Clustering and Micro-immiscibility in Alcohol-Water Mixtures: Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We have investigated the hydrogen-bonded structures in liquid methanol and a 7:3 mole fraction aqueous solution using classical Molecular Dynamics simulations at 298K and ambient pressure. We find that, in contrast to recent predictions from X-ray emission studies, the hydrogen-bonded structure in liquid methanol is dominated by chain and small ring structures. In the methanol-rich solution, we find evidence of micro-immiscibility, supporting recent conclusions derived from neutron diffraction data.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Are character strength-based positive interventions effective for eliciting positive behavioral outcomes? A meta-analytic review

Research on strengths-based positive interventions (SBPIs) has often supported their effectiveness, but these studies overwhelmingly focus on experiential outcomes such as affect and subjective well-being. Much less is known about their effectiveness for eliciting positive behavioral outcomes. The current article provides a lexicon to clarify distinctions between various types of positive interventions. This is followed by a meta-analysis of studies examining behavioral outcomes from SBPIs. Multiple databases were searched through October 2020. Out of 418 studies evaluating what could be considered SBPIs, only 48 analyses across 29 articles examined group differences in a behavioral outcome. Random-effects meta-analysis of post-test data revealed a small to medium, statistically significant effect, Hedges’ g = 0.32. Evidence was insufficient to suggest small-study or methodological bias. SBPIs seemed effective for eliciting behavioral change relative to control conditions consistent with prior meta-analyses. However, the available data are too limited to support SBPIs as an alternative to traditional approaches that focus on direct symptom reduction

Radiative association and inverse predissociation of oxygen atoms

The formation of \mbox{O}_2 by radiative association and by inverse predissociation of ground state oxygen atoms is studied using quantum-mechanical methods. Cross sections, emission spectra, and rate coefficients are presented and compared with prior experimental and theoretical results. At temperatures below 1000~K radiative association occurs by approach along the $1\,{}^3\Pi_u$ state of \mbox{O}_2 and above 1000~K inverse predissociation through the \mbox{B}\,{}^3\Sigma_u^- state is the dominant mechanism. This conclusion is supported by a quantitative comparison between the calculations and data obtained from hot oxygen plasma spectroscopy.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. A (Sept. 7., 1994), 19 pages, 4 figures, latex (revtex3.0 and epsf.sty

Improving completeness of electronic problem lists through clinical decision support: a randomized, controlled trial

Background: Accurate clinical problem lists are critical for patient care, clinical decision support, population reporting, quality improvement, and research. However, problem lists are often incomplete or out of date. Objective: To determine whether a clinical alerting system, which uses inference rules to notify providers of undocumented problems, improves problem list documentation. Study Design and Methods: Inference rules for 17 conditions were constructed and an electronic health record-based intervention was evaluated to improve problem documentation. A cluster randomized trial was conducted of 11 participating clinics affiliated with a large academic medical center, totaling 28 primary care clinical areas, with 14 receiving the intervention and 14 as controls. The intervention was a clinical alert directed to the provider that suggested adding a problem to the electronic problem list based on inference rules. The primary outcome measure was acceptance of the alert. The number of study problems added in each arm as a pre-specified secondary outcome was also assessed. Data were collected during 6-month pre-intervention (11/2009–5/2010) and intervention (5/2010–11/2010) periods. Results: 17,043 alerts were presented, of which 41.1% were accepted. In the intervention arm, providers documented significantly more study problems (adjusted OR=3.4, p<0.001), with an absolute difference of 6,277 additional problems. In the intervention group, 70.4% of all study problems were added via the problem list alerts. Significant increases in problem notation were observed for 13 of 17 conditions. Conclusion: Problem inference alerts significantly increase notation of important patient problems in primary care, which in turn has the potential to facilitate quality improvement

Domain-based perceptions of risk:a case study of lay and technical community attitudes towards managed aquifer recharge

Despite growing water scarcity, communities in many parts of the developed world often reject technically and economically sound options for water augmentation. This paper reports findings from a study investigating risk perceptions associated with a proposed Managed Aquifer Recharge scheme in Australia. Q-Methodology was used to compare decision-making frameworks of lay community and „technical expert‟ participants. Technical expert participants were also asked to approximate the decision-making framework of a „typical‟ community member. The emerging contrasts between lay community frameworks and those approximated by technical experts suggest that there are prevailing yet errant assumptions about lay community attitudes towards new technologies. The findings challenge the characterisation of the lay community and technical experts as being in entrenched opposition with one another

Forage Systems to Optimize Agronomic and Economic Performance in Organic Dairy Systems

Organic dairy production in the USA is growing, but most forage systems research focuses on conventional production practices. As a result, organic dairy producers have limited science-based information to assist with farm and livestock management. The objective of this project was to use a multi-faceted approach to determine the ideal species mixtures for organic dairy production as well as document forage quality, forage yield, soil characteristics, milk production and milk quality during the grazing season. The forages studied ranged from a single species monoculture to a four species mixture of warm and cool season grasses and legumes. Nine distinct forage systems were seeded into small plots at the University of Tennessee and University of Kentucky research farms using organic practices. These plots were monitored for three years for yield, quality, species composition, and soil characteristics. The four best performing forage systems were planted in small paddocks on organic dairy farms in Tennessee and Kentucky to evaluate forage yield, forage quality, seasonality of production, and suitability for on-farm milk production. The superior forage system was established on a 4 ha paddock and compared the existing forage system used by each of the dairy farms. These larger paddocks allowed continued measurements of forage yield and quality, as well as measurements of milk production, milk quality, and grazing behaviour of the animals. The information from this project is currently being incorporated into a total farm management system for organic dairy producers in the Southeastern USA

VEGF-A165b protects against proteinuria in a mouse model with progressive depletion of all endogenous VEGF-A splice isoforms from the kidney

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is strongly associated with a decrease in the expression of VEGF-A. However, little is known about the contribution of VEGF-A splice isoforms to kidney physiology and pathology. Previous studies suggest that the splice isoform VEGF-A165b (resulting from alternative usage of a 3’ splice site in the terminal exon) is protective for kidney function. We show here, in a quad-transgenic model, that over-expression of VEGF-A165b alone is sufficient to rescue the increase in proteinuria as well as glomerular water permeability in the context of progressive depletion of all VEGF-A isoforms from the podocytes. Ultrastructural studies show that the glomerular basement membrane is thickened, podocyte slit width is increased and sub-podocyte space coverage is reduced when VEGF-A is depleted, all of which are rescued in VEGF-A165b over-expressors. VEGF-A165b restores the expression of PECAM-1 in glomerular endothelial cells and glomerular capillary circumference. Mechanistically, it increases VEGFR2 expression both in vivo and in vitro and down-regulates genes involved in migration and proliferation of endothelial cells, otherwise up-regulated by the canonical isoform VEGF-A165. Our study indicates that manipulation of VEGF-A splice isoforms could be a novel therapeutic avenue in chronic glomerular disease