cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conservation genetics of the yellow-blotched sawback Graptemys flavimaculata (Testudines: Emydidae)

Turtles within the genus Graptemys are increasingly becoming a group of conservation priority due to (1) the number of species endemic to single Gulf of Mexico rivers and (2) human alterations of riverine habitat. The yellow-blotched sawback (Graptemys flavimaculata) is a federally threatened species that is endemic to the Pascagoula River system of southeastern Mississippi, USA. Currently, there is nothing known about genetic variation and population structure in G. flavimaculata. We used microsatellite data to analyze population genetic structure, assess historical demography, and determine effective population size at six sites throughout the Pascagoula River system. Considerable genetic diversity was found within each site (mean allelic richness: 6.65–8.08) and two analyses found no evidence of genetic bottlenecks. All of the pairwise F ST values, while low (average = 0.026), were significant, with most sites possessing one or more private alleles. Pairwise F ST values with the Escatawpa River site were larger (0.030–0.047), which likely reflect its historical isolation. Genetic distance was correlated to geographic distance between sites, with the exception of the Escatawpa River site; a similar pattern was also found with estimates of recent rates of migration among sites. While an analysis of molecular variance indicated that most variation was partitioned within rather than among sites, STRUCTURE analysis strongly supported the recognition of two distinct groups (mainstem Pascagoula vs. Escatawpa), with the possibility of additional substructure within the mainstem Pascagoula.
Evaluation of Accessory Lacrimal Gland in Muller’s Muscle Conjunctival Resection Specimens for Precursor Cell Markers and Biological Markers of Dry Eye Disease

ABSTRACTPurpose: The accessory lacrimal glands (ALGs) are an understudied component of the tear functional unit, even though they are important in the development of dry eye syndrome (DES). To advance our understanding of aging changes, regenerative potential, and histologic correlates to human characteristics, we investigated human ALG tissue from surgical samples to determine the presence or absence of progenitor cell markers and lacrimal epithelial markers and to correlate marker expression to relevant patient characteristics.Materials and Methods: ALG tissues obtained from Muller’s muscle conjunctival resection (MMCR) specimens were created using tissue microarrays (TMAs). Immunofluorescence staining of MMCR sections was performed using primary antibodies specific to cell protein markers. Cell marker localization in TMAs was then assessed by two blinded observers using a standardized scoring system. Patient characteristics including age, race, and status of ocular surface health were then compared aga...
HIGH-Z DOPING OF GLASS SHELLS

Recent advances in glass shell production from the pyrolysis of silicon-doped glow discharge polymers have led to the new ability to manufacture glass shells with germanium dopant in the wall. Comparison of the strength and helium permeability properties of these glass shells relative to their pure silicon dioxide counterparts is presented.
International Model Building and Coordination of Economic Policies

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the international model building and coordination of economic policies. The principal feature of economic policies within the United States in 1981 and 1982 is that they are uncoordinated. Fiscal policy was highly simulative, what with tax cuts and military spending lending to large budget deficits, while monetary policy was highly restrictive, leading to high interest rates. It is evident that when a country's performance is changed, its imports change, and this induces a change in its partner's exports that, in turn, induce an effect in the partner's level of activity. This feeds back on demand from the first country and sets a new chain of effects in motion. It is this interaction between countries that introduces added effects and puts more policy instruments for mutual coordination into the range of choice. The considerations generalize too many countries, simultaneously, in trading relationships. The sensitivity results are well known but they have not been systematically exploited for the purpose of international policy coordination, at least in quantitative form.
Thermal Injury to Reconstructed Breasts from Commonly Used Warming Devices: A Risk for Reconstructive Failure.

Background Sensation is decreased or absent after breast reconstruction. This leaves reconstructed breasts vulnerable to injury from common household thermal sources such as heating pads and hot water bottles. We sought to categorize these injuries, provide a treatment plan, and prevent these injuries in the future. Methods A retrospective review of patients who had sustained burns to reconstructed breasts with household devices was performed at a single institution. A PubMed search was performed to identify and summarize articles cataloguing patients who had suffered burns to breast reconstructions. Results Five patients in our practice were affected. Fifteen articles were identified in the literature search. A total of 40 patients had sustained thermal injury to reconstructed breasts, with the majority being full thickness burns (67.5%). Patients who sustained full thickness burns to reconstructed breasts were more likely to require an operative procedure compared with patients who sustained partial thickness burns (P = 0.0076). Conclusions Reconstructed breasts are at risk for injury from commonly used household warming devices and ambient heat from the sun. As a result, patients should be counseled about these risks accordingly, to avoid injury or loss of reconstruction. These injuries require immediate vigilant treatment.
Psychosocial impact of HIV-related caregiving on health providers: a review and recommendations for the role of psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE The author considers current knowledge about the stresses of HIV-related care and assesses available evidence for the presence of major occupational, physical, and psychiatric morbidity in health care providers involved in intensive HIV-related caregiving. METHOD The review is based on anecdotal reports of AIDS-care-related psychosocial distress and the literature concerning caregivers' attitudes toward people with HIV illness and HIV-related caregiving, the psychosocial impact of HIV work, and stress related to the ethical and philosophical challenges facing HIV caregivers. RESULTS Few of the current publications concerning HIV caregiver stress come from the psychiatric literature. Psychiatry appears to lack a strong clinical, educational, research, or policy presence regarding psychosocial stress in HIV care providers. The numerous studies in the nursing, medical, public health, and health education literature do not include any controlled investigations documenting the incidence and prevalence of physical, psychological, occupational, or interpersonal symptoms or disorders in health care professionals who devote a substantial amount of their clinical activities to patients with HIV illness. CONCLUSIONS Major HIV-related stress in conjunction with other psychiatric morbidity, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and relationship and occupational problems, seems likely in susceptible caregivers. Decisions about the structure and form of delivery of HIV-related care and programs for caregivers must be based on more carefully controlled psychiatric observations of occupational, physical, psychological, and social adaptation to HIV-related work. The author suggests several areas in which psychiatric clinicians, educators, researchers, and policy experts can make major contributions.
Replication Study: Discovery and preclinical validation of drug indications using compendia of public gene expression data

In 2015, as part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, we published a Registered Report (Kandela et al., 2015) that described how we intended to replicate selected experiments from the paper "Discovery and Preclinical Validation of Drug Indications Using Compendia of Public Gene Expression Data" (Sirota et al., 2011). Here we report the results of those experiments. We found that cimetidine treatment in a xenograft model using A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells resulted in decreased tumor volume compared to vehicle control; however, while the effect was in the same direction as the original study (Figure 4C; Sirota et al., 2011), it was not statistically significant. Cimetidine treatment in a xenograft model using ACHN renal cell carcinoma cells did not differ from vehicle control treatment, similar to the original study (Supplemental Figure 1; Sirota et al., 2011). Doxorubicin treatment in a xenograft model using A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells did not result in a statistically significant difference compared to vehicle control despite tumor volume being reduced to levels similar to those reported in the original study (Figure 4C; Sirota et al., 2011). Finally, we report a random effects meta-analysis for each result. These meta-analyses show that the inhibition of A549 derived tumors by cimetidine resulted in a statistically significant effect, as did the inhibition of A549 derived tumors by doxorubicin. The effect of cimetidine on ACHN derived tumors was not statistically significant, as predicted.
The Insula: An Underestimated Brain Area in Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Neurology

Supported by recent human neuroimaging studies, the insula is re-emerging as an important brain area not only in the physiological understanding of the brain, but also in pathological contexts in clinical research. In this opinion article, we briefly introduce the anatomical and histological features of the human insula. We then summarize the physiological functions of the insula and underscore its pathological roles in psychiatric and neurological disorders that have long been underestimated. We finally propose possible strategies through which the role of the insula may be further understood for both basic and clinical neuroscience.
Determination of Manganese in Whole Blood by Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry with Indium Tin Oxide

Manganese (Mn) is a required trace metal in the body. In recent years however, it has garnered significant attention as a developmental neurotoxin in children with chronic exposure. It has been linked to complications such as memory loss with negatively associated IQ scores, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and in extreme cases, the development of a Parkinson's disease analogue-manganism. Cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) has proven to be a suitable method for electroanalytical determination of Mn. We have established Mn CSV using indium tin oxide (ITO) as the working electrode for the determination of Mn in bovine whole blood after an acid digestion. Reliable, accurate, and precise results were obtained, as only 9 % variation in the digested blood was observed. The CSV results were compared with graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS) and inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and favorable agreement across the methods was observed. Due to ITO's excellent positive potential window and stability under harsh environments, this method could be applied to other oxide-forming transition metals detectable by CSV.
Thermal and mechanical properties of electrically insulating thermal interface materials

In many electronic packaging applications, electrical insulation is required that can also provide high thermal conduction to appropriately couple a heat source to a heat sink. In these applications, it is the total thermal conductance, not the thermal conductivity, that must be maximized. This property is a result of both the bulk thermal conduction of the material as well as the nature of the interfaces between the electrical insulator, the electronic component, and the packaging. Here, an electrical insulator consisting of a filled polyimide is coated with a thin interfacial adhesive layer and the effect of this materials on the total thermal conductance is examined. This fundamental understanding of thermal conduction is developed by examining the influence of the bulk material properties and the coating layer thermal conduction between a heat source and a heat sink. The composite itself is then examined as a function of the conditions used to assemble the device in a standard thermal conductivity measurement system as well as real electronic device packaging.
Gene Graphics: a genomic neighborhood data visualization web application

Summary The examination of gene neighborhood is an integral part of comparative genomics but no tools to produce publication quality graphics of gene clusters are available. Gene Graphics is a straightforward web application for creating such visuals. Supported inputs include National Center for Biotechnology Information gene and protein identifiers with automatic fetching of neighboring information, GenBank files and data extracted from the SEED database. Gene representations can be customized for many parameters including gene and genome names, colors and sizes. Gene attributes can be copied and pasted for rapid and user-friendly customization of homologous genes between species. In addition to Portable Network Graphics and Scalable Vector Graphics, produced representations can be exported as Tagged Image File Format or Encapsulated PostScript, formats that are standard for publication. Hands-on tutorials with real life examples inspired from publications are available for training. Availability and implementation Gene Graphics is freely available at https://katlabs.cc/genegraphics/ and source code is hosted at https://github.com/katlabs/genegraphics. Contact katherinejh@ufl.edu or remizallot@ufl.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Modeling pathogenesis and treatment response in childhood absence epilepsy.

Objective Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is a genetic generalized epilepsy syndrome with polygenic inheritance, with genes for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors and T-type calcium channels implicated in the disorder. Previous studies of T-type calcium channel electrophysiology have shown genetic changes and medications have multiple effects. The aim of this study was to use an established thalamocortical computer model to determine how T-type calcium channels work in concert with cortical excitability to contribute to pathogenesis and treatment response in CAE. Methods The model is comprised of cortical pyramidal, cortical inhibitory, thalamocortical relay, and thalamic reticular single-compartment neurons, implemented with Hodgkin-Huxley model ion channels and connected by AMPA, GABAA , and GABAB synapses. Network behavior was simulated for different combinations of T-type calcium channel conductance, inactivation time, steady state activation/inactivation shift, and cortical GABAA conductance. Results Decreasing cortical GABAA conductance and increasing T-type calcium channel conductance converted spindle to spike and wave oscillations; smaller changes were required if both were changed in concert. In contrast, left shift of steady state voltage activation/inactivation did not lead to spike and wave oscillations, whereas right shift reduced network propensity for oscillations of any type. Significance These results provide a window into mechanisms underlying polygenic inheritance in CAE, as well as a mechanism for treatment effects and failures mediated by these channels. Although the model is a simplification of the human thalamocortical network, it serves as a useful starting point for predicting the implications of ion channel electrophysiology in polygenic epilepsy such as CAE.
Abstract P084: Cardiovascular Disease Burden in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Background: African Americans (AA) bear an excess burden of CVD compared to Whites. This burden persists when socioeconomic status (SES) and other known CVD risk factors are considered. One limitat...
Human-altered and human-transported (HAHT) soils in the U.S. soil classification system

ABSTRACTHuman-altered and human-transported (HAHT) soils are widespread across the globe and are concentrated near where people live and work. Although some of the HAHT soils are significant because they can be hazardous to human, animal, and plant health, most are not mapped or classified to the same extent as agricultural soils. The purpose of this article is to discuss the occurrence, types, and importance of HAHT soils and to document the historical and proposed classification of HAHT soils in Soil Taxonomy. There are two main forms of materials that define HAHT soils: human-altered soils formed in human-altered materials (HAM) from the soil surface to 50 cm (or to bedrock if shallower) or more and human-transported soils formed in human-transported materials (HTM) from the soil surface to 50 cm (or to bedrock if shallower) or more. The HAHT soils mainly occur in urban areas, transportation corridors, mined lands, landfills, filled shallow water, and agricultural areas on anthropogenic landforms. Haza...
Egyptian Historical Research and Writing on Egypt in the 20th Century

A few years ago the Egyptian government appointed a committee of historians with a mandate to re-write the history of Egypt, making it commensurate with current needs. Those who opposed the plan raised indignant cries of ‘revisionism’ on the one hand, to be countered by equally heated accusations on the part of those who were in favour of the undertaking that much of the works of the past had been mostly white-wash attempts, or panegyrics addressed to the royal family and the old regime, and that the history of Egypt needed to be properly written. The reactions that the project aroused made it demonstrably clear that Egyptians had become keenly interested in their own history, in the manner in which it was written and in the people who were writing it. It should therefore come as no surprise to note that the number of Egyptians writing on the history of Egypt has multiplied rapidly within the last two decades.
Perceptions of Men Who Have Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence on Creating a Transition to Fatherhood Program

The transition to fatherhood can be a time of stress and excitement for expectant and new fathers. At the same time, the impact of men’s use of intimate partner violence (IPV) during and following pregnancy on women is well documented. Currently, a lack of programmatic efforts to engage men during the transition to fatherhood to interrupt IPV exists. This study sought to illuminate the perceptions of men, who had recently become fathers and had perpetrated IPV, about the idea of a transition to fatherhood program, for men like themselves. The thirteen study participants universally favored the idea of and need for such a program. Findings also described participants’ identified timing, format, and topics, which could inform future development of transition to fatherhood program for men who have perpetrated IPV. Policy and practice implications for social service and health care providers include implementing pre- and post-natal screening of men.
COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS PREDICTING PUBLIC INTEREST IN HOUSEHOLD SOLAR

ABSTRACT Public interest in solar is indexed by several thousand inquiries about the HUD Solar Domestic Hot Water Grant Program. Social, economic and demographic characteristics of the State of Connecticut's 169 towns that predict rates of household interest in the program are examined. Employing factor analytic and regression techniques, two factors labelled Socioeconomic Status and Population Size/Density account for one third of the variance in town rates of interest in household solar. The findings are interpreted in terms of eligibility criteria employed by the diffusion agency as well as town and household composition. Policy implications, including the issue of social equity, are considered.
Forces and Torques Exerted by the Magnetic Induction Field on Magnetized Matter Carrying Current

It is quite clear from the material in Chapter 6 that by definition the force exerted by the magnetic induction field B on a differential element of stationary volume containing a current density J is given by $$dF = J \times BdV.$$ (8.1.1) If no magnetization is present at the point in question this body force represents the total magnetic force exerted on J dV. However, if magnetization is present, as we already know, a portion of the magnetic force on J at Q is due to a local surface effect, which depends on the shape of the volume element, and in a continuum theory can readily be included as a portion of the mechanical traction vector. Nevertheless, J × B dV is still the body force exerted by the magnetic induction vector B on JdV, since the local magnetic force, which depends on the shape of the surface surrounding the volume element, will be included with the mechanical traction.
Average Irradiation Temperature for the Analysis of In-Pile Integral Measurements

Integral parameters of reactor fuel pins are usually measured after long periods of irradiation, where each period can extend over a number of irradiation cycles. Examples of these parameters inclu...
Central Respiratory-Baroreceptor Reflex Interaction in Man

Rhythmic fluctuations of heart rate during spontaneous breathing in man have been ascribed to variations of efferent vagal activity provoked by respiration (1). One study (2) suggested that inspiration is associated with reduced arterial baroreflex responsiveness: barore-flex sensitivity, as defined by pulse interval responses to a bolus injection of a pressor drug, was slightly greater when pulse intervals occurring during inspiration were excluded. Earlier studies conducted in experimental animals (3–5) have supported the view that inhibition of the sinus node is less when baroreflex stimulation occurs during inspiration than during expiration.
Analytical model for depth profiling using sonic IR NDE

Abstract Sonic IR NDE is a relatively new hybrid NDE technology which has been proven to be reliable and sensitive to detect flaws of different types in a variety of materials and structures. Despite the success this technology has achieved in detecting defects, little work has been devoted to characterizing defects quantitatively. In this study, we present a model that describes heat diffusion from subsurface defects in a composite material using Green's function procedure. The model is used to map some aspects of the temperature-time curve with a defect's depth, namely, half maximum power temperature point, the peak slope point, and the second derivative peak point. The model suggests that a relationship can be established to map a defect's depth to these features. The diversity of features allows the user to choose the feature that fits best the application of interest.
The impact of type and timing of radiation therapy (RT) relative to ipilimumab on survival in metastatic melanoma patients.

e21013Background: Stage IV melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab (Ipi) have a median survival of 40 to 44 weeks (wks). Recent studies have demonstrated the combination of RT and Ipi can improve...
Virtual heart guides cardiac ablation.

A computational model of the heart that finds the optimal ablation sites to treat infarct-related ventricular tachycardia eliminates the need for invasive electrical mapping.
Mode Selection Scheme for D2D Enabled LTE-Advanced Systems

In this paper, we propose a new mode selection scheme for D2D enabled long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) systems. The proposed scheme is based on a predefined threshold parameter related to the LTE sidelink (SL) received signal strength (RSS), where above this threshold, the D2D mode outperforms the cellular communication mode. Using the stochastic geometry, the system model is described and the expression of the proposed threshold parameter is derived. To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, the expressions of the probability of using D2D mode and the average ergodic capacity are detailed and derived. Based on that, Monte Carlo simulations are used to confirm the derived expressions and the advantages of the proposed scheme over related work in the literature.
The Political Economy of Inequality and Redistribution

The literature on the politics of inequality and redistribution in advanced democracies has become very large in recent years. This article focuses on several areas where important new arguments are being put forward. It reviews recent work on the interaction of unions and employers, the role of political parties and electoral institutions, and the effects of racial and religious diversity. It also discusses the implications of recent work in behavioural economics and political science that helps us to understand cross-national variation in political responses to inequality. It highlights the distinctive contributions of several ‘schools' of research, and identifies linkages across different analytical approaches.
Perceived Roles of Independent Community Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians in Patient Referrals to Community Resources: A Study from the Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana (Rx-SafeNet).

Introduction Referrals to community resources represent one element of the Chronic Care Model, however, little is known about the perceived role of community pharmacy staff in referring patients to community resources. Objectives The objective of this study was to describe community pharmacists', community pharmacy technicians', and patients' perceptions of pharmacist referrals to community resources. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patients from community pharmacies that are members of the Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana (Rx-SafeNet). Qualitative analysis was conducted to identify emergent themes. Results A total of 37 participants, including six community pharmacists, one pharmacy student completing an advanced pharmacy practice experience, 15 community pharmacy technicians, and 15 patients across four independently-owned community pharmacies were interviewed. Themes included: 1) Need to build on a foundation of strong patient-community pharmacist relationships to clearly define the pharmacist's role in referrals, 2) Need to improve familiarity with community resources, 3) Need to clearly delineate and support the role for pharmacy technicians in making referrals, and 4) Need to follow-up on referrals. Conclusion To enhance community pharmacy staff provision of referrals to community resources, interventions are needed to improve patient and pharmacist familiarity with available resources, patients' perception of the pharmacist's role outside of prescription fulfillment, and follow-up on referrals. Moreover, pharmacy technician education and training could be expanded to optimize their role in supporting community pharmacists in making referrals.
Improving Our Understanding of the Death/Life Implicit Association Test

The "Death/Life" Implicit Association Test (d-IAT) is a reaction-time task which has been associated with past and future suicidal behavior; in some work, the association has been incremental to explicit self-report of suicide risk. Proposed mechanisms for this association relate to one's unwillingness or inability to completely disclose or be introspectively aware of implicit risk. This study investigated moderators of implicit-explicit concordance as well as predictors of d-IAT score unexplained by self-reported suicidal thoughts and behaviors among an online sample of 382 adults with higher demographic suicide risk (i.e., military service members and veterans, men over age 50, and LGBTQ young adults). Before and after controlling for current explicit report, results replicated the finding of a significant relationship between d-IAT score and severity of past suicidal behavior, and additionally indicated that suicide attempt history and wish to live moderated the association between d-IAT score and explicit report. Furthermore, results suggest that poor introspective awareness, rather than deception, may account for differences between implicit and explicit risk assessment. Continuing investigation of moderators and mechanisms of the d-IAT is needed to improve the utility and validity of using implicit suicide risk assessment as a clinical tool.
Detecting suspicious entities in Offshore Leaks networks

The ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database represents a large set of relationships between people, companies, and organizations involved in the creation of offshore companies in tax-heaven territories, mainly for hiding their assets. This data are organized into four networks of entities and their interactions: Panama Papers, Paradise Papers, Offshore Leaks, and Bahamas Leaks. For instance, the entities involved in the Panama Papers networks are people or companies that had affairs with the Panamanian offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca, often with the purpose of laundering money. In this paper, we address the problem of searching the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database for people and companies that may be involved in illegal acts. We use a collection of international blacklists of sanctioned people and organizations as ground truth for bad entities. We propose a new ranking algorithm, named Suspiciousness Rank Back and Forth (SRBF), that, given one of the networks in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database, leverages the network structure and the blacklist ground truth to assign a degree of suspiciousness to each entity in the network. We experimentally show that our algorithm outperforms existing techniques for node classification achieving area under the ROC curve ranging from 0.69 to 0.85 and an area under the recall curve ranging from 0.70 to 0.84 on three of the four considered networks. Moreover, our algorithm retrieves bad entities earlier in the rank than competitors. Further, we show the effectiveness of SRBF on a case study on the Panama Papers network.
Pediatric Practitioners' Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences: Current Practices and Future Directions.

This pilot study surveyed pediatric medical practitioners on their screening of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The study focused on perspectives related to engagement in screening and barrie...
Growth of strain-relaxed InGaN on micrometer-sized patterned compliant GaN pseudo-substrates

The compliant behavior of high fill-factor 10 × 10 μm2 square patterned 60–140 nm thick GaN-on-porous-GaN tiles was demonstrated by utilizing porous GaN as a semi-flexible underlayer. High resolution x-ray diffraction measurements showed a larger a-lattice constant of InGaN layers deposited on these patterned GaN-on-porous GaN pseudo-substrates in comparison to those deposited on co-loaded planar GaN-on-sapphire templates. Additionally, InGaN based light emitting diode (LED) structures deposited on these GaN pseudo-substrates exhibited room temperature electroluminescence at 547 nm compared to 506 nm for the LED structures grown on co-loaded planar GaN on sapphire templates, corresponding to a redshift of around 40 nm. The longer emission wavelength was associated with the higher indium incorporation into the InGaN quantum wells deposited on the compliant GaN pseudo-substrates, owing to a reduced lattice mismatch between the quantum well and the n-InGaN base layers grown on the compliant pseudo-substrates, due to the composition pulling effect.
Grousers improve drawbar pull by reducing resistance and generating thrust at the front of a wheel

Abstract Grousers are commonly used to increase wheel traction, though how grousers exactly influence wheel thrust and resistance, and thus drawbar pull, has continued to remain an open topic of research. This work explores rigid wheels with grousers traveling on homogeneous granular soil. Unique experiments that provide insights into what grousers are doing at various points on a wheel are presented. To perform these experiments, a novel wheel that enables grousers to extend and retract in various regions around the wheel is developed; specifically grousers can always be extended at the front of the wheel but retracted below the wheel, even as the wheel rotates. These experiments show that grousers are much more effective at increasing drawbar pull when they are interacting with soil ahead of the wheel, rather than below it. A wheel with grousers engaging soil only ahead of the wheel, and not below it, nonetheless achieves over 80% of the relative improvement in drawbar pull that a “full grouser” wheel achieves over a grouserless wheel. This reveals how thrust is generated primarily by the front-most grouser, and further suggests that the reduction of resistive forward soil flow also plays a key role in increasing drawbar pull.
Scalable synthesis of highly luminescent and stable thiocyanate based CsPbX3 perovskite nanocrystals for efficient white light-emitting diodes

Abstract All-inorganic lead halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention as promising materials for optoelectronic devices because of their excellent photophysical properties. However, the stability issue of halide perovskites precludes their practical applications. For the first time, this work exhibits that the optical properties and stability of CsPbX3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), prepared by the saponification precipitation method, can be improved using thiocyanate (SCN−). Besides, this work offers a simple and economical synthesis method operable at room temperature and ambient atmosphere. Specifically, an increasing concentration of SCN− induces an increase in quantum yield almost by 10% and stability against air and moisture over several days due to the better passivation of trap states, irrespective of size and shape variation of NCs. The demonstration of tunable emission (454–645 nm) across the visible spectrum and the design of 3-D printed thin layers facilitate the preparation of green, yellow, and red-emitting color conversion layers. Benefitted from the decreased photon loss in as-synthesized conversion layers, the application of these color conversion layers results in a bright neutral white light (5184 K) with remarkable optical properties. Hence, this experimental study offers a low-temperature synthetic path for the scalable preparation of high-quality CsPbX3 NCs processed with SCN− and reveals the practical applications of such NCs.
Experimental thermal equation of state of B 2 -KCl

The alkali halides are often used as optically-transparent pressure-transmitting media and thermal insulators in laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments. High P--T equations of state for these materials would allow them to be used simultaneously as sensitive in situ pressure markers, making sample preparation and data analysis simpler. KCl is especially useful for this application because its high melting point, crystallographic simplicity, and low electron density are ideal for use in high-temperature x-ray diffraction experiments. However, the high-temperature static equation of state data for this material is limited in pressure to 8 GPa. As experiments routinely exceed 100 GPa in pressure and thousands of Kelvin, it is necessary for the equation of state of KCl to be determined experimentally at these conditions if it is to be used as an equation of state calibrant in the future. This paper combines new high-pressure, high-temperature data of the B2 phase of KCl (up to 167 GPa and 2400 K) with the previously published room-temperature data of Dewaele et al. [Phys. Rev. B 85, 214105 (2012)] to produce a Mie-Gr\"uneisen-Debye thermal equation of state for this material. The room-temperature equation of state parameters are similar to those reported previously: ${V}_{0}=32.0(3) {\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{mole}, {K}_{0}=24(1)$ GPa, and ${K}_{0}^{\ensuremath{'}}=4.56(5)$. The thermal parameters, ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}$ and $q$ are 2.9(4) and 1.0(1), respectively. While a $q$ of 1 is expected, the ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}$ is higher than expected from previous calculations, lower pressure experimental data, and the available shockwave data. Thus, previously-reported equations of state underestimate the pressure of KCl at high temperatures.
Resonant Photopumping of Lithiumlike Ions in Laser-Produced Plasmas

Several demonstrations of lasing in the extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) wavelength region have been successfully achieved using either collisional excitation 1-6 or recombination pumping7-11. The first successful demonstration was reported for the 3p-3s transitions in Ne-like seleniumions.1-2 Laser transitions at shorter wavelengths have also been achieved by using the 4d-4p transitions in Ni-like ions4-6. These schemes are based on collisional excitation of the upper laser levels, while the other successful schemes7-11 are based on three-body recombination into highly excited states followed by cascade down to the upper laser levels.
Comprehensive care of the child with a chronic condition. Part 2. Primary care management.

Introduction The care of children with chronic conditions is assuming increasing importance in the practice of pediatrics. National estimates show that 30% of the childhood population are children with chronic health problems.’ A wide variety of chronic conditions exist in pediatrics, ranging from mild to very severe. Increases in survival that have accompanied technologic advances in the treatment of many serious chronic illnesses and disabilities have increased the importance of longitudinal, comprehensive, coordinated, and accessible medical care. Recognition of the personal, social, and financial effects that can be associated with any chronic condition has emphasized the need for comprehensive supporl services for the child and family over time. For many
Between Resistance and Revolution: Cultural Politics and Social Protest

Between Resistance and Revolution: Cultural Politics and Social Protest. Richard G. Fox and Orin Starn. eds. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1997. 280 pp.
Femtosecond laser using broadband erbium-doped bismuth oxide gain fiber

A stable, femtosecond laser incorporating erbium-doped bismuth oxide fiber for high gain and broad bandwidth and an ultra-broadband oxidized saturable Bragg reflector for self-starting produces 78 fs pulses.
e3-Portfolio --- Supporting and Assessing Project-Based Learning in Higher Education via E-Portfolios

e3-portfolio is a software tool which supports learning and working in student project groups. Besides features for collaboration via social media, the software offers an electronic portfolio system. The e-portfolio helps to integrate informal project-based learning into the formal curriculum of higher education. This paper gives an overview of how the software tool is designed and relates the design to the underlying didactic concept.
Effects of Dimethylsulfoxide on the Lactose Operon in Escherichia coli

Fowler, Audree V. (University of California, Los Angeles), and Irving Zabin. Effects of dimethylsulfoxide on the lactose operon in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 92:353-357. 1966.-Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at a concentration of 5% (v/v) in the culture medium inhibits the growth of Escherichia coli to only a slight extent, and does not affect the differential rate of synthesis of beta-galactosidase. Resting cells remain viable after shaking in the presence of 20% DMSO for 3 hr at 37 C. Both beta-galactosidase and thiogalactoside transacetylase retain almost all activity after incubation in even higher concentrations of the solvent for many hours. DMSO decreases the permeability barrier. The rate of hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl-beta-d-galactoside (ONPG) in whole cells containing beta-galactosidase but lacking permease is increased in cells treated with 5% DMSO. Several permeaseless strains preinduced for beta-galactosidase will grow on lactose in the presence, but not in the absence, of 5% DMSO. When permeaseless strains are grown on tetrazolium-lactose-agar, the presence of 5% DMSO causes a definite but not marked shift toward the lactose-positive character.
The future of fusion

Abstract The population of the world is increasing, mainly in the developing world, and is projected to saturate within about 100 years at up to twice the present population of 6 billion people (Bos et al., World Population Projections: 1994–95 Edition, Published for the World Bank). Studies (Goldemberg and Johansson (Eds.), Energy as an Instrument for Socio-Economic Development United Nations Development Programme, New York, 1995, p. 9; United Nations Statistical Yearbooks, 10th issue; 1965; 20th issue; 1975, 22nd issue, 1977; 32nd issue, 1987; and 39th issue 1994, United Nations Publications; Sheffield, J. Technol. Forecasting Social Change 59 (1998) 55.) show that, historically, the population growth rate has varied inversely as the annual per capita energy use in most parts of the developing world, where per capita energy use is typically less than 1 t of oil equivalent energy per year. However, in areas with more than 2–3 t of oil equivalent of energy use per year per person, the growth rate is around zero. If this trend continues, a stable world population will require, allowing for energy efficiency improvements, some 2–3 times the present annual energy use. There is an abundance of energy in the world both exploited and potential to meet this need – fossil, fission, and renewables – but it is not evenly distributed, some are costly, and there are issues of environmental pollution in present use, that may limit use. Fusion energy is a potential longer-term source with attractive environmental features. It is the least-developed energy option and still faces a challenging development path, but there are many areas of the world that would benefit hugely from its deployment from the later part of the 21st century onward, and it is important to consider how it might be deployed. Most fusion power plant options considered today show an economy of scale, owing to the fixed distance needed for shielding fusion neutrons, tritium breeding and handling the heat loads. One interesting approach is to use the power plant to co-produce electricity and hydrogen to facilitate the introduction of lower cost of electricity, multi-gigawatt power plants (Sheffield et al., A study of options for the deployment of large fusion power plants, 2000, to be published).
Worst-Case Additive Noise in Wireless Networks

A classical result in information theory states that the Gaussian noise is the worst-case additive noise in point-to-point channels, meaning that, for a fixed noise variance, the Gaussian noise minimizes the capacity of an additive noise channel. In this paper, we significantly generalize this result and show that the Gaussian noise is also the worst-case additive noise in wireless networks with additive noises that are independent from the transmit signals. More specifically, we show that if we fix the noise variance at each node, then the capacity region with Gaussian noises is a subset of the capacity region with any other set of noise distributions. We prove this result by showing that a coding scheme that achieves a given set of rates on a network with Gaussian additive noises can be used to construct a coding scheme that achieves the same set of rates on a network that has the same topology and traffic demands, but with non-Gaussian additive noises.
Bats avoid moving objects more successfully than stationary ones

MICROCHIROPTERANS sense their environment by emitting ultrasonic signals and listening to the echoes1. The simplest way to measure this ability is by the obstacle-avoidance test2–7, in which a bat flies between an array of stationary wires and the numbers of hits and misses are recorded. We have extended this test and made our bats fly between an array of moving as well as stationary obstacles. We were surprised to find, as reported here, that a bat can avoid moving obstacles more successfully than stationary ones.
Improving pork quality by feeding supranutritional concentrations of vitamin D3.

Duroc-cross pigs (n = 25) were assigned to one of three experimental finishing diets containing 0 (control), 40,000 (40), or 80,000 (80) IU of supplemental vitamin D3/kg of feed (as-fed basis)to test the effects of vitamin D3 on pork quality traits. Experimental diets were fed for 44 or 51 d before slaughter, and days on feed were blocked in the experimental design. A trend existed for pigs receiving the highest concentration of vitamin D3 supplementation to have a lower (P = 0.08) ADG (0.77 kg/d) compared with pigs fed either the 40-diet (0.88 kg/d) or control (0.92 kg/d). Diet did not (P > 0.10) affect backfat thickness measured along the midline, 10th-rib fat depth, longissimus muscle area, muscle score, or hot carcass weights. Longissimus pH, measured at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 24 h postmortem, was higher (P 0.10) effect on Warner-Bratzler shear force values; percentage of cook loss; or trained sensory panel evaluations for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Feeding the 80-diet increased (P 0.30) affected by diet. These results indicate that feeding supranutritional levels of vitamin D3 for at least 44 d improves pork color and increases pH, but may retard growth if fed at 80,000 IU/kg of feed.
SURROGACY: THE PARENTS' STORY

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 26 parents who were involved in surrogate parenting arrangements in a California-based surrogacy program. Participants were mostly white (n = 23), married (n = 25), females (n = 24), with high levels of education and income. The mean age at the time of the first child's birth was 39 yr. (SD = 5.06). The majority of parents reported having one (n = 10) or two (n = 8) children. All subjects reported infertility as their reason to explore surrogacy as a method of building a family. 18 participants chose in vitro fertilization as their method of conception. Telephone interviews explored their decision-making, method of fertilization, their relationship with their surrogate, and the support that they received during the surrogacy process. Results indicate that parents were able to anticipate some potential pitfalls prior to their experience but did not realize the importance of other potential difficulties. A conceptual model is presented with implications for...
Steroid minimization in liver transplant recipients: Impact on hepatitis C recurrence and post-transplant diabetes

: Background: Steroid minimization regimens have become increasingly popular for kidney transplant recipients. We studied outcomes for liver transplant recipients with a regimen using rapid discontinuation of prednisone (RDP). Results: The study group consisted of 83 recipients transplanted between June 2004 and January 2006. Immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus, MMF, and two doses of basiliximab with six d of steroids. Patients with underlying autoimmune disorders (PSC, autoimmune hepatitis) were not included as they were maintained on steroids. The control group consisted of 83 recipients transplanted between January 2002 and May 2004. Immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus, MMF and steroids, with no antibody induction. Mean MELD score at time of transplant was significantly higher in the steroid free group vs. the control group (28 vs. 23, p = 0.02); mean donor age was also higher (42 vs. 37 yr, p = 0.02). Other characteristics including recipient age, cold ischemic time, donor source, and cause of liver disease were similar (p = ns). Mean length of follow-up was 16.1 months in the RDP group and 32 months in the control group; a minimum of six months follow up was present for all patients. Patient and graft survival rates were not statistically different in the two groups (p = ns). Biopsy proven rejection was low in both groups and not significantly different (at one yr post-transplant 11% in the RDP group vs. 12% in control, p = 0.53). Based on protocol biopsy data, histologic recurrence of hepatitis C was demonstrated in 56% of the control group hepatitis C positive recipients vs. 39% in the RDP group (p = 0.05). There was a significantly lower incidence of post-transplant diabetes (PTDM) in the RDP vs. control group (at 6 months post-transplant 12% vs. 32%, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Rapid discontinuation of prednisone in liver transplant recipients is not associated with an increased risk of rejection, and may be associated with lower morbidity, especially PTDM and hepatitis C recurrence.