cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Host ecology shapes geographical variation for resistance to bacterial infection in Drosophila melanogaster

Summary 1 Geographically distinct host populations often experience very different ecological conditions. These variable ecological conditions impact the strength of selection that these hosts experience from their parasites. 2 Numerous studies have characterized geographical patterns of resistance to infection among natural populations in the context of host–parasite local adaptation, but what other factors might contribute to these differences? 3 Here, we determined whether 20 naturally isolated populations of Drosophila melanogaster collected along the East Coast of the United States varied for survival after being inoculated with one of two species of bacteria – Lactococcus lactis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We then asked whether host environment accounted for the observed patterns of resistance. 4 Resistance to both types of infection varied spatially. The hosts’ natural environment was predictive of the observed spatial variation in resistance to L. lactis, but not P. aeruginosa, infection. Specifically, hosts exposed to species-rich bacterial communities were more likely to survive the infection. 5 We conclude that biotic characteristics of the host environment, specifically the number of species of bacteria hosts encounter, shape host resistance to bacterial infection in nature. We discuss our results in the context of what is known about the evolutionary ecology of resistance in invertebrate systems.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate elicits receptor-dependent calcium signaling in retinal amacrine cells.

Evidence is emerging indicating that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) participates in signaling in the retina. To determine whether S1P might be involved in signaling in the inner retina specifically,...
The Capital Idea and the Scope of Economics

This paper traces the idea of Capital from Adam Smith to modern times and shows how different conceptions of Capital give rise to different approaches to economics and the range of problems that can be investigated. A structural, as opposed to a stock, approach to Capital is shown to be more conducive to a studies of business institutions and practices, and to rules, institutions and standards in a changing world.
The Limits of Victims' Rights in a System of Public Prosecution

The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (“CVRA”), enacted in 2004, potentially threatens our system of public prosecution enshrined in the Constitution. Although it does not confer party status to victims, the CVRA provides victims with expansive rights, which could often conflict with the interests of prosecutors and defendants. Most significantly, if a district court denies any of the victims’ participatory rights under the statute, the CVRA permits victims to petition the appellate court for a writ of mandamus to re-open a plea bargain or sentence. Consequently, given the expansive rights and remedies, victims theoretically have the ability to trump prosecutorial and judicial discretion regarding decisions made in a criminal case. Although the standard for granting a writ of mandamus is ordinarily very high, two circuits, the Second and the Ninth, have declined to use the traditional mandamus standard and have reviewed victims’ petitions for either an error of law or for an abuse of discretion. Using a more relaxed standard is problematic because victims’ interests may at times be opposed to those of the prosecutor, and for obvious reasons, are often at odds with those of the defendant. An appellate court reviewing a district court’s denial of a victim’s motion should apply the traditional mandamus standard of review because it promotes a narrow interpretation of the CRVA and respects prosecutorial and judicial discretion, which Congress explicitly built into the statute.
Effect of self-scoring procedures on test reliability

A recent technological development has enabled classroom teachers to achieve Pressey's goal o f the 1920s-to produce examinauons which both test and teach (Pressey, 1926) . Using the A. B. Dick ditto technique, multiple-choice answer sheets may be produced with an invisible ink "X" on one of four choices. Wi th a special "Latent Image" pen examinees may then continue trying on each quesrion until a correct choice has been made, and score it on a 3-2-1-0 point basis. The present investigation sought to determine the effect of this new self-scoring procedure upon test reliability. Fifty-two undergraduate educational psychology students were administered a 50question mid-term examination, half using an IBM answer sheet and half using the selfscoring answer sheet. At the next class meeting a week later, the same examination was administered, again using both answer sheets. Table 1 shows the split-half reliability estimates, corrected by the Spearman-Brown procedure (Ebel, 1972) . The self-scoring response mode was scored on both a right-wrong basis (on the first attempt) and by a partial score. The final examination was administered entirely with latent-image answcr sheets. In all cases the partial scoring increased the reliability.
Physician Decision Making Variations in Pre-Procedural Intubation of Ischemic Stroke Patients Undergoing Acute Neuro-Endovascular Treatment (P06.217)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the variation in and factors associated with decision making for pre-procedural intubation among patients with acute ischemic stroke. Background There are no established criteria for endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation prior to neuro-endovascular procedures in acute ischemic stroke. Due to recent reports identifying intubation as a risk factor for death and disability in such patients, the practice has come under scrutiny. Design/Methods: We developed 10 simulation cases from an actual database of acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing emergent neuro-endovascular procedures. The simulation cases consisted of relevant demographics, presenting symptoms, relevant past medical history, initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores, and initial neuro-imaging findings. After review of the information, twenty clinicians from nine institutions selected the option of pre-procedural intubation (yes/no) for each of the 10 patients, and determined the reasoning. Clinicians were also asked to identify their training background (Neurology, Neurosurgery or Radiology trained neuro-interventionist, vascular neurologist or neuro-intensivist). Reasons for intubation and agreement between clinicians for each case were ascertained. To determine the agreement among different clinicians inter-observer variability was determined using Kappa statistic. Results: The overall agreement between physicians for selecting intubation prior to endovascular treatment as assessed by kappa (±SD) was 30%±5%. Agreement was highest between vascular neurologist and neuro-intensivist (39%). Major reasons for choice of intubation were respiratory insufficiency 15(7.5%); labored breathing plus inability to follow command 9 (4.5%); poor NIHSS 16 (8%); aphasia 8 (4%); seizure 1(0.5%); and no reason 9 (4.5%). Conclusions: There is considerable variability in decision making for intubation in patients undergoing emergent neuro-endovascular procedures. A reduction in death and disability in patients who undergo pre-procedural intubation may not be possible without standardizing intubation practices in such scenarios. Disclosure: Dr. Emiru has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chaudhry has nothing to disclose. Dr. Anderson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Qureshi has nothing to disclose.
Study and implementation of CORBA technology in EML-NML interface

This paper presented a systematic introduction to the relationship between the TMN architecture and the interface reference points of all layers of function,analyzed the short coming of the Q3 standard for EML-NML interface under the object-oriented distributed environment,and the superiority of CORBA over distributed application environment,The paper also elaborated on the application of CORBA technology in EML-NML interface,and a CORBA-based architecture for realization of EML norward interface under the transport network management platform,put forword a CORBA-based realization scheme for common EML-NML interface design.Lastly,the paper gave an overall operation scheme of TMN using ORBIX 6.1 as the realization platform.
Determination of the leveles of mannitol and latulose in urine by high performance liquid chromatography

Objective: To establish the method of examining mannital and lactulose by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Methods: Urine samples were collected before and after the test solution administrated, and analyzed on a Sugar-Pak I column of HPLC with refractive index detector. Resulds: The average within-run and between-run reproducibilities tests were 2.51% and 3.53% for mannitol, 3.03% and 5.52% for lactulose respectively. The recovery rate ranged from 93% to 98% for mannitol and 91~97% for lactulose. Conclusions: The determination of the Lactulose and Mannitol by HPLC is a precise, simple and convenient method. It is a reliable method in clinical practice.
Biochemical analysis of mutants defective in nitrate assimilation in Neurospora crassa: evidence for autogenous control by nitrate reductase.

A biochemical analysis of mutants altered for nitrate assimilation in Neurospora crassa is described. Mutant alleles at each of the nine nit (nitrate-nonutilizing) loci were assayed for nitrate reductase activity, for three partial activities of nitrate reductase, and for nitrite reductase activity. In each case, the enzyme deficiency was consistent with data obtained from growth tests and complementation tests in previous studies. The mutant strains at these nit loci were also examined for altered regulation of enzyme synthesis. Such exeriments revealed that mutations which affect the structural integrity of the native nitrate reductase molecule can result in constitutive synthesis of this enzyme protein and of nitrite reductase. These results provide very strong evidence that, as in Aspergillus nidulans, nitrate reductase autogenously regulates the pathway of nitrate assimilation. However, only mutants at the nit-2 locus affect the regulation of this pathway by nitrogen metabolite repression.
Exploring the association of hospice care on patient experience and outcomes of care

Objective To examine the association of the use of hospice care on patient experience and outcomes of care. Promoting high-value, safe and effective care is an international healthcare imperative. However, the extent to which hospice care may improve the value of care is not well characterised. Methods A secondary analysis of variations in care was conducted using the Dartmouth Atlas Report, matched to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database to abstract organisational characteristics for 236 US hospitals to examine the relationship between hospice usage and a number of variables that represent care value, including hospital care intensity index, hospital deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) deaths, patient satisfaction and a number of patient quality indicators. Structural equation modelling was used to demonstrate the effect of hospice use on patient experience, clinical and efficiency outcomes. Results Hospice admissions in the last 6 months of life were correlated with a number of variables, including increases in patient satisfaction ratings (r=0.448, p=0.01) and better pain control (r=0.491, p=0.01), and reductions in hospital days (r=−0.517, p=0.01), fewer hospital deaths (r=−0.842, p=0.01) and fewer deaths occurring with an ICU admission during hospitalisation (r=−0.358, p=0.01). The structural equation model identified that use of hospice care was inversely related to hospital mortality (−0.885) and ICU mortality (−0.457). Conclusions The results of this investigation demonstrate that greater use of hospice care during the last 6 months of life is associated with improved patient experience, including satisfaction and pain control, as well as clinical outcomes of care, including decreased ICU and hospital mortality.
Surface functionalization of dopamine coated iron oxide nanoparticles for various surface functionalities

Abstract We present effective conjugation of four small molecules (glutathione, cysteine, lysine, and Tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane) onto dopamine-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Conjugation of these molecules could improve the surface functionality of nanoparticles for more neutral surface charge at physiological pH and potentially reduce non-specific adsorption of proteins to nanoparticles surfaces. The success of conjugation was evaluated with dynamic light scattering by measuring the surface charge changes and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for surface chemistry analysis. The stability of dopamine-coated nanoparticles and the ability of conjugated nanoparticles to reduce the formation of protein corona were evaluated by measuring the size and charge of the nanoparticles in biological medium. This facile conjugation method opens up possibilities for attaching various surface functionalities onto iron oxide nanoparticle surfaces for biomedical applications.
Labor market impacts of U.S. tight oil development: The case of the Bakken

Abstract There has been a recent boom in natural gas and oil production in the US due to high energy prices and technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. While North Dakota oil production has increased significantly since 2005 with the development of Bakken formation, the impact on the rest of the economy including agriculture, historically the largest industry in North Dakota, has received little attention. We employ a variant of the Corden-Neary resource development model to test the impact of the oil boom in North Dakota caused by technical change on employment and wages in two tradable sectors of the state economy: agriculture and energy, alongside the rest of the state's economy, using a Vector Error Correction (VEC) model marking the very first use of the dynamic vector autoregression (VAR) analysis in this theoretical framework. It was determined that the oil boom, as represented by the number of rigs in the state, led to an increase in employment and wages in energy sector, as expected, but also in the rest of the economy. Oil development activity had no significant impact on agricultural wages. Both energy sector equations, employment and wage, suggest relative independence of these variables from the movements in agriculture and the rest of the economy, and being impacted mostly by the changes in energy sector itself. Seasonality does not play significant role in energy sector employment and wages unlike in agriculture and the rest of the economy.
FCRL2 Expression Is Predictive of IgVH Mutation Status and Clinical Progression in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a heterogeneous malignancy of two subtypes that can be stratified according to the mutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene ( IgV H ). Because the clinical course of this disease differs dramatically between these subgroups, accurately identifying indolent patients (mutated-MT IgV H ) from aggressive ones (unmutated-UM IgV H ) is of increasing importance. CD38 and ZAP-70 expression are both considered useful prognostic markers in CLL and are utilized by most clinical laboratories. Although they are associated with Ig mutation status and predictive of clinical course, both proteins have some limitations and demonstrate variable discordance with IgV H mutation status. Thus, the proper diagnostic use of these indicators and their optimal detection remains under investigation. The identification of additional diagnostic and prognostic markers would not only be helpful for subgrouping CLL patients and choosing appropriate treatment options, but could also be informative for understanding the cellular origins and biological defects underlying this lymphoproliferative disorder. Recent characterization of five human Fc receptor-like (FCRL1–5) molecules possessing tyrosine-based activating and/or inhibitory potential that are expressed by distinct B cell subpopulations, suggests they could be useful diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic markers in B lineage malignancies. To determine their prognostic potential in CLL, FCRL1–5 surface expression was evaluated with a panel of specific monoclonal antibodies by flow cytometry and compared with currently established markers of prognosis including IgV H mutation status, as well as CD38 surface expression, ZAP-70 cytoplasmic expression, and clinical parameters from 107 CLL cases. Our results demonstrate that FCRL1–3, and FCRL5 are expressed by CLL cells, but FCRL4 is not. Except for FCRL1, the expression of FCRL2, FCRL3, and FCRL5 was found at significantly higher levels on CLL cells than the polyclonal CD19 + B cell population in normal individuals. Univariate analysis revealed that all four FCRLs, as well as CD38 and ZAP-70, were significantly associated with IgV H mutation status. However multivariate logistical analysis confirmed that only FCRL2 and ZAP-70 maintain predictive value. Furthermore, significant negative correlations between FCRL2 and ZAP-70 expression (r=0.60, P IgV H mutation compared to 77.6% for CD38 and 80.4% for ZAP-70. In a subset of patients for which clinical data were initially available, log-rank analysis revealed that similar to IgV H mutation status, FCRL2 can predict disease progression; the median time to first therapy was 13 years for FCRL2 high expressers compared to 4 years for FCRL2 low individuals. Our data indicate that FCRL2 is a novel prognostic marker of IgV H mutation status and clinical progression that may complement the clinical prognostic significance of CD38 and ZAP-70, and further improve therapeutic strategies for patients afflicted with CLL.
Public Wealth and Private Riches: Past and Present

The classical economists defined national wealth as the sum of goods with exchange value. Lauderdale, a contemporary of Adam Smith, drew a distinction between private riches, the classical definition, and public wealth, the sum of all goods with use value. Public wealth included abundant environmental goods such as clean air and water. Lauderdale maintained that private riches could expand due to the scarcity of formerly free, but unmeasured public wealth. Hence the classical measure of wealth would give a misleading indication of the total goods available to society under conditions of environmental scarcity. The classical economists denied the relevance of Lauderdale’s thesis for their time.The modern national economic accounts follow the classical concept in omitting the services of free environmental resources. However, environmental conditions have now changed to the point where Lauderdale’s concept of public wealth is more relevant than the classical concept of private riches. Hence current measures...
Neural network rainfall estimation based on GPM dual-frequency precipitation radar measurements

We implement a novel hybrid machine learning-based hybrid system consisting of two deep neural networks (DNNs) for GPM applications. This architecture estimates rainfall by building a relation between GPM radar observation and rain gauge measurement by using ground radar to bridge the gap between the spaceborne radar and ground rain gauge. The first DNN model is trained from gauge measurements to ground radar rainfall estimations. The second DNN is trained from ground radar rainfall estimation to spaceborne radar rainfall estimation. Using the two DNN models, the entire system can generate a rainfall product by linking spaceborne radar observations to ground rain gauge measurements via ground radar observations.
Longitudinal stability of fibromyalgia symptom clusters.

Using self-report questionnaires of key fibromyalgia symptom domains (pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, function, stiffness, dyscognition, depression, and anxiety), we previously identified four unique symptom clusters. The purpose of this study was to examine the stability of fibromyalgia symptom clusters between baseline and 2-year follow-up. Women with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia completed the Brief Pain Inventory, Profile of Mood States, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep measure, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, Multiple Ability Self-Report Questionnaire, Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and the 36-Item Short Form Survey Instrument at baseline. Follow-up measures were completed approximately 2 years later. The hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm previously developed was applied; agreement between baseline and follow-up was assessed with the κ statistic. Among 433 participants, the mean age was 56 (range 20–85) years. The median Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total score was 57 (range 8–96). More than half of participants (58%) remained in the same cluster at follow-up as at baseline, which represented moderate agreement between baseline and follow-up (κ = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37–0.50). Only two patients changed from high symptom intensity to low symptom intensity; similarly, only three moved from low to high. Fibromyalgia patients classified into four unique symptom clusters based on the key domains of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, function, stiffness, dyscognition, depression, and anxiety showed moderate stability in cluster assignment after 2 years. Few patients moved between the two extremes of severity, and it was slightly more common to move to a lower symptom level than to worsen. Not applicable.
Error Analysis for Localization of Multisensory Cues for Countering Spatial Disorientation

Decrements in situation awareness (SA) remain an important research topic, due to its influence on spatial disorientation (SD). Multisensory displays (e.g., three-dimensional audio and audiotactile...
Partner self-esteem and interpersonal risk: Rejection from a low self-esteem partner constrains connection and increases depletion

Abstract Interpersonal rejection activates connectedness goals that are either prioritized or suppressed. We explored whether rejection from a low (vs. high) self-esteem partner influences this process. In study 1 (N = 205) participants exhibited less accessibility to connection-related thoughts following rejection from a low (vs. high) self-esteem partner. Using a dyadic conflict interaction, study 2 (N = 102 couples) revealed that participants engaged in more connection-inhibiting behavior during conflict with a low (vs. high) self-esteem partner. Study 3 (N = 115) used a daily diary design and found that participants reported greater mental exhaustion on days they felt more (vs. less) rejected by a low self-esteem roommate. These effects emerged despite evidence from both self-report (studies 2 and 3) and independent coding (study 1) that rejection from a low self-esteem other was not more painful than rejection from a high self-esteem other. In sum, people appear to use impressions of others' self-esteem to determine whether connectedness goals are suppressed following rejection.
Grid-Specific Co-Optimization of Incentive for Generation Planning in Power Systems With Renewable Energy Sources

Enhancement in efficiency of renewable energy sources, raised concern about greenhouse gas emission, significant power losses within transmission and distribution networks, unpredictable and unreliable fossil fuel cost, and expansion of reliable communication infrastructure offered by smart grids have all contributed to an increasing interest in deployment of renewable energy sources in energy mix. However, the widespread utilization of renewable energy sources in an open energy market without proper grid-based incentives for aimed contribution levels is uncertain. This article proposes a co-optimization algorithm to find the minimum incentives that result in the desired level of renewable energy source penetration in energy supply chain and optimal distribution of power sources in the electric power grid. The algorithm first finds the proper incentive based on the power-flow losses, then it uses a novel optimization approach to solve a mixed integer non-linear programming optimization of generation planning to minimize the energy cost. Unlike other incentive design methodologies, the proposed algorithm is not only supply specific, but also it depends on the demand and the structures of the grid. The method finds an exclusively designed set of incentives for electric energy supplies that do not emit greenhouse gases or heat to the atmosphere.
Diversity of Chromosomal Characteristics Among Mammals: With Special Reference to Laboratory Mouse in Cancer Research

The class Mammalia is divided into three subclasses: (1) Prototheria including monotremes, (2) Metatheria including marsupials, and (3) Eutheria that include all other mammalian species. Eutherian mammals, which include humans, have chromosome numbers ranging from 2n = 6 (lowest) to 2n = 102 (highest). The karyotype which consists of the chromosome number and morphology is considered to be the characteristic of a given species. Some mammalian species have either only acrocentric chromosomes, as in the case of laboratory mouse, or only metacentric and/or submetacentric chromosomes, as in the case of most hamster species. Some species, on the other hand, have a combination of acrocentric, submetacentric, and metacentric chromosomes, as in the case of humans. In a few rare mammalian species, the X and the Y chromosomes may be fused to an autosome. With the discovery and application of various chromosome identification (banding) techniques, it became apparent that diverse groups of mammalian species share large chromosomal segments or even many intact chromosomes. Here, I have discussed in brief chromosomal characteristics of various mammalian species with special reference to the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus, and human, Homo sapiens sapiens and concluded that laboratory mouse may not be a suitable animal model representing all mammalian species including humans. In addition, the discussions presented here suggest that mouse is not the best or ideal laboratory animal model for cancer research and anticancer drug development. In the era of personalized medicine, the time has come to use human mini-organs (organoids) produced in culture vessels following the various somatic cell cloning techniques including the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and other small molecules induced newly discovered reprogramming methods. Such reprogrammed iPS or SCNT stem cells can be monitored in culture to produce patient-specific different human organoids and used instead of using mouse by the pharmaceutical companies and research institutes for testing drug toxicity and production of more effective new anticancer drugs.
Autologous Breast Reconstruction after Failed Implant-Based Reconstruction: Evaluation of Surgical and Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life.

BACKGROUND There is a subset of patients who initially undergo implant-based breast reconstruction but later change to autologous reconstruction after failure of the implant reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes and quality of life in this group of patients. METHODS After institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review of a prospectively maintained database was performed and BREAST-Q surveys were evaluated. RESULTS One hundred thirty-seven patients underwent autologous breast reconstruction following failed implant-based reconstruction with 192 total flaps. Failure of implant reconstruction was defined as follows: capsular contracture causing pain and/or cosmetic deformity [n = 106 (77 percent)], dissatisfaction with the aesthetic result [n = 15 (11 percent)], impending exposure of the implant/infection [n = 8 (6 percent)], and unknown [n = 8 (6 percent)]. Complications requiring operative intervention included partial flap loss [n = 5 (3 percent)], hematoma [n = 5 (3 percent)], vascular compromise requiring intervention for salvage [n = 2 (1 percent)], and total flap loss [n = 1 (1 percent)]. Thirty-four patients (23 percent) had BREAST-Q surveys. There was a statistically significant increase in overall outcomes (p < 0.001), satisfaction with appearance of breasts (p < 0.001), psychosocial well-being (p < 0.001), and physical well-being of the chest (p = 0.003). A statistically significant decrease in physical well-being of the abdomen was observed (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Autologous breast reconstruction after failed implant-based reconstruction has an acceptable complication rate and is associated with significantly improved patient satisfaction and quality of life. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, IV.
Pelvic shape variation among gorilla subspecies: Phylogenetic and ecological signals.

Abstract Gorillas occupy habitats that range in elevation from 0 to 3850 m. Populations at higher elevations tend to be less arboreal than lowland populations. Variation in habitat-specific behaviors among closely related populations makes gorillas a unique model to study the relationship between locomotion and morphology. The pelvis reflects differences in locomotion in other primates, and thus may also reflect locomotor differences among gorillas. We tested the hypothesis that pelvic morphology exhibits clinal variation across elevation within Gorilla. Using 3D geometric morphometrics and principal components analysis (PCA), we characterized pelvic shape in three gorilla subspecies representing 14 localities across gorillas' full elevation range: western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), and Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri). We found that the first principal component (PC1) usually reflects differences between western and eastern gorillas in the lateral margin of the ilium and, in males, the obturator foramen. When sexes are considered together, the second principal component (PC2) indicates some separation between G. b. beringei and G. b. graueri, albeit with considerable overlap, corresponding to the shape of the iliac crest. When sexes were analyzed separately, there was no distinction. Phylogenetic generalized least squares regression was used to evaluate the relationship between elevation and pelvic shape under varying phylogenetic assumptions. Models were compared to assess how phylogenetic adjustment affects model fit. Neither of the first two PCs nor overall shape yielded a significant relationship with elevation in any of the pooled-sex and individual-sex samples. This suggests that covariation between pelvic morphology and elevation is sex-specific and dependent on phylogenetic assumptions. Our results find complex interactions between sex, phylogeny, elevation, and pelvic morphology, suggesting that there is not one ecomorphological pattern that characterizes all gorillas.
Long-term water retention increases in degraded soils amended with cross-linked polyacrylamide

Polymer hydrogels, cross-linked polyacrylamide co-polymer (XPAM) and K-polyacrylate (XPAA), increase soil water availability under drought, but their long-term effects are unknown even though such knowledge is important for assessing economic feasibility at the farm-scale. This 9-yr, outdoor study amended an irrigated, calcareous silt loam with a one-time, 0.25% or 0.5% dry wt. (5.6 or 11.2 Mg/ha) application of either XPAM or XPAA; and included an untreated control and untreated, uneroded topsoil. Soil water retention and plant available water (PAW, g H2O per g dry soil) were measured in soil samples collected in spring for 7 of the 9 years. Across all years, the 2% XPAM produced the greatest PAW (0.318) and the PAW of other treatments followed in the order: 0.5% XPAM > 0.25% XPAM > Topsoil > 0.25% XPAA = 0.5% XPAA = control (0.224). In all years, the 0.25% XPAM and 0.5% XPAM treatments increased soil PAW relative to the control, i.e. their PAW ratios exceeded unity. Topsoil PAW exceeded that of the control in 6 of the 7 years measured. The PAW of 0.25% XPAM and 0.5% XPAM peaked in year one after application and declined linearly with time (P<0.03), at -0.0036 /yr and -0.0044/yr, respectively. Hence, the half-life of the XPAM-related water-retention benefit is 10 to 16 years. In this study, soil water-retention benefits from XPAM amendments exceeded projections proposed by the industry (5 years in soil) and suggests that the cost-benefit of farm-scale XPAM applications might be more favorable than previously anticipated.
Expanding our understanding of the relationship between nonsuicidal self‐injury and suicide attempts: The roles of emotion regulation self‐efficacy and the acquired capability for suicide

Objective Although past literature has emphasized the role of acquired capability in the relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts, support for the indirect relationship of NSSI to suicide attempts through acquired capability is limited. Thus, research examining other factors that may underlie this relationship is needed. Across two studies, this research examined the indirect relationships of NSSI frequency to suicide attempts through both acquired capability and emotion regulation self-efficacy (ERSE). Method Two large samples of adults (one nationwide community sample and one clinical sample of patients with substance use disorders) completed questionnaires and/or interviews. Results Results revealed significant indirect relationships of NSSI frequency to lifetime suicide attempts through ERSE, but not acquired capability, within both samples. Conclusions Results highlight the relevance of ERSE to both suicide attempts and the NSSI-suicide attempt relationship, and suggest the potential utility of interventions aimed at increasing ERSE among individuals with repeated NSSI.
Reducing Point-of-care Blood Gas Testing in the Intensive Care Unit through Diagnostic Stewardship: A Value Improvement Project.

Introduction Overutilization of point-of-care (POC) testing may reduce the overall value of care due to high-cost cartridges, need for staff training, and quality assurance requirements. Methods The Diagnostic Stewardship group at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center assembled a multidisciplinary team to reduce the use of POC blood gas testing by 20% in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Key drivers of test overutilization included poor knowledge of cost, concern with testing turnaround time, and a lack of a standard definition of when a POC test was appropriate. We calculated weekly the outcome measure of POC blood gas tests per PICU patient-day and a balancing measure of blood gas result turnaround time using data extracted from the electronic medical record. Interventions focused on staff education, the establishment of a standard practice guideline for the use of POC testing, and improving turnaround time for laboratory blood gas testing. Results Over the baseline period starting July 2016, a median of 0.94 POC blood gas tests per PICU patient-day was ordered. After initial staff training, the rate was reduced to 0.60 tests per PICU patient-day and further reduced to 0.41 tests per PICU patient-day after a formal policy change was adopted. We have sustained this rate for 15 months through June 2018. Institutional direct cost savings were estimated to be $19,000 per year. Conclusions Our improvement initiative was associated with a significant and rapid reduction in the use of POC testing in the PICU. Interventions focused on cost awareness, and a formal guideline helped establish a consensus around appropriate utilization.
Gentrification: A Priority for Environmental Justice and Health Equity Research

Although gentrification is occurring at increasing rates across the United States, our understanding of what this means for public health is limited. While positive changes, such as increases in property values and reduced crime rates occur, negative consequences, such as residential displacement, also ensue. Individuals living through gentrification experience major changes in social and environmental conditions often in short periods of time, which can result in disrupted social networks and stress, both associated with decrements in health. As neighborhoods across the United States undergo revitalization, understanding health effects of gentrification, positive and negative, is paramount. We posit that gentrification may be beneficial in some aspects of health and detrimental in others. To address current challenges in the gentrification-health literature, we recommend future research: 1) examine the gentrification processes and stages; 2) integrate built, natural, and social environment metrics; and 3) assess mediating and moderating associations. As gentrification expands across the United States, research conducted in this area is poised for timely contributions to equitable development and urban planning policies.
Developing Collaborative Thinkers: Rethinking how we Define, Teach, and Assess Class Participation:

Introduction:Class participation is a common component of many college classes and is typically defined as involving students’ active, oral engagement in class.Statement of the Problem:Class partic...
Does Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment Influence Patient Falls and Mobility? A Systematic Review.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible blindness, increases fall risk through impaired central vision. Falls place an enormous economic burden on healthcare systems. We hypothesized that AMD treatments may reduce patients' falls risk. This systematic review (ID #: 172623) synthesized the current understanding of wet and dry AMD treatments' impact on patient falls and mobility, connecting these two public health issues.Methods: On April 17, 2020, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried. Clinical trials and observational studies were included, while non-English and non-primary studies were excluded. Two authors screened, extracted data, and assessed bias using RoB-2 and ROBINS-I. A third author served as a tie breaker.Results: This database search resulted in 3,525 studies, with an additional 112 identified through bibliography review. Ten articles met eligibility criteria. Most studies featured the outcome of interest as a secondary outcome (n = 4) and patient-reported adverse events (n = 5), rather than a primary focus (n = 2). Ten out of the 11 outcomes had a moderate to serious risk of bias. No two studies used the same instrument to measure falls or mobility.Conclusion: Despite the potential positive impact of AMD treatments on patient falls and mobility, quality data on this relationship are lacking. This work underscores the need to broaden ophthalmologic research outcomes beyond visual parameters to include patient-centred, functional measures. Incorporating standardized methods to track falls and screen for difficulty with walking and balance would enable evaluation of AMD treatments on functional outcomes, potentially helping guide management.
Leading with care: Sustaining colleagues and students in times of crisis

As the global pandemic and acts of racial violence continue to impact employees and students across the United States, five members of a university arts-based research group called the Creativity C...
Healthcare workers' perspectives on coronavirus testing availability: a cross sectional survey.

Studies on the impact of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID) for healthcare workers (HCWs) rarely include the full spectrum of hospital workers, including less visible patient support roles. In the early days of the pandemic, COVID testing was preferentially available to HCWs. The objective of this study was to understand how individual experiences for all HCWs during the pandemic were associated with perceptions of access to, and receipt of COVID testing . All hospital employees (n = 6736) in a single academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey regarding perceived access to, and receipt of COVID testing during the first wave of the pandemic (March – August 2020). Responses were linked to human resources data. Log binomial univariate and multivariable models were used to estimate associations between individual and employment variables and COVID testing. A total of 2543 employees responded to the survey (38 %). The mean age was 40 years (± 14). Respondents were female (76 %), white (55 %), worked as nurses (27 %), administrators (22 %) and patient support roles (22 %); 56 % of respondents wanted COVID testing. Age (RR 0.91, CI 0.88–0.93), full time status (RR 0.85, CI 0.79–0.92), employment tenure (RR 0.96, CI 0.94–0.98), changes in quality of life (RR 0.94, CI 0.91–0.96), changes in job duties (RR 1.19, CI 1.03–1.37), and worry about enough paid sick leave (RR 1.21, CI 1.12–1.30) were associated with interest in testing. Administrators (RR 0.64, CI 0.58–0.72) and patient support staff (RR 0.85, CI 0.78–0.92) were less likely than nurses to want testing. Age (RR 1.04, CI 1.01–1.07), material hardships (RR 0.87, CI 0.79–0.96), and employer sponsored insurance (RR 1.10, CI 1.00-1.22) were associated with receiving a COVID test. Among all employees, only administrative/facilities staff were less likely to receive COVID testing (RR 0.69, CI 0.59–0.79). This study adds to our understanding of how hospital employees view availability of COVID testing. Hazard pay or other supports for hospital workers may increase COVID testing rates. These findings may be applicable to perceived barriers towards vaccination receipt.
Mortality and Functional Outcomes After Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Intracerebral Haemorrhage Evacuation (2430)

Objective: We aim to describe our positive findings in the first cohort of patients to undergo a novel neuroendoscopic technique for intracerebral haemorrhage evacuation developed at our centre called Stereotactic Intra-Cerebral Haemorrhage Underwater Blood Aspiration (SCUBA). Background: Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is associated with high rates of mortality. Numerous prognostic scoring systems exist however the original ICH Score remains most widely used. Phase 3 of the anticipated MISTIE trial demonstrated no overall benefit to stereotactic catheter drainage. In subgroup analysis, favourable outcomes were noted in 57% of patients reaching the surgical goal of ≤15mL end-of-treatment volume. SCUBA has previously been reported to achieve high hematoma evacuation efficacy. We hypothesize that patients undergoing SCUBA will have lower 30-day mortality than predicted by the ICH Score. Design/Methods: 100 consecutive supratentorial non-traumatic spontaneous ICH underwent SCUBA at a dedicated ICH centre between December 2015 – October 2018. Patient eligibility included: age ≥18, premorbid mRS ≤3, NIHSS ≥6 and hematoma volume ≥15mL. Patients were studied prospectively with 30-day mortality and 180-day disability as primary outcomes. Observed 30-day mortality was compared with the expected mortality given the patients’ calculated pre-operative ICH Score. Results: The median age was 60 (IQR 53–73), GCS 10 (7–13), and NIHSS 17 (13–22). 63 patients had deep haemorrhage and 43 had intraventricular haemorrhage. Median pre-operative and post-operative volume was 40.9mL (27.8–64.3) and 1.2mL (0.2–64), respectively. Whilst the expected 30-day mortality was 34.7%, the observed mortality was 9%. At 180-day follow-up, a good outcome to moderate disability, defined as mRS of 0–3, was observed in 46% of patients. Conclusions: Patients undergoing SCUBA have a 25.7% risk reduction in mortality than predicted by the ICH score. Favourable functional outcome was achievable in almost half the patients. These findings support the need for a randomized control trial to further explore the safety and efficacy of this promising technique. Disclosure: Dr. Alkayyali has nothing to disclose. Dr. Song has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nistal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dangayach has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mocco has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kellner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liang has nothing to disclose.
A dynamic phase-field model for structural transformations and twinning: Regularized interfaces with transparent prescription of complex kinetics and nucleation. Part II: Two-dimensional characterization and boundary kinetics

Abstract A companion paper presented the formulation of a phase-field model – i.e., a model with regularized interfaces that do not require explicit numerical tracking – that allows for easy and transparent prescription of complex interface kinetics and nucleation. The key ingredients were a re-parametrization of the energy density to clearly separate nucleation from kinetics; and an evolution law that comes from a conservation statement for interfaces. This enables clear prescription of nucleation through the source term of the conservation law and of kinetics through an interfacial velocity field. This model overcomes an important shortcoming of existing phase-field models, namely that the specification of kinetics and nucleation is both restrictive and extremely opaque. In this paper, we present a number of numerical calculations – in one and two dimensions – that characterize our formulation. These calculations illustrate (i) highly-sensitive rate-dependent nucleation; (ii) independent prescription of the forward and backward nucleation stresses without changing the energy landscape; (iii) stick–slip interface kinetics; (iii) the competition between nucleation and kinetics in determining the final microstructural state; (iv) the effect of anisotropic kinetics; and (v) the effect of non-monotone kinetics. These calculations demonstrate the ability of this formulation to precisely prescribe complex nucleation and kinetics in a simple and transparent manner. We also extend our conservation statement to describe the kinetics of the junction lines between microstructural interfaces and boundaries. This enables us to prescribe an additional kinetic relation for the boundary, and we examine the interplay between the bulk kinetics and the junction kinetics.
Truncation and approximation errors in the max-plus algorithm for H/sub /spl infin// value function computation

We consider the H/sub /spl infin//. problem for a nonlinear system. The corresponding dynamic programming equation (DPE) is a fully nonlinear, first-order, steady-state partial differential equation (PDE), possessing a term which is quadratic in the gradient. The solutions are typically nonsmooth, and further, there are multiple viscosity solutions. The computation of the solution of a nonlinear, steady-state, first-order PDE is typically quite difficult. However, the semi-group associated with such a PDE is linear over the max-plus algebra. Combining this with a basis for the space of semi-convex functions over the max-plus algebra leads to a new class of numerical methods for such problems. Here we examine the errors associated with such a numerical method, and obtain a (conservative) bound on the convergence rate.
Distance Learning Based on Convex Clustering

Clustering has been among the most active research topics in machine learning and pattern recognition. Though recent approaches have delivered impressive results in a number of challenging clustering tasks, most of them did not solve two problems. First, most approaches need prior knowledge about the number of clusters which is not practical in many applications. Second, non-linear and elongated clusters cannot be clustered correctly. In this paper, a general framework is proposed to solve both problems by convex clustering based on learned distance. In the proposed framework, the data is transformed from elongated structures into compact ones by a novel distance learning algorithm. Then, a convex clustering algorithm is used to cluster the transformed data. Presented experimental results demonstrate successful solutions to both problems. In particular, the proposed approach is very suitable for superpixel generation, which are a common base for recent high level image segmentation algorithms.