cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Catalyst Incorporation at Defects during Nanowire Growth

Scanning and transmission electron microscopy was used to correlate the structure of planar defects with the prevalence of Au catalyst atom incorporation in Si nanowires. Site-specific high-resolution imaging along orthogonal zone axes, enabled by advances in focused ion beam cross sectioning, reveals substantial incorporation of catalyst atoms at grain boundaries in ⟨110⟩ oriented nanowires. In contrast, (111) stacking faults that generate new polytypes in ⟨112⟩ oriented nanowires do not show preferential catalyst incorporation. Tomographic reconstruction of the catalyst–nanowire interface is used to suggest criteria for the stability of planar defects that trap impurity atoms in catalyst-mediated nanowires.
Studies of Silicon Oxynitride Films Produced by Radio-Frequency Plasma Assisted Electron Cyclotron Resonance

Single crystal silicon wafers were treated by direct oxynitridation using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and radio-frequency (rf) plasma with separate N2 and O2 gas sources. Fabricated layers were characterized byex situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thickness and nitride/oxide ratio of silicon oxynitride layers were found to be dependent on the main process variables, namely gas pressure, bias voltage, and N2/O2 flow rate ratio. It was also observed that ECR/rf plasma is more efficient for the formation of layers with higher nitrogen content at relatively low pressure (≤ 200 mTorr) and bias voltage (−40 V) when compared to that of rf plasma alone. SE modeling provided good fitting to experimental data, while AES and AFM analyses supported SE results. The effects of fabrication conditions on the thickness and composition of the layers will be presented.
Using a Mixed-Methods RE-AIM Framework to Evaluate Community Health Programs for Older Latinas:

Objective: This study used the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework to evaluate a promotora-led community health program designed for Latinas ages 50 and older that sought to improve physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. Method: A mixed-methods evaluation approach was administered at participant and organizational levels with a focus on the efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance components of the RE-AIM theoretical model. Results: The program was shown to be effective at improving participants’ eating behaviors, increasing their physical activity levels, and lowering their depressive symptoms. Promotoras felt motivated and sufficiently prepared to deliver the program. Some implementation challenges were reported. More child care opportunities and an increased focus on mental well-being were suggested. Discussion: The promotora delivery model has promise for program sustainability with both promotoras and participants alike expressin...
Approximate compression: enhancing compressibility through data approximation

Internet-connected mobile processors used in cellphones, tablets, and internet-of-things (IoT) devices are generating and transmitting data at an ever-increasing rate. These devices are already the most abundant types of processor parts produced and used today and are growing in ubiquity with the rapid proliferation of mobile and IoT technologies. Size and usage characteristics of these data-generating systems dictate that they will continue to be both bandwidth- and energy-constrained. The most popular mobile applications, dominating communication bandwidth utilization for the entire internet, are centered around transmission of image, video, and audio content. For such applications, where perfect data quality is not required, approximate computation has been explored to alleviate system bottlenecks by exploiting implicit noise tolerance to trade off output quality for performance and energy benefits. However, it is often communication, not computation, that dominates performance and energy requirements in mobile systems. This is coupled with the increasing tendency to offload computation to the cloud, making communication efficiency, not computation efficiency, the most critical parameter in mobile systems. Given this increasing need for communication efficiency, data compression provides one effective means of reducing communication costs. In this paper, we explore approximate compression and communication to increase energy efficiency and alleviate bandwidth limitations in communication-centric systems. We focus on application-specific approximate data compression, whereby a transmitted data stream is approximated to improve compression rate and reduce data transmission cost. Whereas conventional lossy compression follows a one-size-fits-all mentality in selecting a compression technique, we show that higher compression rates can be achieved by understanding the characteristics of the input data stream and the application in which it is used. We introduce a suite of data stream approximations that enhance the compression rates of lossless compression algorithms by gracefully and efficiently trading off output quality for increased compression rate. For different classes of images, we explain the interaction between compression rate, output quality, and complexity of approximation and establish comparisons with existing lossy compression algorithms. Our approximate compression techniques increase compression rate and reduce bandwidth utilization by up to 10X with respect to state-of-the-art lossy compression while achieving the same output quality and better end-to-end communication performance.
Multiexcitation Fluorogenic Labeling of Surface, Intracellular, and Total Protein Pools in Living Cells.

Malachite green (MG) is a fluorogenic dye that shows fluorescence enhancement upon binding to its engineered cognate protein, a fluorogen activating protein (FAP). Energy transfer donors such as cyanine and rhodamine dyes have been conjugated with MG to modify the spectral properties of the fluorescent complexes, where the donor dyes transfer energy through Forster resonance energy transfer to the MG complex resulting in binding-conditional fluorescence emission in the far-red region. In this article, we use a violet-excitable dye as a donor to sensitize the far-red emission of the MG-FAP complex. Two blue emitting fluorescent coumarin dyes were coupled to MG and evaluated for energy transfer to the MG-FAP complex via its secondary excitation band. 6,8-Difluoro-7-hydroxycoumarin-3-carboxylic acid (Pacific blue, PB) showed the most efficient energy transfer and maximum brightness in the far-red region upon violet (405 nm) excitation. These blue-red (BluR) tandem dyes are spectrally varied from other tandem...
Research on Test Plan and Features of Abnormal Big Date in SV Samping

This report concludes the categories of the SV abnormal sampling messages. For the first time, it analyzes in details the key characteristic parameters of the SV sampling abnormal data of big value(flying spot) which has direct impact on the relay protection algorithm. Using MATLAB simulation, it compares and quantitatively analyzes the various typical situations of the flying spot which reveals the influence and the regular patterns of the characteristic parameters on the protection algorithms. At last, it proposes an experimental test plan for SV sampling abnormal data of big value(flying spot).
Application of Satellite- and NWP-Derived Wind Profiles to Military Airdrop Operations

AbstractThe Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) has revolutionized military high-altitude airdrop capability, allowing delivery of equipment and supplies to smaller drop zones from higher altitudes than was previously possible. This capability relies on accurate wind data, currently provided by GPS dropsondes released in the vicinity of the drop zone shortly before the airdrop. This research investigates the potential for a wind-profiling algorithm to generate the required wind data from passive IR and microwave satellite soundings, eliminating the requirement for a hazardous dropsonde pass near the drop zone. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) provides a 3D temperature field and determines the heights of 100 standard levels. From these data, the slopes of the isobaric pressure surfaces and temperature gradients are used to calculate wind speed and direction using the thermal wind relationship. The accuracy of these satellite-derived wind profiles is evaluated through comparison with rawinsonde me...
Experimenting With Imagination

Three participants from the Center for Teaching and Faculty ExcellenceA¢â¬â¢s 2016 reading group discuss past strategies for using creativity and imagination to promote deep thinking in students and discuss how they have tried new strategies as a result of the reading group. AÂ Approaching instruction from the seemingly disparate disciplines of rhetoric, game writing, and nursing, the presenters will focus on some specific strategies borrowed from Engaging Imagination: Helping Students Become Creative and Reflective Thinkers (James & Brookfield, 2014). The presenters will share the results of these A¢â¬AexperimentsA¢â¬Â in the classroom and reflect on how framing/re-framing some aspects of their pedagogy in terms of imagination towards reflection has affected their teaching.Takeaway: Attendees will participate in versions of these classroom A¢â¬AexperimentsA¢â¬Â and be allowed to judge the effectiveness/utility of such strategies informed with hands-on experience.AÂ Presented by faculty from disparate disciplines, attendees will see firsthand the common ties for any teaching occasion where deep reflection and engagement are a goal, leaving with ideas for new or augmented activities that benefit students and provide new challenges for instructors.
Practical considerations for implementing genomic information resources

Objectives: To understand opinions and perceptions on the state of information resources specifically targeted to genomics, and approaches to delivery in clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a survey of genomic content use and its clinical delivery from representatives across eight institutions in the electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) network and two institutions in the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) consortium in 2014. Results: Eleven responses representing distinct projects across ten sites showed heterogeneity in how content is being delivered, with provider-facing content primarily delivered via the electronic health record (EHR) (n=10), and paper/pamphlets as the leading mode for patient-facing content (n=9). There was general agreement (91%) that new content is needed for patients and providers specific to genomics, and that while aspects of this content could be shared across institutions there remain site-specific needs (73% in agreement). Conclusion: This work identifies a need for the improved access to and expansion of information resources to support genomic medicine, and opportunities for content developers and EHR vendors to partner with institutions to develop needed resources, and streamline their use – such as a central content site in multiple modalities while implementing approaches to allow for site-specific customization.
Comparing multiple communication modalities yields mixed results indicating that a broad focus may lead to narrow recommendations

Gevarter, C., O’Reilly, M. F., Rojeski, L., Sammarco, N., Lang, R., Lancioni, G. E., & Sigafoos, J. (2013). Comparing communication systems for individuals with developmental disabilities: A review of single-case research studies. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 4415–4432.Source of funding and declaration of interests: Funding sources were not reported and the authors did not report other conflicts of interest.
Chapter 4 – Microcoil Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the development and applications of small NMR coils. Many potentially interesting scientific studies, however, cannot be performed using NMR due to the inherent low sensitivity of the technique, which also precludes many studies of dynamic processes on short timescales. In a bid to increase the sensitivity of NMR various technological progresses have been made, one of which uses very small, highly sensitive radio frequency (RF) detectors. In this approach, mass-limited samples are dissolved in very small volumes (typically nanoliters to microliters) of solvent to match the volume of the RF coil. Although simple in concept, there are many challenges, including the optimization of static and radiofrequency magnetic field homogeneity over the sample and efficient loading of small sample volumes into the detector. The advantage of small coils is that signals from solvent impurities are much less problematic with smaller sample volumes and the amount of deuterated solvents can be reduced significantly for NMR-coupled separations. In the case of electrically conductive samples, there is also a reduction of the loading effects of the sample compared to larger coils. Small coils allow the design of probeheads containing more than one coil, enabling a new range of NMR experiments to be performed. The relatively new area of multiple coil probeheads shows great promise, not only in enabling high throughput NMR to become a practical reality, but also in enabling completely new types of experiments to be performed.
Evidence for the Risks and Consequences of Adolescent Cannabis Exposure.

Objective This review of the scientific literature examines the potential adult sequelae of exposure to cannabis and related synthetic cannabinoids in adolescence. We examine the four neuropsychiatric outcomes that are likely most vulnerable to alteration by early cannabinoid use, as identified within both the clinical and preclinical research: cognition, emotional functioning, risk for psychosis, and addiction. Method A literature search was conducted through PubMed, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar with no publication date restrictions. The search terms used were "adolescent" and "adult," and either "cannabis," "marijuana," "delta-9-tetra-hydrocannabinol," or "cannabinoid," which was then crossed with one or more of the following terms: "deficit," "impairment," "alteration," "long-term," "persistent," "development," "maturation," and "pubescent." Results The majority of the clinical and preclinical data point to a strong correlation between adolescent cannabinoid exposure and persistent, adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes in adulthood. Although the literature supports the hypothesis that adolescent cannabis use is connected to impaired cognition and mental health in adults, it does not conclusively demonstrate that cannabis consumption alone is sufficient to cause these deficits in humans. The animal literature, however, clearly indicates that adolescent-onset exposure to cannabinoids can catalyze molecular processes that lead to persistent functional deficits in adulthood, deficits that are not found to follow adult-onset exposure and that model some of the adverse outcomes reported in humans among adult populations of early-onset cannabis users. Conclusion Based on the data in the current literature, a strong association is found between early, frequent, and heavy adolescent cannabis exposure and poor cognitive and psychiatric outcomes in adulthood, yet definite conclusions cannot yet be made as to whether cannabis use alone has a negative impact on the human adolescent brain. Future research will require animal models and longitudinal studies to be carefully designed with a focus on integrating assessments of molecular, structural, and behavioral outcomes in order to elucidate the full range of potential adverse and long-term consequences of cannabinoid exposure in adolescence.
Gastrin induces parathyroid hormone-like hormone expression in gastric parietal cells

We show that the growth factor parathyroid hormone-like hormone (PTHLH) is expressed in acid-secreting parietal cells of the mouse stomach. We define the specific PTHLH mRNA isoforms expressed in h...
Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture and Natural Resources: Barriers and Priorities for Land-Grant Universities in the Northeastern United States

AbstractClimate change has serious implications for agricultural production, natural resource management, and food security. In the United States, land-grant universities and the U.S. Cooperative Extension System have a critical role to play in conducting basic and applied research related to climate change and translating findings into meaningful programming. However, land-grant universities and Extension have had difficulty maintaining their roles as the preeminent source of trusted information on complex topics like climate change. To help guide research and programming agendas of land-grant universities, the authors explored the barriers and priorities that researchers and Extension personnel at 16 northeastern land-grant universities perceive as they pursue climate change research and programming. Through an online survey, respondents indicated their perceptions of barriers related to information, workplace, and target audiences as well as the priorities they perceived as most important for land-gran...
A Tale of Two Models: Sources of Confusion in Achievement Testing

A common interpretation of achievement test results is that they provide measures of achievement that are much like other measures we commonly use for height, weight, or the cost of goods. In a limited sense, such interpretations are correct, but some nuances of these interpretations have important implications for the use of achievement test results. This paper will contrast two different theoretical underpinnings for the interpretation of educational assessments results as measurements. One of these theoretical views comes from initial attempts in psychology to measure the amount of a trait that was exhibited by a person. The other theoretical view comes from early work in education to measure how much of a desired curriculum was acquired by students. At times, these views conflict with each other and lead test developers and policy makers to ask for the impossible. After summarizing the two theoretical positions, the areas of conflict will be discussed. Finally, some recommendations will be given for what can be done to clarify the issues and minimize the problems that result from using conflicting theoretical frameworks.
Group III-Nitride Materials for High Efficiency Photoelectrochemical Cells

Two ternary alloys based on III-nitride semiconductor alloys are explored as potential components of photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for the direct generation of hydrogen using solar energy. For In1-xGaxN, it will be shown using prior measurements of band offsets that spontaneous water splitting can occur for x up to 0.2 and potentially higher. Flat band potential and photocurrent measurements from an n-type epilayer with x = 0.37 will be presented. This initial data appears to indicate that the flat band potential lies just below the H+/H2 from pH 0 – 14. In the case of GaAsxN1-x we will demonstrate that the replacement of a few percent of As in N sublattice drives the bandgap down from the GaN value (3.4 eV) into a range that is attractive for PEC cells [1]. This band gap reduction is explained by the valence band anticrossing that pushes the valence band maximum up initially by 0.5 eV. From the point of view of a PEC cell, this reduces the gap (desirable for efficiency) without compromising the desired H+/H2 overpotential.
A Robust CRISPR Interference Gene Repression System in Pseudomonas.

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas spp. are widely used model organisms in different areas of research. Despite the relevance of Pseudomonas in many applications, the use of protein depletion tools in this host remains limited. Here, we developed the CRISPR interference system for gene repression in Pseudomonas spp. using a nuclease-null Streptococcus pasteurianus Cas9 variant (dead Cas9, or dCas9). We demonstrate a robust and titratable gene depletion system with up to 100-fold repression in β-galactosidase activity in P. aeruginosa and 300-fold repression in pyoverdine production in Pseudomonas putida. This inducible system enables the study of essential genes, as shown by ftsZ depletions in P. aeruginosa, P. putida, and Pseudomonas fluorescens that led to phenotypic changes consistent with depletion of the targeted gene. Additionally, we performed the first in vivo characterization of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) site preferences of S. pasteurianus dCas9 and identified NNGCGA as a functional PAM site that resulted in repression efficiencies comparable to the consensus NNGTGA sequence. This discovery significantly expands the potential genomic targets of S. pasteurianus dCas9, especially in GC-rich organisms. IMPORTANCEPseudomonas spp. are prevalent in a variety of environments, such as the soil, on the surface of plants, and in the human body. Although Pseudomonas spp. are widely used as model organisms in different areas of research, existing tools to deplete a protein of interest in these organisms remain limited. We have developed a robust and inducible gene repression tool in P. aeruginosa, P. putida, and P. fluorescens using the Streptococcus pasteurianus dCas9. This method of protein depletion is superior to existing methods, such as promoter replacements and addition of degradation tags, because it does not involve genomic modifications of the target protein, is titratable, and is capable of repressing multiple genes simultaneously. This gene repression system now enables easy depletion of specific proteins in Pseudomonas, accelerating the study and engineering of this widely used model organism.
A 20Gb/s 79.5mW 127GHz CMOS transceiver with digitally pre-distorted PAM-4 modulation for contactless communications

Contactless chip-to-chip or board-to-board proximity (∼1mm) communications have been realized by using either wireless transmission [1-3], or inductive/capacitive coupling schemes [4-6]. However, their practical deployments in consumer electronics are currently limited because of bandwidth-density-inefficient OOK/ASK-only modulations [1-3], process/voltage/temperature sensitive carrier-recovery-less coherent detection [1], and large coupler footprint (6∼10mm2) for meeting bandwidth requirements [1], [4-6]. To overcome such challenges, the demonstrated contactless communication system employs a 127GHz CMOS transceiver to concurrently increase the coupling bandwidth and reduce coupling antenna size. Furthermore, a PAM-4 modulator with digital pre-distortion (DPD) in the transmitter (TX) and an envelope detecting non-coherent receiver (RX) are designed to further scale the bandwidth and eliminate carrier recovery circuitry, respectively.
Poster: Automatically Solving NP-Complete Problems on a Quantum Computer

In recent years, tremendous efforts from both the industrial and the academic research communities have been put into bringing forth quantum computing technologies. With the potential proliferation of universal quantum computers on the horizon, quantum computing, however, is still severely grounded by numerous grave barriers, which lead to its low accessibility and practicality. For example, the vastly different underlying computing models, combined with the steep background knowledge requirements, makes it extremely difficult, if possible at all, for most software engineering researchers and practitioners to even begin to design or implement quantum algorithms or softwares in practice. To overcome this problem, we, in this paper, propose a design that largely circumvents said accessibility and practicality barriers, by providing an end-to-end quantum computing framework for solving NP-complete problems via reduction. We fully implemented a toolkit under our design framework. With this toolkit, software engineering researchers and practitioners would be able to enjoy the speedup and scalability benefits of universal quantum computers without necessarily having to have prior knowledge on quantum computing.
Sexuality Education and the Catholic Teenager: A Report

This article reports on findings of a study of sexuality education in a Catholic diocese. The sample included seniors enrolled in either Catholic high schools or parish religious education programs. The range of findings include data about students’ knowledge of sexuality, their understanding of Catholic Church teaching about sexuality, their attitudes and values in regard to sexuality, who and what influences their attitudes and values, their sexual behaviors, and their experience of sexuality education. Recommendations for parents and formal sexuality education programs are offered.
Rigid gas permeable extended wear (RGPEW) for the postoperative patient: a review and clinical observations.

BACKGROUND Contact lenses are often the indicated method of correction following cataract extraction without implantation of an intraocular lens and following penetrating keratoplasty. Unfortunately, many patients who stand to benefit from contact lens wear are unable or lack the motivation to perform proper lens hygiene. Thus, extended lens wearing schedules using soft and rigid lens designs are often utilized. METHODS Following a review of the literature regarding extended wear rigid lenses (PMMA and oxygen permeable) for the aphakic patient, this paper presents results of fitting high DK (92 x 10-11) rigid contact lenses worn from 1-2 months prior to removal on 11 patients (six with aphakia, five following penetrating keratoplasty). All subjects with aphakia were considered to be unsuccessful with soft aphakic extended wear (SEW). Subjects in the penetrating keratoplasty group were new to contact lens wear. RESULTS These data show that 60 percent of aphakic patients considered to be unsuccessful with SEW may be successful with rigid gas permeable extended wear (RGPEW). The predicted success with RGPEW following penetrating keratoplasty was lower at 20-40 percent. CONCLUSIONS RGPEW should be considered for the postoperative patient who stands to benefit from the optical advantages of contact lenses but is unable or not motivated to perform the necessary lens hygiene. Patients who experience lens awareness or become intolerant to SEW due to corneal edema are potential candidates for RGPEW.
Physical Activity, Media, and Marketing: Advances in Communications and Media Marketing

There is comparatively little commercial mass marketing for physical activity. Even targeted marketing of tennis rackets, golf resorts, therapy balls, and personal trainers is limited to upscale venues and vehicles, e.g., in-flight airline magazines, affluent neighborhoods, university alumni magazines, and TV shows catering to high income demographics. The marketing of sedentary pursuits, on the other hand, is pursued aggressively, especially to lower income communities and African Americans and Latinos, but pales in comparison to the $33 billion annual marketing tally of the food industry.
Catecholamines and Affective Illness: Studies with L-DOPA and Alpha-Methyl-Para-Tyrosine

In this paper we will review previous data and present new data on the clinical effects of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) and alpha-methyl-para- tyrosine (α-MPT) in the affective disorders and on the biochemical pharmacology of these agents in man and in the laboratory animal. These studies were prompted by the catecholamine hypothesis, which remains of central importance in current research in the affective disorders (Bunney and Davis 1965; Schildkraut 1965). This hypothesis proposes that some, if not all, depressions are associated with a deficiency of catecholamines at functionally important adrenergic sites in brain, and that mania may be associated with an excess of these amines (Schildkraut 1965). Pharmacologic agents that cause an increase in active catecholamines released by appropriate neurons should be associated with alleviation of depression or production of mania, and pharmacologic agents that cause a decrease in the amount of catecholamines available to the receptor should be associated with worsening of depression or improvement of mania.
From Surviving to Thriving in the Face of Threats: The Emerging Science of Emotion Regulation Training.

A key survival skill is the ability to regulate your emotions so as to respond adaptively to life’s challenges. As such, it is essential to understand how we can improve this ability through training. While this is still a new area of research, to date, behavioral and brain studies have taken one of two approaches: either training individuals to implement strategies that directly impact current emotional responses, or training a cognitive control ability (like working memory, selective attention, response inhibition) to strengthen or tune control processes that can support regulation to subsequently encountered events. Behavioral data highlight the importance of tailoring training to an individual and their emotional situation. Brain data suggest that training impacts domain general cognitive control systems and their interaction with subcortical regions (mainly the amygdala). Future progress will depend on systematic examination of the mechanisms involved in training effectiveness and the populations that may benefit from training.
Taken Together: Conceptualizing Students’ Concurrent Course Enrollment across the Post-Secondary Curriculum using temporal analytics

In this study, we develop and test four measures for conceptualizing the potential impact of co-enrollment in different courses on students’ changing risk for academic difficulty and recovery from academic difficulty in a focal course. We offer four predictors, two related to instructional complexity and two related to structural complexity (the organization of the curriculum) that highlight different trends in student experience of the focal course. Course difficulty, discipline of major, time in semester, and simultaneous difficulty across courses were all significantly related to entering a moderate and high-risk classification in the early warning system (EWS). Course difficulty, discipline of major, and time in semester were related to exiting academic difficulty classifications. We observe a snowball effect, whereby students who are experiencing difficulty in the focal course are at increased risk of experiencing difficulty in their other courses. Our findings suggest that different metrics may be needed to identify risk for academic difficulty and recovery from academic difficulty. Our results demonstrate what a more holistic assessment of academic functioning might look like in early warning systems and course recommender systems, and suggest that academic planners consider the relationship between course co-enrollment and student academic success.
Suppression of Edge Recombination in InAs/InGaAs DWELL Solar Cells

The InAs/InGaAs DWELL solar cell grown by MBE is a standard pin diode structure with six layers of InAs QDs embedded in InGaAs quantum wells placed within a 200-nm intrinsic GaAs region. The GaAs control wafer consists of the same pin configuration but without the DWELL structure. The typical DWELL solar cell exhibits higher short current density while maintaining nearly the same open-circuit voltage for different scales, and the advantage of higher short current density is more obvious in the smaller cells. In contrast, the smaller size cells, which have a higher perimeter to area ratio, make edge recombination current dominant in the GaAs control cells, and thus their open circuit voltage and efficiency severely degrade. The open-circuit voltage and efficiency under AM1.5G of the GaAs control cell decrease from 0.914V and 8.85% to 0.834V and 7.41%, respectively, as the size shrinks from 5*5mm2 to 2*2mm2, compared to the increase from 0.665V and 7.04% to 0.675V and 8.17%, respectively, in the DWELL solar cells. The lower open-circuit voltage in the smaller GaAs control cells is caused by strong Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination on the perimeter, which leads to a shoulder in the semi-logarithmic dark IV curve. However, despite the fact that the DWELL and GaAs control cells were processed simultaneously, the shoulders on the dark IV curve disappear in all the DWELL cells over the whole processed wafer. As has been discussed in previous research on transport in QDs, it is believed that the DWELL cells inhibit lateral diffusion current and thus edge recombination by collection first in the InGaAs quantum well and then trapping in the embedded InAs dots. This conclusion is further supported by the almost constant current densities of the different area DWELL devices as a function of voltage.
Hypertension Update: Older Adults

Hypertension is prevalent in older adults, and blood pressure (BP) level lowering has been shown to be one of the most important clinical interventions to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. The goal BP level for older adults is individualized based on age, cardiovascular risk, overall health status (particularly frailty), and patient preferences. Recent guidelines differ but a goal systolic BP level lower than 150 mm Hg is reasonable for nearly all adults 60 years and older. In patients with isolated systolic hypertension, the degree to which systolic BP level lowering can be tolerated may be limited if the diastolic BP level decreases below 60 to 65 mm Hg. Orthostatic hypotension is common among older hypertensive patients. Symptoms of light-headedness should prompt an evaluation for orthostatic hypotension and a possible decrease in drug treatment. For relatively healthy older adults at increased cardiovascular risk, a systolic BP level goal lower than 140 mm Hg may be pursued. Although more aggressive BP level lowering is associated with a greater decrease in the number of cardiovascular events, it also is associated with a higher number of adverse events.
A Review of Advanced Thermal Management Solutions and the Implications for Integration in High-Voltage Packages

A host of high-voltage-capable electronic packaging approaches have emerged in recent years for usage in next-generation power electronics. In this article, the focus is on the challenge of managing the thermal characteristics in these cutting edge packaging options, where power densities are exceeding 25 kW/L. Utilizing wide bandgap semiconductors like SiC and GaN can help reduce the thermal inefficiencies associated with conduction losses by using high-frequency switching topologies, but even so, when considering the demand of high voltage in mobile electrified systems, heat generation is still a primary limiting factor in widespread adoption. Accordingly, the increased power density results in much higher temperatures at the device and package level, which in turn reduces the reliability of such systems, in terms of thermal breakdown or thermomechanical strains within the packages. As a result, the design of cooling systems for these electronics has emerged as a key component to successful implementation, and effective thermal management schemes must be closely integrated with the electronic packaging for maximum benefit. This review looks at various thermal management approaches that have been demonstrated in electronic systems, with a specific emphasis on the challenges and needs for next-generation high-voltage power electronics.
Cigarette smoke extract modulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial load via USP25/HDAC11 axis in lung epithelial cells

Cigarette smoking increases susceptibility for microbial infection in respiratory system. However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) is not fully elucidated. Here we report that cigarette smoki...
Acute Hepatic Failure and Nutrition

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with hepatic failure and remains an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in these patients. Factors that contribute to malnutrition in this patient population include altered metabolic rate, fat malabsorption, and impaired gastric emptying, all in the setting of an acute and potentially prolonged hospitalization. Acute liver failure (ALF), different from cirrhosis or chronic liver disease, is an uncommon but dramatic clinical syndrome that demonstrates severe and rapid decline in hepatic metabolic function. ALF has a significant risk of mortality. There are >10 cases per million persons per year in developed countries, but ALF presents with unique challenges in clinical management related to heterogeneity in severity and etiology. Patients with ALF by definition should not have a prior history of liver disease, and liver disease is subsequently defined by the onset of liver injury, the presence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and coagulopathy as defined by an international normalized ratio > 1.5. HE usually develops within 1-4 weeks of the onset of liver injury but may occur within 26 weeks of the initial presentation. Rates of survival from ALF have improved over recent years, but the rarity and severity of presentation have resulted in traditionally limited evidence to guide basic supportive care. Over time, advances in critical care management and the use of emergency liver transplantation have improved. In this article, we will review current nutrition considerations for patients with ALF.
Humanitarianism as conflicted care: Managing migrant assistance in EU Assisted Voluntary Return policies

Abstract Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programs occupy a central role in Europe's “management” of migration today. These state-funded programs allow migrants to meet with humanitarian counselors about the decision to return voluntarily, offering reintegration assistance and one-way travel booking to migrants' country of origin. This paper draws on interviews with practitioners at humanitarian organizations, those who counsel undocumented migrants and appeals rights exhausted asylum seekers about their decision to leave Europe via AVR, to consider the limits and potentials of humanitarian assistance for migrants in the EU's security-focused context. We query the degree to which care, as much as it is incorporated into regimes of bordering, can potentially disrupt hegemonic politics of assistance-as-governance. AVR provides a lens onto the politics of care and humanitarian assistance in migration management today, as migrants and practitioners negotiate together the decision to stay (with a limited range of legal options) or return via this increasingly relied upon policy.
Characterization of tissue and functional deficits in a clinically translational pig model of acute ischemic stroke.

Abstract The acute stroke phase is a critical time frame used to evaluate stroke severity, therapeutic options, and prognosis while also serving as a major tool for the development of diagnostics. To further understand stroke pathophysiology and to enhance the development of treatments, our group developed a translational pig ischemic stroke model. In this study, the evolution of acute ischemic tissue damage, immune responses, and functional deficits were further characterized. Stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in Landrace pigs. At 24 h post-stroke, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a decrease in ipsilateral diffusivity, an increase in hemispheric swelling resulting in notable midline shift, and intracerebral hemorrhage. Stroke negatively impacted white matter integrity with decreased fractional anisotropy values in the internal capsule. Like patients, pigs showed a reduction in circulating lymphocytes and a surge in neutrophils and band cells. Functional responses corresponded with structural changes through reductions in open field exploration and impairments in spatiotemporal gait parameters. Characterization of acute ischemic stroke in pigs provided important insights into tissue and functional-level assessments that could be used to identify potential biomarkers and improve preclinical testing of novel therapeutics.
Anatomy, Exposure, and Preparation of Recipient Vessels in Microsurgical Head and Neck Reconstruction

Successful microvascular reconstruction of head and neck defects requires the ability to safely identify, isolate, and utilize recipient vessels. To date, however, a comprehensive review of the anatomy and techniques relevant to the available anatomic regions has not been undertaken. This review covers the relevant clinical anatomy of the anterior triangle, posterior triangle, submandibular region, intraoral region, preauricular region, chest, and arm, taking particular care to highlight the structures that are crucial to identify while performing each dissection. Finally, a step-by-step technique for safely dissecting the recipient vessels at each site is provided.
Perceptual differences about kanji instruction: Native versus nonnative, and secondary versus postsecondary instructors of Japanese

This study investigated perceptual differences between Japanese language instructors with different ethnolinguistic and professional backgrounds in respect to kanji (i.e., Chinese characters used in Japanese) instruction. A total of 199 teachers of Japanese across the United States completed a 62‐item questionnaire eliciting their attitudes toward kanji and instructional strategies. A principal component analysis identified six attitude factors (Kanji has cultural value; Kanji is useful; Kanji is difficult; Kanji is fun; Kanji has future; and Kanji learning requires special abilities) and seven strategy factors (memory strategies, context‐based strategies, confidence, sound strategies, morphological analysis, metacognitive strategies, and rote memorization). Overall, the instructors appreciated the usefulness of kanji and considered rote memorization, memory, and metacognitive strategies effective. Multivariate analyses, however, revealed the statistically significant effects of native status and school level on the self‐report instructional strategies. Specifically, nonnative instructors rated the effectiveness of sound, memory, and context‐based strategies higher than native counterparts, and that secondary school teachers showed stronger beliefs in the effectiveness of memory strategies than college instructors, who rated rote memorization most effective. In sum, Japanese language instructors in general reflect upon their own kanji instruction from multiple perspectives but show different perceptions that are attributable to their learning and professional experiences.
Mecanismos de defensa en plantas. Proteínas relacionadas con la patogenicidad

Since their origins, vascular land plants have coexisted with a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. When insects appeared, they also maintained a close relationship with them, taking on a big role with the arrival of flowering plants in the early Cretaceous period. The different evolutionary processes have led to the development of a series of interspecific interactions; some of them beneficial for both parties, such as the various pollination mechanisms throu- gh insects in many plant species. At the same time, other types of interactions have emerged with species capable of producing severe diseases in different sections of the plant. This evolutionary pressure with the inability of a defense offered by locomotion, and the lack of a defense system based on antibodies, have been the main responsible for the appearance of com- plex defense mechanisms in plants, many times rapid and effective against aggressive species, and sometimes not. The pathologies manifestation in plants depends on complex interactions between host-pathogen, which is an indicator of joint evolution. Thus, the exquisite regula- tion of aggression/defense mechanisms and the corresponding selectivity recognizing external aggressors, may explain the distinct sensitivity of various species or even different varieties within the same species. For some time now, researchers have shown great interest in cer- tain proteins synthesized by a plant when attacked by a pathogenic microorganism. Since they appear in pathological conditions, they have been named Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins.
A Review of Representations of Black Womanhood on Television : by Shauntae Brown White & Kandace L. Harris, Washington, DC, Lexington Books, 212 pages, Hard cover, $90.00 ISBN-10: 149859266X ISBN-13: 978-1498592666

In Representations of Black Womanhood on Television: Being Mara Brock Akil, Shauntae Brown White and Kandace L. Harris (2019) present and explain the signature storytelling of Mara Brock Akil and t...
Disorders of pyruvate metabolism.

Pyruvate, a three carbon {dollar}{bsol}alpha{dollar}-keto acid, stands at the crossroads of intermediary metabolism. The products of pyruvate metabolism are involved in multiple metabolic processes including gluco-neogenesis, lipogenesis, and energy production. The two major enzymes involved in pyruvate metabolism are the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) and pyruvate carboxylase (PC). Inborn errors of these two enzymes are associated with lactic acidemia and neuroanatomic lesions. The objective of my research was to characterize disorders of pyruvate metabolism at the molecular level. The first project involved characterizing the mutation causing variable tissue expression of PDC activity in two brothers. Using reverse transcription and DNA amplification, a point mutation was found to cause a R234G substitution in the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E{dollar}{bsol}sb1{dollar}) {dollar}{bsol}alpha{dollar} subunit. Based on the location of the mutation, it is speculated that the mutation affects the interaction of the {dollar}{bsol}alpha{dollar} and {dollar}{bsol}beta{dollar} subunit. The second project involved characterizing the regulatory region of the human E{dollar}{bsol}sb1{bsol}alpha{dollar} processed gene (Pdha-2) located on chromosome 4. The rationale for studying this gene was to determine whether expression of this testis-specific gene plays a role in the clinical heterogen eity of PDC deficiency. Pdha-2 was isolated from a human genomic library and 900 base pairs of the regulatory region sequenced. The transcription start site was localized and the putative regulatory elements identified based on sequence homology to other testis-specific genes. The third project involved characterizing a human PC cDNA. The purpose of this project was to determine the primary structure of human PC so that mutations causing PC deficiency could be identified. Human PC cDNA clones were isolated and a full-length sequence was determined. Based on sequence homology with other biotinylated enzymes, the biotin carboxylase, pyruvate binding, and biotin binding domains of human PC have been identified. The results of these studies have laid the groundwork for further study into the disorders of pyruvate metabolism. As more knowledge is acquired as to the structure and function of PDC and PC enzymes, it will be possible to determine the relationship between specific mutations and the clinical manifestations of PDC and PC deficiencies
Pediatric reproductive disorders

Abstract Pediatric reproductive development begins at fertilization with the establishment of chromosomal sex, followed by the development of the gonads and external genitalia. Puberty is the stage at which the gonads and sex organs mature, culminating in reproductive capability. Pediatric disorders of reproductive endocrinology, therefore, involve diagnoses in neonates through adolescents, representing a variety of diseases that includes disorders of sex development (DSD), precocious and delayed puberty, and hyperandrogenism in adolescents. This chapter focuses on the definition, evaluation, and management of these disorders. The field has rapidly changed in the past decade with advancements in genetic testing and the identification of genes responsible for these disorders. Additionally, the concept of oncofertility, which addresses fertility preservation in pediatric cancer survivors and those with congenital or early-onset gonadal dysfunction, is included.