cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survival and mortality of the Arizona gray squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis)

Abstract Arizona gray squirrels (Sciurus arizonensis) are endemic to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Despite classification as a species of concern in portions of its range, little is known about Arizona gray squirrels. We investigated survival and causes of mortality for a population of squirrels in the Huachuca Mountains in 2007 and 2008. Adult survival was high and did not differ between sexes, with probability of survival >0.70 one year postcapture. Predation was the most common known cause of mortality; consequently, management plans should account for habitat characteristics that provide protection from predators when managing for Arizona gray squirrels.
Research towards a cognitive network eco-system

Increasing demand for wireless information services, fixed, and inflexible access to spectrum, and overtaxing of cellular and backhaul infrastructure have combined to create opportunities for radically different wireless communications architectures. These emphasize devolved network control, adaptive topologies, and dynamic interference avoidance and mitigation that are inherent in the devices and networks. One incentive towards such architectures is a necessary transition from design and architecture approaches that emphasize individual link performance to a focus on maximizing aggregate throughput of node collections, even if this optimization is less ideal for individual links. This is critical to transition from a link to network density perspective. It will be shown that the optimal design points for network density and aggregate throughput are quite distinct from those appropriate for link optimization, and that some degree of interference may be necessary in order to maximize the aggregate capacity of the spectrum. The Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) community has focused on interference-free secondary sharing. This paper examines an alternative objective; “Interference Tolerant” operation, in which DSA is used to enable spectrum relocation in the event of unacceptable interference. It will be shown that there are significant increases in node density that are possible in these regimes.
The Structural Model of Language

We use the singular when we refer to language purely and simply, and we think that if a significant predicate can be joined with it as subject, we would have a structural model of language (la langue). Such a state of affairs, with which we are concerned, has not remained hidden from linguists; I will cite a passage from Meillet that is found in what is, for us, an important context: “Tous les hommes se servent de procedes par mots groupes de diverses manieres. Le detail varie; le fonds de procedes linguistiques est le meme dans toute l’humanite.”16 If we may reformulate this notion by means of a more precise interpretation, as we need to do, I would make three sentences out of Meillet’s two. First, there are sounds. The common element [Moment] in the application of sounds, which we find in all men, is found first in the (phonetic) fact of a completely fine and flexible power of ‘articulation,’ and then in another (phon-ological) fact: that there exists everywhere a well-defined system of phonemes. The fact of articulation alone does not characterize human language sharply enough. This is rather done by what is accomplished with the power of articu-lation, the use of phonemes. Further, the process of speaking “par mots groupes de diverses manieres” is to be conceptually broken into two theses: (1) there are words in general and (2) the way in which they are grouped together ( = syntax) is decisive.
Design of efficient reconfigurable networks

The author presents a methodology to design an efficient communication reconfigurable network of processor using a circuit switching environment. He assumes that the operation is synchronous and reconfigurations occur at pre-specified times. This network is based on two architectural concepts, the generalized folding cube and the enhanced hypercube architectures. The author demonstrates the effectiveness, versatility, and flexibility of his approach. >
A lateral boundary formulation for multi-level prediction models

A method is proposed for treating the lateral boundaries of a limited-area weather prediction model. The method involves the relaxation of the interior flow in the vicinity of the boundary to the external fully prescribed flow. Analytical and numerical results obtained with a linearized multilevel model confirm the effectiveness of this computationally effective method. The method is shown to give an adequate representation of outgoing gravity waves with and without an ambient shear flow and to allow the substantially undistorted transmission of geostrophically balanced flow out of the interior of the limited domain.
Bradykinin does not modulate the natriuretic response to atrial natriuretic factor in rats with aortocaval fistula.

Rats with aortocaval fistula, an experimental model of congestive heart failure (CHF), display two distinct patterns of sodium excretion: some rats develop marked sodium retention and worsening edema with urinary excretion of sodium (UNaV) 1,400 microEq per 24 hours), i.e., compensated CHF. Similar patterns of sodium excretion are found in patients with CHF. The mechanisms underlying these responses are not fully understood. The present study was designed to assess whether bradykinin plays a role in the compensatory response to CHF. Infusions of either 10 or 50 micrograms/kg per minute of synthetic atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)8-33 into sham-operated control animals produced significant increases in urine flow and fractional excretion of sodium (FENa). Infusions of ANF at the same doses into rats with compensated CHF increased FENa from 0.11 +/- 0.03% to a maximum of 6.10 +/- 1.30%, whereas the rise in FENa in animals with uncompensated CHF was significantly reduced (0.05 +/- 0.01% to 0.59 +/- 0.18%) compared with sham-operated controls (0.23 +/- 0.05% to 8.32 +/- 1.0%) or the group with compensated CHF. Treatment of the compensated rats with the bradykinin antagonist HOE-140 (D-Arg,[Hyp3, Thi5, D-Tic7, Oic8]-bradykinin) given at a rate of 100 nmol/kg per hour did not affect their renal response to the ANF. In addition, infusion of the bradykinin antagonist alone into compensated rats with aortocaval fistula had no significant effect on their basal urinary flow rate or sodium excretion during the infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cosmic microwave background anisotropy from wiggly strings

We investigate the effect of wiggly cosmic strings on the cosmic microwave background radiation anisotropy and matter power spectrum by modifying the string network model used by Albrecht {ital et al.} We employ the wiggly equation of state for strings and the one-scale model for the cosmological evolution of certain network characteristics. For the same choice of simulation parameters we compare the results with and without including wiggliness in the model and find that wiggliness together with the accompanying low string velocities leads to a significant peak in the microwave background anisotropy and to an enhancement in the matter power spectrum. For the cosmologies we have investigated (standard CDM and CDM plus a cosmological constant), and within the limitations of our modeling of the string network, the anisotropy is in reasonable agreement with current observations but the COBE normalized amplitude of density perturbations is lower than what the data suggest. In the case of a cosmological constant and CDM model, a bias factor of about 2 is required. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
A loss of hippocampal perineuronal nets produces deficits in dopamine system function: relevance to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia

Deficits in parvalbumin containing interneurons are a consistent observation in animal models and schizophrenia patients. These neurons are surrounded by chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, forming perineuronal nets, thought to support the high firing frequencies observed in these neurons. A loss of perineuronal nets has been observed post mortem in human schizophrenia patients, however, whether this contributes to the symptoms of schizophrenia is not known. Here we directly examine the effects of chondroitinase ABC degradation of ventral hippocampal (vHipp) perineuronal nets, and demonstrate that this results in an enhanced hippocampal activity and significant increase in dopamine neuron population activity. In addition, chondroitinase-treated rats display an augmented locomotor response to amphetamine, consistent with the enhanced response to psychomotor stimulants observed in schizophrenia patients. Taken together, these data demonstrate that a loss of vHipp perineuronal nets is sufficient, in and of itself, to induce aberrant hippocampal and dopamine system function consistent with that observed in rodent models and schizophrenia patients.
Dynamic farsighted networks with endogenous opportunities of link formation

I present a three player dynamic network theoretic model where players are farsighted and asymmetric. Unlike the previous literature that imposes an exogenous protocol governing the order of negotiations, I allow the identity of the players who form a link in a given period to depend endogenously on player characteristics. Importantly, I show how this can give different predictions regarding attainment of the complete network relative to models with an exogenous protocol. Regardless of whether the complete network is efficient, a key dynamic trade off drives whether the complete network is attained in my model. A pair of players (insiders) may form a link with each other but, even though link formation is always myopically beneficial, each insider then refuses subsequent link formation with the third player (outsider) because the eventual attainment of the complete network makes each insider worse off relative to the insider-outsider network.
Symmetry-breaking nanostructures for enhanced light-trapping in thin film solar cells

We introduce a manufacturable method to break the symmetry in inverted nanopyramids on c-Si. This method broadly enhances light trapping and would increase the efficiency from 25 to 26.4% for thick c-Si cells. We further use the nanopyramids as a template to deposit plasmonic metal structures and demonstrate enhanced light absorption in organic solar cells. The enhancement exceeds 100% in some cases by concentrating the plasmonic bands tuned to the polymer absorption. The result agrees well with our measured surface plasmon polariton band structures. We expect our approach to be broadly applicable to thin-film solar cells.
Lung capillary changes in hepatic cirrhosis in rats

The hypoxemia of the hepatopulmonary syndrome may result from dilated intrapulmonary vascular segments. Knowledge of the size, density, and branching frequency of the lung capillaries might confirm this hypothesis and suggest that the pathogenesis may involve vascular dilatation or angiogenesis. To investigate these changes, the common bile duct of rats was tied off to cause biliary cirrhosis. Later (4 wk), the pulmonary vasculature of these animals was cast, and the casts were studied with scanning electron microscopy. In the ligated animals, evidence for enhancement of the bronchial to pulmonary circulation was found: cast vasa vasorum of the pulmonary arteries and cast bronchial veins emptying into pulmonary veins. Ligated animals had more adherent intracapillary cells per alveolus than the sham-operated animals. The diameters of all capillary beds were larger in the ligated animals. The alveolar capillary density was increased, but the branching frequency was not. A few areas suggesting angiogenesis were found. Induction of biliary cirrhosis enhances the pulmonary-systemic circulation, increases intracapillary adherent cells, capillary diameter, and density, and may be associated with angiogenesis.
Determining subcanopy Psidium cattleianum invasion in Hawaiian forests using imaging spectroscopy

High-resolution airborne imaging spectroscopy represents a promising avenue for mapping the spread of invasive tree species through native forests, but for this technology to be useful to forest managers there are two main technical challenges that must be addressed: (1) mapping a single focal species amongst a diverse array of other tree species; and (2) detecting early outbreaks of invasive plant species that are often hidden beneath the forest canopy. To address these challenges, we investigated the performance of two single-class classification frameworks—Biased Support Vector Machine (BSVM) and Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF)—to estimate the degree of Psidium cattleianum incidence over a range of forest vertical strata (relative canopy density). We demonstrate that both BSVM and MTMF have the ability to detect relative canopy density of a single focal plant species in a vertically stratified forest, but they differ in the degree of user input required. Our results suggest BSVM as a promising method to disentangle spectrally-mixed classifications, as this approach generates decision values from a similarity function (kernel), which optimizes complex comparisons between classes using a dynamic machine learning process.
Institutions, Individuals, and Return Autocorrelations

This study examines serial correlation in daily portfolio returns for securities held primarily by individual investors versus securities held primarily by institutional investors. The results implicate institutional investors as the primary source of positive serial correlation in portfolio returns. Both own- and cross-autocorrelations are higher for the securities in which institutional investors play a greater role. The results are not consistent with pricing error corrections by market makers, non-synchronous trading or transaction costs as the major cause of the observed positive autocorrelations in daily portfolio returns. The results are most consistent with the autocorrelations being caused by the correlated trading patterns of institutional investors due to such activities as herding, momentum investing or other positive-feedback trading strategies.
The Economic Thought of David Hume: A Pioneer in the Field of Law & Economics

David Hume's views on economics are expressed in his Essays, Moral, Political and Literary, Part II (1752). He was a contemporary of Adam Smith and read Smith's The Wealth of Nations shortly before his death. Some commentators have suggested that Hume exercised some influence over Smith's views on economics. Other commentators are not so sure. Hume's commentators over the last 200 years have emphasized his theory of knowledge, doctrine of causality and belief, theory of morals and historical writing. His views on economics have been relatively neglected. The purpose of this essay is to summarize and clarify Hume's views on economics.
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a risk factor for renal failure requiring dialysis in waitlisted liver transplant candidates

AIMS To examine the relationship between and impact of spontaneous bacteria peritonitis (SBP) and renal failure requiring dialysis in waitlisted liver transplant (LT) candidates. BACKGROUND Renal failure is a common and severe complication in cirrhotic patients with SBP. Approximately one-third of patients with SBP develop renal failure despite treatment of infection. However, the incidence of renal failure requiring dialysis in LT waitlisted patients who have developed SBP is unknown. The high mortality observed in this group has also raised debate about resource utilization in the care of these patients. METHODS Data from the United Network for Organ Sharing Standard Transplant and Research files were collected retrospectively between 1994 and 2012. The primary endpoint measured was first time initiation of dialysis while on the LT wait list. Secondary endpoints included waitlist time and mortality on wait list. RESULTS A total of 42,085 patients were included. SBP at time of listing was diagnosed in 2,352 patients (5.6%) and first time initiation of dialysis while on the wait list occurred in 2,367 patients (6.2%). Unadjusted OR for requiring dialysis for patients listed with SBP was 1.66 (p < 0.001). When controlled for age, gender, BMI, diabetes mellitus, baseline creatinine, MELD score, serum albumin at listing, the adjusted OR for dialysis was 1.24 (p = 0.007) in waitlisted patients with SBP. Patients with SBP at time of listing had a mean waitlist time 142.1 d vs. 198.7 d in non-SBP patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Spontaneous bacteria peritonitis patients have a significantly increased likelihood to require dialysis and mean shorter waitlist time. Furthermore, the combined occurrence of SBP and dialysis is a strong risk factor for all-cause mortality while on the LT wait list.
Conflict, Cooperation, or a Colorblind Environment? An Exploratory Study of the Black Legislative Experience on City Councils

The role that race plays within leg islative bodies has commanded scholarly attention because of its apparent connection to the representa tion of minority interests. The depth and breadth of our knowledge comes from stud ies of Congress, state legislatures, and school boards. However, we know very little about how minority lawmakers and their interests fare inside city councils. Such knowledge is important because city councils have an appreciable impact on the day-to-day lives of citizens as they are the conduits through which vital services such as police, fire, and streets are financed and delivered (Mac Manus 1999). Furthermore, the relation ship between the legislative environment and the ability of minority lawmakers to further minority interests has been the sub
Adolescent dialysands in group therapy.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the psychological effects of chronic illness and its treatment. Group treatment of girls with renal failure proved to be of therapeutic value in improving...
Fat Grafting and Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells in Burn Wound Healing and Scarring: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background:There is an abundance of literature supporting the efficacy of fat grafting in aesthetic and reconstructive cases. There has been a recent emphasis on the regenerative capacity of adipose-derived stem cells and their utility in the improvement of wound healing and scarring provided by the
The P21-activated protein kinases (Paks) receive and integrate messages from a variety of signaling pathways.

Neutrophils stimulated with leukotriene B4, platelet activating factor or a variety of other chemoattractants that bind to G-protein coupled serpentine receptors exhibit rapid activation of two p21-activated kinases (Paks) with molecular masses of ca 63 and 69 kDa (y-and a- Pak)1.2.3 The 63 and 69 kDa Paks are ser/thr protein kinases that preferentially recognize the consensus sequence - (K/R)RX(S/T)- where X can be an acidic, basic or neutral amino acid4. These kinases can be conveniently assayed in neutrophils by their ability to undergo renaturation after separation by SDS/PAGE and undergoing autophosphorylation5 or catalyzing the phosphorylation of a peptide substrate fixed within a gel that corresponds to amino acid residues 297-331 of the 47 kDa subunit of the NADPH-oxidase complex (p47-phox) 1 .Histone H4 can also serve as a highly specific substrate for these enzymes in “in gel” assays5.
Synthesis and Kinetic Analysis of Two Conformationally Restricted Peptide Substrates of Escherichia coli Penicillin-Binding Protein 5.

Escherichia coli PBP5 (penicillin-binding protein 5) is a dd-carboxypeptidase involved in bacterial cell wall maturation. Beyond the C-terminal d-alanyl-d-alanine moiety, PBP5, like the essential high-molecular mass PBPs, has little specificity for other elements of peptidoglycan structure, at least as elicited in vitro by small peptidoglycan fragments. On the basis of the crystal structure of a stem pentapeptide derivative noncovalently bound to E. coli PBP6 (Protein Data Bank entry 3ITB), closely similar in structure to PBP5, we have modeled a pentapeptide structure at the active site of PBP5. Because the two termini of the pentapeptide are directed into solution in the PBP6 crystal structure, we then modeled a 19-membered cyclic peptide analogue by cross-linking the terminal amines by succinylation. An analogous smaller, 17-membered cyclic peptide, in which the l-lysine of the original was replaced by l-diaminobutyric acid, could also be modeled into the active site. We anticipated that, just as the re...
Locally recurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the prostate after radical prostatectomy

Endometrioid carcinoma of the prostate is considered a variant of classical prostatic ductal carcinoma. Endometrioid carcinoma variant often has the unique clinical presentation of gross hematuria. The propensity of this tumor to spread within the urothelium makes local failure of curative therapy commonplace. We present 2 representative cases with a review of followup surveillance procedures and treatment options for the local recurrence once identified.
Decision making about Pap test use among Korean immigrant women: A qualitative study.

Background Understanding how individuals make decisions about Pap tests concerning their personal values helps health-care providers offer tailored approaches to guide patients’ decision making. Yet research has largely ignored decision making about Pap tests among immigrant women who experience increased risk of cervical cancer. Objective To explore decision making about Pap tests among Korean immigrant women. Methods We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using 32 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Korean immigrant women residing in a north-eastern metropolitan area. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive coding. Results Although most women with positive decisions made their own decisions, some women deferred to their providers, and others made decisions in collaboration with their providers and significant others. While women making positive decisions tended to consider both barriers to and facilitators of having Pap tests, women making negative decisions predominantly discussed the barriers to having Pap tests, such as modesty and differences between the South Korean and US health-care systems. The women's reflections on their decisions differed regarding their Pap test decisions. Conclusions Women's desired roles in the decision-making process and reflection on their decision outcome appeared to vary, although most participants with positive decisions made their own decisions and were satisfied with their decisions. Future research should conduct longitudinal, quantitative studies to test our findings regarding decision-making processes and outcomes about Pap tests. Implications The findings should be incorporated into cervical cancer screening practices to fulfil the unmet needs of immigrant women in patient-provider communication and to facilitate women's decision making about Pap tests.
Wildlife Corridors and Developed Landscapes

An obvious consequence of exurban land development is fragmentation of natural areas. Fragmentation leaves patches of habitat of various sizes, which can become increasingly isolated as development continues. A compelling approach to mitigation is the creation of corridors. Corridors in their simplest form are strips of habitat that connect patches and allow for wildlife movements. Intuitively, corridors make sense and land planners and managers often find them useful in land conservation. However, do wildlife corridors perform as expected? Do they work for all species? and How should they be configured (e.g., width, length, placement)? This chapter addresses these and other questions related to wildlife corridors and exurban land development.
A prototype CZT-based PET scanner for high resolution mouse brain imaging

One of the most challenging and potentially rewarding research applications of PET is imaging of the mouse brain. Although very high spatial resolution is required (< ~1 mm), there is a much wider variety of transgenic models in mouse compared to the rat. The solid state material CdZnTe (CZT) has long held promise for high resolution PET. Compared to scintillators, its limitations in time resolution and sensitivity can in some ways be compensated by its extremely high spatial and energy resolution, its compact geometry, and by sophisticated data processing techniques. Using such techniques, a time resolution of ~10 ns has been demonstrated for ~1 cm thick CZT pixel detectors, and this may be sufficient for mouse studies. The depth-of-interaction capability and high energy resolution can improve sensitivity by allowing detectors to be placed very close to the subject and by enabling both reconstruction of detector-scattered events and rejection of object-scattered events. A full-ring prototype scanner has been designed to demonstrate feasibility of the concept, consisting of 6 CZT pixel detectors in a novel geometry. The design of the detector, front-end electronics components, and data acquisition are presented, along with performance characterization of the custom-manufactured CZT detectors.
Radical Cation Cycloadditions Using Cleavable Redox Auxiliaries.

The incorporation of an easily oxidized arylsulfide moiety facilitates the photocatalytic generation of alkene radical cations that undergo a variety of cycloaddition reactions with electron-rich reaction partners. The sulfide moiety can subsequently be reductively cleaved in a traceless fashion, affording products that are not otherwise directly accessible using photoredox catalysis. This approach constitutes a novel oxidative “redox auxiliary” strategy that offers a practical means to circumvent a fundamental thermodynamic limitation facing photoredox reactions.
76. Guide Adoptively Transferred T Cells Migrating Into and Killing Tumors With an HSV-2 Based Oncolytic Virus

Adoptive T-cell therapy has shown promises for cancer treatment. However, for treating solid tumors, there is a need for improving the ability of the adoptively transferred T cells to home into and expand in tumors. We explored the possibility of using our developed oncolytic virus FusOn-H2, derived from HSV-2, to induce high levels of local chemo-attractants for the improvement of migration of adoptively transferred T cells and tumor inhibition. In a xenograft animal model, mice bearing PancO2-H7-OVA tumors received an intratumoral injection of FusOn-H2 (1X107 pfu), followed by an intravenous injection of OT-1 cells, which contain a T cell receptor specific to OVA antigen. For imaging and tracing T cell homing to and expanding in the tumor, OT-1 cells were transduced with retroviruses carrying luciferase gene. Our data showed that intratumoral administration of this virus could indeed induce high levels of local chemokine release which were specific attractants for T cells migration, like CXCL9 and CXCL10, and other inflammatory chemokines such as CCL2, CCL3, CCL4 and CXCL1. This chemokine profile really improved the migration of the adoptively transferred T cells to the treated tumor, with a 14-fold increase of T cell tracking in the tumor compared to mock-treatment, based on the luciferase activity in tumors. Moreover, once attracted to the tumor site by the virus, T cells could persist and expand in the tumor for a month without diminishing, significantly longer and more than in mock-treated tumor. These virus induced high chemokines and improved homing of T-cell to the tumor also led to a significantly enhanced therapeutic effect, with a profound inhibition on the tumor growth and even 40% tumor eradication. Our data suggest that HSV-2 based virotherapy combined with adoptive T-cell therapy can potentiate their therapeutic effect against solid tumors that are otherwise difficult to be managed with either treatment alone.
Design and Implementation of OpenSHMEM Using OFI on the Aries Interconnect

Sandia OpenSHMEM (SOS) is an implementation of the OpenSHMEM specification that has been designed to provide portability, scalability, and performance on high-speed RDMA fabrics. Libfabric is the implementation of the newly proposed Open Fabrics Interfaces (OFI) that was designed to provide a tight semantic match between HPC programming models and various underlying fabric services.
Fourier Transformation and FT-Spectroscopy

In this chapter we present some basic properties of Fourier transformation and applications of Fourier transform spectroscopy. A simple example of an application of Fourier transformation is the determination of the frequencies one needs to compose a function f (x), presenting a rectangular pulse. Such a pulse may be generated by superposition of many monochromatic waves with many different wavelengths and amplitudes. The input data to Fourier transformation are the space coordinates of f (x). The result of Fourier transformation is the frequency spectrum corresponding to the different wavelengths used to compose f (x). A more complicated application is the analysis of the interferogram obtained from incident light traversing an absorbing material. The Fourier transformation of the interferogram will calculate the absorption spectrum of the material.
A COMMUNICATION INTERVENTION TO REDUCE RESISTIVENESS IN DEMENTIA CARE

Background: Nursing home (NH) residents with dementia exhibit challenging behaviors or resistiveness to care (RTC) that increase staff time, stress, and NH costs. RTC is linked to elderspeak communication. Communication training (CHAT) was provided to staff to reduce their use of elderspeak. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that CHAT would improve staff communication and subsequently reduce RTC. Methods: Thirteen NHs were randomized to intervention and control groups. Dyads (n = 42) including 29 staff and 27 persons with dementia (PWD) were videorecorded during care before and/or after the intervention, and at a three month follow-up. Videos were behaviorally coded for 1) staff communication (normal, elderspeak, or silence) and 2) resident behaviors (cooperative or RTC). Linear mixed modeling was used to evaluate training effects. Results: On average elderspeak declined from 34.6% (SD = 18.7) at baseline by 13.6 percentage points (SD = 20.00) post-intervention and 12.2 percentage points (SD=22.0) at 3-month follow-up. RTC declined from 35.7% (SD = 23.2) by 15.3 percentage points (SD = 32.4) post-intervention and 13.4 percentage points (SD=33.7) at 3-months. Linear mixed modeling determined that change in elderspeak was predicted by the intervention (b = -12.20, p = .028) and baseline elderspeak (b = -0.65, p < .001) while RTC change was predicted by elderspeak change (b = 0.43, p < .001); baseline RTC (b = -0.58, p < .001); and covariates. Conclusions: A brief intervention can improve communication and reduce RTC, providing an effective nonpharmacological intervention to manage behavior and improve the quality of dementia care. No adverse events occurred.
Cross-validation and out-of-sample testing of physical activity intensity predictions with a wrist-worn accelerometer.

This study includes in-sample and out-of-sample cross-validation of an alternate method for deriving meaningful physical activity outcomes from accelerometer data collected with a wrist-worn accele...
High precision gate signal timing control based active voltage balancing scheme for series-connected fast switching field-effect transistors

Due to the low availability, high cost, and limited performance of high voltage power devices in high voltage high power applications, series-connection of low voltage switches is commonly considered. Practically, because of the dynamic voltage unbalance and the resultant reliability issue, switches in series-connection are not popular, especially for fast switching field-effect transistors such as silicon (Si) super junction MOSFETs, silicon carbide (SiC) JFETs, SiC MOSFETs, and gallium nitride (GaN) HEMTs, since their switching performance is highly sensitive to gate control, circuit parasitics, and device parameters. In the end, slight mismatch can introduce severe unbalanced voltage. This paper proposes an active voltage balancing scheme, including 1) tunable gate signal timing unit between series-connected switches with < 1 ns precision resolution by utilizing a high resolution pulse-width modulator (HRPWM) which has existed in micro-controllers; and 2) online voltage unbalance monitor unit integrated with the gate drive as the feedback. Based on the latest generation 600-V Si CoolMOS, experimental results show that the dynamic voltage can be automatically well balanced in a wide range of operating conditions, and more importantly, the proposed scheme has no penalty for high-speed switching.
Effect of overliming and activated carbon detoxification on inhibitors removal and butanol fermentation of poplar prehydrolysates

Biomass prehydrolysates from dilute acid pretreatment contain a considerable amount of fermentable sugars for biofuels production. However, carbonyl degradation compounds present severe toxicity to fermentation microbes. Furans (such as furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural), aliphatic acids (such as acetic acid, formic acid and levulinic acid) and phenolic compounds (such as vanillin and syringaldehyde) have been suggested to be the main inhibitors in biomass prehydrolysates. However, no single compound has been determined as the dominant toxic inhibitor. The effects of various detoxification methods on inhibitors removal have not been fully understood. The effects of overliming and activated carbon (AC) detoxification on the removal of inhibitors and butanol fermentation of the poplar prehydrolysates were investigated. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify and quantify 46 carbonyl compounds as potential inhibitors. It was observed that overliming and AC treatment alone did not make the prehydrolysates fermentable with Clostridium saccharobutylicum. The sequential overliming and AC resulted in a remarkable fermentability and a high butanol yield at 0.22 g g−1 sugar. The inhibitor removal in the prehydrolysates treated by overliming and AC was also examined by GC/MS. Overliming removed 75.6% of furan derivatives and 68.1% of aromatic monomers. In comparison, AC (5.0% w/v) removed 77.9% of furan derivatives and 98.6% of aromatic monomers. In addition, overliming removed much more 2,5-furandicarboxyaldehyde, 5-ethylfuran-2-carbaldehyde and 2,5-hexanedione than AC did. On the contrary, AC could remove considerably more phenolic acids than overliming. In the sequential detoxification, both dialdehydes/diketones and phenolic acids were extensively removed. This could be the main reason why the sequential detoxification enabled a remarkable ABE fermentation for the prehydrolysates. This study indicated that the effect of overliming and AC treatment on inhibitors removal was related to their chemical structures. Overliming removed more dialdehydes and diketones than AC treatment, while AC removed more phenolic acids than overliming. Sequential overliming and AC treatment were required to make the prehydrolysates fermentable with C. saccharobutylicum. The study also suggested different detoxification method was needed for ABE fermentation of the prehydrolysate as compared to ethanol fermentation.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Monoamine Metabolites in Neuropsychiatric Disorders of Childhood

The severe neuropsychiatric disorders of childhood, phenotypically and genotypically diverse behavioral syndromes apparent during the first years of life, affect up to 3% of all children. Organically definable causes include structural malformations of the brain, chromosomal abnormalities, inborn errors of metabolism, anoxia, infection, head trauma, and numerous other types of inborn and acquired pathological influences on central nervous system (CNS) maturation. When such medically explicable disorders are excluded, the neuropsychiatric disorders consist of a broad range of syndromes of unknown etiology involving the normal unfolding of linguistic, cognitive, and social competence. In their most severe forms, such as primary childhood autism, all spheres of development may be disturbed pervasively; in less severe syndromes, one or another facet of development is more prominently involved (such as expressive and receptive language in the developmental aphasias or the regulation of attention and motor activity in attention-deficit syndromes).13,15,18,58,59
Interorganizational exchanges as performance markers in a community cancer network.

Abstract OBJECTIVE. This study examines how "strategic partnerships" between community-based consortia of oncologists and hospitals (CCOPs) and clinical cooperative groups emerge, develop, and influence patient accruals (i.e., the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials) over time. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING. Study analyses are based on 65 pairwise relationships that 38 CCOPs established with eight clinical cooperative groups in September 1983 and maintained through February 1989. Data are drawn from grantee applications and progress reports. STUDY DESIGN. The study examines how different types of CCOP-cooperative group exchange relate to one another and to CCOP patient accruals over six time points. Key independent variables include resource dependence, information exchange (i.e., meeting attendance and committee membership), and protocol exchange (i.e., the number of different protocols used). DATA COLLECTION METHODS. Data extracted from secondary sources were entered in a data base. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. The number of CCOP physicians and support staff who attend cooperative group meetings during the first two years of a clinical research partnership has a significant influence on meeting attendance and protocol use in later years. Two-thirds or more of the variance in patient accruals at each time point can be explained by the number of different protocols used and the number of CCOP representatives serving on cooperative group committees (or attending cooperative group meetings). CONCLUSIONS. The findings highlight the importance of historical relationships and anticipated resource dependence in shaping initial exchange patterns. They also suggest that strategic partnerships need to emphasize structures and processes that encourage early involvement in collaborative activities and that reward participants for maintaining high levels of interaction.
Morice’s Catastrophe, 1728–1731 and Beyond

By the late 1720s, Morice’s increasing debts in the colonies; uncertainty in the slave-supply markets in the Bight of Benin and the slave-demand markets of Brazil; and the high cost of the multiple-ship system all combined to undermine his finances. His ultimate nemesis, though, was the rising competition from the Dutch Republic and from Bristol, whose lower costs allowed them to undersell his captains and condemn his ships to disastrously long loading in the African slaving ports throughout 1731. His desperation at the failure of his system of trade drove him first to embezzlement on a grand scale from the Bank of England, and then to death by probable suicide, leaving his family and assorted creditors to grab what they could of his insolvent estate.
Role of boundary conditions and thermostats in the uniaxial tensile loading of silicon nanowires

Abstract The size-dependent brittle-to-ductile transition of silicon has been observed with nanowire structures in experiments and many research efforts have focused on revealing its underlying physical mechanisms through both experimental and simulation approaches. While most simulation studies using molecular dynamics have considered the influence of various factors such as strain rate, temperature, and size, etc., little is known about the effect of boundary conditions and simulation types, i.e. constant energy vs. constant temperature simulations. In this work, we study the effects of boundary conditions and thermostats on the failure behavior of silicon nanowires by performing the molecular dynamics simulation of the uniaxial tensile test with three modified embedded-atom-method potentials. The nanowires are subjected to either periodic boundary conditions or fixed-end boundary conditions and the simulation is conducted under either the constant energy or constant temperature conditions by Langevin thermostat. The simulations reveal that Young’s modulus and tensile strength exhibit little dependence on the boundary condition and thermostat while the failure strain of the nanowires increases with fixed boundary conditions compared to the nanowires subjected to periodic boundary conditions. The failure behaviors, which are quantified by our novel ductility failure probability parameter, exhibit larger, but limited variations depending on the boundary condition, but the trend is mixed and not conclusive.
Do Management Training Grounds Reduce Internal Auditor Objectivity and External Auditor Reliance? The Influence of Family Firms

We test competing theoretical perspectives of family firm governance in two separate studies by investigating whether family firm control moderates the detrimental effect of a management training ground (MTG) on internal auditor objectivity and on the external auditor’s decision to rely on the internal audit function (IAF). In Study 1, we assess the objectivity of internal auditors working under an IAF that serves as a MTG or non-MTG and located in a family or non-family firm. A key result of Study 1 is the mitigating role of family firm control, as we find that the objectivity of internal auditors is reduced when the IAF serves as a MTG but only in non-family firms. When the IAF is located in a family-controlled firm, the objectivity of internal auditors is unaffected by the opportunity to be promoted into management positions outside of the IAF. In Study 2, we utilize a controlled laboratory experiment with experienced Big 4 auditors as participants and examine their decision to rely on an IAF when it serves as a MTG. Our analyses indicate that external auditors reduce their reliance on non-family firm IAFs that are also MTGs and their decision is fully mediated by the perceived objectivity of non-family firm internal auditors. In contrast, external auditors’ reliance on family firm IAFs and their perceptions of internal auditor objectivity are unaffected under a MTG regime. The results of Studies 1 and 2 provide support for the alignment perspective of family firms.
Rate-dependent fracture of transient networks

Abstract Soft viscoelastic polymers and gels are commonly used a wide range of applications owing to their softness and the ability to accommodate large deformations. Their applicability is however often limited by their tendency to fracture in ways that are cannot be predicted by conventional elastic fracture mechanics. Our understanding of fracture in this class of solid has particularly been hindered by the incapacity of determining the competition viscous flow and fracture under finite strains. To tackle this problem, this paper presents a framework that quantitatively captures the interplay between energy dissipation and crack propagation in soft solids made of a single transient network. Using a combined analytical and numerical study, we investigate the dynamics of crack propagation at various loading rates and for networks that display different sensitivities to force. Our results point out to four different crack characteristic behaviors, for which we unveiled the respective mechanisms, all involving a strong interplay between chain deformation, bond dynamics and rupture.
Trichoderma virens colonization of maize roots triggers rapid accumulation of 12-oxophytodienoate and two ᵧ-ketols in leaves as priming agents of induced systemic resistance.

Two oxylipins 12-OPDA (12-Oxo-10(Z),15(Z)-phytodienoic acid) and an ᵧ-ketol, 9,10-KODA (10-oxo-9-hydroxy-12(Z), 15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid) were recently identified as important long-distance-induc...
Fiber optic sensors enabled monitoring of thermal curling of concrete pavement slab: Temperature, strain and inclination

Abstract An intellectual system is developed to monitor concrete pavement slab subjected to external temperature fluctuations. Truly distributed fiber-optic temperature and strain sensors and an innovative Fabry-Perot interferometer-based optical fiber inclinometer are installed in the concrete pavement slab so as to monitor and evaluate its thermal curling process. The system is demonstrated to be effective in detecting the thermal curling of slab. The results substantiate that the top surface of the slab has a fast reaction rate to the heating/cooling process. The bottom surface temperature has a time-lag comparing to the top surface, which results in a sharp increase then a slow reduction in the top-vs-bottom temperature difference. In the light of the inclinometer, it is proven that the tilt angle of the curvature of the slab has a high degree of synchronization with the top-vs-bottom temperature difference. The temperature/strain distribution maps are also presented and uneven distributions of temperature and strain are captured. Moreover, taking the advantage of the multiplexing capacity of the distributed fiber-optic sensors, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the slab can be easily obtained and used to feed a finite element model. Finally, a three-dimensional finite element model is established to completely understand the curling process measured from the monitoring system. The model and the experimental data agree well with each other. While the sensors output realistic temperature and deformations at certain locations, the validated model is able to reveal more details of the nonlinearity inside the slab.
Absence of Gender Disparity in Thirty-Day Morbidity and Mortality After Supratentorial Brain Tumor Resection.

Background Gender is a complex social determinant of health affected by both social and biological factors. There is a need to investigate the effect of gender on outcomes, in the absence of confounding characteristics, to mitigate disparities in care. Methods A total of 1970 consecutive patients at a university health system undergoing nonmeningioma supratentorial brain tumor resection over a 6-year period (June 9, 2013–April 26, 2019) were analyzed retrospectively. Coarsened exact matching was used to match patients on demographic factors including history of previous surgery, median household income, and race. Outcomes assessed included readmission, emergency department visit, unplanned reoperation, and mortality within 30 days of surgery. Regression analysis was performed among a prematched population and between the matched cohorts with significance set at a P value Results Within the matched population, no significant difference was observed between male and female patients in any of the recorded outcomes after nonmeningioma supratentorial brain tumor resection, including readmission, emergency department evaluation, unplanned reoperation, and mortality within 30 days of resection (P = 0.28–0.85). Similarly, no significant difference was found in any of the morbidity and mortality outcomes in the prematched regression analysis (P = 0.10–0.70). Conclusions When gender is isolated from race, household economics, and other key factors, it does not seem to independently predict morbidity or mortality in the short-term postoperative window after supratentorial brain tumor resection. Future studies should investigate the impact of gender in longer follow-up and its interrelation with other social determinants of health contributing to outcome disparity.