cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scientific and technical human capital: an alternative model for research evaluation

We provide an alternative model for evaluating science and technology projects and programs. Our approach, a "scientific and technical human capital" (S&T human capital) model, gives less attention to the discrete products and immediate outcomes from scientific projects and programs - the usual focus of evaluations - and more attention to scientists' career trajectories and their sustained ability to contribute and enhance their capabilities. S&T human capital encompasses not only the individual human capital endowments but also researchers' tacit knowledge, craft knowledge, and know-how. S&T human capital further includes the social capital that scientists continually draw upon in creating knowledge - for knowledge creation is neither a solitary nor singular event. In sum, it is this expanded notion of human capital when paired with a productive social capital network that enables researchers to create and transform knowledge and ideas in ways that would not be possible without these resources. We review literature contributing to an S&T human capital model and consider some of the practical data and measurement issues entailed in implementing such an approach.
Thermal cycling induced plastic deformation in solder joints. II. Accumulated deformation in through hole joints

A thermal-cycled through-hole solder joint is studied. Nonlinear elastic/plastic solder properties at different temperatures and a steady-state creep law are used to characterize the deformation of the eutectic Pb-Sn solder. Large geometry changes in the solder and pin structure are observed experimentally. The deformation observed is much larger than expected from a simple thermal expansion mismatch calculation. This phenomenon is explained as a combination of plastic and creep deformations which accumulate during the thermal cycling. Because of the complexity of multiaxial stresses in the joint due to thermal expansion mismatch, finite-element analysis is required to characterize stress and strain in the solder joint. The large plastic deformation observed in the solder fillet is quantitatively simulated by the analysis. The majority of the deformation is a result of the time-dependent creep, while deformation occurring during the time-independent temperature change is minor. The displacement of the IC pins is recorded after each cycle and approaches the value observed in an actual joint after 1000 cycles. Thermal cycling fatigue life prediction based on uniform shear and the Coffin-Manson equation is found to be insufficient in dealing with the complex deformation mechanism of solder. >
Lecanora layana (Lecanoraceae), a new sorediate species widespread in temperate eastern North America

Abstract Lecanora layana is described as new to science based on collections from throughout temperate eastern North America. The species is sorediate and both morphologically and chemically similar to L. nothocaesiella, differing in the production of stictic acid in addition to atranorin and zeorin. As apothecia are unknown in L. layana, the hypothesized generic placement and relationship with L. nothocaesiella were confirmed with molecular phylogenetic analyses of mtSSU sequence data.
A Search for Blood Biomarkers for Autism: Peptoids

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. In order to identify individuals with ASD and initiate interventions at the earliest possible age, biomarkers for the disorder are desirable. Research findings have identified widespread changes in the immune system in children with autism, at both systemic and cellular levels. In an attempt to find candidate antibody biomarkers for ASD, highly complex libraries of peptoids (oligo-N-substituted glycines) were screened for compounds that preferentially bind IgG from boys with ASD over typically developing (TD) boys. Unexpectedly, many peptoids were identified that preferentially bound IgG from TD boys. One of these peptoids was studied further and found to bind significantly higher levels (>2-fold) of the IgG1 subtype in serum from TD boys (n = 60) compared to ASD boys (n = 74), as well as compared to older adult males (n = 53). Together these data suggest that ASD boys have reduced levels (>50%) of an IgG1 antibody, which resembles the level found normally with advanced age. In this discovery study, the ASD1 peptoid was 66% accurate in predicting ASD.
The Civil War: Primary Documents on Events from 1860 to 1865 by Ford Risley Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004. 320 Pp.

(2005). The Civil War: Primary Documents on Events from 1860 to 1865 by Ford Risley Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004. 320 Pp. American Journalism: Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 155-156.
Does Transition Experience Improve Newcomer Performance? Evidence From the National Basketball Association

A substantial body of research has highlighted the effects of experience on individual performance in groups. However, the challenges individuals confront after moving between groups require the ad...
Intraoperative Consultation for the Ureter

SUMMARY Being called to the operating room to repair a surgically damaged ureter is an opportunity and challenge that requires on-the-spot decisions based on our training and experience and can result in restoring urinary tract continuity and avoiding secondary operations. A variety of functional reparative techniques are available; however, after consideration of each case in the context in which it arises, the best solution can usually be selected.
The Legacy of Knut Wicksell

While we know Knut Wicksell for his contribution to public finance, a book he published two years after his public finance thesis received even broader attention. His Interest and Prices: A Study of the Causes Regulating the Value of Money1 had directly challenged the quantity theory of money that was first asserted by David Ricardo in response to the fears of inflation during the Napoleonic Wars, and subsequently popularized by the Great Mind Milton Friedman of the Chicago School. Ricardo’s logic was that prices could not rise if there was no increase in the money supply that would enable the additional purchasing power that fueled inflation. Ricardo had further reasoned that government could not be trusted with avoiding the temptation of monetary expansion. He proposed that this privilege be removed from civil servants and elected officials by pegging the money supply to a nation’s supply of gold.
Study of the Effect of the Pulse Width of the Excitation Source on the Two-Photon Absorption and Two-Photon Circular Dichroism Spectra of Biaryl Derivatives

Herein we report on the expanded theoretical calculations and the experimental measurements of the two-photon absorption (TPA) and two-photon circular dichroism (TPCD) spectra of a series of optically active biaryl derivatives (R-BINOL, R-VANOL, and R-VAPOL) using femtosecond pulses. The comparative analysis of the experimental TPCD spectra obtained with our tunable amplified femtosecond system with those previously measured in our group on the same series of compounds in the picosecond regime reveals a decrease in the amplitude of the signal and an improvement in matching with the theory in the former. These results can be explained based on the negligible contribution of excited state absorption (ESA) using femtosecond pulses compared to the picosecond regime. We show how ESA affects both the strength of the signal and the shape of the TPA and TPCD spectra. TPA and TPCD spectra were obtained using the double L-scan technique over a broad spectral range (450–750 nm) using 90 fs pulses at 50 Hz repetition...
"The final countdown": Is intraoperative, intermittent neuromonitoring really useful in preventing permanent nerve palsy? Evidence from a meta-analysis.

Background The aim of our research was to explore the specific role of intermittent intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) versus visualization alone in preventing permanent nerve palsy in thyroid surgery. Methods A systematic review was conducted by searching electronic databases using specific keywords and completed by hand search. The article selection process was carried out by 2 independent investigators using well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles evaluating the role of IONM versus visualization alone in preventing recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy were evaluated for inclusion. The relative risk with a confidence interval of 95% was estimated for nonrandomized studies, and risk difference was estimated for randomized control studies. Subgroup meta-analyses were carried out stratifying the studies on the basis of the design and the definition of permanent injury. The heterogeneity among the studies was evaluated with Higgins’ Index. Results A total of 14 articles were included; of these, 10 were nonrandomized studies and 4 were randomized control studies. With regard to the meta-analyses, including nonrandomized studies that defined as permanent an injury persisting for 6 months or 12 months after thyroid surgery, the overall relative risks were, respectively, 0.79 (confidence interval 95%, 0.60–1.05) and 0.75 (confidence interval 95%, 0.43–1.30). As for the meta-analysis including randomized control studies, the risk difference was 0.00 (confidence interval 95%, −0.01 to 0.00). No heterogeneity was found in any of the analyses conducted (Higgins’ Index = 0%). Conclusion Our results show that the use of IONM does not prevent permanent nerve palsy; no significant benefit of IONM over visualization alone in reducing the rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries could be proven. In conclusion, IONM should not be considered the standard care in preventing recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.
Emerging role of mesenchymal stem cells during tuberculosis: The fifth element in cell mediated immunity.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic cells that occur in almost all human tissues and can be cultured and expanded to large numbers in vitro. They secrete growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines and express Toll-like receptors on their surface, although multiple cell biological mechanisms remain unclear. MSCs are multi-potent and can differentiate into many cell types including adipocytes, neuronal cells and osteoclasts. Despite gaps in cell biology, because of their immunomodulatory and regenerative capacity, several hundred clinical trials have used MSCs for therapy of cancer, autoimmune diseases and control of inflammation during organ transplantation. MSCs secrete immune-modulatory factors and are able to skew T cell responses and shift M1 to M2 differentiation of macrophages. We review the emerging role of MSCs to act as phagocytes for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its role during the persistence of M. tuberculosis and spread of infection. Paradoxically, MSCs use innate defense mechanisms of autophagy and nitric oxide to inhibit the growth of intracellular M. tuberculosis. In addition, transplantation with autologous MSCs improved the clinical condition of patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Thus, in addition to the well-known immune defense played by macrophages, DCs, classical T cells and non-classical immune cells, MSCs have emerged as a fifth element capable of regulating immune responses during tuberculosis. We discuss their immunomodulatory properties and innate defense mechanisms in the context of developing immunotherapeutic strategies for tuberculosis.
Prediction of Electrolyte Conductivity: Results from a Generalized Molecular Model Based on Ion Solvation and a Chemical Physics Framework

Abstract Ionic conductivity is a foremost transport property that is extensively used to characterize and screen electrolyte systems. Although bulk measurements are done on the macroscopic scale, electrolytic conductivity has its foundation on molecular-scale interactions between solvent and ionic species. Correct interpretations of these molecular interactions and related quantities enable a balanced, comprehensive understanding of conductivity behavior with respect to system conditions (solvent composition, salt concentration and temperature). This work introduces a new methodology that achieves accurate predictions of electrolyte conductivity for a wide range of conditions, based on molecular, physical, and chemical terms. The formalism is universal, making it valid for aqueous and non-aqueous systems alike. The immediate application of the resultant model is candidate electrolytes for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, although many other applications abound for systems that utilize liquid electrolytes. Conductivity predictions are compared to experimental data for a number of electrolytes over a wide range of conditions, demonstrating that exceptional accuracy is attained because the robust model captures multiple salient contributions to conductivity behavior. Model accuracy is well maintained over multi-solvent systems and for extended salt concentrations.
An individual differences approach to multiple-target visual search errors: How search errors relate to different characteristics of attention

A persistent problem in visual search is that searchers are more likely to miss a target if they have already found another in the same display. This phenomenon, the Subsequent Search Miss (SSM) effect, has remained despite being a known issue for decades. Increasingly, evidence supports a resource depletion account of SSM errors-a previously detected target consumes attentional resources leaving fewer resources available for the processing of a second target. However, "attention" is broadly defined and is composed of many different characteristics, leaving considerable uncertainty about how attention affects second-target detection. The goal of the current study was to identify which attentional characteristics (i.e., selection, limited capacity, modulation, and vigilance) related to second-target misses. The current study compared second-target misses to an attentional blink task and a vigilance task, which both have established measures that were used to operationally define each of four attentional characteristics. Second-target misses in the multiple-target search were correlated with (1) a measure of the time it took for the second target to recovery from the blink in the attentional blink task (i.e., modulation), and (2) target sensitivity (d') in the vigilance task (i.e., vigilance). Participants with longer recovery and poorer vigilance had more second-target misses in the multiple-target visual search task. The results add further support to a resource depletion account of SSM errors and highlight that worse modulation and poor vigilance reflect a deficit in attentional resources that can account for SSM errors.
Systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: an update

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly disease with few systemic therapeutic options. Sorafenib is the only agent to be FDA approved for the first-line treatment of patients with HCC. This drug increases overall survival (OS) by 3 months compared with placebo (10.7 months with sorafenib vs . 7.7 months with placebo). More recently, the RESORCE trial demonstrated efficacy of regorafenib in the second-line treatment of HCC: OS was increased from 7.8 months with placebo to 10.6 months with regorafenib after patients experienced disease progression on sorafenib. However, there is still an unmet need for effective systemic therapy of patients with advanced HCC. Numerous genetic pathways have been studied along with drugs to target these pathways but, thus far, drugs targeting cell proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, and metabolite use have been studied with minimal success. HCC can be divided into two subclasses: proliferative and non-proliferative, each dependent on separate pathways. HCC can be caused by alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV); however no etiology-specific therapies have been demonstrated. Immunotherapy is currently being assessed in clinical trials and is demonstrating some efficacy. More research is needed to determine the most essential pathways to target in the war against this deadly cancer.
Social Interaction, Social Status, and the Organization of Medio Period Craft Production as Evidenced in Ground Stone Artifacts from 76 Draw

The analysis of ground stone artifacts is a productive avenue for gaining useful information regarding the past societies of the North American Southwest. Here we present the results of the analysis of 255 ground stone items recovered from 76 Draw, a Medio period (AD 1200 to 1450) settlement in New Mexico. We find that locally available stone was used to make a variety of utilitarian items. We then compare the assemblage to previously reported ground stone assemblages from Paquime (the economic and political center of the Medio period world) and nearby sites in northern Chihuahua, Mexico. We find that our assemblage is very similar to those from the smaller Medio period settlements but quite distinct when compared to Paquime�s assemblage. Paquime�s ground stone reflects an emphasis on non-utilitarian ornaments, religiously significant items such as effigies, and distinct utilitarian items such as well-formed metates produced by specialists. In contrast, the 76 Draw and other assemblages reflect an emphasis on utilitarian items produced at the household level. From this, we conclude that the social differentiation evident at Paquime and reflected in its ground stone assemblage did not extend across the entire Casas Grandes region, even though utilitarian ground stone tools reflect the same technological system
Hypertensive emergency masquerading as phaeochromocytoma: a report of two cases.

We report two cases of patients who were hospitalised for hypertensive emergency. In both cases, laboratory testing during admission revealed elevated normetanephrines in the range of 4–5 times the upper limit of normal using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Imaging studies did not localise any phaeochromocytoma or paraganglioma (PPGL). Repeat biochemical testing after discharge was within normal limits in both cases. These observations suggest that hypertensive emergency should be recognised as a potential cause of ‘false-positive’ laboratory findings in the diagnostic assessment for PPGL.
Lumbar stenosis surgery: Spine surgeons not insurance companies should decide when enough is better than too much.

Background Lumbar surgery for spinal stenosis is the most common spine operation being performed in older patients. Nevertheless, every time we want to schedule surgery, we confront the insurance industry. More often than not they demand patients first undergo epidural steroid injections (ESI); clearly they are not aware of ESI's lack of long-term efficacy. Who put these insurance companies in charge anyway? We did. How? Through performing too many unnecessary or overly extensive spinal operations (e.g., interbody fusions and instrumented fusions) without sufficient clinical and/or radiographic indications. Methods Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis with/without degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) are being offered decompressions alone and/or unnecessarily extensive interbody and/or instrumented fusions. Furthermore, a cursory review of the literature largely demonstrates comparable outcomes for decompressions alone vs. decompressions/in situ fusions vs. interbody/instrumented fusions. Results Too many older patients are being subjected to unnecessary lumbar spine surgery, some with additional interbody/non instrumented or instrumented fusions, without adequate clinical/neurodiagnostic indications. Conclusions The decision to perform spine surgery for lumbar stenosis/DS, including decompression alone, decompression with non instrumented or instrumented fusion should be in the hands of competent spinal surgeons with their patients' best outcomes in mind. Presently, insurance companies have stepped into the "void" left by spinal surgeons' failing to regulate when, what type, and why spinal surgery is being offered to patients with spinal stenosis. Clearly, spine surgeons need to establish guidelines to maximize patient safety and outcomes for lumbar stenosis surgery. We need to remove insurance companies from their present roles as the "spinal police."
Hyaluronan and Hyaluronan Fragments

The glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) is a key component of the microenvironment surrounding cells. In healthy tissues, HA molecules have extremely high molecular mass and consequently large hydrodynamic volumes. Tethered to the cell surface by clustered receptor proteins, HA molecules crowd each other, as well as other macromolecular species. This leads to severe nonideality in physical properties of the biomatrix, because steric exclusion leads to an increase in effective concentration of the macromolecules. The excluded volume depends on both polymer concentration and hydrodynamic volume/molecular mass. The biomechanical properties of the extracellular matrix, tissue hydration, receptor clustering, and receptor-ligand interactions are strongly affected by the presence of HA and by its molecular mass. In inflammation, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species fragment the HA chains. Depending on the rate of chain degradation relative to the rates of new synthesis and removal of damaged chains, short fragments of the HA molecules can be present at significant levels. Not only are the physical properties of the extracellular matrix affected, but the HA fragments decluster their primary receptors and act as endogenous danger signals. Bioanalytical methods to isolate and quantify HA fragments have been developed to determine profiles of HA content and size in healthy and diseased biological fluids and tissues. These methods have potential use in medical diagnostic tests. Therapeutic agents that modulate signaling by HA fragments show promise in wound healing and tissue repair without fibrosis.
Usefulness of positron emission tomography to detect cerebral amyloid as a means to diagnose neurodegenerative disease.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized histologically by the accumulation of a subtype of amyloid protein—beta amyloid—in the brain parenchyma in the form of amyloid plaques. In another neurodegenera...
Importance of filter’s microstructure in dynamic filtration modeling of gasoline particulate filters (GPFs): Inhomogeneous porosity and pore size distribution

Abstract The state-of-the-art multiscale modeling of gasoline particulate filter (GPF) including channel scale, wall scale, and pore scale is described. The microstructures of two GPFs were experimentally characterized. The pore size distributions of the GPFs were determined by mercury porosimetry. The porosity was measured by X-ray computed tomography (CT) and found to be inhomogeneous across the substrate wall. The significance of pore size distribution with respect to filtration performance was analyzed. The predictions of filtration efficiency were improved by including the pore size distribution in the filtration model. A dynamic heterogeneous multiscale filtration (HMF) model was utilized to simulate particulate filtration on a single channel particulate filter with realistic particulate emissions from a spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) gasoline engine. The dynamic evolution of filter’s microstructure and macroscopic filtration characteristics including mass- and number-based filtration efficiencies and pressure drop were predicted and discussed. The microstructure of the GPF substrate including inhomogeneous porosity and pore size distribution is found to significantly influence local particulate deposition inside the substrate and macroscopic filtration performance and is recommended to be resolved in the filtration model to simulate and evaluate the filtration performance of GPFs.
Same concept…Different terms

Most introductory physics courses begin with the concept of an object (usually a particle) having a precise position or location in space (I will not address spacetime here) relative to something else, the origin of a three-dimensional coordinate system perhaps. My experience has been that physics students are inherently at home with this concept. In astronomy, we often begin by thinking about the sky. For the purposes of this article, I will simply define it as that which we see when we look away from Earth’s surface. It appears almost as a two-dimensional plane, perhaps even a curved surface. When we look at something in the sky, we really have no sense of distance. Indeed, when astronomers need the “position” of a star or planet in the sky, the quantity is two dimensional. Because the sky appears to wrap around Earth, celestial positions can be given entirely by angular quantities. Astronomers use right ascension and declination, respectively, as analogs of terrestrial longitude and latitude. Right asc...
Not a zero-sum game: inequalities and resilience in Sumner, Missouri, the Gooseless Goose Capital of the World

Recent works on socio-ecological resilience stress the need to integrate inequalities and power into considerations of how communities are reorganized in response to socio-ecological transformation...
Dynamic Responses of Saturated Half-Spaces under Distributed Buried Loads

AbstractIn this paper, three-dimensional dynamic responses of a saturated half-space under arbitrary distributed buried time-harmonic load are investigated through analytical developments. In the d...
A Simple Measure for Acuity in Medical Images

An automatic and objective assessment of image quality is important in an era, where large-scale processing of imaging data from multi-center studies becomes commonplace. Based on a comprehensive statistical image model that includes noise and blur, a measure for image acuity is derived here as the ratio of the maximal gradient magnitude and the intensity difference at a boundary. Acuity may be affected by the object under study, the image acquisition, reconstruction processes, and any post-processing steps. The acuity measure presented here is post-hoc, intuitive to understand, simple to compute, and easily integrates with other standard measures of image quality. Three applications in medical imaging are included where our acuity measure is useful in the objective and automatic assessment of image quality.
Precipitation-strengthened austenitic Fe-Mn-Ti alloys

The precipitation of the intermetallic compounds in the Fe-20 Mn-2 Ti and Fe-28 Mn-2 Ti alloy systems has been investigated over the temperature range 700 to 900/sup 0/C using hardness measurements, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. In both systems only the equilbrium Laves phase was found to form during the ausaging process; no transition phase was observed. The precipitate was identified as a C14 (MgZn/sub 2/) type hexagonal Laves phase with a chemical composition close to Fe/sub 2/(Ti,Mn). The precipitation in an as-solution-treated sample occurred predominantly in a heterogeneous manner, predominantly along grain boundaries.
In defense of hyper-logicist AI

We argue for "hyper"-logicism, the view, hitherto unarticulated, that AI can succeed in creating a genuine robot agent by building a symbol system of the appropriate sort which has no sub-symbolic interaction whatsoever with the external world.
Solid State NMR Detection of Molecular-Level Mixing Phenomena in Strongly Interacting Polymer Blends and Phase-Separated Copolymers

This research contribution addresses mixing phenomena in polymer blends that exhibit strong intermolecular association. Molecular-level observations of specific interactions between dissimilar blend components have been obtained from high-resolution solid state proton and carbon-13 NMR experiments at ambient temperature. Results illustrate mixing effects on the isotropic chemical shifts of the critical component in a completely or partially phase-mixed blend. Perturbations in the NMR spectra result from conformational changes, hydrogen bonding, molecular complexation, or altered packing geometries that occur concomitantly with the mixing process. More convincing evidence that two components of a strongly interacting blend reside in a near-neighbor environment is obtained from the measurement of proton spin diffusion between dissimilar species. Proton spin diffusion is measured directly via the high-resolution CRAMPS experiment (Combined Rotation and Multiple Pulse Spectroscopy) in a molecular complex of poly(ethylene oxide) and resorcinol, and indirectly via the carbon-13 spin system in a modified version of the Goldman-Shen experiment for microphase-separated copolymers. One of the primary objectives of this research endeavor is to bridge the gap between macroscopic and molecular-level probes of phase behavior and intermolecular association in mixtures that form molecular complexes. Hence, in addition to the molecular-level solid state NMR results, implications from a macroscopic phase of the polymer-blend research are discussed. In summary, we have measured the thermal and mechanical properties of strongly interacting systems, whose interaction sites have been characterized via solid state NMR. The success of this proposed structure-property relationship scheme, which bridges microscopic fundamentals (via NMR) with practical macroscopic (DSC and stress-strain) measurements, depends on our ability to understand material properties at a level where continuum hypotheses are no longer valid.
Vaccination do's and don'ts.

Get the lowdown on 12 common vaccines-who should receive them and when and how to safety store and administer them.
PULSED DOPPLER FREQUENCY SPECTRUM ANALYSIS STUDIES OF SIMULATED STENOSES

This paper describes a series of in vitro experiments in which the pulsed Doppler ultrasound frequency spectrum was analyzed for a system of artificial blood flowing through relatively small stenoses. The results show that two Doppler frequency spectrum parameters increased as the stenotic area reduction increased from 10 to 50%. The results of these studies may help the clinician detect small stenoses that are not hemodynamically significant but which could be clinically significant.
Abstract WMP66: Infection and Coagulopathy in Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)-Associated Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Case-Crossover Study

Introduction: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)-associated intracranial hemorrhage carries a high morbidity and mortality rate. Despite the common occurrence, the etiology of intracranial hemor...
Wolff potentials and regularity of solutions to integral systems on spaces of homogeneous type

Abstract Two objectives are accomplished in this paper: First we establish the comparison between Wolff and Riesz potentials on space of homogeneous type in the sense of Coifman and Weiss ( Theorem 1.2 ), followed by a Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev type inequality for Wolff potentials ( Theorem 1.3 ). Then applying this inequality, we consider a Lane–Emden type integral system and use regularity lifting to derive integrability estimates of positive solutions to the system, by which we also imply L ∞ estimates (see Theorem 1.4 , Theorem 1.5 ). Furthermore, we use a modified regularity lifting method to prove that the positive solutions are also Lipschitz continuous ( Theorem 1.6 ). Our results imply Wolff potentials and regularity of solutions to the Lane–Emden type integral systems on stratified groups and the Carnot–Carathedory metric spaces defined by a family of vector fields satisfying Hormander's finite rank condition as special cases.
Characteristics of Physicians Excluded From US Medicare and State Public Insurance Programs for Fraud, Health Crimes, or Unlawful Prescribing of Controlled Substances.

Importance Each year, billions of dollars are wasted owing to health care fraud, waste, and abuse. Efforts to detect fraud have been increasing, yet we have little information about physicians who have been excluded from Medicare and state public insurance programs for fraud, health crimes, or the unlawful prescribing of controlled substances. Objective To examine the characteristics of physicians excluded from Medicare and state public insurance programs for fraud, health crimes, or unlawful prescribing of controlled substances. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study considered all physicians excluded from Medicare and state public insurance programs between 2007 and 2017. The study matched exclusion data to a comprehensive, cross-sectional database of US physicians assembled by Doximity, an online networking service for US physicians. The share of physicians excluded in each state was examined and linear trends of exclusions over time were estimated. Using physician-level multivariable logistic regression models, exclusions (binary variable) were assessed as a function of physician characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures Exclusions for fraud, health crimes (defined legally as criminal penalties for acts involving federal health care programs), and substance abuse; and physician characteristics, including age, sex, allopathic vs osteopathic degree, medical school attended, ranking of that medical school, medical school faculty affiliation, practice state, practice location, and specialty. Results Between 2007 and 2017, 2222 physicians (0.29%) were temporarily or permanently excluded from Medicare and state public insurance programs. Fraud, health crimes, and substance abuse exclusions increased, on average, 20% per year (equivalent to 48 [95% CI, 40.4-56.0] convictions/year from a base of 236 convictions in 2007 to 670 convictions in 2017 [an increase of approximately 200% from 2007 to 2017]). Exclusion rates were highest in the West and Southeast. West Virginia had the highest exclusion rate, with 5.77 exclusions per 1000 physicians (32 exclusions among 5720 physicians), while Montana had 0 exclusions during this period. Male physicians, physicians with osteopathic training, older physicians, and physicians in specific specialties (eg, family medicine, psychiatry, internal medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, and obstetrics/gynecology) were more likely to be excluded. Conclusions and Relevance The number of physicians excluded from participation in Medicare and state public insurance reimbursement owing to fraud, waste, and abuse increased between 2007 and 2017. Several physician characteristics, including being a male, older age, and osteopathic training, were significantly and positively associated with exclusion. Our results highlight the potential value of using physician characteristics in conjunction with information on medical claims filed by physicians to help identify adverse physician behavior.
Investigating the effect of ligand and cation on the properties of metal fluorinated acetylacetonate based magnetic ionic liquids

Magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) are a subclass of ionic liquids that possess a paramagnetic metal within their chemical structure, making them susceptible to external magnetic fields. A total of twenty-four (24) MILs were prepared and characterized to investigate the effect of the ligand, cation and anion on the physiochemical properties of acetylacetonate-based MILs. It was found that thermal stabilities as high as 260 °C could be achieved by incorporating aromatic moieties in the anion structure. Additionally, the magnetic moment could be modulated by simply changing the transition metal in the anion. Magnetic moment values of 2.8 μB, 4.5 μB and 5.6 μB were obtained by using Ni(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) as the metal centers, respectively. Furthermore, the viscosity of the MILs could be tailored from a few hundred centipoise to several thousand centipoise, increasing their potential applications in numerous interdisciplinary fields. Moreover, the MILs synthesized in this study were found to be insoluble in water at a MIL-to-solvent ratio of 0.01% (w/v), making them potentially useful in targeted separations, where very hydrophobic solvents are highly desired.
Brief Announcement: The Fault-Tolerant Cluster-Sending Problem

The development of fault-tolerant distributed systems that can tolerate Byzantine behavior has traditionally been focused on consensus protocols, which support fully-replicated designs. For the development of more sophisticated high-performance Byzantine distributed systems, more specialized fault-tolerant communication primitives are necessary, however. In this brief announcement, we identify the cluster-sending problem - the problem of sending a message from one Byzantine cluster to another Byzantine cluster in a reliable manner - as such an essential communication primitive. We not only formalize this fundamental problem, but also establish lower bounds on the complexity of this problem under crash failures and Byzantine failures. Furthermore, we develop practical cluster-sending protocols that meet these lower bounds and, hence, have optimal complexity. As such, our work provides a strong foundation for the further exploration of novel designs that address challenges encountered in fault-tolerant distributed systems.
The Informed Cohort Oversight Board: From Values to Architecture.

© 2012 Ingrid A. Holm & Patrick L. Taylor * Dr. Holm is a principal investigator for The Gene Partnership (TGP), described herein. She is also affiliated with the following: Division of Genetics and Program in Genomics, Children’s Hospital Boston; Department of Pediat-rics, Harvard Medical School; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Re-search, Children’s Hospital Boston ** Mr. Taylor is a co-investigator of TGP and chair of the Informed Co-hort Oversight Board (ICOB) from the ICOB’s inception through the period described in this paper. He is also affiliated with the following: Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Harvard Law School; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Children’s Hospi-tal Informatics Program, Children’s Hospital Boston. *** In shaping the policies described here, the authors acknowledge, with much gratitude, the contributions of the individual ICOB members including Stephanie Jo Brewster, MS, CGC; Robert C. Green, MD, MPH; Steven Joffe, MD, MPH; Eric Juengst, PhD; Susan Kornetsky, MPH; and Amy McGuire, JD, PhD, as well as the TGP staff, including Isaac S. Kohane, MD, PhD; Louis B. Kunkel, PhD; Kenneth Mandl, MD, MPH: Catherine Clinton, MS, GCG; Sarah Savage, MS, CGC; and Erin Harris, BA. The authors take sole respon-sibility for any characterization of the policies with which any of those mem-bers might disagree, and for the process described here by which those policies were created. Finally, the authors acknowledge, with deep gratitude, the kindness, extraordinary mentorship, and guidance of Isaac S. Kohane, MD, PhD and Louis B. Kunkel, PhD, with respect to this project and generally. The authors also acknowledge the Petrie-Flom Center for the stipended fellowship that supports Mr. Taylor, NHGRI grant RC1-HG005491 (Holm, PI) which supported much of this work, and NHGRI grant R01-HG006615 (Holm, PI) which is supporting this work moving forward. Preparation of this article was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) grant #2-R01-HG003178 on “Managing Incidental Findings and Research Results in Genomic Biobanks & Archives” (Wolf, PI; Kahn, Lawrenz, Van Ness, Co-Is). The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH or NHGRI.
Ebstein's Anomaly

Four cases of Ebstein's anomaly are described, revealing that the clinical features permit diagnosis in the majority of instances and that cardiac catheterization affords precise confirmation of the diagnosis. The occurrence of this anomaly in acyanotic adults is pointed out, and the similarity to acquired valvular rheumatic heart disease is stressed.
Primary Human Hepatocytes Maintain Long-term Functions in Porous Silk Scaffolds Containing Extracellular Matrix Proteins

The shortage of donor organs for transplantation has prompted the development of alternative implantable human liver tissues; however, the need for a clinically viable liver tissue that can be fabricated using physiologically-relevant primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) is unmet. Purified silk proteins provide desirable features for generating implantable tissues, such as sustainable sourcing from insects/arachnids, biocompatibility, tunable mechanical properties and degradation rates, and low immunogenicity upon implantation; however, the utility of such scaffolds to generate human liver tissues using PHHs remains unclear. Here, we show that the incorporation of type I collagen during the fabrication and/or autoclaving of silk scaffolds was necessary to enable robust PHH attachment/function. Scaffolds with small pores (73 +/- 25 microns) promoted higher PHH functions than large pores (235 +/- 84 microns). Further incorporation of growth-arrested 3T3-J2 fibroblasts into scaffolds enhanced PHH functions up to 5-fold for 5 months in culture, an unprecedented longevity, and functions were better retained than 2D configurations. Lastly, encapsulating PHHs within MatrigelTM while housed in the silk/collagen scaffold led to higher functions than Matrigel or silk/collagen alone. In conclusion, porous silk scaffolds are useful for generating long-term PHH +/- fibroblast tissues which may ultimately find applications in regenerative medicine and drug development.
Familiar soil conditions help Pinus ponderosa seedlings cope with warming and drying climate

Changes in temperature and moisture as a result of climate forcing can impact performance of planted trees. Tree performance may also be sensitive to new soil conditions, for example, brought about by seeds germinating in soils different from those colonized by ancestral populations. Such “edaphic constraint” may occur with natural migration or human‐assisted movement. Pinus ponderosa seedlings, sourced from one location (“home” site), were grown across a field environmental gradient in either their original home soil or in soils from two different “away” sites. Seedlings were inoculated with site‐specific soil organisms by germinating seeds in living soil. After 6 months, the inoculated seedlings were transplanted into sterilized soils from the home or away sites. This experimental design allowed us to uncouple the importance of abiotic and biotic soil properties and test (1) how biotic and abiotic soil properties interact with climate to influence plant growth and stress tolerance, and (2) the role of soil biota in facilitating growth in novel environments. Seedlings grew least in hotter and drier away sites with away soil biota. Home soil biota ameliorated negative impacts on growth of hotter and drier away sites. Measurements of photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll florescence (Fv/Fm) suggest that edaphic constraint reduced growth by increasing tree water stress. Results suggest that success of Ponderosa pine plantings into warming environments will be enhanced by pre‐inoculation with native soil biota of the seed source.
Covid-19: adverse mental health outcomes for healthcare workers.

Work related stress can worsen existing conditions and crisis intervention might not suffice
Smart Inverter Stability Enhancement in Weak Grids Using Adaptive Virtual-Inductance

An adaptive virtual-inductance feedforward scheme is presented in this article to enhance the stable operation of smart inverters in weak grids. In the developed scheme, the virtual inductance is updated in real time according to an adaptation law to ensure that the inverter follows the dynamic response of a robust reference model, thereby ensuring stability without the need for any grid impedance estimation. In this article, the developed scheme is validated with experimental results obtained from testing a small-scale two-level, 208-V, 2-kW inverter.
Soil properties limiting vegetation establishment along roadsides

Roadside vegetation provides a multitude of ecosystem services, including pollutant remediation, runoff reduction, wildlife habitat, and aesthetic scenery. Establishment of permanent vegetation along paved roads after construction can be challenging, particularly within 1 m of the pavement. Adverse soil conditions could be one of the leading factors limiting roadside vegetation growth. In this study, we assessed soil physical and chemical properties along a transect perpendicular to the road at six microtopographic positions (road edge, shoulder, side slope, ditch, backslope, and field edge) along two highway segments near Beaver Crossing and Sargent, NE. At the Beaver Crossing site, Na concentration was 81 times, exchangeable Na 66 times, and cone index (compaction parameter) six times higher at the road-edge position (closest to the paved road and with sparse vegetation) compared to positions with abundant vegetation (ditch or field edge). At the Sargent site, Na concentration was 111 times, exchangeable Na 213 times, and cone index up to two times higher at the road-edge position compared with ditch or field-edge positions. Likewise, electrical conductivity was higher and macroaggregation and water infiltration were lower at the road edge than at the ditch or field-edge positions. Soil properties improved with increasing distance from the road. Exchangeable Na percentage and cone index at the road-edge position exceeded threshold levels for the growth of sensitive plants. Thus, high Na concentration and increased compaction at the road edge appear to be the leading soil properties limiting vegetation establishment along Nebraska highways.
Comparison study of sixteen differential abundance methods using two large Parkinson disease gut microbiome datasets

Abstract Background When studying the relationship between the microbiome and a disease, a common question asked is what individual microbes are differentially abundant between a disease and healthy state. Numerous differential abundance (DA) testing methods exist and range from standard statistical tests to methods specifically designed for microbiome data. Comparison studies of DA testing methods have been performed, but none were performed on microbiome datasets collected for the study of real, complex disease. Due to this, we performed DA testing of microbial genera using 16 DA methods in two large, uniformly collected gut microbiome datasets on Parkinson disease (PD), and compared their results. Results Pairwise concordances between methods ranged from 46%-99% similarity. Average pairwise concordance per dataset was 76%, and dropped to 62% when taking replication of signals across datasets into account. Certain methods consistently resulted in above average concordances (e.g. Kruskal-Wallis, ALDEx2, GLM with centered-log-ratio transform), while others consistently resulted in lower than average concordances (e.g. edgeR, fitZIG). Overall, ∼80% of genera tested were detected as differentially abundant by at least one method in each dataset. Requiring associations to replicate across datasets reduced significant signals by almost half. Further requirement of signals to be replicated by the majority of methods (≥8) yielded 19 associations. Only one genus (Agathobacter) was replicated by all methods. Use of hierarchical clustering revealed three groups of DA signatures that were (1) replicated by the majority of methods and included genera previously associated with PD, (2) replicated by few or no methods, and (3) replicated by a subset of methods and included rarer genera, all enriched in PD. Conclusions Differential abundance tests yielded varied results. Using one method on one dataset may find true associations, but may also detect non-reproducible signals, adding to inconsistency in the literature. To help lower false positives, one might analyze data with two or more DA methods to gauge concordance, and use a built-in replication dataset to show reproducibility. This study corroborated previously reported taxa-associations in PD, and revealed a potential new group of rarer taxa whose abundance is significantly elevated in PD, and might be worth pursuing in future investigations.