and operating conditions. Past experiences have shown that capacitor degradation and failures are quite prevalent under high electrical and thermal stress conditions that they experience during operations. Our focus in this work is on deriving a physics-based degradation model for electrolytic capacitors under thermal stress conditions. As part of our methodology, we study the effects of accelerated aging due to thermal stress on a batch of capacitors stored at high ambient temperature conditions. This provides a framework for supplementing theoretical modeling with data collected from simultaneous experiments, which is then used to validate the derived models. This work represents a first step toward combining data driven and physics-based approaches for modeling capacitor degradation. The case study shows how the proposed technique is applied to a batch of identically manufactured capacitors.
Stratigraphic identification with airborne electromagnetic methods at the Hanford Site, Washington

Abstract Stratigraphic units can influence the fate and transport of subsurface contaminants within groundwater. Units having coarse-grained sediments act as preferential flow pathways, and therefore can accelerate the transport of contaminants to reach human and ecological receptors. At legacy waste sites, detailed knowledge of subsurface stratigraphy can be used for effective monitoring and remediation planning to help minimize risk to human health and the environment. Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods can non-invasively provide information on kilometer-scale or larger subsurface stratigraphic features and fill informational gaps in directly sampled data from sparsely located boreholes . In this paper, we present inversion results of a 412 line-km frequency-domain AEM survey to delineate subsurface stratigraphic features at the Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington State. The inversion was performed using a massively parallel 3D electromagnetic modeling and inversion code, where the modeling is based on solving frequency-domain Maxwell's equations using an unstructured-mesh finite-element method and the inversion employs a Gauss-Newton optimization scheme. The results are compared to an underlying geologic framework model (GFM), built by interpolating contact depths of stratigraphic units interpreted from site borehole datasets. In areas with good borehole coverage, the inversion results show a good match with the GFM to a depth of about 60 m. Outside of these areas, the inversion results exhibit inconsistencies from the assumptions made to create the GFM, demonstrating that the AEM survey results can be used to improve the understanding of the geological conceptual model.
De-escalation of Endocrine Therapy in Early Hormone Receptor-positive Breast Cancer: When Is Local Treatment Enough?

OBJECTIVE To identify subgroups of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer patients that might not benefit from adding endocrine therapy (ET) to their local treatment. BACKGROUND De-escalation in breast cancer treatment has included surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy and has often focused on older patient populations. Systemic ET has yet to be de-escalated, though it carries serious side-effects, decreasing quality of life over 5 to 10 years. We hypothesize the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) could identify subgroups of younger patients whose long-term survival is unaffected by adjuvant ET. METHODS The National Cancer Database was used to identify women aged ≥50, with HR+, HER2-negative tumors, ≤3 cm in size, N0 status, and a RS≤25, who underwent breast-conserving surgery in 2010 to 2016. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify association between treatment and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Of the 45,217 patients identified, 80.6% were 50 to 69 years old. 42,632 (94.3%) patients received ET and 2585 (5.7%) did not. The 5-year OS was 96.4% for patients receiving ET and 93.1% for those who did not (P < 0.001). After adjusting for all covariates, patients aged 50 to 69 with RS < 11 showed no statistically significant improvement in OS when adding ET to surgery, with or without radiation (P = 0.40). With RS 11 to 25, there was a significant improvement of OS with ET plus radiation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Local treatment only, with de-escalation of long-term ET, for patients aged 50 to 69 with RS < 11, seems not to impact OS and should have an anticipated quality of life improvement. Prospective studies investigating this approach are warranted.
Study of Optical Forces Induced by Graphene Plasmonic Resonators on Nanoparticles near Their ENZ Frequencies

We demonstrate that optical forces induced by graphene plasmonic resonators on nanoparticles of Lorentz model materials are significantly larger than forces on dielectric nanoparticles. Such optical forces also exhibit intriguing characteristics around the ENZ frequencies.
Improving the timely availability of blood products for patients undergoing craniosynostosis surgery

Abstract Background Blood transfusions are common in craniosynostosis surgery and it is critical that packed red blood cells (pRBCs) be available prior to the start of surgery due to the risk of massive hemorrhage during surgical exposure. At our institution, timely availability of pRBCs was inconsistent due to suboptimal pre-operative care coordination. Our aim was to increase the availability of pRBCs before general anesthesia induction, from 47.5% to 100%, in patients undergoing craniosynostosis surgery, by June 2020. Methods QI methodology adapted from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI model) was used to improve the process of pre-operative preparation of these patients. A multidisciplinary team was convened to develop a streamlined preoperative pathway to ensure patients had pRBCs available for surgery. The pathway included ensuring patients have their blood type and screen (T&S) drawn within our hospital system and implementing a weekly electronic communication to provide an opportunity to identify patient issues and problem-solve prior to surgery. The main outcome measure was pRBCs availability prior to time of intubation. The timing of blood T&S draw and surgery start time delays were measured as process and balancing measures, respectively. Results An increase in the percentage of craniosynostosis patients with pRBCs available before endotracheal intubation was associated with a centerline shift from an average of 47.5% for the baseline period, to 96.7% (P Conclusion Implementation of a multidisciplinary approach to pre-operative care coordination led to a meaningful improvement in the timely availability of pRBCs for patients undergoing craniosynostosis surgery.
Detection of Baseline Emotion in Brow Lift Patients Using Artificial Intelligence

The widespread popularity of browlifts and blepharoplasties speaks directly to the importance that patients place on the periorbital region of the face. In literature, most esthetic outcomes are based on instinctive analysis of the esthetic surgeon, rather than on patient assessments, public opinions, or other objective means. We employed an artificial intelligence system to objectively measure the impact of brow lifts and associated rejuvenation procedures on the appearance of emotion while the patient is in repose. We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent bilateral brow lift for visual field obstruction between 2006 and 2019. Images were analyzed using a commercially available facial expression recognition software package (FaceReader™, Noldus Information Technology BV, Wageningen, Netherlands). The data generated reflected the proportion of each emotion expressed for any given facial movement and the action units associated. A total of 52 cases were identified after exclusion. Pre-operatively, the angry, happy, sad, scared, and surprised emotion were detected on average of 13.06%, 1.68%, 13.06%, 3.53%, and 0.97% among all the patients, respectively. Post-operatively, the angry emotion average decreased to 5.42% (p=0.009). The happy emotion increased to 9.35% (p=0.0013), while the sad emotion decreased to 5.42%. The scared emotion remained relatively the same at 3.4%, and the surprised emotion increased to 2.01%; however, these were not statistically significant. This study proposes a paradigm shift in the clinical evaluation of brow lift and other facial esthetic surgery, implementing an existing facial emotion recognition system to quantify changes in expression associated with facial surgery. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Systems in Series

This article will consider the reliability of a system in series. Interest is on finding the system reliability when the failure of each component depends on the length of time that the component is observed. Exponentially distributed failure times as well as Pareto failure times will be considered. Keywords: competing risks; hazard function
Cardiovascular physiology teaching: computer simulations vs. animal demonstrations.

The roots of physiology lie in laboratory observation, and physiology courses continue to rely on laboratory observation to provide students with practical information to correlate with their devel...