An intervention to improve provider-patient interaction at methadone maintenance treatment in China.

BackgroundThis study evaluated an intervention aiming to improve methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) service providers' interaction with their patients in China.MethodsSixty-eight MMT clinics were randomized to either an intervention or a control condition. Providers in the intervention group attended three group training sessions to enhance their communication skills. Trained providers were encouraged to practice the taught communication skills through provider-initiated individual sessions with their patients. A total of 418 service providers completed assessments from baseline to 24-month. Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to compare self-reported short-term and sustained improvement in provider-patient interaction between the intervention and the control conditions.ResultsThe intervention group service providers perceived significantly greater short-term and sustained improvement in provider-patient interaction compared to the control group service providers (estimated difference (±SE): 1.20 (0.24) and 1.35 (0.33), respectively; p-values < 0.0001). Providers' baseline job satisfaction was significantly associated with a greater perceived improvement in provider-patient interaction for both periods (reg. coef. (±SE): 0.02 (0.01) and 0.04 (0.01) for short-term and sustained periods, respectively; p-values < 0.01).ConclusionStudy findings suggest that the intervention could be beneficial for improving perceived provider-patient interaction in MMT programs. Service providers' job satisfaction should be addressed in training programs for the improvement of provider-patient interaction

Calliope-Net: Automatic Generation of Graph Data Facts via Annotated Node-link Diagrams

Graph or network data are widely studied in both data mining and visualization communities to review the relationship among different entities and groups. The data facts derived from graph visual analysis are important to help understand the social structures of complex data, especially for data journalism. However, it is challenging for data journalists to discover graph data facts and manually organize correlated facts around a meaningful topic due to the complexity of graph data and the difficulty to interpret graph narratives. Therefore, we present an automatic graph facts generation system, Calliope-Net, which consists of a fact discovery module, a fact organization module, and a visualization module. It creates annotated node-link diagrams with facts automatically discovered and organized from network data. A novel layout algorithm is designed to present meaningful and visually appealing annotated graphs. We evaluate the proposed system with two case studies and an in-lab user study. The results show that Calliope-Net can benefit users in discovering and understanding graph data facts with visually pleasing annotated visualizations

High-Throughput Screening of Transition Metal Single-Atom Catalysts for Nitrogen Reduction Reaction

The discovery of metals as catalytic centers for nitrogen reduction reactions has stimulated great enthusiasm for single-atom catalysts. However, the poor activity and low selectivity of available SACs are far away from the industrial requirement. Through the high throughout first principles calculations, the doping engineering can effectively regulate the NRR performance of b-Sb monolayer. Especially, the origin of activated N2 is revealed from the perspective of the electronic structure of the active center. Among the 24 transition metal dopants, Re@Sb and Tc@Sb showed the best NRR catalytic performance with a low limiting potential. The Re@Sb and Tc@Sb also could significantly inhibit HER and achieve a high theoretical Faradaic efficiency of 100%. Our findings not only accelerate discovery of catalysts for ammonia synthesis but also contribute to further elucidate the structure-performance correlations

Improved Synchronous Machine Rotor Design for the Easy Assembly of Excitation Coils Based on Surrogate Optimization

This paper introduces a new rotor design for the easy insertion and removal of rotor windings. The shape of the rotor is optimized based on a surrogate method in order to achieve low power loss under the maximum power output. The synchronous machine with the new rotor is evaluated in 2-D finite element software and validated by experiments. This rotor shows great potential for reducing the maintenance and repair costs of synchronous machines, making it particularly suited for low-cost mass production markets including gen-sets, steam turbines, wind power generators, and hybrid electric vehicles

Speed versus endurance tradeoff in plants: Leaves with higher photosynthetic rates show stronger seasonal declines

We tested for a tradeoff across species between plant maximum photosynthetic rate and the ability to maintain photosynthesis under adverse conditions in the unfavorable season. Such a trade-off would be consistent with the observed trade-off between maximum speed and endurance in athletes and some animals that has been explained by cost-benefit theory. This trend would have importance for the general understanding of leaf design, and would simplify models of annual leaf carbon relations. We tested for such a trade-off using a database analysis across vascular plants and using an experimental approach for 29 cycad species, representing an ancient plant lineage with diversified evergreen leaves. In both tests, a higher photosynthetic rate per mass or per area in the favorable season was associated with a stronger absolute or percent decline in the unfavorable season. We resolved a possible mechanism based on biomechanics and nitrogen allocation; cycads with high leaf toughness (leaf mass per area) and higher investment in leaf construction than in physiological function (C/N ratio) tended to have lower warm season photosynthesis but less depression in the cool season. We propose that this trade-off, consistent with cost-benefit theory, represents a significant physio-phenological constraint on the diversity and seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic rate

Note on Strange Quarks in the Nucleon

Scalar matrix elements involving strange quarks are studied in several models. Apart from a critical reexamination of results obtained in the Nambu and Jona-Lasinio model we study a scenario, motivated by instanton physics, where spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is induced by the flavor-mixing 't Hooft interaction only. We also investigate possible contributions of virtual kaon loops to the strangeness content of the nucleon.Comment: 12 pages, latex style. One figure, available from the author upon request. University of Regensburg TPR-94-0

Population genetics analysis of the black rockfish <em>Sebastes schlegelii</em> in Northern China based on 2b-RAD simplified genome sequencing

The black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii is an important fishery species in Japan, South Korea, and China. Overfishing has severely depleted the natural resources of S. schlegelii in recent years, leading to the initiation of programs aimed at enhancing fish stock. However, the genetic structure of northern populations remains elusive, posing challenges in collecting and preserving germplasm resources. In this study, a total of 191 S. schlegelii individuals from seven populations, including one cultured population (Changdao: CDYZ) and six wild populations (Lianyungang: LYG; Qingdao: QD; Weihai: WH; Changdao: CDYS; Beidaihe: BDH) sequenced by 2b-RAD method and their population genetics was analyzed using 27,064 SNPs obtained. The results indicated low genetic diversity in both wild and cultured populations (PIC Ho: 0.174-0.273, He: 0.173-0.234), with the cultured population exhibiting higher diversity than the wild ones. Moderate genetic differentiation existed between the cultured population and six wild populations (0.05 Fst Fst Nm > 1). This study provides a theoretical basis for conserving and rationalizing germplasm resources for S. schlegelii