cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LEDs for Solid-State Lighting: Performance Challenges and Recent Advances

Over the past decade, advances in LEDs have enabled the potential for wide-scale replacement of traditional lighting with solid-state light sources. If LED performance targets are realized, solid-state lighting will provide significant energy savings, important environmental benefits, and dramatically new ways to utilize and control light. In this paper, we review LED performance targets that are needed to achieve these benefits and highlight some of the remaining technical challenges. We describe recent advances in LED materials and novel device concepts that show promise for realizing the full potential of LED-based white lighting.
Intercultural Sensitivity through Short-Term Study Abroad.

One of the foremost-cited rationales for study abroad during college is the development of a global perspective and intercultural sensitivity. Although this argument is mentioned frequently in promotional materials for study abroad, it has not yet been backed by research based on the outcomes of students’ study abroad experiences. As more students’ study abroad and study abroad programing becomes shorter, it is more important than ever to test the claims made by program organizers. The present mixed-methods study examined 12 students’ development in intercultural sensitivity over the period of a four-week study abroad program in Salamanca, Spain. Findings demonstrate that students made little changes in intercultural sensitivity as measured by the Intercultural Sensitivity Index and as reported in the qualitative data; however, these methods produced conflicting findings on students’ stages of intercultural sensitivity development.
Decentralization, re-centralization and future European health policy.

A major shift appears to be underway in Europe in the relationship between national, regional, and local control over health sector decision-making. Since World War II, a central thrust of health policy has been to decentralize key dimensions of decision-making authority to increasingly lower levels of government, as well as (in Social Health Insurance systems and recently in some tax-based systems) to private sector organizations.1 This strategy, to adapt Kondratiev's business-cycle framework,2 has been one of two overlapping ‘long waves’ that helped frame structural decisions in most Western European health systems. The second wave—market-influenced-entrepreneurialism—has run simultaneously with decentralization since the late 1980s. However, while this second, market-oriented wave has generated considerable controversy in some health policy circles, the concept of decentralization was readily accepted in many national policy contexts. As a result, over the second half of the 20th century, expanded decentralization of authority to regional, municipal and non-governmental control has become part of the ‘received wisdom’ about what good health policy should include. In the tax-funded health systems in Nordic countries, for example, most administrative and managerial responsibility as well as substantial political (policy) and fiscal decision-making control has been decentralized inside the public sector: from national to regional level (somatic hospitals in Norway in 1970; mental hospitals in Sweden in 1967), from regional to municipal level (elderly residential care in Sweden in 1992), and from national to municipal level (effective decision-making control over central hospitals in Finland in 1993). In the tax-funded health systems in Southern Europe, most administrative and managerial as well as many political (but not key fiscal) responsibilities were devolved from national to regional governments in Spain (to the 17 autonomous communities from 1981 to 2003), and in Italy (to 22 regional governments starting in the late 1980s). In social health insurance funded …
Reining in student comments: a model for categorising and studying online student comments

A growing body of research has investigated the comments by students on websites that offer evaluations of college faculty. This corpus includes both quantitative and qualitative studies that each use a different scheme for classifying/analysing student comments, which makes the comparison of findings across studies impossible. The present study used a grounded theory method to develop a model for classifying the content of student comments on faculty rating sites that can be applied across studies. The multi‐dimensional nature of the model allows for the representation of the interconnected nature of the topics addressed by students in their comments and allows for comments to be categorised with varying degrees of specificity. Future research is needed to test the validity of the model for addressing various research questions.
Delayed-type hypersensitivity response in mice to Treponema pallidum.

C3H/HeJ mice which had been primed with either virulent or killed T. pailidum were studied for in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to T. pallidum following local footpad challenge. Mice sustaining a chronic infection of 5 months duration failed to develop a DTH to treponemal antigens, whereas priming by a single intravenous injection with killed organisms resulted in a significant DTH response in mice when challenged 5 days later. Treatment of mice prior to priming with a single sublethal dose of cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg body weight) not only failed to potentiate T. pallidum-DTH, but abrogated the response observed in untreated primed animals.
Refining the continuum of CFTR‐associated disorders in the era of newborn screening

Clinical heterogeneity in cystic fibrosis (CF) often causes diagnostic uncertainty in infants without symptoms and in older patients with milder phenotypes. We performed a cross-sectional evaluation of a comprehensive set of clinical and laboratory descriptors in a physician-defined cohort (N = 376; Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and the American Family Children's Hospital CF centers in Milwaukee and Madison, WI, USA) to determine the robustness of categorizing CF (N = 300), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-related disorder (N = 19), and CFTR-related (CRMS) metabolic syndrome (N = 57) according to current consensus guidelines. Outcome measures included patient demographics, clinical measures, sweat chloride levels, CFTR genotype, age at diagnosis, airway microbiology, pancreatic function, infection, and nutritional status. The CF cohort had a significantly higher median sweat chloride level (105 mmol/l) than CFTR-related disorder patients (43 mmol/l) and CFTR-related metabolic syndrome patients (35 mmol/l; p ≤ 0.001). Patient groups significantly differed in pancreatic sufficiency, immunoreactive trypsinogen levels, sweat chloride values, genotype, and positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures (p ≤ 0.001). An automated classification algorithm using recursive partitioning demonstrated concordance between physician diagnoses and consensus guidelines. Our analysis suggests that integrating clinical information with sweat chloride levels, CFTR genotype, and pancreatic sufficiency provides a context for continued longitudinal monitoring of patients for personalized and effective treatment.
Forensic Epidemiology and Environmental Justice

The impact of environmental policies and practices lies far beyond the borders of the country in which these decisions are made. Environmental and health issues are raised in the context of industrial development in developing and poorer countries by corporations of developed countries. One such example is provided by Texaco’s oil extraction in the Amazon basin of Ecuador which, as research findings suggest, has led to significant adverse health effects. This chapter focuses on the case of Texaco’s oil extraction in the Amazon basin of Ecuador in order to illustrate the interplay between forensic epidemiology and environmental (in)justice. Because the origins of environmental injustice can only be understood within the larger context in which it occurs, the case study begins with a description of the demographic, environmental, political, and economic context in which Texaco’s oil extraction occurred. The chapter then discusses the legal proceedings that occurred as a result of Texaco’s activities and the role that epidemiology played in those proceedings.
The parafollicular cell of the thyroid gland as the source of an osteoblast-stimulating factor. Evidence from experimentally osteopetrotic mice.

This investigation of experimentally produced osteopetrosis has produced evidence which suggests that the parafollicular cell is the source of an osteoblast-stimulating factor which is released during periods of hypercalcemia and which has a net effect on bone antagonistic to that of parathyroid hormone. This experimentally induced overproduction of an osteoblastic stimulus in infant mice results in hyperplasia of the osteoblastic endosteum, a dramatic increase in the capacity to incorporate 3H-proline into bone matrix, and an accumulation of bone producing osteopetrosis. Differentiation of this factor from thyrocalcitonin cannot be made on the basis of evidence Obtained to date.
Ethnic Cleavages in the United States: An Historical Reminder to Social Workers

■ Unlike (lass differences, to which reference is frequently made in analyses of client behavior, ethnic differences are accorded scant attention by social workers. In this paper, however, an historical examination of intorgroup relations in the United States reveals the pervasiveness of ethnic tensions and suggests the degree to which ethnicity must be taken into account in social planning and treatment. ■ The social work literature and the pro fessional thinking of most social workers generally deal with two kinds of reality— intrapsychic and interpersonal. In discus sing the interplay between these, much attention has been given to the social ar rangements and patterns among collections of people that in some way regulate their actions toward one another, individually and in groups. Currently, the social pat ternings that engage the greatest interest of social workers and others in the helping professions are those subsumed under the idea of "class." The social worker who is concerned with social as distinguished from psychological factors is likely, when he uses the word "social," to be thinking of "class," and when he uses the word "class," to be thinking mainly, if not solely, in terms of economic variables, hence the bur geoning number of studies on the relation ship between income and mental illness, lower-class use of agency services, and the common use of phrases such as working class attitudes, middle-class values, and the like.1 Today, a social work client's position in the class structure is perhaps the major
Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History: By Rachel Laudan

(2015). Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History: By Rachel Laudan. Food, Culture & Society: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 187-189.
Antimicrobial Peptides in Host Defense: Functions Beyond Antimicrobial Activity

Antimicrobial peptides are well known for their important roles in host defense by enhancing the barrier function and limiting microbial populations of the skin and mucosa. However, many of these peptides are now known to have additional roles assisting innate and adaptive immune functions. To facilitate innate immunity, antimicrobial peptides activate complement, chemoattract cells (e.g., monocytes, macrophages, T cells, neutrophils, immature dendritic cells, and mast cells), enhance phagocytosis, and modulate the production of chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines in other cells. At local sites of initiation, antimicrobial peptides can act as opsonins to enhance phagocytosis by monocytes and phagocytes and can activate cells. In the latter, for example, treatment of osteoblasts and osteoblast-like MG63 cells with human beta-defensin (HBD)2 increases their proliferation rates. Treatment of osteoblast-like MG63 cells with HBD2 and HBD3 increases transcript levels of osteogenic markers for differentiation, increases antileukoprotease (ALP) levels, and enhances mineralized nodule formation. To facilitate adaptive immunity, antimicrobial peptides assist the uptake of antigens by monocytes or other antigen-presenting cells and later direct the process toward a Th1 or Th2 adaptive immune response. More commonly though, antimicrobial peptides induce a mixed response characterized by Th1-/Th2-specific antibodies and Th1/Th2 cytokines from antigen-exposed splenocytes of immunized animals. Finally, antimicrobial peptides can be detected in the margins around both oral and cutaneous wounds, and there is growing evidence to suggest they also play a dynamic role in wound healing by improving wound angiogenesis, vascularization, and reepithelialization.
Transcriptionally defining ILC heterogeneity in humans

Single-cell RNA sequencing of human innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) reveals conserved transcriptional programs and defines previously unappreciated heterogeneity. These findings pave the way for future investigation of the function and therapeutic potential of ILCs in human health and disease.
Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel . By Kate Bowler. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. xi + 337 pp. $34.95 cloth.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel . By Kate Bowler . New York : Oxford University Press , 2013. xi + 337 pp. $34.95 cloth.Book Reviews and NotesMuch maligned by its critics as a simple example of materialism and greed, the prosperity gospel gets a fair and even sympathetic hearing from Kate Bowler in Blessed , the first book-length monograph on the subject. Her thesis, that the prosperity gospel both reflects and influences the theology and culture around it, allows for an unbiased study of the movement. Far from being a tangential and irrelevant phenomenon, the prosperity gospel becomes, in Bowler's account, a rather logical outgrowth of its religious surroundings and of Protestant soteriology. She convincingly argues that the prosperity gospel holds that faith is a causal agent: faith causes blessings to happen. Some blessings--wealth and health, for example--can occur in this world, while salvation will follow in the next.Bowler begins with a brief history of the individuals and movements that shaped the prosperity gospel. She demonstrates that the tangled confluence of New Thought, Pentecostalism, and, as she calls it, the "American gospel of pragmatism, individualism, and upward mobility" provided a hospitable soil for prosperity gospel seeds to grow roots (11). While at times the parade of personages--from Mary Baker Eddy to E. W. Kenyon to Father Divine--can seem overwhelming, Bowler ties the actors together in a thoughtful narrative of American popular religion. After establishing the historical roots, Bowler moves into the post-World War II era. Here, she argues, the modern prosperity gospel, which was the heir of the initial movement, arose in the crucible of post-war revivals and depended heavily on a loose confederation of leaders who often appeared at each other's events. These leaders, their successors, and their successors' spouses then benefited greatly from the twin influences of the 1970s charismatic movement and the rise of televangelism to launch their message beyond Pentecostals and into a larger audience. Bowler covers recent proponents, such as Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes, and explains that they are part of a "transformation of popular religious imagination that has not yet ended" (7).Bowler's initial focus is historical, and when tracing the origins in the late nineteenth century and moving into the mid-twentieth century, she shows a deft touch with magazine articles and advertisements. She also delves into ethnography, traveling to many megachurches that preach the prosperity gospel and providing anecdotes of her encounters with both preachers and parishioners. Finally, she engages in social network analysis. She has carefully researched and calculated the interactions among various revival leaders and pastors in an effort to determine which individuals held more influence and how closely tied together the entire movement has been. …
Distinct Types of Antibodies in the Blood of Rabbits Carrying the Transplanted V2 Carcinoma

Rabbits carrying the transplanted V2 carcinoma—a squamous-cell cancer derived originally from a virus-induced papilloma—regularly develop in their blood an antibody capable of neutralizing in vitro the papilloma virus (Shope) and capable also of fixing complement in mixture with it.1 Further studies have now shown that the virus-neutralizing and complement-fixing titers of sera procured from rabbits carrying the V2 carcinoma invariably parallel one another, and that the antibody responsible for both reactions can be readily absorbed from the sera upon admixture with the virus. From the findings it appears certain that the antibody is directed against the papilloma virus per se, and that it is identical with the antiviral antibody present in the blood of rabbits carrying benign virus-induced papillomas, which is in turn identical with that present in the blood of rabbits injected with purified papilloma virus.2 In further serum tests, carried out by the methods used in the serological study of the Brown-Pe...
Organ Transplantation and Donation: Why Minority Groups Need More Organs but Donate Less-It's Complex!

In this issue of Critical Care Medicine, the study by Moore et al (1) evaluated the three largest ethnic/racial groups in the state of New Mexico (NM), comparing age-adjusted rates of organ candidates for transplantation and deceased organ donation. They hypothesized that age-adjusted deceased donat
Host Factors in Rheumatic Fever and Heart Disease

Far-ranging investigations are probing the intriguing epidemiologic and pathogenic patterns of this disease, which has challenged and frustrated rheumatologists for decades. Studies focusing on host factors have uncovered some suggestive immunologic associations, encouraging confidence that the pathogenesis of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease will be clearly understood.
Effect of Malathion and Pfr-97 on Pea Aphid and Beneficial Arthropods in Alfalfa, 2014

Malathion and PFR-97 were evaluated for their effect on PA and beneficial arthropods in a commercial alfalfa field in Pecos County, TX. Plots, 10 × 40 ft, were arranged in an RCB design with four blocks and five treatments. Pesticide applications were made using a CO2 backpack sprayer calibrated to deliver 15 GPA @ 20 psi using Teejet TT11003 nozzles on a 4-ft boom with 19-in. spacing between the nozzles. One PFR-97 treatment was a single application. The other two PFR-97 treatments were applied twice; once immediately after pretreatment samples were taken and once immediately after the 11 DAT sample. Malathion was applied only once during the test. Each sample consisted of 10 consecutive sweeps using a standard sweep net and …
Hands free mouse

The headset mouse is an assistive technology created for individuals with limited to no mobility in their arms. Specifically, this device was created for persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The design utilizes a NeuroSky headset, which is used by reading EMG signals to implement mouse clicks using hard blinks and eyebrow raises. A gyroscope is used to read in the values created by the user's head movement and translate that into mouse movement. After creating a prototype device, we were able to test it on both healthy subjects, and persons with ALS (PALS). The PALS had varying neck mobility, with differing progressions of the disease. All subjects were asked to perform four different tasks on a Windows PC that included testing the mouse movement and clicking. Feedback from PALS during testing was used to modify the device in order to better suit their needs. After the four different tasks were conducted with healthy subjects versus PALS, the results showed that most PALS were able to complete the given tasks. Their times of completion were not far off from their healthy counterparts.
Pathogenesis of Periodontal Diseases

Our understanding of the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases has greatly progressed over the past three decades. Beginning with the observation that periodontal diseases are associated with the presence of a bacterial plaque or biofilm, our understanding has evolved to the realization that specific bacterial profiles exist within dental biofilms in association with specific periodontal diseases. This understanding has in turn led to the emerging concept of immune subversion of the host by periodontal pathogens with the attendant conversion of the periodontal biofilm/host relationship from one of a symbiosis in health to a dysbiosis in disease. Currently, periodontitis is viewed as a polymicrobial, complex disease that shares several characteristics with other complex diseases including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and Alzheimer’s disease. We presently recognize that individuals vary greatly in disease susceptibility and that host genetic factors play a significant, although currently largely unspecified, role in determining disease susceptibility. Therefore, to provide an understanding of periodontal diseases for the chapters that follow, this chapter will present an overview of our current understanding of the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases with the aim of providing a conceptual framework to help address how a common oral inflammatory disease can contribute to the wide array of systemic diseases and conditions described in this book.
Gastric bypass surgery with exercise alters plasma microRNAs that predict improvements in cardiometabolic risk

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery improves insulin sensitivity (SI) and β-cell function in obese non-diabetic subjects. Exercise also improves SI and may be an effective adjunct therapy to RYGB surgery. However, the mechanisms by which exercise or weight loss improve peripheral SI after RYGB surgery are unclear. We hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs) mediate at least some of the regulatory processes driving such mechanisms. Consequently, this work aimed at profiling plasma miRNAs in participants of the Physical Activity Following Surgery Induced Weight Loss study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00692367), to assess whether miRNA levels track with improvements in SI and cardiometabolic risk factors. Ninety-four miRNAs implicated in metabolism were profiled in plasma samples from 22 severely obese subjects who were recruited 1–3 months after RYGB surgery and followed for 6 months of RYGB surgery-induced weight loss, with (exercise program (EX), N=11) or without (CON, N=11) an exercise training intervention. The subjects were selected, considering a priori sample size calculations, among the participants in the parent study. Mixed-effect modeling for repeated measures and partial correlation analysis was implemented in the R environment for statistical analysis. Mirroring results in the parent trial, both groups experienced significant weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic risk. In the CON group, weight loss significantly altered the pattern of circulating miR-7, miR-15a, miR-34a, miR-106a, miR-122 and miR-221. In the EX group, a distinct miRNA signature was altered: miR-15a, miR-34a, miR-122, miR-135b, miR-144, miR-149 and miR-206. Several miRNAs were significantly associated with improvements in acute insulin response, SI, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. These findings present novel insights into the RYGB surgery-induced molecular changes and the effects of mild exercise to facilitate and/or maintain the benefits of a ‘comprehensive’ weight-loss intervention with concomitant improvements in cardiometabolic functions. Notably, we show a predictive value for miR-7, miR-15a, miR-106b and miR-135b.
Brief Review of Parametric Likelihood Inferences

Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) under regular conditions can be found in most statistical books. In non-regular cases, however, it involves all kinds of problems, such as solution on the boundary of parameter space, multiple roots, non-existence, inconsistency in the presence of many incidental parameters, etc.
The Revolutionary Year: The Defeat of the Revolution and the Victory of the Rule of Law

The centrality of the imperial state in the public affairs of Bohemia was nonetheless underscored during this period, which was bookended by the press laws of May 18, 1848, and March 13, 1849. The first press law established greater guarantees for publishers, thus unintentionally encouraging them to take greater risks in the publication of more radical periodicals. The general moderation of the period, however, remained, with the public generally refusing the calls of the proponents of more radical political changes. March 1849 would mark the end of the “revolutionary year,” but the new press law of that month nonetheless constituted a significant departure from the practices of the Vormarz.
Contextualism and the “Actual Meaning” of Words

In his book, Skepticism: A Case For Ignorance, Peter Unger gives an ordinary language account of skepticism that goes past the traditional dream argument and onto a new frontier, by claiming that the way we use certain words in our everyday language may not be what those words actually mean. This involves a thorough examination of the way we use words in our everyday conversations, namely those that we do not have in a philosophical arena. Unger Uses this method in order to examine how we know things, and if we can ever say that we know anything for certain. In this paper I will be focusing on Unger’s claim that words and sentences have an “actual meaning” outside of the ways we use them in our everyday lives, and will compare it to DeRose’s account of contextualism in order to refute Unger’s account of knowledge.
Intermolecular Anti-Markovnikov Hydroamination of Unactivated Alkenes with Sulfonamides Enabled by Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

Here we report a catalytic method for the intermolecular anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of unactivated alkenes using primary and secondary sulfonamides. These reactions occur at room temperature under visible light irradiation and are jointly catalyzed by an iridium(III) photocatalyst, a dialkyl phosphate base, and a thiol hydrogen atom donor. Reaction outcomes are consistent with the intermediacy of an N-centered sulfonamidyl radical generated via proton-coupled electron transfer activation of the sulfonamide N–H bond. Studies outlining the synthetic scope (>60 examples) and mechanistic features of the reaction are presented.
Clinical Trials Relating to Multiple Sclerosis

The basic principles of treatment trials have been defined. Essentially, they consist of the concurrent observation of comparable groups of patients with the specified disease, treated in different ways, and assessed for a single primary end-point that defines “success.” In multiple sclerosis (MS), the only way to assure comparability is to allocate each treatment by a strict randomization process. This ensures that every subject to be entered into the study has an equal chance of assignment to each therapy. If the alternative to a test agent is an equivalent placebo, and if the study is “double-blind,” then, if the two groups differ significantly on the primary “success” criterion, we conclude either that they differ because of the treatment, or that a rare event has occurred by chance. The latter situation is defined by the probability level that is used to accept or reject the null hypothesis of no difference between the groups. If the study is not blinded as to both patient and doctor, then, should the groups differ significantly the only valid conclusion, other than a chance event, is that the results with a treatment regimen known to all to include treatment A differ from results with a treatment regimen known not to include treatment A. We can not assume that treatment A itself is the only reason for the differences.
Heterogeneity of Circulating Tumor Cells in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy of Breast Cancer

The biological properties of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and their dynamics during neoadjuvant chemotherapy are important, both for disease progression prediction and therapeutic target determination, with the aim of preventing disease progression. The aim of our study was to estimate of different CTC subsets in breast cancer during the NACT (neoadjuvant chemotherapy). The prospective study includes 27 patients with invasive breast cancer, T2-4N0-3M0, aged 32 to 60 years. Venous heparinized blood samples, taken before and after biopsy, after each courses of chemotherapy (on days 3–7), and before surgical intervention, served as the material for this study. Different subsets of circulating tumor cells were determined on the basis of the expression of EpCAM, CD45, CD44, CD24, and N-Cadherin using flow cytometry. As the result of this study, it has been observed that significant changes in the quantity of the different subsets of circulating tumor cells in patients’ blood were observed after carrying out the 3rd course of NACT. NACT causes significant changes in the quantity of six CTC subsets, with various combinations of stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) properties.
Challenges in Transition of Care for Patients With Anorectal Malformations: A Systematic Review and Recommendations for Comprehensive Care.

BACKGROUND:Anorectal malformations are one of the most common congenital intestinal anomalies affecting newborns. Despite advances in neonatal care and surgical techniques, many patients with a history of anorectal malformations are affected by long-term challenges involving bowel and bladder dysfun
Zinc and Gastrointestinal Diseases

Zinc is an essential trace element whose metabolism is frequently disturbed in gastrointestinal diseases. Zinc deficiency may manifest in different ways, e. g. crusting skin lesions, anorexia, hypogonadism, or altered immune function. Mechanisms for this altered zinc metabolism include stress- related redistribution, poor dietary intake, impaired absorption and increased excretion through the urinary and GI tract. Thus, it is important that health care providers be aware that altered zinc metabolism is a frequent and correctable problem in many gastrointestinal diseases. Furthermore, this zinc deficiency may manifest itself in multiple different ways and challenge the diagnostic acumen of the health care provider.
Status Report on the Homeless

The homeless are the quintessential victims in American society. Surveys show their victimization and neglect continues despite nearly two decades of militan advocacy on their behalf. Homelessness is a convenient term for those suffering from a range of physical and mental problems. The article reviews these facts and some of the strategic solutions put forward.
Retrovirus Phylogeny and Evolution

During the past few years the nucleic sequences of a large number of retroviruses have been determined, making it possible to quantify how they are related to each other and to trace their evolutionary origins. There are two factors that complicate such studies, however. First, retroviruses, like other RNA viruses, mutate at a very rapid rate (Holland et al. 1982) and as a consequence evolve very rapidly. Second, retroviruses can recombine with each other (see for example Clark and Mak 1984; reviewed in Linial and Blair 1984), raising the possibility that simple phylogenies may be confounded by mosaic genomes.
Crystal and molecular structure of 2,7-di-tert-butyl-9, 9-dimethyl-4,5-xanthenedicarboxylic acid

The crystal and molecular structure of molecular cleft 2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethyl-4,5-xanthenedicarboxylic acid (1) is reported. Crystal data for 1: triclinic, space group Pī, a = 7.934(2), b = 10.387(2), c = 14.084(3) A, α = 96.049(3), β = 101.231(4), γ = 95.635(4)°, V = 1123.7(4) A3, and Dc = 1.21 g/cm3, for Z = 2. The molecule crystallizes as a cyclic, hydrogen-bonded dimer held together by four O–H······O hydrogen bonds involving four carboxyl groups each of which interact by way of a cyclic hydrogen-bonded motif. The complex organizes in the solid state to form a 2D layered structure.
Building Strain with Large Macrocycles and Using It To Tune the Thermal Half-Lives of Hydrazone Photochromes

Strain has been used as a tool to modulate the reactivity (e.g., mechanochemistry) and thermal isomerization kinetics of photochromic compounds. Macrocyclization is used to build-up strain in such systems, and in general the reactivity and rates increase with the decrease in macrocycle size. To ascertain the effect of strain on recently reported bistable hydrazone photoswitches, we incorporated them into macrocycles having varying aliphatic linker lengths (C3–C7), and studied their switching behavior, and effect of macrocycle size on the thermal isomerization rate. Surprisingly, while the systems with C3–C5 linkers behave as expected (i.e., the rate is faster with smaller linkers), the isomerization rate in the systems with larger aliphatic linkers (C6–C8) is enhanced up to 4 orders of magnitude. NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and DFT calculations were used to elucidate this unexpected behavior, which on the basis of our analyses results from the buildup of Pitzer (torsional), Prelog (transannula...
Practical and selective hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones in air catalysed by an iron(II) coordination polymer

The in air catalytic hydroboration of ketones and aldehydes with pinacolborane by an iron(II) coordination polymer (CP) is carried out under mild and solvent-free conditions. The precatalyst is highly active towards a wide range of substrates including functionalized ketones and aldehydes in the presence of KOtBu as an activator, achieving a high turnover number (TON) of up to 9500. Excellent chemoselectivity to aldehydes over ketones was also revealed, which is in sharp contrast with the results obtained under inert atmosphere using the same catalyst system. This catalyst observed here is not only highly efficient but also recyclable for reuse for at least 5 times without losing its effectiveness.
Globally Placed Islamic Bonds: An Overview

The author presents an overview of the Islamic bonds known as sukuk, which have become available to international investors in recent years, and discusses market opportunities and related investment issues. An examination of their basic features depicts a picture that is very similar to the one of internationally issued conventional bonds. A review of empirical research suggests that the international financial markets are also viewing and pricing the sukuk in a manner similar to that for conventional bonds, treating them as another type of fixed-rate security.
Delineating the age-related attenuation of vascular function: Evidence supporting the efficacy of the single passive leg movement as a screening tool.

Single passive leg movement (sPLM) exhibits the prerequisite qualities of a valid screening test for peripheral vascular dysfunction. sPLM displayed an age-related reduction in the peripheral hemod...
College Students’ Career Decision-making and Career Decision-making Self-efficacy: a Case Study in Formative Assessment and Course Design

College career courses are increasingly offered at colleges and universities due to economic changes as a result of performance-based funding initiatives nationwide, and in an attempt to ensure more job placements of students graduating with baccalaureate degrees (Devlin The Journal of College Placement, 34(4), 62–68, 1974; Studley 2004; Fouad et al. Journal of Career Assessment, 17(3), 338–347, 2009; Hansen and Pedersen Journal of the First Year Experience & Students in Transition, 24(2), 33–61, 2012). This case study expands on the seminal work of Gallo (2017) and assessed the effectiveness of a new interdisciplinary career exploration course at a comprehensive university that is open to all students, not just students who were undecided in their college major. The course design followed a constructivism curriculum, with opportunities for formative assessment, which resulted in a culminating final course project. Students’ career decision-making and career decision-making self-efficacy were measured utilizing a pre-test/post-test model, the Career Decision Scale (CDS), and the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale Short Form (CDSE-SF). The results indicated that the interdisciplinary career course curriculum had a positive effect on students’ level of career decision-making and career decision-making self-efficacy.
A Comparison of Three Techniques to Determine the Nonlinear Ultrasonic Parameter β

In this paper, we describe experiments to evaluate the use of a laser interferometer as a quantitative probe of nonlinear ultrasonic propagation. Although other detection methods for nonlinear ultrasonics have been in use for several years — most notably capacitive and piezoelectric receivers — interferometric detection provides advantages not available with these methods. The interferometer provides a direct means of absolute amplitude calibration, is noncontacting, possesses a wide bandwidth, requires less extensive sample preparation than the capacitive method, and affords excellent spatial resolution.
Original ContributionsAnalysis of risk factors for chronic hepatic encephalopathy: the role of Helicobacter pylori infection

Objective: Elevated blood ammonia is an important pathogenic factor of hepatic encephalopathy. Although colonic bacteria are considered the main source of ammonia, the stomach in subjects with urease-producing Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an alternative site. The objective of this study was to determine whether H. pylori is associated with this complication. Methods: After assessing liver function and portal hypertension, 55 cirrhotics were evaluated for encephalopathy and H. pylori infection. Response to 2 weeks of amoxicillin (2 g/day) and omeprazole (40 mg/day) was then assessed in 17 (13 H. pylori-positive, four H. pylori-negative) encephalopathic subjects. Results: H. pylori infection was more common (67% vs 33%, p = 0.004) among encephalopathic patients. Additional factors associated with encephalopathy included older age (60.1 ± 1.5 vs 49.8 ± 2.4 yr, p = 0.001), lower albumin (3.17 ± 0.08 vs 3.69 ± 0.12 g/dl, p = 0.001), higher total bilirubin (2.24 ± 0.20 vs 1.53 ± 0.23 mg/dl, p = 0.034), greater ascites score (0.8 ± 0.1 vs 0.3 ± 0.1, p = 0.01), greater diuretic score (1.1 ± 0.1 vs 0.3 ± 0.1, p = 0.002), and greater modified Child score (6.7 ± 0.3 vs 5.1 ± 0.3, p = 0.001). When adjusted for severity of cirrhosis and age, H. pylori continued to demonstrate a statistical association (p = 0.039). After anti-H. pylori therapy, symptomatology in infected encephalopathic patients appeared to improve, whereas noninfected subjects were unaffected. Conclusion: In cirrhotic patients, H. pylori infection is associated with hepatic encephalopathy, especially in younger patients with decompensated liver disease.
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE EVIDENCE FOR ISOMORPHOUS SUBSTITUTION OF TITANIUM INTO TITANOSILICATE TIMCM-41 MESOPOROUS MOLECULAR SIEVE

New evidence for the framework substitution of titanium into TiMCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve is found from electron spin resonance (ESR) studies. TiMCM-41 samples with varying Si/Ti ratios have been synthesized as have titanosilicate TS-1, siliceous MCM-41, AlMCM-41, and Ti−AlMCM-41 in the last of which titanium ions are incorporated by ion exchange. These materials were examined by ESR spectroscopy after a thermal activation treatment followed by γ-irradiation at 77 K. γ-Irradiation at 77 K of TiMCM-41 having a high Si/Ti ratio produces a strong orthorhombic ESR signal due to V centers and an axial signal with g∥ = 1.971 and g⊥ = 1.901 best explained as arising from trivalent titanium situated at a framework tetrahedral site. An upper limit for the substitution of titanium into a framework tetrahedral site is observed. As the titanium concentration in the synthesis gel increases, the resulting material contains both tetrahedral and octahedral titanium. γ-Irradiation of ion-exchanged Ti−AlMCM-41 gives...
Place plus Race Effects in Bureaucratic Discretionary Power: An Analysis of Residential Segregation and Police Stop Decisions

Discrepancies in bureaucrat behavior, residential segregation, and police stops that turn deadly have spurred critical analysis surrounding who gets stopped by the police and what happens once they...
Two-photon double photoionization of atomic Mg by ultrashort pulses: Variation of angular distributions with pulse length

We investigate the two-photon double ionization of atomic magnesium induced by ultrashort pulses. Though the initial and final state symmetries are comparable to the same process in helium, in stark contrast the range of photon energies for which nonsequential ionization is the only open pathway is narrow (less than 1 eV) in magnesium. Thus several sequential ionization pathways feature heavily in these processes. Nonetheless, it is found that for pulse durations between 0.25 and 2.0 fs, the joint angular dependence of the ejected electrons can depend sensitively on pulse length, varying between the strictly back-to-back ejection characteristic of nonsequential ionization to other distributions. The significance of excited-state correlating configurations in representing the initial state of magnesium is discussed in the light of their consequences for the resulting angular distributions at photon energies where sequential ionization can access intermediate states that lie nearby in energy, particularly for longer pulses.
Valuing Water Quality with Adaptation: Evidence From a Natural Experiment in Jordan

Though water scarcity threats are increasing in severity across many regions of the world, allocation often remains inefficient — as in Jordan, the site of this study. One commonly discussed soluti...
Unveiling daily activity pattern differences between telecommuters and commuters using human mobility motifs and sequence analysis

Abstract This paper demonstrates the use of motif and sequence analysis in tandem to analyse differences and commonalities between telecommuters and usual commuters. In terms of substantive findings, telecommuters are by far more diverse in their allocation of time to places, activities, and travel. Approximately 20% of telecommuters stay at home all day during a workday, while only 8% of commuters do. Telecommuters that have at least one trip during their workday accrue more vehicle miles travelled and number of trips than their commuter counterparts. However, they travel less driving alone and tend to have more complex schedules visiting more locations. Within telecommuters and commuters, however, we have substantial variation in activity participation and travel captured by the combination of motifs and sequence analysis. As expected, a substantial proportion of commuters display morning and afternoon peaks of arriving at and departing from work, and telecommuters do not show this pattern. In addition, telecommuters do not only perform work tasks from home. Instead, during a day a high percentage travel to a variety of locations to either visit customers and/or use their spatio-temporal schedule flexibility to perform work tasks from locations other than home. In contrast, more than 80% of commuters perform work at their workplace. In addition, a slightly higher proportion of telecommuters function as the designated driver escorting other people to their activity locations.
Pentagonal prism spherical hohlraums for OMEGA

A new configuration is proposed for spherical hohlraums on OMEGA in which seven laser entrance holes (LEHs) are used—five around the equator and one at each pole [Farmer et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 032701 (2019)]. This is known as the PEPR (pentagonal prism) hohlraum. A new view-factor code LORE is used to model the PEPR hohlraum and compare its performance with tetrahedral hohlraums shot on OMEGA. With optimization of beam pointings, the PEPR hohlraum produces a nonuniformity ranging from 1.1% (rms) at low albedos to 0.6% at high albedos. The tradeoffs between hohlraum-to-capsule ratio, uniformity, and background radiation temperature have been explored, and it has been shown that larger LEH radii on the poles can result in a modest improvement in uniformity. The seven-hole PEPR hohlraum is well matched to the OMEGA symmetry and promises to provide insight into the performance of spherical hohlraums including octahedral (six-LEH) hohlraums.
Development of a capture sequencing assay for enhanced detection and genotyping of tick-borne pathogens

Inadequate sensitivity has been the primary limitation for implementing high-throughput sequencing for studies of tick-borne agents. Here we describe the development of TBDCapSeq, a sequencing assay that uses hybridization capture probes that cover the complete genomes of the eleven most common tick-borne agents found in the United States. The probes are used for solution-based capture and enrichment of pathogen nucleic acid followed by high-throughput sequencing. We evaluated the performance of TBDCapSeq to surveil samples that included human whole blood, mouse tissues, and field-collected ticks. For Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti, the sensitivity of TBDCapSeq was comparable and occasionally exceeded the performance of agent-specific quantitative PCR and resulted in 25 to > 10,000-fold increase in pathogen reads when compared to standard unbiased sequencing. TBDCapSeq also enabled genome analyses directly within vertebrate and tick hosts. The implementation of TBDCapSeq could have major impact in studies of tick-borne pathogens by improving detection and facilitating genomic research that was previously unachievable with standard sequencing approaches.
High resolution spectroscopy of directly imaged exoplanets with KPIC

The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) is a novel instrument that combines high-contrast imaging with high-resolution spectroscopy to enable high-dispersion coronagraphy (HDC) techniques that allow us to characterize directly imaged exoplanets at a spectral resolution of R~35,000. At this resolution, individual absorption lines in planetary atmospheres are spectrally resolved, allowing for measurements of molecular abundances to constrain chemical composition, planetary radial velocities to constrain orbital configurations, and planetary spin to constrain angular momentum evolution. I will provide an overview of the instrument, with a focus on its novel fiber injection unit (FIU) and the use of single mode fibers. I will discuss new HDC techniques we are developing that take advantage of the single-mode fibers of KPIC to both spatially and spectrally filter out the bright glare of the host stars to study the faint exoplanets. In particular, we have demonstrated the ability to forward model the high-resolution spectrum of diffracted stellar speckles, allowing us to directly fit our data without the need for cross-correlation functions. I will present some early science observations from KPIC that successfully demonstrate its technical capabilities, with the highlight being the first detection of all four HR 8799 planets at high spectral resolution. I will conclude with future avenues to push the sensitivity of HDC techniques and discuss possible synergies with other exoplanet characterization techniques such as long-baseline interferometry.