cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The End of Logic

If philosophy were to begin with any determinate method or subject matter, philosophical investigation would condemn itself to a hypothetical wager of opinion relative to its initial assumption of some form or content. The procedure and topic of philosophy, however, are themselves philosophical issues that must be decided within and by philosophy itself. Philosophy therefore finds itself in the radical predicament of having to begin instead without making any specific assertions about its knowing or its object. Surmounting relativity by calling into question all assumptions about what philosophical investigation should address and how it should proceed, philosophy is necessarily an empty word at the outset of its labors. All that can be anticipated is that philosophy must exhibit a complete self-responsibility, liberating its investigation from all external dictates and operating with sovereign autonomy. Philosophy must be what it exclusively determines itself to be, and what that is cannot be duly manifest until the conclusion of its self-constituting activity. This is not to say that philosophical investigation is limited to thinking itself. Rather, to the degree that philosophy conceives everything disclosed through the autonomous workings of reason, whatever it reveals about whichever objects fall under philosophical purview must be determined prior to philosophy’s arrival at its own self-conception.
Cleavage of Side Chains on Thiophenic Compounds by Supercritical Water Treatment of Crude Oil Quantified by Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography with Sulfur Chemiluminescence Detection

Two-dimensional gas chromatography with sulfur chemiluminescence detection (GC × GC-SCD) is applied to understand the changes in alkylated thiophenes, benzothiophenes (BTs), and dibenzothiophenes (DBTs) during supercritical water (SCW) upgrading of Arabian Heavy crude oil. It is shown that SCW treatment of heavy crude oil has several important effects: (1) The amount of BTs and DBTs in the distillate range increase, primarily due to cracking of heavier compounds. (2) Most of the long side chains on the thiophenes, BTs, and DBTs crack to form the corresponding thiophenic compounds with shorter side chains. (3) A small amount of the alkylated thiophenes undergo ring closure to form BTs during SCW treatment, and a small amount of the alkylated BTs appear to form DBTs in a similar way. As reported earlier, SCW treatment removes some of the sulfur from the oil phase, presumably as hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Distilling the heavy crude oil into light and heavy fractions and treating these fractions individually wit...
Mode of action of potato apyrase.

SummaryWith the use of hexokinase, it has been possible to show that the adenylpyrophosphatase from potato does not contain adenylate kinase. The lack of competitive inhibition of ATP splitting by ...
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF HIGH-ORDER DIGITAL FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS USING SINGULAR-VALUE CONCEPTS

University of Kansas Flight Research ~ a b ~ r a t o r ~ f / Lawrence, Kansas A recently developed sensitivity analysis technique for linear control systems [llt, which is based on the gradients of the returndifference-matrix singular values, is improved by introducing system scaling, and extended to include digital systems. System scaling is used to improve the reliability of the singular values as measures of relative stability. Digital systems are included in the analysis through the derivation of new equations for the matrix singular value gradients. An example of the applicability of the method to high-order, digital, multiloop systems is presented using the X-29A lateraldirectional control laws. Results for the X-29A are discussed, as well as the range of validity of these results.
Impaired phagocytosis of pneumococcus type 3 in splenectomized rats.

SummarySplenectomy is frequently undertaken in patients as an adjunct to the medical treatment of clinical problems or subsequent to traumatic rupture. Several reports of an increased incidence of pneumococcal sepsis in these patients have been made. In contrast, others insist that no significant increase in susceptibility to infection follows splenectomy. Using an in vitro assay of pneumococcal phagocytosis by leukocytes, rats were found to have a serum deficiency of phagocytosis, 3 months after splenectomy. Specific subcutaneous immunization of these splenectomized rats diminished the defect. No such improvement was seen, however, following intravenous immunization. It is suggested that subcutaneous immunization to pneumococcus or other antigens may offer a safe method of reducing the risk of bacterial sepsis in splenectomized patients.We thank Sue Buron and Jim Wicks for their excellent technical assistance.
Paternal Behaviour in a Socially Monogamous but Sexually Promiscuous Passerine Bird

We documented parental behaviour and paternity of eastern kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) to test the predictions that paternal care would decline with increasing loss of paternity, increasing nesting density (a proxy for probability of paternity loss), male quality, and number of fertile females available in the population. Extra-pair young were found in 58% of 45 nests for which behaviour was recorded and a higher proportion of young were extra-pair as nesting density increased. Male feeding rate declined with increasing nesting density and male quality, but neither feeding rate nor a composite measure of paternal behaviour varied with number of fertile females or paternity. Although alternative explanations exist, one interpretation of the reduced paternal care at high nesting density was that it was a response to perceived threats of paternity loss. The ultimate basis for the lower paternal effort of higher quality males is unclear but we discuss several possible explanations.
260 INFLUENCE OF FRUCTOSE-1, 6-DIPHOSPHATE ON ENDOTOXIN-INDUCED LUNG INJURIES IN SHEEP.

Introduction Fructose-1, 6-diphosphate (FDP) is reported to have a salutary effect in endotoxin shock and sepsis. This investigation describes the effect of FDP on pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics, lung lymph protein clearance, and leukocyte count in sheep infused with E. coli endotoxin. Materials and Methods Anesthetized sheep (n = 18), some of which underwent thoracotomy to cannulate lymphatic nodes, were used in this study. Following stabilization, all sheep received E. coli endotoxin 5 μg/kg IV infusion over 30 minutes. Concomitant with the endotoxin infusion, half of the animals were randomly selected to receive an IV bolus of FDP (10%) 50 mg/kg followed by a continuous infusion of 5 mg/kg/min for 4 hours; the rest were treated in the same manner with glucose 10% in 0.9% NaCl. Results Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and resistance in the glucose group increased from 20.8 ± 1.6 to 36.7 ± 3.2 mm Hg (p Conclusion FDP treatment attenuated significantly the characteristic pulmonary hypertension, lung lymph protein clearance, and pulmonary vascular leakage seen in sheep infused with endotoxin.
Determination of guanidine carbonate in milk by non-suppressed conductivity cation chromatography

Objective:To establish a sensitive method for the determination of guanidine carbonate in milk by ion chromatography(IC) with non-suppressed conductivity detection.Methods:To guanidine carbonate was isolated by using the different concentration of acetonitrile(ACN) as organic modifier.Results:This method was accurate,fast and efficient.The linear range was 1.0~50.0 μg/ml for guanidine carbonate,the correlation coefficients was 0.9999.The recoveries was 99.20% for guanidine carbonate.Conclusion:The developed method is satisfied with the residual determination for guanidine carbonate in milk.
2016 - A Year In Review For Restaurant Firms

The restaurant industry's sales have continued to grow at a moderate pace. According to reports from the National Restaurant Association, restaurant industry sales are projected at approximately $7...
Psychological interventions to reduce suicidality in high-risk patients with major depression: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Positive psychological constructs have been associated with reduced suicidal ideation, and interventions to cultivate positive feelings have the potential to reduce suicide risk. This study compares the efficacy of a 6-week, telephone-based positive psychology (PP) intervention against a cognition-focused (CF) control intervention among patients recently hospitalized for depression and suicidal ideation or behavior. Method A total of 65 adults with a current major depressive episode reporting suicidal ideation or a recent suicide attempt were enrolled from participating in-patient psychiatric units. Prior to discharge, participants were randomized to the PP (n = 32) or CF (n = 33) intervention. In both interventions, participants received a treatment manual, performed weekly PP (e.g. gratitude letter) or CF (e.g. recalling daily events) exercises, and completed weekly one-on-one telephone sessions over 6 weeks. Between-group differences in hopelessness (primary outcome), depression, suicidality and positive psychological constructs at 6 and 12 weeks were tested using mixed-effects models accounting for intensity of post-hospitalization psychiatric treatment. Results Compared with PP, the CF intervention was associated with significantly greater improvements in hopelessness at 6 weeks (β = −3.15, 95% confidence interval −6.18 to −0.12, effect size = −0.84, p = 0.04), but not 12 weeks. Similarly, the CF intervention led to greater improvements in depression, suicidal ideation, optimism and gratitude at 6 and 12 weeks. Conclusions Contrary to our hypothesis, the CF intervention was superior to PP in improving hopelessness, other suicide risk factors and positive psychological constructs during a key post-discharge period among suicidal patients with depression. Further study of this CF intervention is warranted in populations at high suicide risk.
Computing RBF Kernel for SVM Classification Using Stochastic Logic

This paper presents novel architectures for radial basis function (RBF) kernel computation for support vector machine (SVM) classifier using stochastic logic. Stochastic computing systems involve low hardware complexity and are inherently faulttolerant. Two types of architectures are presented. These include: an implementation with input and output both in bipolar format and an implementation with bipolar input and unipolar output. The computation of RBF kernel is comprised of the squared Euclidean distance and the exponential function. In the first implementation, two components are implemented in bipolar format and the exponential function is designed based on the finite state machine (FSM) method. The second implementation computes the squared Euclidean distance with bipolar input and unipolar output. The exponential function is implemented in unipolar format based on the Maclaurin expansion. The accuracies of two architectures are compared using support vectors from classification of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals for seizure prediction. From simulation results, it is shown that the computational error of the second stochastic implementation with format conversion is 24.90% less than that of the first implementation in bipolar format.
Solution to the Anderson exchange narrowing model for I

Abstract The Anderson exchange and motional narrowing model of a resonance spectrum was solved for two distinct cases having nuclear spin values of I = 1 2 , 1, 3 2 , 2, and 5 2 . In the absence of exchange interactions the spectrum consists of n = 2I + 1 resolved lines of equal intensity and separated by the frequency 2ω0. Case (a) corresponds to equal transition probability to all other lines of the spectrum, while allowed transitions for case (b) occur only between adjacent lines. For both cases the initial effect of increasing the magnitude of the exchange interaction ωe is the broadening and drawing together of the spectral lines. At higher exchange frequencies the spectrum is dominated by a single exchange narrowed component while the other n−1 lines are broadened beyond detection. For case (a) exchange narrowing occurs when (ωe > 2 (n−1) ω0 and for case (b) it occurs when ωe > 2(n−1)2ω0. In the limit of strong exchange all of the hyperfine components collapse to the spectral center of gravity for case (b), as contrasted with case (a) in which only the inner (M I = 0 or ± 1 2 ) components actually collapse to the center. Values of the ratio ωe/ω0 at each hyperfine component's point of collapse to the center were determined. The variations of the line positions, widths and relative intensities were calculated as a function of the exchange frequency. Asymptotic formulae were derived for the limits of large and small exchange.
Domains of Digital Marketing Channels in the Sharing Economy

The sharing economy has experienced major growth in a short period with little academic research that has looked into possible logistic factors that may have contributed to this phenomenon. This article explores the domains of digital marketing channels—specifically e-mail marketing, social media marketing, and search engine marketing—to understand how they can contribute to growth for organizations in the sharing economy. A detailed conceptual model of the decision spectrum necessary to coordinate digital marketing channels is presented and a special case is made for the role branded-mobile applications play in this context. In particular, branded-mobile applications leverage three embedded components to overcome common deterrents for participating in the sharing economy: trust, utility, and user experience.
Spectral Efficiency of Mixed-ADC Massive MIMO

We study the spectral efficiency (SE) of a mixed-analog-to-digital converter (ADC) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system in which $K$ single-antenna users communicate with a base station equipped with $M$ antennas connected to $N$ high-resolution ADCs and $M-N$ 1-b ADCs. This architecture has been proposed as an approach for realizing massive MIMO systems with reasonable power consumption. First, we investigate the effectiveness of mixed-ADC architectures in overcoming the channel estimation error caused by coarse quantization. For the channel estimation phase, we study to what extent one can combat the SE loss by exploiting just $N\ll M$ pairs of high-resolution ADCs. We extend the round-robin training scheme for mixed-ADC systems to include both high-resolution and 1-b quantized observations. Then, we analyze the impact of the resulting channel estimation error in the data detection phase. We consider random high-resolution ADC assignment and also analyze a simple antenna selection scheme to increase the SE. Analytical expressions are derived for the SE for maximum ratio combining and numerical results are presented for zero-forcing detection. Performance comparisons are made against systems with uniform ADC resolution and against mixed-ADC systems without round-robin training to illustrate under what conditions each approach provides the greatest benefit.
Monte Carlo modeling of fluorescence in semi-infinite turbid media

The incident field size and the interplay of absorption and scattering can influence the in-vivo light fluence rate distribution and complicate the absolute quantification of fluorophore concentration in-vivo. In this study, we use Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the effect of incident beam radius and optical properties to the fluorescence signal collected by isotropic detector placed on the tissue surface. The optical properties at the excitation and emission wavelengths are assumed to be identical. We compute correction factors to correct the fluorescence intensity for variations due to incident field size and optical properties. The correction factors are fitted to a 4-parameters empirical correction function and the changes in each parameter are compared for various beam radius over a range of physiologically relevant tissue optical properties (μa = 0.1 – 1 cm-1 , μs’= 5 – 40 cm-1 ).
Aqueous developers for positive tone ultrathin chemically amplified EUV resists

Dissolution of ultrathin exposed EUV photoresist can deviate from the bulk regime due to the modulating influence of the adjacent top and bottom interfaces, which can eventually dominate the behavior of the entire film. Furthermore, use of TMAH 0.26N as aqueous developer for CARs has remained the industry standard without thorough investigation of other possible aqueous bases and concentrations. In this work, we provide a detailed description of the interfacial dissolution behavior of model ultrathin EUV resists in a variety of tetraalkylammonium-based developers, using a representative open source polymer platform. Dissolution kinetics measured using QCM (quartz crystal microbalance) with and without added PAG highlight the convolution of vertical distribution of resist additives with their dissolution inhibition effect throughout the resist film. Results for the local dissolution at the resist-substrate interface using interrupted development and AFM measurements are provided and explained in terms of confinement effects (polymer chain mobility, vacid diffusion) and polymer-substrate interactions. This work can serve as initial guidance to understand the attainable interfacial dissolution modulation afforded by a rational developer selection and a matching EUV resist design.
Rates and predictors of seizure outcome after corpus callosotomy for drug-resistant epilepsy: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVECorpus callosotomy is a palliative surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy that reduces the severity and frequency of generalized seizures by disconnecting the two cerebral hemispheres. Unlike with resection, seizure outcomes remain poorly understood. The authors systematically reviewed the literature and performed a meta-analysis to investigate rates and predictors of complete seizure freedom and freedom from drop attacks after corpus callosotomy.METHODSPubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were queried for primary studies examining seizure outcomes after corpus callosotomy published over 30 years. Rates of complete seizure freedom or drop attack freedom were recorded. Variables showing a potential relationship to seizure outcome on preliminary analysis were subjected to formal meta-analysis.RESULTSThe authors identified 1742 eligible patients from 58 included studies. Overall, the rates of complete seizure freedom and drop attack freedom after corpus callosotomy were 18.8% and 55.3%, respectively. Complete seizure freedom was significantly predicted by the presence of infantile spasms (OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.13-13.23), normal MRI findings (OR 4.63, 95% CI 1.75-12.25), and shorter epilepsy duration (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.23-5.38). Freedom from drop attacks was predicted by complete over partial callosotomy (OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.07-7.83) and idiopathic over known epilepsy etiology (OR 2.84, 95% CI 1.35-5.99).CONCLUSIONSThe authors report the first systematic review and meta-analysis of seizure outcomes in both adults and children after corpus callosotomy for epilepsy. Approximately one-half of patients become free from drop attacks, and one-fifth achieve complete seizure freedom after surgery. Some predictors of favorable outcome differ from those in resective epilepsy surgery.
Regional variation in lung and bronchus cancer survival in the US using mortality-to-incidence ratios.

Abstract Despite major achievements aimed at reducing smoking over the last 50 years in the U.S., lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death. This study used mortality-to-incidence rate ratios (MIR) calculated from 2008 to 2012 National Cancer Institute data to highlight state-level variations in relative lung and bronchus cancer survival. In an ad hoc sensitivity analysis, we calculated a correlation between our state-level MIRs and five-year 1-survival rates for states reporting incident lung and bronchus cancer cases (2004–2008) to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database. Differences were observed in state lung and bronchus cancer MIRs, with the highest MIR values (poor relative survival) in southern states and the lowest MIRs primarily in northeastern states. In our sensitivity analysis, state-level MIRs were highly correlated with 1-survival rates. Examining regional variation in survival using MIRs can be a useful tool for identifying areas of health disparities and conducting surveillance activities.
Dyspnea Assessment and Airway Management in Acute Heart Failure Syndromes Patients

Shortness of breath is the most common symptom in patients who present with acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS). These patients commonly require urgent therapy and may also require breathing support and/or definitive airway management. Early airway and breathing assessment followed promptly by expeditious management can significantly improve the patient’s subjective sense of breathlessness as well as their clinical status. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for appropriate patients may substantially improve respiratory distress. For those patients in whom NIV is not appropriate or who present in extremis, definitive airway management is mandated. In this chapter, we discuss how to assess dyspnea in AHFS patients, appropriate use of NIV, and, finally, definitive airway management.
Restraint System Biomechanics

The fundamentals of occupant protection in a crash involve vehicle crashworthiness and occupant restraint. Crashworthiness refers to implementing a strong occupant compartment that resists intrusion and to designing crushable front and rear structures that deform and perform work to dissipate the kinetic energy of the crash. This combination provides controlled vehicle deceleration and survival space in the occupant compartment. Occupant restraint refers to the use of lap-shoulder belts, airbags, and other systems to provide ride-down of the vehicle deceleration, containment on the seat, and distribution of forces on the pelvis, shoulder, chest, and other designated anatomical structures to decelerate the occupant. The effectiveness of current restraint designs for protecting the occupant and reducing the risk of serious injury and death in a crash are well documented. Lap-shoulder belts are approximately 40 % effective in preventing death, with the highest effectiveness of nearly 80 % in rollovers and the lowest of approximately 30 % in near-side impacts [1]. In frontal crashes, the addition of the airbag to the three-point belt system raises the effectiveness level to approximately 50 %. Despite this impressive safety record, belt system performance is continually being refined. For example, recent papers have discussed the development of four-point harnesses for use in production vehicles [2, 3], and devices such as pretensioners and belt load limiters [4] are becoming common features in contemporary vehicles. A pretensioner, which is usually pyrotechnic, triggers from the deceleration characteristic imparted to the vehicle by an impact. The charge winds several centimeters of belt around its storage spool, thereby removing slack in the system, generating a decelerating force on the occupant, and reducing the time required to generate force (tension) in the belt (i.e., the response time). Load-limiters typically involve an element within the belt retractor that yields when a pre-determined belt tension level is reached. This tension may range from 2 to 6 kN, and in the most advanced systems can be transient and programmable. These refinements introduce significant changes in the shape of the restraining force profile (Fig. 5.1), which have been shown to enhance belt performance both in the laboratory and on the road [6–12]. As this technology continues to develop, the characteristics of the restraining force applied to the occupant are becoming increasingly controllable. Continued improvement in restraint performance may be possible by implementing active control as an integral part of the restraint system. Steps have been taken to develop active systems (sometimes referred to as “smart” restraints) that adapt based on various inputs. For example, dual-stage pretensioners may modulate the magnitude of belt retraction based on the severity of the collision. Other “smart” aspects of restraint systems have been discussed by several researchers [4, 13–16].
The Northerly Wind

Under the stress of northerly winds off East Greenland in winter during the sixties the Great Salinity Anomaly of the Seventies was formed and it drifted across the North Atlantic for nearly twenty years. It crossed the spawning grounds of a number of “deep water” stocks and the recruitments to eleven out of fifteen were significantly reduced during the years of passage of the Great Slug. North of Iceland and on the Grand Bank both primary and secondary production were reduced, which suggests that the reduced recruitment was linked to lack of food for the larvae.
Recycled glass fiber reinforced polymer composites incorporated in mortar for improved mechanical performance

Abstract Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) panels from retired wind turbines were recycled into discrete structural elements in mortar. Based on 7-day testing, out of Powder, Small, Medium, and Large fiber size groups, the Large group was identified as the optimum size due to the highest modulus of rupture (MR) and toughness index (TI) while maintaining comparable compressive strength (f’c) relative to control. Implementing the Large group at 1, 3, and 5% replacement of sand resulted in 5, 25 and 35% increases in 90-day MR with significant increases in TI and minimal reductions in f’c and no expansion due to alkali-silica reaction.
High Voltage Vertical Gallium Nitride Pseudo-Junction-Barrier-Schottky Diode with Ion Implantation

Nowadays vertical GaN power devices [1-S] are under intensive research from world- wide. With its superior physical properties, e.g. higher critical electrical field, GaN material based power device can provide much better performance than that of Si and SiC. But due to lack of selective area doping technology to form high quality P-N junction [4], complicated epitaxial regrowth method is used to fabricate GaN-based power transistor [5], its high cost would inhibit the adoption for volume production. So new approaches need to develop for GaN vertical power devices.
Modeling Dual Active Bridge Converter Considering the Effect of Magnetizing Inductance for Electric Vehicle Application

This paper presents a modeling approach for dual active bridge (DAB) converter in electric vehicle (EV) applications which considers the magnetizing inductance effect of the high-frequency transformer. A Typical DAB transformer has very high magnetizing inductance compared to the leakage inductance. As a result, the magnetizing current can be neglected. However, for integrated and hybrid converters, where the same core is used for both DC excitation and AC excitation, an air gap is used to prevent core saturation. In such applications, the effect of magnetizing inductance needs to be considered for DAB converter modeling. For accurate estimation of the DAB converter, a loss model considering magnetizing inductance is developed in this paper. Finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to model the transformer to evaluate the proximity loss and fringe induced eddy current loss mechanisms. An experimental prototype of the DAB converter is developed to verify the proposed model. Experimental waveforms are presented and compared for different power level and switching frequency.
Food Insecurity, ICT, and Food Culture Mismatch

Ecology of Food and Nutrition (EFN) promotes scholarly discussion and engagement on the holistic and cross-cultural dimensions of the study of food and nutrition. Articles published in this journal...
Translation of Wise and Crazy World by Anton Francesco Doni

In the Worlds, Doni describes several imaginary realms. One of them is the Wise and Crazy World, containing the depiction of a utopian society. Doni introduces his utopia after a novella, which illustrates that wisdom and madness correspond merely to what the majority of people approve and disapprove respectively. This topic looms over Doni’s utopian dialogue and its characters, Sage and Crazy, constantly allude to it. Sage describes a world he saw only in a dream. He focuses on people’s customs and everyday activities with little interest in political matters. Crazy excitedly comments, alternating between praising and condemning the utopia’s customs. However, Sage and Crazy cannot determine whether the utopia they are discussing is the best and wisest possible society or just a mad world.
Impact of Benzannulation Site at the Diimine (N^N) Ligand on the Excited-State Properties and Reverse Saturable Absorption of Biscyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes

Ten biscyclometalated monocationic Ir(III) complexes were synthesized and studied to elucidate the effects of extending π-conjugation of the diimine ligand (N^N = 2,2'-bipyridine in Ir1, 2-(pyridin-2-yl)quinoline in Ir2, 2-(pyridin-2-yl)[6,7]benzoquinoline in Ir3, 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-[7,8]benzoquinoline in Ir4, phenanthroline in Ir5, benzo[ f][1,10]phenanthroline in Ir6, naphtho[2,3- f][1,10]phenanthroline in Ir7, 2,2'-bisquinoline in Ir8, 3,3'-biisoquinoline in Ir9, and 1,1'-biisoquinoline in Ir10) via benzannulation at 2,2'-bipyridine on the excited-state properties and reverse saturable absorption (RSA) of these complexes. Either a bathochromic or a hypsochromic shift of the charge-transfer absorption band and emission spectrum was observed depending on the benzannulation site at the 2,2'-bipyridine ligand. Benzannulation at the 3,4-/3',4'-position or 5,6-/5',6'-position of 2,2'-bipyridine ligand or at the 6,7-position of the quinoline ring on the N^N ligand caused red-shifted charge-transfer absorption band and emission band for complexes Ir2, Ir8, Ir10 vs Ir1 and Ir3 vs Ir2, while benzannulation at the 4,5-/4',5'-position of 2,2'-bipyridine ligand or at the 7,8-position of the quinoline ring on the N^N ligand induced a blue shift of the charge-transfer absorption and emission bands for complex Ir9 vs Ir1 and Ir4 vs Ir2. However, benzannulation at the 2,2',3,3'-position of 2,2'-bipyridine or 5,6-position of phenanthroline ligand had no impact on the energy of the charge-transfer absorption band and emission band of complexes Ir5-Ir7 compared with those of Ir1. The observed phenomenon was explained by the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) symmetry analysis. Site-dependent benzannulation also impacted the spectral feature and intensity of the triplet transient absorption spectra and lifetimes drastically. Consequently, the RSA strength of these complexes varied with a trend of Ir7 > Ir5 ≈ Ir6 ≈ Ir1 > Ir3 > Ir2 > Ir10 > Ir4 > Ir8 > Ir9 at 532 nm for 4.1 ns laser pulses.
MOMS Plus: Single-Institution Review of Outcomes for Extended BMI Criteria for Open Fetal Repair of Myelomeningocele.

Background In utero repair has become an accepted therapy to decrease the rate of ventriculoperitoneal shunting and improve neurologic function in select cases of myelomeningocele. The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) trial excluded patients with a BMI >35 due to concerns for increased maternal complications and preterm delivery, limiting the population that may benefit from this intervention. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes associated with extending the maternal BMI criteria to 40 in open fetal repair of myelomeningocele. Method Retrospective review of fetal closure of myelomeningocele at a quaternary referral center between 2013 and 2016 with maternal BMI ranging from 35 to 40. Results Eleven patients with a BMI >35 were identified. The average BMI was 37. The average maternal age at the time of evaluation was 27 years. The average gestational age at fetal surgery was 24 weeks. Gestational age at birth was an average of 32 weeks. There was one perinatal death immediately following the fetal intervention. The shunt rate at 1 year was 45% (5/11 patients). Conclusions In this single-institution review of expanded BMI criteria for fetal repair of myelomeningocele, we did not observe any adverse maternal outcomes associated with maternal obesity; however, the gestational age at delivery was 2 weeks earlier compared to the MOMS trial.
Leadership Orientation of Afghan and Japanese Respondents: A Study of â€œGuzaaraâ€ or Getting Along in Asia

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the leadership tendencies of Afghan and Japaneserespondents by exploring their task and relationship orientations. While there are many published studies onthe Japanese work culture and leadership practices, research about Afghan working adults is limited. Usingthe Style Questionnaire, this research collected and compared the leadership orientations of 400 respondentsfrom each country based on national culture on the task and relationship-orientation continuums. To deepenthe understanding of Afghan leadership tendencies, we explore their culture of â€œguzaaraâ€ (getting along)practices. Similarly, we discuss the Japanese concept of â€œbaâ€ (interactive knowledge creation) as one exampleof a best practice that can be benchmarked by others in society. Both Afghanistan and Japan are high-contextcultures; therefore, people are expected to be more relationship-oriented. While respondents from bothcountries do have a stronger focus on their relationships, data shows that Afghans have a significantly higherscore on both the task-orientation as well as relationship-orientation continuums, compared to their Japanesecounterparts. Implications, recommendations and limitations of the study are provided. The findings thatJapanese and Afghan employees are indeed focused on their relationships, and that they have a moderatelyhigh task orientation scores, are useful for managers and expatriates working in these two Asian countries.
Geometry of geodesics through Busemann measures in directed last-passage percolation

We consider planar directed last-passage percolation on the square lattice with general i.i.d. weights and study the geometry of the full set of semi-infinite geodesics in a typical realization of the random environment. The structure of the geodesics is studied through the properties of the Busemann functions viewed as a stochastic process indexed by the asymptotic direction. In the exactly solvable exponential model, we give the first complete characterization of the uniqueness and coalescence structure of the entire family of semi-infinite geodesics for any model of this type. Our results are further connected to the ergodic program for and stability properties of random Hamilton-Jacobi equations. In the exponential model we compute some statistics of locations of instability, where we discover an unexpected connection to simple symmetric random walk.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer survivors: a comparison of patient-reported outcomes and quantitative sensory testing.

CIPN is a common, debilitating, and dose-limiting side effect of chemotherapy. Here, we describe characteristics of patients with CIPN using both patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and quantitative sensory testing (QST). Breast cancer survivors with persistent moderate to severe CIPN defined by a rating of 4 or greater on a 0–10 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) from two ongoing clinical trials were included. PROs included the Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gynecologic Oncology Group/Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx). QST included tactile and vibration detection threshold measurements. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation coefficients. 49 female patients with a mean age of 61 years were assessed; 63% were Caucasian. Mean NRS scores were 4.2, 5.7, and 4.3 on 0–10 scale for pain, numbness, and tingling, respectively. Mean NPS score was 41.0 on a 0–100 scale, and the mean FACT/GOG-Ntx score was 25.8 on a 0–44 scale. QST showed mild to moderate impairments in tactile and vibration perception. The FACT/GOG-Ntx subscale for numbness was negatively correlated with tactile and vibration thresholds in both hands and feet (both p < 0.05). NPS was positively correlated with tactile thresholds in the hands and feet (p < 0.05). Patients with moderate to severe CIPN report moderate pain, numbness, and tingling, and exhibit reduced tactile and vibration perception on QST. Weak to moderate correlations were observed between PRO and QST. These data suggest that QST outcomes are associated with CIPN symptoms and may be useful in helping monitor and manage CIPN treatment.
A comparison of the modulated microwave absorption spectra of ceramic and powdered YBa2Cu3O7-δ samples

Flux trapping in the 9.3 GHz modulated microwave absorption spectra observed near 4 K from ceramic and powdered ceramic specimens of two separately prepared YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} samples has been used to separate the intergranular and intragranular contributions to the spectra. In the denser, glassy sample, a broad absorption with a peak near 400 Oe for forward sweeps was observed with appreciable intensity after the maximum flux was trapped. This spectrum is attributed to intergranular junctions, since its relative intensity was reduced on powdering and suspending in wax. In the less dense, more uniform sample, the latter spectrum was appreciably weaker in both ceramic and powder. Both types of junction appear to contribute to the narrow low-field absorption which was observed after zero field cooling in all the samples.
Novel host-bacterial symbioses revealed: characterization of Wolbachia in arthropods of western North America

Arthropod-bacterial symbioses are prevalent and play significant roles in ecosystems and the economy, and in some cases, habitat invasion. Wolbachia bacteria form symbiotic associations with a wide range of arthropod hosts and can affect both host reproduction and resistance to viral infections. The extent to which Wolbachia infects different arthropod species is fundamental not only to host biology, but also to the health of humans, ecosystems, and agriculture. Much of what we know about the effects of Wolbachia comes from a few key taxa, such as the model organism Drosophila melanogaster and the mosquito vector of human disease, Aedes aegypti. The majority of arthropods, even at higher taxonomic levels, have not been tested for infection, with a lack of surveys conducted in western North America. We screened and characterized Wolbachia diversity in arthropods in 2 types of collections in western North America: broad surveys and targeted collections of species known to be infected with Wolbachia. Our goals were to (1) find new Wolbachia strains and hosts, (2) characterize Wolbachia in commonly studied taxa to see whether there are different infection frequencies or strain types in this location, and (3) compare new Wolbachia strains in western North America to previously characterized strains. PCR screening of broadly sampled arthropods with Wolbachia-specific 16S rDNA (W16S) identified 5 novel host species. Three of these are invasive: a ground beetle, Nebria brevicollis (Coleoptera: Carabidae); a cereal crop agricultural pest, Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); and a residential nuisance pest, Raglius alboacuminatus (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae). The crab spider Philodromus dispar (Araneae: Philodromidae) is nonnative, though not considered invasive, and the hyaline grass bug Liorhyssus hyalinus (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) is of undetermined origin. To characterize 9 novel Wolbachia strains in our collections, we analyzed the 5-gene MultiLocus Sequence Type (MLST) and the Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp). We identified 10 novel alleles among 5 MLST genes and 10 novel alleles of the highly variable regions (HVR) of wsp. This is the first report of Wolbachia hosts and strain identification from the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions. These studies contribute to our understanding of the natural history of arthropod hosts, the biogeography of Wolbachia, and host-symbiont evolution. Moreover, strain identification is the first step in implementing Wolbachia-based biocontrol for conservation and pest mitigation, including control of the invasive N. brevicollis, O. melanopus, and R. alboacuminatus reported herein.
A well‐resolved transcriptomic phylogeny of the mite harvestman family Pettalidae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) reveals signatures of Gondwanan vicariance

AIM: We explored the extent to which Gondwanan vicariance contributed to the circum‐Antarctic distribution of the mite harvestman family Pettalidae, a group of small, dispersal‐limited arachnids whose phylogeny has been poorly resolved, precluding rigorous biogeographic hypothesis testing. LOCATION: Continental landmasses of former temperate Gondwana (Chile, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand). TAXON: Pettalidae, Opiliones. METHODS: We generated transcriptomes for a phylogeny of 16 pettalids, spanning 9 genera. Data were analysed using maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and coalescence methods. The phylogenetic position of the Sri Lankan genus Pettalus was further explored using quartet likelihood mapping and changes in gene likelihood scores. We also estimated divergence times and looked for signatures of extinction across Antarctica and central Australia using previously published phylogenies with near‐complete species sampling constrained to match our transcriptomic results. Finally, we estimated ancestral ranges and inferred instances of vicariance. RESULTS: We recovered a well‐supported topology with a division between taxa from landmasses that made up East Gondwana, and a grade of taxa from West Gondwana. Pettalus was resolved either as the sister group of the Queensland‐endemic Austropurcellia, or as the sister group to a larger clade from East Gondwana, though favouring Pettalus + Austropurcellia. Divergence times for multiple vicariance events coincided with Gondwana's breakup. Speciation–extinction analysis found one diversification process for the family: an initial burst of cladogenesis that slowed down through time. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Given that the order of cladogenesis corresponds to the order in which Gondwana fragmented, and the concurrent timing of vicariance and rifting, Gondwanan breakup explains major biogeographic patterns in Pettalidae. Some divergences predate initial rifting, but there is no evidence of trans‐oceanic dispersal. The Sri Lanka–eastern Australia relationship makes sense in the light of large‐scale extinction across Antarctica and central Australia; however, we find no clear signatures of mass extinction.
Chapter 54 – Indigenous Societies

Indigenous societies exist outside the major influences of the global economic system, or within a larger society but separate in a social and cultural sense. In any society there is variation in the degree to which individuals are able to achieve the ideals of that society, and difficulty in doing so can be stressful. This can be manifest in the form of culture-bound syndromes, or local idioms of distress. Major sources of stress involve the processes of acculturation and modernization, or the degree to which traditional societies’ values, beliefs, and, especially, economic systems are impacted. At the same time, there are traditional forms of stress resistance that are configured specifically within traditional systems of social relationships that serve as buffers against the stressful effects of modernization and migration. The study of stress within indigenous and changing societies can help to illuminate fundamental processes in health.
Conceptual Art or Readable Contract: The Use of Comics in Technical Communication

Comics provide a promising platform for technical communication, but there are limits to their affordances. This article demonstrates some of the limits using Robert Sikoryak’s Terms and Conditions...
Efficient and Accurate Inference of Mixed Microbial Population Trajectories from Longitudinal Count Data.

Summary The recently completed second phase of the Human Microbiome Project has highlighted the relationship between dynamic changes in the microbiome and disease, motivating new microbiome study designs based on longitudinal sampling. Yet, analysis of such data is hindered by presence of technical noise, high dimensionality, and data sparsity. Here, we introduce LUMINATE (longitudinal microbiome inference and zero detection), a fast and accurate method for inferring relative abundances from noisy read count data. We demonstrate that LUMINATE is orders of magnitude faster than current approaches, with better or similar accuracy. We further show that LUMINATE can accurately distinguish biological zeros, when a taxon is absent from the community, from technical zeros, when a taxon is below the detection threshold. We conclude by demonstrating the utility of LUMINATE on a real dataset, showing that LUMINATE smooths trajectories observed from noisy data. LUMINATE is freely available from https://github.com/tyjo/luminate .
The Political Ecology of Disease Control: The Border and Sleeping Sickness

In this chapter, Dube discusses the increased incidence of sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) as a result of environmental changes engendered by the imposition of colonial rule. He contends that sleeping sickness control policies led to restrictions on the mobility of African cattle herders across the border, which caused much suffering.
Financing Competitors: Shadow Banks' Funding and Mortgage Market Competition

Using novel shadow bank funding data that is linked to downstream loan-level mortgage data, I find that shadow banks that originate half of the mortgages in the U.S. are predominately funded by their competitors in the loan market: traditional depository banks that originate the same types of loans in the same regions. Empirical evidence suggests that banks have market power in the upstream market for shadow banks’ funding, which in turn softens competition in the downstream mortgage origination market. To better understand how relationship lending in the upstream market affects competition in the downstream market, I build a quantitative model, which incorporates the forces that I empirically document. The calibrated model shows that banks’ upstream market power significantly reduces mortgage lending volume and consumer surplus. These costs are largely borne by consumers in more concentrated markets, implying that shadow bank competition is least useful to the consumers who would benefit most from it. Lastly, I use the model to show that limited regulatory interventions could substantially increase downstream competition as would technological developments – such as faster GSE loan purchase program - which would reduce shadow banks’ reliance on their competitors.
Cross-modal orienting of exogenous attention results in visual-cortical facilitation, not suppression

Attention may be oriented exogenously (i.e., involuntarily) to the location of salient stimuli, resulting in improved perception. However, it is unknown whether exogenous attention improves perception by facilitating processing of attended information, suppressing processing of unattended information, or both. To test this question, we measured behavioral performance and cue-elicited neural changes in the electroencephalogram as participants (N = 19) performed a task in which a spatially non-predictive auditory cue preceded a visual target. Critically, this cue was either presented at a peripheral target location or from the center of the screen, allowing us to isolate spatially specific attentional activity. We find that both behavior and attention-mediated changes in visual-cortical activity are enhanced at the location of a cue prior to the onset of a target, but that behavior and neural activity at an unattended target location is equivalent to that following a central cue that does not direct attention (i.e., baseline). These results suggest that exogenous attention operates solely via facilitation of information at an attended location.