cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Charge Transfer Mediation Through CuxS. The Hole Story of CdSe in Polysulfide

Hole transfer to dissolved sulfide species in liquid junction CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cells is relatively slow when compared to electron transfer from CdSe to TiO2. Controlled exposure of cadmium chalcogenide surfaces to copper ions followed by immersion in sulfide solution promotes development of the interfacial CuxS layer, which mediates hole transfer to polysulfide electrolyte by collection of photogenerated holes from CdSe. In addition, CuxS was also found to interact directly with defect states on the CdSe surface and quench emission characteristic of electron traps resulting from selenide vacancies. Together these effects were found to work in tandem to deliver 6.6% power conversion efficiency using Mn-doped CdS and CdSe cosensitized quantum dot solar cells. Development of an n–p interfacial junction at the photoanode–electrolyte interface in quantum dot solar cells unveils new means for designing high efficiency liquid junction solar cells.
New Descriptions of North American Euholognathan Stonefly Drumming (Plecoptera) and First Nemouridae Ancestral Call Discovered in Soyedina carolinensis (Plecoptera: Nemouridae)

Drumming is described for the first time in the stonefly species Zealeuctra warreni Ricker ,& Ross (Leuctridae), Soyedina carolinensis (Claassen) (Nemouridae), Taeniopteryx ugola Ricker & Ross (Taeniopterygidae), and in a Nebraska population of Taeniopteryx burksi Ricker & ROSS. Z. warreni males call with simple, eight-beat monophasic signals that have average 68.5-ms beat intervals, and these conform to the ancestral pattern previously described for three other Zealeuctra species. S. carolinensis males call with 16-beat signals having average 24.8-ms intervals; this is the first discovery of an ancestral call pattern in the family Nemouridae. T. ugola has a three-way duetting pattern, consistent with drumming of four North Americar congeners. Their duets are unique, with mode 10-beat calls, nine-beat female answers, and six-beat male replies. Beat intervals of T. ugola calls are uniform and therefore more ancestral than those of its congeners. Calls of a Nebraska population of T. burksi had almost idsntical beat intervals compared with those previously reported from an Oklahoma populatior, suggesting no call dialect between the populations found in streams of different biomes and separated by ≈9° latitude and 8° longitude. Implications of these data to the diversity of dn. mming in the Euholognatha and evolution of the behavior in Plecoptera are discussed.
Quantifying Regional Error in Surrogates by Modeling its Relationship with Sample Density

Approximation models (or surrogate models) provide an efficient substitute to expensive physical simulations and an efficient solution to the lack of physical models of system behavior. However, it is challenging to quantify the accuracy and reliability of such approximation models in a region of interest or the overall domain without additional system evaluations. Standard error measures, such as the mean squared error, the cross-validation error, and the Akaikes information criterion, provide limited (often inadequate) information regarding the accuracy of the final surrogate. This paper introduces a novel and model independent concept to quantify the level of errors in the function value estimated by the final surrogate in any given region of the design domain. This method is called the Regional Error Estimation of Surrogate (REES). Assuming the full set of available sample points to be fixed, intermediate surrogates are iteratively constructed over a sample set comprising all samples outside the region of interest and heuristic subsets of samples inside the region of interest (i.e., intermediate training points). The intermediate surrogate is tested over the remaining sample points inside the region of interest (i.e., intermediate test points). The fraction of sample points inside region of interest, which are used as intermediate training points, is fixed at each iteration, with the total number of iterations being pre-specified. The estimated median and maximum relative errors within the region of interest for the heuristic subsets at each iteration are used to fit a distribution of the median and maximum error, respectively. The estimated statistical mode of the median and the maximum error, and the absolute maximum error are then represented as functions of the density of intermediate training points, using regression models. The regression models are then used to predict the expected median and maximum regional errors when all the sample points are used as training points. Standard test functions and a wind farm power generation problem are used to illustrate the effectiveness and the utility of such a regional error quantification method.
Application Versatility Of Conductive Polymer Coatings As Lightning Strike Protection

LORD UltraConductive™ spray coatings and films are filled polymeric materials that behave like metals in their ability to conduct electricity and heat, but can be applied as a paint, or by draping as an adhesive film onto composite surfaces for lightning strike protection (LSP). During cure, these materials self-assemble in an efficient manner to produce electrically conductive networks (6-12 m:/sq.) at low areal weights (~ 140g/m2). Such low weight, in combination with the technology's versatility in composite processing has led to qualification of these materials in the past two years by multiple aerospace OEMs. This paper highlights three recent investigations using these materials: 1. Testing of these materials as LSP for thermoplastic composites when applied after laminate consolidation (thermoforming). 2. Methodology and testing supporting Airbus Helicopter's selection of these materials to overcome specific LSP application and processing challenges. They are now considered “breakthrough technology” because of their minimal surface preparation requirements, ease of application, and support of Airbus's environmental goals. 3. Description of how these materials are used to repair damage in thermosetting composites.
"The Enigma His Efforts Had Created": Thomas Pynchon and the Legacy of America

In the best tradition of classic American literature, the existential narrator of Norman Mailer's American Dream (1965) lights out at the end for the territory. Stephen Richard Rojack has survived a thirty-two hour journey through the subterranean depths of New York City and left it behind. The catch is that, instead of being ahead of the rest, he confronts a frontier previously settled many times over. Upon arriving in the Southwest, Rojack has a revelation: the bifurcated atmosphere of this terrain (110° furnace outside, 70° of air-conditioned oxygen inside) was "again producing a new breed of man,'" Rojack, however, rejects the empty, orbital quality of the machine-made atmosphere; moreover, he rejects the "new man" the last frontier left behind. Gazing upon the city lights of Las Vegas from his desert vantage point, Rojack indicates that he will try his luck elsewhere. Perhaps this time he will head south, toward another America.
Multivariate Analysis of Variance

This chapter and the next deal specifically with multivariate extensions of the analysis of variance. They are concerned with measures on more than one dependent variable. The two examples in Chapter 12 are illustrative. In Table 12.2 the experiment of Table 2.1 is extended to include measures of IQ and chronological age as well as of intellectual maturity. There are thus three dependent variables. In Table 12.3 the data in Table 5.1 are extended to include severity of illness as a second dependent variable.
High hardness in the biocompatible intermetallic compound β-Ti3Au

The search for new hard materials is often challenging, but strongly motivated by the vast application potential such materials hold. Ti3Au exhibits high hardness values (about four times those of pure Ti and most steel alloys), reduced coefficient of friction and wear rates, and biocompatibility, all of which are optimal traits for orthopedic, dental, and prosthetic applications. In addition, the ability of this compound to adhere to ceramic parts can reduce both the weight and the cost of medical components. The fourfold increase in the hardness of Ti3Au compared to other Ti–Au alloys and compounds can be attributed to the elevated valence electron density, the reduced bond length, and the pseudogap formation. Understanding the origin of hardness in this intermetallic compound provides an avenue toward designing superior biocompatible, hard materials.
Effective LARC Providers: Moving Beyond Training.

Effective and productive providers are the key to successful provision of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). But LARCs demand more of providers than short-acting resupply methods. In addition to sound training, key elements to developing highly productive providers of LARCs include a thorough understanding of the service delivery system context; selecting providers with the most potential, especially from mid-level cadres; strong mentoring and supportive supervision; and attention to the supply chain and to demand-side support.
Power source buffering using a triangular modular multilevel converter with energy storage

This paper explores the use of a multi-port DC-DC converter with a 95 VDC output resistive load (which can be roughly divided in half to reach 48 V — a common DC data center voltage) and interfacing a dual-input connection of a 380 V DC ICT system and a 42.9 V DC / 40.7 A photovoltaic (PV) panel. Ultracapacitors (83 F), as part of an attached power-buffering interface to the converter, are used to help mitigate any unwanted spikes in the power flow from input signals; for this work, the ultracapacitors' effectiveness is tested using the inherently intermittent PV as an input. This converter technology represents the merits of utilizing a singular interfacing device to consolidate the flows between joint generation and load, while maintaining stable output power through the use of a modular energy storage solution.
Hydrology of Water Supply and Natural Systems

Hydrologic information is needed for an effective and fair approach to measuring water availability and probing the nature of problems and conflicts. It provides data on the water cycle from atmospheric water through downstream phenomena and groundwater systems. Watersheds are nature’s production units for water supplies, and as coupled natural–human systems, they are logical accounting units for hydrologic analysis. Watersheds and river basins can be classified by scale as geohydrologic units. Accounting is sometimes by a political unit. Using the hydrologic balance, the yield of water sources is a metric of sustainable supplies from streams or aquifers. A protected watershed can provide pure water, but few are in pristine condition. Ecologic systems vary from small to global and provide essential ecosystem services for provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural benefits.
The Good Neighbor: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Rhetoric of American Power. By Mary E. Stuckey. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2013. 300 pp.

The Good Neighbor: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Rhetoric of American Power. By Mary E. Stuckey. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2013. 300 pp. Metaphoric thought is grounded in perspective, and in The Good Neighbor--a spirited exploration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's (or FDR's) rhetorical corpus--Mary E. Stuckey offers both. The metaphor, as the book's title indicates, is FDR's consistent invocation of the ideal of neighborliness, from his very first presidential utterances all the way up to his death. The perspective is the intriguing viewpoint of Roosevelt's presidency that the presence of this metaphor reveals. Stuckey's book thus represents two valuable accomplishments in that it unveils the pervasiveness of the president's master metaphor even as it manages to craft a fresh understanding of his rhetorical world. On both counts, scholars and students of the presidency will find much to appreciate. Stuckey's thesis is disarmingly simple. FDR, she argues, brought to the White House a powerful association between governance and neighborliness. Thereafter, his consistent public depictions of the United States "as one large neighborhood" (p. 2) facilitated an attractive vision of national unity throughout some of the country's bleakest years, allowing him to tout particular values and to argue forcefully for bolstering the benign power of the federal government. Meanwhile, as world tensions increased throughout the 1930s, his widening of the metaphor into "an international neighborhood," one tacitly modeled on and led by the United States, "allowed him to contend with military dictatorships as well as democratic imperial powers and to justify the extension of American power across the globe" (p. 3). It does not take long for the book to make it more than evident that this metaphor was indeed ubiquitous in the president's words. Of course, even casual students of FDR are familiar with his Good Neighbor Policy and his Lend-Lease analogy involving efforts to fight a neighbor's house fire. But by digging deeply into over a dozen years of presidential pronouncements, speeches, and press conferences, Stuckey shows how it emerged and reemerged at nearly every rhetorical turn. Indeed, the sheer frequency of the term neighbor and its various manifestations in the president's words is startling. As Stuckey points out, the metaphor was variably welcoming, hierarchical, inclusive, exclusive, patronizing, constitutive, or chauvinistic. But it was almost always there, apparent evidence of FDR's innate conception of neighborhoods as a vital model for the arrangement of local, national, and international society. The implications of this finding are provocative. The Roosevelt administration was unusually active by any measure, and Stuckey points to the president's construction of a particular kind of citizenry--one that was united in a rhetoric of enlightened neighborliness--as being a significant factor in fostering that activity. …
Trajectory optimization with memetic algorithms: Time-to-torque minimization of turbocharged engines

A general memetic trajectory optimization method is introduced. The method is comprised of an evolutionary algorithm (EA) for global optimization, followed by local optimization. The global optimization algorithm is biogeography-based optimization (BBO), which is an EA motivated by the migratory behavior of biological organisms. For local optimization, we start with identifying a local linearized model within the region of the BBO solution by approximating the linear model with Jacobian matrix, and then optimize trajectory using gradient method. The process iterates Jacobian learning and optimization until an optimal trajectory is identified. We apply this memetic algorithm to a time-to-torque minimization problem for a gasoline turbocharged direct injection automotive engine. The optimized trajectory demonstrates significant improvement over the intuitive bang-bang controls that were originally thought to deliver the fastest transient torque response. Simulation results show that BBO decreases time-to-torque by 48% relative to bang-bang controls, and adaptive optimization decreases time-to-torque by an additional 26%. These results have significant implications for improved automotive engine performance.
Ausblick: Von abstrakten Umweltleitsätzen über Umweltleitbilder zum Umweltmanagement

Ausgehend von den Menschheitsproblemen, insbesondere in den Industriegesellschaften, machten wir uns auf die Suche nach (ethischer) Orientierung. Wir fanden Komplexitaten, Mehrdeutigkeiten und Pluralismen. Philosophische Maximen, ethische Prinzipien, moralische Imperative, Verhaltenskodizes, Praferenzregeln und andere Leitsatze erwiesen sich als weniger konkret als erhofft; in den seltensten Fallen waren sie instruktiv.
Drug seeking or pain crisis? Responsible prescribing of opioids in the emergency department.

Balancing the needs of patients in pain with the risks of supplying opiates to drug seekers requires extra efforts, such as noting and reading accounts in electronic medical records of drug-seeking behavior.
How Parents Influence the Life Plans of Graduating Chinese University Students

Between November and March of their senior year, eighty-four male and female graduating students at a Chinese University were interviewed about their proposed post-graduate plans and their parents’...
A Pedagogy for Power: Antonio Gramsci and Luis Emilio Recabarren on the Educational Role of Working-Class Organizations

This chapter compares Antonio Gramsci and Luis Emilio Recabarren as educators of their respective working classes, with the understanding that they viewed the education of the working class for power as the means to achieve a socialist society. The chapter examines their views on the pedagogical roles of the working-class organizations in the self-education of workers towards their role in bringing about and leading a new society. The purpose of this study is not to show mutual influence but, rather, to highlight the outstanding similarities in Gramsci’s and Recabarren’s views during the period covered. The chapter draws on Recabarren’s original writings that appeared in the Chilean working-class press between 1903 and 1924 and Gramsci’s pre-prison writings, from 1914 to 1926.
Toward an Acceptable Definition of Emotional Disturbance: Waiting for the Change.

This is a quiet rant. A request to revisit an article reprinted in this issue prompted it and I focus on context and purpose of the original article, lack of developments in the field since the art...
Sybil-proof incentive mechanisms for crowdsensing

The rapid growth of sensor-embedded smartphones has led to a new data sensing and collecting paradigm, known as crowdsensing. Many auction-based incentive mechanisms have been proposed to stimulate smartphone users to participate in crowdsensing. However, none of them have taken into consideration the Sybil attack where a user illegitimately pretends multiple identities to gain benefits. This attack may undermine existing inventive mechanisms. To deter the Sybil attack, we design Sybil-proof auction-based incentive mechanisms for crowdsensing in this paper. We investigate both the single-minded and multi-minded cases and propose SPIM-S and SPIM-M, respectively. SPIM-S achieves computational efficiency, individual rationality, truthfulness, and Sybil-proofness. SPIM-M achieves individual rationality, truthfulness, and Sybil-proofness. We evaluate the performance and validate the desired properties of SPIM-S and SPIM-M through extensive simulations.
4.9 Myosin Motors: Kinetics of Myosin

The background, experimental methods, and dynamics of myosin and actomyosin ATPase activities are described. Myosins are the molecular motors best known for powering muscle contraction, but nonmuscle isoforms serve as intracellular cargo transporters, cytoskeletal anchors, and signaling molecules. Muscle and nonmuscle isoforms share the same kinetic pathway for ATP hydrolysis, where force-generating structural changes are linked to release of inorganic phosphate and ADP, the products of ATP hydrolysis. Myosin isoforms have evolved different biochemical reaction rates and force-dependent kinetics to suit their myriad roles in cell biology. This kinetic diversity within the myosin superfamily is described.
The Paradoxical Nature of Personal Wisdom and Its Relation to Human Development in the Reflective, Cognitive, and Affective Domains

The concept of wisdom has long defied easy definition and operationalization, although many scholars agree that one essential feature is its paradoxical nature. There is also a growing consensus that wisdom includes a combination of reflective, cognitive, and affective dimensions. In this chapter, we elaborate paradoxical aspects of the concept of wisdom by illuminating how divergent facets in its three dimensions come together. The paradoxes discussed are (1) “I know that I do not know,” (2) a will-not-to-will and an act of nonaction, (3) loss is gain, and (4) liberation through the acceptance of limitations in the reflective dimension; (1) wise judgment in the face of uncertainty, (2) the foolishness of the wise and the wisdom of fools, and (3) wisdom is timeless and universal yet relative and changing in the cognitive dimension; and (1) self-development through selflessness, (2) involvement through detachment, and (3) change through acceptance in the affective dimension. We suggest that people who follow the paradoxical path to wisdom ultimately will gain liberation, truth, and a sense of unlimited love. Narratives of the life of Buddha are used to illustrate the individual paradoxes.
The Flexner Report and Evidence-Based Medicine Over the Past 100 Years

The Flexner Report began a process in North America linking science with physician education and practice. While the report emphasized the importance of standards of clinical training and care and the role of the laboratory in physician education, this chapter deals with the explosion of knowledge that pervades decision-making in all medical disciplines, especially those bridging women’s health care.
Inferring causal structure among unmeasured variables

Linear structural equation models with latent variables are common in psychology, econometrics, sociology, and political science. Such models have two parts, a measurement model that specifies how the latent variables are measured, and a structural model which specifies the causal relations among the latent variables. In this paper I discuss search procedures for finding a ‘pure’ measurement model and for using this pure model to determine features of the structural model. The procedures are implemented as the Purify and MIMbuild modules of the TETRAD II program.
Using family circles to increase competency and confidence in social work

The family circle instrument is a self-constructed diagram that has been used by family physicians for more than 40 years to gather and assess information about patients’ family connections and rel...
Reproductive coercion and prenatal distress among young pregnant women in Monrovia, Liberia

Women who experience reproductive coercion are at risk for poor reproductive health, but no study has examined prenatal distress as a consequence. Using cross-sectional data of 195 pregnant women aged 18-30 in Monrovia, Liberia, we examined the association between reproductive coercion and prenatal distress. The prevalence of current reproductive coercion was 9%. Young pregnant women who experienced reproductive coercion had more prenatal distress than women without these experiences. Reproductive coercion can heighten pregnancy-specific concerns for young Liberian women. Family-planning programs and providers should assess current reproductive coercion among young pregnant women and find ways to help women mitigate pregnancy concerns.
Exit Exams for College Flight Programs: Redundant Activity or Certification of Competency?

A wide variety of training organizations prepare prospective pilots for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. Students enrolled in collegiate flight training programs also complete several FAA certifications; however, their graduation is contingent upon completion of an academic curriculum rather than standardized exit examinations that measure competency for professional flight duties within the aviation industry. Since establishment in 1988, the Council on Aviation Accreditation (CAA) has provided a measurement of collegiate flight program quality and attempted to promote curricular standardization; however, the number of college flight programs currently accredited remains relatively small. This paper presents the results of a survey that addressed issues related to the establishment of a standardized college flight program exit examination. Many flight program administrators currently believe that existing FAA certifications provide a solid foundation for program graduates and that grooming to meet professional industry standards is the responsibility of the hiring airline/operator. Survey findings suggest an interest in the establishment of four-year flight program exit examinations, but respondents expressed a concern about the form of such exams and how to address those who fail. The findings described in this paper were analyzed to evaluate support in the aviation education community for standardized exit examinations as well as to promote a dialogue between aviation industry and flight program administrators on the utility of exit examinations.
Team Retreats for Interprofessional Trainees and Clinic Staff: Accelerating the Development of High-Functioning Teams

Introduction Teams are critical to managing the health care needs of patients with part-time trainee providers. High-functioning teams require trusting relationships among trainees and staff and op...
The relationship between foster care entries and high-dose opioid prescribing in California

An important effect of the current opioid epidemic is on children whose parents are unable to provide appropriate care. We employ quarterly, county-level data for California for 2009-2016 to study the relationship between foster care entries and opioid misuse by their parents. Our linear regression analysis includes both county and time fixed effects and controls related to child removal risk. We improve on the limited existing research in the area by analyzing higher frequency data, examining a proximal measure of opioid abuse, and allowing for differential associations by urbanicity. We found a positive association between the rate of child removals and the rate of residents who were cumulatively prescribed a high dose of opioids (>90 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day) during the quarter. A one standard deviation in this rate is associated with a roughly 9% increase in the overall removal rate. We further found that the association between removals and high MMEs is especially pronounced in rural areas and largely not existent in urban areas. Our results provide a more precise estimate of the relationship between the potential for opioid misuse and child welfare.
NP10 Obesity Risk, Parenting and Diet Quality Tools for Hispanic Families with Preschoolers: EFNEP, Head Start, Medical Clinic-Year 4

Objectives To validate two pediatric obesity risk assessment tools for low-income Spanish speaking parents and one diet quality tool; determine the feasibility of EFNEP embedded in a medical clinic; coordinate an AFRI obesity grant program journal supplement. Description The focus of year four (Y4) was to complete participant data collection and entry to validate assessment tools. Enrollment for the EFNEP intervention concluded with post surveys and in-person interviews administered after each of 21 intervention rounds. Evaluation Hispanic (> 99%) parents (n = 239) from WIC or Head Start completed the five data collection points and a blood sample (n = 169 children). Children were classified as being overweight (10%) or obese (16%). Children in the highest BMI percentile-for-age quartile have significantly higher lipid (229 ± 82), and metabolic (118 ± 33) indices, and larger waist circumference (58.8 ± 5.7) than children in the lowest BMI percentile-for-age quartile (188 ± 95, 95 ± 38, 49.9 ± 2.6, respectively). A sample of 60 families were videotaped at mealtime and all of the videotapes have been coded for parent behaviors and 20% for child behaviors. One-hundred and five parents attended at least one EFNEP session who were referred by their child's pediatrician. All parents engaged in setting nutrition and parenting goals and 71 parents were interviewed to assess the relevance of Motivational Modeling & feasibility of attending EFNEP intervention. In addition, cultural adaptation and design were completed for Mis Vegetales, a vegetable variety tool to measure diet quality. The HK website was also updated to include Spanish language versions of Healthy Kids (HK) and My Child at Meal Time and the newly validated HK 19-item tool http://healthykids.ucdavis.edu/ . Journal supplement planning began with communication to project directors and three journals were contacted for comparison bids. Conclusion and Implications Products and findings can support efforts to reduce childhood obesity risk in low-income Spanish-speaking families by providing valid tools to identifying risky nutrition and parenting behaviors and illustrating their utility in expanding EFNEP's reach to medical clinics.
Controller Area Network Intrusion Prevention System Leveraging Fault Recovery

The ever-increasing demand for safety, comfort, and automation in the automobile has increased their vulnerability to cybersecurity risk and attacks. Automobiles now embed several electronic devices to perform these functions, and the complexity in the design of these systems increases along with the functionalities they offer. These devices communicate through the vehicular network---such as controller area network (CAN) and local interconnect network---which are attractive targets for cyber attackers. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to detect and recover from message spoofing attacks aimed at distorting the operation of the CAN bus. Using the predictable run-time behavior of CAN message frames in our recovery process, we leverage the error handling capability (bus-off state) of the CAN bus in a reboot-based recovery process of the compromised network node. We implement this algorithm in tandem with a hardware CAN controller as a detector node, and we evaluate its effectiveness and performance in detecting and recovering a compromised node.
The UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 gene is a duplication polymorphism of the UGT2B15 gene: An analysis of haplotype structure and population distribution

4264 The human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 and UGT2B15 genes produce enzymes that are responsible for the normal catabolism of steroid hormones. The UGT2B17 gene shares over 95% sequence identity with the UGT2B15 gene and similar but increased substrate specificity due to a single amino acid difference. It is unclear whether UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 are distinct genes or are gene duplications. We previously determined that the UGT2B17 gene was missing in some individuals using gene specific PCR. Using four primer pairs, we determined that the lack of amplification spanned a region of 44 kb in the human genome using PCR and SSCP analysis. Segregation analysis of those markers and two novel SNPs in UGT2B15 within two CEPH families demonstrated that there were two alleles of UGT2B15 in some individuals and zero, one, or two copies of UGT2B17. Moreover, the analysis reveals that are at least three haplotypes for the UGT2B15 gene and that one haplotype has linkage to the UGT2B17 gene. These data demonstrate that UGT2B17 is a duplication polymorphism of the UGT2B15 gene. In addition, we determined the frequency at which the UGT2B17 gene is present within two ethnic groups by genotyping genomic DNA from 66 African Americans and 75 unrelated Caucasians. Chi-square analysis of the results showed that there was no difference in the gene frequency. The SNPs of the UGT2B15 gene appear to be bonafide polymorphisms in contrast to SNPs annotated in public databases and published reports that appear to be sequence differences between the duplicated genes. The UGT2B17 gene is a duplication polymorphism that probably represents an example of neo-functionalization. These results have further significance since the UGT2B17 gene has wider substrate specificity than UGT2B15, individuals lacking the UGT2B17 gene may have increased susceptibility to hormonally influenced cancers. The funding for this research is from the following sources: NCI/NIH (CA92075-02 UNC, CA992077-02 NCCU), NIGMS/NIH (S06-GM08049) and NSF (MCB-0133526 to FMDV).
Prediction of gait intention from pre-movement EEG signals: a feasibility study.

Prediction of Gait intention from pre-movement Electroencephalography (EEG) signals is a vital step in developing a real-time Brain-computer Interface (BCI) for a proper neuro-rehabilitation system. In that respect, this paper investigates the feasibility of a fully predictive methodology to detect the intention to start and stop a gait cycle by utilizing EEG signals obtained before the event occurrence. An eight-channel, custom-made, EEG system with electrodes placed around the sensorimotor cortex was used to acquire EEG data from six healthy subjects and two amputees. A discrete wavelet transform-based method was employed to capture event related information in alpha and beta bands in the time-frequency domain. The Hjorth parameters, namely activity, mobility, and complexity, were extracted as features while a two-sample unpaired Wilcoxon test was used to get rid of redundant features for better classification accuracy. The feature set thus obtained was then used to classify between ’walk vs. stop’ and ’rest vs. start’ classes using support vector machine (SVM) classifier with RBF kernel in a ten-fold cross-validation scheme. Using a fully predictive intention detection system, 76.41±4.47% accuracy, 72.85±7.48% sensitivity, and 79.93±5.50% specificity were achieved for ’rest vs. start’ classification. While for ’walk vs. stop’ classification, the obtained mean accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 74.12±4.12%, 70.24±6.45%, and 77.78±7.01% respectively. Overall average True Positive Rate achieved by this methodology was 72.06±8.27% with 1.45 False Positives/min. Extensive simulations and resulting classification results show that it is possible to achieve statistically similar intention detection accuracy using either only pre-movement EEG features or trans-movement EEG features. The classifier performance shows the potential of the proposed methodology to predict human movement intention exclusively from the pre-movement EEG signal to be applied in real-life prosthetic and neuro-rehabilitation systems.
The impact of the AirSeal® valve-less trocar system in robotic colorectal surgery: a single-surgeon retrospective review.

Traditional trocar systems suffer from several innate flaws due to their silicone seal design. The AirSeal® is a valve-less trocar system that overcomes these flaws by utilizing a system of laminar flow and CO2 recirculation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the AirSeal® versus a traditional trocar system in operative time, EBL and post-operative complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first analysis of this system in robotic colorectal surgery. A single surgeon’s database was reviewed and all LAR and right hemicolectomy robotic cases from 2014–2015 and 2017–2018 were included for analysis. Patient demographic information was evaluated and primary outcomes examined were operative time, EBL, post-operative complications and hospital LOS. Ninety four patients were identified in the LAR cohort and 56 patients were identified in the right hemicolectomy cohort. Mean operative time for LAR was 293 ± 91.6 min in 2014–2015 and 232 ± 74.6 min in 2017–2018 (p = 0.001); however, this significant difference was not seen between right hemicolectomies. Mean EBL for LAR was 209 ± 189 cc in 2014–2015 and 150 ± 173.9 cc in 2017–2018 (p = 0.05); again, this significant difference was not appreciated for right hemicolectomies. There was no statistically significant difference in rates of wound infections, pneumonia, post-operative pneumonia, DVT/PE, intra-abdominal/pelvic abscesses, or unplanned 30-day readmission rate between 2014–2015 and 2017–2018. Length of stay was reduced in both populations between 2014–2015 and 2017–2018; however, it neither reached statistical significance. In patients undergoing low anterior resections, the AirSeal® trocar system demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in mean operative time and EBL compared to the traditional trocar system. There was also a trend towards decreased length of stay and post-operative complications with AirSeal® use in low anterior resections and right hemicolectomies. In patients undergoing distal colorectal procedures, the AirSeal® trocar system should be considered.
Experimental analysis of dual coaxial turbines in skew

Abstract Ocean currents are a potentially reliable source of renewable energy, but the complications associated with deploying current energy conversion (CEC) devices in deep water make harvesting that energy a challenge. One promising approach is to use tethered axial-flow CECs composed of one or more pairs of coaxial counter-rotating turbines. However, a dual-rotor system moored in unsteady water by a flexible tether is likely to experience a condition, called skew, where the axis of rotation is not aligned with the direction of flow. A lab-scale turbine was constructed to investigate the effect of skew on fluid power conversion of a coaxial CEC. A semi-empirical model of the power conversion was developed for comparing the results to a recently published analytical model. It was found that the analytical model represents the data better than a simple ad hoc modification to previous models that is often used to estimate the power dynamics. Additionally, the results support the existence of a physical phenomenon – captured by the recent model but not represented in the ad hoc modification – in which the downstream rotor of a coaxial pair is partially within the wake and partially out of the wake of the upstream rotor.
Perinatal Substance Use Disorders: Intrauterine Exposure

Substance use disorders (SUDs) among childbearing-aged women are a significant public health problem. With advances in fields such as genetics, epigenetics, and neuroimaging as well as improved research methodologies, it is now established that prenatal exposure to psychoactive substances is a major preventable cause of disorders of fetal and infant/child growth and neurodevelopment. The effects of these neurodevelopmental alterations can appear at any time of the individual’s life and can affect a variety of domains including developmental, behavioral, cognitive, and adaptive functioning. Problems related to prenatal substance exposure can be transient and start during the neonatal period (i.e., neonatal abstinence syndrome) or can appear at any age and compromise specific areas of functioning for a lifetime (i.e., deficit in executive functioning). Moreover, maternal chronic substance use can compromise the maternal neural circuitries that subserve executive functioning and regulation of stress responses, impairing their ability to appropriately parent. Expression of the teratogenic effects of perinatal exposure to substances can be exacerbated by a toxic or unstable prenatal and/or postnatal environment and ameliorated by a nurturing and stable one. Health-care providers play a crucial role in the prevention, early detection, and intervention for perinatal SUD. This chapter will describe the effects of maternal SUD on the mother, child, and mother/child dyad functioning and provide recommendations for screening and interventions for families affected by perinatal SUD.
Sustained benefits of a preschool home visiting program: Child outcomes in fifth grade

This study evaluated the sustained effects of the Research-based Developmentally Informed Parent program (REDI-P) at fifth grade, six years after intervention. Participants were 200 prekindergarten children attending Head Start (55% White, 26% Black, 19% Latinx, 56% male, mean age of 4.45 years at study initiation) and their primary caregivers, who were randomly assigned to a control group or a 16-session home-visiting intervention that bridged the preschool and kindergarten years. In addition, the study explored moderation of sustained effects by parenting risks (e.g., less than high-school education, single-parent status, parental depression, and low parent-child warmth). Growth curves over the course of the elementary years examined outcomes in three domains: child academic performance, social-emotional adjustment, and parent-child functioning. At fifth grade, significant main effects for intervention were sustained in the domains of academic performance (e.g., reading skills, academic motivation, and learning engagement) and parent-child functioning (e.g., academic expectations and parenting stress). Significant moderation by parenting risk emerged on measures of social-emotional adjustment (e.g., social competence and student-teacher relationships); parenting risk also amplified effects on some measures of academic performance and parent-child functioning, with larger effects for children from families experiencing fewer risks. Implications are discussed for the design of preschool home visiting programs seeking to enhance the school success and social-emotional well-being of children living in poverty.
Partial transfer of bridging atom in halogen-bonded complexes

Abstract Ab initio calculations assess the displacement of the bridging atom within halogen-bonded complexes and comparison is made with proton transfers within H-bonds. Lewis acid units considered include C X, F X, N X, and O X bonds within the context of F3CX, FX, F2NX, FOX, and F2NOX where X = Cl, Br, and I, and H in the corresponding H-bonded complexes. NMe3 and NCl3. were both taken as bases due to their widely differing nucleophilicity. The degree of transfer is small even when a strong acid is combined with a strong base. This reluctance to transfer is due in part to the fact that such a transfer would lead to a high-energy ion pair. Cl shifts its position the most within most of these complexes, followed by Br and then I; the proton is more resistant to transfer.
Permittivity Extraction From Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Images of Multilayered Media

A method to extract the complex permittivity from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of multilayered structures is proposed. Specifically, a three-term one-port calibration method is implemented to compensate for issues such as wave attenuation, antenna pattern, and multiple reflection effect between the antenna and the material under test (MUT) at each measurement frequency within a wideband operating frequency range. These issues are usually not considered by the $\omega $ - $k$ SAR algorithm used here. The ability of SAR imaging to focus the beam at any location within the MUT, representing a plane-wave at that location, so that the calibrated SAR image can then be used in conjunction with a plane-wave reflection coefficient model for a multilayered structure to calculate the complex permittivity of a certain layer in the MUT through an inverse optimization procedure. Measurement results conducted on a number of multilayered dielectric sheets with finite thicknesses and different complex permittivities confirm the validity of the proposed method. The results also indicate that using a wide operating frequency range can help mitigate measurement variations, leading to more accurate results. Finally, the possible limitations of this method are also discussed, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the accuracy of this proposed method for materials with different loss factors. All these together indicate the potential of the proposed method to accurately extract the complex permittivity distribution of a multilayer structure for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) purposes.
Advice from Robots: Would You Choose a Robot that Looked More or Less Human?:

Humans are increasingly turning to non-human agents for advice. Therefore, it is important to investigate if human-likeness of a robot affects advice-seeking. In this experiment, participants chose...
Follow-up Studies of the Health Insurance Plan Study and the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Screening Trials in the USA

In a randomized trial conducted by the Health Insurance Plan of New York (HIP) from 1963 to 1970, about 31000 women aged 40–64 years on entry, were offered an initial screening and three additional mammography and physical examinations at annual intervals. A control population of about 31000 women was not offered screening. Five years following entry, a 50% reduction in breast cancer mortality was demonstrated among study group women age 50 and older at time of entry (Shapiro et al. 1988). The numerical gains from screening are still evident on 18 year follow-up. Because screening was not continued beyond the three annual follow-up exams, the percent difference in breast cancer deaths between study and control group women age 50 and older at entry diminishes to 23% on 18 year follow-up. This is due to the dampening effect, in both groups, of breast cancer deaths still accumulating from cancers diagnosed within 5 years of entry (Fig. 1).
Association of APOE polymorphisms with diabetes and cardiometabolic risk factors and the role of APOE genotypes in response to anti-diabetic therapy: results from the AIDHS/SDS on a South Asian population.

Abstract Background and Objectives Apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) gene polymorphisms have been examined extensively in multiple global populations particularly due to their crucial role in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease. However, the overall contribution of APOE polymorphisms in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in South Asians is still under-investigated. The objectives of this investigation were: 1) to evaluate the distribution of APOE polymorphisms in a large diabetic case–control sample from South Asia, 2) to examine the impact of APOE polymorphisms on quantitative risk factors of T2D and CAD, and 3) to explore the contribution of APOE genotypes in the response to anti-diabetic therapy. Subjects and Methods A total of 3564 individuals (1956 T2D cases and 1608 controls) used in this study were part of the Asian Indian Diabetic Heart Study/Sikh Diabetes Study (AIDHS/SDS). We assessed the association of APOE polymorphisms with T2D, CAD and cardiometabolic traits using logistic and linear regression analysis. Results and Conclusions No significant differences in the distribution of APOE genotypes were observed between T2D and CAD cases and controls. The APOE4 genotype carriers had moderately higher diastolic blood pressure (BP) (p=0.022), and lower HDL-cholesterol (p=0.026) compared to E4 non-carriers. Overall, the APOE genotype was not a significant predictor of cardiometabolic disease in this population. Further stratification of data from diabetic patients by APOE genotypes and anti-hyperglycemic agents revealed a significant (~23%) decrease in 2-hour glucose (p=0.004) and ~7% decrease in systolic BP (p APOE4 carriers compared to non-carriers on metformin and sulphonylurea (SU) combination therapy, and no such differences were seen in patients on other agents. Our preliminary findings point to the need for evaluating population-specific genetic variation and its interactions with therapeutic effects.
Fatal infection in a newborn infant due to herpes simplex virus: Report of a case diagnosed before death

Summary A 17-day-old infant died after a fulminating disease. Generalized herpes simplex infection was suspected and herpes simplex virus was isolated from throat swabs prior to death as well as from autopsy specimens of the heart, kidney, lung, adrenal gland, and liver.
The Theoretical Description of the Nutation of the Earth

This talk was intended, I think, to be an opportunity to recite the conventional wisdom of the class of geophysicists who are interested in investigating theoretically the Earth’s wobble and nutation. It has become clear since the Kiev meeting in 1977, however, that we have not yet agreed upon the contents of our conventional wisdom and it would be premature, and presumptupus, of me to pretend to recite it. What I can do is to tell you what I think the conventional wisdom ought to be. In doing so I shall give free rein to my prejudices and little consideration to opposing points of view (they must speak for themselves). Nothing in this talk is noticeably original; virtually all of it is extracted from the work of others or from the folklore of this topic.