cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of Gallstones

The many developments in nonoperative methods for the treatment of gallstone disease underscore the importance of understanding the pathogenesis of these stones. Elucidation of the factors responsible for nucleation of crystals and the mechanism by which it occurs would appear to be the challenge if we are to define the cascade of events that results in gallstone formation.
Is Quality of Life Related to Radical Islamic Militancy and Acts of Terrorism

This chapter is based on a previously published article in Social Indicators Research written by the same authors: Estes, R. J., & Sirgy, M. J. (2014). Radical Islamic militancy and acts of terrorism: A quality-of-life analysis. Social Indicators Research, 117, 615–652. The chapter examines the relationship that exists between varying degrees of terrorism occurring within a select group of 27 member states of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and: (1) their years of independence since colonization; (2) their current types of polity; (3) the extent of their civil liberties and political freedoms; (4) country levels of perceived public corruption; and (5) the overall level of each country’s broad-based social development (or quality of life). The political fragility of each state is examined as well as is its overall level of social chaos. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the principles needed to frame an “agenda for action” that seeks to accelerate the pace of mutual development and advances in quality of life for people living in both predominately Islamic and Western societies.
Demystifying the Internet of Things

In attempting to define the Internet of Things, we should keep in mind that it's fundamentally about communication, computation, sensing, and actuation.
Behavioral and biochemical effects of FK 33-824, a parenterally and orally active enkephalin analogue

The pentapeptide FK33-824 is a synthetic analogue of the naturally occurring met-enkephalin (Roemer et al., 1977). This compound was synthesized in a successful effort to enhance the potency and systemic absorption of met­enkephalin (figure 25.1). As reviewed throughout this book, there is a growing body of laboratory and clinical evidence that the endorphins have a role in many important CNS functions. It follows that the clinical effects of a drug such as FK33-824, which exhibits the spectrum of action of the endorphins and can be synthesized and administered with relative ease, should be carefully investigated.
Emotion in Engineering Design Teams

Knowledge that is relevant to the practice of engineering can be categorized into three domains. First is the knowledge of the natural world that we fashion into engineering artifacts. This includes knowledge domains such as physics, chemistry, biology, and thermodynamics. Second is the knowledge of processes that we may use to transform the natural world into engineered artifacts. These include various engineering design methods, production processes, and mathematical methods. The third is the knowledge of the humans creating and using the engineering artifacts. This involves understanding and improving how engineers perceive, think, and act individually or collectively, such as in teams or organizations, when they are engaged in the daily practice of engineering; and also understanding how the users of these artifacts perceive and interact with them in the course of their life cycle. This domain uses and synthesizes knowledge from other fields such as psychology, group work, cognitive science, sociology, and anthropology that focus on the human as a subject of study. However, it differs in one key respect from these fields in that its focus on the human is rooted in an engineering value system that seeks to understand in order to re-create artifacts and situations for the better. The study of emotion is an important part of the domain of humans creating and using engineering artifacts.
Alcohol Expectancies: Integrating Cognitive Science and Psychometric Approaches

Abstract Aims: To demonstrate an integrative methodology to explore psychological constructs, we used multiple methods in the examination of alcohol expectancies—a psychological construct that is generally measured using survey methodology. We then used the methodology in order to assess the relationship of alcohol expectancy dimensions to drinking-related outcomes. Design: We developed alcohol expectancy models using a cognitive paradigm designed to maximize cognitive activation of expectancies, in order to delineate dimensions of alcohol expectancies. Next, using multidimensional scaling (MDS), we defined heuristic models representing domains for arousing, sedating, positive, and negative alcohol expectancies. We then assessed these models in a separate sample using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and covariance structure modeling. Setting: The research was conducted at a large public university in the southeastern US. Participants: A total of 927 male and female college students ranging in age from 17 to 35 years participated. Measurements: Measures included the Alcohol Expectancy Inventory, the Quantity Frequency Index (QFI), and the Drinking Styles Questionnaire. Findings: Single indicator models representing expectancies for arousing and positive effects of alcohol did not differ significantly in the prediction of drinking, and both accounted for significantly more variance in self-reported drinking than expectancies for sedating and negative effects of alcohol consumption. Expectations for the sedating effects of alcohol accounted for significantly more variance than those for negative effects. Expectations for sedating effects added unique variance in the prediction of drinking when all predictors were simultaneously modeled. Conclusions: The multiple methods integrated here can be used in the development and testing of alcohol expectancy models. This integrative methodology warrants further development and validation.
Dynamic behaviour of a tractor/quadaxle trailer with variable length drawbar

This paper describes the results of a study of the directional performance of a common Canadian log–hauling truck making use of a tridem–axle tractor, equipped both with and without a forced–steering tag–axle or pusher–axle, in comparison to the conventional fixed tandem–axle tractor. The entire vehicle chosen for analysis consists of a tractor/quadaxle trailer combination; it includes a tractor, a dolly, and a trailer joined to the tractor by a long payload (logs). The dolly, too, is joined to the tractor by a variable length drawbar. The objective is to develop and apply a mathematical model to examine the influence on the vehicle's directional performance of different steering ratios between the tractor's front wheels and the tag–axle or pusher–axle. Different methods for selecting the steering ratios are discussed. The vehicle's directional performance is evaluated against selected performance measures, namely, friction demand at the tractor drive axles, degree of understeer, offtracking, and rearward amplification.
Systematic study ofOsbertia (Asteraceae-Astereae)

Osbertia, a stoloniferous group confined to the montane regions of Mexico and adjacent Guatemala, was first proposed as a genus byGreene (1895), but most workers have retained the taxon as part ofHaplopappus. It is clearly closer toNoticastrum, Erigeron orHeterotheca than it is toHaplopappus sensu stricto. The present treatment recognizes two species, a widespread highly variableOsbertia stolonifera and a newly describedO. chihuahuana from northwestern Mexico. Distribution maps, distinguishing features, full synonymy and illustrations are presented.
A droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay to detect Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in bulk trap samples.

Moths in the genus Helicoverpa are some of the most important agricultural pests in the world. Two species, H. armigera (Hubner) and H. zea (Boddie), cause the majority of damage to crops and millions of dollars are spent annually on control of these pests. The recent introduction of H. armigera into the New World has prompted extensive survey efforts for this species in the United States. Surveys are conducted using bucket traps baited with H. armigera pheromone, and, because the same pheromone compounds attract both species, these traps often capture large numbers of the native H. zea. Adult H. armigera and H. zea are very similar and can only be separated morphologically by minor differences in the genitalia. Thus, a time consuming genitalic dissection by a trained specialist is necessary to reliably identify either species, and every specimen must be dissected. Several molecular methods are available for differentiating and identifying H. armigera and H. zea, including two recently developed rapid protocols using real-time PCR. However, none of the published methods are capable of screening specimens in large batches. Here we detail a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay that is capable of detecting a single H. armigera in a background of up to 999 H. zea. The assay has been tested using bulk extractions of 1,000 legs from actual trap samples and is effective even when using poor quality samples. This study provides an efficient, rapid, reproducible, and scalable method for processing H. armigera survey trap samples in the U.S. and demonstrates the potential for applying ddPCR technology to screen and diagnose invasive species.
A Calibration-Free, Self-Adjusting Stereo Visual Control System

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe a self-adjusting, vision-based controller which is able to control the position of a robotic manipulator without explicit calibration of camera parameters. The control strategy is based on the concepts of cyclic switching (Pait 1993) and dwell-time switching (Morse 1995a). With these techniques, it is possible to design and implement a supervisory control system capable of transferring to and holding at a prescribed set-point, the output of a process modeled by a dynamical system with large scale parametric uncertainty.
A Simple Statistical Method for the Automatic Detection of Ripples in Human Intracranial EEG

High frequency oscillations (HFOs) are a promising biomarker of epileptic tissue, but detection of these electrographic events remains a challenge. Automatic detectors show encouraging results, but they typically require optimization of multiple parameters, which is a barrier to good performance and broad applicability. We therefore propose a new automatic HFO detection algorithm, focusing on simplicity and ease of implementation. It requires tuning of only an amplitude threshold, which can be determined by an iterative process or directly calculated from statistics of the rectified filtered data (i.e. mean plus standard deviation). The iterative approach uses an estimate of the amplitude probability distribution of the background activity to calculate the optimum threshold for identification of transient high amplitude events. We tested both the iterative and non-iterative approaches using a dataset of visually marked HFOs, and we compared the performance to a commonly used detector based on the root-mean-square. When the threshold was optimized for individual channels via ROC curve, all three methods were comparable. The iterative detector achieved a sensitivity of 99.6%, false positive rate (FPR) of 1.1%, and false detection rate (FDR) of 37.3%. However, in an eight-fold cross-validation test, the iterative method had better sensitivity than the other two methods (80.0% compared to 64.4 and 65.8%), with FPR and FDR of 1.3, and 49.4%, respectively. The simplicity of this algorithm, with only a single parameter, will enable consistent application of automatic detection across research centers and recording modalities, and it may therefore be a powerful tool for the assessment and localization of epileptic activity.
A review of the literature on symptom clusters in studies that included oncology patients receiving primary or adjuvant chemotherapy.

Aims and Objectives The purpose of this literature review was to summarize the current state of knowledge of symptom clusters research from studies that included, as part of their sample, patients who were receiving primary or adjuvant chemotherapy. Background Since the concept of a symptom cluster was first introduced into the oncology literature in 2001, only four comprehensive reviews of symptom clusters research in oncology patients were identified that provide insights into this important concept in symptom management research. Design A comprehensive review of the literature. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted for the years 2000 to 2016. Only 19 studies met the inclusion criteria for this literature review. These studies were evaluated in terms of the symptom assessment instruments used; the statistical analysis methods used; the symptom dimension(s) used to create the symptom cluster(s); the number and types of symptom clusters identified; and whether the specific symptom clusters changed over time. Results The number of symptom clusters identified ranged from one to seven. The majority of the studies used some type of factor analysis to create the symptom clusters. The most common symptom dimension used to create the clusters was symptom severity. A “gastrointestinal symptom cluster” was the most common symptom cluster identified. Across the eight longitudinal studies, for half of these studies the symptom clusters remained relatively stable over time. Conclusions Additional research is needed in oncology patients to address the assessment of symptom clusters, the specific nature of symptom clusters, and whether symptom clusters change over time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Defining the width of the normal tibial plateau relative to the distal femur: Critical normative data for identifying pathologic widening in tibial plateau fractures.

Tibial plateau widening in the setting of fracture is an indication for surgical treatment, and restoring width is an important goal of surgery. In order to identify and correct pathological widening, the width of the normal tibial plateau must first be defined. The aim of this study was to establish normative data for the width of the tibial plateau relative to the distal femur to enable surgeons to identify and correct pathological widening in the setting of tibial plateau fracture. Fifty-one uninjured anteroposterior (AP) knee radiographs and 11 XR and CT scans of lateral tibial plateau fractures were retrospectively reviewed. The distances measured included maximal distal femoral width, femoral articular width, tibial articular width, and lateral plateau widening. On average, lateral plateau widening was +0.02 ± 2.03 mm, indicating that the most lateral aspect of the tibial plateau is collinear with the most lateral aspect of the lateral epicondyle of the femur. In the fracture population, average widening was 7.13 ± 3.59 mm on XR and 6.57 ± 3.34 mm on CT, with an absolute difference between XR and CT of 1.19 ± 0.66 mm. In conclusion, this study is the first to define the radiographic anatomy of the proximal tibia quantitatively. In the setting of tibial plateau fracture, residual widening of 2.1 mm could be within normal variation. However, the authors consider widening >2.1 mm pathological. These values can be used for assessing pathological widening of tibial plateau fractures. Clin. Anat. 31:688-692, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of diabetes on prefrontal cortex activation patterns during active walking in older adults.

Abstract Background Gait alterations were documented in diabetic patients. However, the effect of diabetes on cortical control of gait has not been reported. We evaluated the effect of diabetes on prefrontal cortex (PFC) Oxygenated Hemoglobin (HbO2) levels during active walking in older adults. Methods Of the total sample (n = 315; mean age = 76.84 ± 6.71ys; % female = 56.5) 43 participants (13.7%) had diabetes. The experimental paradigm consisted of two single tasks: Normal-Walk (NW); and Cognitive Interference (Alpha); and one dual-task condition consisting of the two single tasks, Walk-While-Talk (WWT). Functional Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to quantify PFC HbO2 levels. Results Older adults without diabetes showed higher PFC HbO2 levels in WWT compared to both NW and Alpha. HbO2 levels during NW were not different between the two groups. Consistent with Neural Inefficiency, older adults with diabetes exhibited higher HbO2 levels during Alpha while performing significantly worse than those without diabetes. Moreover, the presence of diabetes was associated with attenuated HbO2 levels during WWT. This pattern is consistent with Capacity Limitations suggesting a failure to recruit brain resources vis-a-vis the more cognitively challenging WWT condition. Conclusions A distinct functional neural signature of diabetes was established during active and attention demanding walking among older adults without overt neurological disease.
The effects of locus of control on daily exposure, coping and reactivity to work interpersonal stressors:: a diary study

Abstract The present study examined four pathways through which locus of control may affect stress including—exposure, reactions, coping choice and coping effectiveness. Eighty-six participants employed in low-level service jobs completed diaries for 14 days reporting on interpersonal stress, coping and distress. Internals and externals did not differ in exposure to interpersonal conflict, but did differ in reactivity, with internals reporting more anger and health symptoms but less depression than externals. Problem solving coping and emotional social support were related to greater anger and physical health symptoms. Internals and externals chose different coping strategies which partially explained differences in reactivity.
A Stochastic Evacuation Model for Fire Life Safety Assessment in Transportation System

This paper presents a stochastic model for emergency evacuation simulation such as for a subway station. The model, MCEVAC was developed using Monte Carlo and a macro-simulation technique; the model includes a number of random variables, such as occupant load, initial occupant load, and pre-evacuation time. A random event of a train fire including fire location, fire growth rate, and the effects of fire smoke, can be used to determine the accessibility of egress paths. As model output, a probability representation of the evacuation time can be obtained by taking into account all or selected random variables. For validation, the calculated exiting time shows agreement with that from a previous station evacuation study. For a hypothetical train fire, the predicted evacuation time consists of likely consequences of the required safe evacuation time in the form of a statistical distribution. While still under development, the model is expected to be used for performance-based fire safety design of transit stations and tunnels.
User Perception of Touch Screen Latency

The goal of this study was to determine the level at which touch screen latency becomes annoying for common tablet tasks. Two types of touch screen latency were manipulated for three applications: Web page browsing, photo viewing, and ebook reading. Initial latency conditions involved an initial delay in the screen’s visual response to touch inputs but with no delay after the beginning of a touch input. Continuous latency involved continuous delay for the duration of a touch input. Both types were tested from 80 to 780 ms. Touch inputs included resizing with multitouch input, panning, scrolling, zooming, and page turning. Results showed a statistically significant main effect for application, but differences were small. Continuous and initial latency showed little difference in ratings except with ebook reading. Trend graphs show levels of user ratings by latency duration.
Algae as tools in studying the biosynthesis of cellulose, nature’s most abundant macromolecule

The most dominant polysaccharide of the cell wall is cellulose. The universal distribution of this natural polymer among procaryotic and eucaryotic organisms attests to its ancient evolutionary history. Not only is cellulose found among photosynthetic and protistan cells, it is present in animals such as the Ascidians (Wardrop, 1970). Furthermore, levels of elevated cellulose synthesis have been suggested in humans with the disease scleroderma (Hall, et al, 1960).
Asian Exclusion in American Immigration Policy

The closing of the United States to immigrants is arguably the most economically and socially significant policy shift in American history. The U.S. had virtually open borders until 1875, when the first of a series of federal laws prohibiting or limiting immigration of particular groups was passed. The first such group was Asian immigrants, mostly Chinese, who were excluded by a series of bills in the late nineteenth century. Using data from the U.S. Congressional record, I attempt to explain the policy shift in public choice terms: identifying voting patterns that can be explained by shifts in public and elite opinion, the incentives of policymakers, and changing economic conditions. Explanations of the policy shift from previous scholarship are evaluated in light of roll-call voting data and NOMINATE scores.
S -Geranylgeranyl- l -glutathione is a ligand for human B cell-confinement receptor P2RY8

Germinal centres are important sites for antibody diversification and affinity maturation, and are also a common origin of B cell malignancies. Despite being made up of motile cells, germinal centres are tightly confined within B cell follicles. The cues that promote this confinement are incompletely understood. P2RY8 is a Gα13-coupled receptor that mediates the inhibition of migration and regulates the growth of B cells in lymphoid tissues1,2. P2RY8 is frequently mutated in germinal-centre B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (GCB-DLBCL) and Burkitt lymphoma1,3-6, and the ligand for this receptor has not yet been identified. Here we perform a search for P2RY8 ligands and find P2RY8 bioactivity in bile and in culture supernatants of several mouse and human cell lines. Using a seven-step biochemical fractionation procedure and a drop-out mass spectrometry approach, we show that a previously undescribed biomolecule, S-geranylgeranyl-L-glutathione (GGG), is a potent P2RY8 ligand that is detectable in lymphoid tissues at the nanomolar level. GGG inhibited the chemokine-mediated migration of human germinal-centre B cells and T follicular helper cells, and antagonized the induction of phosphorylated AKT in germinal-centre B cells. We also found that the enzyme gamma-glutamyltransferase-5 (GGT5), which was highly expressed by follicular dendritic cells, metabolized GGG to a form that did not activate the receptor. Overexpression of GGT5 disrupted the ability of P2RY8 to promote B cell confinement to germinal centres, which indicates that GGT5 establishes a GGG gradient in lymphoid tissues. This work defines GGG as an intercellular signalling molecule that is involved in organizing and controlling germinal-centre responses. As the P2RY8 locus is modified in several other types of cancer in addition to GCB-DLBCL and Burkitt lymphoma, we speculate that GGG might have organizing and growth-regulatory roles in multiple human tissues.
Abstract 423: Role of Autophagy in Macrophages During Acute Myocardial Infraction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine release, including IL-1β, but the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in cardiac injury remains controversial a...
Synergistic effects and catalytic properties tailored by nanostructure processing

Abstract Nanostructure processing offers new ways for tailoring unique surface chemistry and interaction to promote catalytic activity and selectivity. It can be used to engineer novel catalysts with complex composition, stoichiometry, dispersion, and pore structure. The latest approaches include inert gas condensation and pillaring of layered structures. The former is employed for generating nanoalloys, which can be post-oxidized to produce non-stoichiometry and surface compositional segregation. Nanostructure processing enables exceptionally active and poison-resistant catalysts to be synthesized for important reactions such as SO2 reduction and CO oxidation, through which significant new insights into the materials aspect of catalyst engineering and the mechanism of chemical reactions were attained. Pillaring of layered structures allows nanocomposites to be achieved through molecular-level packaging of layered hosts and pillaring agents. This approach offers a great deal of flexibility in compositional control and pore structure tailoring. The synergism between the layered structure and molecular pillars is examined for enhanced catalytic reactivity and thermal stability. The nanoscale engineering made possible by this synthesis route is likely to bring about unique surface reactivity and catalytic selectivity.
Meta-analysis of propped fracture conductivity data—fixed effects regression modeling

Abstract Previous empirical models of propped fracture conductivity are based either on data sourced from single investigations or on data not in the public domain. In this work, statistically rigorous models of propped fracture conductivity are developed using a database of fracture conductivity experiments reported in technical literature over the last 40 years. The database contains about 2700 data points. Propped fracture conductivity is the dependent variable and proppant type, mesh size, proppant concentration, formation hardness, closure stress, formation temperature, and polymer concentration are the independent variables. The full, original database was pared down to various subsets, each having complete information in relation to some subset of the independent variables. The number of independent variables included in each of the resulting databases varied from three to six. Seventy percent of the data was used to develop the models while thirty percent of the data was used to validate them. Fixed effect models were selected using all subsets regression analysis in three, four, and five experimental factors for each of two types of proppant. The five factor model appeared to be the most useful model for both proppant types from a predictive point of view. Five-factor model predictions also compared favorably with an existing propped fracture conductivity model and different case histories published in literature. This project provides engineers with access to a propped fracture conductivity database based on experiments reported over the past 40 years in technical literature. The models developed based on this database can be used to generate predictions of propped fracture conductivity for a variety of proppant characteristics and formation conditions. Also, the models presented here are based on data from experimental investigations in different laboratories, potentially reducing biases that may be present in single laboratory investigations.
Tuning Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilm with conjugated polyelectrolyte for increased performance in bioelectrochemical system.

Abstract Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are emerging as a platform technology with great application potentials such as wastewater remediation and power generation. Materials for electrode/microorganism modification are being examined in order to improve the current production in BESs. Herein, we report that the current production increased almost one fold in single-chamber BES reactors, by adding a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE-K) in the growth medium to co-form the anodic biofilm with Geobacter sulfurreducens cells. The CPE-K treated BESs had a maximum current density as high as 12.3 ± 0.5 A/m2, with that of the controls being 6.2 ± 0.7 A/m2. Improved current production was sustained even after CPE-K was no longer added to the medium. It was demonstrated that increased current resulted from improvement of certain biofilm properties. Analysis using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that CPE-K addition decreased the charge transfer resistance at the cell/electrode interface and the diffusion resistance through the biofilm. Protein quantification showed increased biomass growth on the electrode surface, and confocal scanning microscopy images revealed enhanced biofilm permeability. These results demonstrated for the first time that conjugated polyelectrolytes could be used for G. sulfurreducens biofilm augmentation to achieve high electricity production through tuning the anodic biofilm in BESs.
Efficient, Stable, and Low-Cost PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells with Cr–Ag Electrodes

PbS quantum dots (QDs) are a promising nanostructured material for solar cells. However, limited works have been done to explore the active layer thickness, layer deposition techniques, stability improvement, and cost reduction for PbS QD solar cells. We address those issues of device fabrication herein and suggest their possible solutions. In our work, to get the maximum current density from a PbS QD solar cell, we estimated the optimized active layer thickness using Matlab simulation. After that, we fabricated a high-performance and low-cost QD photovoltaic (PV) device with the simulated optimized active layer thickness. We implemented this low-cost device using a 10 mg/mL PbS concentration. Here, spin coating and drop-cast layer deposition methods were used and compared. We found that the device prepared by the spin coating method was more efficient than that by the drop cast method. The spin-coated PbS QD solar cell provided 6.5% power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the AM1.5 light spectrum. Besides this, we observed that Cr (chromium) interfaced with the Ag (Cr-Ag) electrode can provide a highly air-stable electrode.
Nephrolithiasis, Nephrocalcinosis, and Hypercalciuria

Abstract The incidence of kidney stones is rising worldwide. Kidney stones cause significant morbidity and are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Because the incidence of recurrent stones decreases with progressive CKD, it may be underrecognized as the cause of end-stage renal disease. Kidney stones form when urine becomes supersaturated with respect to the specific components of the stone's constituents. A metabolic evaluation for the underlying causes of kidney stones is recommended after the initial episode. Urinary supersaturation studies and analysis of any passed stones help guide treatment. General measures to prevent recurrence of calcium-based stones include dietary modifications to increase fluid intake, reduce intake of salt and animal protein, and encourage consumption of age- and gender-appropriate amounts of calcium. Measures to reduce urinary supersaturation are highly effective in lowering recurrent stone formation. Thiazide diuretics are a cornerstone of therapy in hypercalciuric patients, whereas potassium citrate is also highly effective in reducing recurrent stone formation.
Photons and charges from colloidal doped semiconductor quantum dots

The utility of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots as a source of photons and charge carriers for photonic and photovoltaic applications has created a large field of research focused on tailoring and broadening their functionality beyond what an exciton can provide. One approach towards expanding the range of characteristics of photons and charge carriers from quantum dots is through doping impurity ions (e.g. Mn2+, Cu+, and Yb3+) in the host quantum dots. In addition to the progress in synthesis enabling fine control of the structure of the doped quantum dots, a mechanistic understanding of the underlying processes correlated with the structure has been crucial in revealing the full potential of the doped quantum dots as the source of photons and charge carriers. In this review, we discuss the recent progress made in gaining microscopic understanding of the photophysical pathways that give rise to unique dopant-related luminescence and the generation of energetic hot electrons via exciton-to-hot electron upconversion.
It's rational to be outraged by things that are outrageous

Naomi Oreskes has long defended science against the forces of misinformation. But it's time scientists stopped being so arrogant, she tells Graham Lawton
“I Just Go with It”: Negotiating Sexual Desire Discrepancies for Women in Partnered Relationships

Although some researchers have addressed differences in sexual desire between sexual partners, little attention has been paid to the subjective narratives of how women understand and reflect on discrepancies in sexual desire between themselves and their partners. In the present study we used a critical sexualities (Fahs and McClelland 2016) perspective to analyze semi-structured interviews with 20 women from a diverse community sample collected in a large Southwestern U.S. city in order to examine women’s feelings about and reactions to instances where they and their partners have different levels of sexual desire. Results revealed five themes in how women negotiate sexual desire discrepancies: (a) Declining sex, (b) Having unwanted sex, (c) Experiencing pressure for sex (giving or receiving), (d) Feeling disappointed and staying silent, and (e) Discussion of sexual discrepancies. We highlight tensions about essentializing and naturalizing sexual desire, as well as how women imagine their right to ask for, or decline, sex. Implications for power, coercion, and sexual entitlement are also included along with practice implications for clinicians working with individuals and couples.
6 – Diffusion Flames

Publisher Summary This chapter is dedicated to the discussion of diffusion flames. Most practical systems are mixing-rate-controlled and lead to diffusion flames in which fuel and oxidizer come together in a reaction zone through molecular and turbulent diffusion. The fuel may be in the form of a gaseous fuel jet or a condensed medium (either liquid or solid), and the oxidizer may be a flowing gas stream or the quiescent atmosphere. The flame structure varies with pressure for such a configuration where the fuel is a simple higher-order hydrocarbon. Normally, the concentric fuel-oxidizer configuration is typical of diffusion flame processes. The distinctive characteristic of a diffusion flame is that the burning rate is determined by the rate at which the fuel and oxidizer are brought together in proper proportions for reaction. Diffusion flames have far greater practical application than premixed flames. Gaseous diffusion flames, unlike premixed flames, have no fundamental characteristic property, such as flame velocity. The chapter also discusses burning of condensed phases and the burning of droplet clouds. Finally, it provides certain problems for better understanding of the topic.
Racial Disparities in Medication Adherence between African American and Caucasian Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Their Associated Factors

Objective Medication nonadherence is more common in African Americans compared with Caucasians. We examined the racial adherence gaps among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and explored factors associated with nonadherence. Methods Cross-sectional data were obtained from consecutive patients prescribed SLE medications seen at an academic lupus clinic between August 2018 and February 2019. Adherence was measured using both self-report and pharmacy refill data. High composite adherence was defined as having both high self-reported adherence and high refill rates. Covariates were patient-provider interaction, patient-reported health status, and clinical factors. We compared adherence rates by race and used race-stratified analyses to identify factors associated with low composite adherence. Results Among 121 patients (37% Caucasian, 63% African American), the median age was 44 years (range 22-72), 95% were female, 51% had a college education or more, 46% had private insurance, and 38% had high composite adherence. Those with low composite adherence had higher damage scores, patient-reported disease activity scores, and more acute care visits. High composite adherence rate was lower among African Americans compared with Caucasians (30% vs 51%, P = 0.02), and the gap was largest for those taking mycophenolate (26% vs 75%, P = 0.01). Among African Americans, low composite adherence was associated with perceiving fewer "Compassionate respectful" interactions with providers and worse anxiety and negative affect. In contrast, among Caucasians, low composite adherence was only associated with higher SLE medication regimen burden and fibromyalgia pain score. Conclusion Significant racial disparities exist in SLE medication adherence, which likely contributes to racial disparities in SLE outcomes. Interventions may be more effective if tailored by race, such as improving patient-provider interaction and mental health among African Americans.
Maxamycins: Durable Antibiotics Derived by Rational Redesign of Vancomycin

ConspectusSince its discovery, vancomycin has been used in the clinic for >60 years. Because of their durability, vancomycin and related glycopeptides serve as the antibiotics of last resort for th...
Push-Sum-Enabled Resilient Microgrid Control

This letter devises a distributed microgrid control allowing for time-varying networks utilizing a continuous-time push-sum algorithm. The novelty of the push-sum-based approach lies in: 1) the ability to deal with unbalanced cyber network which represents unreliable communication among distributed energy resources (DERs); 2) the capability of switching among communication networks so as to provide non-interrupted operation; and 3) resiliency against cyber attacks. Case studies verify the efficacy of the new distributed microgrid control strategy and its capability of providing communication robustness while ensuring resilient frequency regulation and active power sharing.
IPDfromKM: reconstruct individual patient data from published Kaplan-Meier survival curves

When applying secondary analysis on published survival data, it is critical to obtain each patient’s raw data, because the individual patient data (IPD) approach has been considered as the gold standard of data analysis. However, researchers often lack access to IPD. We aim to propose a straightforward and robust approach to obtain IPD from published survival curves with a user-friendly software platform. Improving upon existing methods, we propose an easy-to-use, two-stage approach to reconstruct IPD from published Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves. Stage 1 extracts raw data coordinates and Stage 2 reconstructs IPD using the proposed method. To facilitate the use of the proposed method, we developed the R package IPDfromKM and an accompanying web-based Shiny application. Both the R package and Shiny application have an “all-in-one” feature such that users can use them to extract raw data coordinates from published K-M curves, reconstruct IPD from the extracted data coordinates, visualize the reconstructed IPD, assess the accuracy of the reconstruction, and perform secondary analysis on the basis of the reconstructed IPD. We illustrate the use of the R package and the Shiny application with K-M curves from published studies. Extensive simulations and real-world data applications demonstrate that the proposed method has high accuracy and great reliability in estimating the number of events, number of patients at risk, survival probabilities, median survival times, and hazard ratios. IPDfromKM has great flexibility and accuracy to reconstruct IPD from published K-M curves with different shapes. We believe that the R package and the Shiny application will greatly facilitate the potential use of quality IPD and advance the use of secondary data to facilitate informed decision making in medical research.
‘I don’t think that’s really their wheelhouse’: governing language policy interpretation in teacher education

Recent research highlights teachers’ key role as language policy interpreters, yet few studies have explored whether and how teachers learn about policy interpretation. This article explores how language policy interpretation is addressed within a statewide teacher education initiative in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Since 2012, the state has required most teachers to receive a state-approved endorsement in Sheltered English Immersion (SEI), an increasingly popular model for teaching emergent bilinguals. Initially administered in the context of the state’s controversial English-only education policy, this endorsement was the result of complex policy dynamics. Since few studies have engaged the perspective of teacher educators directly, this article draws on interviews with teacher educators across the state who played a pivotal role in this initiative. Findings show that some teacher educators prioritized policy interpretation in their work with teachers, while others engaged in complex discursive moves by which to avoid the topic of policy. Applying the theoretical lens of governmentality, this study demonstrates the process by which language policy is often positioned as too “political” for teachers, as well as how teacher educators themselves engaged in self-censorship on the topic of language policy. These findings have implications for teacher education and professional development, bringing into question the degree of support teachers are given to act as language policy interpreters.
Towards an Understanding of the Role Operator Limb Dynamics Plays in Haptic Perception of Stiffness.

Creating haptic interfaces capable of rendering the rich sensation needed for dexterous manipulation is crucial for the advancement of human-in-the-loop telerobotic systems (HiLTS). One limiting factor has been the absence of detailed knowledge of the effect of operator limb dynamics and haptic exploration dynamics on haptic perception. We propose to begin investigations of these effects with single-joint haptic exploration and feedback of physical and virtual environments. Here, we present our experimental apparatus, a 1-DoF rotational kinesthetic haptic device and electromyography (EMG) system, along with preliminary findings from our efforts to investigate the change in stiffness discrimination thresholds for differing exploration velocities. Result trends indicate a possible relationship between exploration velocity and discrimination thresholds, as well as a complex interaction between muscle activation, exploration velocity, and haptic feedback.
The genetic basis of spatial cognitive variation in a food-caching bird.

Summary Spatial cognition is used by most organisms to navigate their environment. Some species rely particularly heavily on specialized spatial cognition to survive, suggesting that a heritable component of cognition may be under natural selection. This idea remains largely untested outside of humans, perhaps because cognition in general is known to be strongly affected by learning and experience. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 We investigated the genetic basis of individual variation in spatial cognition used by non-migratory food-caching birds to recover food stores and survive harsh montane winters. Comparing the genomes of wild, free-living birds ranging from best to worst in their performance on a spatial cognitive task revealed significant associations with genes involved in neuron growth and development and hippocampal function. These results identify candidate genes associated with differences in spatial cognition and provide a critical link connecting individual variation in spatial cognition with natural selection.
Flight Test Experience Using Advanced Airborne Equipment in a Time-Based Metered Traffic Environment

A series of test flights have demonstrated that time-based metering guidance and control was acceptable to pilots and air traffic controllers. The descent algorithm of the technique, with good representation of aircraft performance and wind modeling, yielded arrival time accuracy within 12 sec. It is expected that this will represent significant fuel savings (1) through a reduction of the time error dispersions at the metering fix for the entire fleet, and (2) for individual aircraft as well, through the presentation of guidance for a fuel-efficient descent. Air traffic controller workloads were also reduced, in keeping with the reduction of required communications resulting from the transfer of navigation responsibilities to pilots. A second series of test flights demonstrated that an existing flight management system could be modified to operate in the new mode.
Themes in Health Care Culture: Application of Cultural Transformation Theory

Key aspects of culture change include familiarizing oneself with how relationships are structured and encouraging an awareness of how people relate to one another on a domination/partnership continuum (Eisler & Potter, 2014). In 2013, 200 nurse leaders were asked to rate their own cultures on a continuum of domination to partnership based on Eisler’s Cultural Transformation Theory (1987). Of those nurse leaders, 37.5% rated their organizations as being closer to a domination culture than a partnership culture. These findings prompted the development and delivery of a webinar series that applied Cultural Transformation Theory to healthcare culture. The attendees noted an overall change in self-rating of their healthcare culture as they learned about domination and partnership culture. This shift in rating could indicate Cultural Transformation Theory’s usefulness in understanding healthcare culture, and in identifying domination and partnership relationships. In discussions during the webinar three themes emerged: 1) Healthcare culture inclines toward domination and this has an impact on patients, 2) Leadership impacts organizational culture, and 3) Leaders are unaware of domination tendencies within their own cultures. Further discussion is needed to identify strategies that support cultural changes, ultimately leading to improvements in safety, quality, and patient experience within healthcare.
Early identification of children at risk for costly mental health service use.

Children and adolescents with serious and persistent conduct problems often require large public expenditures. Successfully diverting one high risk child from unfortunate outcomes may result in a net savings to society of nearly $2 million, not to mention improving the life of that child and his or her family. This figure highlights the potential of prevention, which often rests on the ability to identify these children at a young age. This study examined the ability of a short conduct-problems screening procedure to predict future need for mental health assistance, special education services, and the juvenile justice system during elementary schoolages. The screen was based on teacher and parent report of child behavioralhabits in kindergarten, and was used to identify children as either at risk or not at risk for behavioral problems. Service outcomes were derived from a service-use assessment administered to parents at the end of the sixth grade, while special education information was gathered through a survey of school records. Study participants (463 kindergarten children; 54% male, 44% African American) were from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in four diverse communities across the United States. Results indicated that, while controlling for demographic background variables, the risk indicator strongly predicted which children would require services related to conduct disorder or behavioral/emotional problems. Additional analyses revealed that the dichotomous high risk indicator was nearly as strong as the continuous screening variable in predicting the service-use outcomes, and that the screening of both parents and teachers may not be necessary for determining risk status.