cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental, Gender, and Health-Related Variations in Self-Competence and Depressed Mood Among School-Aged Urban Children with Asthma: A Pilot Study

This pilot study examined associations among asthma status, gender, self-competence, and depressed mood across 2 years of middle childhood in a sample of 57 urban children. Results revealed no differences across health status in self-competence and depressed mood. Girls showed a significant increase in levels of self-competence from Year -1 to 2. Higher levels of self-competence were associated with lower levels of depressed mood at Year 1, at Year 2, and from Year 1 to 2. Self-competence accounted for a larger amount of the variance in depressed mood for girls than for boys. Changes in levels of self-competence were significantly associated with changes in depressed mood for girls only. Results suggest meaningful gender-based differences in the socioemotional trajectories of school-aged children, which should be considered when designing preventative interventions in urban environments.
Acquisition, Extinction, Recovery, and Reversal of Different Response Sequences Under Conditional Control by Nicotine in Rats

ABSTRACT Complex voluntary behaviors occur in sequence. Eight rats were trained in an operant procedure that used nicotine and non-drug (saline) states as interoceptive cues that signaled which of two behavioral sequences led to food reward. The distal and proximal responses in the chain were always maintained on variable interval 30-sec and fixed ratio-1 schedules, respectively, and rate differences between the responses were used as the dependent variable. Extinction and reversal training was conducted. Distal response rates were significantly greater than proximal response rates during training, testing, extinction, and reversal learning. These data suggest that (a) nicotine can establish interoceptive control over different response sequences, and (b) extinction of one response sequence may be state-dependent. The clinical relevance of extinction of complex behavioral repertoires such as drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior that are evoked by specific interoceptive cues is addressed in regard to drug...
Agenda-setting in the German Bundestag: origins and consequences of party dominance

The procedure for setting the agenda in the German Parliament originated in the middle of the nineteenth century in the Prussian Chamber of Deputies in which an informal committee arranged the agenda by an inter-party consensus. This party-dominated procedure, continued in the Reichstag of the Empire and the Weimar Republic, was institutionalised in the German Bundestag in the second half of the twentieth century. It takes account of the central role of the Fraktionen in the Bundestag and of the specialisation and division of labour that developed within them. The procedure is designed to achieve consensus among all parties and to distribute agenda-setting power between parliament and cabinet. Though remarkably decentralised, it has predictable outcomes that contribute to the impression that the Bundestag is a stage-managed parliament.
Tests of a prototype pixel array detector for microsecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction

X-ray test results from a prototype 92 × 100 pixel array detector (PAD) for use in rapid time-resolved X-ray diffraction studies are described. This integrating detector is capable of taking up to eight full-frame images at microsecond frame times. It consists of a silicon layer, which absorbs the X-rays, bump-bonded to a layer of CMOS electronics in which each pixel has its own processing, storage and readout electronics. Tests indicate signal performance characteristics are comparable with phosphor-based CCD X-ray detectors, with greatly improved time resolution, comparable linearity and enhanced point spread. This prototype is a test module en route to a larger detector suitable for dedicated operation. Areas of needed improvement are discussed.
XLVII. Changes in the dielectric constant produced by strain

(1912). XLVII. Changes in the dielectric constant produced by strain. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 24, No. 142, pp. 507-513.
Developing a framework for indicators of authenticity: the place and space of cultural and heritage tourism

The authenticity of tourism destinations, sites, events, cultures and experiences is of concern to practitioners and researchers involved in the planning, marketing, and management of heritage and cultural tourism. We address authenticity under three dimensions – the objective (real), the constructed (sociopolitical) and the personal (phenomenological) – and two aspects that contextualize authenticity: space and time. Indicators for addressing the object and experience of place, as well as “sense of place,” are discussed within this framework. This shows how authenticity integrally involves situating the object within a place and space that constitute the lived experience of both tourists and residents. An example of aboriginal cultural sites illustrates how the politics of authenticity is also the politics of space, identity and ethnicity (lived heritage). The paper argues for a theoretical and practically useful framework to guide research and practice. The framework and indicator-based application of t...
The origin of Samoa: new evidence from Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes

Abstract We report Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios and parent and daughter element concentrations in 34 volcanic rocks from Samoa. The highly undersaturated post-erosional volcanics, which have erupted in Recent to Historic time along a 250-km-long fissure, have isotopic compositions that define fields distinct from those of the tholeiitic to alkalic lavas of the older Samoan shield volcanoes. Most shield lavas have 206 Pb/ 204 Pb of 18.9–19.4, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of 0.7045–0.7055 and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (to 0.7075). In general, isotopic compositions of the shield lavas are similar to those of the Marquesas and Society Islands. Post-erosional samples have lower 206 Pb/ 204 Pb and 143 Nd/ 144 Nd and higher 87 Sr/ 86 Sr than most shield lavas. The most striking feature of the post-erosional data is a negative correlation between 207 Pb/ 204 Pb and 206 Pb/ 204 Pb. This suggests that post-erosional lavas are derived from mixtures of the shield source and a high- 207 Pb/ 204 Pb, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, low- 206 Pb/ 204 Pb and 143 Nd/ 144 Nd post-erosional source which may contain recycled ancient sediment. This enriched mantle domain may also underlie the Ontong-Java and Manihiki Plateaus to the north and west. Although both the Samoan shield and post-erosional lavas show chemical characteristics often associated with mantle plumes, only the shield volcanism can plausibly be related to a plume. The post-erosional eruptions appear to be the result of flexure and rifting due to plate bending at the northern termination of the Tonga Trench.
Science and taste. Painting, passions, and the new philosophy in seventeenth-century Leiden.

This article argues that the art collection owned by Franciscus dele Boe, Sylvius, a professor of practical medicine at the University of Leiden from 1658 to 1672, gives insight into some aspects of the character and significance of the new philosophy in the midseventeenth century. Through his teaching, his advocacy, and his practice of the new experimental philosophy, Sylvius played a role in shaping and institutionalizing the practices of the new philosophy that spread throughout Europe in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Sylvius's house design and large painting collection also exemplified the consumption and taste of the northern Netherlands in the seventeenth century. An examination of both Sylvius's science and his taste can help us understand what was at stake for Sylvius and his contemporaries in their practice of the new philosophy. This article finds that Sylvius's taste and his science both involved practices of social distinction, demarcation, and control. Moreover, both were enmeshed in controversy about the epistemological status of knowledge gained through the senses and about the practices by which that knowledge was gathered.
Thermodynamic Analysis of a Hydrophobic Binding Site: Probing the PDZ Domain with Nonproteinogenic Peptide Ligands

[structure: see text] Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is used to study the thermodynamic consequences of systematically modifying the hydrophobic character of a single residue in a series of protein-binding ligands. By substituting standard and nonproteinogenic aliphatic amino acids for the C-terminal valine of the hexapeptide KKETEV, binding to the third PDZ domain (PDZ3) of the PSD-95 protein is characterized by distinct changes in the Gibbs free energy (DeltaG), enthalpy (DeltaH), and entropy (TDeltaS) parameters. One notable observation is that peptide binding affinity can be improved with a nonstandard residue.
Clinical, sociodemographic, and local system factors associated with a hospital death among cancer patients

Objective The study was conducted to examine factors associated with hospital deaths among a group of cancer patients.
Impact of Changes in Climate and Halocarbons on Recent Lower Stratosphere Ozone and Temperature Trends

The primary focus of this paper is the analysis of the roles of long-term increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and sea surface temperatures (used as indicators of climate change) and man-made halocarbons (indicators of chemical ozone depletion linked to halogens) in explaining the observed trend of ozone in the tropical lower stratosphere and implications for related variables including temperature and tropopause height. Published estimates indicate a decrease of approximately 10% in observed ozone concentrations in this region between 1979 and 2005. Using a coupled chemistry–climate atmosphere model forced by observed sea surface temperatures and surface concentrations of long-lived greenhouse gases and halocarbons, the authors show that the simulations display substantial decreases in tropical ozone that compare well in both latitudinal and vertical structure with those observed. Based on sensitivity simulations, the analysis indicates that the decreases in the lower stratospheric (85–50 hPa) tropical ozone distribution are mostly associated with increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures, in contrast to those at higher latitudes, which are largely driven by halocarbon increases. Factors influencing temperature trends and tropopause heights in this region are also probed. It is shown that the modeled temperature trends in the lower tropical stratosphere are also associated with increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures. Following the analysis of lower stratospheric tropical temperature trends, the secondary focus of this paper is on related changes in tropopause height. Much of the simulated tropopause rise in the tropical zone as measured by tropopause height is found to be linked to increases in sea surface temperatures and CO2, while increases in halocarbons dominate the tropopause height changes in the subtropics near 308; both drivers thus affect different regions of the simulated changes in the position of the tropopause. Finally, it is shown that halocarbon increases dominate the changes in the width of the region where modeled total ozone displays tropical character (as indicated by low values of the column abundance). Hence the findings suggest that climate changes and halocarbon changes make different contributions to different metrics used to characterize tropical change.
On the calculation of crystal field parameters

Abstract A new method is presented for calculating crystal field splittings. The method includes the effect of orthogonalization to ligand orbitals by grouping the latter terms into an effective repulsive potential. It is shown by a very general argument that this repulsive potential should cancel to high accuracy the excess attractive potential obtained when point-ion ligands are replaced by distributed-charge ligands. This result therefore provides a qualitative justification for the empirical success of the Van Vleck point-ion approximation for crystal fields.
q-gram matching using tree models

q-gram matching is used for approximate substring matching problems in a wide range of application areas, including intrusion detection. In this paper, we present a tree-based model to perform fast linear time q-gram matching. All q-grams present in the text are stored in a tree structure similar to trie. We use a tree redundancy pruning algorithm to reduce the size of the tree without losing any information. We also use suffix links for fast q-gram search during query matching. We compare our work with the Rabin-Karp-based hash-table technique, commonly used for multiple q-gram search. We present results of experiments on system call sequence data used for intrusion detection.
Cesium hafnium chloride: A high light yield, non-hygroscopic cubic crystal scintillator for gamma spectroscopy

We report on the scintillation properties of Cs2HfCl6 (cesium hafnium chloride or CHC) as an example of a little-known class of non-hygroscopic compounds having the generic cubic crystal structure of K2PtCl6. The crystals are easily growable from the melt using the Bridgman method with minimal precursor treatments or purification. CHC scintillation is centered at 400 nm, with a principal decay time of 4.37 μs and a light yield of up to 54 000 photons/MeV when measured using a silicon CCD photodetector. The light yield is the highest ever reported for an undoped crystal, and CHC also exhibits excellent light yield nonproportionality. These desirable properties allowed us to build and test CHC gamma-ray spectrometers providing energy resolution of 3.3% at 662 keV.
Social Cohesion and Islamic Radicalization: Implications from the Uighur Insurgency

This article starts with a critical review of the current literature on the Islamic radicalization and Uighur insurgency in Xinjiang, pointing out that existing literature focuses too narrowly on certain aspects of the Uighur insurgency, and is insufficient to explain the causal mechanism of the insurgency and Islamic radicalization. Built upon historical evidence, this article uses sociological analysis to explore the structural changes in the Uighur community over the past decades, and demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of social cohesion theory in identifying the key causal variables which underlie and determine the course of Uighur insurgency and Islamic radicalization. The last section of the article offers policy implications on Islamic radicalization prevention at both international and domestic levels, and on how to reduce the negative impact of Islamic radicalism on national security and stability. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol3/iss3/4 39 Social Cohesion and Islamic Radicalization: Implications from the Uighur Insurgency
Comparison of various ultraviolet sources for fluorescent detection of ethidium bromide-DNA complexes in polyacrylamide gels

Abstract Ultraviolet sources with output wavelengths of 254, 300, and 366 nm were compared for detection of ethidium bromide-DNA complexes in acrylamide gels. The 254- and 300-nm sources were both much more sensitive than the 366-nm source. The 254-nm source produced a great deal of photodamage, photonicking and photodimerization, and photobleaching, while the longer wavelength sources cause little damage or bleaching. The 300-nm source is clearly the most suitable source, providing high sensitivity and a relatively low amount of photodamage and photobleaching.
Effects of compression on transillumination measurements of blood flow and chromophore concentrations in human breast tissue.

We combine diffuse optical spectroscopic and correlation measurements of human breast tissue under compression. We expect a contrast between healthy (organized) and cancerous (chaotic) vascular response. Initial results suggest significant flow changes under compression.
An introduction to obtaining extramural funding

The ability to obtain extramural funding is a critical part of developing a successful academic career. This manuscript provides an introduction to the sources of funding, the process by which a research proposal is developed, and the process by which a research proposal is reviewed and funding. Emphasis is placed on the process of grant review is performed at the National Institutes of Health.
Vision-based guidance of an agriculture tractor

The ordered structure of agricultural row crops can provide useful guidance information for tractor control. A description of research for coupling a machine vision system and a solid-state camera to derive vehicle guidance parameters for a tractor is presented. Image segmentation is enhanced by optical filtering and controlling light intensity to the image sensor. An analysis of camera location and steering errors that can be determined from the row crops is determined by simulating the geometric relationships between the crop canopy and the image plane.
PINE-SPARKY

Summary: PINE-SPARKY supports the rapid, user-friendly and efficient visualization of probabilistic assignments of NMR chemical shifts to specific atoms in the covalent structure of a protein in the context of experimental NMR spectra. PINE-SPARKY is based on the very popular SPARKY package for visualizing multidimensional NMR spectra (T. D. Goddard and D. G. Kneller, SPARKY 3, University of California, San Francisco). PINE-SPARKY consists of a converter (PINE2SPARKY), which takes the output from an automated PINE-NMR analysis and transforms it into SPARKY input, plus a number of SPARKY extensions. Assignments and their probabilities obtained in the PINE-NMR step are visualized as labels in SPARKY's spectrum view. Three SPARKY extensions (PINE Assigner, PINE Graph Assigner, and Assign the Best by PINE) serve to manipulate the labels that signify the assignments and their probabilities. PINE Assigner lists all possible assignments for a peak selected in the dialog box and enables the user to choose among these. A window in PINE Graph Assigner shows all atoms in a selected residue along with all atoms in its adjacent residues; in addition, it displays a ranked list of PINE-derived connectivity assignments to any selected atom. Assign the Best-by-PINE allows the user to choose a probability threshold and to automatically accept as “fixed” all assignments above that threshold; following this operation, only the less certain assignments need to be examined visually. Once assignments are fixed, the output files generated by PINE-SPARKY can be used as input to PINE-NMR for further refinements. Availability: The program, in the form of source code and binary code along with tutorials and reference manuals, is available at http://pine.nmrfam.wisc.edu/PINE-SPARKY. Contact:whlee@nmrfam.wisc.edu; markley@nmrfam.wisc.edu
Visualizing ambivalence: showing what mixed feelings look like

Measures of ambivalence in public opinion have grown in prominence in recent years within a variety of fields because of evidence that they may better represent how people hold opinions than traditional Likert-type scales. Rather than assume people hold only positive or negative feelings toward a person or issue, these measures assume positive and negative feelings may co-occur as mixed feelings. Using information visualization and interactive storytelling techniques, we aim to show a broad audience how ambivalence data might be interpreted and demonstrate the utility of measuring ambivalence. Our resulting visualization, MixedFeelings.us, shows data from a survey of undergraduates on 14 topics of public interest and uses design elements like small multiples and animation as well as brief narratives to illustrate core concepts.
The role of incentives and communication in strategic alliances: an experimental investigation

This paper experimentally examines the determinants of the deviation between potential and realized value creation in strategic alliances. To better understand how decision making in alliances may influence success, we use an experimental design that juxtaposes two important factors that affect alliance members' decisions: economic incentives and communication. The evidence from our experiment sheds light on the relative impact of each, and more importantly, how both factors interact to explain successful outcomes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Disaster relief efforts: an update:

A vast literature currently exists focusing on disaster response. This literature clearly suggests that victims of natural disasters need outside support to cope with hardships and distress caused by extreme events. This is particularly true for victims in developing countries, where disasters create demands that cannot be met by domestic resources. However, many hazard researchers claim that relief goods that are often sent are not properly distributed and these goods are often not of the appropriate type nor sufficient in quantity. These researchers further claim that emergency aid is counter-productive and it increases dependency on external sources. The objective of this paper is to critically review the provision of disaster relief in developing countries, with special reference to Bangladesh. The primary emphasis of this paper is on changes that have occurred in the area of disaster relief over the last three decades. This paper provides evidence that, because of these changes, relief efforts have b...
Study of the Renormalization Group for Small Coupling Constants

A renormalizable quantum field theory is said to be stagnant if it is asymptotically free. We study the renormalization group for small coupling constants. In particular the pseudoscalar-fermion theory with an internal-symmetry group $G$ and in which the coupling matrix furnishes a representation of $G$ is considered. A representation is said to be stagnant if the associated theory is stagnant. We show that Cartan's four families $A$, $B$, $C$, $D$ and the exceptional algebra ${\mathrm{G}}_{2}$ possess no stagnant representation. On the basis of this result we conjecture that there are no asymptotically free quantum field theories in four dimensions. Some possible asymptotic behaviors of field theories are also described.
Basal cell carcinoma vs basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: an immunohistochemical reappraisal

Typical cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are morphologically dissimilar. It is well known, however, that poorly differentiated SCC may assume a basaloid phenotype, complicating the histologic distinction between these 2 neoplasms. Selected immunohistochemical stains have been used in the past to aid in that differential diagnosis. In the current study, additional markers were evaluated to determine whether they would be helpful in that regard. Twenty-nine cases of metatypical (squamoid) BCC (MBCC) and 25 examples of basaloid SCC (BSCC) were studied using the antibodies Ber-EP4 and MOC-31 as well as a plant lectin preparation from Ulex europaeus I (UEA-1). The resulting immunostains were interpreted independently by 3 pathologists, and the results showed that MBCCs demonstrated strong and diffuse staining for Ber-EP4 (25/29) and MOC-31 (29/29). In contrast, BSCCs tended to be only sporadically reactive for both markers (4/25 and 1/25 cases, respectively). Labeling for UEA-1 was observed in almost all BSCCs (24/25), but only 6 of 29 cases of MBCC showed limited, focal staining with that lectin. These data suggest that MOC-31 is a useful marker in the specified differential diagnosis, especially when used together with UEA-1.
Geriatric Oncology for the 21st Century: A Call for Action

The recently released Institute of Medicine report further emphasizes the need for the oncology community to optimize care of older patients with cancer.
Pubovaginal sling: 4-YEAR outcome analysis and quality of life assessment.

Purpose: Stress urinary incontinence is a common disease with a devastating impact on patient quality of life. Needle suspension procedures, which produce disappointing long-term results for type II stress incontinence, are being replaced by pubovaginal slings which previously were reserved solely for the treatment of type III stress incontinence. We report the long-term outcomes of pubovaginal slings for the treatment of types II and III stress urinary incontinence, and assess its quality of life impact.Materials and Methods: From January 1993 until December 1996, 247 females 10 to 84 years old (mean age 54.5) with type II (54%) or III (46%) stress urinary incontinence diagnosed by fluoroscopic urodynamics received a pubovaginal sling. Concomitant urge incontinence was present in 109 patients (44%). Quality of life was assessed with the Urogenital Distress Inventory short form.Results: At a mean followup of 51 months (range 22 to 68) the continence rates were 88% overall, 91% for type II and 84% for type...
Collision induced far infrared spectrum of cyclopropane

Rotational collision-induced absorbance has been observed in the far I.R. spectra of cyclopropane samples and cyclopropane-argon mixtures. The part of the spectrum due to the polarizability and quadrupolar and octapolar field is calculated using the literature values of the molecular properties for this oblate symmetric top. Prolate and oblate top molecules are shown to have excess observed absorbance at different frequencies. The excess absorbance is analysed in terms of violations of the multipolar selection rule, ΔK = 0, which is caused by asymmetrical interactions during collisions.
SRC: virtual i/o caching: dynamic storage cache management for concurrent workloads

A leading cause of unpredictable application performance in distributed systems is contention at the storage layer, where resources are multiplexed among concurrent data intensive workloads. We target the shared storage cache, used to alleviate disk I/O bottlenecks, and propose a new caching paradigm to improve performance.We present the virtual I/O cache, a dynamic scheme that manages a limited storage cache resource. Application behavior and the performance of a chosen replacement policy are observed at run time, and a mechanism is designed to avoid suboptimal caching.
Behavioral Pharmacology of the Squirrel Monkey

Experiments on the effects of drugs on the behavior of the squirrel monkey have increased considerably in the 15 years since Hanson’s (1968) report on the use of this species in pharmacological experiments. More widespread usage of the squirrel monkey in both behavioral and pharmacological studies has generated a sizable amount of information. The primary emphasis of this chapter will be on summarizing characteristic behavior and drug effects under operant conditioning procedures. However, the effects of drugs on the social behavior of the squirrel monkey, as well as species comparisons of the behavioral effects of drugs, will also be treated briefly. Detailed procedures for handling squirrel monkeys and for administering drugs will not be covered, since earlier treatments of this material (Hanson, 1968; Kelleher et al., 1963) remain valid.
Detecting and quantifying introgression in hybridized populations: simplifying assumptions yield overconfidence and uncertainty

A growing threat to the conservation of many native species worldwide is genetic introgression from non-native species. Although improved molecular genetic techniques are increasing the availability of species-diagnostic markers for many species, efficient field sampling design and reliable data interpretation require accurate estimates of uncertainty associated with the detection of non-native alleles and the quantification of introgression in native populations. Using fish populations as examples, we developed a simulation model of an age-structured population that tracks the introduction and inheritance of non-native alleles across generations by simulating stochastic mating and survival of individual fish and the resulting transmission of diagnostic markers. To simulate detection and quantification of introgression, we sampled varying combinations of n fish and m diagnostic markers to detect and quantify introgression from thousands of virtual, independent fish populations for a wide range of hybridization scenarios. Using the results of simulated sampling, we quantified the extent to which common simplifying assumptions regarding population structure and inheritance mechanisms can lead to the following: (i) overconfidence in our ability to detect non-native alleles and (ii) unrealistically narrow confidence intervals for estimates of the proportion of non-native alleles present. Under many circumstances, commonly used simplifying assumptions underestimate the probability of failing to detect ongoing introgression and the uncertainty associated with estimates of introgression by orders of magnitude. Such overconfidence in our ability to detect and quantify introgression can affect critical conservation and management decisions regarding native species undergoing or at risk of introgression from non-native species.
Steady-state room temperature fluorescence and CO2 assimilation rates in intact leaves.

Steady-state room temperature variable fluorescence from leaves was measured as a function of CO2 pressure in Xanthium strumarium L. and Phaseolus vulgaris L. Measurements were made in a range of light intensities, at normal and low O2 parital pressure and over a range of temperatures.
Social Diversity and Civic Engagement The Effects of Ethnic and Social Heterogeneity on the Community Involvement of American Congregations

A growing body of research has been devoted to examining the community service activities of congregations. Yet there is much we still do not know about factors that affect variation in levels of c...
Thermodynamic Consistency between Analytic Integral Equation Theory and Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Homopolymer Melts

We present the equation of state for a coarse-grained model of polymer melts where each chain is represented as a soft colloidal particle centered on its center-of-mass. The formalism is based on the solution of the Ornstein–Zernike equation and is analytical, allowing for the formal investigation of the elements that ensure thermodynamic consistency in coarse-grained models of polymer melts. By comparing predictions from our expressions with those from computer simulations of the coarse-grained system and with atomistic polymer integral equation theory, we demonstrate that both structural and thermodynamic consistency with the atomistic level description is maintained during our coarse-graining procedures.
Nonradiative Decay Mechanism of Fluoren-9-ylidene Malononitrile Ambipolar Derivatives

We report recent results on the nonradiative decay (NRD) of fluoren-9-ylidene malononitrile (FM) ambipolar derivatives (FMDs). 2,7- and 3,6-disubstituted FMDs present distinctive photophysics. Charge separation was found dominant for excited state relaxation. The radiative decay (RD) is sensitive to changes in temperature and solvent medium only for the case of 3,6-FMDs. Excited state deactivation of carbazole-containing 3,6-FMD (CPAFM36) was exclusively nonradiative in polar solvents with excited state lifetimes shorter than 10 ps. The charge separation/recombination mechanism of the corresponding FMDs is suggested to fall in the inverted Marcus region of electron transfer. Given the electron-withdrawing properties of the FM unit, its ambipolar derivatives are suggested as potential candidates for air-stable organic thin-film transistors and molecular organic photovoltaics.
GaP/InGaAs/InGaSb triple junction current matched photovoltaic cell with optimized thickness and quantum efficiency

Abstract III–V multijunction solar cell technology demands high efficiency for its cost effective production. The proposed new combination of GaP/InGaAs/InGaSb triple junction solar cell is designed to convert more incident photons to electricity, executing higher internal quantum efficiency and promoting higher efficiency solar cells. The use of InGaSb (0.54 eV) as a bottom subcell layer empowers the collection of photons deeper in the infrared spectrum. The efficiency of the proposed multijunction solar cell is 23.53% under 1 sun concentration for AM 1.5 Global spectrum. This paper presents the optimization of quantum efficiency and current matching for each subcell layer with the change in thicknesses and doping concentrations. The work also maximizes open circuit voltage obtained from each of the subcell layers.
The emergence of humanity’s self-awareness

Abstract A fundamental difference between humans and other animals is that humans are highly self-aware while other complex animals are less so; and simple creatures like mosquitos are not self-aware at all. Some researchers believe that self-awareness is an emergent property of a complex neural network. If this is so, then high self-awareness should appear when a neural network approaches the complexity of the human brain (∼90 billion neurons and 1014 synapses). If one takes a much broader view and considers all of humanity as a neural network, then today there are ∼7 billion individual human elements, of whom ∼3 billion are interconnected via computers, smart phones, tablets, and the Internet. By morphological analogy, as human interconnectivity continues to grow and strengthen, eventually humanity will approach ∼70 billion interconnected humans, at which point we will become highly self-aware as a single human super-organism. This organismal self-awareness may manifest itself as the elimination of wars, hunger, and strife, and as the collaboration of all individual elements working together for the greater good of humanity. It is projected that this organismal self-awareness will occur between the years 2400 and 2600.
MRI Correlates of Pediatric Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Syndromes (S12.006)

OBJECTIVE: To describe MRI lesion locations and related clinical sequelae in pediatric neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). BACKGROUND: NMOSD is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system distinct from multiple sclerosis and associated with aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-IgG). Revised core characteristics for diagnosis include clinical syndromes and/or MRI findings beyond the optic nerve and spinal cord. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of children meeting 2015 NMOSD diagnostic criteria seen at a single tertiary care pediatric demyelinating disease clinic from 2002 to 2015. RESULTS: Of the twenty-eight pediatric patients with NMOSD, twenty (71.4[percnt]) were female and eight (28.6[percnt]) were male, imaging was available for twenty-seven. A majority of the patients experienced attacks that included transverse myelitis (92.6[percnt]), optic neuritis (77.8[percnt]) or both (77.8[percnt]). Most patients (89[percnt]) presented with radiological findings outside of the optic nerve and spinal cord, including: supratentorial regions, brainstem, hypothalamus, cerebellum and thalamus (in descending order of frequency). Of the twenty patients with supratentorial lesions, the temporal lobe was the most common site of involvement (68.2[percnt]), followed by the frontal (36.4[percnt]), parietal (27.3[percnt]) and occipital (13.6[percnt]) lobes. Thirteen (46.4[percnt]) patients tested positive for AQP4-IgG. Interestingly, two patients were also seropositive for NMDAR antibodies and presented with symptoms of encephalopathy. One patient showed significant mesial temporal sclerosis. With respect to other diagnostic features: 46.4[percnt] presented with area postrema syndrome, 39.3[percnt] with acute brainstem syndrome, 32.1[percnt] with diencephalic clinical syndrome and 35.7[percnt] with symptomatic cerebral impairments including altered mental status (AMS), seizures, and expressive aphasia. CONCLUSIONS: Outside of typical optic neuritis and transverse myelitis, pediatric NMOSD presents with diagnostic features including area postrema and brainstem syndromes as well as atypical symptoms of encephalopathy, seizures, and aphasia. In cerebral disease we find temporal lobe lesions predominate and patients presenting with AMS may benefit from additional testing for NMDAR antibodies. Disclosure: Dr. Hauser has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lotze has nothing to disclose.
Standardized Direct Observation Assessment Tool: Using a Training Video.

Abstract Background We developed a DVD training tool to educate physicians evaluating emergency residents on accurate Standardized Direct Observation Assessment Tool (SDOT) application. Objective Our goal was to assess whether this training video improved attendings' and senior residents' SDOT use. Methods Participants voluntarily completed SDOT evaluations based on a scripted “test” video. A DVD with “positive” and “negative” scenarios of proper SDOT use was viewed. It included education on appropriate recording of 26 behaviors. The test scenario was viewed again and follow-up SDOTs submitted. Performances by attendings and residents on the pre- and post-test SDOTs were compared. Results Twenty-six attendings and 26 senior residents participated. Prior SDOT experience was noted for 8 attendings and 11 residents. For 20 anchors, participants recorded observed behaviors with statistically significant difference on one each of the pretest (no. 20; p = 0.034) and post-test (no. 14; p = 0.041) SDOTs. On global competency assessments, pretest medical knowledge (p = 0.016) differed significantly between groups. The training intervention changed one anchor (no. 5; p = 0.035) and one global assessment (systems-based practice; p = 0.031) more negatively for residents. Recording SDOTs with exact agreement occurred 48.73% for attendings pretest and 54.41% post-test; resident scores were 45.86% and 49.55%, respectively. DVD exposure slightly raised attending scores (p = 0.289) and significantly lowered resident scores (p = 0.046). Conclusions Exposure to an independently developed SDOT training video tended to raise attending scores, though without significance, while at the same time lowered senior resident scores statistically significantly. Emergency attendings' and senior residents' SDOT scoring rarely differed with significance; about half of anchor behaviors were recorded with exact agreement. This suggests senior residents, with appropriate education, may participate in SDOT assessment.
Lung epithelial cell focal adhesion kinase signaling inhibits lung injury and fibrosis

Progressive pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating consequence of many acute and chronic insults to the lung. Lung injury leads to alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) death, destruction of the basement membrane, and activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). There is subsequent resolution of the injury and a coordinated and concurrent initiation of fibrosis. Both of these processes may involve activation of similar intracellular signaling pathways regulated in part by dynamic changes to the extracellular matrix. Matrix signaling can augment the profibrotic fibroblast response to TGF-β. However, similar matrix/integrin signaling pathways may also be involved in the inhibition of ongoing TGF-β-induced AEC apoptosis. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is an integrin-associated signaling molecule expressed by many cell types. We used mice with AEC-specific FAK deletion to isolate the epithelial aspect of integrin signaling in the bleomycin model of lung injury and fibrosis. Mice with AEC-specific deletion of FAK did not exhibit spontaneous lung injury but did have significantly greater terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick-end labeling-positive cells (18.6 vs. 7.1) per ×200 field, greater bronchoalveolar lavage protein (3.2 vs. 1.8 mg/ml), and significantly greater death (77 vs. 19%) after bleomycin injury compared with littermate control mice. Within primary AECs, activated FAK directly associates with caspase-8 and inhibits activation of the caspase cascade resulting in less apoptosis in response to TGF-β. Our studies support a model in which dynamic changes to the extracellular matrix after injury promote fibroblast activation and inhibition of epithelial cell apoptosis in response to TGF-β through FAK activation potentially complicating attempts to nonspecifically target this pathway for antifibrotic therapy.
Oil, Dissent, and Distribution

Summary This study reveals that social forces condition the extent to which oil-rich nations provide vital public services to the population. Although it is often assumed that oil wealth leads to the formation of a distributive state that generously provides services in the areas of water, sanitation, education, health care, or infrastructure, this study shows that the spread of political dissent conditions the effect of oil wealth on the actual patterns of service distribution. Quantitative tests reveal that oil-rich nations who experience demonstrations or riots provide better water and sanitation services than oil-rich nations who do not experience such dissent. Subsequent tests find that oil-rich nations who experience nonviolent, mass-based movements provide better water and sanitation services than those who experience violent, mass-based movements. The causal mechanisms between oil, dissent, and distribution are evaluated through a case study of Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province. The analysis begins with the early days of Aramco and examines how mobilization activities and the rise of Sunni–Shiite sectarianism altered service distribution in the province. This study provides evidence that social forces can shape the extent to which oil wealth benefits the nation and improves the population’s quality of life.
A Review of Autism-Society.org

ABSTRACTAutism Society is a grassroots organization developed by Dr. Bernard Rimland, Dr. Ruth Sullivan, and parents of children with autism to help those affected by autism. This grassroots organization strives to achieve the goal of promoting public awareness of the struggles that those in the autism spectrum face on a daily basis and ensuring that services are received across their lifespan. In order to keep advocates and those who are in the spectrum well informed, the organization’s website includes the most current information on treatment, education, research, and advocacy.
Women, Older Adult, and LGBTQ Populations with Disabilities in Rural, Frontier, and Territory Communities

Individually and collectively, women, older adults, and LGBTQ populations with disabilities in rural communities face unique challenges that are gender, age, gender identity, gender expression, and disability specific. For some, the intersection of these and positionalities provides a framework for how to guide a meaningful approach to service delivery. In this chapter, we focus on barriers to employment and quality of life for women, older adults, and LGTBQ populations in rural, frontier, and territory communities. Information is presented on how community and cultural dispositions, perceptual attributes, and geographic remoteness influence a client’s responsiveness to vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and the counselor’s understanding of how to meet the unique needs and expectations of women, older adults, and LGBTQ populations. In general, people are living longer and staying in the workforce longer, and in some instances, with age comes increased disability.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of smoking cessation interventions using cell phones in a low-income population

Background The prevalence of cigarette smoking is significantly higher among those living at or below the federal poverty level. Cell phone-based interventions among such populations have the potential to reduce smoking rates and be cost-effective. Methods We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of three smoking cessation interventions: Standard Care (SC) (brief advice to quit, nicotine replacement therapy and self-help written materials), Enhanced Care (EC) (SC plus cell phone-delivered messaging) and Intensive Care (IC) (EC plus cell phone-delivered counselling). Quit rates were obtained from Project ACTION (Adult smoking Cessation Treatment through Innovative Outreach to Neighborhoods). We evaluated shorter-term outcomes of cost per quit and long-term outcomes using cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Results For men, EC cost an additional $541 per quit vs SC; however, IC cost an additional $5232 per quit vs EC. For women, EC was weakly dominated by IC—IC cost an additional $1092 per quit vs SC. Similarly, for men, EC had incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $426 per QALY gained vs SC; however, IC resulted in ICER of $4127 per QALY gained vs EC. For women, EC was weakly dominated; the ICER of IC vs SC was $1251 per QALY gained. The ICER was below maximum acceptable willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000 per QALY under all alternative modelling assumptions. Discussion Cell phone interventions for low socioeconomic groups are a cost-effective use of healthcare resources. Intensive Care was the most cost-effective strategy both for men and women. Trial registration number NCT00948129; Results.
SYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS: THE DISCOURSES OF BRIEF THERAPY

The author describes how brief therapy has evolved in the past 10 to 15 years from ecosystemic to solution-focused brief therapy. SFBT is characterized as a radically constructivist approach to personal problems which emphasizes how troubles and solutions are socially constructed realities.
Subjektivierte Professionalität. Zur Selbstprofessionalisierung von Arbeitskraftunternehmern und arbeitenden Kunden

Professionalitat ist ein traditionelles Thema der mit Arbeit befassten Soziologie. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Frage, ob gegenwartig ein Wandel des gesellschaftlichen Verstandnisses von Professionalitat bzw. des Umgangs mit den Anforderungen an professionelle oder uberhaupt fachlich „gute Arbeit“ stattfindet. Es gibt Hinweise darauf, dass zuverlassige Arbeit und Arbeitsqualitat in wichtigen Bereichen gefahrdet sind.
The Intracellular Site of Action of Insulin: The Mitochondrial Krebs Cycle

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the intracellular site of action of insulin involving the mitochondrial Krebs cycle. To begin with, there is at present no coherent model that accounts, through the process of partial phosphorylation or dephosphorylation of enzymes or other proteins, for all of the manifold actions of insulin on cells. It is known that insulin stimulates the uptake of glucose most effectively in fat cells in which mitochondria are close to the plasma membrane. Also, much evidence has accumulated to show that insulin reverses the net catabolism of protein, glycogen, and fat and promotes their build up and storage. Furthermore, insulin stimulates the incorporation into protein of primarily those pyruvate carbons that are converted to glutamic acid through the Krebs cycle. Insulin has a far greater stimulatory effect on the incorporation into protein of the methylene carbons of succinate than the carboxyl carbons. This can be attributed to the fact that carbons 2 and 3 of succinate either reenter the cycle as acetyl-CoA or remain in the mitochondrial Krebs cycle for a second or third opportunity to be converted to glutamate by the transamination of α-KG.
Mini-Open ALIF for Degenerative Spine and Adult Deformity: Surgical Technique and the Evidence

Abstract With advances in surgical technique and spinal instrumentation, the mini-open anterior approach has become increasingly utilized for lumbar interbody placement. The anterior approach is not only less disruptive regarding muscular dissection, but also provides excellent visualization of the entire disc space and a large bed for fusion. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) provides indirect decompression through restoration of foraminal height and has been found to produce the most potential segmental correction. Although ALIF is associated with some unique complications, it is now routinely used in cases of degenerative and isthmic spondylolisthesis, pseudarthrosis after posterior fusions, adult spinal deformity, and cases of degenerative disc disease.