cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polyvictimization, Emotion Dysregulation, Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Behavioral Health Problems among Justice-Involved Youth: a Latent Class Analysis

Among the 90% of adolescents involved in juvenile justice who have experienced traumatic victimization, a sub-group may be at highest risk due to histories of multiple types of interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma, termed polyvictims. Latent class analyses (LCA) have identified polyvictimized subgroups in several studies of adolescents and adults, but only one study of traumatic victimization has been conducted with justice-involved youth (Ford et al. 2013). The current investigation replicates and extends that study's findings using LCA to assess a wider range of victimization- and nonvictimization-related adversities and emotion dysregulation, DSM-5 symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and behavioral health problems, such as substance use, anger, depression, somatic complaints, and suicide ideation. In a sample of juvenile detainees three latent classes were identified: mixed adversity (MA; n = 327), violent environment (VE; n = 337), and polyvictimization (PV; n = 145). In contrast to MA youth, PV youth were more likely to report exposure to all forms of adversity, and in contrast to both MA and VE youth, exposure to maltreatment and family violence, and higher levels of emotion dysregulation, PTSD, and depression/anxiety symptoms, somatic complaints, and suicidality. VE youth (vs. MA youth) were more likely to report exposure to violence and non-interpersonal traumas, and were higher on some forms of emotion dysregulation, PTSD symptoms, anger and substance use. Findings suggest that most justice-involved youth have experienced substantial adversity, with almost one in five identified as a polyvictim having experienced multiple adversities, including impaired caregivers, and evidencing the most severe problems in emotion dysregulation and PTSD, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms.
Ethnic Minority-Majority Status and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Perceived Discrimination

This study examines the role of perceived discrimination as a mediator of the relationship between ethnic minority-majority status and mental health in a sample of college students, of whom 246 were members of an ethnic minority (African American, Latino American, or Asian American) and 167 were European Americans. Ethnic minority students were significantly higher in perceived discrimination and significantly lower in mental health. African Americans were most likely to perceive racial discrimination, followed by Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans. Asian Americans reported the poorest mental health. Results of mediational analyses by ethnic status (minorities and majority) and across ethnic group pairings (Americans and European Americans, Latino Americans and European Americans, Asian Americans and European Americans) confirmed in every instance that perceived discrimination accounts for a modest part of the relationship between ethnic minority-majority status and mental health. W...
Three dimensional kinematics of visually classified lower extremity movement patterns during a single leg squat among people with chronic hip joint pain.

Describe the proportional occurrence of visually determined, lower extremity movement patterns (dynamic knee valgus [DKVal], neutral [NEU], dynamic knee varus [DKVar]) during a single leg squat (SL...
Pseudophakic Endophthalmitis: Diagnosis and Management

Eighty-three cases of endophthalmitis occurring in eyes with intraocular lenses are presented. A problem with the cataract section was felt to contribute to development of the endophthalmitis in 22% of patients. Seventy-five percent of eyes were culture positive with a microbiologic spectrum similar to other reported series without lens implants. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common organism accounting for 38% of the isolates. Therapeutic vitrectomy was performed in 46 cases (55%), generally in those eyes with the most severe inflammation. Intraocular lenses were removed in 23 cases (28%), usually to facilitate vitrectomy. Only 1 of 57 eyes with bacterial endophthalmitis could not be sterilized while the intraocular lens was retained. Visual acuity of 20/400 or better was achieved in 63% of culture positive cases, in 78% of eyes infected with S. epidermidis, and in 94% of culture negative eyes.
Effects of Virtual Reality Simulation on Worker Emergency Evacuation of Neonates

Objective This study examined differences in learning outcomes among newborn intensive care unit (NICU) workers who underwent virtual reality simulation (VRS) emergency evacuation training versus those who received web-based clinical updates (CU). Learning outcomes included a) knowledge gained, b) confidence with evacuation, and c) performance in a live evacuation exercise. Methods A longitudinal, mixed-method, quasi-experimental design was implemented utilizing a sample of NICU workers randomly assigned to VRS training or CUs. Four VRS scenarios were created that augmented neonate evacuation training materials. Learning was measured using cognitive assessments, self-efficacy questionnaire (baseline, 0, 4, 8, 12 months), and performance in a live drill (baseline, 12 months). Data were collected following training and analyzed using mixed model analysis. Focus groups captured VRS participant experiences. Results The VRS and CU groups did not statistically differ based upon the scores on the Cognitive Assessment or perceived self-efficacy. The virtual reality group performance in the live exercise was statistically (Pl.0001) and clinically (effect size of 1.71) better than that of the CU group. Conclusions Training using VRS is effective in promoting positive performance outcomes and should be included as a method for disaster training. VRS can allow an organization to train, test, and identify gaps in current emergency operation plans. In the unique case of disasters, which are low-volume and high-risk events, the participant can have access to an environment without endangering themselves or clients. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:301-308).
An in vitro model of metastatic breast cancer cell extravasation through endothelial cell monolayers

441 Metastasis is the principal cause of death from breast cancer. The extravasation of cancer cells from the circulation is thought to be a critical step in metastasis, and is difficult to model in vitro. We are using Electric Cell Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) as a model of cancer cell extravasation through monolayers of endothelial cells. This assay is based on the measurement of changes in resistance across a 250-um electrode to the flow of small AC currents. When cells are plated onto electrodes in modified culture slides, current flow is impeded proportional to the adhesion and attachment of the cells. Extravasation of cells through an endothelial monolayer plated onto the electrodes is detected by a drop in resistance values, corresponding to the increased flow of current as the endothelial cells retract. The assay was used to compare the extravasation abilities of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and isogenic variants established from metastases in the brain and lungs of nude mice. Compared with the original cell line and the lung metastasis-derived variant, the brain metastasis-derived 231-BR3 variant had greater ability to form experimental brain metastases. The 231-BR3 cells also had greater potential to extravasate through a monolayer of rat brain endothelial cells, indicated by a sharp decline in ECIS resistance values by 6 - 8 h after plating the cancer cells. Scanning electron microscopy of the co-cultures showed the appearance of gaps between endothelial cells as cancer cells penetrated the monolayer. The 231-BR3 cells release more vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) than MDA-MB-231 cells. VEGF promotes vascular permeability, disrupts endothelial barrier function, and thus may facilitate the extravasation of metastatic cells. Expression of VEGF in 231-BR3 cells was significantly suppressed using siRNA (control = 1,350 pg /ml vs. siRNA treated = 25 pg/ml, measured by ELISA ). The cells with silenced VEGF showed reduced extravasation in the ECIS assay. Pre-treatment of the endothelial cell monolayers for 1 hr with an inhibitor of VEGF-receptor tyrosine kinases (PTK787) also attenuated the extravasation of 231-BR3 cells. The results suggest that high VEGF expression contributed to the enhanced extravasation ability of 231-BR3 cells. Conclusions: The ECIS assay can provide novel information about interactions between metastatic cells and endothelial cells, and the molecules involved in the process of extravasation. The assay can be used as a tool to identify the molecular regulators of cancer cell extravasation. Supported in part by the DOD Breast Cancer Research Program, award # W81XWH-06-2-0033.
What is Good Feedback in Big Data Projects for Cyberinfrastructure Diffusion in e-Science?

This paper investigates the role of feedback in big data projects for cyberinfrastructure (CI) diffusion in e-science. For many of these projects, large-scale and heterogeneous datasets, multidisciplinary and dispersed experts, and advanced technologies are brought together to harness analytic insights. However, without effective CI and computational tools, the accuracy and meaningfulness of analytics results are compromised. In fact, without CI tools, raw data remain raw with hidden insights, as data analytics cannot be executed at all. In order to improve such tools for meaningful results, we argue to conceptualize the communication mechanism of ‘feedback’ in agile software development, with the goal of producing CI tools that are responsive to users. Based on a grounded analysis of interview data, we concluded that feedback helps developers in big data projects understand users’ needs, makes tools user-friendly, prevents emergencies, and is better for developers than no feedback. Furthermore, good feedback is often structured, specific, actionable, timely, generalizable, and delivered in a tactful way. Despite the limitation of the findings being exploratory and yet to be evaluated experimentally, we argued that they still can motivate developers to be proactive seekers of feedback for their tools, productively guide developers’ communication with users, and ultimately promote further adoption and diffusion of CI tools in e-science.
Tuning the inner radio: The mental control of musical imagery in everyday environments

How easily can people tune their inner radio? Musical imagery—hearing music in your mind—is common but little is known about people’s ability to control their musical imagery in daily life. A recent model distinguishes between initiation (starting musical imagery) vs. management (modifying, stopping, or sustaining musical imagery) as facets of control, and the present research examined people’s ability to use these two forms of control in daily life. For seven days, students (29 music students, 29 non-music students) were signaled 10 times daily and asked to initiate musical imagery and to perform manipulations on initiated and ongoing imagery (e.g., increasing the tempo, changing the vocalist’s gender). When asked, people reported exerting control over the initiation and management of their musical imagery most of the time. As expected, music students reported controlling their musical imagery more often and more easily. This work suggests that people’s control over their musical imagery is stronger and more flexible than prior work implies.
Evidence for Free Radical Generation in Vivo during Cardiac Ischemia and Reperfusion

Myocardial stunning results from reperfusion of a zone of heart muscle that has been subjected to ischemia for a period of less than 20 min (10). Although stunning usually results in temporary disruption of heart function, it does not appear to result in death of myocytes which is characteristic of longer periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion (21). Recovery of viable tissue in the reperfused zone after more extensive periods of ischemia is a function of the time of coronary occlusion. Based on the observation of a number of investigators, it became apparent that reoxygenation of anoxic tissues was detrimental to those tissues, but not as detrimental as would be the case if there were no reoxygenation at all. The oxygen paradox concept was set forth by Hearse and colleagues (8) who determined that there were ultra-structural changes in myocytes which occurred as a result of reoxygenation of ischemic heart tissue (9). Other investigations suggested that oxygen free radicals might be involved in reperfusion injury to tissues in general due to the conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase to xanthine oxidase during ischemia (7). In addition, other possible sources of radical production have been implicated, including activated neutrophils (22,23) and cellular redox functions such as the mitochondrial transport system (17) and eicosanoid metabolism (5,24). Factors which inhibit or modulate the in vitro activities of these various sources of radical production and which have been reported to provide some protection against reperfusion tissue injury when administered in vivo constitute the basis for the implications (prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, superoxide dismutase (15), oxypurinol (19), free radical scavengers (16), iron chelators (3), etc.).
The use of 3-dimensionally printed models to optimize patient education and alleviate perioperative anxiety in Mohs micrographic surgery: A randomized controlled trial.

Background Perioperative patient anxiety in Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is associated with increased postoperative pain and decreased satisfaction. Objective To determine whether a 3-dimensionally printed MMS model with standardized education (SE) improves perioperative patient understanding and anxiety. Methods An unblinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted, with patients randomly assigned to receive the MMS model plus SE or SE alone. Baseline and poststage understanding and anxiety were evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Additionally, patients completed a 6-item knowledge assessment. Results Eighty-two patients were enrolled, 42 in the MMS model and 40 in the SE group, with similar group mean age (67.8 years), sex (59.8% male), and previous MMS experience (47.6%). Both groups experienced significant reductions in VAS anxiety and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores and significant increases in VAS understanding. Compared with SE alone, the MMS model group had larger VAS anxiety reduction (change, −1.31; approaching significance) than the SE group (change, −0.52; P = .052) and 5.59 (93.25%) correct responses versus 5.15 (85.83%) correct responses in the SE group (P Limitations Overestimations of baseline patient anxiety in our population and 91.1% recruitment of the intended study population limited study power. Conclusion A 3-dimensionally printed MMS model with SE may improve patient understanding of MMS and decrease perioperative anxiety.
Examining the radius valley: a machine-learning approach

The ''radius valley" is a relative dearth of planets between two potential populations of exoplanets, super-Earths and mini-Neptunes. This feature appears in examining the distribution of planetary radii, but has only ever been characterized on small samples. The valley could be a result of photoevaporation, which has been predicted in numerous theoretical models, or a result of other processes. Here, we investigate the relationship between planetary radius and orbital period through 2-dimensional kernel density estimator and various clustering methods, using all known super-Earths ($R<4.0R_E$). With our larger sample, we confirm the radius valley and characterize it as a power law. Using a variety of methods, we find a range of slopes that are consistent with each other and distinctly negative. We average over these results and find the slope to be $m=-0.319^{+0.088}_{-0.116}$. We repeat our analysis on samples from previous studies. For all methods we use, the resulting line has a negative slope, which is consistent with models of photoevaporation and core-powered mass loss but inconsistent with planets forming in a gas-poor disk.
More than the heart: Hepatic, renal, and cardiac dysfunction in adult Fontan patients.

SETTING Fontan-associated liver disease universally affects adults with single ventricle heart disease. Chronic kidney disease is also highly prevalent in adult Fontan patients. In this study, we evaluate the relationship of Fontan hemodynamics invasively and noninvasively with extra-cardiac dysfunction as measured by MELD and MELD-XI. OBJECTIVE We hypothesize that invasive and noninvasive measures of Fontan circuit congestion and ventricular dysfunction are associated with increased MELD and MELD-XI scores. DESIGN Single-center data from adults with Fontan palliation who had ongoing care, including cardiac catheterization, were retrospectively collected. Hemodynamic data from cardiac catheterization and echocardiographic assessment of ventricular and atrioventricular valve function were tested for association with serum creatinine, MELD, and MELD-XI. Linear regression was used to perform multivariable analysis in the echocardiogram cohort. RESULTS Fifty-seven patients had congruent lab and catheterization data for analysis. Sixty-three and sixty-nine patients had congruent lab and echocardiogram data for MELD and MELD-XI, respectively. Of the hemodynamic variables analyzed, only decreased systemic oxygen saturation had significant correlation with elevated MELD and MELD-XI (P = .045). Patients with moderately or severely reduced ejection fraction by echocardiogram had significantly higher MELD and MELD-XI scores compared to those with normal or mildly depressed systolic ventricular function (P = .008 and P < .001 for MELD and MELD-XI, respectively). Significant differences in creatinine were also found among the ventricular dysfunction groups (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS In adults following Fontan palliation, systolic ventricular dysfunction and decreased oxygen saturation were associated with hepatic and renal dysfunction as assessed by elevated serum creatinine, MELD, and MELD-XI scores.
US Dermatology Department Faculty Diversity Trends by Sex and Underrepresented-in-Medicine Status, 1970 to 2018

Importance Faculty diversity has important implications for improving the cultural competency and diversity of medical students and residents. However, dermatology is one of the least diverse fields in medicine. Objectives To measure faculty diversity by sex, race, and ethnicity in academic dermatology departments in US medical schools and to evaluate how this representation compares with the diversity of the US population, medical students, department chairs, and faculty in other clinical departments. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, data from the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Roster were evaluated to differentiate full-time faculty by sex and designation as a minority underrepresented in medicine (URM; currently including black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals). Trends in female and URM representation among academic dermatology departments were analyzed from 1970 to 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures The numbers and proportions of US dermatology department faculty by sex, race, and ethnicity. Results The number of full-time US dermatology department faculty increased from 167 in 1970 to 1464 in 2018. The number of female faculty increased from 18 (10.8%) in 1970 to 749 (51.2%) in 2018; the number of URM faculty grew from 8 (4.8%) in 1970 to 109 (7.4%) in 2018. Proportions of female and white dermatology department faculty were similar to the US population in 2018; however, like other clinical departments, the proportion of URM faculty was lower than in the general population. There was an inverse association between increasing faculty rank and the proportion of female faculty overall, but this was not the case among URM faculty. At every rank, there was a proportionately low number of URM faculty represented. Across all specialties, department chairs were least diverse, with white individuals representing 79.7% (n = 2856 of 3585) of all chairs in 2018 and women representing 19.4% (n = 694 of 3585) of all chairs. Conclusions and Relevance Expansion of faculty in US dermatology departments over the past half century has led to greater female representation, now similar to that in the general population. Higher-ranking faculty is associated with lower diversity. Although dermatology department faculty diversity by sex, race, and ethnicity has partially improved over the past 49 years, continued attention to the lagging representation of URM faculty should be a priority for the field of academic dermatology.
Declines in native forb richness of an imperiled plant community across an anthropogenic nitrogen deposition gradient

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is known to reduce plant diversity in ecosystems worldwide; however, effects on the diversity of Mediterranean‐type ecosystems—global hotspots of biodiversity—are relatively unexplored. In California, elevated N deposition due to air pollution has a multitude of ecological effects including the facilitation of nonnative plant invasion and altered ecosystem functioning, but impacts on plant richness have been inadequately quantified. We addressed this research gap by evaluating patterns of plant richness in coastal sage scrub (CSS), a severely threatened, highly diverse Mediterranean‐type shrubland, across the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. This is the largest urban national park in the United States and experiences a strong gradient of N deposition due to its proximity to urban Los Angeles. We measured soil N, plant cover, and richness at 30 CSS sites across this gradient and used regression analyses to explore relationships between richness, N deposition, and other environmental variables. We observed significant declines in plant richness across a steep gradient of soil N availability that paralleled patterns of N deposition, primarily due to decreases in native forb species. Our analyses identified soil N as the best predictor of patterns of native forb richness, but other factors, including nonnative plant cover and aridity, may also drive reduced richness. In addition to the marked decline in the number of native forb species, increasing N deposition was also associated with lower native shrub richness per area and increased cover of nonnatives. These results highlight the threat posed by N deposition to the conservation of this already imperiled ecosystem under continued environmental change.
Macrophages Expressing GALC Improve Peripheral Krabbe Disease by a Mechanism Independent of Cross-Correction.

Summary Many therapies for lysosomal storage disorders rely on cross-correction of lysosomal enzymes. In globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD), mutations in GALC cause psychosine accumulation, inducing demyelination, a neuroinflammatory “globoid” reaction and neurodegeneration. The efficiency of GALC cross-correction in vivo, the role of the GALC substrate galactosylceramide, and the origin of psychosine are poorly understood. Using a novel GLD model, we show that cross-correction does not occur efficiently in vivo and that Galc-deficient Schwann cells autonomously produce psychosine. Furthermore, macrophages require GALC to degrade myelin, as Galc-deficient macrophages are transformed into globoid cells by exposure to galactosylceramide and produce a more severe GLD phenotype. Finally, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients reduces globoid cells in nerves, suggesting that the phagocytic response of healthy macrophages, rather than cross-correction, contributes to the therapeutic effect. Thus, GLD may be caused by at least two mechanisms: psychosine-induced demyelination and secondary neuroinflammation from galactosylceramide storage in macrophages.
Improving the Modulation Designs for Visible Light Communications with Signal-Dependent Noise

This article reviews the recent investigations on improving modulation designs for visible light communication (VLC) systems subject to signal-dependent noise (SDN). The existence of signal-dependent noise degrades the system performance and leads to modulation deficiency issues due to the constellation distortion caused by the SDN. For single-carrier systems, a joint constellation and threshold design was recently proposed to compensate the SDN, and it is re-analyzed in this article together with an improved design criterion based on the rotated minimum Euclidean distance (MIN-ED) that was employed to enhance modulation efficiency in multi-carrier systems. These design criteria are further ameliorated by optimizing the distance-range. Performance comparisons between improved and MIN-ED-based designs for VLC-SDN systems under communications and lighting constraints are also presented to illustrate the major limitations of current modulations. This article concludes with critical implementation challenges and future research opportunities.
Toward a clinical model for patient spiritual journeys in supportive and palliative care: Testing a concept of human spirituality and associated recursive states.

Objective In 2015, a Chaplaincy Research Consortium generated a model of human spirituality in the palliative care context to further chaplaincy research. This article investigates the clinical fit of (a) the model's fundamental premise of universal human spirituality and (b) its 4 proposed stage descriptors (Discovery, Dialogue, Struggle, and Arrival). Method First, we collected qualitative data from an interdisciplinary palliative care focus group. Participants (n = 5) shared responses to the statement “the human spirit has essential commonalities across [ … ] groups and [ … ] attributes.” Participants also shared vignettes of spiritual care, and 48 vignettes illustrating patients’ spiritual journeys were subsequently taken from the transcript of that group. Second, we invited different mixed discipline palliative care professionals (n = 9) to individually card sort these vignettes to the model's 4 stage descriptors; we conducted pattern analysis on the results. We then administered a third step, convening six physicians to complete the card sort again, this time allowing designation of cards to one or two of the 4 stage descriptors. Results Focus group participants were supportive of the model's all-encompassing definition of spirituality. The concept of “connectedness” was a shared focus for all participants, connectedness and spirituality appearing almost synonymous. Pattern analysis of assigned 48 vignettes to the 4 stages showed stronger consensus around Discovery and Arrival than Struggle and Dialogue. Results of the additional card sort suggested Struggle and Dialogue involve oscillation and are harder to think of as a steady state as distinct from processes associated with Discovery or Arrival. Significance of results “Connectedness” is a productive concept for modeling human spiritual experience near the end of life. As one healthcare professional said: “this connectedness piece is [ … ] what I always look for … ” Although further work is needed to understand struggle and dialogue elements in peoples’ spiritual journeys, discovery and arrival shared consensus among participants.
Radio-wave shielding behavior of steel structures

The shielding of radio wave by steel-containing structures is desirable for electronics protection but undesirable for telecommunication signal reception. This work investigates the shielding behav...
Social factors and public policies associated with state infant mortality rates.

Despite mounting evidence that social factors and public policies affect state infant mortality rates (IMRs), few researchers have examined variation in IMRs associated with those factors and polic...
Self-development Tools Utilized by Plastic Surgeons: A Survey of ASPS Members.

The plastic surgery literature is devoid of research on the topic of professional development tools that may be used to enhance performance as a plastic surgeon. After an extensive review of the medical literature, we selected the most frequently referenced professional development tools utilized by plastic surgeons, which included the following: goal setting, positive visualization, scheduled practice, critically analyzing mistakes, professional development conferences, involvement in sports, motivational videos, podcasts & audiobooks, daily morning routines, self-development books, and advice from mentors. Methods A 10-question survey was sent to 2542 members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The algorithm used to select ASPS members to survey was based on member demographics that would best reflect the views of the entire active society membership. Responses were compared based on demographic factors such as type of practice, gender, and age. Results A total of 286/2542 (11.25%) ASPS members participated in the survey. Analyzing mistakes (96.3%), goal setting (88.51%), and advice from mentors (85.2%) were most commonly attributed to self-development. Respondents in an academic practice favored conferences and advice from mentors. Participants in a solo practice favored self-help books and morning routines. No statistical differences were observed based on training background. Conclusions ASPS members attribute their professional development to setting measurable goals, carefully analyzing surgical mistakes, and guidance from mentors. This information opens the door for continued analysis of professional development within plastic surgery as well as supplement training practices at the resident and post-graduate level.
Highly durable amphiphobic coatings and surfaces: A comparative step-by-step exploration of the design variables

Abstract The design and production of amphiphobic surfaces with enhanced durability is increasingly considered a hot topic. It is well known that the material's repellence against liquids is regulated by morphological and chemical features of the working interfaces under different conditions. In this work the approach to the fabrication of highly repellent surfaces against both water and low surface tension oils is presented for a better understanding of the role played by different variables, e.g. the substrate surface finishing when multicomponent hybrid coatings with a different structural organization and chemistry are deposited. As suggested by biomimetic criteria, hierarchical features, when coupled with low surface energy moieties, are able to provide liquid repellence for different practical scopes. This work has been focused on coating processes applied to aluminum alloys with different surface roughness by deposition of nanostructured ceramic oxide (Al2O3, SiO2 and TiO2) and fluoro-polymers (fluoroalkylsilane or acrylic resin). It was found that the relevance of the substrate/coating variables involved in maximizing the static and dynamic liquid repellency follows the order: morphology of the inorganic layer > substrate roughness at microscale > nature of organic fluoropolymer. Both flower- and spherical-like inorganic nanostructures actually promote a significant improvement of the repellence with respect to the organic layer alone, with Al2O3 flower-like nanostructure being the most performant. Generally speaking, most hybrid-coated surfaces showed a good ability to withstand severe environments, the different response depending on the composition of the inorganic layers and not from the overall coating morphology. The step-by-step comparison of results suggests that the perspective for the application of such a kind of surfaces is related in a complex way to textural and chemical variables influencing the final performances which could stay unchanged or vary depending on the exposure environment and conditions.
Exploring How Place Can Enhance Learning in Short Course Study Abroads

I explore the role of place in study abroad experiences using a study abroad I have led multiple times, “How the Scots Invented the Modern World”. This short study abroad takes students through the Scottish enlightenment and the works of Adam Smith and David Hume, while in London and Edinburgh. I explore how connecting students both to the ideas but also to the place where the ideas were developed enhances their learning. Place provides a context that can motivate students towards deeper understanding and connect students tangibly to those ideas in ways that reading and studying them alone cannot.
Engineering natural competence into the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973.

Natural transformation is the process by which bacteria actively take up and integrate extracellular DNA into their genomes. In cyanobacteria, natural transformation has only been experimentally demonstrated in a handful of species. Although, cyanobacteria are important model systems for studying photosynthesis and circadian cycling, natural transformation in cyanobacteria has not been characterized to the degree that the process has been studied in other gram-negative bacteria. Two cyanobacterial species that are 99.8% genetically identical provide a unique opportunity to better understand the nuances of natural transformation in cyanobacteria: Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 (hereafter Synechococcus 7942 and Synechococcus 2973 respectively). Synechococcus 7942 is a naturally transformable model system, while Synechococcus 2973 is a recently discovered species that is not naturally competent. Taking only 1.5 hours to replicate, Synechococcus 2973 is the fastest growing cyanobacterial species known, and thus is a strong candidate for serving as a model organism. However, the organism's inability to undergo natural transformation has prevented it from becoming a widely used model system. By substituting polymorphic alleles from Synechococcus 7942 for native Synechococcus 2973 alleles, natural transformation was introduced into Synechococcus 2973. Two genetic loci were found to be involved in differential natural competence between the two organisms: transformation pilus component pilN and circadian transcriptional master regulator rpaA. By using targeting genome editing and enrichment outgrowth, a strain that was both naturally transformable and fast-growing was created. This new Synechococcus 2973-T strain will serve as a valuable resource to the cyanobacterial research community. Importance Certain bacterial species have the ability to take up naked extracellular DNA and integrate it into their genomes. This process is known as natural transformation and is widely considered to play a major role in bacterial evolution. Because of the ease of introducing new genes into naturally transformable organisms, this capacity is also highly valued in the laboratory. Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic and can therefore serve as model systems for some important aspects of plant physiology. Here, we describe the creation of a modified cyanobacterial strain (Synechococcus 2973-T) that is capable of undergoing natural transformation and has a replication time that is on par with the fastest-growing cyanobacterium that has been discovered to date. This new cyanobacterium has the potential to serve as a new model organism for the cyanobacterial research community and will allow experiments to be completed in a fraction of the time that it took to complete previous assays.
Constraints on the geometry of the subducted Gorda plate from converted phases generated by local earthquakes

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 126(2), (2021): e2020JB019962, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB019962.
Capsule Commentary on Shultz et al., Patient Preferences for Test Result Notification

S hultz and colleagues 1 report findings from a survey of patients regarding ways that they might prefer to receive a variety of laboratory test results. Responses varied between and within participants, depending on factors such as the type of test, whether the hypothetical result was normal or abnormal, and participant age. This study is set against a background of concerns about overuse of tests, tensions between data security and user convenience, and efforts to increase patient access to health care and health data. Overuse of tests is not routinely discussed in the context of patient access to test results, but as access expands, so will opportunities for offering information from resources such as the Choosing Wisely initiative. Shultz and colleagues highlight the trade-offs between user convenience and data security. Participants generally preferred Bsecure email^ over Bunsecure email,^ but it is unclear whether all participants understood the implications of such preferences. Survey materials described secure email as Bpassword protected to insure confidentiality of data,^ somewhat glossing over encryption procedures. Addressing tensions between convenience and security is critical for realizing the potential of health information technology. Not addressed in this paper are similar tensions between mode and timeliness of results delivery. Telephone calls and office visits were popular options. However, waiting for test results can be nerve-racking for patients, and preferences might shift if an appointment required waiting for weeks, whereas results were viewable on a patient portal within days. Patient access to health data, appropriately, is increasing. Yet not everyone feels comfortable with patients directly accessing their laboratory test results. There are some legitimate concerns about the lack of interpretability of current test result formats or about test results causing false alarms or false comfort. However, suchworries might benefit from some historical context: similar concerns were raised about home pregnancy tests nearly 35 years ago. As Shultz and colleagues argue convincingly, assessing patients’ preferences is important for determining which technological system to prioritize for implementation. However, variability in participant responses suggests that the goal of providing test results in ways that suit patients might be best achieved by offering all feasible options and letting patients choose.
Efficacy and Associated Factors of Even- and Uneven-Aged Management to Promote Oak Regeneration in the Missouri Ozarks

Oak regeneration problems have been noted in the Missouri Ozarks and elsewhere in the eastern United States. Alteration of disturbance regimes, competition from nonoak species, and high overstory stocking are believed to be major barriers that impede oak regeneration. We studied regeneration in upland oak forests that were harvested by both even-aged (clearcutting) and uneven-aged (single-tree selection and group selection) regeneration methods, focusing on differences in oak regeneration among stands that received alternative harvest treatments. Ten years after treatments, the density of oak regeneration generally increased with increased removal of overstory trees, but only the clearcutting treatment resulted in a statistically significant increase in the density of oak seedlings and saplings over that in the no harvest treatment (the control). There were no differences among treatments in the relative proportions of oak seedlings and saplings as a whole or by size classes among the treatments. Successful oak regeneration after removal of overstory trees highly depends on the number and size of advance oak reproduction and is closely related to site conditions such as aspect and bedrock geology. Both site factors and advance oak reproduction must be considered when a regeneration method to promote oak is chosen. Compared with the uneven-aged methods (single-tree selection and group selection), clearcutting favored the red oak species over the white oak species.
Finite Element Analysis for Contact Problems

When two or more bodies collide, contact occurs between two surfaces of the bodies so that they cannot overlap in space. Metal formation, vehicle crash, projectile penetration, various seal designs, and bushing and gear systems are only a few examples of contact phenomena. This chapter is organized as follows. In Sect. 5.2, simple one-point contact examples are presented in order to show the characteristics of contact phenomena and possible solution strategies. In Sect. 5.3, a general formulation of contact is presented based on the variational formulation. Sect. 5.4 focuses on finite element discretization and numerical integration of the contact variational form. Three-dimensional contact formulation is presented in Sect. 5.5 . From the finite element point of view, all formulations involve use of some form of a constraint equation. Because of the highly nonlinear and discontinuous nature of contact problems, great care and trial-and-error are necessary to obtain solutions to practical problems. Section 5.6 presents modeling issues related to contact analysis, such as selecting slave and master bodies, removing rigid-body motions, etc.
Isolation and characterization of the toxic component of Enhydrina schistosa (common sea snake) venom

Abstract The toxic component from the venom of the common sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa) was isolated by passage of the venom through a carboxymethyl cellulose column. The preparation, which was shown to be homogeneous by zonal electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation, isoelectric focusing, and gel filtration, had a median lethal dose 50% (LD50) toward mice of 0.044 µg per g of body weight. The molecular weight of the toxic protein, as determined by sedimentation velocity and diffusion experiments, was found to be 7200. The minimum molecular weight calculated from amino acid analysis was 7000. The isoelectric point, determined by isoelectric focusing, was 9.2. Although hyaluronidase, alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, phospholipase A, acetylcholinesterase, DNase, leucine amino peptidase, and clotting activity could all be detected in unfractionated venom; no enzymatic activity could be found in the purified toxin. The compound N-bromosuccinimide completely destroyed the toxicity of the preparation, which, under the conditions employed, strongly suggests that tryptophan is necessary for toxicity.
Designing Caregiver-Implemented Shared-Reading Interventions to Overcome Implementation Barriers

Purpose This study presents an application of the theoretical domains framework (TDF; Michie et al., 2005), an integrative framework drawing on behavior-change theories, to speech-language patholog...
Lower bounds for the number of saddle connections and closed trajectories of a quadratic differential

Suppose X is the torus the complex plane C divided by the group of translations generated by z → z + 1 and 2 → z + i and q = dz 2 is the unique up to scalar multiple quadratic differential on X. The trajectories of q are straight lines and a trajectory is closed if and only if its slope is a rational p/q. Its length is (p 2 + q 2)1/2. Parallel closed trajectories fill up X. The number N(T) of parallel families of length ≤ T is then the number of lattice points (p, q) with p, q relatively prime inside a circle of radius T. It is classical that $$ \mathop{{T \to \infty }}\limits^{{\lim }} \frac{{N\left( T \right)}}{{{T^{2}}}} = \frac{6}{{{\pi ^{2}}}}. $$
Migration of phthalic esters from poly(vinyl chloride) in the presence of alcohols

Migration phenomena were investigated for poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with di-(2-ethyl-hexyl)phthalate and placed in contact with a series of homologous alcohols as penetrants. An increasing amount of migrating plasticizer was obtained as the size of the penetrant increased. The penetrants behaved as extracting media and the migration process was accompanied by the formation of a glassy layer at the polymer/penetrant interface. Mit Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalat weichgemachtes PVC wurde mit einer Reihe von homologen Alkoholen in Kontakt gebracht, um Wanderungserscheinungen des Weichmachers zu untersuchen. Wachsende Mengen an ausgewandertem Weichmacher wurden mit zunehmender Molekulgrose des Penetriermittels erhalten. Die Penetriermittel wirkten als Extraktionsmittel, und der Wanderungsprozes wurde von der Bildung einer glasigen Schicht an der Polymer/Penetriermittel-Grenzflache begleitet.
Software for C1 Surface Interpolation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses algorithm and underlying theory of software for C1 surface interpolation. There has been practically no theory to guide the development of algorithms for triangulation and there has been no practical static global criterion to characterize a preferred triangulation. An interpolation algorithm is interfaced with algorithms for contour plotting or surface perspective plotting. If the subroutines are available for doing contour or surface perspective plotting for data given on a rectangular grid, then the surface interpolation algorithm can be used to produce the values needed at the lattice points of a rectangular grid. The computerized representation of surfaces is a central issue in the field of computer-aided geometric design and plays an important role in the field of finite element methods. Some methods of building a triangular grid with a given set of nodes start by locating the boundary points of the convex hull of the point set. In some reasonable triangulation algorithms, the number of boundary points of the convex hulls of a sequence of sub­sets has an effect on the operation count.
Interest Groups and Inequality in Democratic Responsiveness in the U.S.

In this paper, I examine the extent to which the link between public preferences and government policy is biased toward the preferences of high-income Americans. Using an original data set of almost 2,000 survey questions on proposed policy changes between 1981 and 2002, I find a moderately strong relationship between what the public wants and what the government does, albeit with a strong bias toward the status quo. But I also find that when Americans with different income levels differ in their policy preferences, actual policy outcomes strongly reflect the preferences of the most affluent but bear little relationship to the preferences of poor or middle income Americans. After documenting these inequalities, I examine the role of interest groups in shaping policy responsiveness to the preferences of the public. I show that neither the direction of interest group alignments nor the extent of interest group engagement significantly alters the patters of policy responsiveness to Americans at different income levels. Interest groups do influence federal policy, but they do so independently of the preferences of the public. Affluent Americans are more likely to see their preferences reflected in policy outcomes if the balance of interest groups on an issue share those preferences, but the extent to which the affluent move policy in one direction or another is independent of the influence of interest groups. Interest groups do sometimes move policy in a direction more consistent with the preferences of the poor, but these are offset by other instances in which interest groups are more aligned with the affluent. Moreover, the instances on which interest groups align more closely with the preferences of the less well off often reflect idiosyncratic circumstances - either interest groups that share the preferences of the poor by "happy coincidence" or the unique case of the AARP which cannot serve as a general model of interest group advocacy for the needs of the less advantaged. Consequently, interest groups do not appear to hold much promise for reformers who seek to equalize the voice of less affluent Americans in shaping government policy.