cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucose Control and the Inflammatory Response

Though first introduced more than 130 years ago, the concept of stress diabetes or stress hyperglycemia has gained tremendous attention in recent years in view of the landmark article by van den Berghe and colleagues in 2001. As opposed to earlier work that suggested that hyperglycemia in the acute clinical setting may be beneficial, it now appears that lower glucose levels are associated with improved outcomes. The mechanisms behind the improved outcomes are numerous and seem to be tied to the inflammatory process. Both lower glucose values and insulin therapy seem to be anti-inflammatory, whereas hyperglycemia increases the proinflammatory process and negatively affects the innate immune system. Despite the numerous approaches to achieve normoglycemia described in the literature, only modest success has been achieved. Understanding the pathophysiology driving stress hyperglycemia--the stress response and modulation of the inflammatory process-seems to be the key to improving the care of the most critically ill and injured patients.
Interpreting natural language database updates

Although the problems of querying databases in natural language are well understood, the performance of database updates via natural language introduces additional difficulties. This thesis examines the problems encountered in interpreting natural language updates, and describes an implemented system that performs simple updates. The difficulties associated with natural language updates results from the fact that the user will naturally phrase requests with respect to his conception of the domain, which may be a considerable simplification of the actual underlying database structure. Updates that are meaningful and unambiguous from the user's standpoint may not translate into reasonable changes to the underlying database. The PIQUE system (Program for Interpretation of Queries and Updates in English) operates by maintaining a simple model of the user and interpreting update requests with respect to that model. For a given request, a limited set of "candidate updates"--alternative ways of fulfilling the request--are considered, and ranked according to a set of domain-independent heuristics that reflect general properties of "reasonable" updates. The leading candidate may be performed, or the highest ranking alternatives presented to the user for selection. The resultant action may also include a warning to the user about unanticipated side effects, or an explanation for the failure to fulfill a request. This thesis describes the PIQUE system in detail, presents examples of its operation, and discusses the effectiveness of the system with respect to coverage, accuracy, efficiency, and portability. The range of behaviors required for natural language update systems in general is discussed, and implications of updates on the design of data models are briefly considered.
Element Ratios and Aquatic Food Webs

Organic matter is the result of concentrating a few non-metals that are relatively rare in the earth’s crust. Most of these essential elements are in a rough proportionality within phylogenetic groupings. Life is thus working against a concentration gradient to extract or accumulate these elements, and this metabolic work is accomplished in interrelated and often subtle ways for many other elements. The physiological requirement to sustain these elemental ratios (commonly discussed in terms of the N∶P ratios, but also C∶N, C∶P, and Si∶N ratios) constrains organization at the cellular, organism, and community level. Humans, as geochemical engineers, significantly influence the spatial and temporal distribution of elements and, consequently, their ratios. Examples of these influences include the changing dissolved Si: nitrate and the dissolved nitrate: phosphate atomic ratios of water entering coastal waters in many areas of the world. Human society may find that some desirable or dependent ecosystem interactions are compromised, rather than enhanced, as we alter these elemental ratios. Human-modulated changes in nutrient ratios that cause an apparent increase in harmful algal blooms may compromise the diatom-zooplankton-fish food web. It will be useful to improve our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and for management purposes if the assiduous attention on one element (e.g., N or P) was expanded to include the realities of these mutual interdependencies.
Optical properties of microlenses fabricated using hydrophobic effects and polymer-jet-printing technology

High-precision microlenses with excellent optical characteristics is described. The lenses are formed precisely at desired locations on a wafer using a polymer-jet system in which hydrophobic effects define the lens diameter and surface tension creates a high-quality optical surface. This hybrid method enables researchers to define the locations and diameters of microlenses with /spl plusmn/1 /spl mu/m precision as well as to control the curvatures of the microlenses accurately.
Rural poverty and agricultural performance in India

Time-series evidence on rural poverty over the past two decades in India is examined. In general, the time series shows a pattern of fluctuation, with the incidence of poverty falling during periods of good agricultural performance and rising during periods of bad performance. The incidence of poverty in all of India is inversely related to agricultural performance measured in terms of agricultural NDP per rural person. This correlation between poverty and agricultural performance suggests that faster agricultural growth might have led to reduced poverty rates. The state level analysis demonstrates a similar significant inverse relationship in at least seven states, accounting for 75 percent of the rural poor. On the other hand, state level analysis also shows that there may be a process at work in the rural economies that tends to increase poverty over time. The existence of an underlying force within the rural economy is extremely important. The nature of these forces, their variation across states, and technique to mitigate their effects require further analysis. Statistical data are included. 20 references.
APPROXIMATE-a query processor that produces monotonically improving approximate answers

APPROXIMATE, a query processor that makes approximate answers available if part of the database is unavailable, or if there is not enough time to produce an exact answer, is described. The processor implements approximate query processing, and the accuracy of the approximate result produced improves monotonically with the amount of data retrieved to produce the result. The monotone query processing algorithm of APPROXIMATE works within a standard relational algebra framework. APPROXIMATE maintains semantic information for approximate query processing at an underlying level, and can be implemented on a relational database system with little change to the relational architecture. It is shown how APPROXIMATE is implemented to make effective use of the semantic support. The additional overhead required by APPROXIMATE is described. >
Capillary Driven Flows Along Differentially Wetted Interior Corners

Closed-form analytic solutions useful for the design of capillary flows in a variety of containers possessing interior corners were recently collected and reviewed. Low-g drop tower and aircraft experiments performed at NASA to date show excellent agreement between theory and experiment for perfectly wetting fluids. The analytical expressions are general in terms of contact angle, but do not account for variations in contact angle between the various surfaces within the system. Such conditions may be desirable for capillary containment or to compute the behavior of capillary corner flows in containers consisting of different materials with widely varying wetting characteristics. A simple coordinate rotation is employed to recast the governing system of equations for flows in containers with interior corners with differing contact angles on the faces of the corner. The result is that a large number of capillary driven corner flows may be predicted with only slightly modified geometric functions dependent on corner angle and the two (or more) contact angles of the system. A numerical solution is employed to verify the new problem formulation. The benchmarked computations support the use of the existing theoretical approach to geometries with variable wettability. Simple experiments to confirm the theoretical findings are recommended. Favorable agreement between such experiments and the present theory may argue well for the extension of the analytic results to predict fluid performance in future large length scale capillary fluid systems for spacecraft as well as for small scale capillary systems on Earth.
Multiscale modeling of respiration

A multiscale mathematical model was developed to distinguish responses of external and cellular respiration to exercise of moderate intensity. The simulation shows that the characteristic MRTs of external and cellular respiration are similar even when a transit delay exists between the tissue cells and the lungs. The results of our model show that the O2 transport processes from lungs to muscle are tightly coupled to provide sufficient O2 for working skeletal muscle during exercise in normal subjects. Under abnormal conditions, the effect of O2 transport limitation, occurring at a different scale of the body, on internal and external respiration can be examined. Such results can be used for comparative quantitative analysis of the regulation of respiration in subjects suffering from abnormal function associated with disease states (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and congenital heart disease).
Intentionally mobile pedagogy: the M-COPE framework for mobile learning in higher education

Increasingly, the education world finds itself working in an environment that is full of mobile devices and tools. Students are likely to own smartphones and tablets and instructors are faced with the challenge of integrating mobile devices into their course activities, whether as a full delivery medium, an enhancement or an optional tool. The M-COPE framework prompts instructors to consider five critical areas related to mobile learning: Mobile affordances, Conditions, Outcomes, Pedagogy and Ethics. This framework can be integrated with any instructional design process to help instructors engage in the informed design of mobile learning activities. This paper presents the framework and how it can be used with the ADDIE model of instructional design, and provides two case examples of how M-COPE influenced the success of two mobile learning activities.
Paul and Theodicy: Intertextual Thoughts on God's Justice and Faithfulness to Israel in Romans 9–11

This study of Romans 9–11 focuses on three prominent questions that Paul asks in relation to God's faithfulness to Israel: 1) Is God unjust in reference to his election?; 2) Why does God find fault, for who has resisted his will? and 3) Has God rejected his people? The article examines Paul's answers to these questions in light of an intertextual study related to the catchwords the apostle develops from the ancient Jewish sources that he echoes.
Asynchronous collaborative learning using project-based assignments

The value of collaboration as a tool to promote learning is becoming increasingly more evident. Students engaged in collaborative efforts are typically more actively engaged in the learning activity and retain the information longer. Collaborative activities also parallel the work environment and prepare the student for life after school. Promoting collaboration in a classroom setting is difficult and often resisted by both teachers and students. This difficulty is magnified for courses offered in an online learning environment. As a result, educators are faced with a dilemma: both students and academic institutions are flocking towards asynchronous learning networked courses, but there is no clear understanding of how to foster collaboration, one of the most promising pedagogical tools. Asynchronous online environments can provide meaningful collaborative assignments. This paper details a five-step systems approach for fostering project-based, collaborative learning in an asynchronous learning environment. The steps are illustrated with examples from a graduate-level course in multimedia systems in which asynchronous collaboration was a featured assignment.
In vitro culture of Arachis hypogaea peg tips.

Abstract Arachis hypogaea L. cv. NC 4 was used as a model plant system in an effort to develop an in vitro embryo rescue protocol which could have application to interspecific hybrid embryos, which often abort at very early growth stages. Embryo growth and development was studied in 1- to 4-day-old peg tips containing proembryos equivalent to a stage where many interspecific hybrid embryos abort. Three independent experiments were conducted to 1) determine the most favorable basal media, 2) evaluate the effects of auxins and cytokinins on growth, and 3) determine a favorable combination of auxins and cytokinins for in vitro peanut embryo growth. The results indicated that MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium with 3% sucrose was the most favorable basal medium among seven media and two sucrose concentrations analyzed. IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) at 1.5 mg L-1 in combination with a range of KN (kinetin) levels from 0.5 to 1.25 mg L-1 were the growth regulator combinations of choice. Proembryo growth reached the m...
High Maternal Intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids During Pregnancy in Mice Alters Offsprings' Aggressive Behavior, Immobility in the Swim Test, Locomotor Activity and Brain Protein Kinase C Activity

Populations in Western countries consume an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), even during pregnancy. Since (n-6) PUFA is critical for brain development, we studied whether a high maternal consumption of this fatty acid alters offsprings' affective-like behaviors and (n-6) PUFA-induced protein kinase C (PKC) activity in the brain. Three different strains of pregnant mice were fed isocaloric diets containing either 16% (control) or 43% (high) energy derived from fat high in (n-6) PUFA (corn oil: Balb/c and CD-1 mice, or soybean oil: C3H mice) throughout gestation. From birth onward dams and offspring were fed a nonpurified diet containing 12% energy from a variety of fats. Two- to 12-month-old female and male offspring of dams exposed to a high (n-6) PUFA diet during pregnancy were significantly more active in an open field, more aggressive in the resident-intruder test and spent less time immobile in the swim test than offspring of dams exposed to a control (n-6) PUFA diet. Significantly greater PKC activity in the hypothalamus and moderately less PKC activity in the whole brain (P = 0.10) were seen in the 2-month-old female and male high (n-6) PUFA offspring compared to controls. Our findings indicate that in utero exposure to a high (n-6) PUFA diet subsequently increases locomotor activity and aggression, and reduces immobility in the swim test. The mechanism mediating these effects may be linked to an increased PKC activity in the hypothalamus.
Focused Cardiovascular Care for Women: The Need and Role in Clinical Practice

Over the past decade, an emerging clinical research focus on cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) risk in women has highlighted sex-specific factors that are uniquely important in the prevention and early detection of coronary atherosclerosis in women. Concurrently, a 30% decrease in the number of female deaths from CVD has been observed. Despite this, CVD continues to be the leading cause of death in women, outnumbering deaths from all other causes combined. Clinical practice approaches that focus on the unique aspects of CV care for women are needed to provide necessary resources for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CVD in women. In addition to increasing opportunities for women to participate in CV research, Women's Heart Clinics offer unique settings in which to deliver comprehensive CV care and education, ensuring appropriate diagnostic testing, while monitoring effectiveness of treatment. This article reviews the emerging need and role of focused CV care to address sex-specific aspects of diagnosis and treatment of CVD in women.
Characterization of Ternary Protein Systems In Vivo with Tricolor Heterospecies Partition Analysis

Tools and assays that characterize protein-protein interactions are of fundamental importance to biology, because protein assemblies play a critical role in the control and regulation of nearly every cellular process. The availability of fluorescent proteins has facilitated the direct and real-time observation of protein-protein interactions inside living cells, but existing methods are mostly limited to binary interactions between two proteins. Because of the scarcity of techniques capable of identifying ternary interactions, we developed tricolor heterospecies partition analysis. The technique is based on brightness analysis of fluorescence fluctuations from three fluorescent proteins that serve as protein labels. We identified three fluorescent proteins suitable for tricolor brightness experiments. In addition, we developed the theory of identifying interactions in a ternary protein system using tricolor heterospecies partition analysis. The theory was verified by experiments on well-characterized protein systems. A graphical representation of the heterospecies partition data was introduced to visualize interactions in ternary protein systems. Lastly, we performed fluorescence fluctuation experiments on cells expressing a coactivator and two nuclear receptors and applied heterospecies partition analysis to explore the interactions of this ternary protein system.
Symptoms of Psychologic Distress Associated With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Comparison of Community and Medical Clinic Samples

Women with symptoms indicative of irritable bowel syndrome who had not consulted a physician were compared with female patients at a gastroenterology clinic to investigate whether self-selection for treatment accounts for psychologic abnormalities in clinic patients' with irritable bowel syndrome. Two sets of diagnostic criteria were compared: restrictive criteria based on the work of Manning and conventional criteria (abdominal pain plus altered bowel habits). Lactose malabsorbers were included as a control group because they have medically explained bowel symptoms similar to those that define irritable bowel syndrome. Thus they control for the causative effects of chronic bowel symptoms on psychologic distress. Women who met restrictive criteria for irritable bowel syndrome but had not consulted a physician had no more symptoms of psychologic distress on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist than asymptomatic controls. However, medical clinic patients with both irritable bowel syndrome and lactose malabsorption had significantly more psychologic symptoms than asymptomatic controls or nonconsulters with the same diagnoses. Individuals who met only the conventional criteria for irritable bowel syndrome reported more psychologic distress than controls, whether or not they consulted a physician. These results suggest that (a) symptoms of psychologic distress are unrelated to irritable bowel syndrome but influence which patients consult a doctor and (b) conventional diagnostic criteria identify more psychologically distressed individuals than do restrictive criteria.
Collaborative Water Supply Planning: A Shared Vision Approach for the Rappahannock Basin in Virginia

Water supply planning involves a complex mixture of technical analysis and value judgments. Technical analysis is needed to determine current an d future water availability, risks, and water use patterns. Value judgments are required to determine how water will be allocated and shared between localities, identify acceptable water shortage risks, and agree on acceptable water uses. Conflict in wat er supply planning arises when there are fun damental conflicts in the underlying values held by participants. These conflicts are often obscured and persist because participants argue as if technical analysis alone will resolve the problems. This paper w ill review recent efforts of the Rappahannock River Basin Commission’s alternative approach to water supply planning, called “Shared Vision Planning” (SVP). By design, SVP integrates technical analysis into a collaborative planning and negotiation process . At the center of the SVP process is a shared vision model (SVM) which relies on stakeholders representing a wide range of interests to help construct a computer simulation of the river basin system. The process of constructing a simulation model of the system collaboratively facilitates stakeholder cooperation and aids in identifying tradeoffs. Stakeholders are able to help construct the river basin system model because the model is produced using a user friendly, graphical interface software platform. Transparent, user-friendly models allow stakeholders to understand and develop trust in the model. As a result, the stakeholders trust the technical analysis provided by the model, and can focus discussions on addressing underlying value judgments.
Anatomical Indicators for Assessing the Age of Mosquitoes: The Teneral Adult (Diptera: Culicidae)

The anatomical changes that occur in adult mosquitoes shortly after emergence include loss of specific muscle tissue, egestion of meconium, and rotation of the male terminalia. The average times required for completion of these events are given for Aedes nigromaculis (Ludlow) and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say at 17°±1°, 22°±1°, and 28°±1° C. For most purposes, the presence of the muscle remnants in the adult is the most useful indicator of the teneral condition. This indicator appears to be of widespread occurrence in the Culicinae.
Interface orbital engineering of large-gap topological states: Decorating gold on a Si(111) surface

Intensive effort has recently been made in search of topological insulators (TIs) that have great potential in spintronics applications. In this paper, a novel concept of overlayer induced interfacial TI phase in conventional semiconductor surface is proposed. The first-principles calculations demonstrate that a $p$-band-element $X$ $(X=\text{In}$, Bi, and Pb) decorated $d$-band surface, such as Au/Si(111) surface $[X$/Au/Si(111)] of an existing experimental system, offers a promising prototype for TIs. Specifically, Bi/Au/Si(111) and Pb/Au/Si(111) are identified to be large-gap TIs. A $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ band inversion mechanism induced by growth of $X$ in the Au/Si(111) surface is revealed to function at different coverage of $X$ with different lattice symmetries, suggesting a general approach of interface orbital engineering of large-gap TIs via tuning the interfacial atomic orbital position of $X$ relative to Au.
Construction and Measures of New Rural Science and Technology Service Innovation System Mode in Fujian Province

The structural characteristics of rural science and technology service system were analyzed,and on this basis,the existing rural science and technology service modes in Fujian province and their shortages were summarized.Meanwhile,this article put forward the essential characteristics and construction principles of new rural science and technology service innovation system in Fujian province,creatively designed the general framework of this system,and finally brought forward the relevant countermeasures and suggestions on the effective construction of this new development mode.
Epidemic situation of notifiable infectious diseases in Foshan City from 2005-2011

[Objective]To grasp the epidemic status and characteristics of notifiable infectious diseases,as well as the morbidity and mortality trend in Foshan City,and provide a scientific basis for developing control planning of infectious diseases.[Methods] The descriptive epidemiology method was applied to analyze notifiable infectious diseases in Foshan City from 2005-2011.[Results] From 2005-2011,A total of 259 855 cases of 29 kinds of class A,B,C notifiable infectious diseases were reported in Foshan City,with annual incidence of 615.51 /100 000;164 cases of 11 kinds were died,with annual mortality rate of 0.39 /100 000 and fatality rate of 0.06%.The top 5 total incidence of notifiable infectious diseases was the hand-foot-mouth disease,tuberculosis,other infectious diarrhea,syphilis and hepatitis B in Foshan City from 2005-2011.The main disease type,according to the route of transmission,was blood and sexually transmitted infections with the average annual incidence rate of 192.67 /100 000,followed by 165.91 /100 000 of respiratory infectious diseases and 152.49 /100 000 of hand-foot-mouth disease.[Conclusion]The average annual incidence rate of notifiable infectious disease shows upward tendency in Foshan City.The prevention and control of the handfoot-mouth disease,tuberculosis,mumps,other infectious diarrhea and viral hepatitis should be implemented well,and the control and monitoring of measles can not be ignored.
PREDICTING HOSPITAL READMISSIONS USING THE LACE INDEX: RESULTS FROM THE MEDICAL EXPENDITURE PANEL SURVEY 2010-2012

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted by using the 2010-2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The LACE score was calculated for the general population and for patients who presented with medical conditions measured under Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Selected medical conditions included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), pneumonia, or acute myocardial infarction (AMI). According to the LACE index criteria, patients with scores of 10 or higher are at greater risk of 30-day hospital readmission. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of LACE index in predicting 30-day hospital readmission were calculated. A cutoff of 7 was use for sensitivity analysis.
The stem cell fitness landscape and pathways of molecular leukemogenesis

The relative risk of clonal evolution to either myelodysplasia (MDS) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is high in patients with chronic bone marrow failure. From 10 to 20% of acquired aplastic anemia survivors will develop clonal evolution within the decade following their diagnosis as will 40% of patients with some of the inherited bone marrow failure syndromes. Studies on bone marrow failure states have provided some perspective on molecular pathogenesis of marrow failure and have also provided insights on the adaptive nature of clonal evolution. We review the scientific evidence validating this model, emphasize the importance of the fitness landscape in the stem cell pool, outline the clinical and investigative implications of the model, suggest that the lack of fitness in the starting pool accounts for the phenomenon of oncogene addiction, promote the value of the model for the evaluation of prevention strategies, and argue that experiments focusing attention on the relative phenotypes of neoplastic stem cell clones and pools of unfit stem cells from which they evolved will provide a useful paradigm of carcinogenesis in general.
The Trial: A Research Reviews

In a democracy, law represents a people’s attempt to achieve justice by agreeing on a set of behavioral norms and rules. These, in turn, are based on “an underlying set of assumptions about how people act and how their actions can be controlled” (Special Commission on the Social Sciences of the National Science Board, 1969, p. 35). Since lawyers are not equipped to study those assumptions, psychologists and other behavioral scientists have a unique contribution to make in this area. Their research can help in the achievement of justice by exposing invalid assumptions and by documenting how court decisions and administrative procedures can conform to empirically derived knowledge about human behavior.
GR and ER Coactivation Alters the Expression of Differentiation Genes and Associates with Improved ER+ Breast Cancer Outcome

In estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer (BC), high tumor glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression has been associated with a relatively poor outcome. In contrast, using a meta-analysis of several genomic datasets, here we find that tumor GR mRNA expression is associated with improved ER+ relapse-free survival (RFS) (independently of progesterone receptor (PR) expression). To understand the mechanism by which GR expression is associated with a better ER+ BC outcome, the global effect of GR-mediated transcriptional activation in ER+ BC cells was studied. Analysis of GR chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) in ER+/GR+ MCF-7 cells revealed that upon co-activation of GR and ER, GR chromatin association became enriched at proximal promoter regions. Furthermore, following ER activation, increased GR chromatin association was observed at ER, FOXO, and AP1 response elements. In addition, ER associated with GR response elements, suggesting that ER and GR interact in a complex. Co-activation of GR and ER resulted in increased expression (relative to ER activation alone) of transcripts that encode proteins promoting cellular differentiation (e.g. KDM4B, VDR) and inhibiting the Wnt-signaling pathway (IGFBP4). Finally, expression of these individual pro-differentiation genes was associated with significantly improved RFS in ER+ BC patients. Together, these data suggest that the co-expression and subsequent activity of tumor cell GR and ER contribute to the less aggressive natural history of early-stage BC by coordinating the altered expression of genes favoring differentiation. Implications: The interaction between estrogen and glucocorticoid receptor activity highlights the importance of context-dependent nuclear receptor function in cancer.
Cytologic diagnosis of adenocarcinoma on bile duct brushings in the presence of stent associated changes: A retrospective analysis

Background Bile duct brushing (BDB) cytology, for the characterization of bile duct strictures, can be challenging to interpret when associated with a stent. Our study aims to identify the cytologic criteria for the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in BDBs in the presence of a stent. Methods A database search (January 2010-December 2015) identified three groups of BDBs-negative with stent, malignant with stent, malignant without stent. All malignant cases had histologic and/or cytologic evidence of malignancy within 1 month of the brushing sample. All reactive cases had ≥6 months of benign clinical follow-up. ThinPrep slides were reviewed by two cytopathologists and cytologic features were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Results The study cohort included 12 reactive cases with stent, 17 malignant cases with stent and 32 malignant cases without stent. Among the stented cases, the cytologic features that reached statistical significance were 3D architecture, anisonucleosis to the extent of ≥1:6, coarse chromatin distribution and the presence of single atypical cells in the malignant group in contrast to the benign group. Cases that were diagnosed malignant in the presence of a stent revealed a spectrum of cell populations more frequently as compared with the malignant cases without stent (76% vs 16%). Conclusion Our findings reveal that the cytologic features of malignancy in non-stented BDBs mostly hold true for stented specimens as well. Application of these criteria in the presence of a stent can improve diagnostic accuracy and thereby patient care.
Energy Transfer in Quantum Dot Solids

Understanding the energy flow in quantum dot solids represents an important step toward designing artificial systems with configurable optoelectronic properties. The growing complexity of nanoparticle assemblies and deposition techniques calls for advanced methods of characterization and control of the underlying exciton diffusion, which is pervasive in these materials. Along these lines, the Perspective will review recent strategies for measuring the energy transfer processes in assemblies of semiconductor nanocrystals with particular emphasis on emerging avant-garde characterization techniques. We will also shed light on novel experimental methods for controlling the energy diffusion in quantum dots solids, highlighting the role of assembly architecture in ensuing processes of exciton diffusion and dissociation. Novel energy transfer mechanisms recently observed in perovskite quantum dots and triplet-sensitizer nanocrystals will also be discussed.
Heat capacity and thermodynamic functions of γ-Al2O3

Abstract Alumina (Al2O3) can be synthesized with a variety of crystalline structures, each with unique physical properties. Although the corundum phase (α-Al2O3) has been well studied, the other phases of alumina have had limited attention over the years. One of the low-density phases of alumina, γ-Al2O3, is important in a variety of technical applications, largely because of its large surface area, pore volume, and high thermal stability when compared to mesoporous silicas. The mesoporous structure of γ-Al2O3 causes it to be hygroscopic, and samples that are calcined at different temperatures can have widely varying amounts of water adsorbed to their surfaces as well as subtle changes in structure. We have measured the constant pressure heat capacities of four γ-Al2O3 samples that were calcined at (300, 600, 900, and 1100) °C and have the chemical formulas Al2O3·1.540H2O, Al2O3·0.811H2O, Al2O3·0.537H2O, and Al2O3·0.204H2O, respectively. Molar heat capacities were measured from 1.8 to 300 K using a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS), and the data was fit to a sum of theoretical functions below 15 K, orthogonal polynomials from 10 K to 60 K, and a combination of Debye and Einstein functions above 50 K. These fits were then used to generate Cp,m°, Δ ° T S m ° , Δ ° T H m ° , and Φm° values at smoothed temperatures from 0 K to 300 K for all samples. The differences in the thermodynamic functions for the samples is attributed to the differing amounts of water adsorbed to the surfaces and the corresponding change in the strength of water interactions with the surface.
Imaging quantum materials.

Specialized imaging methods are now available to measure the quantum properties of materials with high sensitivity and resolution. These techniques are key to the design, synthesis and understanding of materials with exotic functionalities.
Approximation Bounds for Hierarchical Clustering: Average Linkage, Bisecting K-means, and Local Search

Hierarchical clustering is a data analysis method that has been used for decades. Despite its widespread use, the method has an underdeveloped analytical foundation. Having a well understood foundation would both support the currently used methods and help guide future improvements. The goal of this paper is to give an analytic framework to better understand observations seen in practice. This paper considers the dual of a problem framework for hierarchical clustering introduced by Dasgupta. The main result is that one of the most popular algorithms used in practice, average linkage agglomerative clustering, has a small constant approximation ratio for this objective. Furthermore, this paper establishes that using bisecting k-means divisive clustering has a very poor lower bound on its approximation ratio for the same objective. However, we show that there are divisive algorithms that perform well with respect to this objective by giving two constant approximation algorithms. This paper is some of the first work to establish guarantees on widely used hierarchical algorithms for a natural objective function. This objective and analysis give insight into what these popular algorithms are optimizing and when they will perform well.
Leucine kinetics from [2H3]- and [13C]leucine infused simultaneously by gut and vein.

In amino acid tracer kinetic studies of the fed state, ingested amino acid may be taken up during its initial transit through splanchnic tissues and thus not enter the plasma compartment where trac...
Hospital staff privileges for dermatologists.

Hospital privileges would be easier to obtain if our national organizations’ names reflected our surgical training. At the local level, each dermatologist should seek to become well integrated into the hospital staff and to document competency when courses are taken to learn new techniques. As more dermatologists are granted hospital privileges and become respected as valuable members of their medical community, all dermatologists will be dignified and legitimized on every level.
Establishing a methodology for development and dissemination of nursing evidence-based practice to promote quality care

Reducing nursing practice variance by standardization of practice guidelines based on supportive literature has demonstrated improvements in the quality of patient care and positive patient outcomes. The challenge is to link the bedside nurse providing nursing care to subject matter experts well-versed in the critical analysis of clinical practice recommendations. This article discusses the restructuring of nursing research departments within Army healthcare facilities to facilitate nursing practice based on supportive evidence and the development of a senior nursing leadership practice council to support dissemination of approved nursing practice guidelines across all Army inpatient medical facilities.
Failure of the Quasiparticle Picture of X-ray Absorption?

The Golden rule expression for x-ray absorption spectra (XAS) is typically calculated within a one-particle (quasiparticle) approximation and generally leads to good agreement between theory and experiment. The fact that a quasiparticle approximation works fairly well is surprising, since it neglects satellite excitations and intrinsic losses due to a suddenly created core-hole. The resolution of this paradox requires physics beyond the independent particle approximation. This is discussed here using an effective Green's function formulation based on a quasi-boson model that takes interference between inelastic losses into account. This approach shows that inelastic excitations such as multi-electron excitations tend to be suppressed, and that the XAS is given by a broadened quasiparticle particle approximation, together with weak satellite structure and edge singularity effects.
Reversing The Rise In Maternal Mortality.

A mother’s death in the 1950s tears a family apart; sixty years later, maternal mortality is on the rise again.
Synthesis of Deoxyadenosine 3‘-Phosphates Bearing Cis and Trans Adducts of 7β,8α-Dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene: Standards for 32P-Postlabeling Assays

Deoxyadenosine 3‘-phosphates bearing cis and trans N6 adducts of (7R) and (7S)-anti 7β,8α-dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrenes have been prepared in good yield by reaction of 6-fluoropurinyl 2‘-deoxyriboside 3‘-(bis(2-[4-nitrophenyl]ethyl )phosphate with the (±)-(7β,8α,9α,10β)- and (±)-(7β,8α,9α,10α)-10-amino-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-7,8,9-triols. The protected phosphates are easily prepared as diasteromeric mixtures, readily resolved by reversed phase HPLC, and efficiently deprotected with DBU to give the adducted 3‘-phosphates. These nucleotides are of value as standards for the 32P-postlabeling procedure of Randerath for determination of benzo[a]pyrene adducts in DNA (Reddy et al. Carcinogenesis 1984, 5, 231).
Sweating Out Stress: Comparing Medical Student Burnout in Group vs. Individual Exercise

Purpose: The topic of burnout is growing in popularity within medical education. Since it has been widely accepted that exercise can improve mental health, this study aimed to identify the types of exercise that best improve stress, burnout, well-being, and academic performance in medical students. Methods: This prospective mixed methods study compared medical students’ exercise habits to indicators of their well-being, burnout, stress, and academic performance. The expanded Physician Well Being Index was used to measure quality of life, burnout, fatigue, meaning of work, and satisfaction of work/life balance. An original survey instrument was used to collect baseline data on participants’ approach to physical health and the role it plays in well-being. Results: Results from students who completed the ePWBI at the three offered time points (n=43) were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance techniques. We found significant linear trends at all three time points showing lower ePWBI scores (range -2 to 9) in the following pattern: group exercise < individual exercise < group and individual exercise < neither group nor individual exercise. At the beginning of the study, the trend for the ePWBI showed group exercise superior to all others (group, mean =-0.57; individual, mean = 0.78; group and individual, mean = 1.13; neither group nor individual exercise, mean = 1.80, p=0.037). A similar trend was found for the halfway point (group, mean =-0.14; individual, mean = 0.83; group and individual, mean = 1.50; neither group nor individual exercise, mean = 1.80, p=0.022), and the conclusion (group, mean =-0.29; individual, mean = 0.43; group and individual, mean = 1.00; neither group nor individual exercise, mean = 2.00, p=0.050). When looking at matched survey responses across the three time points, 20 out of 43 students quoted time as their greatest barrier to more routine exercise. When surveyed about overcoming this barrier, 19 students stated that improved motivation and prioritization would enable them to exercise more regularly. Thirteen students noted that lack of control over their medical school schedule keeps them from achieving exercise goals. Conclusion: This prospective study identified the trend that medical students who participate in group exercise have improved well-being when compared to students who do not participate in group exercise.
Forecasting Post-Crisis Virginia Tax Revenue

This chapter addresses the question of whether states can improve the accuracy of revenue forecasts by using more advanced time series and Bayesian vector autoregression (BVAR) forecasting methods. Using state revenue data from Virginia, we first estimate baseline forecasts using autoregression (AR) and vector autoregression (VAR). We present the theoretical case for estimating a BVAR model, and then we present and compare forecasts based on the AR, VAR, and BVAR. Although there are gains in forecast accuracy in using the BVAR, the BVAR is not a panacea for forecasting the extremely volatile corporate income tax revenue series.
Microscopic description of thermodynamic volume in extended black hole thermodynamics

Using the fact that theories of gravity with asymptotically three-dimensional anti–de Sitter geometries have dual descriptions as two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs), we present the first study in field theory of the thermodynamic volume of various black hole solutions. We explain in general two-dimensional CFT terms why the presence of a thermodynamic volume can render certain black hole solutions “superentropic.” Superentropicity simply results from the fact that the Cardy formula, which gives the gravitational Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, can overcount the CFT entropy. The examples of charged Banados, Teitelbiom, and Zanelli (BTZ) black holes and generalized exotic BTZ black holes are described. These observations help explain why the specific heat at constant volume can signal the instability of such solutions, as recently conjectured.
The intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to proteostasis decline and pathological protein misfolding.

Abstract Proteostasis refers to the ability of cells to maintain the health of the proteome. Highly conserved quality control mechanisms exist to maintain proteostasis. These include the heat shock response, the unfolded protein response, and protein clearance/degradation pathways. Together, these mechanisms and others comprise the proteostasis network. This network is under constant assault and is strikingly sensitive to changes in the protein folding environment, resulting in proteostasis collapse under certain conditions. Here, the intrinsic and extrinsic stresses experienced by the proteostasis network are explored. The intrinsic stresses include genetic background as well as transcriptional and translational fidelity. These cause changes in the abundance or amino acid sequence of cellular proteins. Extrinsic stresses refer to environmental perturbation of the proteome, such as those caused by temperature stress, oxidative stress, air pollution and cigarette smoke. As the stress to the proteome exceeds the capacity of the proteostasis network, progressive neurodegenerative diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease are more likely to ensue.
Toward Development of the Male Pill: A Decade of Potential Non-hormonal Contraceptive Targets

With the continued steep rise of the global human population, and the paucity of safe and practical contraceptive options available to men, the need for development of effective and reversible non-hormonal methods of male fertility control is widely recognized. Currently there are several contraceptive options available to men, however, none of the non-hormonal alternatives have been clinically approved. To advance progress in the development of a safe and reversible contraceptive for men, further identification of novel reproductive tract-specific druggable protein targets is required. Here we provide an overview of genes/proteins identified in the last decade as specific or highly expressed in the male reproductive tract, with deletion phenotypes leading to complete male infertility in mice. These phenotypes include arrest of spermatogenesis and/or spermiogenesis, abnormal spermiation, abnormal spermatid morphology, abnormal sperm motility, azoospermia, globozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and/or teratozoospermia, which are all desirable outcomes for a novel male contraceptive. We also consider other associated deletion phenotypes that could impact the desirability of a potential contraceptive. We further discuss novel contraceptive targets underscoring promising leads with the objective of presenting data for potential druggability and whether collateral effects may exist from paralogs with close sequence similarity.
Appendiceal Interposition for Ureteral Stricture Disease: Technique and Surgical Outcomes.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To report our initial experience with ureteral appendiceal interposition (UAI) in a series of adult patients undergoing ureteral reconstruction for ureteral stricture. METHODS We retrospectively collected data of patients who underwent UAI for ureteral stricture disease from December 2015 to March of 2020. Success of surgery was defined as one that required no subsequent procedural intervention for recurrent ureteral stricture disease, or loss of kidney function. RESULTS Eleven patients underwent UAI for ureteral stricture. Etiologies for stricture disease included radiation exposure, nephrolithiasis, and iatrogenic injury. Median follow-up was 363 days. Three patients had Clavien-Dindo class III complications during their hospitalization. No patient required repeat intervention due to recurrent ureteral stricture disease. On imaging, 9 patients had no obstruction on Lasix renal scan postoperatively, or improvement in hydronephrosis on CT scan. Two patients with poor renal function preop continued to show poor function after surgery. CONCLUSION The use of the appendix is a safe and feasible option for ureteral reconstruction in appropriately selected adult patients when primary ureteral repair is not possible.
Virulent Zones: Animal Disease and Global Health at China’s Pandemic Epicenter

Lyle Fearnley’s Virulent Zones: Animal Disease and Global Health at China’s Pandemic Epicenter offers a gripping anthropological account of the search for the origins of influenza pandemics in Chin...