cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Competition in Marine Invasions

Competition is a negative interaction between two or more species that utilize the same shared, limiting resource (Connell 1983). Although competition can have large local, immediate effects, (e.g. on demography, resource use, etc.), competition in many marine systems is often assumed to have minimal effect on population persistence, primarily due to characteristics of the dominant life histories of marine organisms. Notably, a large proportion of marine species have pelagic larvae and thus often reside in open populations where the supply of progeny is decoupled from progeny production. Thus, although competition can still affect adults, future generations are supplied from distant populations that can “rescue” populations of inferior competitors from being excluded. Even in relatively closed marine habitats, e.g., bays or estuaries, a constant influx of larvae in ballast water (Verling et al. 2005) may make many populations effectively open, subsidizing populations of species that would otherwise be excluded. The open nature of larval production and delivery applies to food resources as well. The preponderance of filter feeders, which feed on a food resource that is typically replenished frequently (e.g., with tidal cycle) and whose supply is often decoupled from consumptive pressure by resident organisms, may reduce the occurrence of resource competition. Bringing evidence to bear on the frequency and strength of competition in marine species is not easy. Experimental manipulations are usually logistically difficult. For example, planktonic species are extremely hard to track because of their small size and fluidity. Also, dramatic ontogenetic changes and concomitant dietary and habitat shifts are common as well, meaning that even if competition between some life stages can be elucidated, its relative importance on populations overall may be difficult to assess. Thus, particularly in marine systems where logistical and common life history characteristics can make competition hard to study, it is important to assess what has been done, how well it has been done, and what future research needs are. To illuminate the larger issues regarding the commonality of competition in marine invasion, how central a role it plays, and biases in its study, I reviewed the
Positive activities as protective factors against mental health conditions.

Applying Nolen-Hoeksema and Watkins's (2011) transdiagnostic risk factor heuristic to our work on positive activities (i.e., practices that characterize naturally happy people, like expressing gratitude and practicing generosity), we propose that such activities may serve as protective factors that mitigate proximal risk factors both directly and by intervening with the mechanisms that give rise to them. First, we discuss theoretical and empirical support for the importance of well-being and the mechanisms that explain how positive activities promote well-being (by boosting positive emotions, positive thoughts, positive behaviors, and need satisfaction; Lyubomirsky & Layous, 2013). Second, we outline examples of how positive activities can mitigate two particular proximal risk factors (rumination and loneliness) and counteract environmental triggers (i.e., moderators) that might amplify them (e.g., through adaptive coping). Third, we argue that positive activities can be taught to youth to instill positive patterns of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that may serve as protective factors over the course of their lifetimes. Lastly, we propose that certain positive activities might be particularly well-suited to certain individuals and to specific risk factors.
Glycogen in skin of the mouse during cycles of hair growth.

SummaryDuring telogen, anagen I, and anagen II no glycogen is present in the hair follicle except for occasional granules in the capsule. Glycogen begins to appear in the lower external sheath in anagen III and persists in large quantities in this layer during the period of hair production. In addition, glycogen is found in the unkeratinized cuticle of the hair shaft and medulla in anagen IV through VI. Glycogen disappears abruptly from all these structures during catagen. Skin has 2 to 3 times as much glycogen during periods of hair growth than it has during telogen or at three days after plucking (anagen stages preceding hair growth). Cytochemical data indicate that this increase is due largely to the increased amount of glycogen found in the external sheath during periods of active hair production.
On conduction of the action potential wave through the dorsal root ganglion.

It has been reported1 that the action potential wave started by stimulation of the sciatic nerve arrives in the dorsal roots of that nerve somewhat later than in its ventral roots. Further experimentation now makes possible the presentation of additional data bearing on this observation. In fifteen quantitative determinations in the bullfrog with the cathode ray oscillograph, the delay of the quickest sensory behind the motor potential wave ranges, with but one exception (in which, due probably to damage to the ventral root, the value was 0.02°), between 0.09 and 0.18°. Omitting the exception, the average delay is 0.143°. Six determinations in the green frog range between 0.04 and 0.14°, with an average of 0.08°. One determination in the cat showed a delay of 0.08° (temp. 35° C.).We have been able to show that the delay is not due to differences in the rate of propagation of the action potential wave in sensory and motor fibers, either in the nerve trunk or in its roots. Indeed, the fastest sensory fibers...
Concentration of Information Power Among Consumers

The thesis that market information search activity and data source awareness are highly unevenly distributed among various groups of consumers is strongly supported by data from a large Norwegian s...
Adaptation by Deletogenic Replication Slippage in a Nascent Symbiont

As a consequence of population level constraints in the obligate, host-associated lifestyle, intracellular symbiotic bacteria typically exhibit high rates of molecular sequence evolution and extensive genome degeneration over the course of their host association. While the rationale for genome degeneration is well understood, little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving this change. To understand these mechanisms we compared the genome of Sodalis praecaptivus, a nonhost associated bacterium that is closely related to members of the Sodalis-allied clade of insect endosymbionts, with the very recently derived insect symbiont Candidatus Sodalis pierantonius. The characterization of indel mutations in the genome of Ca Sodalis pierantonius shows that the replication system in this organism is highly prone to deletions resulting from polymerase slippage events in regions encoding G+C-rich repetitive sequences. This slippage-prone phenotype is mechanistically associated with the loss of certain components of the bacterial DNA recombination machinery at an early stage in symbiotic life and is expected to facilitate rapid adaptation to the novel host environment. This is analogous to the emergence of mutator strains in both natural and laboratory populations of bacteria, which tend to reach high frequencies in clonal populations due to linkage between the mutator allele and the resulting adaptive mutations.
Corneal Sensitivity to Hyperosmolar Eye Drops: A Novel Behavioral Assay to Assess Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Purpose Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy (PN), which affects approximately 50% of the diabetic population, is subjective, with many patients seeking a diagnosis only after presenting with symptoms. Recently, in vivo confocal microscopy of subepithelial corneal nerve density has been promoted as a surrogate marker for early detection of PN, but imaging of corneal nerves requires sophisticated instrumentation, expertise in confocal imaging, cooperative patients, and automated analysis tools to derive corneal nerve density. As an alternative, we developed a simple screening method that is based on the sensitivity of corneal nerves to cause reflex eyelid squinting in response to hyperosmolar eye drops. Methods Eyes of control and type 2 diabetic rats were given an eye drop of a 290- to 900-mOsm solution, and the ocular response was video recorded. Other neuropathic end points including nerve conduction velocity and subepithelial cornea nerve density were determined. Results Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity and total nerve fiber length of corneal nerves in the subepithelial layer were significantly decreased in diabetic rats. Applying the hyperosmotic solutions to the ocular surface caused an osmolarity-dependent increase in squinting of the treated eye in control rats. Squinting was almost totally blocked by preapplication of proparacaine or N-(4-tertiarybutylphenyl)-4-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)tetrahydropyrazine-1(2H)-carbox-amide, a transient receptor potential melastatin-8 channel blocker. Squinting in response to the 900-mOsm solution was significantly reduced in diabetic rats. Conclusions Preclinical studies show that evaluation of corneal sensitivity may be an alternative method for the early detection of PN and has potential for translation to clinical studies.
When relative clause extraposition is the right choice, it’s easier

In one type of Relative Clause Extraposition (RCE) in English, a subject-modifying relative clause occurs in a displaced position following the matrix VP, as in: Some options were considered that allow for more flexibility. Although RCE incurs a discontinuous dependency and is relatively infrequent in discourse, previous corpus and acceptability judgment studies have shown that speakers prefer RCE over adjacent ordering when the RC is long in relation to the VP, the subject NP is indefinite, and the main verb is passive/presentative (Francis, 2010; Francis & Michaelis, 2014; Walker, 2013). The current study is the first to relate these conditional preferences to online measures of production. For a spoken production task that required speakers to construct sentences based on visual cues, results showed that the same factors that modulate choice of structure – VP length, RC length, and definiteness of the subject NP – also modulate voice initiation time. That is, when the sentential context warrants a particular structure, that structure becomes easier to produce. Following the approach of MacDonald (2013), we explain these findings in terms of two production biases, one of which favors early placement of shorter, more accessible phrases and the other of which promotes rapid retrieval from memory of the most frequently used subtypes of a construction.
Shifting Patterns of Global Trade

This chapter develops the empirical evidence of the Gulf States’ greater role in patterns of global trade and production. It examines how the large-scale economic diversification programmes initiated in the 1990s and 2000s and described in previous chapters have created new integrative linkages with the global economy as the GCC states grew into world-leading centres of production for a variety of industries ranging from petrochemicals and aluminium to cement and the construction industry. Simultaneously, the direction of Gulf hydrocarbons and nonoil trade shifted to the East in response to the Asian economic boom in the 2000s. The result has been the creation of more complex industrial ties with emerging (as well as industrialised) economies, primarily at bilateral levels but also on a multilateral basis as well. These ties have contributed to the shifting patterns of international trade that cumulatively are reshaping the contours of the global economy. Set against this has been the far slower progress on global trade agreements such as the WTO’s Doha Development Round, which remained at an impasse in 2014, more than a decade after its launch in the Qatari capital in 2001.
Qualitative analysis of double inversion recovery MRI in drug-resistant epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose To determine whether Double Inversion Recovery (DIR) on 3T MRI can enhance detection of epileptogenic lesions Methods: 29 adult patients with DRE were enrolled in a prospective pilot study. Brain MRIs were obtained using a specialized protocol that included: (1) Fast-Spin EchoT2, (2) T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and (3) DIR sequences. Two neuroradiologists blinded to clinical information independently reviewed each sequence in the order listed above for T2-hyperintense lesions. Cortical lesions were determined to be concordant with the epileptic focus based upon available clinical and electrodiagnostic testing. Results: Of 29 studies, 21 had a lesion identified with 13/21 abnormalities being non-specific. Of 8 remaining studies, 3 revealed a lesion only with DIR sequencing. DIR-lesions were concordant with clinical data in 1 subject, non-discordant in 1 subject, and discordant in 1 subject. Significance DIR has the potential to be more sensitive in detecting cortically based lesions relative to standard imaging. More data are needed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of DIR, particularly as it pertains to identification of epileptogenic lesions using electrodiagnostic testing and outcome after surgery.
10-Month characterization of the aerosol number size distribution and related air quality and meteorology at the Bondville, IL Midwestern background site

Abstract The aerosol size distribution was measured at a rural continental U.S. location (Bondville, Illinois 40.05∘N and 88.37∘W) for the period July 2013–June 2014. The dehumidified size distribution in the range 3 nm to 2.5 μm was continuously recorded by two scanning mobility particle sizers and an aerodynamic particle sizer. The Illinois measurement site is significant because it is home to one of the longest records (20+ years) in North America of atmospheric aerosol, meteorology, and gas phase variables. It is a common site for model-measurement comparison of both chemical and aerosol microphysical variables. However, while the measurement record has aerosol number concentration and optical properties, the number size distribution has not been well-constrained. Measurement highlights include means in number concentration (3–2500 nm), aerosol optical depth, S O 2 , N H 3 , and PM 2.5 of 6500 cm−3, 0.18, 0.87 ppb, 1.6 ppb, and 8.8 μg m−3, respectively. The mode in the mean size distribution was 31 nm (number) and 287 nm (volume). The mean size distribution was heavily influenced by nuclei mode particles, with 46% of particles smaller than 20 nm. New particle formation and growth events increase midday concentrations of 3–50 nm particles substantially, with the highest activity in spring months and lower activity in summer and winter. Short term elevations in particle number and mass associated with local agricultural burning in April are reported as well.
Jungle of Stone: Carlsen, William. Jungle of Stone: The True Story of Two Men, their Extraordinary Journey, and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya. New York: William Morrow, 2016; xvi + 528 pp., notes, maps, bibliography, index, illustrations; ISBN 978-0062407399; hardcover, US $28.99.

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Western Hemisphere early in the 16th century the extravagant culture of the Aztecs dominated central Mexico, while the Incas controlled a sprawling empire ...
Tropical plant supplementation effects on the performance and parasite burden of goats.

OBJECTIVE Examine the effects of supplementing bahiagrass hay (BG) with potentially anthelmintic quantities of hays of perennial peanut (PEA) or sericea lespedeza (LES) or seeds of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.; MUC) or papaya (PAP) on the intake and nutritive value (Experiment 1), and the performance and parasite burden (Experiment 2) of goats. METHODS In Experiment 1, 38 male goats (27.4±5.7 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to each of 5 treatments: i) BG alone and BG plus; ii) PEA; iii) LES; iv) MUC; and v) PAP. Goats were fed for ad libitum consumption and adapted to the diets for 14 d followed by 7 d of measurement. The PEA, LES, MUC (50%, 50%, and 10% of the diet dry matter [DM], respectively), and PAP (forced-fed at 10 g/d) were fed at rates that would elicit anthelmintic effects. In Experiment 2, goats remained in the same treatments but were allocated to 15 pens (3 pens per treatment) from d 22 to 63. All goats were infected with parasites by grazing an infected bahiagrass pasture from 0800 to 1500 h daily and then returned to the pens. RESULTS Dry matter intake tended to be greater in goats fed PEA and LES than those fed BG (757 and 745 vs 612 g/d, respectively). Digestibility of DM (59.5% vs 54.9%) and organic matter (60.8% vs 56.0%) were greater in goats fed MUC vs BG, respectively. In Experiment 2, feeding PAP, LES, and PEA to goats reduced nematode fecal egg counts by 72%, 52%, and 32%, reduced abomasal adult worm counts by 78%, 52%, and 42%, and decreased plasma haptoglobin concentrations by 42%, 40%, and 45% relative to feeding BG alone, respectively. CONCLUSION Supplementation with PEA, LES, and PAP decreased the parasite burden of goats but did not increase their performance. PAP was the most effective anthelmintic supplement.
Infinitesimally shape-similar motions using relative angle measurements

This paper revisits the formation control problem, whereby a team of mobile robots assemble and maintain a desired geometric shape. However, the types of shapes that are realizable by a given robot team depends directly on the sensing modalities of the individual robots. For example, rigidity-based approaches make use of distance measurements, and the idea is to restrict the motion of the robots so that all inter-robot distances are maintained, thereby ensuring purely rigid motion. Rather than distances, we notice that for certain sensor classes, such as monocular pinhole cameras, only relative angle measurements are available. To this end, we introduce the notion of shape-similar motions, which constitutes a class of angle preserving motions that also preserve the shape of the formation in the sense that rigid motions as well as uniform scalings are permissible. We construct the shape-similarity matrix, whose null-space captures angle preserving motions, and show that by restricting the dimension of the null-space, we can guarantee that motions of the formation preserve the shape. Lastly, we implement a shape-similar controller on a team of differential drive mobile robots.
Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels (Kir2.x) and Caveolin-3 Domain-Specific Interaction: Implications for Purkinje Cell-Dependent Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Background In human cardiac ventricle, I K1 is mainly comprised Kir2.1, but Kir2.2 and Kir2.3 heterotetramers occur and modulate I K1 . Long-QT syndrome-9–associated CAV3 mutations cause decreased Kir2.1 current density, but Kir2.x heterotetramers have not been studied. Here, we determine the effect of long-QT syndrome-9- CAV3 mutation F97C on Kir2.x homo- and heterotetramers and model-associated arrhythmia mechanisms. Methods and Results Super-resolution microscopy, co-immunoprecipitation, cellular electrophysiology, on-cell Western blotting, and simulation of Purkinje and ventricular myocyte mathematical models were used. Kir2.x isoforms have unique subcellular colocalization in human cardiomyocytes and coimmunoprecipitate with Cav3. F97C-Cav3 decreased peak inward Kir2.2 current density by 50% (−120 mV; P =0.019) and peak outward by 75% (−40 mV; P P Conclusions Kir2.x isoforms have a unique intracellular pattern of distribution in association with specific Cav3 domains and that critically depends on interaction with N-terminal Kir2.x Cav3-binding motifs. Long-QT syndrome-9- CAV3 mutation differentially regulates current density and cell surface expression of Kir2.x homomeric and heteromeric channels. Mathematical Purkinje cell model incorporating experimental findings suggests delayed after-depolarization–type triggered activity as a possible arrhythmia mechanism.
Metformin induces FOXO3-dependent fetal hemoglobin production in human primary erythroid cells.

Induction of red blood cell (RBC) fetal hemoglobin (HbF; α2γ2) ameliorates the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease (SCD) by reducing the concentration of sickle hemoglobin (HbS; α2βS2) to inhibit its polymerization. Hydroxyurea (HU), the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for SCD, acts in part by inducing HbF; however, it is not fully effective, reflecting the need for new therapies. Whole-exome sequence analysis of rare genetic variants in SCD patients identified FOXO3 as a candidate regulator of RBC HbF. We validated these genomic findings through loss- and gain-of-function studies in normal human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells induced to undergo erythroid differentiation. FOXO3 gene silencing reduced γ-globin RNA levels and HbF levels in erythroblasts, whereas overexpression of FOXO3 produced the opposite effect. Moreover, treatment of primary CD34+ cell–derived erythroid cultures with metformin, an FDA-approved drug known to enhance FOXO3 activity in nonerythroid cells, caused dose-related FOXO3-dependent increases in the percentage of HbF protein and the fraction of HbF-immunostaining cells (F cells). Combined HU and metformin treatment induced HbF additively and reversed the arrest in erythroid maturation caused by HU treatment alone. HbF induction by metformin in erythroid precursors was dependent on FOXO3 expression and did not alter expression of BCL11A, MYB, or KLF1. Collectively, our data implicate FOXO3 as a positive regulator of γ-globin expression and identify metformin as a potential therapeutic agent for SCD.
Dietrich von Hildebrand (1889-1977)

Dietrich von Hildebrand was born in Florence in 1889, and the circumstances of his birth are significant for his later work in aesthetics. His father was Adolf von Hildebrand, one of the best known German sculptors around the turn of the century. The young von Hildebrand inherited keen sensibilities for art and enjoyed an upbringing that was ideally suited to awakening and developing them. He grew up in his father’s villa in Florence and lived his earliest years immersed in the beauties of Renaissance Florence. Great artists from all over Europe visited the von Hildebrand villa, including Richard Wagner, Henry James, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Richard Strauss (who was visiting on the day of Dietrich’s birth). In 1906 he was invited by the widow of Richard Wagner to the festival of Wagner’s operas in Bayreuth, Germany; it was the beginning of his lifelong passion for the music of Wagner. If it is true that a philosopher can do fruitful work in aesthetics only if s/he brings to the issues of aesthetics some real aesthetic sensibility and some real understanding of art, then Dietrich von Hildebrand was uniquely well prepared to do work in aesthetics.
The impact of intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy on complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Introduction Optimal fluid balance is critical to minimize anastomotic edema in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy. We examined the effects of decreased fluid administration on rates of postoperative pancreatic leak and delayed gastric emptying. Methods Retrospective study of 105 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy at a single institution from January 2015 through July 2016. Stroke volume variation (SVV) was tracked and titrated during the procedure. A comparative analysis of postoperative complications was performed between patients with a median SVV < 12 during the extirpative and reconstructive phases of the procedure compared with patients with an SVV ≥ 12. Results Of 64 patients who met selection criteria, 42 (65.6%) had a SVV < 12 and 22 (34.4%) had a SVV ≥ 12. Patients with an SVV ≥ 12 during the extirpative phase of the procedure had lower rates of postoperative pancreatic leaks compared to patients with an SVV < 12 (5.9% vs 21.3%)). Patients with an SVV ≥ 12 during the extirpative phase had lower rates of postoperative delayed gastric emptying compared to patients with an SVV < 12 (41.2% vs 46.8%). Conclusion Goal-directed fluid restriction before the reconstructive phase of pancreaticoduodenectomy may contribute to lower postoperative rates of pancreatic leak and delayed gastric emptying.
Leakage pathway estimation using iTOUGH2 in a multiphase flow system for geologic CO2 storage

The objective of this study is to apply an inverse analysis using the iTOUGH2 model to estimate the location of a leakage pathway in multiple brine reservoirs when CO2 is injected. If a reservoir exhibits leakage, brine or CO2 is able to migrate into a permeable reservoir overlying the storage reservoir. Fluid pressure anomalies induced by leaks in the overlying reservoir can be distributed differently depending on the leakage locations and rates. Thus, the application of an inverse model utilizes specific pressure anomalies for leakage pathway detection. Prior to applying the inverse analysis, a forward simulation and a sensitivity analysis are conducted. The result of forward simulation demonstrates the interrelation between migrations of brine or CO2 through the leakage pathway and pressure anomalies in the leakage pathway and reservoirs. The sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate/identify the most influential model inputs on the observed pressure signals and the most appropriate monitoring wells for leakage pathway estimation. The inverse modeling examines the impact of the input parameter’s uncertainties, the number of monitoring wells, observed periods of leakage signal, and noises in the measurements on the leakage pathway estimation through thirteen simulation scenarios. Residual (between the measured pressure and the calculated pressure) analysis illustrates that pressure anomalies in the overlying reservoir induced by leaks are critical information for leakage pathway estimation. The accuracy of the leakage detection using inverse analysis can significantly depend on the number of monitoring wells and the magnitude of the pressure anomalies.
Effects of Temporal Frequency on Binocular Deficits in Amblyopia

Abstract Amblyopia is associated with a range of well-known visual spatial deficits, which include reduced contrast sensitivity, spatial distortions, interocular suppression, and impaired stereopsis. Previous work has also pointed to deficits in processing dynamic visual information, but it is unknown whether these deficits influence performance under binocular conditions. We examined the effects of temporal modulation on contrast sensitivity and binocular interactions in a preliminary study of 8 adults with amblyopia and 14 normally-sighted control subjects. For each observer, we measured interocular balance and stereopsis thresholds with binocular flicker across a range of four temporal (0, 4, 7.5, and 12 Hz) and spatial (1, 2, 4, and 8 cpd) frequencies. Interocular balance was estimated by varying the relative contrast of dichoptic letter pairs to produce perceptual reports of each letter with equal frequency, and stereopsis thresholds were measured by determining the minimum disparity at which subjects identified a front-depth target with 75% accuracy. Consistent with previous findings, we observed greater interocular imbalance and impaired stereoacuity at high spatial frequencies in amblyopes. In contrast, the effects of temporal frequency on performance were smaller: across both groups, interocular imbalance was largest at mid-to-low temporal frequencies, and stereopsis thresholds were unaffected by temporal frequency. Our results suggest that there may be a previously unreported effect of temporal frequency on interocular balance, as well as a possible dissociation between the effects of flicker on interocular balance and stereopsis.
Quantum computing based hybrid solution strategies for large-scale discrete-continuous optimization problems

Abstract Quantum computing (QC) has gained popularity due to its unique capabilities that are quite different from that of classical computers in terms of speed and methods of operations. This paper proposes hybrid models and methods that effectively leverage the complementary strengths of deterministic algorithms and QC techniques to overcome combinatorial complexity for solving large-scale mixed-integer programming problems. Four applications, namely the molecular conformation problem, job-shop scheduling problem, manufacturing cell formation problem, and the vehicle routing problem, are specifically addressed. Large-scale instances of these application problems across multiple scales ranging from molecular design to logistics optimization are computationally challenging for deterministic optimization algorithms on classical computers. To address the computational challenges, hybrid QC-based algorithms are proposed and extensive computational experimental results are presented to demonstrate their applicability and efficiency. The proposed QC-based solution strategies enjoy high computational efficiency in terms of solution quality and computation time, by utilizing the unique features of both classical and quantum computers.
Early Use of CPAP at Limits of Viability: Realty or Wishful Thinking

Background: Early use of Continuous Positive Airway pressure (CPAP) is feasible and is associated with decreased chronic lung disease. However, avoiding intubation in the delivery room (DR) denies the early administration of surfactant in these infants. It is not clear whether the practice of DR intubation of infants at limits of viability (Gestational age (GA) < 25 weeks) would improve their outcomes. Objectives: To examine the feasibility of the use of CPAP …
Role of Metal Ion-Linked Multilayer Thickness and Substrate Porosity in Surface Loading, Diffusion, and Solar Energy Conversion.

Metal ion-linked multilayers offer an easily prepared and modular architecture for controlling energy and electron transfer events on nanoparticle, metal oxide films. However, unlike with planar electrodes, the mesoporous nature of the films inherently limits both the thickness of the multilayer and subsequent diffusion through the pores. Here, we systematically investigated the role of TiO2 nanoparticle film porosity and metal ion-linked multilayer thickness in surface loading, through-pore diffusion, and overall device performance. The TiO2 porosity was controlled by varying TiO2 sintering times. Molecular multilayer thickness was controlled through assembling ZnII-linked bridging molecules (B = p-terphenyl diphosphonic acid) between the metal oxide and the Ru(bpy)2((4,4'-PO3H2)2bpy)]Cl2 dye (RuP), thus producing TiO2-(Bn)-RuP films. Using attenuated total reflectance infrared absorption and UV-vis spectroscopy, we observed that at least two molecular layers (i.e., TiO2-B2 or TiO2-B1-RuP) could be formed on all films but subsequent loading was dependent on the porosity of the TiO2. Rough estimates indicate that in a film with 34 nm average pore diameter, the maximum multilayer film thickness is on the order of 4.6-6 nm, which decreases with decreasing pore size. These films were then incorporated as the photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells with cobalt(II/III)tris(4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine) as a redox mediator. In agreement with the surface-loading studies, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicate that mediator diffusion is significantly hindered in films with thicker multilayers and less porous TiO2. Collectively, these results show that care must be taken to balance multilayer thickness, substrate porosity, and size of the mediator in designing and maximizing the performance of new multilayer energy and electron management architectures.
ICE CORE RECORDS | Ice Margin Sites

Ancient ice deposited in the interior of ice sheets and ice caps emerges at the surface at some ablation sites along the ice margins. Compared to conventional ice cores, margin ice is easy and inexpensive to retrieve. The essentially unlimited ice amount enables measurements of ultra-trace components. However, margin ice is more challenging to date and some records suggest in situ alteration. Antarctic ice-margin sites are the best meteorite collection areas in the world. Margin ice contains information about ice sheet dynamics as well as regional volcanic history. Ice margins also likely contain the oldest ice in the world.
Transmission Dynamics and Microevolution of Neisseria meningitidis During Carriage and Invasive Disease in High School Students in Georgia and Maryland, 2006–2007

BACKGROUND The mechanisms by which Neisseria meningitidis cause persistent human carriage and transition from carriage to invasive disease have not been fully elucidated. METHODS Georgia and Maryland high school students were sampled for pharyngeal carriage of N. meningitidis during the 2006-2007 school year. A total of 321 isolates from 188 carriers and all 67 invasive disease isolates collected during the same time and from the same geographic region underwent whole-genome sequencing. Core-genome multilocus sequence typing was used to compare allelic profiles, and direct read mapping was used to study strain evolution. RESULTS Among 188 N. meningitidis culture-positive students, 98 (52.1%) were N. meningitidis culture positive at 2 or 3 samplings. Most students who were positive at >1 sampling (98%) had persistence of a single strain. More than a third of students carried isolates that were highly genetically related to isolates from other students in the same school, and occasional transmission within the same county was also evident. The major pilin subunit gene, pilE, was the most variable gene, and no carrier had identical pilE sequences at different time points. CONCLUSION We found strong evidence of local meningococcal transmission at both the school and county levels. Allelic variation within genes encoding bacterial surface structures, particularly pilE, was common.
Breaking Out of Consumer Welfare Jail: Addressing the Supreme Court's Failure to Protect the Competitive Process

It is time to free antitrust law from the yoke of Robert Bork’s consumer welfare terminology. Bork’s vision has gained ascendency over the past 40 plus years and, subject to variations, is now widely regarded as the core antitrust paradigm. In a companion article, I examined why a consumer welfare standard cannot sustain this role. I made the case for a symmetric welfare standard anchored to the traditional view that the Sherman Act protects the competitive process. In this article, I expand this analysis. A consumer-labelled paradigm invites a static analysis—one focused on competitive effects at only one end of the distribution chain. In fact, competition is a dynamic and interactive process in which players at all levels of the chain add value and affect each other’s choices. All participants in the distribution chain are disciplined by competition – and all should be protected from power-based abuse of competition. I provide extended analysis of why non-price and non-efficiency preferences of buyers and sellers are a critical part of the competitive process and cannot be comfortably accommodated by consumer welfare standards. I offer examples of preferences, not just of consumers but of all participants in the distribution of goods and services, that are at the heart of the competitive process. I then examine Supreme Court decisions. More than a few recent cases demonstrate a fixation with consumer welfare standards and fail to protect competition. Righting the antitrust ship will require embracing a tradition-based, symmetric welfare standard that equally protects all players in the competitive system.
The Assessment Process: Conditions and Comorbidities

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the assessment process and their conditions and comorbidities. This chapter focuses on the assessment process for adults seeking a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The diagnosis of ADHD is based on a compilation of information that includes a developmental/ medical/family/school history and risk assessment, review of diagnostic criteria differential diagnosis of common co-occurring disorders, and ratings scales from significant others and parents. ADHD Program is involved in research and clinical services for ADHD across the life span, from early pre-school identification and intervention to assessment and treatment of ADHD in adults. The chapter provides “an introduction to adult ADHD and our risk model that sets the stage for discussing assessment issues” paralleled by “a description and discussion of the current ADHD diagnostic criteria;” a description of our clinical procedures within a medical university setting for making the ADHD diagnosis in adults “and a discussion of how to guard against over diagnosing ADHD in adults and dealing with issues of comorbidities inherent in this population.” And this chapter concludes that it is the responsibility of clinicians to provide accurate diagnosis, education, support, and treatment as a critical foundation for both.
Otolaryngologists Practice Pattern on Oral Allergy Syndrome

BackgroundOral allergy syndrome is a unique type of food allergy caused by cross-sensitivity between inhalant allergens and food allergens. Despite its significant prevalence and potentially seriou...
A Case for the Non-Neurologist Telestroke Provider

Introduction: Telestroke networks have effectively increased the number of ischemic stroke patients who have access to acute stroke therapy. However, the availability of a dedicated group of stroke subspecialists is not always feasible. We hypothesize that rates of tPA recommendation, sensitivity of final diagnosis, and post-tPA hemorrhagic complications do not differ significantly between neurologists and an emergency-medicine physician during telestroke consultations. Methods: Retrospective review of all telestroke consults performed at a comprehensive stroke center over 1 year. Statistical analysis: Chi squared test. Results: Three hundred and three consults were performed among 6 spoke sites. 16% (48/303) were completed by the emergency medicine physician; 25% (76/303) were performed by non-stroke-trained neurologists, and 59% (179/303) were completed by a board-certified Vascular Neurologist. Overall rate of tPA recommendation was 40% (104/255), 38% (18/48), 41% (73/179), and 41% (31/76) among the all neurology-trained, emergency medicine-trained, stroke neurology-trained and other neurology- trained provider groups, respectively (p = 0.427). Sensitivity of final stroke diagnosis was 77% (14/18) and 72% (75/104) in the emergency-medicine trained and neurology-trained provider groups (p = 0.777) No symptomatic hemorrhagic complications following the administration of tPA via telestroke consultation occurred in any group over this time period. One asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was observed (0.96% or 1/104) in the neurology-trained provider group. Discussion/Conclusion: Our results did not illustrate any statistically significant difference between care provided by an emergency medicine-trained physician and neurologists during telestroke consultation. While our study is limited by its relatively low numbers, it suggests that identifying a non-neurologist provider who has requisite clinical experience with acute stroke patients can safely and appropriately provide telestroke consultation. The lack of formerly trained neurologists, therefore, may not need to serve as an impediment to building an effective telestroke network. Future efforts should be focused on illuminating all strategies that facilitate sustainable telestroke implementation.
Evolving phenotypes of non-hospitalized patients that indicate long COVID.

For some SARS-CoV-2 survivors, recovery from the acute phase of the infection has been grueling with lingering effects. Many of the symptoms characterized as the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) could have multiple causes or are similarly seen in non-COVID patients. Accurate identification of PASC phenotypes will be important to guide future research and help the healthcare system focus its efforts and resources on adequately controlled age- and gender-specific sequelae of a COVID-19 infection. In this retrospective electronic health record (EHR) cohort study, we applied a computational framework for knowledge discovery from clinical data, MLHO, to identify phenotypes that positively associate with a past positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19. We evaluated the post-test phenotypes in two temporal windows at 3–6 and 6–9 months after the test and by age and gender. Data from longitudinal diagnosis records stored in EHRs from Mass General Brigham in the Boston Metropolitan Area was used for the analyses. Statistical analyses were performed on data from March 2020 to June 2021. Study participants included over 96 thousand patients who had tested positive or negative for COVID-19 and were not hospitalized. We identified 33 phenotypes among different age/gender cohorts or time windows that were positively associated with past SARS-CoV-2 infection. All identified phenotypes were newly recorded in patients’ medical records 2 months or longer after a COVID-19 RT-PCR test in non-hospitalized patients regardless of the test result. Among these phenotypes, a new diagnosis record for anosmia and dysgeusia (OR 2.60, 95% CI [1.94–3.46]), alopecia (OR 3.09, 95% CI [2.53–3.76]), chest pain (OR 1.27, 95% CI [1.09–1.48]), chronic fatigue syndrome (OR 2.60, 95% CI [1.22–2.10]), shortness of breath (OR 1.41, 95% CI [1.22–1.64]), pneumonia (OR 1.66, 95% CI [1.28–2.16]), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR 1.41, 95% CI [1.22–1.64]) is one of the most significant indicators of a past COVID-19 infection. Additionally, more new phenotypes were found with increased confidence among the cohorts who were younger than 65. The findings of this study confirm many of the post-COVID-19 symptoms and suggest that a variety of new diagnoses, including new diabetes mellitus and neurological disorder diagnoses, are more common among those with a history of COVID-19 than those without the infection. Additionally, more than 63% of PASC phenotypes were observed in patients under 65 years of age, pointing out the importance of vaccination to minimize the risk of debilitating post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 among younger adults.
Use of 3D Scanning Laser Vibrometer for Full Field Strain Measurements

A relatively new technique to identify full field strain uses extensions of a 3D scanning laser vibrometer measurement. The technique was studied on several structures to understand the benefits and usefulness of the technique. One structure is a simple cantilevered beam which can be used to study the results of the 3D scanning laser vibrometer and quantify the results with a well-known solution. The other structure is a wind turbine blade which is more complicated in geometry and strain distributions. The two structures are subjected to dynamic testing and the results of the 3D scanning laser vibrometer are compared to strain gage results. Each of the sets of results are discussed and compared. The advantages and limitation of the technique are discussed in the paper.
MAKING MEANING OF 1984 IN CYBERSPACE

VANCOUVER –A group of B.C. Sikh students who wore controversial T-shirts to school have sparked a debate within their community and left some wondering why a group of youths would latch onto a divisive movement dating from before they were born. The students showed up to Surrey's Princess Margaret Secondary School earlier this month wearing shirts emblazoned with the word Khalistan, referring to a Sikh separatist movement advocating for a Sikh homeland in India's Punjab region that was often linked to violence in the 1980s. On the back was a quote from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Khalistan advocate who was killed during India's 1984 raid on the Golden Temple. School administrators told the students not to wear the shirts again. Some have brushed off the T-shirts as youthful rebellion or dismissed the students as naive and uninformed. The teens, however, insist they know the history and wanted to make a statement that would be heard. ‘When people see this, they'll look at it and be like, “Wow, there's pe...
Biological hydrogen production: not so elementary.

Many organisms metabolize hydrogen gas by means of an enzyme called hydrogenase. The nature of the catalytic sites in the hydrogenases has long been a subject of conjecture and debate. In their Perspective, Adams and Stiefel discuss results reported in the same issue by Peters et al. in which x-ray crystallography was used to provide the first structural glimpse of the iron-only hydrogenase from the hydrogen-producing, anaerobic bacterium Clostridium pasteurianum. With this information, it is hoped that the properties of the hydrogenase enzyme can now be understood and possibly mimicked for chemical processing applications.
Efficient Attitude Estimation for a Spin-Stabilized Projectile

An algorithm using an extended Kalman filter is presented for estimating the full attitude of a nose-controlled spin-stabilized projectile using magnetometers and a velocity vector estimate with increased computational efficiency. A dynamic model based on the projectile equations of motion is used in the predictor step of the Kalman filter. A new coordinate system is introduced that enables both the process and measurement models of the Kalman filter to be described by linear, slowly time-varying systems. This property is exploited to generate a steady-state Kalman filter which per current knowledge, has never been done for this problem. Both the extended Kalman filter and steady-state Kalman filter are shown to perform well in simulation studies, and the difference in performance between the two filters is very small.
Predicting changing preferences: How people think about public policy proposals

Preference utilitarianism provides a useful normative framework for deciding about public policy. However, preferences are not stable over time, and they may in particular be influenced by the implementation of the public policy itself: people's values might change adaptively, making the policy better than it seemed before implementation; or they might change counteradaptively, making the policy worse than it seemed before.In six experiments, I examined how subjects think about the potential of public policy to change preferences: How do they predict preferences to change, and how does predicted preference change alter what they think of the policy? I also investigated subjects' second-order preferences, that is, what preferences they want others to hold.When we ask subjects to predict in which direction preferences might change, they predict change in their favored direction: subjects who initially think the policy is good predict preferences to change adaptively; those who initially think it bad predict preferences to change counteradaptively. Wishful thinking is a plausible mechanism for this tendency, since subjects also have second-order preferences in the direction of their initial rating: Subjects who think the policy is a good idea want others to like it; those who think the policy a bad idea want others not to like it.With the notable exception of one study, we find that their pattern of predicting preference change leads subjects to polarize their opinions about the policies. When we tell subjects to imagine adaptive preference change in either direction, their second-order preferences influence how they adjust their rating, with the result that subjects who initially rate the policy unfavorably think it worse than before if values were to adapt. I discuss several mechanisms that could be implicated in this phenomenon.
Ceramic Composites by Infiltration

Preparation de composites CaF 2 SiC par infiltration sans pression de CaF 2 fondu dans des poudres, trichites ou fibres de SiC. Microstructure et proprietes des composites obtenus