cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization Theorems and Goodness-of-Fit Tests

Karl Pearson’s chi-square goodness-of-fit test of 1900 is considered an epochal contribution to the science in general and statistics in particular. Regarded as the first objective criterion for agreement between a theory and reality, and suggested as “beginning the prelude to the modern era in statistics,” it stimulated a broadband enquiry into the basics of statistics and led to numerous concepts and ideas which are now common fare in statistical science. Over the decades of the twentieth century the goodness-of-fit has become a substantial field of statistical science of both theoretical and applied importance, and has led to development of a variety of statistical tools. The characterization theorems in probability and statistics, the other topic of our focus, are widely appreciated for their role in clarifying the structure of the families of probability distributions. The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to demonstrate that characterization theorems can be natural, logical and effective starting points for constructing goodness-of-fit tests. Towards this end, several entropy and independence characterizations of the normal and the inverse gaussian (IG) distributions, which have resulted in goodness-of-fit tests, are used. The second goal of this paper is to show that the interplay between distributional characterizations and goodness-of-fit assessment continues to be a stimulus for new discoveries and ideas. The point is illustrated using the new concepts of IG symmetry, IG skewness and IG kurtosis, which resulted from goodness-of-fit investigations and have substantially expanded our understanding of the striking and intriguing analogies between the IG and normal families.
A Piloted Simulation Study of Wake Turbulence on Final Approach

A piloted simulation study has been conducted in a research simulator to provide a means to estimate the effects of different levels of wake turbulence on final approach. A worst-case methodology was used to ensure conservative estimates. Fourteen airline pilots rated the subjective severity of the disturbances using a special rating scale developed for this study. Several objective measures of the airplane/pilot response to the simulated wake turbulence were also made. All the data showed a large amount of variation between pilots and to a lesser extent for a given pilot. Therefore, the data were presented at 50, 70, 90 percentile levels as a function of vortex strength. The data allow estimates of the vortex strength for a given subjective or objective response and vice versa. The results of this study appear to be more conservative than the results of previous studies.
Does multimodality per se improve receiver performance? An explicit comparison of multimodal versus unimodal complex signals in a learned signal following task

Multimodal signals are widespread in animal communication. Theoreticians have noted that, from an informational perspective, it is often not clear why multimodal signals should offer any benefit over unimodal complex signals. One possibility is that multimodal signals provide psychological benefits to receivers by virtue of the fact that they stimulate multiple sensory systems. Explicit comparisons of multimodal signals and unimodal complex signals are lacking, however. In this experiment, we examined the behavior of blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) in a learned signal following task with two-component artificial signals that were either unimodal (visual-visual) or multimodal (visual-acoustic). We also manipulated the reliability of the components to verify that the subjects were able to follow each component type. We compared three measures of receiver performance—proportion of correct responses, learning rate, and reaction time. We found that while our subjects were able to follow both visual and acoustic signal components, performance did not differ in unimodal versus multimodal treatments.
Clinical trials in mild traumatic brain injury

Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury is an increasingly prevalent injury seen in both civilian and military populations. Regardless of the mechanisms of injury, the most common sub-type of injury continues to be mild traumatic brain injury. Within the last decade, there has been tremendous growth in the literature regarding this disease entity. Purpose To describe the obstacles necessary to overcome in performing a rigorous and sound clinical research study investigating mild traumatic brain injury. This examination begins by a consideration of changing standards for good faith open and total reporting of any and all conflicts of interest or commitment. This issue is particularly critical in mTBI research. We next examine obstacles that include but are not limited to diagnostic criteria, inclusion/exclusion criteria, source of injury, previous history of injury, presence of comorbid conditions and proper informed consent of participants. Frequently, multi-center studies are necessary for adequate subject accrual with the added challenges of site coordination, data core management and site specific study conduct. We propose a total reversal to the traditional translational research approach where clinical studies drive new concepts for future basic science studies. Conclusions There have been few mild traumatic brain injury clinical trials in the literature with treatments/interventions that have been able to overcome many of these described obstacles. We look forward to the results of current and ongoing clinical mild traumatic brain injury studies providing the tools necessary for the next generation of basic science projects.
Research of Comprehensive Evaluation Index System on Effect of Tuberculosis Control at the County Level

[Objective]By establishing the comprehensive evaluation indexes system,to evaluate the effect of tuberculosis control at the county level,guide and encourage the institutions of TB control and prevention at the county level to fully implement national tuberculosis programs. [Methods]Delphi method was applied to evaluate and select indexes,and establish the evaluation indexes system.Experts ranking method was used to determine the index weight. [Results]There are three-level structure and 55 indexes in the comprehensive evaluation indexes system at the county level,which include 7 indexes of class-1,15 indexes of class-2 and 32 indexes of class-3.The weight value of indexes ranges from 0.006 to 0.100. [Conclusion]The maneuverability of evaluation indexes system is good,which has a high value on evaluation of effect of tuberculosis control at the county level.
Femoral cannulation in Stanford Type A aortic dissection operations

Objective:To Evaluate the effect of femoral artery cannulation in aortic dissection operations.Method:From May 1994 to December 2001, 88 patients underwent operation with cardiopulmonary bypass for Stanford type A aortic dissection and perfused through femoral artery. 31 patients had deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.Result:False lumen perfusion was detected during cardiopulmonary bypass in eight patients (9.1%). There were four patients (4.5%) with cerebral events(two patients with diffused cerebral injury with one death , two patients with hemiplegia with one deaths). Prolonged incision recovery were occurred in six patients (8,0%), and one local infections. There was no lower extremity ischeamia associated with femoral cannulation after usage of cannulating through a graft.Conclusion:Arterial perfusion through femoral artery for repair of aortic dissections is effective. There was no lower extremities ischeamia occurred with the technique of femoral cannulation into the graft. Retrograde perfusion through femoral cannulation provides a low risk of cerebral events and false lumen perfusion with high mortality.
Ocean–atmosphere interactions modulate irrigation's climate impacts

Abstract. Numerous studies have focused on the local and regional climate effects of irrigated agriculture and other land cover and land use change (LCLUC) phenomena, but there are few studies on the role of ocean–atmosphere interaction in modulating irrigation climate impacts. Here, we compare simulations with and without interactive sea surface temperatures of the equilibrium effect on climate of contemporary (year 2000) irrigation geographic extent and intensity. We find that ocean–atmosphere interaction does impact the magnitude of global-mean and spatially varying climate impacts, greatly increasing their global reach. Local climate effects in the irrigated regions remain broadly similar, while non-local effects, particularly over the oceans, tend to be larger. The interaction amplifies irrigation-driven standing wave patterns in the tropics and midlatitudes in our simulations, approximately doubling the global-mean amplitude of surface temperature changes due to irrigation. The fractions of global area experiencing significant annual-mean surface air temperature and precipitation change also approximately double with ocean–atmosphere interaction. Subject to confirmation with other models, these findings imply that LCLUC is an important contributor to climate change even in remote areas such as the Southern Ocean, and that attribution studies should include interactive oceans and need to consider LCLUC, including irrigation, as a truly global forcing that affects climate and the water cycle over ocean as well as land areas.
Effect of sleep restriction on orthostatic cardiovascular control in humans

We hypothesized that sleep restriction (4 consecutive nights, 4 h sleep/night) attenuates orthostatic tolerance. The effect of sleep restriction on cardiovascular responses to simulated orthostasis, arterial baroreflex gain, and heart rate variability was evaluated in 10 healthy volunteers. Arterial baroreflex gain was determined from heart rate responses to nitroprusside-phenylephrine injections, and orthostatic tolerance was tested via lower body negative pressure (LBNP). A Finapres device measured finger arterial pressure. No difference in baroreflex function, heart rate variability, or LBNP tolerance was observed with sleep restriction (P > 0.3). Systolic pressure was greater at -60 mmHg LBNP after sleep restriction than before sleep restriction (110 +/- 6 and 124 +/- 3 mmHg before and after sleep restriction, respectively, P = 0.038), whereas heart rate decreased (108 +/- 8 and 99 +/- 8 beats/min before and after sleep restriction, respectively, P = 0.028). These data demonstrate that sleep restriction produces subtle changes in cardiovascular responses to simulated orthostasis, but these changes do not compromise orthostatic tolerance.
STOCHASTIC SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Publisher Summary The most interesting kinds of stochastic systems and potentially the most useful for application in diverse areas are those involving randomness in the system itself rather than simply in its input. The system of interest may be a large dynamical multi-input multi-output system such as the national economy of the United States; a medium such as atmosphere, ocean, or a plasma in which an electromagnetic or acoustic wave is propagating; or any device or measurement system that processes an input signal x(t) into an output signal y(t). If the system is represented by the operator H indicating the transformation that is applied to x by the system, then the output y = H[x]. Stochastic processes are described by their statistics or preferably statistical measures, such as the mean (or expectation), the covariance, the higher moments, or even the distribution function or characteristic function.
Blending spatial modeling and probabilistic bisection

Probabilistic Bisection Algorithms (PBA) pinpoint an unknown quantity by applying Bayesian updating to knowledge acquired from noisy oracle replies. We consider the generalized PBA setting (G-PBA) where the statistical distribution of the oracle is unknown and location-dependent, so that model inference and knowledge updating must be performed simultaneously. To this end, we propose to blend spatial modeling of oracle properties (namely regressing batched oracle responses on sampling locations) with the existing PBA information-directed sampling. The resulting sampling strategies account for the trade-off between inferring the latent oracle distribution versus reducing the uncertainty about the unknown point to be learned. We demonstrate that spatial modeling improves the original G-PBA schemes by applying our approach to root-finding of monotone noisy responses.
Misinterpreting Danger? Stereotype Threat, Pre-attack Indicators, and Police-Citizen Interactions

This paper compares police trainings and materials on pre-attack indicators in police-citizen interactions with similar behavioral indicators of stereotype threat, which is not necessarily a sign of danger. Stereotype threat is a social identity threat in which individuals feel that they may be judged or treated negatively based on a social group stereotype (Steele 1997). This psychological threat can increase the target’s anxiety, physiological arousal, and decrease cognitive capacity. We hypothesize that symptoms of stereotype threat might be similar to pre-attack indicators being taught to police in the USA, which can lead police to potentially misinterpret a citizen’s actions. Using a deductive content analysis, three coders analyzed a sample of pre-attack indicator police trainings for three indicators of stereotype threat: anxiety, arousal, and reduced cognitive capacity. Results found significant overlap between danger indicators taught in trainings and stereotype threat indicators. All 15 identified trainings contained at least one of the three indicators of stereotype threat, and 13 contained at least two indicators. None of the trainings discussed stereotype threat. We argue that stereotype threat should be taught in addition to relevant indicators of danger in trainings, lest officers misinterpret citizens’ stereotype threat-related behaviors solely as manifestations of imminent danger.
The Libyan Debate: Coercive Diplomacy Reconsidered

Muammar Qaddafi’s decision to dismantle his Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes in December 2003 elicited an extensive debate about the role of normal versus coercive diplomacy. The normal diplo...
CO2-H2O mixtures in the geological sequestration of CO2. II. Partitioning in chloride brines at 12–100°C and up to 600 bar

Correlations presented by Spycher et al. (2003) to compute the mutual solubilities of CO2 and H2O are extended to include the effect of chloride salts in the aqueous phase. This is accomplished by including, in the original formulation, activity coefficients for aqueous CO2 derived from several literature sources, primarily for NaCl solutions. Best results are obtained when combining the solubility correlations of Spycher et al. (2003) with the activity coefficient formulation of Rumpf et al. (1994) and Duan and Sun (2003), which can be extended to chloride solutions other than NaCl. This approach allows computing mutual solubilities in a noniterative manner with an accuracy typically within experimental uncertainty for solutions up to 6 molal NaCl and 4 molal CaCl2.
Data integration through ontology-based data access to support integrative data analysis: A case study of cancer survival

To improve cancer survival rates and prognosis, one of the first steps is to improve our understanding of contributory factors associated with cancer survival. Prior research has suggested that cancer survival is influenced by multiple factors from multiple levels. Most of existing analyses of cancer survival used data from a single source. Nevertheless, there are key challenges in integrating variables from different sources. Data integration is a daunting task because data from different sources can be heterogeneous in syntax, schema, and particularly semantics. Thus, we propose to adopt a semantic data integration approach that generates a universal conceptual representation of “information” including data and their relationships. This paper describes a case study of semantic data integration linking three data sets that cover both individual and contextual level factors for the purpose of assessing the association of the predictors of interest with cancer survival using cox proportional hazard models.
Coupled resonators give direction

Isolators with superior performance to existing devices can be designed by combining nonlinear resonators.
Haplotype-based eQTL mapping finds evidence for complex gene regulatory regions poorly tagged by marginal SNPs

Motivation: Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), variations in the genome that impact gene expression, are identified through eQTL studies that test for a relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene expression levels. These studies typically assume an underlying additive model. Non-additive tests have been proposed, but are limited due to the increase in the multiple testing burden and are potentially biased by filtering criteria that relies on marginal association data. Here we propose using combinations of short haplotypes instead of SNPs as predictors for gene expression. Essentially, this method looks for genomic regions where haplotypes have different effect sizes. The differences in effect can be due to multiple genetic architectures such as a single SNP, a burden of rare SNPs, multiple SNPs with independent effect or multiple SNPs with an interaction effect occurring on the same haplotype. Results: Simulations show that when haplotypes, rather than SNPs, are assigned non-zero effect sizes, our method has increased power compared to the marginal SNP method. In the GEUVADIS gene expression data, our method finds 101 more eGenes than the marginal method (5,202 vs. 5,101). The methods do not have full overlap in the eGenes that they find. Of the 5,202 eGenes found by our method, 707 are not found by the marginal method-even though it has a lower significance threshold. This indicates that many genes have regulatory architectures that are not well tagged by marginal SNPs and demonstrates the need to better model alternative architectures.
Endothelial mechanotransduction, redox signaling and the regulation of vascular inflammatory pathways

The endothelium that lines the interior of blood vessels is directly exposed to blood flow. The shear stress arising from blood flow is "sensed" by the endothelium and is "transduced" into biochemical signals that eventually control vascular tone and homeostasis. Sensing and transduction of physical forces occur via signaling processes whereby the forces associated with blood flow are "sensed" by a mechanotransduction machinery comprising of several endothelial cell elements. Endothelial "sensing" involves converting the physical cues into cellular signaling events such as altered membrane potential and activation of kinases, which are "transmission" signals that cause oxidant production. Oxidants produced are the "transducers" of the mechanical signals? What is the function of these oxidants/redox signals? Extensive data from various studies indicate that redox signals initiate inflammation signaling pathways which in turn can compromise vascular health. Thus, inflammation, a major response to infection or endotoxins, can also be initiated by the endothelium in response to various flow patterns ranging from aberrant flow to alteration of flow such as cessation or sudden increase in blood flow. Indeed, our work has shown that endothelial mechanotransduction signaling pathways participate in generation of redox signals that affect the oxidant and inflammation status of cells. Our goal in this review article is to summarize the endothelial mechanotransduction pathways that are activated with stop of blood flow and with aberrant flow patterns; in doing so we focus on the complex link between mechanical forces and inflammation on the endothelium. Since this "inflammation susceptible" phenotype is emerging as a trigger for pathologies ranging from atherosclerosis to rejection post-organ transplant, an understanding of the endothelial machinery that triggers these processes is very crucial and timely.
Estimated Prevalence of Psychiatric Comorbidities in U.S. Adolescents With Depression by Race/Ethnicity, 2011–2012

Abstract Purpose Comorbid psychiatric conditions in adolescents with depression are a public health concern. However, little is known about the prevalence of comorbidities in separate racial/ethnic groups. This study estimated the national prevalence of comorbidities for black, Hispanic, and white adolescents separately, and compared the prevalence of comorbidities between adolescents with and without depression. Methods This secondary analysis used data from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. youth. We restricted the sample to 12–17 year olds, and obtained unweighted and weighted descriptive statistics. Using weighted probit regression models, we examined differences in prevalence of comorbidities by adolescents with and without depression for each racial/ethnic group. Results For black, Hispanic, and white adolescents with depression, the prevalence of comorbidities ranged from 8% to 61% and varied by race/ethnicity (e.g., depression and anxiety were comorbid for 47% of black, 54% of Hispanic, and 59% of white adolescents). For all racial/ethnic groups, adolescents with depression had a higher prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than adolescents without depression. However, only black and Hispanic adolescents with depression had a significantly higher prevalence of anxiety and behavior problems than their counterparts without depression. In each racial/ethnic group, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder did not differ between adolescents with and without depression. Conclusions This study detected important differences in the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric conditions by race/ethnicity. Findings highlight the need for targeted interventions for black and Hispanic adolescents with depression that concurrently treat anxiety and behavior problems.
Exact analysis of a priority queue with finite source

This paper presents a method to evaluate the exact stationary solution of a single queue with preemptive-resume priorities and finite source. In the case of an infinite source (Poisson arrivals) the solution is given by a well-known simple formula. Models requiring finite customer populations are frequently used for computer performance evaluation (i.e. a processor shared by real time applications), for which the infinite source hypothesis may cause unacceptable errors.
A Theological Context for the Relationship Between Patient and Physician

I have been asked to discuss the influence of religious ideas on the doctorpatient relationship — a massive and complex assignment. It is massive because the gods worshipped by humankind are as diverse as Apollo and Dionysus, Baal and Ahura Mazda; and it is complex because the actual or ideal influence of religion is notoriously hard to explicate. Since Max Weber, it is notorious that religious beliefs may have social implications different from the rules or virtues they explicitly defend, and there is no agreement among theologians about the possible or proper relationships between traditionally based and rational ideals, principles and forms of human community.
Considerations in the Choice of Sutures for Wound Closure of the Genitourinary Tract

The ideal suture for use within the urinary tract should maintain its tensile strength until wound repair is satisfactory and then it should undergo rapid total absorption without promoting stone formation. The bladder has a great potential for repair, attaining 100 per cent of the strength of the unwounded tissue in 14 to 21 days. Braided synthetic absorbable sutures appear to be suited ideally for closure of incised wounds of a urinary conduit. They maintain their tensile strength for approximately 21 days, during which time the healing tissues regain strength rapidly. Because sutures are foreign bodies and have access to urine, they may serve as a nidus for stone formation. Several factors that have been identified as important determinants of foreign body urolithiasis include the presence of urine, urine volume and pH, infection, physical and chemical configuration of the foreign body, and animal species. The incidence of suture urolithiasis is related directly to the duration in which the sutures are present in the urinary tract. Consequently, absorbable sutures are preferred over nonabsorbable sutures for closure of wounds of the urinary conduit. In the absence of infection braided synthetic absorbable sutures have distinct advantages over gut sutures for closure of urinary tract wounds. They are absorbed by nonenzymatic hydrolysis in a predictable manner with limited inflammatory response. In contrast, gut sutures have an unpredictable absorption rate by enzymatic degradation and elicit an exaggerated inflammatory response. Because infected urine, especially Proteus species, accelerates the degradation of absorbable synthetic sutures to a greater degree than gut sutures, wound closure in the presence of infection should be accomplished with the absorbable natural fiber suture. Nonabsorbable sutures or staples should not be used in the urinary tract because they predictably promote urolithiasis.
Entinostat converts immune-resistant breast and pancreatic cancers into checkpoint-responsive tumors by reprogramming tumor-infiltrating MDSCs

Immune-checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has revolutionized treatment in cancers that are naturally immunogenic by enabling infiltration of T cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME) and promoting cytotoxic signaling pathways. Tumors possessing complex immunosuppressive TMEs such as breast and pancreatic cancers present unique therapeutic obstacles as response rates to ICI remain low. Such tumors often recruit myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), whose functioning prohibits both T-cell activation and infiltration. We attempted to sensitize these tumors to ICI using epigenetic modulation to target MDSC trafficking and function to foster a less immunosuppressive TME. We showed that combining a histone deacetylase inhibitor, entinostat (ENT), with anti-PD-1, anti-CTLA-4, or both significantly improved tumor-free survival in both the HER2/neu transgenic breast cancer and the Panc02 metastatic pancreatic cancer mouse models. Using flow cytometry, gene-expression profiling, and ex vivo functional assays, we characterized populations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and MDSCs, as well as their functional capabilities. We showed that addition of ENT to checkpoint inhibition led to significantly decreased suppression by granulocytic MDSCs in the TME of both tumor types. We also demonstrated an increase in activated granzyme-B-producing CD8+ T effector cells in mice treated with combination therapy. Gene-expression profiling of both MDSCs and TILs identified significant changes in immune-related pathways. In summary, addition of ENT to ICI significantly altered infiltration and function of innate immune cells, allowing for a more robust adaptive immune response. These findings provide a rationale for combination therapy in patients with immune-resistant tumors, including breast and pancreatic cancers.
Effects of s-metolachlor on early life stages of marbled crayfish.

Abstract The effects of s-metolachlor chronic exposure at concentrations of 1.1 μg/L (maximal real environmental concentration in the Czech Republic), 11 μg/L (environmental relevant concentration) and 110 μg/L on early life stages of marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) was evaluated under laboratory conditions. All s-metolachlor exposures resulted in higher mortality, delay ontogenetic development with accompanied slower growth and excited behaviour (increase of total distance moved and walking speed). Significantly lower superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase activity and reduced glutathione level was observed at two higher tested concentrations (11 and 110 μg/L) of s-metolachlor compared with the control. S-metolachlor in concentrations 110 μg/L showed alteration of the tubular system of hepatopancreas including focal disintegration of tubular epithelium and notable reduction in epithelial cells number, especially B-cells. In conclusion, potential risk associated with using of s-metolachlor in agriculture, due to effects on non-target aquatic organisms as documented on early life stages of marbled crayfish in this study, should be taken into account.
The Alpha Female and the Sinister Seven

When I decided to contribute to Presumed Incompetent II, a litany of bad experiences came to mind – ranging from outright assaults on my job security to the daily microaggressions that remind you every day that no matter how hard you work, how many awards you receive, and how frequently your work is cited, you are and will remain at the bottom of the gender and racial hierarchy undergirding American society in general, and the legal academy in particular (Carbon and Cahn 2013; Monroe and Chiu 2010). Being an academic, I could not resist developing a typology of the various characters and forms of racism, sexism, and Islamophobia I have experienced in the academy. Based on my conversations with other women of color at various law schools coupled with the literature on systemic gender and racial biases in the legal academy, I suspect my proposed typology applies to law schools across the country (Deo 2015). My aim is to theorize why I, and other women like me, have such negative experiences in a profession that purports to be training the next generation of lawyers and leaders to be civil, ethical, and collaborative. In direct contradiction to these values, harms we experience arise from duplicitous, conniving, and dishonest behavior that produce disrespectful and condescending mistreatment. In attempting to understand this contradiction between law schools’ stated commitments to civility, ethics and integrity on the one hand and the depraved behavior of some faculty towards (some) female professors of color on the other hand, I realize my situation is unique insofar as I am a particular type of woman — The Alpha Female. Thus, I am marked as a triple outsider (female, racial/ethnic/religious minority, and alpha) in a profession that expects leadership, intelligence, and confidence from its members and yet penalizes women and minorities for possessing such traits (Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins 1989; Moncrief 2015; Aziz 2014). Despite the common usage of the Alpha Male to denote masculinity, leadership, charisma, and social aggressiveness — all traits admired in men — there is no recognition, much less desire, for the female counterpart (Ludmand and Erlandson 2004; Hawley, Little and Card 2008, Ludmand and Erlandson 2006). The dearth of literature about Alpha Females produces a blind spot in socio-legal analysis on gender equality (Popson and Dipaolo 2010; Moncrief 2015). As such, this chapter seeks to incorporate the concept of the Alpha Female into my experiences as a woman of color in the legal academy who not only is presumed incompetent because of my immutable racial and ethnic characteristics; but also presumed aggressive (rather than driven and focused) and insolent (rather than confident and competent) because of my alpha personality traits — for which my white male counterparts receive promotions to leadership positions and accolades. I hope this chapter triggers further research on the interplay of alpha personality traits, race, and gender.
A Study on a Three-Level Flying Capacitor Boost Converter with an Integrated LC 2 D Output Network for Universal Input Voltage Applications

A new three-level boost converter with wide conversion ratio is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter has a high step-up voltage gain, common ground, low input current ripple, and low voltage stress on the semiconductor devices. The proposed converter is based on a three-level switched flying capacitor network and an integrated LC2D output network. The integrated LC2D output network reduces the voltage stress on the semiconductor devices and extends the voltage gain of the converter. Complete analysis of the proposed converter in continuous conduction mode (CCM) is given in this paper. A scaled-down laboratory setup was built with Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors and Silicon Carbide (SiC) diodes to verify the theoretical analysis of the proposed converter.
Nonparametric causal mediation analysis for stochastic interventional (in)direct effects

Causal mediation analysis has historically been limited in two important ways: (i) a focus has traditionally been placed on binary treatments and static interventions, and (ii) direct and indirect effect decompositions have been pursued that are only identifiable in the absence of intermediate confounders affected by treatment. We present a theoretical study of an (in)direct effect decomposition of the population intervention effect, defined by stochastic interventions jointly applied to the treatment and mediators. In contrast to existing proposals, our causal effects can be evaluated regardless of whether a treatment is categorical or continuous and remain well-defined even in the presence of intermediate confounders affected by treatment. Our (in)direct effects are identifiable without a restrictive assumption on cross-world counterfactual independencies, allowing for substantive conclusions drawn from them to be validated in randomized controlled trials. Beyond the novel effects introduced, we provide a careful study of nonparametric efficiency theory relevant for the construction of flexible, multiply robust estimators of our (in)direct effects, while avoiding undue restrictions induced by assuming parametric models of nuisance parameter functionals. To complement our nonparametric estimation strategy, we introduce inferential techniques for constructing confidence intervals and hypothesis tests, and discuss open source software implementing the proposed methodology.
Evidenced-Based Management of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

This paper aims to review the evidenced-based management of greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). There are various studies evaluating greater trochanteric pain syndrome that illustrate the mainstay of treatment is activity modification with the implementation of isometric and isotonic exercise programs. If conservative care fails, short-term benefits can be seen with corticosteroid injections. More refractory cases of GTPS should be referred for diagnostic ultrasound evaluation to illustrate gluteal tendinosis that could benefit from a targeted treatment such as percutaneous tenotomy or orthobiologics. GTPS is a common cause of lateral hip pain that typically requires a multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic approach that should be individualized based on patient-centered care. Treatments should take into consideration the individual’s overall health to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that utilizes both conservative and interventional modalities to maximize recovery.
The US National Trend for Retinopathy of Prematurity.

OBJECTIVE The use of supplemental oxygen in premature infants is essential for survival. However, its use has been associated with unintended complications. The restricted use of oxygen is associated with increased mortality and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), whereas its liberal use is associated with increased risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Although there is no clear consensus on the acceptable oxygen saturation range, clinicians have recently become more liberal with the use of oxygen. We aim to assess (1) the national trends for ROP in very low birth weight preterm infants, and (2) the associated trends in mortality, NEC, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and length of hospital stay (LOS). METHODS We analyzed deidentified patient data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) from 2002 to 2017. All infants with gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight <1500 g were included. Trends in ROP, severe ROP, mortality, NEC, IVH, severe IVH, and LOS were analyzed using Jonckheere-Terpstra test. RESULTS A total of 818,945 neonates were included in the study. The overall mortality was 16.2% and the prevalence of ROP was 17.5%. There was a significant trend for increased ROP over the years (p < 0.001). Severe ROP was also significantly increased (p < 0.001). This was associated with a significant trend for increased median LOS in survived infants (p < 0.001). Mortality was significantly decreased (p < 0.001), whereas NEC and severe NEC did not change over time (p = 0.222 and p = 0.412, respectively). CONCLUSION There is a national trend for increased ROP and severe ROP over the 16 years of the study period. This trend was associated with a significant increase in the LOS in survived infants without change in NEC. KEY POINTS · Prevalence of ROP and severe ROP has increased in VLBW infants over the 16-year study period.. · The prevalence of NEC did not change over the same time period.. · Increased ROP and severe ROP were consistent in all three GA and BW subgroups..
Sustainability in a Highly Interconnected World

Even more basic than data streams and transportation, the global terrestrial land is interconnected by the network of its ecological systems. Among them, large natural forests play the most important role due to the immense impact of their ecosystem services, such as provision of materials and food, oxygen production and carbon sequestration, and more subtle and equally important services such as climate regulation and health, including dangerous infections. Deforestation and forest fragmentation and degradation are the dominant factors that narrow the road to ecological, economic, social, and human sustainability with every passing day, requiring an extraordinary and immediate collective effort as the only means to escape a dire future. However, such effort is complicated by critically concurrent factors, such as the competition of forest land with expanding infrastructures and, more important, with the pressure on agriculture in the effort to feed the expanding global population. In this chapter, it is argued that, parallel to restoring natural forests, starting from coastal ones, considerable reduction of farming land could be achieved mainly by shifting as much as possible the global dietary habits from animal-source to plant-source food, besides urgently adopting the most effective, efficient, and green methods and technologies for food processing.
Improving Physical Layer Security of Two-Way Cooperative DF System using Modulation Diversity

This paper investigates the physical layer security of a two-way cooperative relay system, where two sources communicate with each other directly as well as via an intermediate decode-and-forward (DF) relay. This paper proposes to incorporate modulation diversity into the two-way cooperative relay system to improve its secrecy performance. In this paper, the physical layer security of the two-way cooperative relay system with modulation diversity is explored in detail over Rayleigh fading channels using mathematical analysis and computer simulations. When the modulation diversity is integrated into two sources and the intermediate DF relay, both source and relay cooperatively transmit different symbols, thus increasing the spectral efficiency of the system by exchanging four symbols in three time slots compared to the conventional two-way cooperative relay system which exchanges two symbols in three time slots. Hence, the mutual information of the proposed system is higher than the conventional system that makes the analysis of the proposed system is entirely different than the conventional system. This paper presents the mathematical analysis for the secrecy outage probability, the probability of non-zero secrecy capacity, and the intercept probability of the proposed system. Moreover, it carries out comprehensive computer simulations to validate the mathematical framework. Finally, the results confirm the significant improvement of the two-way cooperative relay system's secrecy performance by incorporating the proposed scheme compared to the conventional system.
Transition to Peptide-Based Diet Improved Enteral Nutrition Tolerance and Decreased Healthcare Utilization in Pediatric Home Enteral Nutrition.

BACKGROUND Home enteral nutrition (HEN) use continues to increase in children unable to meet nutritional needs through oral intake. Some patients do not tolerate standard polymeric formula (SPF), which may lead to malnutrition. Use of peptide-based diet (PBD) has demonstrated benefits in adults, however there remains a paucity of data in pediatric population. METHODS Retrospective review of medical records of children receiving HEN between October 2015 and October 2019 was conducted. Nutrition, tolerance, and healthcare utilization was tracked through May 2020. Children receiving PBD as initial formula or transitioned to PBD from SPF were included. Our objective was to assess gastrointestinal tolerance and impact on healthcare utilization in children receiving PBD. RESULTS During study period, 30 children (mean age, 9 ± 5.44 years; 20 of 30 [66.7%] male) utilized PBDs. Twenty-one patients started PBD directly with malnutrition as primary indication. Nine patients transitioned from SPF to PBD, most often due to intolerance of SPF (66%). After transition to PBD, no symptoms were reported in 6 of 9 (66.7%) patients, and symptoms of SPF intolerance resolved in 4 of 9 (44.5%) patients. Healthcare utilization declined significantly after transition to PBD, including mean numbers of emergency room visits (0.78 ± 1.09 to 0.11 ± 0.33; P = .025), provider visits (1.67 ± 1.32 to 0.56 ± 0.73; P = .007), and phone calls (1.22 ± 1.39 to 0.33 ± 0.50; P = .026). CONCLUSIONS PBD is well tolerated and can result in significant reduction in healthcare utilization in children intolerant to SPF.
Gene Expression Profiling in Kidney Transplant Recipients on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: More than Meets the Eye

In the decade since their development, immune checkpoint inhibitors have quickly become part of standard treatment for an expanding list of solid-organ and hematologic malignancies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are mAbs that stimulate a T cell–mediated antitumor response by inhibiting “immune
A Note on Students’ Perceptions of the Effect of Selected Factors on Student Course and Faculty Evaluations

Undergraduate students at Lehigh University were surveyed regarding the effect of selected factors, such as class size, on students’ evaluations of courses and faculty. The results of this study, which would probably not surprise most faculty, are in fact quite different from the conclusions reached by a number of researchers.
A Cheminformatics Approach for Zeolite Framework Determination

Knowledge of the framework topology of zeolites is essential for multiple applications. Framework type determination relying on the combined information of coordination sequences and vertex symbols is appropriate for crystals with no defects. In this work we present an alternative machine learning model to classify zeolite crystals according to their framework types. The model is based on an eighteen-dimensional feature vector generated from the crystallographic data of zeolite crystals that contains topological, physical-chemical and statistical descriptors. Trained with sufficient known data, this model predicts the framework types of unknown zeolite crystals within 1-2 % error and shows to be better suited when dealing with real zeolite crystals, all of which always have geometrical defects even when the structure is resolved by crystallography.
The radiation budget of a forest canopy.

Models were developed to separate the radiation-transfer processes of plant canopies from those of the underlying soil surface. The effect of the canopy was then examined by applying the model to springtime measurements of the fluxes of short- and longwave radiation entering and leaving a pine plantation. The model showed that 10 percent of the shortwave radiation that was absorbed within the canopy and 20 percent of that leaving the upper canopy boundary originated as reflection from the forest floor. Longwave radiation emitted upward by the canopy during the daylight period exceeded that emitted downward by about 6 percent. The model confirmed the importance of the longwave component to net radiation of the canopy.
“So Open It Hurts”: Enabling “Therefore, We Can …” in the Dangerous Secure World of Education

We have lost the philosophical ground beneath our feet. Cartesian dualism is untenable. Kantian autonomy is discounted. The utilitarian calculus is complicated beyond recognition. Phenomenological access gets only to a socially constructed core. The decentered subject of deconstruction seems wildly out of step with the empirical march of cognitive psychology and neuroscientific research. Concepts are grounded in culture and interaction. Ideas are not good or bad but mine or yours, empowering or dismissive. Human thinking is embodied, evolutionary, universal in its experiential groundedness, preconscious as well as unconscious, metaphoric and imaginative, and emotionally engaged. Yikes! But it does not matter, because nobody listens to us anyway.
A history of the solar wind concept

One presumes that the supersonic solar wind has been blowing since the formation of the Solar System, providing the dynamical plasma and magnetic field throughout interplanetary space. It appears that the early massive solar wind and simultaneous strong solar magnetic fields carried away the initial angular momentum of the young Sun during the first 3 +108 years or so, leaving the leisurely 25-day equatorial rotation period that we see today (***Schatzman 1959, 1973; Biermann 1973). Nowadays the tenuous wind carries no significant angular momentum or mass from the Sun, but it continues to be the dominating condition in interplanetary space, providing the outward sweeping spiral magnetic field, impacting the terrestrial magnetosphere, drastically reducing the intensity of the galactic cosmic rays, and pushing the interstellar gas and galactic magnetic field out beyond the farthest planets. The consequences for the terrestrial environment are profound, but not immediately obvious to us who dwell at the surface of Earth. So the history of the thoughts leading to the recognition of the solar wind extends back more than two millennia. Progress has been paced largely by the development of physics from the davs of Gilbert (1544–1603) and Galileo (1562–1642).
Education and Learning Theory

With the expanded use of medical simulation in healthcare, it is important that our knowledge and application of teaching and learning perspectives expand correspondingly in order to guide practice. To better understand the learner and the process of learning, it is essential to possess at least a foundational understanding of learning theory. Applying learning theory and knowledge of teaching is key to the success of the educational goals of medical simulation and to patient care. Accordingly, this chapter will present information that operationalizes aspects of educational theories and theoretical perspectives into approaches that are immediately applicable to learning in an educational environment focused on healthcare simulation and that will serve to guide teaching practices. This chapter will also examine the role of prior knowledge in learning, as well as the role of motivation and self-reflection in the learning process.
The Differential Polarization of Starlight as a Function of Distance

We have plotted the differential polarization as a function of distance and galactic longitude for 1732 stars between galactic latitudes -5° and +5°. The data were obtained from several published sources. A fairly clearcut distinction is seen between the effects of spiral arms and inter-arm regions indicating that starlight is systematically polarized only when passing through spiral arms.