cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The emerging role of the bitter taste receptor T2R38 in upper respiratory infection and chronic rhinosinusitis.

BackgroundMaintaining a clean upper respiratory tract requires efficient detection of pathogenic bacteria so that the airway mucosa can mount proper defenses to neutralize and clear the offending m...
Supramolecular Multiblock Polystyrene–Polyisobutylene Copolymers via Ionic Interactions

A supramolecular multiblock copolymer was synthesized by mixing two telechelic oligomers, α,ω-sulfonated polystyrene, HO3S-PS-SO3H, derived from a polymer prepared by RAFT polymerization, and α,ω-amino-polyisobutylene, H2N-PIB-NH2, prepared by cationic polymerization. During solvent casting, proton transfer from the sulfonic acid to the amine formed ionic bonds that produced a multiblock copolymer that formed free-standing flexible films with a modulus of 90 MPa, a yield point at 4% strain and a strain energy density of 15 MJ/m3. Small angle X-ray scattering characterization showed a lamellar morphology, whose domain spacing was consistent with the formation of a multiblock copolymer based on comparison to the chain dimensions. A reversible order–disorder transition occurred between 190 and 210 °C, but the sulfonic acid and amine functional groups were observed to decompose at those elevated temperatures based on companion optical microscopy and spectroscopy measurements. For high nonlinear strains, the d...
The effect of roentgen rays on protoplasmic viscosity changes during mitosis

1. Roentgen radiation does not produce a change in the protoplasmic viscosity in the unfertilized eggs ofArbacia punctulata nor in the unfertilized eggs ofChaetopterus pergamentaceus. 2. InArbacia, (1) irradiated eggs fertilized with normal sperm, (2) normal eggs fertilized with irradiated sperm, (3) irradiated eggs fertilized with irradiated sperm undergo very similar viscosity changes between fertilization and first cleavage. For a short time after fertilization the viscosity of the control and experimental eggs remains about the same as that of the unfertilized eggs. Then there is a sharp increase in viscosity in both the control and experimental eggs. This reaches a value of about 3 or 4 times that of the unfertilized eggs at approximately 15 minutes after fertilization. In the control the viscosity remains high for a short period and then decreases returning almost to its original low level shortly before cleavage. The viscosity of the treated eggs remains high for a period about two or three times that of the control and then progressively decreases, reaching almost its original low level shortly before cleavage. 3. It is believed that in irradiated eggs, heparin or a heparin-like substance is destroyed by the radiation thereby causing the prolonged mitotic gelation.
Crossing the invisible line: Overcoming resistance to psychiatric care referral

The stigma associated with psychiatric care is only one of the barriers that a pediatrician must tackle when calling for a mental health referral.
The Psychology of Good and Evil: Kosovo: The Need for Flexible Bystander Response

The many failures of response by the international community were followed by a very delayed but effective response in Bosnia. Once serious bombing of the Serb military began, it speedily led to a halting of violence, followed by the Dayton peace negotiations. Even in Kosovo, the response was delayed: Warnings about potential violence in Kosovo had started to come in the late 1980s. The bombing began after negotiations and after significant ethnic cleansing had taken place (Adelman, 1999). But, at least, there was a bystander response before large-scale violence. A likely reason for this was awareness of, attention to, and a commitment that has developed in Bosnia to stopping Serb aggression, an evolution in a positive direction. The same leaders were on the scene. The failure of a response in Rwanda, and the apology by President Clinton to the Rwandan people that acknowledged responsibility, may have added at least to his motivation to act. This evolution has not led, however, to the creation of international institutions that might be helpful in other crises. The specificity of concern and commitment does not offer the hope of more active bystandership by the community of nations. Given that bombing stopped Serb aggression in Bosnia, it was understandable that the same method was tried in Kosovo. But this was a different situation, given the symbolic meaning of Kosovo for Serbs, their view of it as essential to their identity.
Computational Identification of Descriptors for Selectivity in Syngas Reactions on a Mo2C Catalyst

A microkinetic model containing 53 elementary steps based on extensive Density Functional Theory calculations is developed to describe syngas reactions on a Mo2C catalyst under high temperature and pressure conditions, with the aim of determining the elementary steps that control reaction selectivity. The effects of adsorbate–adsorbate interactions are found to be strong, so these interactions are described using the quasi-chemical approximation. Agreement with experimental observations of selectivity for syngas reactions at P = 30 bar and T = 573 K was found to be good without parametrizing the model in any way to the experimental reaction data. The activation energies of the elementary steps in the model were estimated using a Bronsted–Evans–Polanyi relation, and sensitivity analysis is used to examine the impact of uncertainties in this relation on the selectivity-determining steps of the reaction network. Our results are a useful example of identification of key elementary steps in a complex reaction ...
Transferase Versus Hydrolase: The Role of Conformational Flexibility in Reaction Specificity

Active in the aqueous cellular environment where a massive excess of water is perpetually present, enzymes that catalyze the transfer of an electrophile to a non-water nucleophile (transferases) require specific strategies to inhibit mechanistically related hydrolysis reactions. To identify principles that confer transferase versus hydrolase reaction specificity, we exploited two enzymes that use highly similar catalytic apparatuses to catalyze the transglycosylation (a transferase reaction) or hydrolysis of α-1,3-glucan linkages in the cyclic tetrasaccharide cycloalternan (CA). We show that substrate binding to non-catalytic domains and a conformationally stable active site promote CA transglycosylation, whereas a distinct pattern of active site conformational change is associated with CA hydrolysis. These findings defy the classic view of induced-fit conformational change and illustrate a mechanism by which a stable hydrophobic binding site can favor transferase activity and disfavor hydrolysis. Application of these principles could facilitate the rational reengineering of transferases with desired catalytic properties.
Toll-Interacting Protein in Resolving and Non-Resolving Inflammation.

Innate leukocytes manifest dynamic and distinct inflammatory responses upon challenges with rising dosages of pathogen associated molecular pattern molecules (PAMPs) such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To differentiate signal strengths, innate leukocytes may utilize distinct intra-cellular signaling circuitries modulated by adaptor molecules. Toll-interacting protein (Tollip) is one of the critical adaptor molecules potentially playing key roles in modulating the dynamic adaptation of innate leukocytes to varying dosages of external stimulants. While Tollip may serve as a negative regulator of NFκB signaling pathway in cells challenged with higher dosages of LPS, it acts as a positive regulator for low-grade chronic inflammation in leukocytes programmed by subclinical low-dosages of LPS. This review aims to discuss recent progress in our understanding of complex innate leukocyte dynamics and its relevance in the pathogenesis of resolving versus non-resolving chronic inflammatory diseases.
Hippo in Action: Scalable Indexing of a Billion New York City Taxi Trips and Beyond

The paper demonstrates Hippo a lightweight database indexing scheme that significantly reduces the storage and maintenance overhead without compromising much on the query execution performance. Hippo stores disk page ranges instead of tuple pointers in the indexed table to reduce the storage space occupied by the index. It maintains simplified histograms that represent the data distribution and adopts a page grouping technique that groups contiguous pages into page ranges based on the similarity of their index key attribute distributions. When a query is issued, Hippo leverages the page ranges and histogram-based page summaries to recognize those pages such that their tuples are guaranteed not to satisfy the query predicates and then inspects the remaining pages. We demonstrate Hippo using a billion NYC taxi trip records. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWaOK2-9k9A.
Novel AHP-based QoE factors' selection approach

Due to the accelerating uptake of multimedia services over Internet, Quality of Experience (QoE) assessment has become a topic of prime importance. While current QoE prediction models focus on technology-centered Quality of Service (QoS) parameters as the main influencing keys on user's perception quality, they do not sufficiently address the following question: “Based upon QoS, is it competent to understand the overall QoE?” Two limitations on QoE models have been noticed: (1) lack of factors introducing in assessment models, and (2) studies that examine the impact of each factors on QoE are limited. The need to take a more holistic view of influencing QoE factors has steered researchers towards an in-depth study on the multidimensional aspect of QoE. In order to tackle this challenge and giving the growing importance of understanding QoE and the factors influencing it, our contribution in this paper is to give a solution to get around limits mentioned above. This paper proposes a proper design of selection factor based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) derived from a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) theory. The result shows that due to our model, we can retrieve a ranking of the influential factors. The relevant goal of this paper is to give a structured process that examines influencing factors on QoE. Future QoE assessment models can benefit from applying our proposed model in order to build a QoE model as realistic as possible.
Disappointment Aversion and Income Risk: Implications for Portfolio Allocation

I solve the life-cycle portfolio allocation problem of a disappointing averse (DA) agent. Unlike expected utility investors, the risky allocations relate positively with income risk over later phase of DA investor’s working life. The changing comovement between returns and disappointment/elation realization drives the effect. The heterogeneous Epstein-Zin model with disappointment aversion generates conditional portfolio shares that are a better match to the empirical pattern. Sufficiently disappointment-averse agents abstain from investing in stocks after retirement and the decline in income risk also drives stock allocations lower in the later phase of DA investor’s working life.
Mechanistic investigations on NO reduction with CO over Mn/TiO2 catalyst at low temperatures

Abstract A series of titania-supported transition metal oxide catalysts were evaluated for NO reduction with CO as reductant at low temperature (200 °C) in the presence of excess oxygen. Among the investigated systems, MnOx/TiO2 has been found to be the preeminent catalyst. In situ FT-IR and transient studies were carried out in order to identify the chemisorbed species which could act as catalytic intermediates, and in consequence to propose the low temperature reduction of NO pathway over the Mn/TiO2. The NO adsorption and NO + O2 co-adsorption of in situ FT-IR experiments revealed the formation of surface reaction intermediate N2O species along with the formation of monodentate and bidentate nitrates, whereas CO adsorption on the catalyst leads to the formation of carbonate species. Interestingly, in the case of NO and CO co-adsorption over MnOx/TiO2, the formation of CO2 (CO oxidation with gas phase oxygen) is inhibited due to the surface reaction competition between NO and CO. The formation of N2O as an intermediate was evident from the occurrence of peaks at 1286 and 1335 cm−1 region. There is no formation of NO2 as a surface intermediate or gas phase stable product in the present in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and transient mass spectroscopic studies, respectively. Remarkably, a neat absorption peak at 2178 cm−1 ascribed to the isocyanate (–NCO) species was not observed during in situ infrared spectroscopic studies of NO + CO and CO + NO co-adsorptions. Based upon this evidence it is proposed that the formation of NCO− species from the reaction between CO and Nads is completely forbidden over the Mn/TiO2 catalysts. These results indicate that the reaction mechanism follows a different pathway for our catalyst, from that of the other metal based catalysts. The role of lattice oxygen in the reaction mechanism is substantiated by isotopic labeling and transient analysis studies. Lewis acid sites act as the active sites for the reaction.
Determining child orientation from overhead video: A multiple kernel learning approach

Our goal is to automatically detect which direction a child is facing based on a single, simple overhead picture, and track that direction across time. Engaging in joint attention, which is the shared focus of two individuals on some object of interest, is a strong cue of typically developing children, and the lack thereof can be an indicator of autism spectrum disorder or other pervasive developmental disorder. Therefore, the goal of many psychology experiments with children is to determine when, for how long, and towards what the child looks after some bid for attention or reaction. While much research looks for the orientation of faces based on frontal or profile pictures, or non-morphable, larger objects like cars, fewer studies work in the setting of minimally-invasive overhead person gaze or orientation detection. To automatically detect the child's orientation during a human-robot interaction experiment, we mount a camera on the ceiling of a child development laboratory and analyze the video footage. We use multiple kernel learning on eight potential orientation directions to determine a child's orientation during the video recorded interaction. We also contribute the labelled dataset we used on this challenging problem.
Future Measurements of the Nucleon Elastic Electromagnetic Form Factors at Jefferson Lab

The elastic, electromagnetic form factors are fundamental observables that describe the internal structure of protons, neutrons, and atomic nuclei. Jefferson Lab in the United States has completed the 12 GeV Upgrade that will open new opportunities to study the form factors. A campaign to measure all four nucleon form factors (electric and magnetic ones for both proton and neutron) has been approved consisting of seven experiments in Halls A, B, and C. The increased energy of the electron beam will extend the range of precision measurements to higher Q2 for all four form factors together. This combination of measurements will allow for the decomposition of the results into their quark components and guide the development of a QCD-based understanding of nuclei in the non-perturbative regime. I will present more details on the 12 GeV Upgrade, the methods used to measure the form factors, and what we may learn.
Global gene regulation in tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) responding to vector (Bactericera cockerelli) feeding and pathogen ('Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum') infection.

Different responses are elicited in tomato plants by Bactericera cockerelli harboring or not the pathogen ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’. ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) has emerged as a major pathogen of crops worldwide. This bacterial pathogen is transmitted by Bactericera cockerelli, the tomato psyllid, to solanaceous crops. In this study, the transcriptome profiles of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) exposed to B. cockerelli infestation and Lso infection were evaluated at 1, 2 and 4 weeks following colonization and/or infection. The plant transcriptional responses to Lso-negative B. cockerelli were different than plant responses to Lso-positive B. cockerelli. The comparative transcriptome analyses of plant responses to Lso-negative B. cockerelli revealed the up-regulation of genes associated with plant defenses regardless of the time-point. In contrast, the general responses to Lso-positive B. cockerelli and Lso-infection were temporally different. Infected plants down-regulated defense genes at week one while delayed the up-regulation of the defense genes until weeks two and four, time points in which early signs of disease development were also detected in the transcriptional response. For example, infected plants regulated carbohydrate metabolism genes which could be linked to the disruption of sugar distribution usually associated with Lso infection. Also, infected plants down-regulated photosynthesis-related genes potentially resulting in plant chlorosis, another symptom associated with Lso infection. Overall, this study highlights that tomato plants induce different sets of genes in response to different stages of B. cockerelli infestation and Lso infection. This is the first transcriptome study of tomato responses to B. cockerelli and Lso, a first step in the direction of finding plant defense genes to enhance plant resistance.
Poly(fumaric–co-sebacic anhydride): A degradation study as evaluated by FTIR, DSC, GPC and X-ray diffraction

The degradation of three poly(fumaric-co-sebacic anhydride) [P(FA:SA)] copolymers is examined in a composition of microspheres made by the hot melt encapsulation process. The emergence of low molecular weight oligomers occurs during degradation of the copolymer microspheres, as evidenced by a variety of characterization methods. Characterization was conducted to determine the extent of degradation of the polyanhydride microspheres using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction. It is demonstrated that degradation of P(FA:SA) is greatly accelerated at basic pH, yet there is little difference between degradation in neutral and acidic buffers. A good correlation exists between the results of each characterization method, which allows a better understanding of the degradation process and the resulting formation of low molecular weight oligomers in poly(fumaric-co-sebacic anhydride).
Interspecific Hybridization by Protoplast Fusion in Nicotiana: Confirmation and extension

Protoplasts of Nicotiana glauca and N. langsdorffi were prepared from leaf tissue by enzymatic digestion and were fused with the aid of polyethylene glycol. The mixed population of protoplasts was grown first on an enriched medium (M3 of Kao, et al.) and was then transferred to a medium lacking phytohormones, which selects against the parental types. A total of 174 calli that grew on the hormoneless medium were obtained. Mature flowering plants were differentiated from 19 different calli, and more than one from three of these, making 23 regenerated plants in all. Each of the plants was shown to be a parasexual hybrid in that it formed tumors; and the corolla, leaf, and plant habit were similar to, but somewhat different from, the amphiploid produced by cross pollination. The parasexual hybrids were examined cytologically and, instead of the amphiploid number 42, they were found to have a range of from 56 to 64 chromosomes, which accounted for the different characteristics observed. At meiosis mostly bivalents were formed and pollen fertility was high, averaging 84 percent. Seeds or progeny have been obtained from 16 of the hybrids. The unusual chromosome numbers found in the parasexual hybrids may have been due primarilymore » to triple fusions (giving 60-66 chromosomes) followed by losses during callus growth, accompanied by selection for a particular range of aneuploidy (2n = 56 to 64) favorable for development of plantlets from calli.« less
Social- Environmental Influences on the Chronic Stress Process

The social environment can facilitate or hamper one’s ability to cope with chronic stressors, but it can also be a direct source of chronic stress. This chapter examines three ways in which the social environment is implicated in chronic stress processes. First, it describes the variety of social sources of chronic stress. Second, it shows how the social environment can moderate, or alter, the impact of chronic stressors by mitigating or exacerbating people’s responses to them. Finally, it illustrates how enduring and undesirable changes in the social environment, which often result from stressful life events, can mediate, or explain, the effects of major life events on health and well-being.
Update on four unusual equine dermatoses

This article discusses some new thoughts on the pathogenesis of four unusual equine dermatoses: reticulated leukotrichia, hyper-esthetic leukotrichia, mane and tail dystrophy, and linear alopecia of the Quarter Horse. Although many of the thoughts contained herein are speculative, it is hoped that they stimulate discussion among those of us interested in the wonderful world of equine dermatology. More importantly, it is hoped that they stimulate further investigation and research. These diseases represent only the tip of the iceberg pf what we don't know about equine skin diseases!
Educating students with emotional and behavioral disorders

Educating students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) continues to be a challenge for many general and special education professionals. Students with EBD can exhibit behaviors such as chronic classroom disruption, aggression, and general maladaptive behavior toward peers and adults. Some students exhibit depression, obsessive/compulsive behavior, and excessive fears and phobias that merit special education programming. Estimates of those served for EBD are approximately 1% of the school population. The causes can include student biological factors and environmental influences such as family, school, and culture. Educators and researchers are focusing on preventing problematic behaviors and special educators are developing powerful intervention strategies to reduce these behaviors and replace them with more constructive ones.
The nonlinear Schrödinger equation on the half-line with Neumann boundary conditions

Abstract The initial-boundary value problem on the half-line for the nonlinear Schrodinger equation supplemented with a Neumann boundary condition is shown to be locally well-posed in the sense of Hadamard for data in Sobolev spaces H s . The proof takes advantage of a novel explicit solution formula for the forced linear counterpart of the nonlinear problem, which is obtained via Fokas' unified transform method. This formula provides the basis for setting up a Picard iteration scheme and for deriving the linear estimates required for proving local well-posedness of the nonlinear problem via a contraction mapping argument.
A National Cancer Database-based nomogram to predict lymph node metastasis in penile cancer.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the predictive nature of several clinicopathological variables by developing a nomogram predictive for lymph node-positive disease using the National Cancer Database cohort of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. METHODS Stepwise logistic regression was used to find the best-fit model; remaining clinical variables were used to create a nomogram to predict the probability of lymph node-positive disease. RESULTS On multivariate analysis, high pathological grade (3-4 vs 1: odds ratio [OR] 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70-6.29; 2 vs 1: OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.39-4.79 [P = 0.002]), lymphovascular invasion (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.61-3.84 [P < 0.001]), and positive clinical lymph node status (N1 vs N0: OR 20.0, 95% CI 11.4-35.7; N2 vs N0: OR 27.8, 95% CI 14.1-55.6; N3 vs N0: OR 49.2, 95% CI 14.8-162.8 [P < 0.001]) were predictors of lymph node metastasis in penile cancer. The bootstrap-corrected concordance index of this nomogram was 0.880. CONCLUSION Using tumour grade, tumour lymphovascular invasion and clinical lymph node status, we developed a nomogram highly predictive of pathologial lymph node metastasis that, after further external validation, could be helpful in the surgical decision-making process.
An examination of PTSD symptoms and their effects on suicidal ideation and behavior in non-treatment seeking veterans.

Abstract This study sought to examine the effect of general PTSD symptoms as well as specific PTSD symptom clusters on suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. We first compared a correlated factors solution consistent with the DSM-5 symptom clusters for PTSD with a bifactor solution comprising a General PTSD factor and orthogonal specific factors. Using the best fitting model (i.e., bifactor solution), we then investigated the effect of specific PTSD symptom clusters on severity of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts above and beyond the effect of general PTSD symptoms. A sample of 773 veterans who have never sought professional mental health treatment were screened for suicidal ideation within the past two weeks. One month after the baseline measurement, the participants completed a follow-up assessment, again by telephone. A bi-factor solution was used to account for a general PTSD factor as well as the specific DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters. After controlling for baseline suicidal ideation and behavior, it appeared that the Anxious Arousal factor was predictive of changes in the magnitude of severity of suicidal ideation and the General PTSD factor was predictive of the onset of new suicidal behavior at the one-month follow-up. Additionally, the Re-experiencing factor of PTSD also significantly predicted new suicidal behavior at the one-month follow-up. These results suggest that it may beneficial for clinicians, who are assessing individuals with PTSD for suicidality, to be aware of the frequency, duration, and content of their clients’ repetitive, intrusive thoughts as these thoughts may increase their capability to inflict non-lethal or lethal forms of self-injury.
Happy Moms, Happier Dads: Gendered Caregiving and Parents’ Affect:

Parenting is emotionally demanding and highly gendered. We use data from the American Time Use Survey to examine mothers’ and fathers’ momentary affect during childcare activities. We observe a gen...
A Multi-Mode DC-DC Converter for Direct Battery-to-Silicon High Tension Power Delivery in 65nm CMOS

We present a multi-mode DC-DC converter that directly takes the output of a Li-ion battery and converts it to on-chip voltages suitable for integrated electronics. The design in standard 65nm CMOS converts the Li-ion battery voltage that can vary between 4.2V to 2.8V directly to a internal $V_{DD}$ voltage that ranges between 1.5V to 0.3V. The 65nm design safely handles the high voltage delivery while providing conversion ratios between 1 to 13. To maintain high efficiency throughout, the proposed DC-DC converter functions in three distinct modes resonant, soft-switching and four-level-buck. We use a bond wire inductor $( \approx 11$ nH) as the high Q passive for all three modes. The design uses core devices only. The converter handles load currents between 0.5–200mA (400X), achieves a peak efficiency of 86.6% and has a peak power density of 0.3W/mm2. The prototype was fabricated in TSMC's 65nm GP CMOS.
Impact of Conservative Versus Conventional Oxygenation on Outcomes of Patients in Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: There is mixed evidence in the superiority of conservative versus conventional approach to oxygen therapy among patients admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU). The purpose of this study was to determine if conservative versus conventional oxygenation results in a statistically significant difference in outcomes in ICU patients. Methods: A systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Inclusion criteria consisted of Level I-IV investigations of conservative versus conventional oxygenation among ICU patients. ICU mortality, 28-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, ICU length-of-stay, hospital length-of-stay, rate of new infections, and rate of new non-respiratory organ failure were compared using two-sample Z-tests using p-value less than 0.05. Results: Three thousand four hundred thirty-three articles were screened. Four articles were included in the analysis. Three hundred seventy-two patients under the conservative oxygenation arm (Minimum target SpO2: 88-94%) and 370 patients under the conventional oxygenation arm (Minimum target SpO2: 96-97%) were analyzed. ICU mortality (16.7 ± 9.5% vs. 22.7 ± 6.0%; P<0.01), 28-day mortality (34.6 ± 26.4% vs. 41.6 ± 14.6%; P=0.02), and in-hospital mortality (30.2 ± 22.5% vs. 37.7 ± 14.2%; P<0.01) were all significantly lower in the conservative oxygenation arm versus the conventional oxygenation arm, respectively. Rate of new non-respiratory organ failure was also significantly lower in the conservative oxygenation arm (20.0 ± 8.5% vs. 29.7 ± 11.7%; P<0.01). Conclusion: The authors conclude that conservative oxygenation therapy could result in significantly lower rates of ICU mortality, 28-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, and new-onset non-respiratory organ failure. Further randomized controlled studies that show clinical outcome improvement in multiple parameters may be worthwhile to assess the true efficacy of this practice.
The role of gold oxidation state in the synthesis of Au-CsPbX3 heterostructure or lead-free Cs2AuIAuIIIX6 perovskite nanoparticles

Here, we report that the oxidation state of gold plays a dominant role in determining the reaction products when gold halide salts are mixed with all-inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals. When CsPbX3 nanocrystals react with Au(i) halide salts, Au nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of the perovskites through the reduction of Au1+ ions by the surfactant ligand shell, to produce Au-CsPbX3 heterostructures. These heterostructures preserve comparably high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and show identical XRD diffractograms as the parent CsPbX3 nanocrystals. In contrast, the reaction of CsPbX3 nanocrystals with Au(iii) halide salts promotes complete cation exchange of Pb ions by Au ions in the nanocrystal perovskite lattice. The cation exchange products, Cs2AuIAuIIIBr6 or Cs2AuIAuIIICl6, show XRD patterns corresponding to a tetragonal mixed halide perovskite crystal structure and show no visible photoluminescence. This crucial dependence on the oxidation state of the Au ion informs synthetic strategies for producing and optimizing metal-perovskite heterostructures and lead-free perovskite nanoparticles.
Correlated fluctuations in spin orbit torque coupled perpendicular nanomagnets

Low-barrier nanomagnets have attracted a great deal of research interest for their use as sources of high-quality true random number generation. More recently, low-barrier nanomagnets with tunable output have been shown to be a natural hardware platform for unconventional computing paradigms such as probabilistic spin logic. Efficient generation and tunability of high-quality random bits is critical for these novel applications. However, current spintronic random number generators are based on superparamagnetic tunnel junctions with tunability obtained through spin transfer torque, which unavoidably leads to challenges in designing concatenated networks using these two terminal devices. The more recent development of utilizing spin orbit torque (SOT) allows for a three-terminal device design, but can only tune in-plane magnetization freely, which is not very energy efficient due to the needs of overcoming a large demagnetization field. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a stochastic device with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy that is completely tunable by SOT without the aid of any external magnetic field. Our measurements lead us to hypothesize that a tilted anisotropy might be responsible for the observed tunability. We carry out stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations to confirm our experimental observation. Finally, we build an electrically coupled network of two such stochastic nanomagnet-based devices and demonstrate that finite correlation or anticorrelation can be established between their output fluctuations by a weak interconnection, despite having a large difference in their natural fluctuation timescale. Simulations based on a dynamical model for autonomous circuits composed of low-barrier nanomagnets show close agreement with the experimental results.
TRENDS: Racial Resentment and Public Opinion across the Racial Divide:

Research on racial resentment has been meticulously developed, tested, and analyzed with white Americans in mind—yet black Americans have also responded to this battery for the past three decades. ...
Associations between obesity and neighborhood socioeconomic status: Variations by gender and family income status.

Abstract Objectives To analyze if the association between obesity and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) was moderated by gender and family income. Methods Data from 19,448 individuals 18 and older from the 2001–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were geo-matched with social and built environment characteristics from the 2000 Census and other data sources. Objective height and weight measures were used to create body mass index (BMI) and obese status (BMI≥30). Tracts were divided into four quartiles using a composite factor score capturing neighborhood SES. Individuals were divided into four income groups by the income-to-poverty ratio (I/P). Multilevel regression analyses were performed. Results The association between neighborhood SES and obesity/BMI was more consistently significant among higher-income women than lower-income women. The same association was not found for men. Neighborhood built environment factors did not mediate the relationship between neighborhood SES and individual weight outcome. Conclusions Neighborhood SES had stronger and more consistent associations with obesity and BMI for women than men, and for higher-income women than lower-income women.
Bioreactor Scale-Up and Kinetic Modeling of Lactic Acid and Biomass Production by Enterococcus faecalis SLT13 during Batch Culture on Hydrolyzed Cheese Whey

Kinetic modeling of biomass and lactic acid production by Enterococcus faecalis SLT13 have been developed during batch culture in M17 and Hydrolyzed Cheese Whey (HCW) in 2 L and 20 L bioreactors. The specific growth rate μmax was higher in 20 L bioreactor (1.09 h−1); however, the maximum specific lactic acid production rate qpmax and maximum specific sugar utilization rate qsmax were higher in 2 L bioreactor. Biomass and sugar utilization were affected by lactic acid inhibition in HCW. No effects of substrate inhibition have been observed. Substrate limitation of biomass has been observed on HCW in 20 L bioreactor; the substrate limitation constant for biomass Ksx was 4.229 g/L. Substrate limitation of sugar consumption has been observed on M17 in 2 L bioreactor; the substrate limitation constant for sugar consumption Kss was 2.73 g/L. Compared to experimental data, the model provided good predictions for biomass, sugar consumption, and lactic acid production.
Analysis of the Rationale and Accuracy of the use of Carbon Equivalent and Thermal Analysis in the Quality Control of Cast Iron

The motivation for this paper evolved from the question “when is a cast iron eutectic?” raised by a recent paper. The simple answer is when the carbon equivalent of the iron is 4.2%. This raises another question: How does one calculate the carbon equivalent (CE)? The paper summarizes the many different equations used for this purpose. It demonstrates that Mg and inoculation affect the calculation of CE and that the Si contribution in classic CE equations is inaccurate for all practical purposes. The use of isopleths is limited as they cannot consider the effect of elements such as Mg and oxygen, or that of the metal quality (nucleation potential). They also cannot illustrate the effect of small differences in silicon resulting from inoculation. Corrections for the contribution of Si and Mg are proposed. Yet, CE can be used to determine the eutectic carbon if enough data are available to find the intersection of the austenite and graphite liquidus. Despite its limitations, because of its repeatability for a given process, the foundry can rely on TA and CE for composition control.
Thinking about Ordinary Differential Equations

Ordinary differential equations - the building blocks of mathematical modelling - are also key elements of disciplines as diverse as engineering and economics. While mastery of these equations is essential, adhering to any one method of solving them is not: this book stresses alternative examples and analyses by means of which the student can build an understanding of a number of approaches to finding solutions and understanding their behaviour. This book offers not only an applied perspective for the student learning to solve differential equations, but also the challenge to apply these analytical tools in the context of singular perturbations, which arises in many areas of application. An important resource for the advanced undergradute, this book would be equally useful for the beginning graduate student investigating further approaches to these essential equations.
Using Negotiation and Mediation

This book has examined the uses of negotiation and explored its potential as an alternative to adjudicatory proceedings for resolving disputes over development projects. Currently, ad-hoc negotiation with mediation offers an alternative that has successfully supplemented traditional administrative and bureaucratic forms of dispute resolution in disputes over development projects. The successes of these initial efforts and the enthusiastic reception of this technique by dispute participants suggest that negotiation has a good potential in these disputes.
The Use of Technology In-and-Outside of Second Language Classrooms: The Need for Teacher Training in Technology

Research has shown that the use of technology can be a pioneering and innovative means of language learning and teaching. Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) provides learners with individualized instruction, naturalistic linguistic environment, and greater opportunities to actively engage in interaction with peers and teachers A number of studies (see Bhatia & Ritchie, 2009 for more details) have reported that students in the CALL setting tend to show less negative affect but higher levels of interest, motivation, and participation in learning the target language. However, such encouraging findings were observed primarily with students who had positive attitudes toward technology, as pointed out by Bhatia and Ritchie (2009). This highlights the fact that the application of technology to language learning and/or teaching settings must be preceded by proper user education or training in materials and technology tools. In other words, both students and teachers need to be given sufficient opportunities to practice and become familiar with the technology in use in the first place; the absence of these prerequisites can render any argument for the effectiveness of CALL insufficient.
Ultrasonic velocity technique for monitoring property changes in fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites

A technique for measuring ultrasonic velocity was used to monitor changes that occur during processing and heat treatment of a SiC/RBSM composite. Results indicated that correlations exist between the ultrasonic velocity data and elastic modulus and interfacial shear strength data determined from mechanical tests. The ultrasonic velocity data can differentiate strength. The advantages and potential of this nondestructive evaluation method for fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite applications are discussed.
Joint determination of food consumption and production in rural Sierra Leone: Estimates of a household-firm model

Abstract This paper investigates the determination of food consumption for rural households in Sierra Leone that produce the foods which they consume. A household—firm model is estimated with seven commodities: including five foods, non-foods and labor, as compared to three commodities in past studies. Such food disaggregation permits tracing of the effects of socioeconomic variables on household nutrient availability. Household specialization in production is such that censored data is a problem. A Tobit approach is used to correct for this. For most crops the own price effects on consumption remain negative when a price change is allowed to shift the budget constraint by effecting the profits from home production. Elasticities of calorie availability with respect to toal expenditure are found to be sizeable, varying little by expenditure group. The price elasticities of calorie availability are generally positive, however an important exception occurs for price of the staple food, rice. This exception has several important policy implications which are explored.
Strategies to uncover undiagnosed HIV infection among heterosexuals at high risk and link them to HIV care with high retention: a “seek, test, treat, and retain” study

Over 50,000 individuals become infected with HIV annually in the U.S., and over a quarter of HIV infected individuals are heterosexuals. Undiagnosed HIV infection, as well as a lack of retention in care among those diagnosed, are both primary factors contributing to ongoing HIV incidence. Further, there are racial/ethnic disparities in undiagnosed HIV and engagement in care, with African Americans/Blacks and Latinos remaining undiagnosed longer and less engaged in care than Whites, signaling the need for culturally targeted intervention approaches to seek and test those with undiagnosed HIV infection, and link them to care with high retention. The study has two components: one to seek out and test heterosexuals at high risk for HIV infection, and another to link those found infected to HIV care with high retention. We will recruit sexually active African American/Black and Latino adults who have opposite sex partners, negative or unknown HIV status, and reside in locations with high poverty and HIV prevalence. The “Seek and Test” component will compare the efficacy and cost effectiveness of two strategies to uncover undiagnosed HIV infection: venue-based sampling and respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Among those recruited by RDS and found to have HIV infection, a “Treat and Retain” component will assess the efficacy of a peer-driven intervention compared to a control arm with respect to time to an HIV care appointment and health indicators using a cluster randomized controlled trial design to minimize contamination. RDS initial seeds will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control arm at a 1:1 ratio and all recruits will be assigned to the same arm as the recruiter. Participants will be followed for 12 months with outcomes assessed using medical records and biomarkers, such as HIV viral load. Heterosexuals do not test for HIV as frequently as and are diagnosed later than other risk groups. The study has the potential to contribute an efficient, innovative, and sustainable multi-level recruitment approach and intervention to the HIV prevention portfolio. Because the majority of heterosexuals at high risk are African American/Black or Latino, the study has great potential to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in HIV/AIDS. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01607541 , Registered May 23, 2012.
Metal complexation with pyrimidine derivatives—III: 5-substituted orotic acids

Abstract Metal complexes of the following uracil series of pyrimidine nitrogen bases were studied to assist in elucidating the effect of metal ions on the double-stranded helical structure of nucleic acids: 5-bromo-uracil-6-carboxylic acid (5-bromoorotic acid), 5-nitroorotic acid, 5-aminoorotic acid and 5-iodoorotic acid. Formation constants, calculated for divalent metal-ion complexes, indicated that stable complexes were formed with these pyrimidine acids and that the order of complex stability was found to be, Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Co(II) > Zn(II) > Cd(II) > Mn(II). It was also observed that these metal ions were capable of removing the proton on the N1 pyrimidine ring-nitrogen, which is believed to be partly responsible for hydrogen bonding between the two helical ribose phosphate chains. The trend in complex stability for the ligands was found to be similar to that observed for the basicity of the N1 pyrimidine ring-nitrogen, that is, 5-aminoorotic acid > 5-iodoorotic acid > 5-bromoorotic acid > 5-nitroorotic acid. The possible formation of protonic complexes was either negligible or completely absent in the pH region where one would normally expect to find these complexes. Only mononuclear complexation was observed. An equation was derived to determine formation constants for 1:1 complexes of these pyrimidine acids from their ultra-violet light absorption spectra. These spectra, which were determined at various pH values in the absence or presence of metal ions, are briefly discussed.
Nutrient Needs for Catch-Up Growth in Low-Birthweight Infants

Growth restriction among low-birthweight (LBW) infants occurs prenatally as well as postnatally. Regardless of when and how the growth restriction occurs, growth-restricted infants have the potential for catch-up growth. Catch-up growth has decidedly beneficial effects on later cognition. It also may have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Although the benefits for later cognition are well documented in a number of studies, growth-restricted LBW infants often do not experience catch-up growth and therefore do not enjoy its benefits. One reason is that for catch-up growth to occur, extraordinarily high protein intakes are required. Nutrient intakes have been estimated with the use of the factorial method based on the assumption that catch-up growth comprises essentially a restoration of lean body mass, with restoration of fat mass optional. The basic (no catch-up) nutritional needs of growth-restricted LBW infants are altered to a modest degree, with energy needs increased and protein needs decreased. With catch-up, however, protein needs are increased sharply. Since energy needs are only modestly increased, the protein/energy ratio of requirements is appreciably increased. The high protein needs are difficult to meet with the usual feedings for LBW infants unless special measures are taken to increase protein intakes and to increase the protein/energy ratio. Without the necessary protein intake, catch-up growth is not possible or will be delayed, which may compromise the realization of the long-term benefits on cognition.
Monte Carlo modelling of cone beam collimation with scattering in objects (SPECT application)

A novel Monte Carlo model of low-energy photon detection is proposed for cone beam collimation. The model is based on the existing analytic formulas of collimator resolution and sensitivity for primary photons as well as forced detection techniques for parallel beam collimation. The collimator resolution for scattered photons is simulated by forcing photons scattered into elliptical acceptance cones oblique to collimator surface. The sensitivity for the scattered photons, used as a weight for variance reduction, is derived based on the sensitivity for primary photons, the Klein-Nishina distribution, and the elliptical acceptance cone subtended by the circular contour of a point response with a radius of FWHM resolution. A circular cone approximation of the elliptical acceptance cones is proposed to increase computational efficiency for the forced detection procedure. The Monte Carlo model with the circular cone approximation is validated by comparing simulated projections with experimental data. The comparison demonstrates the accuracy of the Monte Carlo model of cone beam collimation. >