What Matters: Agreement Between U.S. Courts of Appeals Judges

Federal courts are a mainstay of the justice system in the United States. In this study, we analyze 387,898 cases from U.S. Courts of Appeals, where judges are randomly assigned to panels of three. We predict which judge dissents against co-panelists and analyze the dominant features that predict such dissent with a particular attention to the biographical features that judges share. Random forest, a method developed in Breiman (2001), achieves the best classification. Dissent is predominantly driven by case features, though personal features also predict agreement

Improving Low Frequency Isolation Performance of Optical Platforms Using Electromagnetic Active-Negative-Stiffness Method

To improve the low-frequency isolation performance of optical platforms, an electromagnetic active-negative-stiffness generator (EANSG) was proposed, using nano-resolution laser interferometry sensors to monitor the micro-vibration of an optical platform, and precision electromagnetic actuators integrated with a relative displacement feedback strategy to counteract the positive stiffness of pneumatic springs within a micro-vibration stroke, thereby producing high-static-low-dynamic stiffness characteristics. The effectiveness of the method was verified by both theoretical and experimental analyses. The experimental results show that the vertical natural frequency of the optical platform was reduced from 2.00 to 1.37 Hz, the root mean square of displacement was reduced from 1.28 to 0.69 μm, and the root mean square of velocity was reduced from 14.60 to 9.33 μm/s, proving that the proposed method can effectively enhance the low frequency isolation performance of optical platforms

ACSL1: A preliminary study that provides a new target for the treatment of renal fibrosis could bring new insights in diabetic kidney disease

Background: Renal fibrosis is the main cause of the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). ACSL1 plays an important role in colon cancer and liver fibrosis. Methods: We screened ACSL1 by proteomics analysis and then verified the expression of ACSL1 in the urine of diabetic nephropathy patients by WB and ELISA. Then, a total of 12 db/m and db/db mice were used to verify the association between renal fibrosis and ACSL1. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, Masson staining, and immunostaining were performed for histological studies. The relationship between ACSL1 and renal fibrosis was studied by knocking down ACSL1 in cell experiments. Results: The expression of ACSL1 was significantly increased in the exfoliated urine cells and urine supernatant of diabetic nephropathy patients and was closely related to renal function. In addition, the expression of ACSL1 was significantly increased in the renal tissues of db/db mice with fibrosis. Knocking down ACSL1 in HK-2 cells was shown to reverse renal fibrosis induced by high glucose. Conclusions: We found a potential therapeutic target for preventing or ameliorating the progression of DKD fibrosis. Reducing ACSL1 expression may be a new strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis caused by DKD, which provides an experimental theoretical basis for new drug research. Resumen: Antecedentes: La fibrosis renal es la causa principal de desarrollo de nefropatía diabética (ND). ACSL1 juega un papel importante en el cáncer de colon y la fibrosis hepática. Métodos: Cribamos ACSL1 mediante análisis proteómico, verificando seguidamente la expresión de ACSL1 en la orina de los pacientes con nefropatía diabética mediante WB y ELISA. A continuación, utilizamos un total de 12 ratones db/m y db/db para verificar la asociación entre fibrosis renal y ACSL1. Se realizaron tinciones PAS (Periodic acid-Schiff), de Masson e inmunotinción para los estudios histológicos. Estudiamos la relación entre ACSL1 y fibrosis renal aplicando la técnica de knockdown a ACSL1 en los experimentos celulares. Resultados: La expresión de ACSL1 se incrementó significativamente en las células de orina exfoliada y el sobrenadante de orina de los pacientes con nefropatía diabética y estuvo estrechamente relacionada con la función renal. Además, la expresión de ACSL1 se incrementó significativamente en los tejidos renales de los ratones db/db con fibrosis. La realización de knockdown a ACSL1 en las células HK-2 reflejó una reversión de la fibrosis renal inducida por la alta tasa de glucosa. Conclusiones: Encontramos un objetivo terapéutico potencial para prevenir o mejorar la progresión de la fibrosis en la ND. Reducir la expresión de ACSL1 puede suponer una nueva estrategia para el tratamiento de la fibrosis renal causada por la ND, lo cual aporta una base teórica experimental para la investigación de un nuevo fármaco

Soil Aggregation and Aggregate-Associated Organic C and Total N as Affected by Revegetation Pattern at a Surface Mine on the Loess Plateau, China

Re-establishing cover of vegetation can improve soil structure and increase organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) accumulation in mine sites. In this study, we collected soil samples from reclaimed mine sites (RMSs), which comprised sites revegetated with trees (Tr), bushes (Bu), or grasses (Gr), and from the adjacent undisturbed native sites (UNSs). We evaluated the effects of revegetation patterns on: (i) soil aggregate formation and (ii) the distributions of OC and TN in different aggregate size classes. In the 0- to 15-cm layer, the distribution of the aggregate sizes as well as the OC and TN concentrations in both the bulk soil and aggregate fractions did not differ significantly between the RMSs and UNSs. However, in the 15- to 30-cm layer, the macroaggregate (>0.25 mm) fractions were generally lower and the microaggregate (0.25-0.053 mm) fractions were generally higher in the RMSs than the UNSs. The OC and TN concentrations in both the bulk soil and aggregate fractions were lower in the RMSs than the UNSs. Among the RMS revegetation patterns, Gr had a significantly higher proportion of microaggre-gates and a significantly lower proportion of the <0.053-mm size classes than Tr in both layers. The OC and TN concentrations in both the bulk soil and aggregate fractions were significantly higher in Gr than Tr. There were no significant differences between Bu and Gr in terms of either the aggregate size distribution or the OC and TN concentrations. However, planting grasses may be a better choice considering the economic cost

Optimizing Phosphorus Application for Winter Wheat Production in the Coastal Saline Area

Phosphorous (P) fixation in saline soils is a concern worldwide. To investigate optimization strategies for P fertilizer application that improve P use efficiency (PUE) and crop yield in saline soil, in terms of P sources and rates, we conducted a two year field experiment in the coastal saline area of China to investigate the effects of P rates and sources, including superphosphate (SSP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) on yield, aboveground P uptake, agronomy efficiency (AEP), and soil available P of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat yield, under the three P sources, increased with P rates and reached a plateau under 20 kg P ha−1 SSP,18 kg P ha−1 MAP, and 17 kg P ha−1 MAP, respectively. The application of SSP increased the wheat yield by 9–11% compared to MAP and APP. The aboveground P uptake of winter wheat under SSP was 14% and 13% higher than MAP and APP, respectively, under the optimal P application rate. The AEP under SSP was higher than the other two P sources under the same P rate. SSP increased the soil Ca2+ concentration by 20–42%, but decreased the Na+ concentration by 14–18% at the P rate of 26 kg P ha−1 in all soil layers, including 0–20, 20–40, 40–60 cm, compared to CK (0 kg P ha−1). The soil Olsen-P concentration under APP was higher than the other P sources. This study suggests that optimizing P sources and rates can improve wheat yield, PUE, and soil quality in the coastal saline soil

Pressure induced convergence of conduction bands in Al doped Mg2Si: Experiment and theory

High-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) synthesis provides an effective way to tune the band structure of materials and improve their electronic properties. To investigate the influence of synthesis pressure on electronic properties, Mg1.97Al0.03Si samples were synthesized using the HPHT method. The maximum effective mass 0.92me is obtained for the sample prepared with the synthesis pressure of 3 GPa, leading to the biggest Seebeck coefficient −201.3 μV/K at room temperature. Meanwhile, the 3 GPa sample obtains the higher electron carrier concentration and electrical conductivity, resulting in nearly overall enhancement of power factor. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations evidences that the Conduction Bands Minimum (CBM) can be tuned effectively by applied pressure and the convergence of the CBM leads to a larger effective mass of DOS, which are beneficial to the enhancement of power factors. These results indicate that high-pressure is a powerful tool to tune Mg1.97Al0.03Si band structures. Keywords: Mg2Si, High-pressure synthesis, Band degeneracy, Thermoelectric material

Promising M₂CO₂/MoX₂ (M = Hf, Zr; X = S, Se, Te) Heterostructures for Multifunctional Solar Energy Applications

Two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are potential candidates for clean energy conversion materials to address the global energy crisis and environmental issues. In this work, we have comprehensively studied the geometrical, electronic, and optical properties of M2CO2/MoX2 (M = Hf, Zr; X = S, Se, Te) vdW heterostructures, as well as their applications in the fields of photocatalytic and photovoltaic using density functional theory calculations. The lattice dynamic and thermal stabilities of designed M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures are confirmed. Interestingly, all the M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures exhibit intrinsic type-II band structure features, which effectively inhibit the electron-hole pair recombination and enhance the photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the internal built-in electric field and high anisotropic carrier mobility can separate the photo-generated carriers efficiently. It is noted that M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures exhibit suitable band gaps in comparison to the M2CO2 and MoX2 monolayers, which enhance the optical-harvesting abilities in the visible and ultraviolet light zones. Zr2CO2/MoSe2 and Hf2CO2/MoSe2 heterostructures possess suitable band edge positions to provide the competent driving force for water splitting as photocatalysts. In addition, Hf2CO2/MoS2 and Zr2CO2/MoS2 heterostructures deliver a power conversion efficiency of 19.75% and 17.13% for solar cell applications, respectively. These results pave the way for exploring efficient MXenes/TMDCs vdW heterostructures as photocatalytic and photovoltaic materials