cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the effects of elevated temperatures on action potential propagation in unmyelinated axons

Infrared lasers (λ=1.87 μm) are capable of inducing a thermally mediated nerve block in Aplysia and rat nerves. While this block is spatially precise and reversible in sensory and motor neurons, the mechanism of block is not clearly understood. Model predictions show that, at elevated temperatures, the rates of opening and closing of the voltage gated ion channels are disrupted and normal functioning of the gates is hindered. A model combining NEURON with Python is presented here that can simulate the behavior of unmyelinated nerve axons in the presence of spatially and temporally varying temperature distributions. Axon behavior and underlying mechanism leading to conduction block is investigated. The ability to understand the photothermal interaction of laser light and temperature dependence of membrane ion channels in-silico will help speed explorations of parameter space and guide future experiments testing the feasibility of selectively blocking pain conduction fibers (Photonic Analgesia of Nerves (PAIN)) in humans.
Anodic Oxidation of Methyl α-Dimethylsilyldihydrocinnamate. A Novel Silicon γ-Aryl Effect

The anodic oxidation of methyl 3-phenyl-2-dimethylsilylpropionate occurs at a potential almost 1 V positive of that required to oxidize other α-silyl esters. Semiempirical and ab initio calculations on the model compound 1-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylethane indicate that electron removal from these two compounds is highly stereoelectronically dependent. Both molecules exist almost exclusively in a conformation in which the phenyl group and silicon atom are anti and the side chain is perpendicular to the aromatic ring. This conformation has a higher energy HOMO orbital and lower computed ionization potential than the only other significantly populated conformation of 1-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylethane. Finally, the ab initio calculations show that in the cation radical of this model compound the ipso carbon of the aromatic ring and the side chain carbon bound to silicon draw significantly closer together than in the neutral species; an electrostatic potential map of the cation radical shows that the ipso carbon be...
Layered Phosphonates in Colloidal Synthesis of Anisotropic ZnO Nanocrystals

We describe the role of phosphonic acids in the synthesis of anisotropic colloidal ZnO nanocrystals (nanorods) and, specifically, the discovery of an insoluble layered Zn–phosphonate intermediate. This compound is formed by the reaction of the molecular Zn precursor Zn(OAc)2 with phosphonic acids, and it acts as a heterogeneous Zn source during nanocrystal formation. Layered metal phosphonates have been studied extensively but have not been described in the context of nanocrystal synthesis. Layered Zn–octadecylphosphonate can be used as a sole precursor to obtain isotropic, soluble ZnO nanocrystals. However, for anisotropic rod-like shapes both the heterogeneous and the homogeneous (Zn(OAc)2) sources of Zn are necessary. The existence of a heterogeneous metal source described here is in contrast to the mechanisms of particle nucleation and growth from homogeneous molecular precursors often used to describe nanocrystal formation. Since many metals form layered phosphonates, our findings have implications f...
Complex Insecurity: Implications of a Sobering Metaphor: 1996 Presidential Address

Insecurity in international affairs is inherently complex and diverse. As a result debates about its content and conception tend to be familiar, recurrent, and inconclusive as they attempt to exclude some possibilities as a general matter in favor of others. Consequences now and in the past have included incompleteness, partial irrelevance, and underspecification of policy recommendations. That has and does occur with respect to military versus nonmilitary content, expectations about feasible futures, objective versus subjective factors, and the characteristics of relevant entities. There then is a need for an orienting metaphor appropriate to unavoidable complexity and diversity. That of disease, illness, and decline provides useful emphases with respect to threats, strategies for their prevention and treatment, and the conduct and mutual relevance of insecurity specializations.
Use of Composted and Fresh Spent Tea Grinds As a Potential Greenhouse Substrate Component

In the United States, the market for freshly brewed, ready-to-drink tea has grown exponentially during the last 20 years. Along with generating more product, tea brewers have also produced more waste. Spent tea grinds (STG) are the finely ground waste product of the tea brewing process. STG's high water-holding capacity and organic nature make it a potential replacement for common substrate components such as pine bark (PB) and peat moss (PM). In an experiment, Lantana camara L. 'New Gold' and Nephrolepis exaltata L. 'Bostoniensis', were grown in various substrates for 10 weeks on a raised bench in a greenhouse. Four substrates, which were 100% STG, 1:1 mixture of cocomposted PB:STG, Fafard® 3B, and a composted 1:1 mixture of PB:STG, were evaluated in this experiment. Substrates either contained a preplant incorporated, complete fertilizer (+F), or contained no exogenous fertilizer (−F). Lantanas grown in tree bark compost (TBC)+F and a 1:1 mixture of PB:STG+F had the greatest growth index at harvest, whi...
Larval density effects on pupal size and weight of the imported cabbageworm (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), and their suitability as hosts for Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Effects of larval density on pupal size and weight were investigated for laboratory colonies of the imported cabbageworm, Artogeia rapae (L.). Densities of 30, 40 and 60 larvae per 70 ± 10 g of a high wheat germ artificial diet were placed in 0.28-liter waxed cup containers. Larval competition at these densities did not adversely affect development to the pupal stage, although pupae from the lowest density were longer and heavier than those reared at the two higher densities. All laboratory-reared pupae were smaller than either normal or parasitized field pupae. Host/parasite ratio adjustments may be necessary for mass rearing gregarious endoparasites such as Pteromalus puparum (L.) if host resources are reduced because of laboratory rearing conditions.
Abstract 1959: Identification of inhibitors specific for torc2 as strategy to overcome feedback erk activation in multiple myeloma cells when treated with second generation mtor inhibitors

Recent data indicate that the second generation mTOR inhibitor, pp242, which inhibits TORC2 as well as TORC1, is much more effective against multiple myeloma (MM) cells than rapamycin, a first generation inhibitor which only curtails TORC1 activity. A major reason for this improved efficacy may be that pp242 prevents the feedback activation of AKT that results from rapamycin9s inhibition of TORC1. It does this by inhibiting TORC2-induced AKT phosphorylation on S473. However, an additional feedback cascade that results from TORC1 inhibition is activation of MEK/ERK. Indeed, our data show that ERK activation is significant in MM cells exposed to either rapamycin or pp242. Pp242 was comparably potent for activating ERK in rictor-knocked down MM cells, supporting the contention that feedback activation was due to TORC1 inhibition. To examine whether this pp242-induced activation of ERK antagonizes pp2429s cytotoxic effects, we co-exposed MM cells with pp242 + the ERK inhibitor U0126, using concentrations of the latter that abrogated ERK phosphorylation in pp242-treated MM cells. There was a marked synergistic effect, indicating ERK feedback activation is a mechanism of resistance to pp242. To address this problem, we performed a drug screen in a yeast-two hybrid system to identify compounds that prevented an interaction between rictor and mTOR. Our reasoning was that such an agent could be a specific TORC2 inhibitor without effects on TORC1 and, thus, without induction of feedback ERK activation. We identified several potential compounds and have begun to characterize their molecular activity. One of the most active agents in the drug screen is capable of inducing cytoreduction of MM cells in MTT assays with ED50s of approx 0.7-0.9 uM and significant MM cell apoptosis when used at 1 uM. This cytotoxic effect was accompanied by a down-regulation of TOR activity which was specific for TORC2 (ie., decreased S473 AKT phosphorylation). Most importantly, there was no activation of ERK in cells treated with this TORC2-specific agent. These data indicate feedback ERK activation may be a resistance mechanism when second generation mTOR inhibitors are used and suggest a strategy for preventing activation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1959. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1959
The Innovation of Normal Education Mode--The Cooperation Between Normal Colleges and Universities

With the major premise of developing normal education, the reform and innovation of Chinese normal education mode is the urgent task. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possible reforming modes and innovative strategies. In the writer's opinion, there are advantages as well as disadvantages for both normal universities and comprehensive universities. Considering the actual demand of the development of China's elementary education, there is possibility for normal universities and comprehensive universities to cooperate with each other and realize the cooperation of the normal education.
Determining Strength: A Case for Multiple Methods of Measurement

Muscle strength is often measured through the performance of a one-repetition maximum (1RM). However, we that feel a true measurement of 'strength' remains elusive. For example, low-load alternatives to traditional resistance training result in muscle hypertrophic changes similar to those resulting from traditional high-load resistance training, with less robust changes observed with maximal strength measured by the 1RM. However, when strength is measured using a test to which both groups are 'naive', differences in strength become less apparent. We suggest that the 1RM is a specific skill, which will improve most when training incorporates its practice or when a lift is completed at a near-maximal load. Thus, if we only recognize increases in the 1RM as indicative of strength, we will overlook many effective and diverse alternatives to traditional high-load resistance training. We wish to suggest that multiple measurements of strength assessment be utilized in order to capture a more complete picture of the adaptation to resistance training.
The Role of Transport and Communication Infrastructure in Realising Development Outcomes

This chapter focusses on the role of transportation as a factor of development. Since efficient transportation is linked with social welfare and economic opportunities, investments in transportation infrastructure are expected to create positive multiplying effects. However, developing countries have been impacted by a lack of transport infrastructure investments, a lack of capacity, managerial deficiencies, a lack of coordination between modes and challenges in supporting national and international distribution imperatives. Globalisation has been associated with rising mobilities of passengers and freight and has spurred investments in the development of ports, airports, railways and highways across a wide range of countries and contexts. Impacts are contingent upon the existing level of development and the existing quality and efficiency of infrastructure as well as modal preferences.
Temporal gland secretion in African elephants (Loxodonta africana)

The underlying causes of temporal gland secretion (TGS) in African elephants are not well understood. In order to better understand TGS predisposing factors, we assessed TGS in relation to a suite of intrinsic and environmental variables in free ranging elephants. TGS monitoring was done in fully protected areas of Lake Manyara National Park (LMNP) and Tarangire National Park (TNP) and Manyara Ranch (MR), a semi-protected multiple use area. Using a hierarchical modeling approach that accounted for the nested data structure, we found that TGS was mainly associated with elephant-specific variables. The likelihood of TGS increased with elephant age. Female elephants were more likely to show TGS than male elephants. In larger groups, females were less likely to have TGS, whereas the likelihood for TGS increased with group size in male elephants. This information enhances our understanding of TGS, and its importance as physiological marker.
Glycosylation Signatures of Inflammation Identify Cardiovascular Risk: Some Glyc It Hot

Robust experimental and observational data implicate inflammation as a fundamental driver in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 Chronic inflammatory diseases provide unique opportunities to gain insight into mechanisms of accelerated atherogenesis in broader populations. Patients with diseases such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis that are characterized by chronically higher levels of systemic inflammation also have substantially elevated risk of CVD, and this risk is lower when these patients are treated with anti-inflammatory medications. For example, studies of patients with psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disorder, have suggested ≈25% reduction in CVD risk with the use of disease modifying agents that suppress systemic inflammation.2 In these populations, traditional risk assessment tools often underestimate the true burden of cardiovascular risk, at least in part because of inadequately capturing the magnitude of inflammatory risk. Hence, there is a need for more reliable inflammatory risk assessment tools. Article, see p 1242 An important avenue of research that addresses this gap comes from recent technical advances in high-performance metabolomics profiling, both nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry technologies that now allow the identification and quantification of systemic inflammation through protein glycosylation signatures. Regulated enzymatic glycosylation involves the post-translational modification of proteins by attaching oligosaccharide (sugar) moieties and is an important step in regulating protein folding, localization, function, and stability. The significance of these glycosylated attachments is exemplified by their role in modulating numerous biological processes, including cell trafficking, signal transduction, regulation of metabolism, and host–pathogen recognition. As they reflect more downstream protein phenotypes, characterizing the human glycome has received increasing interest …
Effects of Livelihood-Diversification on Sustainability of Natural Resources in the Rangelands of East Africa: Participatory Field Studies and Results of an Agent-Based Model Using the Knowledge of Indigenous Maasai Pastoralists of Kenya

Like similar societies in Africa, livelihood-diversification has become a common socioeconomic and ecological adaptation among the Maasai pastoralist inhabitants of the rangelands of Kenya, East Africa. A participatory study conducted with the Maasai of Kenya reveals that, although majority of the households derive their sustenance directly from traditional rainfall-dependent livestock husbandry, over 70 % have diversified into other systems of livelihoods. It is important to note that rainfall-dependent pastoralism, including Maasai-pastoralism, is a major economic backbone within the rangelands that characterizes much of Kenya, and indeed the greater Horn of Africa. Maasai pastoralists contribute greatly to the country’s livestock industry, to sustainable utilization of rangeland resources, and to local food security. The on-going livelihood-diversification, therefore, not only triggers changes in Maasai livelihoods, but it also shapes the sustainability of natural resources in the rangelands. Thus, the interactions between environmental, social and economic conditions that will likely result from climate change could cause a cascade of deleterious effects on the sustainability of ecosystems and natural resources in the rangelands of East Africa. The objective of this chapter is to understand how knowledge, values, and preferences in environment and natural resource management in Maasai-pastoralism compare to emerging trends as Maasai’s production system continues to diversify. I provide an approach to better understand the structure and dynamics of Maasai-pastoralism across scales vis-a-vis resource management. The premise of this chapter is that Maasai pastoralists, the key stakeholders in resource management in the rangelands they inhabit, have the greatest knowledge about environment and natural resource management and therefore provide considerable expertise to understanding the interaction between climate change, human behavior and livelihoods, and social and ecological dynamics.
Emissions and exposure costs of electric versus conventional vehicles: A case study in Texas

ABSTRACTThe emissions and human exposure impacts of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, especially in comparison to conventional gasoline- or diesel-powered engines, depend on numerous factors including geography, electricity generation, and fuel mix. Results of any analysis also vary depending on the nature of data collected and their level of aggregation by time or location. This paper combines several approaches to develop a robust estimate of these impacts specific to the state of Texas by considering marginal emissions by time of day, as well as location of vehicle and power plant emissions. The authors estimate health and other external costs of operating an EV in the state at approximately $62 per year, compared with an average of $136 for a passenger car powered by gasoline.
Spatial control of in vivo optogenetic light stimulation and recording via an imaging fiber bundle (Conference Presentation)

Light delivery in in vivo optogenetic applications are typically accomplished via a single multimode fiber that diffuses light over a large area of the brain, and relies heavily on the spatial distribution of transfected light-sensitive neurons for targeted control. In our investigations, an imaging fiber bundle (Schott, 1534702) containing 4,500 individual fibers, each with a diameter of 7.5 µm, and an overall outer bundle diameter of 530 µm, was used as the conduit for light delivery and optical recording/imaging in neuron cultures and in in vivo mouse brain. We demonstrated that the use of this fiber bundle, in contrast to a single multimode fiber, allowed for individually-addressable fibers, spatial selectivity at the stimulus site, precise control of light delivery, and full field-of-view imaging and/or optical recordings of neurons. An objective coupled the two continuous wave diode laser sources (561 nm/488 nm) for stimulation and imaging into the proximal end of the fiber bundle while a set of galvanometer-scanning mirrors was used to couple the light stimulus to distinct fibers. A micro lens aided in focusing the light at the neurons. In vivo studies utilized C1V1(E122T/E162T)-TS-p2A-mCherry (Karl Deisseroth, Stanford) and GCaMP6s transgenic mice (Jackson Labs) for this all-optical approach. Our results demonstrate that imaging fiber bundles provide superior control of spatial selectivity of light delivery to specific neurons, and function as a conduit for optical imaging and recording at the in vivo site of stimulation, in contrast to the use of single multimode fibers that diffusely illuminate tissue and lack in vivo imaging capabilities.
A Tale of Two Cultures: Consumer Reactance and Willingness to Book Fenced Rates:

Rate fences are integral to the practice of revenue management. Prior research suggests that cross-cultural differences in consumer reaction to rate fences exist but little is known about why this is so. This research employed two experimental studies with consumers from the United States and South Korea to explore the mechanisms underlying cultural differences in consumer reaction to nonphysical and physical rate fences. In Study 1, we found that feelings of reactance mediate the restriction-based nonphysical rate fence-willingness to book relationship for highly individualistic cultures, but not for highly collectivist cultures. Study 2’s findings suggest that consumers from low-context cultures favor product-based, over service-based, physical rate fences, while consumers from high-context cultures are unlikely to react differently to product-based, and service-based, physical rate fences. Together, the findings of Study 1 and Study 2 provide tourism managers a framework within which geolocation-based ...
Revascularization for silent ischemia?: another piece of the puzzle.

There are 2 reasons to perform coronary revascularization: 1) improve survival; and 2) improve symptoms. By definition, revascularization cannot improve the symptoms of patients with asymptomatic (“silent”) ischemia, leaving improvement in survival as the only justifiable reason to perform
Meaning, Autonomy, Symbolic Causality, and Free Will:

As physical entities that translate symbols into physical actions, computers offer insights into the nature of meaning and agency. Physical symbol systems, generically known as agents, link abstrac...
Personal Tales of Instructional Design from the Facilitator’s Perspective

Graduate students in adult education and training share the reflective process of instructors/trainers asked to remove their facilitator hats and don an instructional designer hat. Many do not know what this hat looks like. The goal is to develop their own reflective process of ID that fits their field. The students create their own visual of the instructional design process to tell their story. These stories come from a broad range of professional fields.
When Quitting Feels Like Giving Up: Self-Signaling in Retention Choice

While recent research has demonstrated that consumers sometimes choose options to construct and communicate their identity, these findings have generally focused on the symbolic content of the option, and have largely ignored the structural aspects of the choice and self. This article investigates two structural properties that may affect the motivation to self-signal, and thereby influence choice. First, self-concept clarity - the extent to which someone feels clear and certain about who they are - is a structural aspect of the self-concept that can affect a consumer’s motivation to self-signal. Second, how a choice is structured - to retain versus to acquire the same good - triggers different levels of focus on identity attributions, even when the content of the choice (i.e. the item itself) is fixed. We propose that low self-concept clarity (versus high self-concept clarity) will increase a consumer’s relative preference for options that facilitate positive self-attributions, and that these effects will be strongest when the choice is framed as a retention (versus acquisition) decision. We examine these proposals in the increasingly important context of the decision to continue or forgo a service that is currently not being consumed (e.g. continuing to pay for an unused online magazine subscription), and conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.
Influence of Sex and Previous Concussion History on Postconcussive Recovery in Young Athletes.

Objective To determine whether concussed female athletes with a previous history of concussion have longer postconcussive recovery than that of male counterparts. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Outpatient sports medicine clinic in an academic practice. Participants Male and female youth, high school, and collegiate athletes (n = 431; ages = 10-21 years) who sustained a sport-related concussion (SRC). Interventions The clinical courses of young athletes treated for concussion by 1 provider at an outpatient sports medicine clinic were retrospectively reviewed. Main outcome measures Recovery time was compared after an SRC with relationship to sex and previous concussion history. Results When comparing male and female athletes with a previous history of concussion, there were no differences found (P = 0.820) in SRC recovery time. Regardless of previous concussion history, males recovered faster from an SRC compared with their female counterparts (P = 0.0002). Without regard to sex, those with no previous history of concussion recovered faster than those with a previous concussion history, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.668). Athletes with a previous history of concussion were more likely to require neuropsychology referral than those with no previous concussion history (P = 0.021), and females, without regard to concussion history, were more likely to require neuropsychology referral than males (P = 0.001). Conclusions A previous concussion history does not appear to significantly influence postconcussive recovery time in young athletes, although it does increase the probability of neuropsychological referral. Without regard to a previous concussion history, young female athletes recover slower than males from concussion and are also more likely to require neuropsychological referral.
IDEA4PS: The Development of a Research-Oriented Learning Healthcare System:

Leveraging opportunities to learn and then improve the delivery of care using experiences throughout the health care system is essential in efforts to transform health care delivery. The authors pr...
The Intergroup Foundations of Policy Influence

Most decisions about policy adoption require preference aggregation, which makes it difficult to determine how and when an individual can influence policy change. Examining how frequently a judge i...
DC modelling of SOI four‐gate transistor (G 4 FET) for implementation in circuit simulator using multivariate regression polynomial

An efficient numerical model of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) four-gate transistors (G4FET) and its implementation in circuit simulator is presented here. A set of available data for different operating conditions is used to empirically determine the parameters of this model and a different set of test data is used to verify its predictive accuracy. This DC model is used to express the drain current as a single multivariate regression polynomial with its validity spanning across different possible operating regions as long as the chosen independent variables lie within the range of data set used to develop the model. The continuity of the polynomial model and its derivatives makes it particularly suitable for implementation in a circuit simulator. Models for both n-channel and p-channel G4FETs have been developed and validated using TCAD and experimental data and are successfully implemented in SPICE simulator for simulating two experimentally demonstrated G4FET circuits.
The Eukaryotic Mcm2-7 Replicative Helicase

In eukaryotes, the Mcm2-7 complex forms the core of the replicative helicase – the molecular motor that uses ATP binding and hydrolysis to fuel the unwinding of double-stranded DNA at the replication fork. Although it is a toroidal hexameric helicase superficially resembling better-studied homohexameric helicases from prokaryotes and viruses, Mcm2-7 is the only known helicase formed from six unique and essential subunits. Recent biochemical and structural analyses of both Mcm2-7 and a higher-order complex containing additional activator proteins (the CMG complex) shed light on the reason behind this unique subunit assembly: whereas only a limited number of specific ATPase active sites are needed for DNA unwinding, one particular ATPase active site has evolved to form a reversible discontinuity (gate) in the toroidal complex. The activation of Mcm2-7 helicase during S-phase requires physical association of the accessory proteins Cdc45 and GINS; structural data suggest that these accessory factors activate DNA unwinding through closure of the Mcm2-7 gate. Moreover, studies capitalizing on advances in the biochemical reconstitution of eukaryotic DNA replication demonstrate that Mcm2-7 loads onto origins during initiation as a double hexamer, yet does not act as a double-stranded DNA pump during elongation.
The I3 Model. Metatheory, Theory, and Evidence.

Abstract Psychological research on behavior has waned in recent decades. One underappreciated reason for this trend is that the field lacks a general-purpose framework targeted to the study of behavior. This chapter presents one such framework, a metatheory called the I 3 Model (pronounced “I-cubed model”), which suggests that all behavior emerges from a combination of three orthogonal processes. Instigation encompasses the effects of exposure to a particular target object in a particular context that normatively affords a certain behavior. Impellance encompasses the effects of situational or stable factors that increase the likelihood that (or the intensity with which) the individual experiences a proclivity to enact the behavior when encountering that target object in that context. Inhibition encompasses the effects of situational or stable factors that increase the likelihood that (or the extent to which) people will override this proclivity, thereby reducing or eliminating the behavior’s enactment. According to “Perfect Storm Theory,” which is derived from the I 3 Model, the highest likelihood or intensity of behavior emerges when instigation and impellance are strong and inhibition is weak. The generativity and integrative potential of the I 3 Model and Perfect Storm Theory are illustrated with novel reviews of the literatures on aggression and eating behavior.
From Metapopulations to Metacommunities

Publisher Summary The traditional ecological theory about closed communities has drawn attention to trade-offs involving relative biotic abilities. Within a local site, this view involves conventional mechanisms of resource partitioning and the associated ecological traits such as susceptibility to predators. At the local scale, the nature of these trade-offs determines which species combinations are possible, what the stability of the system might be, and how the community responds to environmental changes. Such differences in responses and impacts on resources and other fitness-related factors (this suite of traits is subsumed into a general term called “biotic ability”) can also lead to habitat (patch-type) specialization (involving coexistence at the larger regional scale even if there is no local coexistence). This chapter reviews theory and empirical work that shows how important such relative habitat specialization is in regulating metacommunity dynamics even when other important processes are also operating.
Evolved Design of a Nonlinear Proportional Integral Derivative (NPID) Controller

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i Acknowledgements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ii List of Tables --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------iv List of Figures --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------v
Probing Film Phase Transitions Through Measurements of Sliding Friction

The sliding friction of a molecularly thin film adsorbed on a solid surface is a topic which is presently quite underdeveloped. One’s ability to measure this quantity allows a wealth of new information to become available in a variety of areas such as Darcy flow in dendritic film growth, the “no-slip” boundary condition of fluid hydrodynamics and the study and identification of thin film phase transitions. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how sliding friction measurements can be carried out and in particular be utilized for the identification and characterization of melting and surface melting transitions occurring within thin adsorbed films. At present, these measurements are providing more insight to the microscopic origins of friction than to the actual study of the phase transitions. Nonetheless, as the details of the frictional force laws which govern slippage become more developed, the emphasis should shift back towards characterization of phase transitions.
In situ XPS study on atomic layer etching of Fe thin film using Cl2 and acetylacetone

Etching of transition metals is one of the major challenges in magnetic random-access memory fabrication. In this work, atomic layer etching of iron surfaces with halogen and an organic molecule was studied. The authors successfully etched Fe thin films by forming volatile metal complexes at low temperature with cyclic reactions of Cl2 and acetylacetone (acac). The mechanism of acac reacting on Cl-modified Fe surface was investigated: the surface was first activated with Cl2 gas, and then the top layer of metal was removed by acac reaction. The extent of Cl2 reaction determined the etching rate. At substrate temperatures lower than 135 °C, acac could not remove chlorine. In situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory simulation show that the reaction of acac on Cl-dosed Fe surface is likely following a complex pathway instead of simple acac substitution for Cl2. Acac decomposition may play an important role in the process.Etching of transition metals is one of the major challenges in magnetic random-access memory fabrication. In this work, atomic layer etching of iron surfaces with halogen and an organic molecule was studied. The authors successfully etched Fe thin films by forming volatile metal complexes at low temperature with cyclic reactions of Cl2 and acetylacetone (acac). The mechanism of acac reacting on Cl-modified Fe surface was investigated: the surface was first activated with Cl2 gas, and then the top layer of metal was removed by acac reaction. The extent of Cl2 reaction determined the etching rate. At substrate temperatures lower than 135 °C, acac could not remove chlorine. In situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory simulation show that the reaction of acac on Cl-dosed Fe surface is likely following a complex pathway instead of simple acac substitution for Cl2. Acac decomposition may play an important role in the process.
Digitization of George M. Cohan Collection, Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York is in the process of digitizing portions of its not inconsiderable holdings, and earlier this year it announced that it had made materials relating to George M. C...
Reform Options for Mature Defined Benefit Pension Plans: The Case of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been operating fully funded, defined benefit second pillar pension schemes that have consistently ranked high worldwide for delivering high replacement rates while featuring strong solidarity among members. Yet the long-term sustainability of the Dutch pension funds has been undermined in recent years by protracted low interest rates and unfavorable demographic developments, exacerbating controversies over intergenerational transfer mechanisms within the plans. This has prompted a national debate over ways to move toward more individualization while preserving financial security at retirement for all. This paper draws on this experience, illustrated by stress testing simulations and assessed vis-a-vis solutions implemented in peer countries, to discuss the main policy trade-offs associated with the reform of mature pension systems in advanced economies.
Randomized Complete Block Designs

This article discusses the general need for blocking when experimental units are not homogeneous. Complete, generalized, and incomplete block designs are discussed, together with issues of randomization, missing cells, and the usual assumption of “no interaction”. Two specific cases of the Randomized Complete Block Design are considered: the fixed case (treatments and blocks are both fixed) and the mixed case (treatments are fixed, blocks are random). For each case, the scalar linear models are defined in full-rank and non-full-rank versions, together with necessary assumptions. Point estimates and standard errors are given for main-effect means and cell means, and for variance components. The analysis of variance table is given, with expected mean squares, for testing hypotheses. Keywords: additivity; analysis of variance; blocking; experimental design; interaction; linear models; variance components
Intimate Partner Violence in the Military: an Investigation of Reporting Crimes to Law Enforcement Officials

Although awareness of intimate partner violence (IPV) has increased, acknowledging that American military members and their families are particularly vulnerable to these forms of violence has been relatively recent. While scholars have shown that victims of IPV are unlikely to report their victimizations to the police (Venema Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 31(5), 872–899, 2016), virtually no attempts have been made to explore reporting crimes to the police by those in the military and/or victimized by someone in the military. In this paper, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data from 1992 to 2016 were used to examine whether incidents of intimate partner violence were less likely to be reported to the police if either the victim and/or offender were active duty military personnel. To ascertain whether military status affected decisions to report for other violent crimes, models predicting the probability of reporting to the police for robbery victimizations were also examined. This research revealed that a military connection significantly decreased the likelihood of IPV being reported compared to the civilian population, however, military status had no effect on the likelihood of robbery victimizations being reported. Results support the contention that the military culture may reduce the likelihood that IPV victimizations will be reported to police compared to their civilian counterparts. Because this was not true for robbery victimizations, policies directed at reducing the reluctance of IPV victims to seek justice through law enforcement channels are needed along with continued efforts to prevent IPV in the military specifically, and within the nation generally.
Formalism for supporting the development of verifiably safe medical guidelines with statecharts

Improving the effectiveness and safety of patient care is the ultimate objective for medical cyber-physical systems. Many medical best practice guidelines exist, but most of the existing guidelines in handbooks are difficult for medical staff to remember and apply clinically. Furthermore, although the guidelines have gone through clinical validations, validations by medical professionals alone do not provide guarantees for the safety of medical cyber-physical systems. Hence, formal verification is also needed. The paper presents the formal semantics for a framework that we developed to support the development of verifiably safe medical guidelines. The framework allows computer scientists to work together with medical professionals to transform medical best practice guidelines into executable statechart models, Yakindu in particular, so that medical functionalities and properties can be quickly prototyped and validated. Existing formal verification technologies, UPPAAL timed automata in particular, is integrated into the framework to provide formal verification capabilities to verify safety properties. However, some components used/built into the framework, such as the open-source Yakindu statecharts as well as the transformation rules from statecharts to timed automata, do not have built-in semantics. The ambiguity becomes unavoidable unless formal semantics is defined for the framework, which is what the paper is to present.
Rural Disparities in Hospital Patient Satisfaction: Multilevel Analysis of the Massachusetts AHA, SID, and HCAHPS Data

Introduction:Hospital patient satisfaction has been a salient policy concern. We examined rurality’s impact on patient satisfaction measures.Methodology:We examined patients (age 50 and up) from 65...
Taste and health concerns trump anticipated stigma as barriers to vegetarianism

Abstract Meat-eaters report that a number of barriers inhibit them from going vegetarian—for example, perceiving vegetarian diets to be inadequately nutritious, too expensive, unfamiliar, inconvenient, inadequately tasty, and socially stigmatizing. However, research identifying which barriers uniquely predict meat-eaters’ openness to going vegetarian is lacking from the current literature. In the present research, accordingly, we conducted a highly powered, preregistered study (N = 579) to identify which barriers uniquely predict openness to going vegetarian. We focused specifically on anticipated vegetarian stigma, given recent qualitative evidence highlighting this attitude as an influential barrier. That is, do meat-eaters resist going vegetarian because they fear that following a vegetarian diet would make them feel stigmatized? Being of younger age, more politically conservative, White, and residing in a rural community predicted greater anticipated vegetarian stigma among meat-eaters. Frequentist and Bayesian analyses converged, however, to suggest that anticipated vegetarian stigma was not a significant predictor of openness to going vegetarian. The strongest predictors of openness were perceived tastiness and perceived healthfulness of vegetarian dieting. These factors—but not anticipated stigma—furthermore explained why men (compared to women) and political conservatives (compared to liberals) were particularly resistant to going vegetarian.
Precepting nurse practitioner students in the graduate nurse education demonstration: A cross-sectional analysis of the preceptor experience.

Background The Graduate Nurse Education (GNE) Demonstration seeks to increase the number of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in clinical practice. With the overall increase in APRN programs and, particularly, enrollment in nurse practitioner (NP) programs, there is growing competition among students to secure quality clinical precepting experiences. Purpose This study describes NPs' and physicians' experiences with precepting APRN students within the Greater Philadelphia GNE Consortium. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey of 1,021 NP and physician preceptors who provided clinical practicum experiences for at least one of the nine Greater Philadelphia GNE Consortium schools. Results Differences between NP and physician precepting experiences regarding the importance of various factors in their decisions to precept were explored. Both NP and physician preceptors provide clinical practicum experiences to APRN students because they enjoy doing so. However, they differ regarding what they find important in their decisions to precept such as having protected time to precept and educational opportunities. Implications for practice As universities work to recruit quality preceptors, they should consider tailoring their approach based on the preceptor's clinical role. In addition, schools located within the same region should consider streamlining administrative processes to form sustaining and productive clinical partnerships.
Uneven Decoupling: The Economic Growth–CO2 Emissions Relationship in the Global North, 1870 to 2014

The macro-comparative decoupling literature has often sought to test the arguments made by the treadmill of production (TP) and ecological modernization (EM) theories. However, due to data limitations, these studies have been limited to analyzing the years after 1960. Given that both theories discuss historical processes operating before 1960, analyzing pre-1960 data is warranted to more comprehensively test the propositions made by both theories. We assess the long-term relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions from 1870 to 2014 using a sample of global North nations. We use Prais-Winsten regression models with time interactions to assess whether, when, and how much CO2 emissions have decoupled from economic growth over time. We find that significant relative decoupling has occurred twice since 1870: during the last 30 years of the nineteenth century, the timing of which is contrary to what both the EM and TP theories might expect, and after 1970. We also observe that the relationship remained relatively stable from the turn of the twentieth century to approximately 1970, which aligns with the arguments made by the classical TP work. We conclude that shifts in the global organization of production have shaped the magnitude of the economic growth–CO2 emissions relationship and its changes over time, which has implications for climate mitigation policy.
Short-Term Photovoltaic Power Forecasting Using an LSTM Neural Network and Synthetic Weather Forecast

In this paper, a forecasting algorithm is proposed to predict photovoltaic (PV) power generation using a long short term memory (LSTM) neural network (NN). A synthetic weather forecast is created for the targeted PV plant location by integrating the statistical knowledge of historical solar irradiance data with the publicly available type of sky forecast of the host city. To achieve this, a ${K}$ -means algorithm is used to classify the historical irradiance data into dynamic type of sky groups that vary from hour to hour in the same season. In other words, the types of sky are defined for each hour uniquely using different levels of irradiance based on the hour of the day and the season. This can mitigate the performance limitations of using fixed type of sky categories by translating them into dynamic and numerical irradiance forecast using historical irradiance data. The proposed synthetic weather forecast is proved to embed the statistical features of the historical weather data, which results in a significant improvement in the forecasting accuracy. The performance of the proposed model is investigated using different intraday horizon lengths in different seasons. It is shown that using the synthetic irradiance forecast can achieve up to 33% improvement in accuracy in comparison to that when an hourly categorical type of sky forecast is used, and up to 44.6% in comparison to that when a daily type of sky forecast is used. This highlights the significance of utilizing the proposed synthetic forecast, and promote a more efficient utilization of the publicly available type of sky forecast to achieve a more reliable PV generation prediction. Moreover, the superiority of the LSTM NN with the proposed features is verified by investigating other machine learning engines, namely the recurrent neural network (RNN), the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) and the extreme learning machine (ELM).