cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemerin is expressed mainly in pancreas and liver, is regulated by energy deprivation, and lacks day/night variation in humans

Objective: Chemerin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone and has recently been associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Although studies in rodents have outlined the aspects of chemerin’s function and expression, its physiology and expression patterns are still to be elucidated in humans. Methods: To evaluate for any day/night variation in chemerin secretion, we analyzed hourly serum samples from six females in the fed state. To examine whether energy deprivation affects chemerin levels, and whether this could be mediated through leptin, we analyzed samples from the same subjects in the fasting state while administering either placebo or leptin. To evaluate for any potential dose– effect relationship between leptin and chemerin, we administered increasing metreleptin doses to five females. A tissue array was used to study the expression of chemerin in different human tissues. Ex vivo treatment of human fat explants from three subjects with leptin was carried out to evaluate for any direct effect of leptin on adipocyte chemerin secretion. Results: Chemerin does not display a day/night variation, while acute energy deprivation resulted in a significant drop in circulating chemerin levels by w42%. The latter was unaltered by metreleptin administration, and leptin administration did not affect the secretion of chemerin by human adipose tissue studied ex vivo. Chemerin was expressed primarily in the pancreas and liver. Chemerin receptor showed increased expression in the lymph nodes and the spleen. Conclusions: We outline for the first time chemerin expression and physiology in humans, which are different from those in mice.
Evaluation of the patient for surgical intervention of vertigo

Proper patient selection is critical for success in surgically treating patients with vertigo. The highest cure rates are seen in the treatment of Meniere's disease. Patients must be aware that destructive surgeries will substitute some degree of ataxia for the intractable vertigo they are experiencing. The highest success occurs when there is unilateral vestibular disease, no contraindications to surgery (such as central dysfunction), and realistic expectation for surgical outcomes. In some circumstances, bilateral Meniere's disease is amenable to nondestructive intervention. The preoperative work for surgical intervention consists of audiometry, electronystagmography (ENG), and may include supplementary tests, such as rotational or posture platform testing. The audiogram, ENG, and history are the most helpful tests, with supplementary tests added to evaluate cases of bilateral disease or further define central disease.
Integrated approach to assessing streamflow and precipitation alterations under environmental change: Application in the Niger River Basin

Abstract Study region The Niger River Basin in West Africa. Study focus The paper reports an integrated approach capable to elucidate impacts of environmental degradation on streamflow and precipitation at the watershed scale. The approach combines trends and spatial analyses of long-term streamflow, precipitation, and leaf area index LAI. Specifically, I target the Niger River Basin, then I consider monthly precipitation series over the catchment. I also consider data from 8 streamgages selected along the river. New hydrological insights for the region Over the period 1961–2012, I conduct a change point analysis of the streamflow and report two sub-periods 1961–1982 and 1983–2012. A comparison of precipitation and streamflow during these two time-slices shows meaningful changes. I describe a Kernel density analysis of streamflow and yield a probabilistic estimate of discharge anomalies along the river. Later, I evaluate seasonal trends of precipitation and streamflow. The analyses bring out critical alterations in time and space. However, these alterations seem to foreshadow critical environmental degradations occurring across the watershed. I consider LAI series derived from MODIS images, then I examine and discuss trends in land-cover dynamics in relation with the patterns in precipitation and streamflow. This late analytical step yields a holistic picture of the ongoing alterations in the Niger River Basin. Finally, I emphasize suggestions, valuable for a comprehensive water resources and environment management.
Perceived Social Support From Friends and Parents for Eating Behavior and Diet Quality Among Low-Income, Urban, Minority Youth.

Abstract Objective Evidence of associations between social support and dietary intake among adolescents is mixed. This study examines relationships between social support for healthy and unhealthy eating from friends and parents, and associations with diet quality. Design Cross-sectional analysis of survey data. Setting Baltimore, MD. Participants 296 youth aged 9–15 years, 53% female, 91% African American, participating in the B'More Healthy Communities for Kids study. Main Outcome Measure(s) Primary dependent variable: diet quality measured using Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI) overall score, calculated from the Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. Independent variables: Social support from parents and friends for healthy eating (4 questions analyzed as a scale) and unhealthy eating (3 questions analyzed individually), age, gender, race, and household income, reported via questionnaire. Analysis Adjusted multiple linear regressions (α, P Results Friend and parent support for healthy eating did not have statistically significant relationships with overall HEI scores. Youth who reported their parents offering high-fat foods or sweets more frequently had lower overall HEI scores (β = –1.65; SE = 0.52; 95% confidence interval, –2.66 to –0.63). Conclusions and Implications These results are novel and demonstrate the need for additional studies examining support for unhealthy eating. These preliminary findings may be relevant to researchers as they develop family-based nutrition interventions.
Carbonic Anhydrase and Chemoreception in Carotid and Aortic Bodies

Intracellular pH in eukaryotic cells is maintained more acid than extracellular pH (6.8 vs. 7.4), but it is more alkaline than predicted by electrochemical gradient at equilibrium (reviewed in reference 14). The intracellular pH is therefore maintained by some active process. What critical role the carbonic anhydrases (CAs) play in the maintenance of steady-state cellular cytosolic pH in the glomus cells of carotid and aortic bodies is unclear. It is clear, however, that in dynamic physiological states, where speed of reaction matters, CAs are important.
A Critical Appraisal of Agricultural Economics in the Mid-Sixties

In spite of the many developments that have occurred in agricultural economics, it is only barely a science and will have difficulty improving its scientific standing. Science is characterized by an ability to predict real world occurrences with an acceptable degree of warrantability. Agricultural economics cannot do this now primarily because the actors in its models are endowed with a greater portion of omniscience than living man can claim and because they are clothed by their analysts with a rationality defined too simply as maximization of an uncomplex criterion. To prescribe for decision makers in the real world demands large elements of the artist in the counselor, calling on him to analyze and advise with experience, knack, ingenuity as well as with empirically verifiable knowledge. Agricultural economics is as much or more an art as it is a science in the service of unquestionable value it renders to policy.
Perceived Fairness, Marital Conflict, and Depression: A Dyadic Data Analysis

ABSTRACTThis study explored associations among perceived fairness, marital conflict, and depression. Data for this study included married participants (n = 401 couples) from the Marriage Matters Panel Survey of Newlywed Couples. This study tested three autoregressive cross-lagged models and hypothesized that fairness would precede marital conflict, and continued conflict would lead to greater depression. The final model found that wives' Time 1 perceived fairness was associated with their husbands' conflict at Time 2, and that husbands' perceived fairness at Time 2 was associated with their wives' depression at Time 3. Findings suggest some support for addressing perceived fairness with couples.
Corporate Governance Developments in Ghana: The Past, the Present and the Future

Corporate governance has received a lot of attention after the 2008 global credit crunch that culminated into bank failures and worldwide economic crises. In many developing countries, disclosures and the compliance with the corporate governance codes of best practices existing in such countries have become necessary due to ever increasing foreign investors who rely upon the financial reports of companies in those countries before having huge economic and financial investments in them. In the case of Ghana, following the enactments of the 2002 corporate governance code by the SEC, many codes of best practices have emanated while there have been calls for a single code by various regulators and stakeholders. While full compliance with the codes and its enforcement by the SEC is being canvassed for, corruption which has persisted and continues to grow has been single out as the major bane within the Ghanaian system. This paper, however, contributes to a body of knowledge and existing literatures while giving a lucid picture as to the corporate governance developments in Ghana in the past, the present and the future. It discusses the issue of compliance with the codes of best practices and the challenges being faced in a developing economy such as Ghana. It argues that while the socio-cultural problem of corruption persists, it is onerous on the government to fight through good governance, effective legal system, proper enforcement by the regulators and citizenship enlighten.
Mechanically Removing Southwestern Corn Borer Pupae from Plastic Rearing Cups

A machine was constructed for mechanically removing pupae of Diatraea grandiosella (Dyar) from 30-ml clear plastic rearing cups containing diet medium. The cups are split in half, and the parts and their contents are conveyed to a separator system where the pupae and small trash are remove from the larger trash. This machine is 96% effective in removing pupae. It operates at a speed of 1,400 cups/h, whereas the average worker can harvest pupae from ca. 400 cups/h by hand. Adult emergence from pupae removed with this machine was equal to that from pupae removed by hand. This machine was ca. 90% efficient for the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), pupae, as Well.
Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Perceptions of Their Development of Clinical Reasoning.

Background Establishing a strong foundation for the development of clinical reasoning in nursing students is essential to ensure safe and effective patient care. This study explored prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of their development of clinical reasoning, as well as their perceptions of how it is taught. Method In this phenomenological study, individual semistructured interviews were conducted to gather data related to participants' perceptions of their development of clinical reasoning. Data were analyzed using procedural steps delineated by Giorgi. Results Data analysis revealed three main themes: Instructor Characteristics, Importance of Clinical Reasoning, and Best Place to Learn Clinical Reasoning. Students recognized how clinical reasoning enhances safe and effective clinical practice and indicated the clinical arena was the most beneficial environment in which to learn clinical reasoning. Conclusion Understanding students' perceptions of learning benefits nurse educators in planning nursing program curricula to enhance and facilitate the development of clinical reasoning. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(6):329-335.].
Effects of tamoxifen on corpus luteum function and luteal phase length in cynomolgus monkeys.

Previous data in nonhuman primates have demonstrated that tamoxifen prolongs the luteal phase without altering reproductive hormone levels. A small study in humans found no effect on menstrual cycle length, but an increase in luteal ovarian steroid levels. In view of these conflicting results, we studied the effect of tamoxifen on corpus luteum (CL) function in monkeys (n = 20). Blood was obtained daily beginning cycle day 8, and sera assayed for estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Four days after the midcycle E2 peak, laparoscopy confirmed CL formation, and the animals were administered (1) lactose (n = 7), (2) tamoxifen, 0.5 mg.kg− 1.d− 1 (n = 6), or (3) tamoxifen, 3.0 mg.kg− 1.d− 1 (n = 7) for 12 consecutive days. Serum collection continued until cycle day 50 or menses, whichever came first. Results indicate a biphasic response among tamoxifen-treated animals, with 7 of 13 developing prolonged luteal phases. There was, however, no significant difference in luteal phase length among the three groups, although when the two groups given tamoxifen were combined, the difference in luteal phase length versus controls approached significance. No differences were found among peak P levels, mean luteal phase P levels, or mean luteal phase gonadotropin levels. No variables were found to correlate significantly with luteal phase length. These results suggest that luteal phase administration of the antiestrogen tamoxifen does not alter pituitary gonadotropin secretion or CL function. However, tamoxifen does prolong luteal phase length in a subset of monkeys, perhaps via a direct effect on the endometrium.
Femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery in complex cases

Purpose To describe the use of the femtosecond laser in complex cataract cases. Setting Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Design Retrospective case series. Methods This was a single-center retrospective review of consecutive complex cataract surgery cases in which the Lensx femtosecond laser was used between October 2012 and February 2015. Complex cases were defined as white cataracts, dense brunescent cataracts, or cataracts in which zonulopathy was identified preoperatively. Outcome measures included an assessment of the capsulotomy, surgical complications, and postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). Results Thirty-four eyes of 34 patients were included in this study; 27 had white cataract, 3 had dense brunescent cataract, and 6 had zonulopathy (2 of these also had white cataract). Three patients had an incomplete capsulotomy, and 3 had small radial tears in the anterior capsule. Four patients (11.7%) developed posterior capsule tears during phacoemulsification; 1 of these subsequently had pars plana vitrectomy for a retained lens fragment. Twenty-eight (97%) of 29 patients had a postoperative CDVA of 20/40 or better. Three patients were identified with comorbidities that limited postoperative CDVA. One patient developed postoperative cystoid macular edema. Conclusion The femtosecond laser was useful in the surgical approach to patients with complex cataracts, especially for the creation of the capsulotomy. Financial Disclosure None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
A Simple Method to Record Keystrokes on Mobile Phones and Other Devices for Usability Evaluations

Task times, sometimes at the keystroke level, as well as the number of keystrokes are often used to assess the usefulness and ease of use of mobile devices. This paper describes a new method to obtain keystroke-level timing of tasks involving Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and Techsmith Morae (commonly used for usability tests). Running VNC, the PC mimics what the mobile device does, which is recorded by Morae running on the PC. To evaluate this configuration, 24 pairs of subjects texted 1,200 messages concerning five topics to each other. Every keystroke was recorded and timed to the nearest 10 ms. As desired, the communications were quite stable, with times of 90 % of the messages on the two recording computers being normally distributed and within ± 100 ms of each other. Others are encouraged to use this method, given its accuracy and low cost, to examine mobile device usability.
Experimental investigation of spatial spillover in adaptive feedback noise control of broadband disturbances in a 3D acoustic space

Active feedback noise control for rejecting broadband disturbances must contend with the Bode integral constraint, which implies that suppression over some frequency range gives rise to amplification over another range. This is called spectral spillover. In the present paper, we apply retrospective cost adaptive control (RCAC) to active noise suppression in the interior of an automobile. This study highlights spectral spillover along with related issues, such as the need for controller stability, the effect of plant rolloff at DC, and the challenge of nonminimum-phase zeros. Beyond these issues, this paper deals with spatial spillover, which refers to the amplification of noise at locations where no microphone is located. Typically, this issue is dealt with by restricting the bandwidth to a frequency range within which the acoustic wavelength is sufficiently large such that the phase shift between sensor locations is minimal. However, in this study we show that this design guideline is not valid in the case where obstructions (such as the driver of the vehicle) are present. This study illuminates the interaction among modeling and hardware issues within the context of a real-world application. At the same time, it provides a case study illustrating RCAC and its performance and requirements in practice.
C–H functionalization of amines with aryl halides by nickel-photoredox catalysis

We describe the functionalization of α-amino C–H bonds with aryl halides using a combination of nickel and photoredox catalysis. This direct C–H, C–X coupling uses inexpensive and readily available starting materials to generate benzylic amines, an important class of bioactive molecules. Mechanistically, this method features the direct arylation of α-amino radicals mediated by a nickel catalyst. This reactivity is demonstrated for a range of aryl halides and N-aryl amines, with orthogonal scope to existing C–H activation and photoredox methodologies. We also report reactions with several complex aryl halides, demonstrating the potential utility of this approach in late-stage functionalization.
The Impact of Perceived Point of Sale Experience: An Abstract

The current research introduces the concept of perceived point of sale experience (the experience gained at the location in a retail store where the transaction takes place between a customer and the business). It also investigates its role on shopper’s attitude towards a retail store along its hedonic/utilitarian dimensions and its subsequent influence on the shopper’s re-patronage intentions (intentions of a repeat visit to the store). Furthermore, the role of perceived retail crowding (consumer sensitivity to space scarcity in a retail store) and interactional justice as antecedents to perceived point of sale experience is assessed.
Serotonin: its role and receptors in enteric neurotransmission.

The gastrointestinal tract represents the largest depot of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the body (Erspamer, 1966). Within the gut, 5-HT is found both in enteroendocrine (EC) cells in the epithelium of the mucosa (Erspamer, 1966; Nilsson et al., 1985) and in neurons of the myenteric plexus (Costa et al., 1982; Gershon, 1982; Furness and Costa, 1987). The 5-HT-containing EC cells develop from embryonic endoderm, while the neurons develop from the neural crest (Le Douarin, 1982). Neither the roles played in gastrointestinal physiology by EC cell 5-HT nor those of serotonergic neurons have been ascertained; however, 5-HT is probably involved in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. A variety of stimuli have been reported to release 5-HT from EC cells, including mucosal pressure (Bulbring and Lin, 1958; Bulbring and Crema, 1959) and activation of splanchnic or vagus nerves (Ahlman et al., 1976; Ahlman and Dahlstrom, 1983; Gronstad et al., 1985). Pressure applied to the mucosa of the gut also initiates the peristaltic reflex, a response that can also be elicited by mucosal but not serosal application of 5-HT (Bulbring and Crema, 1958; Bulbring and Lin, 1958). It has thus been proposed that EC cells are pressure receptors and that they release 5-HT, not into the lumen of the bowel, but to the lamina propria, where intrinsic primary afferent nerve fibers that are sensitive to 5-HT are located. If this hypothesis is correct, then enteric neuronal 5-HT receptors would have to be present in the lamina propria. Enteric serotonergic neurons are interneurons, innervating serotonergic and other ganglion cells in both enteric plexuses (Dreyfus et al., 1977; Furness and Costa, 1982, 1987; Gershon and Sherman, 1987). Enteric neuronal 5-HT receptors, therefore, should also be found with enteric ganglia.
Whole Egg Consumption Exerts a Nephroprotective Effect in an Acute Rodent Model of Type 1 Diabetes.

Nephropathy is a well-characterized complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D), resulting in proteinuria and urinary loss of micronutrients. We previously found that a whole egg-based diet maintained vitamin D balance in type 2 diabetic rats despite excessive urinary losses due to nephropathy. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of whole egg consumption in T1D rats. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to T1D or nondiabetic control groups and fed a casein or whole egg-based diet for 32 days. On day 26, two-thirds of the rats received a streptozotocin injection to induce T1D. Whole egg consumption attenuated polyuria, proteinuria, and renal hypertrophy in T1D rats. These data suggest that dietary intervention with whole egg may offer renal protection in T1D.
Association of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway activation with increased immune checkpoint expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

653Background: PI3K pathway is a known modulator of anti-tumor immune response and is frequently activated in CRC through genetic alterations such as PTEN loss (PTENloss) and PIK3CA mutations (PIK3...
Modeling Time of Use Pricing for Load Aggregators Using New Mathematical Programming with Equality Constraints

Demand Response (DR) and Time of Use (TOU) pricing for retail electricity market is the key to reduce total system costs in smart grids. In this paper, a bi-level optimization model for the time of use pricing problem is presented. The interactions between electricity Load Aggregators (LAs) and end-users in the smart grid is applied to obtain optimal TOU in the retail market. For the LAs, there is a revenue maximization problem (upper level), and for end-users there is a cost minimization problem (lower level). The proposed method defines a novel concept of the Retail Market Clearing Price (RMCP) by modeling DR at the lower level. It is proven that at the demand side, there is a unique marginal cost price, which will fulfill the end-user cost minimization problem. The proposed algorithm defines adequate TOU mechanism by presenting mathematical model of end-users response to electricity prices. To solve the lower level problem, a new Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem is presented, which uses the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions and Mathematical Programming with Equality Constraints (MPEC). To validate the proposed model, three different competitive LAs were considered.
Development of a Master Mentor Teacher Program

Retaining new teachers continues to challenge school districts nationwide. National statistics report that those entering the teaching profession leave at alarming rates (Ingersoll, 2001). It is not uncommon for teachers to leave after just one year in the classroom, and others often leave within their first five years (Darling-Hammond, 1997; Ingersoll. 2002; Odell & Huling, 2000).
Impact of the Afro-Asian Position on the Establishment and Continuation of Committees on Information for Three-Year Periods: 1949–1958

The institutional shift from a procedural one-year Committee on Information from NSGTs to a more durable and more substantive body came in September 1949. The Afro-Asian Members on the Special Committee of 1949, supported by the U.S.S.R., Brazil and Venezuela, were eager to tryagain and propose the establishment of a permanent Committee. But it was a difficult attempt in a body of balanced membership. Nevertheless, China, Egypt, India and Venezuela made the proposal, which though rejected, produced a compromise in the form of a three-year body destined to enjoy vast powers and broad functions.
Intervention models for mothers and children at risk for injuries.

We review risk factors commonly associated with childhood unintentional injuries and highlight adolescent mothers and their young children as a high risk group. Several intervention models of injury, including the epidemiological model, Peterson and Brown's “working model,” and the socioecological model have been proposed to explain the events that lead to injuries. Discussion of these models is provided and a synthesis of the adolescent parenting model and the socioecological model of injury is suggested as way to address the complex variables that lead to an injury causing event for adolescent mothers and their young children. Finally, we suggest areas of future investigation and their implications for prevention and treatment.
Examining Instructor Feedback in Professional and Technical Communication Service Courses

Professional and Technical Communication (PTC) instructors give students feedback on assignments like resumes and cover letters; however, these feedback practices are based on lore, not empirical research. This paper presents preliminary data from an ongoing study of 25 experienced PTC instructors. The first three interviews show that while each instructor wants students to understand audience, instructors do not always consider PTC's goals of teaching problem-solving, meeting employers' needs, or preparing students to become change agents.
Personalized Tumor RNA Loaded Lipid-Nanoparticles Prime the Systemic and Intratumoral Milieu for Response to Cancer Immunotherapy

Translation of nanoparticles (NPs) into human clinical trials for patients with refractory cancers has lagged due to unknown biologic reactivities of novel NP designs. To overcome these limitations, simple well-characterized mRNA lipid-NPs have been developed as cancer immunotherapeutic vaccines. While the preponderance of RNA lipid-NPs encoding for tumor-associated antigens or neoepitopes have been designed to target lymphoid organs, they remain encumbered by the profound intratumoral and systemic immunosuppression that may stymie an activated T cell response. Herein, we show that systemic localization of untargeted tumor RNA (derived from whole transcriptome) encapsulated in lipid-NPs, with excess positive charge, primes the peripheral and intratumoral milieu for response to immunotherapy. In immunologically resistant tumor models, these RNA-NPs activate the preponderance of systemic and intratumoral myeloid cells (characterized by coexpression of PD-L1 and CD86). Addition of immune checkpoint inhibitor...
International Decision, Animal Science Products, Inc. v. Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 16-1220 (U.S. 2018)

When a foreign country's law is relevant to a case in U.S. federal court and the foreign country files an official statement about the meaning of its law, how should U.S. courts treat the foreign government's representations? In Animal Science Products, Inc. v. Hebei Welcome Pharmaceuticals Co., the Supreme Court of the United States held that "[a] federal court should accord respectful consideration to a foreign government's submission, but is not bound to accord conclusive effect to the foreign government's statements". The Supreme Court settled a circuit split and reversed a Second Circuit opinion that had given conclusive effect to the Chinese government's representations about its domestic law. Animal Science Products provides important guidance to federal courts faced with increasingly frequent filings by foreign governments, but it leaves unresolved significant questions about deference to foreign sovereign amici and preserves existing debates about the nature of "respectful consideration".
Demystifying Membership Inference Attacks in Machine Learning as a Service

Membership inference attacks seek to infer membership of individual training instances of a model to which an adversary has black-box access through a machine learning-as-a-service API. In providing an in-depth characterization of membership privacy risks against machine learning models, this paper presents a comprehensive study towards demystifying membership inference attacks from two complimentary perspectives. First, we provide a generalized formulation of the development of a black-box membership inference attack model. Second, we characterize the importance of model choice on model vulnerability through a systematic evaluation of a variety of machine learning models and model combinations using multiple datasets. Through formal analysis and empirical evidence from extensive experimentation, we characterize under what conditions a model may be vulnerable to such black-box membership inference attacks. We show that membership inference vulnerability is data-driven and its attack models are largely transferable. Though different model types display different vulnerabilities to membership inferences, so do different datasets. Our empirical results additionally show that (1) using the type of target model under attack within the attack model may not increase attack effectiveness and (2) collaborative learning exposes vulnerabilities to membership inference risks when the adversary is a participant. We also discuss countermeasure and mitigation strategies.
James I and the Huguenot Synod of Tonneins of 1614

That King James I of England was ardently interested in religious ideas is well-known to students of the seventeenth century. Less well-known is the fact that he was specifically interested in the cause of religious reunion and played a leading part in a movement to find a way to reconcile the different national churches of his day and thus significantly to reduce international tensions. His plans did not exclude the possibility of a rapprochement between the Churches of the Reformation and Rome — even though James's own religious and political writings involved him in a series of bitter exchanges with leading Roman Catholic controversialists. From the beginning of his reign in England James had wanted to approach the problem of religious disunity through an international assembly of divines — or an ecumenical council, and he took care to make his intentions clear through diplomatic channels. During the years 1610–1614 he made use of the celebrated classical scholar Isaac Casaubon, then resident in England, in stimulating support for his ideas, especially in learned circles on the continent. Casaubon's death in England in the summer of 1614 deprived James of a zealous ally in the cause of Christian reunion, but it did not bring the campaign to which they had committed themselves to an end. By this time James was involved in the most ambitious reunion plan of his career, the result of his collaboration with Pierre Du Moulin, pastor of the Reformed Church in Paris and one of the leading theologians in France
Social poverty: low-income parents and the struggle for family and community ties

Family poverty in the United States is complex and multifaceted, with clear links between income poverty and compromised social-emotional, cognitive, and physiological functioning (Brooks-Gunn and ...
Scholar and Mentor: Vladimir Stasov and the Promotion of Russian Needlecrafts

Vladimir Stasov, well-known as a champion of Russian art and music, proved equally forceful as an advocate for Russian needlework. Yet this key component of his scholarship has been relegated to secondary status; remedying this neglect is the aim of this article. Stasov’s well-known publication, Russkii narodnyi ornament (1872), has traditionally been discussed as a treatise on ornament, however its main emphasis was needlework and it needs to be analyzed as such. Further, Stasov influenced others to take up the cause of Russian national needle art, in particular Sofia Davydova whose tome on Russian lace, Russkoe kruzhevo i russkie kruzhevnitsy (1886), made a major contribution to Russian art and culture. Stasov’s scholarship and promotion of needlework needs to be thoroughly understood in order to have a more complete understanding of Russian material culture and this article is a starting point toward that goal
A Patient's Journey in Curating Her Medical Team for Whole Person Care

Twenty-nine years ago I was born with Short Bowel Syndrome, which required me, from birth, to depend on feedings through a gastrostomy tube and central line. To this day I require IV nutrition daily. I am not yet thirty years old, and I have had 65 surgeries, including a small intestine organ transplant, and bilateral hip replacements. I understand how the medical system works—and where it fails. I now have an incomparable level of knowledge and first-hand experience with our healthcare system that I hope to use to enlighten and educate. My care for the last three decades has not been whole-body. Instead, it has been fragmented highly subspecialized care, leaving me doing well in the short term, but with no cohesive long-term plan. I had discussions with my current medical care providers, I left teams that were inadequate, I inquired opinions of new doctors from around the country and curated my own team of professionals from 3 states in order to LIVE not survive in a hospital. The result: Whole person care with me as the driver and coordinator. I will impart pieces of my experience to understand what it takes to create the “pit crew,” the healthcare system was not providing me, and how you as a medical provider can be the best advocate for your patient on their “pit crew.” Hear real examples of patient-provider interactions, the vital importance of shared decision making, and the details behind true compassion that inspire whole person care.
Theorizing postfeminist communities: How gender‐inclusive meetups address gender inequity in high‐tech industries

Through a qualitative analysis of gender‐inclusive meetup groups in the US technology sector, this article offers a theory of postfeminist communities to identify how community organizing can take a postfeminist turn. Gender‐inclusive meetups are public, often free groups or organizations where participants have access to training, mentorship and support. Groups import postfeminist values of choice, empowerment, individualism and entrepreneurship into their community organizing efforts to address workplace gender inequities. Groups employ three strategies to improve the status of women and non‐binary people in the tech industry: (i) organizing a supportive community rooted in professionalism and entrepreneurialism; (ii) offering skills development in a safe environment; and (iii) training participants on how to take individual action against discrimination. While postfeminist communities are able to successfully cultivate supportive groups of participants who organize outside of the workplace, strategies focused on individual‐level changes ultimately do little to disrupt organization‐level gender inequities.
Predictive Modeling of Aerospace Fuel Properties Using Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography with Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Partial Least Squares Analysis

Increasingly stringent requirements for aerospace propulsion system performance, reliability, and operability motivate quantitative connections between fuel composition, physical characteristics, and system performance. Chemically accurate assessment of aviation turbine fuels (Jet-A, JP-8, etc.) and kerosene-based rocket propellants (RP-1 and RP-2) is requisite to mature these models. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC–TOFMS) is an excellent analytical tool for measuring detailed chemical information contained in complex fuels. Additionally, multivariate data analysis methods, referred to as chemometrics, are ideally suited to relate detailed chemical information contained within the GC × GC–TOFMS data to fuel properties and performance in a predictive manner. Herein, we apply these techniques to a chemically diverse set of 74 distillate and multicomponent aerospace fuels, resulting in an improved understanding of the chemical compositional basis for physical and thermochemical behavior. Informed by GC × GC–TOFMS data, highly reliable partial least squares (PLS) models are developed and employed in the prediction of physical properties (measured separately using conventional test methods). Root-mean-square errors of cross-validation (RMSECV) were relatively low: values of 0.0450 cSt, 41.3 Btu/lbm, 0.130 mass %, and 0.0064 g/mL were obtained for viscosity, heat of combustion, hydrogen content, and density, respectively. The corresponding normalized root-mean-square errors of cross-validation (NRMSECV) were 6.01, 10.3, 8.71, and 7.12%, respectively. Investigation of the linear regression vectors (LRVs) provides valuable insight into the relationship between the chemical composition and physical properties, enabling, in principle, the model-informed selection of fuel chemical composition to achieve desired performance criteria.
Optimizing a self-directed mobile mindfulness intervention for improving cardiorespiratory failure survivors' psychological distress (LIFT2): Design and rationale of a randomized factorial experimental clinical trial.

Abstract Introduction Although as many as 75% of the >2 million annual intensive care unit (ICU) survivors experience symptoms of psychological distress that persist for months to years, few therapies exist that target their symptoms and accommodate their unique needs. In response, we developed LIFT, a mobile app-based mindfulness intervention. LIFT reduced distress symptoms more than either a telephone-based mindfulness program or education control in a pilot randomized clinical trial (LIFT1). Objective To describe the methods of a factorial experimental clinical trial (LIFT2) being conducted to aid in the development and implementation of the version of the LIFT intervention that is optimized across domains of effect, feasibility, scalability, and costs. Methods and analysis The LIFT2 study is an optimization trial conceptualized as a component of a larger multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) project. The goal of LIFT2 is to use a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experimental trial involving 152 patients to determine the ideal components of the LIFT mobile mindfulness program for ICU survivors across factors including (1) study introduction by call from a therapist vs. app only, (2) response to persistent or worsening symptoms over time by therapist vs. app only, and (3) high dose vs. low dose. The primary trial outcome is change in depression symptoms 1 month from randomization measured by the PHQ-9 instrument. Secondary outcomes include anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical symptoms; measures of feasibility, acceptability, and usability; as well as themes assessed through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with study participants conducted after follow up completion. We will use general linear models to compare outcomes across the main effects and interactions of the factors.
A new method for quantifying network cyclic structure to improve community detection

Abstract A distinguishing property of communities in networks is that cycles are more prevalent within communities than across communities. Thus, the detection of these communities may be aided through the incorporation of measures of the local “richness” of the cyclic structure. In this paper, we introduce renewal non-backtracking random walks (RNBRW) as a way of quantifying this structure. RNBRW gives a weight to each edge equal to the probability that a non-backtracking random walk completes a cycle with that edge. Hence, edges with larger weights may be thought of as more important to the formation of cycles. Of note, since separate random walks can be performed in parallel, RNBRW weights can be estimated very quickly, even for large graphs. We give simulation results showing that pre-weighting edges through RNBRW may substantially improve the performance of common community detection algorithms. Our results suggest that RNBRW is especially efficient for the challenging case of detecting communities in sparse graphs.
Correction to: Examining Caretaker Attitudes Towards Primary Prevention of Pediatric Behavioral Health Problems in Integrated Care

The correlation between child age and caretaker age reported in Table 2 was incorrectly reported as .051. Table 2 has been revised to indicate that the correlation between child age and caretaker age was 0.51. In addition, the revised article has corrected errors in the formatting of the confidence intervals.
The promises and perils of community benefits agreements: evidence from public comments to a large bank merger

Communities are using benefits agreements to advocate for economic investments in the context of bank mergers. This study used descriptive and critical discourse analyses to analyze 438 public comm...
Power minimization of fixed-wing drones for Venus exploration in various altitudes

Abstract Venus has a harsh environment that makes its exploration especially difficult. Standard rovers like on Mars would not work as the intense temperature, and pressure would cause them to have a short operating time. At an altitude of about 55 km, Venus has an Earth-like atmosphere where a robotic system could survey for different features. A fixed-wing drone that can fly at this altitude would be practical. To obtain better information on Venus, the UAV can operate at lower altitudes until pressure and temperature operational limits are met. Then the drone can come back to an altitude of 55 km and alleviate until it is ready to go back into the lower altitudes. The atmospheric analysis is done to model Venus’ characteristics at lower altitudes between 0 km and 60 km. Functions are made that model the atmospheric properties of Venus, such as temperature, pressure, density, and viscosity. These modeled atmospheric properties are then used to investigate the wing and thrust loading of a fixed-wing UAV in Venus. The results from this wing and thrust loading investigation are that, as wing loading and altitude increase, thrust loading also increases. This general trend is not consistent for all flight modes. For the case analyzed, thrust loading decreases between 0 N/m2 and 16 N/m2, and increases between 17 N/m2 and 80 N/m2 for flight at a constant altitude and cruise speed. There is a specific wing loading that requires the minimum thrust loading for each flight mode and altitude. For flight at a constant altitude and cruise speed, the best wing loading to have is about 16.75 N/m2. For flight at accelerated climb speed, the best wing loading to have is as low as it can be, in this case, it is 10 N/m2. This study gives outlines for future steps of designing fixed-wing UAVs for Venus exploration.
Robust cleaning mechanism permanently detaches hydrocarbon species from silicate surfaces by amphiphiles

Abstract This paper studies the role of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) additive to enhance the desorption power of toluene to detach the bitumen from siliceous surfaces. The latter desorption is critical for successful recycling of old asphalt roads where aged bitumen is expected to come off the stones and blend with virgin bitumen used in construction of new roads. Toluene, a documented neurotoxin, has been commonly used to separate aged bitumen from siliceous surface; increasing toluene desorption power and dosage efficiency allows reduced application rate leading to significant environmental and economic benefits. Here, we used the laboratory experiments and computational modeling to understand mechanism of desorption afforded by a hybrid solvent made from blends of toluene and NMP. Our results showed the hybrid solvent interacts with both bitumen and siliceous surfaces; this in turn allows the solvent not only dissolve the asphaltene agglomerates in aged bitumen, but also supersede bitumen compounds for adsorption to silica. Our modeling revealed the hybrid solvent creates an amphiphile that is both able to attach to the asphaltene molecules and interact with polar water molecules, thus making a monolithic cluster that is easy to detach from the siliceous surface under hydraulic pressure. This was further evidenced in a high reduction in the shear-thinning rate of bitumen-silica matrix when hybrid solvent was introduced; for instance, in the case of severely aged bitumen bonded to silica, shear-thinning rate reduced by 60% when hybrid solvent was introduced. Study outcomes provide insights into the merits of using hybrid solvent for desorption as well as its working mechanism. Such insights set a path for future efforts in pavement recycling and promote resource conservation and sustainable development.
Post-Schooling off-The-Job training and its benefits

Abstract Post-schooling off-the-job training (Off-JT) is common, but little is known about how recent benefits vary across levels of formal education. Using a fixed-effects difference-in-differences regression coupled with the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997 data, I estimate how Off-JT certificate completion impacts employment and real (2014) annual income. Among those with a college degree, there is a significant increase in annual income. The total effect when individual-specific linear time trends are included ranges from $4,803.6 to $5,844.7. In contrast, for those with less than a college degree there is no significant change in income, despite a significant increase in employment. This is likely due to the small impact on hours worked for those without a college degree (an increase of 27 hours over the year, on average). The results suggest that the recent returns to Off-JT certificate completion depend on the formal level of education acquired prior to Off-JT.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Mitigating Cyber-Physical DER Voltage Unbalance Attacks

The deployment of DER with smart-inverter functionality is increasing the controllable assets on power distribution networks and, consequently, the cyber-physical attack surface. Within this work, we consider the use of reinforcement learning as an online controller that adjusts DER Volt/Var and Volt/Watt control logic to mitigate network voltage unbalance. We specifically focus on the case where a network-aware cyber-physical attack has compromised a subset of single-phase DER, causing a large voltage unbalance. We show how deep reinforcement learning successfully learns a policy minimizing the unbalance, both during normal operation and during a cyber-physical attack. In mitigating the attack, the learned stochastic policy operates alongside legacy equipment on the network, i.e. tap-changing transformers, adjusting optimally predefined DER control-logic.
A Brief Retrospective and Prospective Look at The Journal of Financial Intermediation: 1990-98

Since its inception in 1990, The Journal of Financial Intermediation has strived to be a high-quality outlet for empirical and theoretical research in financial intermediation, market microstructure and corporate finance. This article briefly reviews the output of the Journal since its inception, describe recent changes, and takes a look at the future.