cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Consideration of a Balanced Amalgamation of Learning Strategies in Graduate Introductory Statistics Classes.

This study considers the effectiveness of a “balanced amalgamated” approach to teaching graduate level introductory statistics. Although some research stresses replacing traditional lectures with more active learning methods, the approach of this study is to combine effective lecturing with active learning and team projects. The results of this study indicate that such a balanced amalgamated approach to learning not only improves student cognition of course material, but student morale as well. An instructional approach that combines mini-lectures with in-class active-learning activities appears to be a better approach than traditional lecturing alone for teaching graduate-level students.
Adherence to Psychotropic and Nonpsychotropic Medication Among Patients With Bipolar Disorder and General Medical Conditions.

Objective:This study assessed the relationship between nonadherence to psychotropic and nonpsychotropic medications for 88 patients nonadherent to medication treatment for bipolar disorder.Methods:This descriptive study was part of a clinical trial promoting medication adherence. Nonadherence was defined as ≥20% of days with missed doses.Results:A majority of the sample was female and had type I bipolar disorder; 49% had hypertension, 39% had hyperlipidemia, and 69% smoked; average body mass index was 34, and 65% were obese. The median proportion of days with missed doses was 53.6% (interquartile ratio [IQR]=38.10%−73.40%) for psychotropic medications and 33.93% (IQR=13.81%−51.91%) for nonpsychotropic medications. There was a significant difference between nonadherence to psychotropic and nonpsychotropic medication for the past week (z=−4.11, p<.001) and past month (z=−4.19, p<.001). More global psychopathology was associated with nonpsychotropic nonadherence.Conclusions:Psychotropic adherence was worse t...
The Body Market: Race Politics & Private Ordering

In this article, Goodwin challenges the presumption that organs should always and only be altruistically acquired and takes on the well-worn race card rhetoric in the organ transplantation domain. The author describes “race card politics” as attempts to exploit race and obfuscate meaningful public policy debate on alternative organ procurement regimes. The author critiques race as a proxy in organ transplantation disclosure and illustrates why race-based opposition to compensation for organ sharing ignores organ demand, particularly from African American patients. Goodwin argues that lifesaving advancements in biotechnology to treat illnesses have outpaced the legislative process and suggest that regulated markets in human biological supply could better meet organ demand. She suggests that a transformative approach to organ transplantation might relieve organ demand, increase access for transplant candidates of color, and better achieve social justice. The author concludes by offering several strategies to increase the supply of organs and suggesting several key measures that might lead to more effective organ procurement.
In Vitro Expansion of Hematopoietic Progenitors and Maintenance of Stem Cells: Comparison Between FLT3/FLK-2 Ligand and KIT Ligand

The effects of FLT3/FLK-2 ligand (FL) and KIT ligand (KL) on in vitro expansion of hematopoietic stem cells were studied using lineage-negative (Lin-)Sca-1-positive (Sca-1+) c-kit-positive (c-kit+) marrow cells from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-treated mice. As single agents, neither FL nor KL could effectively support the proliferation of enriched cells in suspension culture. However, in combination with interleukin-11 (IL-11), both FL and KL enhanced the production of nucleated cells and progenitors. The kinetics of stimulation by FL was different from that by KL in that the maximal expansion by FL of the nucleated cell and progenitor pools required a longer incubation than with KL. We then tested the reconstituting abilities of cells cultured for 1, 2, and 3 weeks by transplanting the expanded Ly5.1 cells together with "compromised" marrow cells into lethally irradiated Ly5.2 mice. Cells that had been expanded with either cytokine combination were able to maintain the reconstituting ability of the original cells. Only cells that had been incubated with KL and IL-11 for 21 days had less reconstituting ability than fresh marrow cells. These results indicate that there can be significant expansion of progenitors in vitro without compromising the reconstituting ability of stem cells. Addition of IL-3 to permissive cytokine combinations significantly reduced the ability of cultured cells to reconstitute the hematopoiesis of irradiated hosts. These observations should provide a basis for a rational approach to designing cytokine combinations for in vitro expansion of hematopoietic stem cells.
Validity judgments of rumors heard multiple times: the shape of the truth effect

AbstractResearch on the illusory truth effect has found that repeated presentation of uncertain statements increases validity judgments of those statements. Three experiments explored the shape of the repetition–validity–judgment relationship over multiple repetitions, the mediating role of processing fluency, and the moderating role of dispositional skepticism. Participants read narratives in which different rumors were repeated 0–6 or 0–9 times; validity estimates, processing fluency, and dispositional skepticism were also measured. Validity judgments were logarithmically related to repetitions; this effect was mediated by processing fluency, and moderated slightly by skepticism. Results explore the boundaries of the processing fluency contrast account of the illusory truth effect, suggest a minor role for skepticism, and inform research on belief in rumor (uncertain statements in circulation).
Commodifying Black Latinidad in US Film and Television

This article analyzes textual constructions of Black Latinidad and negotiations of ethnic and racial identity in the cultural commodification of Black Latina/o actors. It documents the ambivalent process of cultural commodification for producing polysemic texts of Black Latinidad that counter dominant constructions of Latinidad as “brown” and exists in tension with dominant understandings of US Black identity as static and unchanging. By expanding on research (Balaji, 2009; Saha, 2012; Watts & Orbe, 2002) that positions actors as willing participants in the production and distribution of themselves as commodities that may accumulate capital, this article situates cultural representations of Black Latinidad in mainstream film and television to articulate the conditions under which Black Latina/o actors gain value as commodities through the accumulation of racial capital.
Stressors and barriers to help seeking for psychological distress among students attending a rural university.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth ages 15-24 years and the second leading cause of death among college students (Centers for Disease Control, 2011). Reports from the National College Health Assessment (ACHA) indicate that 45.6% of college students felt hopeless, 85.2% felt overwhelmed, 60.7% felt very sad, and 6.2% reported seriously considering suicide during the previous 12 months (American College Health Association, 2010). Despite the high percentage of students who described feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, and sad, only 6.8% reported seeking help for this psychological distress (American College Health Association, 2010). An important key to reducing suicides is the ability to attend to the barriers that prevent students from seeking help (Rickwood, Deane, Wilson & Ciarrochi, 2005; Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2010). One important component of successful suicide prevention programs in university settings is to increase help-seeking behaviors for students experiencing high levels of stress or mental health problems (Silverman & Litts, 2010). The Healthy Adolescent Psychosocial Development Working Group has supported the need for examining this health disparity and calls for research to examine adolescents in transition in diverse settings as well as interrelationships among settings and individuals (Halpern-Felsher, Millstein & Irwin, 2002). The goal of this exploratory study was to identify the perceived barriers to help-seeking for psychological distress among students attending a small, rural university and to identify stressors that may be unique to this population. Language: en
Ab initio molecular crystal structures, spectra, and phase diagrams.

Conspectus Molecular crystals are chemists' solids in the sense that their structures and properties can be understood in terms of those of the constituent molecules merely perturbed by a crystalline environment. They form a large and important class of solids including ices of atmospheric species, drugs, explosives, and even some organic optoelectronic materials and supramolecular assemblies. Recently, surprisingly simple yet extremely efficient, versatile, easily implemented, and systematically accurate electronic structure methods for molecular crystals have been developed. The methods, collectively referred to as the embedded-fragment scheme, divide a crystal into monomers and overlapping dimers and apply modern molecular electronic structure methods and software to these fragments of the crystal that are embedded in a self-consistently determined crystalline electrostatic field. They enable facile applications of accurate but otherwise prohibitively expensive ab initio molecular orbital theories such as Moller-Plesset perturbation and coupled-cluster theories to a broad range of properties of solids such as internal energies, enthalpies, structures, equation of state, phonon dispersion curves and density of states, infrared and Raman spectra (including band intensities and sometimes anharmonic effects), inelastic neutron scattering spectra, heat capacities, Gibbs energies, and phase diagrams, while accounting for many-body electrostatic (namely, induction or polarization) effects as well as two-body exchange and dispersion interactions from first principles. They can fundamentally alter the role of computing in the studies of molecular crystals in the same way ab initio molecular orbital theories have transformed research practices in gas-phase physical chemistry and synthetic chemistry in the last half century. In this Account, after a brief summary of formalisms and algorithms, we discuss applications of these methods performed in our group as compelling illustrations of their unprecedented power in addressing some of the outstanding problems of solid-state chemistry, high-pressure chemistry, or geochemistry. They are the structure and spectra of ice Ih, in particular, the origin of two peaks in the hydrogen-bond-stretching region of its inelastic neutron scattering spectra, a solid-solid phase transition from CO2-I to elusive, metastable CO2-III, pressure tuning of Fermi resonance in solid CO2, and the structure and spectra of solid formic acid, all at the level of second-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory or higher.
Acute inhibition of neurosteroid estrogen synthesis suppresses status epilepticus in an animal model

Seizures occur when connected groups of cells in the brain become over-active and fire together. Current anti-seizure medications work by reducing brain activity generally. Although this is often effective in controlling seizures, it can also lead to negative side effects like drowsiness, dizziness or difficulty concentrating. A better alternative would be to target a factor that promotes activity especially during seizures. Most people think of estrogens as being female sex hormones. However, estrogens are also made in the brain of both sexes, where they could promote activity during seizures. Sato and Woolley therefore set out to test a two-part hypothesis: that seizures stimulate the production of estrogen in the brain, and that inhibiting this production process just as seizures begin would make seizures less severe. Sato and Woolley studied male and female rats and found that in both sexes, seizures stimulate the production of estrogens in the hippocampus – a part of the brain that is often involved in seizures. Because estrogens are known to increase the activity of cells in the hippocampus, this suggested that estrogens that are produced in the brain during seizures could make seizures worse. Sato and Woolley tested this by injecting rats with a drug that inhibits estrogen production, called an aromatase inhibitor, shortly after seizures began. The drug strongly suppressed seizures, whereas control rats that did not receive the injection continued to have seizures. Overall, Sato and Woolley show that the production of estrogen in the brain escalates seizure activity, and suggest that aromatase inhibitors may be useful for controlling seizures. Several questions remain that require further study. How does seizure activity lead to estrogen being made in the brain? How do estrogen levels go back down after a seizure? What circumstances other than seizures stimulate brain estrogen production, and what roles does this production process play in activity that is not related to seizures?
Experimental Analysis on Tracing to The Source of Cholera in Anhui Province in 2009

Objective To trace the source of two cholera in Anhui province in 2009,analyze the genetic correlation between the bacterial strains isolated from the two cholera outbreaks,and provide a theoretical basis for cholera prevention and control.Methods The bacterial strains were identified by using the serological method and the conventional bacteriologic method,and were used to test for the virulence gene of cholera by PCR,and were also performed molecular subtyping of Vibrio cholera by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE).Results Three isolated strains were identified as vibrio cholera O139,and had cholera toxin gene and toxin coregulated pili gene.The strains were divided into two types by PFGE.The pattern of SZ field-isolates occurred in Fujian,Guangdong,Hunan,Jiangsu,Zhejian provinces and Chongqing city,and the strains of this pattern have accounted for 12.7% of O139 strains in the database of cholera.The pattern of HI and H2 was the same as the field-isolates in Liaoning,and there was only one strain in the database of cholera at present.Conclusion Three Strains were all toxigenic Strain,and had pathogenicity.The isolated strain of first case had the same type with the strain isolated from the soft-shelled turtle eaten by him,so the soft-shelled turtle may be one of sources of infection,and was not correlated with the second outbreak from the perspectives of molecular epidemiology.
Selling cost containment.

Health care expenditures in the United States have continued to grow despite efforts to control them. This Article discusses the need for health care reform, outlines the model that reform should follow, and considers why the United States has not progressed toward a workable solution. It introduces a single-payer approach to cost containment and explains how such an approach could be “sold” in the United States. Finally, the Article examines various ways to mobilize support for such health care reform.
Molecular genetics of corticosteroid action

The recent isolation and characterization of steroid receptor coding sequences has revolutionized the field of steroid hormone action. These studies have revealed that steroid receptors are members of a much larger nuclear receptor "super family." The ligand and DNA binding domains have been shown to be molecular components that functionally interact to transform the steroid-receptor complex into a highly specific gene regulator that induces or represses the expression of cell-specific target genes. Molecular genetic approaches have been used to study structure-function relationships of several steroid receptor proteins, the most extensive analysis has been that of the glucocorticoid receptor. Several breakthroughs in the study of steroid hormone action include the construction of novel chimeric steroid receptor proteins, functional expression of steroid receptors in yeast, and the development of sensitive cloning techniques designed to isolate low abundance, hormonally regulated transcripts.
Normal Lower Extremity Duplex Findings in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Basis for Vascular Laboratory Interpretation

Background Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been shown to cause changes in carotid artery duplex-derived flow velocity waveforms; however, possible effects on lower extremity arterial duplex (LEAD) findings have not been characterized. We sought to characterize LEAD findings in patients with LVADs to establish a basis for vascular laboratory interpretation of LEAD in patients with LVADs. Methods Retrospective single institution review of all patients with LEAD performed after LVAD implantation from 2003 to 2014. Peak systolic velocity (PSVs) of common femoral (CFA), superficial femoral (SFA), popliteal, and posterior tibial arteries (PTA) in asymptomatic extremities in patients with LVADs were compared to a control group of patients at our institution without LVADs who underwent LEAD for nonischemic indications. Arterial brachial index (ABIs) and CFA waveform acceleration times (ATs) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) were also measured. Results There were 248 LVAD patients, 29 had LEAD of at least 1 lower extremity (34 extremities, 22 asymptomatic, and 12 symptomatic) during the study period and 136 control limbs. Mean PSVs (cm/s) in the control CFA, mid SFA, popliteal, and PTA were 137 ± 4.8, 104.2 ± 4.5, 65.2 ± 2.8, and 64.6 ±3.2. Mean PSVs were significantly decreased in the LVAD patients: 49.5 ± 4.9, 40.6 ± 3.7, 27.2 ± 2.2, and 25.5 ± 2.3, P Conclusions This is the first study characterizing LEAD in lower extremity arteries in LVAD patients. PSV is significantly decreased throughout lower extremity vessels, and common femoral artery acceleration time increased. Results can serve as a basis for identifying normal LEAD findings in LVAD patients.
Shakespeare's Troy: Blazoning injustices: mutilating Titus Andronicus, Vergil, and Rome

And now he writes to heaven for his redress. See, here's “to Jove,” and this “to Mercury,” This “to Apollo,” this “to the god of war”: Sweet scrolls to fly about the streets of Rome! What's this but libelling against the senate And blazoning our injustice everywhere? (4.4.13 –18) Trimming the laurels of triumph: poetic and political inscriptions Titus Andronicus poses problems of response all the more vexed by the characters' habit of citing cultural authorities from Vergil and Ovid to Hecuba and Virginius for their gory exploits in rape, mutilation, and cannibalism. Also disturbing is Shakespeare's palpably felt hand in the play's learned butchery – he discursively re-enacts the physical violence performed by his characters – which critics generally chalk up to youthful exuberance and bad taste. Yet Shakespeare rivals, absorbs, and transforms the authorities of imperial Rome in a programmatic manner that has yet to be explained. His status as a relative newcomer to the London theatrical scene partly explains his aggressive stance toward classical models: by taking up violent, classically allusive drama, Shakespeare both joins and rivals Kyd and Marlowe in a collective struggle to transform the theater into a legitimate sphere of social influence. In Titus Andronicus , Shakespeare inaugurates his own artistic program to commandeer classical themes and events for the purposes of drama: when he manhandles the classical iconography generally reserved and polished for the court, he disturbs the normative uses for Roman authority and claims no small share of this authority for his theater. Titus Andronicus' aggressive imitations do nothing less than perform a critique of imperial Rome on the eve of its collapse and, in doing so, glance proleptically at Elizabethan England as an emergent nation.
Time-dependent deformation behavior of polyvinylidene fluoride binder: Implications on the mechanics of composite electrodes

Abstract The majority of existing battery models that simulate composite electrode behavior assume the binder as a linear elastic material due to lack of a thorough understanding of time-dependent mechanical behavior of binders. Here, thin films of polyvinylidene fluoride binder, prepared according to commercial battery manufacturing method, are subjected to standard monotonic, load-unload, and relaxation tests to characterize the time-dependent mechanical behavior. The strain in the binder samples is measured with the digital image correlation technique to eliminate experimental errors. The experimental data showed that for (charging/discharging) time scales of practical importance, polyvinylidene fluoride behaves more like an elastic-viscoplastic material as opposed to a visco-elastic material; based on this observation, a simple elastic-viscoplastic model, calibrated against the data is adopted to represent the deformation behavior of binder in a Si-based composite electrode; the lithiation/delithiation process of this composite was simulated at different C rates and the stress/strain behavior was monitored. It is observed that the linear elastic assumption of the binder leads to inaccurate results and the time-dependent constitutive behavior of the binder not only leads to accurate prediction of the mechanics but is an essential step towards developing advanced multi-physics models for simulating the degradation behavior of batteries.
A Tryptoline Ring-Distortion Strategy Leads to Complex and Diverse Biologically Active Molecules from the Indole Alkaloid Yohimbine

High-throughput screening (HTS) is the primary driver to current drug-discovery efforts. New therapeutic agents that enter the market are a direct reflection of the structurally simple compounds that make up screening libraries. Unlike medically relevant natural products (e.g., morphine), small molecules currently being screened have a low fraction of sp3 character and few, if any, stereogenic centers. Although simple compounds have been useful in drugging certain biological targets (e.g., protein kinases), more sophisticated targets (e.g., transcription factors) have largely evaded the discovery of new clinical agents from screening collections. Herein, a tryptoline ring-distortion strategy is described that enables the rapid synthesis of 70 complex and diverse compounds from yohimbine (1); an indole alkaloid. The compounds that were synthesized had architecturally complex and unique scaffolds, unlike 1 and other scaffolds. These compounds were subjected to phenotypic screens and reporter gene assays, leading to the identification of new compounds that possessed various biological activities, including antiproliferative activities against cancer cells with functional hypoxia-inducible factors, nitric oxide inhibition, and inhibition and activation of the antioxidant response element. This tryptoline ring-distortion strategy can begin to address diversity problems in screening libraries, while occupying biologically relevant chemical space in areas critical to human health.
Alexander, R. McNeill. 2003. Principles of Animal Locomotion. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, and Woodstock, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, 371 pp. ISBN 0-691-08678-8, price (hardbound), $49.50

R. McNeill Alexander,. 2003. Principles of Animal Locomotion. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, and Woodstock, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, 371 pp. ISBN 0-691-08678-8, price (hardbound), $49.50. Alexander is well known for his concise writing, exemplified in a number of high-quality books and myriad journal articles produced during an impressive career. In retirement, he continues this productivity with Principles of Animal Locomotion , reviewing our knowledge of animal locomotion and biomechanics. This book comes at a time when there is increasing discourse between biologists interested in animal movement and engineers who are versed in physics, statics, and dynamics. I enjoyed the book and learned from its examples and references. Indeed, anyone with a serious interest in mammalian mechanics should be aware of this book and the material it contains. I was impressed with Alexander's breadth of knowledge about many disparate groups of animals. Mammalogists will observe that this …
Abstinence Cinema: Virginity and the Rhetoric of Sexual Purity in Contemporary Film, by Casey Ryan Kelly

With the rise of culturally conservative discourses during the 2000 presidential election, President George W. Bush’s new administration framed heterosexuality, traditional family values, and absti...
Beware of Fixation—It Might Affect Your Experiments

Because of difficulties during the fixation in space and the often reported enhanced expression of stress-related genes in space experiments, we investigated the possible effect of fixation on gene expression. Comparing two fixatives (RNAlater and 70% ethanol) two day old Brassica rapa seedlings were either fixed by gradual exposure or immediate and complete immersion in fixative for two days. Neither fixative yielded high amounts of rRNA; RNAlater resulted in higher RNA yield in shoot tissue but qPCR data showed higher yield in ethanol-fixed material. qPCR analyses showed strongly enhanced transcripts of stress-related genes, especially in RNAlater fixed material. The data suggest that fixation artefacts may be partially responsible for effects commonly attributed to space syndromes.
Role of Cyclooxygenase-2 Pathway in Creating an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment and in Initiation and Progression of Wilms' Tumor

Wilms' tumors (WT), which accountfor 6% of all childhood cancers, arise from dysregulated differentiation of nephrogenic progenitor cells from embryonic kidneys. Though there is an improvement in the prognosis of WT, still 10% of patients with WT die due to recurrence. Thus more effective treatment approaches are necessary. We previously characterized the inflammatory microenvironment in human WT and observed the robust expression of COX-2. The aim of this study was to extend our studies to analyze the role of COX-2 pathway components in WT progression using a mouse model of WT. Herein, COX-2 pathway components such as COX-2, HIF1-α, p-ERK1/2, and p-STAT3 were upregulated in mouse and human tumor tissues. In our RPPA analysis, COX-2 was up-regulated in M15 cells after Wt1 gene was knocked down. Flow cytometry analysis showed the increased infiltration of immune suppressive inflammatory cells such as pDC's and Treg cells in tumors. The chemotactic chemokines responsible for the infiltration of these cells were also induced in CCR5 and CXCR4 dependent manner respectively. The immunosuppressive cytokines IL-10, TGF-β, and TNF-α were also up-regulated. Furthermore, more pronounced Th2 and Treg induced cytokine response was observed than Th1 response in tumors. Basing on all these evidences it is speculated that COX-2 pathway may be a beneficial target for the treatment of WT. It may be most effective as an adjuvant therapy together with other inhibitors. Thus, our current study provides a good rationale for initiating animal studies to confirm the efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors in decreasing tumor cell growth in vivo.
Expression and Functional Differences of CBFA2T (ETO, MTG) Gene Family Members in Hematopoiesis.

The CBFA2T (ETO, MTG) family has three similar family members - CBFA2T1-T3. CBFA2T1 (ETO, MTG8) and CBFA2T3 (ETO2, MTG16) are targeted by chromosomal translocations in acute myeloid leukemia. To better understand the usual hematopoietic function of this gene family, we examined the expression of CBFA2T RNA using RQ-PCR in cell-lines and human CD34+ hematopoietic cells during macrophage and erythroid differentiation. RQ-PCR on extracted RNA was performed with an icyclerQ instrument (Bio-Rad) using the Quantitect SYBR Green RT-PCR kit (Qiagen) and in vitro transcribed RNA to construct standard curves. CBFA2T3 was the most highly expressed family member in human CD34+ cells, the erythro-leukemia line K562, the myeloid line MPD, the T cell line Jurkatt and the B-cell line LCL-11. However, CBFA2T3 expression decreased by >50% during both macrophage and erythroid differentiation of human CD34+ cells. In contrast, CBFA2T1 expression was almost undetectable in human CD34+ cells and all cell lines except K562 but increased more than 20 fold during erythroid (but not macrophage) differentiation of human CD34+ cells. Extrinsic over-expression of CBFA2T1, but not CBFA2T2, significantly increased glycophorin-A and hemoglobin A expression in K562 cells, consistent with a regulatory role for CBFA2T1 in erythroid differentiation. CBFA2T2 (MTGR1) was moderately expressed in human CD34+ cells and all the cell lines and demonstrated a 2.5 fold increase in expression with macrophage differentiation but essentially no change with erythroid differentiation of human CD34+ cells. These findings suggest that despite their similarity, the CBFA2T family members have distinctive regulatory roles in hematopoietic differentiation.
Micromechanical Modeling of the Seismic Response of Gravity Retaining Walls

In this study, the analysis of the seismic response of a soil-retaining wall system is performed based on a three-dimensional microscale framework utilizing the discrete element method (DEM). The proposed method is employed to investigate the seismic response of gravity-type retaining walls with three degrees of freedom. In the simulation, the granular soil deposit is idealized as a collection of spherical soil particles; the retaining wall is simulated as a rigid block composed of clumped particles to yield the physical characteristics of a real-life retaining wall. The model is processed under the gravitational acceleration of 50 g to reduce the total duration of the simulation and dimensions of the model.
Mechanistic study of nanoparticles deposition and release in porous media

Abstract Physicochemical interaction between the nanoparticles and the pore walls can cause significant retention of nanoparticles in porous media. The objective here is to provide mechanistic model based on Extended DLVO theory to study the rate of deposition and release of nanoparticles in porous media at different temperature, ionic strength, and pH. Empirical equation has been derived to calculate zeta potential at different temperature, ionic strength, and pH. The interaction energy can be with/without energy barrier between the nanoparticles and the pore surface. The rate of deposition and release of nanoparticles in each case has been derived. Numerical model has been used to compare the theoretically calculated rates with several experimental data. Increasing the temperature decreases the energy barrier height and increases the rate of deposition. With increasing the ionic strength, the thickness of the electrostatic double layer decreases and hence the rate of deposition increases. The effect of pH on the rate of deposition depends on the location of environment pH with respect to the isoelectric point of the nanoparticles and rock. For the extreme values of pH, energy barrier exists and rate of deposition is low. However, when the pH of the solution is between the isoelectric points of the nanoparticles and rock, the energy barrier decreases and the rate of deposition increases. The rate of deposition is time dependent as it decreases with increasing the covered rock surface. The effect of surface roughness has been included in the model using the effective height and density of the surface roughness distribution. Finally, these theoretically calculated rate values are used in a numerical model of the advection-dispersion equation with source/sink term. Several experimental results have been perfectly matched that validate the theoretical calculations of the rate of deposition. The new mechanistic model for nanoparticles can be used to determine the fate of nanoparticles in porous media under different conditions of temperature, ionic strength, concentration, and pH. This model can help to understand the nanoparticles transport in porous media and effectively design nanoparticles fluid for injection into oil and gas reservoirs.
International assessments of student achievement and public confidence in education: evidence from a cross-national study

One of the overarching goals of international large-scale assessments (ILSA) is to inform public discourse about the quality of education in different countries. To fulfil this function, the Organi...
Quantum Computation of Scattering Amplitudes in Scalar Quantum Electrodynamics

We present a quantum algorithm for the calculation of scattering amplitudes of massive charged scalar particles in scalar quantum electrodynamics. Our algorithm is based on continuous-variable quantum computing architecture resulting in exponential speedup over classical methods. We derive a simple form of the Hamiltonian including interactions and a straightforward implementation of the constraint due to gauge invariance.
Proinflammatory Diets during Pregnancy and Neonatal Adiposity in the Healthy Start Study

Objective To evaluate the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) scores during pregnancy and neonatal adiposity. Study design The analysis included 1078 mother–neonate pairs in Healthy Start, a prospective prebirth cohort. Diet was assessed using repeated 24-hour dietary recalls. DII scores were obtained by summing nutrient intakes, which were standardized to global means and multiplied by inflammatory effect scores. Air displacement plethysmography measured fat mass and fat-free mass within 72 hours of birth. Linear and logistic models evaluated the associations of DII scores with birth weight, fat mass, fat-free mass, and percent fat mass, and with categorical outcomes of small- and large-for-gestational age. We tested for interactions with prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain. Results The interaction between prepregnancy BMI and DII was statistically significant for birth weight, neonatal fat mass, and neonatal percent fat mass. Among neonates born to obese women, each 1-unit increase in DII was associated with increased birth weight (53 g; 95% CI, 20, 87), fat mass (20 g; 95% CI, 7-33), and percent fat mass (0.5%; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8). No interaction was detected for small- and large-for-gestational age. Each 1-unit increase in DII score was associated a 40% increase in odds of a large-for-gestational age neonate (1.4; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0; P = .04), but not a small-for-gestational age neonate (1.0; 95% CI, 0.8-1.2; P = .80). There was no evidence of an interaction with gestational weight gain. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that an increased inflammatory milieu during pregnancy may be a risk factor for neonatal adiposity. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT02273297.
The Role of Big Data and Analytics in Utility Innovation

Chapter Overview The computational technology known as big data and its subsequent processing, analytics, are driving innovation in electric power system integration of renewable energy, outage prediction, processing of increasing volumes of smart grid data, and velocity of such data. In the age of cybersecurity, the veracity of these data is also a factor. The almost concurrent rise of cognitive computing gives new importance to unstructured data such as images and text, and the intelligent connection of real-time numerical data with written and visual data gives rise to even more innovation. The benefits of high-precision weather modeling on power demand, grid damage, and solar- and wind-based generation are also considered.
Multicenter Study of Albuterol Use Among Infants Hospitalized with Bronchiolitis.

Author(s): Condella, Anna; Mansbach, Jonathan M.; Hasegawa, Kohei; Dayan, Peter S.; Sullivan, Ashley F.; Espinola, Janice A.; Camargo, Jr., Carlos A. | Abstract: Introduction: Although bronchiolitis is a common reason for infant hospitalization, significant heterogeneity persists in its management. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that inhaled albuterol not be used in routine care of children with bronchiolitis. Our objective was to identify factors associated with pre-admission (e.g., emergency department or primary care) use of albuterol among infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis. Methods: We analyzed data from a 17-center observational study of 1,016 infants (age l1 year) hospitalized with bronchiolitis between 2011-2014. Pre-admission albuterol use was ascertained by chart review, and data were available for 1,008 (99%) infants. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify infant characteristics independently associated with pre-admission albuterol use. Results: Half of the infants (n=508) received at least one albuterol treatment before admission. Across the 17 hospitals, pre-admission albuterol use ranged from 23-84%. In adjusted analysis, independent predictors of albuterol use were the following: age ≥2 months (age 2.0-5.9 months [odds ratio (OR) 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) {1.45-3.01}] and age 6.0-11.9 months [OR 2.89, 95% CI {1.99-4.19}]); prior use of a bronchodilator (OR 1.89, 95% CI [1.24-2.90]); and presence of wheezing documented in pre-admission chart (OR 3.94, 95% CI [2.61-5.93]). By contrast, albuterol use was less likely among those with ≥7 days since the start of breathing problem (OR 0.66, 95% CI [0.44-1.00]) and parent-reported fever (OR 0.75, 95% CI [0.58-0.96]). Conclusion: Variation in pre-admission albuterol use suggests that local practice had a strong influence on use, but that patient characteristics also influenced the decision. While we agree with current guidelines in recommending against albuterol for all infants with bronchiolitis, our understanding of possible subgroups of responders may improve through investigation of infants with the identified characteristics.
Concurrent Psychotherapy Supervision

This paper reports the experiences of a supervisor/supervisee pair who experimented with a new mode of direct psychotherapy supervision. The supervisor attended most therapy sessions and directed his interventions to the supervisee. Both compared this method with traditional supervisory methods and found it superior in several respects.
The Decline of Gangsters and Politicization of Violence in Urban Bangladesh

Contrary to the Weberian ideal of a central state monopolizing the means of violence, political order in many societies requires a balance of interests between diverse ‘violence specialists’. In urban Bangladesh, gangsters have been identified as powerful actors, closely linked to politicians and the state. Often called mastan, they are portrayed as mediating access to work and public services, as running extortion networks and providing political muscle. Since the early 2000s Dhaka has seen radical change, largely undocumented to date: these gangsters are in significant decline. Many of the roles associated with these gangs continue, but now under the direct control of lower‐level factions associated with the ruling political party — a transition that has brought a greater degree of stability to the urban context. These arguments are developed through ethnographic research from a large marketplace in the centre of Dhaka, examining the rise and fall of an infamous local gangster. In developing this case, it is argued that closer attention should be given to changes in the organization of violence within societies.
An open source microcontroller based flume for evaluating swimming performance of larval, juvenile, and adult zebrafish

Zebrafish are a preferred vertebrate model for delineating genotype-phenotype relationships. One of the most studied features of zebrafish is their exceptional swimming ability. By 7 days postfertilization (dpf), zebrafish spend over two-thirds of their time engaged in spontaneous swimming activity and several months later they are capable of attaining some of the fastest swimming velocities relative to body length ever recorded in the laboratory. However, laboratory-assembled flumes capable of achieving the slow flow velocities characteristics of larvae as well as the relatively fast maximal velocities of adults have not been described in sufficient detail to allow easy replication. Here we describe an easily assembled, open-source zebrafish-scaled flume for assessing swimming performance. The flume uses two independent spherical-impeller pumps modulated by a microcontroller to achieve flow velocities ranging from 1 to 70 cm s-1. The microcontroller also monitors water temperature and flow velocity and sends these data to a personal computer for real-time display and storage. Incremental protocols for assessing maximal swimming speed (Umax) were developed, stored in custom software, and then uploaded to the microcontroller in order to assess performance of larval (14, 21, 28 dpf), juvenile (35, 42 dpf), and adult (8, 22 month) zebrafish. The flume had sufficient range and sensitivity to detect developmental changes in Umax of larvae and juveniles, an 18-24% faster Umax of adult males vs. females, and a 14-20% age-related reduction in Umax for the oldest zebrafish. Detailed information is provided to assemble and operate this low-cost, versatile, and reliable tool for assessing zebrafish swimming performance.
MONOTONICITY AND MEASURABILITY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses monotonicity and measurability. It discusses the question of existence of random solutions of random nonlinear operator equations. In general, the method for proving the randomness of the solution of the operator equation T(x,ω) = 0 is to solve the associated deterministic problem T(x) = 0 obtained by fixing the ω and then establishing the randomness of the map that associates with each ω the set of solutions of T(x) = 0. The difficulties in the latter step is that for the deterministic problem the solution need not be unique and iterative techniques need not always be available. This necessitates the study of measurability of multivalued maps. The chapter discusses the existence of a random solution for a particular nonlinear boundary value problem where the solution need not be unique to each ω and the study does not make use of any iterative techniques. The importance of the selected nonlinear boundary value problem is that it gives rise to some special properties for the set of solutions that enables to prove the randomness of the solution map.
Clinical Procedures for the Assessment of Abuse Potential

Procedures are described for assessing the abuse liability of drugs and their potential to produce physiological dependence in human volunteers. Abuse liability of a drug is determined by showing that a drug (a) is psychoactive, (b) produces euphoria, and (c) serves as a reinforcer. The strategies currently used to collect such data include objective assessment of euphoria by use of structured questionnaires and the intravenous drug self-administration paradigm. Dependence potential is determined by the ability of a drug to produce withdrawal when chronic administration is terminated (direct addiction procedure) or to block withdrawal when substituted for a drug known to produce physiological dependence (substitution procedure). Physiological dependence is viewed as a concomitant factor in the abuse potential of a drug, but not the cardinal indicator.
Lessons and Advice From Our Patients: A Focus Group of Sarcoma Survivors.

BACKGROUND Sarcomas are a rare, encompassing a heterogeneous group of malignancies. Success treatment often requires a combination of surgical resection, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. These life-altering interventions can have lasting impact on function and quality-of-life. There is little known about treatment outcomes from the perspective of sarcoma patients. PURPOSE The initial goal of this investigation was to determine the sources and categories of information patients sought at various time points in their care. In addition, we investigated how participants coped with physical and psychological issues that accompany treatment. Finally, we elicited advice on what the care team did well, and could have been done differently, during their diagnosis and recovery. METHODS A qualitative, focus group research method was utilized. A purposive sample of participants with a diagnosis of a sarcoma was identified. Three focus groups (20 total participants) were formed and audio/video recorded. The transcripts were analyzed to identify common themes and a scissor-and-sort technique was used to attribute participant comments to the identified themes. RESULTS Themes were identified and categorized into four major areas: 1) Information at diagnosis, 2) Relationship with care team, 3) Social support, and 4) Restoration to "normal." CONCLUSION We identified several areas that can be addressed to enhance patient counseling, emotional understanding, and expectations of treatment. These can serve as a guide for future research endeavors and program development.
Humble Thyself: The Imitation of Christ in Medical Missions

Missions have been a part of the Christian faith since its genesis. Various approaches to transmitting the faith through missions have been implemented over time, some with unforeseen and frankly negative long-term political, social, and even theological consequences. In medical missions specifically, the consequences include the potential of compromised individual and collective health. These vulnerabilities make it essential to consider the theoretical and practical approaches with which we as Christians engage with our neighbors. Missiologists critically and theologically consider the motives, methods, and mandates of the Christian believer in the world. Efforts to reconfigure the role of missions from a past intertwined with imperialism to one that brings each party into partnership are ongoing. In medical missions, questions about how to assume a Christian posture are complicated not only by the sociohistorical context of the missions movement, but by the fact that medicine in and of itself engenders imbalances in power. This paper puts forth a proposal for a posture in medical missions as understood through the lens of Philippians. In the context of Paul’s mission to this group of early believers, the apostle repeatedly encourages his congregation to imitate Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, he lays out what Christ did and how His followers might hope to be like Him. Paul describes Jesus’ wholly countercultural disposition and actions, giving his audience the opportunity to consider how this might inform their own lives. In so doing, he also provides a framework for understanding the ideal missionary. What follows is a Pauline construal of the call to imitation as a disciple, a discussion of how those engaging in medical missions might embody the same posture as the incarnate Christ, and a reflection on how a shift in posture might facilitate greater participation for both disciples and disciplers in God’s restoring work on earth.
Flat topological bands and eigenstate criticality in a quasiperiodic insulator

The effects of downfolding a Brillouin zone can open gaps and quench the kinetic energy by flattening bands. Quasiperiodic systems are extreme examples of this process, which leads to new phases and critical eigenstates. We analytically and numerically investigate these effects in a two-dimensional topological insulator with a quasiperiodic potential and discover a complex phase diagram. We study the nature of the resulting eigenstate quantum phase transitions; a quasiperiodic potential can make a trivial insulator topological and induce topological insulator-to-metal phase transitions through a unique universality class distinct from random systems. This wealth of critical behavior occurs concomitantly with the quenching of the kinetic energy, resulting in flat topological bands that could serve as a platform to realize the fractional quantum Hall effect without a magnetic field.