cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polynitro-substituted pyrazoles and triazoles as potential energetic materials and oxidizers

N-Trinitroethylamino energetic derivatives were obtained from carbon and nitrogen functionalization of nitropyrazoles and nitrotriazoles. N-Trinitroethylamino nitroazoles and N-amino nitroazoles were fully characterized by IR, multinuclear NMR spectra, and elemental analyses. Compounds 10, 11 and 15 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray structuring. N-Functionalized nitroazoles have moderate to excellent thermal stabilities with good densities. Data based on impact and friction tests show these compounds range from very sensitive to insensitive. Theoretical calculations carried out using Gaussian 03 demonstrate good to excellent detonation pressures and velocities, as well as high specific impulse.
Congenital Joint Contractures

Joint contracture is also referred to as joint ankylosis or arthrogryposis. The term arthrogryposis (Greek “arthron” = joint, “grypos” = curved, hooked) is a general or catch-all designation that has been the source of a considerable diagnostic conundrum over the past 50 years. Simply, it represents all congenital conditions with single or multiple joint stiffness and/or contracture.[1] A further distinction has been made between the more generalized conditions, which may involve all extremities from those, which primarily involve the distal portions of the limbs.
CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT: A SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION AND COMPONENT ANALYSIS

Tier 2 interventions are implemented similarly across students and thus serve as an efficient and cost-effective method of behavior support in school settings. Check-in/check-out is a Tier 2 intervention with documented effectiveness (e.g., Hawken & Horner, 2003; Todd, Campbell, Meyer, & Horner, 2008). Key features of the intervention include brief morning and afternoon meetings with the intervention coordinator, use of a point card on which the teacher monitors student behavior, and teacher feedback at predetermined times. The present study sought to add to the literature by examining the relative contributions of the teacher-feedback components of check-in/check-out via the use of a component analysis. Working with 4 children in a general education setting, we first evaluated the effectiveness of the procedure using reversal designs. Next, we systematically removed teacher-feedback components to assess effects on problem behavior and academic engagement. For 3 of 4 participants, we were able to remove all teacher-feedback sessions and the point card; for the 4th participant, we removed only 2 of 3 teacher-feedback sessions due to time constraints.
A modulation of the mechanism of the semiannual oscillation in the Southern Hemisphere

The local pressure changes associated with the twice-annual contraction/intensification andexpansion/weakening of the circumpolar trough of low pressure around Antarctica, termed thesemiannual oscillation (SAO), was the dominant signal in the annual cycle at mid and highsouthern latitudes before 1979. The mechanism, as shown by Van Loon (1967), arises fromdifferent response to the surface heat budget over the polar continent and the midlatitude ocean.It has subsequently been shown that in most years since 1979 the SAO has weakened considerably.Evidence is presented here from surface temperature data, 500 mb temperatures from astation pair and zonal mean 500 mb temperatures from the NCAR/NCEP reanalyses to showthat a warming trend since 1979 has not been evenly distributed through the year at eachlatitude. Thus an anomalous change in the temperature gradient between 50°S and 65°S, withpeaks in roughly May and November, has modulated the mechanism that produces the SAO,with its peaks in March and September. Consequently, the magnitude of the SAO has decreasedin the more recent period. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1998.t01-3-00005.x
Feeding by Adults of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) on Shelled Maize: Influence of Damaged Grain, Adult Crowding and Grain Density

In the laboratory, adults of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) preferred artificially or naturally (insect) damaged maize kernels to sound kernels when adults were tested individually or in groups. Survival of P. truncatus was similar when I, 10, 40 or 80 adults were fed 100 g of shelled maize for 20 days; but more kernels were damaged at the highest adult density in comparison to the other densities of adults. Single P. truncatus adults on average damaged 9 maize kernels, but 10, 40, and 80 adults damaged approximately 15, 21 and 45 kernels, respectively, indicating that adults confined their feeding to only specific kernels. Survival of adults and number of kernels damaged were significantly affected when different quantities of shelled maize (25–500 g) were infested with 25 adults of P. truncatus. Adult survival at 25, 50, 100, and 200 g of maize/0.95–1 jar was similar (70.7–76.0%), but the number of kernels damaged increased significantly from approximately 15 at 25 g to 61 at 200 g. These results suggested that shelled maize grain compaction, which is influenced by the quantity of grain, may affect survival of and damage by adults of P. truncatus. Adults of P. truncatus successfully infested 25 g of shelled maize and damaged about 15 kernels, indicating that adults could temporarily survive on such small quantities of grain spilled in and around storages before infesting stored-maize.
THEORETICAL STUDY OF MIXED CONVECTION IN POLOIDAL FLOWS OF DCLL BLANKET

An approach is developed to study the stability of mixed convection in the poloidal flows of the DCLL blanket. Modified Orr-Sommerfeld equations are derived and then solved using a numerical code b...
Correlations among hormone levels, sperm parameters and paternity in formerly unilaterally cryptorchid men.

AbstractPurpose: We compared characteristics related to fertility between formerly unilaterally cryptorchid men.Materials and Methods: We compared sperm counts and gonadotropin levels before and after gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation between formerly unilaterally cryptorchid men and controls who had completed a detailed questionnaire on fertility and other pertinent paternity information. These parameters were also compared between the subsets of formerly cryptorchid men who reported paternity and unsuccessful attempts at paternity.Results: Sperm density and total count, and basal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were different in the cryptorchidism and control groups. Higher FSH levels and lower sperm counts correlated inversely in the cryptorchidism group, while luteinizing hormone, testosterone and other results of semen analysis did not differ. Furthermore, FSH levels were higher and sperm counts were lower in the subset who reported uns...
FT‐EPR study of spin‐correlated radical pairs formed by electron transfer quenching of porphyrin triplets in micellar solution

The spin-correlated radical pairs (SCRPs) formed by photoinduced electron transfer from zinc tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (ZnTPPS) to quinones in micelles of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) were studied by means of Fourier transform EPR (FT-EPR). It is shown that variation of the power of the microwave pulse allows the separation of EPR signals arising from SCRPs and free radicals. The measured kinetics of radical formation can be accounted for in terms of a statistical model taking into account the non-uniform distribution of the solutes over the micelles. The rate constant of electron transfer quenching (kq) of the ZnTPPS triplet state by duroquinone (DQ) is found to be 1.05 × 106 s−1. The FT-EPR measurements gave information also on the kinetics of the homogeneous electron transfer reaction DQ− + DQ → DQ + DQ− in CTAC solution in which the DQ− anion radicals were generated by light-induced electron transfer from ZnTPPS. It is found that the dependence of the rate of this reaction on quinone concentration deviates from the linear relationship found in homogeneous solutions. A statistical model is proposed to account for the data. Based on this model, the rate constant of the self-exchange reaction (kex) is 4.1 × 106 s−1. From results obtained with duroquinone and benzoquinone as acceptors, it is concluded that ZnTPPS is located at the micelle/water interface.
Modeling Non-Newtonian Piston Skirts EHL in the Initial Engine Start Up

In the normal high speed engine operation at small piston-to-bore radial clearance, elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of skirts and non-Newtonian lubricant behavior prevent adhesive wear, but in the initial engine start up, the large clearance, low speed and absence of EHL, cause start up wear. This study models 2-D upper convected Maxwell viscoelastic EHL of piston skirts at small radial clearance in a few initial low speed engine start up cycles by solving the Reynolds equation and using the inverse solution technique. The numerical analysis incorporate characteristic lubricant relaxation times and a perturbation method to predict and compare hydrodynamic and EHL pressures and film profiles. The effects of viscoelasticity on the lubricant characteristics, transverse eccentricities of piston, film thickness, and pressure fields in the hydrodynamic and EHL regimes are investigated. This study suggests that EHL film is formed at very small piston-to-bore radial clearance at low start up speed under assumed conditions to prevent start up wear as viscoelasticity produces a beneficial effect on piston skirts lubrication in the initial engine start up.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Strong Emergence as a Defese of Non-Reductive Physicalism

Jaegwon Kim, and others, have recently posed a powerful challenge to both emergentism and non-reductive physicalism by providing arguments that these positons are committed to an untenabie combination of both 'upward' and 'dounward' determination. In section 1, I illuminate how the nature of the realization relation underlies such skeptical arguments However, in section 2, I suggest that such conclusions involve a confusion between the implications of physicalism and those of a related thesis in 'Completeness of Physics' (CoP). I show tht the truth of CoP poses a very serious obstacle to realized properties being efficacious in a physicalist universe and suggest that abandoning CoP offers hope for defending non-reductive physicalism. I then fornulate a schema for a physicalist metaphysics, in section 3, which rejects CoP. This scenario is one where microphysical properties have a few conditional powers that they contribute to individuals when they realize certain properties. In such a situation, I argue, though physicalism holds true there is still plausibly both `upward' and 'downward' determination, where the latter is crucially an underappreciated form of determmation I term 'non- causal'. Ultimately, I conclude that this metaphysical schema offers a coherent account of Strongly ernergent properties that preserves the truth of NRP, albeit in a form that is purged of any committment to CoP. Finally, in section 4, I carefully explore which of Kim's assumptions and arguments this metaphysics undermines.
Cold Acclimation in Rhododendron

Woody landscape plants residing in temperate zone experience adverse winter conditions during their annual cycle and, therefore, must develop sufficient cold hardiness in the fall of each year (cold acclimation) in order to prepare for over-wintering and surviving low mid-winter temperatures. Lack of adequate cold acclimation (CA), a genetically determined trait, often limits where many landscape plants can be grown successfully. Besides affecting their geographic distribution, low temperatures often cause winter-injury to many landscape plantings thereby causing substantial economic losses. To be able to expand the range of landscape plants that could be grown in areas with cold winters, one must first acquire a basic understanding of cold acclimation process, however, few attempts have been made to study the genetic, physiological or molecular mechanism(s) of CA in woody perennials.
Well-limb compartment syndrome after prolonged lateral decubitus positioning: A report of two cases

External compression of a limb caused by casting, the use of military antishock trousers, or prolonged positioning secondary to drug overdose or during surgery may cause compartment syndrome in an otherwise healthy limb1. Well-leg compartment syndrome secondary to surgical positioning has been overwhelmingly associated with the lithotomy or hemilithotomy position2. A search of the literature revealed that there have been at least twenty-six cases of well-leg compartment syndrome associated with these positions, all of which occurred after at least two hours of operative time and most of which occurred after four and one-half hours2-8. In contrast to the lithotomy position, the lateral decubitus position has been reported to be associated with myonecrosis and sciatic nerve palsy but not compartment syndrome9-11. The leg represents one of the most common locations for acute compartment syndrome, whereas the thigh is a relatively rare location12. We report two cases of compartment syndrome that were associated with prolonged intraoperative lateral decubitus positioning, one of which involved the leg and one of which involved the thigh. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first two such cases that have been reported in the literature. Our patients were informed that data concerning these cases would be submitted for publication. Case 1. A fifty-eight-year-old left-hand-dominant man (approximate height, 175 cm; weight, 107 kg) underwent excisional biopsy of a 3-cm × 2-cm mobile, firm lump on the medial aspect of the left elbow at another institution, the results of which revealed a high-grade malignant fibrous histiocytoma with positive margins. Staging studies done at that institution showed no evidence of metastatic disease, and the patient was referred to our institution for further treatment. Physical examination of the patient revealed a 4-cm transverse incision …
Evolution of Pesticide Resistance in Predator/Prey Systems

Evolution of pesticide resistance in predator/prey systems was studied by computer simulation. Intensive pesticide use caused rapid resistance development in the prey (pest) but either suppressed resistance development in the predator (natural enemy) or caused local extinction of the predator. Reduced pesticide use slowed resistance development in the prey and promoted resistance development in the predator. When an economic threshold criterion for pesticide application was used and the pesticide was more toxic to prey than to predators, prey resistance was retarded due to reduced pesticide application. Augmentation of the predator's food supply promoted resistance in the predator. Reduced pesticide use is viewed as an essential component of resistance management that can enhance the potential for integration of biological and chemical pest control.
Abstract 3972: The role of the TGF-β type III receptor in colon carcinogenesis

The loss of the TGF-β type III receptor (TβRIII), a TGF-β superfamily co-receptor, correlates with disease progression in multiple cancer types, suggesting that TβRIII plays a role in regulating tumor progression. TGF-β superfamily signaling is frequently dysregulated in colon cancer but the specific role of TβRIII in colon carcinogenesis has not been examined. In contrast to other cancer types, TβRIII mRNA expression is not altered in colon cancer and there is not a significant change in TβRIII protein expression in tumors compared to normal colon tissue. HT29 colon cancer cells overexpressing TβRIII (HT29-RIII) exhibit an increase in proliferation in response to TGF-β and BMP2 stimulation compared to HT29-Neo cells. This increase in proliferation is mediated through the down-regulation of p21. In a soft agar assay HT29-RIII cells demonstrate increased colony formation in response to ligand treatment. Additionally, HT29-RIII cells are resistant to anoikis and 5FU-induced apoptosis. Colon cancer cells expressing TβRIII also exhibit increased migration potential and this increase in migration can be abrogated by knockdown of TβRIII expression. Furthermore, cells over-expressing TβRIII show alterations in E-cadherin and actin organization. Taken together, these data suggest that TβRIII may have a pro-tumorigenic role in colon cancer tumorigenesis as it mediates ligand stimulated proliferation, resistance to apoptosis and increased migration. Further work is currently underway to more fully elucidate the role of TβRIII in colon cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3972.
Compression induced changes in the physiological state of the breast as derived from combined frequency domain photon migration and white light spectroscopy measurements

We use optical spectroscopy to characterize the influence of mammographic-like compression on the physiology of the breast. A reduction in total hemoglobin, as well as changes in optical scattering, lipid and water content are noted.
Pharmacy Promotion of Tobacco Use Among Children in Massachusetts

Abstract The role played by pharmacies in the promotion and distribution of tobacco to children was assessed in a survey of 100 pharmacies. Of the 100 surveyed, 95 sold tobacco products, 50 advertised tobacco, 42 advertised the cigarette brands that are most appealing to children, and 23 displayed the Camel cartoon advertisements that have been identified as being targeted specifically at children. Candy tobacco products were sold in 22% of the pharmacies. Of the pharmacies selling tobacco, 81% were willing to sell it to minors illegally. The five pharmacies that did not carry tobacco products were independent stores. When compared to chain pharmacies, independent pharmacies more frequently advertised tobacco (p
Osteoarthritis: Pathology, Mouse Models, and Nanoparticle Injectable Systems for Targeted Treatment

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, degenerative disease of articulating joints that not only affects the elderly, but also involves younger, more active individuals with prolonged participation in high physical-demand activities. Thus, effective therapies that are easy to adopt clinically are critical in limiting the societal burden associated with OA. This review is focused on intra-articular injectable regimens and provides a comprehensive look at existing in vivo models of OA that might be suitable for developing, testing, and finding a cure for OA by intra-articular injections. We first discuss the pathology, molecular mechanisms responsible for the initiation and progression of OA, and challenges associated with disease-specific targeting of OA. We proceed to discuss available animal models of OA and provide a detailed perspective on the use of mouse models in studies of experimental OA. We finally provide a closer look at intra-articular injectable treatments for OA, focusing on biomaterials-based nanoparticles, and provide a comprehensive overview of the various nanometer-size ranges studied.
Where Were the Banks? The Relation between Financial Statement Misreporting and Firms' Bank Debt Use

We compare firms that restate financial statements to firms that do not restate to test the hypotheses that bank monitoring should deter or detect misreporting. For relatively less (more) severe misreporting, we find the likelihood of misreporting is positively related (unrelated) to bank borrowing, and that ex ante changes in bank debt are positive (unrelated) for misreporting firms versus control firms. These results suggest that bank monitoring is insufficient to deter or detect misreporting. Instead, it may provide incentives for managers to engage in relatively less severe misreporting, consistent with the debt covenant hypothesis.
The Incidence and Cost of Hospice Use Among Elderly Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A SEER-Medicare Analysis

Introduction: Data are limited on the use of hospice services for diffuse large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). As DLBCL is treated in both academic and community settings, there may be variations in hospice enrollment due to both patient and practitioner characteristics. We aimed to identify predictors for hospice enrollment for DLBCL patients, and to compare total costs of care and components of cost among hospice and non-hospice DLBCL patients in the 30 days prior to death. Methods: Using the SEER-Medicare database from 2002-2012, we identified DLBCL patients 65 years and older using ICD-O3 codes. Patients were excluded if they did not die, died within 30 days of diagnosis, or had a secondary cancer diagnosis. We investigated predictors of hospice enrollment within the last 30 days of life including sex, race, age, marital status, residence, modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), income, time from diagnosis to death, practice type, region, and chemotherapy use. Using generalized estimating equation using a log link and gamma distribution, we evaluated adjusted and unadjusted costs for the last 30 days of care, aggregated into 5-day periods among hospice and non-hospice users, separating costs into inpatient, outpatient, hospice, office visits, and diagnostic testing. We tested the robustness of our finding using a time-varying propensity score weighted model. Results: We identified 12,644 DLBCL patients. Hospice users were older than non-users (mean age: 80 vs. 78 years, p In the last 30 days prior to death, we found that costs continually increased for non-hospice users from $2,063 for days 26-30 prior to death to $3,068 for the last five days of life (p Conclusion: Using data from SEER-Medicare, we found differences in patient characteristics associated with hospice use among older adults with DLBCL, specifically age, race, marital status, and sex. Those who received transfusions or chemotherapy in the last 30 days of life were less likely to enroll in hospice. Community vs. academic settings was not associated with hospice enrollment. We also identified differences in healthcare utilization in the last 30 days of life among hospice and non-hospice patients. Total health care costs were significantly higher over the last 30 days of life in non-hospice patients, and the primary cost driver is inpatient admissions. Further analyses will help to identify those patients who did not receive hospice services, but received palliative care. Earlier hospice intervention may reduce costs of care for older patients with DLBCL in the last 30 days of life. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Shared Medical Appointment on the Benefits and Risks of Opioids Is Associated With Improved Patient Confidence in Managing Chronic Pain

Objectives:To evaluate a shared medical appointment (SMA) on opioids in the treatment of chronic pain.Research design:This prospective study was conducted at an ambulatory clinic within a health-ca...
Subjective-Objective Sleep Discrepancy in Older Adults With MCI and Subsyndromal Depression:

Background/Objectives:We investigated the prevalence and correlates of discrepancies between self-reported sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and objective sleep efficiency (actigraphy)...
It's time to evolve from Scadding: phenotyping sarcoidosis.

Novel approaches to cluster sarcoidosis by organ clusters may yield new clinical and pathophysiologic insights http://ow.ly/uCVG30hMsro
Classical Statistical Physics

The Thermodynamics, discussed in Vol. 5 of this basic course in Theoretical Physics, is a phenomenological theory, which, being based on a few fundamental postulates (laws of thermodynamics), describes macroscopic systems in equilibrium with the help of a few variables as, for instance, pressure, volume, temperature, particle density, … . However, Thermodynamics is not at all a closed, complete theory. So it finds, by reason of empirical findings, that macroscopic systems strive to go from the non-equilibrium into the equilibrium. Thermodynamics, though, is not able to reenact the irreversible setting of the equilibrium. The facts of experience, gathered in the laws of thermodynamics, build the basis of Thermodynamics, but are not explained by it. Fundamental terms such as temperature and heat count, in a certain sense, to the elementary equipment, but their existence must be postulated (zeroth law of thermodynamics) or must be ‘justified’ by an intuitive self-understanding. The actual justification of the Thermodynamics is delegated to
A 24‐year prospective study of dietary α‐linolenic acid and lethal prostate cancer

Several meta-analyses have attempted to determine the relationships between intake of α-linolenic acid (ALA) and prostate cancer, but results were inconclusive. 47,885 men aged 40-75 years without prior cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study were prospectively followed from 1986 to 2010. Intake of ALA was determined from validated food frequency questionnaires every 4 years. We used multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for lethal prostate cancer (distant metastasis or prostate cancer death). 386 lethal prostate cancers were diagnosed in the pre-PSA era (before February, 1994) and 403 cancers in the PSA era. Intake of ALA was associated with increased risk of lethal prostate cancer in the pre-PSA era (comparing top to bottom quintile of intake, multivariate-adjusted HR = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.22-2.06; ptrend = 0.003), but not in the PSA era (HR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.56-1.17; ptrend = 0.53), and the difference in associations was statistically significant (p for interaction = 0.02). Mayonnaise, a primary food source of ALA intake in our cohort, was likewise only significantly associated with lethal prostate cancer in the pre-PSA era. Among many other fatty acids that are correlated with ALA due to shared food sources, none was associated with lethal prostate cancer in the pre-PSA era. In conclusion, higher intake of ALA was associated with an increased risk of lethal prostate cancer in the pre-PSA era, but not in the PSA era. Potential reasons for the differential associations warrant further investigation.
An Automated Methodology for Conducting a Social Network Study of a University Faculty

Abstract : This technical report describes the data collection and analysis methodologies used in a social network study of computer science faculty that was recently conducted at a top U.S. university. The study involved the construction of a social meta-network that combines multiple dimensions of the faculty's knowledge, task assignments, and collaborative networks. The process of collecting the source data, then messaging the data for analysis was completely automated through the use of custom computer software. This allowed for an entirely unobtrusive data collection process and simplified and repeatable analytic tasks. In this report, the authors introduce the metamatrix framework and discuss its utility as a tool for complex network analysis, describe the data collection methodology, explain the metamatrix construction process, and, finally, present some closing remarks. The report does not discuss the specific findings of the underlying research, which are regarded as confidential.
The role of hemoglobin in generating oxyradicals.

The largest fraction of dioxygen in mammalian systems is associated with hemoglobin. The primary function of hemoglobin is the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, which requires reversible oxygen binding. Nevertheless, a slow rate of autoxidation does take place. It has furthermore been demonstrated that autoxidation coincides with the formation of superoxide.1,2
Naringenin, a citrus flavanone, enhances isoproterenol-stimulated thermogenic activation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Promoting thermogenesis through increasing the activities of functional brown adipocytes has promised new hope for obesity treatment and prevention. Recent evidence has suggested that naringenin, a...
Asset Selection with Margin Constraints and Income

We consider the problem of optimal asset allocation and consumption of an investor whose investment opportunity set includes both a riskless asset and multiple risky assets. The investor receives an income stream that is spanned by the risky assets and faces a margin requirement for holding the risky assets based on his current wealth. When the investor has constant relative risk aversion, using the dual formulation of the optimization problem, we characterize the investor's investment strategy in terms of thresholds in the ratio of current wealth to income. We find that, for large values of the ratio, the investor behaves similar to an investor that does not receive an income. When the investor's current wealth is low, relative to his income we find that the investor shifts from a diversified portfolio towards portfolios with fewer assets that offer higher expected returns. This asset substitution effect is more pronounced when the margin requirement is binding. In the case of deterministic income, and when future earnings are much larger than current wealth, asset substitution leads the investor to hold the single risky asset in his portfolio that provides the highest expected return. We also present numerical simulations illustrating the asset allocations of investors that face margin requirements, as well as wealth equivalent costs of the margin requirement.
Effective recruitment for practice-based research: Lessons from the REAL HEALTH-Diabetes Study.

Abstract Background Aims: The REAL HEALTH Diabetes Study is a practice-based randomized clinical trial that compares the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention aimed at weight reduction to medical nutrition therapy in primary care patients with type 2 diabetes. This paper describes a tiered approach to recruitment, the resultant enrollment rates of sequentially more intensive recruitment strategies, and identifies barriers to participation. Methods Potential participants were identified using patient health registries and classified by recruitment site. Four recruitment strategies were used to achieve target enrollment: (1) mail/telephone outreach; (2) direct referral from providers; (3) orientation sessions; and (4) media/advertising. Reasons for ineligibility and non-participation were tracked. Results Fifteen thousand two hundred sixty-nine (15,269) potential participants were identified from all sources, with the clear majority coming from patient registries. Mail/telephone outreach alone had the lowest enrollment rate (1.2%). Direct referral and orientation sessions superimposed on mail/telephone outreach was used for fewer participants but had greater enrollment rates (27% and 52%.) Media/advertising was ineffective. The most commonly reported reasons for non-participation were not wanting to be in a research (30%) or a weight loss program (22%); time commitment (20%); and distance/transportation (14%). Conclusions The use of population registries to identify potential participants coupled with successively more intensive recruitment strategies, executed in a tiered approach moving toward personal engagement to establish trust and credibility, maximized recruitment enrollment rates. Our findings regarding facilitators and barriers to recruitment could be used to inform other practice-based research or to engage patients in group interventions in usual care settings. Clinical trial registration NCT02320253.
JOHN HABWE’S SAFARI YA LAMU (2011) AS A TRAVELOGUE

The genre of travelogue may be regarded almost as old as the human civilization. Iain Manley in his survey of the genre (Manley 2011) traces the history of travelogue in the world literature from The Epic of Gilgamesh (13 th -7 th centuries BC), Homer’s Odyssey (8 th century BC), accounts of ancient travelers, like the Greeks Arrianus and Pausanius (1-2 centuries), the Chinese Faxian and Xuanzang (5 th and 7 th centuries), to the medieval texts of the venetian Marco Polo (13 th century) and Arabian traveler Ibn Batutta (14 th century), Christopher Columbus of Spain (15 th century), and Fernao Mendes Pinto of Portugal (16 th century AD). Key words: John Habwe, travelogue, Lamu, Safari
Ursprung: Provenance for Large-Scale Analytics Environments

Modern analytics has produced wonders, but reproducing and verifying these wonders is difficult. Data provenance helps to solve this problem by collecting information on how data is created and accessed. Although provenance collection techniques have been used successfully on a smaller scale, tracking provenance in large-scale analytics environments is challenging due to the scale of provenance generated and the heterogeneous domains. Without provenance, analysts struggle to keep track of and reproduce their analyses. We demonstrate Ursprung, a provenance collection system specifically targeted at such environments. Ursprung transparently collects the minimal set of system-level provenance required to track the relationships between data and processes. To collect domain specific provenance, Usprung enables users to specify capture rules to curate application-specific logs, intermediate results etc. To reduce storage overhead and accelerate queries, it uses event hierarchies to synthesize raw provenance into compact summaries.
Object Transfer Point Estimation for Fluent Human-Robot Handovers

Handing over objects is the foundation of many human-robot interaction and collaboration tasks. In the scenario where a human is handing over an object to a robot, the human chooses where the object needs to be transferred. The robot needs to accurately predict this point of transfer to reach out proactively, instead of waiting for the final position to be presented. This work presents an efficient method for predicting the Object Transfer Point (OTP), which synthesizes (1) an offline OTP calculated based on human preferences observed in a human-robot motion study with (2) a dynamic OTP predicted based on the observed human motion. Our proposed OTP predictor is implemented on a humanoid nursing robot and experimentally validated in human-robot handover tasks. Compared to only using static or dynamic OTP estimators, it has better accuracy at the earlier phase of handover (up to 45% of the handover motion) and can render fluent handovers with a reach-to-grasp response time (about 3.1 secs) close to natural human receiver’s response. In addition, the OTP prediction accuracy is maintained across the robot’s visible workspace by utilizing a user-adaptive reference frame.
Nature-inspired chiral metasurfaces for circular polarization detection and full-Stokes polarimetric measurements.

The manipulation and characterization of light polarization states are essential for many applications in quantum communication and computing, spectroscopy, bioinspired navigation, and imaging. Chiral metamaterials and metasurfaces facilitate ultracompact devices for circularly polarized light generation, manipulation, and detection. Herein, we report bioinspired chiral metasurfaces with both strong chiral optical effects and low insertion loss. We experimentally demonstrated submicron-thick circularly polarized light filters with peak extinction ratios up to 35 and maximum transmission efficiencies close to 80% at near-infrared wavelengths (the best operational wavelengths can be engineered in the range of 1.3–1.6 µm). We also monolithically integrated the microscale circular polarization filters with linear polarization filters to perform full-Stokes polarimetric measurements of light with arbitrary polarization states. With the advantages of easy on-chip integration, ultracompact footprints, scalability, and broad wavelength coverage, our designs hold great promise for facilitating chip-integrated polarimeters and polarimetric imaging systems for quantum-based optical computing and information processing, circular dichroism spectroscopy, biomedical diagnosis, and remote sensing applications. Inspired by the polarization-sensitive vision of the compound eyes in a marine crustacean called the Mantis Shrimp, researchers from Arizona State University, US have designed a chiral metasurface for manipulating the polarization of light. The metasurface design consists of a thin nanostructured silicon layer, a dielectric spacer layer and a gold nanowire polarizer, and has a total thickness of less than 1 micrometer. This thin planar surface offers low optical loss with a transmission as high as 80% in the near-infrared wavelength range, and acts as a circular polarization filter with an extinction ratio as high as 35. The circular polarization filters, in combination with linear polarization filters, can enable chip-scale polarimeters for sensing the polarization state of light. This on-chip integrated approach could prove useful in ultra-compact devices for advanced imaging and sensing applications.
Enabling ultrathin III-V solar cells using dual photonic crystals

III-V materials provide the highest efficiencies, but the higher cost of these materials compared to other alternatives such as silicon has limited their applications. One way of reducing the costs is by minimizing the amount of material needed. In this work, using optical simulations we test light trapping layers in the front and in the back of a GaAs single junction solar cell. By using these layers, we predict that we can obtain near optically thick GaAs single junctions with only 300 nm active material, with maximum calculated J sc of 28.7 mA/cm2 under the radiative limit.
WHEN OCCAM’S RAZOR FAILS: COMPLETE HEART BLOCK WITH PROFOUND HYPOTHYROIDISM AND INFERIOR STEMI

Complete heart block is potentially life-threatening if not identified and managed appropriately. In some cases, early recognition and treatment of the underlying etiology of conduction system dysfunction and can obviate the need for permanent pacemaker placement. From electrolyte abnomalities to
Value Added Sequential Services for BTM Storage when Paired with PV Systems

Behind-the-meter battery energy storage systems can reduce the electricity bill for those customers with photovoltaic installations by shifting solar energy from low-cost to high-cost periods in areas that offer Time-of-Use rates. However, this single BES application alone generally results in long and unacceptable period to recover the investment. In order to increase the revenue stream and accelerate the battery’s Net Present Value into positive territory, this paper proposes a second BES service of energy arbitrage that is operated by the local electric utility or aggregator in the regional Energy Imbalance Market (EIM). The proposed method is simple and does not require complicated co-optimization algorithms since the two services are executed in sequence with no time overlap. The approach is illustrated by a case study that utilizes real residential customer load demand, PV power generation, electricity rates and incentives in Southwest US.
Studies of photoexcitations in polymer/non-fullerene blend for high-efficiency organic solar cells

We studied the photoexcitations properties in the blend of PBDB-T-SF, a donor π-conjugated copolymer, and ITIC-2F, a non-fullerene acceptor molecule, which is used as an active layer in high-performance organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells. We used several steady-state spectroscopies such as photoinduced absorption (PIA), photoluminescence (PL), magneto-photoinduced absorption (MPA), and magneto-PL in the pristine and blend films. The PIA spectra of the pristine copolymer and acceptor films contain a photoinduced absorption (PA) band due to triplet excitons, which is confirmed by the MPA(B) response, whereas the PIA spectrum of the copolymer/molecule blend contains several PA bands due to polaron pairs at the copolymer chain/molecule interfaces. Interestingly, when exciting the PIA spectrum of the blend at two different photon energies, namely, ℏω≈2.39 eV that preferentially excites the copolymer chains and ℏω≈1.58 eV that excites only the acceptor molecules, we found that the PIA spectra are the same. This shows that charge photogeneration is possible when exciting either the copolymer chains or the acceptor molecules, which might explain the high power conversion efficiency of OPV cells based on this blend. We also found from the MPA(B) responses of the pristine copolymer and acceptor films and their blend that the back reaction of the photogenerated polaron pairs into the copolymer forming triplet excitons is absent, further explaining the high power conversion efficiency of this blend as the active layer in OPV solar cells.
Axial Fracture Initiation During Diagnostic Fracture Injection Tests and Its Impact on Interpretations

Diagnostic fracture injection tests (DFITs) have been performed extensively in unconventional reservoirs to derive reservoir properties such as pressure, permeability, and closure stress. Since most horizontal wells in unconventional reservoirs are drilled in the direction of the minimum horizontal stress, prevailing studies typically presume that hydraulic fractures are oriented transverse to the wellbore direction. However, the near-wellbore stress concentration and perforation frictions may favor the initiation of fractures along the wellbore, which is perpendicular to the maximum horizontal stress. The possibility for the initiation of an axial fracture increases, if the injection rate is high enough or having low differential stress. In this study, we investigate the effect of initiation of the axial fractures on a DFIT test and its interpretation, using a fully coupled geomechanics and fluid flow model. First, we provide a model for the initiation and closure of axial fractures and transverse fractures during DFITs by coupling geomechanics with fluid flow. Then, using numerical simulations, we demonstrate that estimated closure stress can be misleading in the presence of an axial fracture. Finally, we discuss a potential method to determine the maximum horizontal stress under such circumstances.
Measuring vertical displacement using laser lines and cameras

Measuring displacements in model tests typically involves contact-based sensors such as linear potentiometers, where contact between two moving parts occurs at the sensing point. The sensor's finit...
How a Successful Football Organization Can Inform Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance in a Business Organization

For Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance practitioners, understanding the game of football is not just a professional diversion, but one that can actually add professional value as well. The reason is because understanding what makes a football organization successful can also inform FCPA compliance in a business organization. This article highlights four attributes of a successful football organization that can also elevate FCPA compliance in a business organization.
Relative Rates of Nitric Oxide and Nitrous Oxide Production by Nitrifiers, Denitrifiers, and Nitrate Respirers

Biogenic emissions of nitric and nitrous oxides have important impacts on the photochemistry and chemistry of the atmosphere. Although biogenic production appears to be the overwhelming source of N2O, the magnitude of the biogenic emission of NO is very uncertain. In soils, possible sources of NO and N2O include nitrification by autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrifiers, denitrification by nitrifiers and denitrifiers, nitrate respiration by fermenters, and chemodenitrification. The availability of oxygen determines to a large extent the relative activities of these various groups of organisms. To better understand this influence, we investigated the effect of the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) on the production of NO and N2O by a wide variety of common soil nitrifying, denitrifying, and nitrate-respiring bacteria under laboratory conditions. The production of NO per cell was highest by autotrophic nitrifiers and was independent of pO2 in the range tested (0.5 to 10%), whereas N2O production was inversely proportional to pO2. Nitrous oxide production was highest in the denitrifier Pseudomonas fluorescens, but only under anaerobic conditions. The molar ratio of NO/N2O produced was usually greater than unity for nitrifiers and much less than unity for denitrifiers. Chemodenitrification was the major source of both the NO and N2O produced by the nitrate respirer Serratia marcescens. Chemodenitrification was also a possible source of NO and N2O in nitrifier cultures but only when high concentrations of nitrite had accumulated or were added to the medium. Although most of the denitrifiers produced NO and N2O only under anaerobic conditions, chemostat cultures of Alcaligenes faecalis continued to emit these gases even when the cultures were sparged with air. Based upon these results, we predict that aerobic soils are primary sources of NO and that N2O is produced only when there is sufficient soil moisture to provide the anaerobic microsites necessary for denitrification by either denitrifiers or nitrifiers.
Studies on polynucleotides. 48. The in vitro synthesis of a co-polypeptide containing two amino acids in alternating sequence dependent upon a DNA-like polymer containing two nucleotides in alternating sequence.

The DNA-like polymers, poly d-TC:AG and poly d-TG:AC, which contain in each strand only two bases in alternating sequence, have been used as templates for DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. In this way, four single-stranded long-chain ribopolynucleotides, poly UC, poly AG, poly UG and poly AC containing in every case the two nucleotides in alternating sequence have been prepared. The messenger activity of poly UC in the Escherichia coli cell-free amino acid incorporation system has been studied. The ribopolynucleotide stimulates the incorporation of only two amino acids, serine and leucine, in equimolar amounts. The product of the reaction has been characterized as a co-polypeptide containing serine and leucine in alternating sequence.
Getting sense and finding function in protozoa.

Antisense using peptide nucleic acid promises to unlock the genetic secrets of Entamoeba, a major human pathogen.