cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-platform single cell analysis of kidney development shows stromal cells express Gdnf.

Abstract The developing kidney provides a useful model for study of the principles of organogenesis. In this report we use three independent platforms, Drop-Seq, Chromium 10x Genomics and Fluidigm C1, to carry out single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) analysis of the E14.5 mouse kidney. Using the software AltAnalyze, in conjunction with the unsupervised approach ICGS, we were unable to identify and confirm the presence of 16 distinct cell populations during this stage of active nephrogenesis. Using a novel integrative supervised computational strategy, we were able to successfully harmonize and compare the cell profiles across all three technological platforms. Analysis of possible cross compartment receptor/ligand interactions identified the nephrogenic zone stroma as a source of GDNF. This was unexpected because the cap mesenchyme nephron progenitors had been thought to be the sole source of GDNF, which is a key driver of branching morphogenesis of the collecting duct system. The expression of Gdnf by stromal cells was validated in several ways, including Gdnf in situ hybridization combined with immunohistochemistry for SIX2, and marker of nephron progenitors, and MEIS1, a marker of stromal cells. Finally, the single cell gene expression profiles generated in this study confirmed and extended previous work showing the presence of multilineage priming during kidney development. Nephron progenitors showed stochastic expression of genes associated with multiple potential differentiation lineages.
Graph Based Sentiment Aggregation using ConceptNet Ontology

The sentiment aggregation problem accounts for analyzing the sentiment of a user towards various aspects/features of a product, and meaningfully assimilating the pragmatic significance of these features/aspects from an opinionated text. The current paper addresses the sentiment aggregation problem, by assigning weights to each aspect appearing in the user-generated content, that are proportionate to the strategic importance of the aspect in the pragmatic domain. The novelty of this paper is in computing the pragmatic significance (weight) of each aspect, using graph centrality measures (applied on domain specific ontology-graphs extracted from ConceptNet), and deeply ingraining these weights while aggregating the sentiments from opinionated text. We experiment over multiple real-life product review data. Our system consistently outperforms the state of the art - by as much as a F-score of 20.39% in one case.
Design and Demonstration of Three-Electrode Pouch Cells for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Simple three-electrode pouch cells which can be used in distinguishing the voltage and resistance in individual electrodes of lithium ion batteries have been designed. Baseline (1 mm-staggered alignment, cathode away from a reference electrode) and aligned electrodes to a reference electrode located outside of the anode and cathode were studied to see alignment effects on resistance analysis. Cells composed of A12 graphite anodes, LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (NMC 532 or NCM 523) cathodes, lithium foil references, microporous tri-layer membranes, and electrolytes, were cycled with cathode cutoff voltages between 3.0 V and 4.3 V for formation cycles or 4.6 V for C-rate performance testing. By applying a hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) technique to the cells, resistances of the baseline cells contributed by the anode and cathode were found to be different from those of the aligned cells, although overall resistances were close to ones from aligned cells. Resistances obtained via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and 2D simulation were also compared with those obtained from HPPC.
Abstract 3669: Assessing the genetic heterogeneity of localized, multifocal prostate cancer via cell-free DNA

At the time of diagnosis, it is common to find multiple spatially distinct foci within a single prostate gland in men with prostate cancer. Recent studies evaluating the genetic heterogeneity of localized, multifocal prostate cancers through whole-genome sequencing and whole-exome sequencing have only recently been described. These tumors were highly heterogeneous for single-nucleotide variants, copy number alterations, and genomic rearrangements. One exciting use of cfDNA is its potential ability to simultaneously capture all genetically distinct tumor subclones. Currently, the degree to which a cfDNA sample is representative of the entire genetic landscape of localized prostate cancer is unknown. The objective of this study is to determine if somatic mutations identified in tumor tissue are detectable in cfDNA. Tumor tissue and blood samples have been collected from twenty-nine patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Samples from fourteen patients have already been subjected to whole-exome sequencing with a target sequencing depth of 200X (HiSeq 4000). Preliminary analyses indicate that tumor foci within a single prostate gland in an individual are genetically heterogeneous. Further analysis of mutational concordance between tumor tissue DNA and cfDNA along with clinical data will be performed. Citation Format: Emmalyn Chen, Clinton L. Cario, Lancelote Leong, Karen Lopez, Jeffry P. Simko, Peter R. Carroll, Caroline Tai, John S. Witte. Assessing the genetic heterogeneity of localized, multifocal prostate cancer via cell-free DNA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3669.
Effect of Cold Acclimation on Membrane Lipid Composition and Freeze-Induced Membrane Destablization

Freezing injury is primarily a consequence of membrane destabilization resulting from freeze-induced dehydration (Steponkus, 1984). Although all cellular membranes are vulnerable to freeze-induced destabilization, the plasma membrane is of primary importance because of the critical role it plays during a freeze/thaw cycle. The plasma membrane is the principal interface between the extracellular medium and the cytoplasm and acts as a semipermeable barrier allowing for the efflux/influx of water during a freeze/ thaw cycle. In addition, the plasma membrane prevents seeding of the intracellular solution by extracellular ice. Thus, whether the cell survives during a freeze/thaw cycle is ultimately a consequence of the stability of the plasma membrane.
Circulating Cell-Free DNA for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutic Monitoring

The presence of cell-free circulating DNA has been known for many years, but only recently has this knowledge been translated for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. In part this is due to the fact that technologies to accurately assess these molecules did not exist. The ability to detect rare DNA molecules in the circulation, such as fetal genetic anomalies and cancer DNA, required advances in technology that have only recently become available. In this chapter, we review the history of circulating DNA, technologies for identifying and measuring circulating DNA, and newer applications that are promising to become new standards of care for clinical medicine.
"The Right of the People": Reconciling Collective and Individual Interests Under the Fourth Amendment

The Court's Fourth Amendment jurisprudence contains a tension. On the one hand, the Court has conferred Fourth Amendment standing only upon those whose personal privacy interests have been disturbed. On the other hand, the Court has allowed such persons to invoke the exclusionary rule only in circumstances where, in the Court's view, it would serve as an effective deterrent to future government misconduct. This article traces those two policies to different conceptions of the Fourth Amendment: the first interprets the Amendment as a guarantor of individual rights; the second construes it as an instrument for securing a collective right. The Court, by oscillating between these two conceptions, has eroded Fourth Amendment protections more severely than it could have done under either conception standing alone. The article suggests a way of harmonizing the atomistic and collective views that leads to a new standing analysis designed to protect both aspects of the Court's dualistic conception.
Chronic Glomerulonephritis in Childhood: Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis, Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis, and IgA Nephropathy

The chronic glomerulonephritides that lead to permanent loss of renal function may present with an acute nephritic syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, or asymptomatic hematuria and proteinuria. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis, and IgA nephropathy are common childhood glomerulonephritides that may lead to chronic renal failure. Their clinical manifestations, natural history, and long-term prognosis are distinct. This article reviews various presentations of these common childhood glomerulonephritides and an approach to management and potential therapy.
Rate Processes in Multiparticle Metallurgical Systems

In the preceding chapter, the kinetic behavior of individual particles isolated in an infinite fluid medium has been discussed. The various steps or combinations of steps which can control the rate of heterogeneous reactions were identified and appropriate types of mathematical models to describe individual particle behavior were reviewed. In the present chapter, consideration is extended to the behavior of multiparticle systems. By definition, a multiparticle system consists of an assembly of particles that make up the disperse phase plus the environment surrounding the particles that makes up the continuous phase in a processing vessel. Virtually all particulate assemblages encountered in extractive metallurgical practice are polydisperse in nature, i.e., the particles being processed have a broad distribution of properties such as size, mineralogical composition, etc., which contribute to the overall behavior of the system. In addition, in practical systems the particles often interact with one another and/or with the fluid environment. If one wishes to accurately design a reactor, optimize an existing operation, or specify an effective automatic control strategy for an extractive metallurgical process, it is necessary to be able to describe, in quantitative terms, the influence of material property distributions and particle-particle or particle-fluid interactions on the overall reaction behavior of the system.
Engineering ClpS for selective and enhanced N-terminal amino acid binding

One of the central challenges in the development of single-molecule protein sequencing technologies is achieving high-fidelity sequential recognition and detection of specific amino acids that comprise the peptide sequence. An approach towards achieving this goal is to leverage naturally occurring proteins that function through recognition of amino (N)-terminal amino acids (NAAs). One such protein, the N-end rule pathway adaptor protein ClpS, natively recognizes NAAs on a peptide chain. The native ClpS protein has a high specificity albeit modest affinity for the amino acid Phe at the N-terminus but also recognizes the residues Trp, Tyr, and Leu at the N-terminal position. Here, we employed directed evolution methods to select for ClpS variants with enhanced affinity and selectivity for two NAAs (Phe and Trp). Using this approach, we identified two promising variants of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens ClpS protein with native residues 34-36 ProArgGlu mutated to ProMetSer and CysProSer. In vitro surface binding assays indicate that the ProMetSer variant has enhanced affinity for Phe at the N-terminus with sevenfold tighter binding relative to wild-type ClpS, and that the CysProSer variant binds selectively to Trp over Phe at the N-terminus while having a greater affinity for both Trp and Phe. Taken together, this work demonstrates the utility of engineering ClpS to make it more effective for potential use in peptide sequencing applications.
The Racial Politics of Cultural Capital: Perspectives from Black Middle-Class Pupils and Parents in a London Comprehensive:

Drawing on 13 in-depth interviews and three focus-group interviews with Black middle-class pupils, along with 14 in-depth interviews with their parents, this article highlights Black parents’ and p...
Two Strawsonian strategies for accounting for morally responsible agency

It is common for theorists, drawing on P. F. Strawson, to account for morally responsible agency in terms of the nature of the emotions and feelings that characterize our responsibility practices, in terms of the nature of the so-called “reactive attitudes.” Here, I argue against this attitude-based Strawsonian strategy, and I argue in favor of an alternative, which I call the “concern-based Strawsonian strategy.” On this alternative, rather than account for morally responsible agency in terms of the nature of the reactive attitudes, one accounts for such agency in terms of the concern that leaves us susceptible to those attitudes in the first place. This, I believe, is a more promising way to develop the Strawsonian approach than the attitude-based strategy. The concern-based strategy allows us to better countenance the number and variety of the reactive attitudes that characterize our responsibility practices; it shares the attitude-based strategy’s virtues; and it seems to position us to better understand the distinctive social and moral significance associated with being and being regarded as a morally responsible agent.
Trigonometric-Type Functions Derived from Polygons Inscribed in the Unit Circle

Given a polygon inscribed inside of a circle with vertices satisfying the equation zN = 1, we introduce a new class of periodic functions called the “geometric polygon functions.” Methodology used to construct and analyze the classical circular and elliptic functions is essential for defining the cosine polygon, sine polygon, and dine polygon functions, called the “geometric polygon functions.” Dividing N into two sub-cases, odd values and even values, allows mutually exclusive sets. Focusing on even values of N, the square functions are introduced as the smallest most significant case within this sub-case. The square functions provide the building blocks for larger even values of N for which additional analysis is presented. The goals of this research are to introduce the “geometric polygon functions” and compute the Fourier series expansion of the square functions. These findings can be manipulated to prove results in matroid theory. In particular, the construct of the “geometric polygon functions” are representations of graphs whose bicircular matroids have well controlled circuit spectra.
Qualitative and Quantitative Contrast-enhanced Endoscopic Ultrasound Improves Evaluation of Focal Pancreatic Lesions

Background & Aims Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a sensitive method to evaluate the pancreas but its diagnostic capability for several diseases is limited. We compared the diagnostic yield of unenhanced EUS with that of contrast-enhanced EUS for focal pancreas lesions and identified and tested quantitative parameters of contrast enhancement. Methods We performed a prospective tandem-controlled trial in which 101 patients with focal pancreas lesions (48 with masses, 28 with cysts, and 25 with pancreatitis) underwent conventional EUS followed by contrast EUS using intravenous perflutren microspheres. The diagnosis at each stage was scored and compared with a standard (findings from surgical pathology analysis, cytologic, and/or 6-month clinical follow-up evaluations). Quantitative parameters were generated by time-intensity curve analysis. Solid lesions were divided into derivation and testing cohorts for a crossover validation analysis of the quantitative parameters. The primary outcome was diagnostic yield of unenhanced vs contrast EUS in analysis of focal pancreas lesions. Results Contrast increased the diagnostic yield of EUS from 64% (65/101 lesions accurately assessed) to 91% (92/101 lesions accurately assessed); the odds ratio [OR] was 7.8 (95% CI, 2.7–30.2) for accurate analysis of lesions by contrast-enhanced EUS relative to unenhanced EUS. The contrast increased accuracy of analysis of pancreas masses (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 1.8–31.8), improving assessment of neuroendocrine and other (non-carcinoma) tumors. Contrast increased the diagnostic yield for pancreas cysts to 96% (27/28) compared with 71.4% (20/28) for unenhanced EUS (P = .02), due to improved differentiation of mural nodules vs debris. Time-intensity curve analysis revealed distinct patterns of relative peak enhancement (rPE) and in-slope (rIS) for different lesions following contrast injection: for adenocarcinomas, values were low rPE and low rIS; for neuroendocrine masses, values were high rPE and normal IS; and for chronic pancreatitis foci, values were normal rPE and low rIS. In the validation cohort, these parameters correctly characterized 91% of lesions and improved yield relative to unenhanced EUS (OR, 10; 95% CI, 1.4–34.0). Conclusions Contrast-enhanced EUS improves the accuracy of analysis of focal pancreas lesions, compared with unenhanced EUS. Integration of practical quantitative parameters, specifically relative peak enhancement and in-slope, might increase the diagnostic accuracy of contrast EUS. ClinicalTrials.gov no: 02863770.
The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics

Review of: "The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics," by Dan Kaufman.
The role of RDoC in future classification of mental disorders .

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project constitutes a translational framework for psychopathology research, initiated by the National Institute of Mental Health in an attempt to provide new avenues for research to circumvent problems emerging from the use of symptom-based diagnostic categories in diagnosing disorders. The RDoC alternative is a focus on psychopathology based on dimensions simultaneously defined by observable behavior (including quantitative measures of cognitive or affective behavior) and neurobiological measures. Key features of the RDoC framework include an emphasis on functional dimensions that range from normal to abnormal, integration of multiple measures in study designs (which can foster computational approaches), and high priority on studies of neurodevelopment and environmental influences (and their interaction) that can contribute to advances in understanding the etiology of disorders throughout the lifespan. The paper highlights key implications for ways in which RDoC can contribute to future ideas about classification, as well as some of the considerations involved in translating basic behavioral and neuroscience data to psychopathology. .
Dissenting Statement and Rebuttal of Commissioner Gail L. Heriot in Report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: Subminimum Wages: Impact on the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities.

On September 17, 2020, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a report entitled Subminimum Wages: Impact on the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities. This Dissenting Statement and Rebuttal by Commissioner Gail L. Heriot was a part of that report. The Commission concluded that Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act somehow violates the rights of individuals with Down Syndrome or similar intellectual or developmental disabilities, because it allows them to take certain specially regulated jobs at less than minimum wage. Commissioner Heriot dissented from the Commission’s conclusion. According to her dissent, Section 14(c) provides such individuals with jobs that they would not otherwise have; eliminating 14(c) programs will mean fewer jobs. The parents of these individuals understand this. That’s why the Commission was deluged by them with comments supporting 14(c) programs. The Commission largely ignored those comments.
Prescribed Fire Has a Greater Impact on Artificial Nest Predation Than a Recent Bison Re-introduction in Illinois Tallgrass Prairie

Grazing differentially affects both the abundance and breeding success of grassland birds (e.g., due to differences in bird species' preferences for sparse or dense vegetation structure, nest predator response to grazing, and/or trampling of nests). Coupled with prescribed fire, grazing impacts can be compounded by pyric herbivory—the preference of grazers to choose newly-burned sites in which to graze. The purpose of this study was to determine how a recent re-introduction of American bison (Bison bison) coupled with prescribed fire may impact grassland bird nests. Artificial nests were used to determine if grazing and fire impacted nest success, total mammalian depredation, and depredation by the most common nest predator, mice (Peromyscus spp.). Artificial nests were placed in sites with and without bison before (2014) and after bison re-introduction (2015–2018); sites had fire return intervals from 1–2 y. We found the re-introduction of bison had a negligible influence on nest success and total mammalian depredation. However, nest success was lower in burned sites compared to unburned sites. The decrease in nest success correlated with an increase in total proportion of depredation events in burned sites compared to unburned sites. In addition, the proportion of Peromyscus spp. depredation events was marginally higher in burned sites compared to unburned sites. Although predation by Peromyscus increased after bison re-introduction, prescribed fire differences drove this change. Our results suggest prescribed fire may increase nest predation of artificial nests, indicating a possible impact on ground-nesting grassland birds. In contrast, bison had a negligible impact on artificial nest success in the first 4 y following their re-introduction.
Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvenic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relatively easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.
Unexpected guests in the tumor microenvironment: microbiome in cancer

Although intestinal microbiome have been established as an important biomarker and regulator of cancer development and therapeutic response, less is known about the role of microbiome at other body sites in cancer. Emerging evidence has revealed that the local microbiota make up an important part of the tumor microenvironment across many types of cancer, especially in cancers arising from mucosal sites, including the lung, skin and gastrointestinal tract. The populations of bacteria that reside specifically within tumors have been found to be tumor-type specific, and mechanistic studies have demonstrated that tumor-associated microbiota may directly regulate cancer initiation, progression and responses to chemo- or immuno-therapies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the important literature on the microbiota in the cancerous tissue, and their function and mechanism of action in cancer development and treatment.
School and Teacher Factors That Promote Adolescents' Bystander Responses to Social Exclusion.

Schools may be one important context where adolescents learn and shape the behaviors necessary for promoting global inclusivity in adulthood. Given the importance of bystanders in halting bullying and peer aggression, the focus of this study is on both moral judgments regarding one type of bullying, social exclusion, and factors that are associated with bystander intervention. The study includes 896 adolescents, who were 6th (N = 450, M age = 11.73), and 9th (N = 446, M age = 14.82) graders, approximately evenly divided by gender. Participants were primarily European-American (63.3%). Results revealed that girls and participants who perceived better relationships between students and teachers were more likely to judge exclusion to be wrong. Further, ethnic minority participants, those who were more anxious about being rejected by their teachers and reported more teacher discrimination were less likely to judge exclusion as wrong. Participants who reported more positive student-teacher relationships, perceptions of a more positive school social environment and more prior experiences of teacher discrimination were more likely to report that they would seek help for the victim. On the other hand, participants who reported being more angry about teacher rejection, experiencing either peer or teacher discrimination, and perceiving they are excluded from opportunities at school were less likely to intervene to come to the aid of a peer who is being excluded. The results document the complex interplay of school and teacher factors in shaping adolescents' bystander responses to social exclusion. Our findings suggest that positive school climate can promote intentions to intervene. However, findings indicate that adolescents who are marginalized in their school environments, and who report experiences of rejection, exclusion or discrimination are not willing or likely to intervene to prevent others from experiencing exclusion.
Guillain Barre Syndrome Variant with Facial Diplegia and Paresthesias presenting with Bulbar Weakness (P2.4-018)

Objective: NA Background: Bifacial weakness with paresthesias is a subtype of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) characterized by rapidly progressive bilateral facial weakness in the absence of other cranial neuropathies, ataxia, or limb weakness. Many patients also complain of distal limb paresthesias and display diminished or absent deep tendon reflexes. We describe a case of GBS with facial diplegia and paresthesias who presented with bulbar weakness. Design/Methods: We describe a 49 year male with no significant past medical history who presented with rapidly progressive dysarthria and dysphagia of four days duration. His symptoms were associated with bilateral finger numbness. On neurological examination, his mental status was intact. He was noted to have bilateral facial weakness worse on the right compared to the left. He had significant dysarthria secondary to lack of tongue movement bilaterally. Muscle strength was intact in the neck and extremities. Sensation was intact and reflexes were present. Coordination and gait were unremarkable. Results: Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed mildly elevated proteins with normal cell count. Extensive workup for infectious and inflammatory etiologies including sarcoidosis, Lyme, myasthenia, GM1 antibodies were unremarkable. Imaging of brain and spine did not reveal any abnormalities. Electrodiagnostic studies revealed bilateral facial neuropathy. On further work up, patient was noted to have elevated titres of GQ1b antibodies and Campylobacter jejuni antibodies. He responded well to treatment with IVIG and speech therapy with improvement in dysarthria, dysphagia and paresthesias. Conclusions: We report a rare case of GBS variant with unusual presentation pattern. Our case of facial diplegia with paresthesias presented with rapidly progressive bulbar pattern of weakness. On exam he was noted to have multiple cranial neuropathies with intact muscle strength and reflexes. To our knowledge this rare pattern of GBS variant has not been described before. Disclosure: Dr. Trikamji has nothing to disclose. Dr. Adler has nothing to disclose.
Abstract P247: Non-dipping Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Non-hypertensive Individuals

Non-dipping predicts increased cardiovascular risk in hypertension. However, the mechanisms leading to non-dipping remain unknown. Also, non-dipping in normotension and prehypertension is less well...
Searching for Dark Matter with a Superconducting Qubit.

Detection mechanisms for low mass bosonic dark matter candidates, such as the axion or hidden photon, leverage potential interactions with electromagnetic fields, whereby the dark matter (of unknown mass) on rare occasion converts into a single photon. Current dark matter searches operating at microwave frequencies use a resonant cavity to coherently accumulate the field sourced by the dark matter and a near standard quantum limited (SQL) linear amplifier to read out the cavity signal. To further increase sensitivity to the dark matter signal, sub-SQL detection techniques are required. Here we report the development of a novel microwave photon counting technique and a new exclusion limit on hidden photon dark matter. We operate a superconducting qubit to make repeated quantum nondemolition measurements of cavity photons and apply a hidden Markov model analysis to reduce the noise to 15.7 dB below the quantum limit, with overall detector performance limited by a residual background of real photons. With the present device, we perform a hidden photon search and constrain the kinetic mixing angle to e≤1.68×10^{-15} in a band around 6.011 GHz (24.86 μeV) with an integration time of 8.33 s. This demonstrated noise reduction technique enables future dark matter searches to be sped up by a factor of 1,300. By coupling a qubit to an arbitrary quantum sensor, more general sub-SQL metrology is possible with the techniques presented in this Letter.
Built to Break

Almost unnoticed, the world has become increasingly dependent on one or two suppliers for key materials and parts. How did this happen? The author traces the evolution of a new and powerful trend in international business that goes largely unnoticed. The consequences, however, are clear. The world is far more susceptible than ever before to industrial disruption, and even crashes, due to events in only one country.
Assistive Technology and Literacy Learning: Reflections of Parents and Children.

Literacy is important not only to school success but is fundamental to skills needed to succeed in our rapidly changing technology-driven society. This article focuses on characteristics, interacti...
Living with spontaneously broken BRST symmetry. I. Physical states and cohomology

We address the issue of Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) symmetry breaking in the Gribov-Zwanziger (GZ) model, a local, renormalizable, nonperturbative approach to QCD. Explicit calculation of several examples reveals that BRST symmetry breaking apparently afflicts the unphysical sector of the theory, but may be unbroken where needed, in cases of physical interest. Specifically, the BRST-exact part of the conserved energy-momentum tensor and the BRST-exact term in the Kugo-Ojima confinement condition both have a vanishing expectation value. We analyze the origin of the breaking of BRST symmetry in the GZ model and obtain a useful sufficient condition that determines which operators preserve BRST. Observables of the GZ theory are required to be invariant under a certain group of symmetries that includes not only BRST but also others. The definition of observables is thereby sharpened and excludes all operators known to us that break BRST invariance. We take as a hypothesis that BRST symmetry is unbroken by this class of observables. If the hypothesis holds, BRST breaking is relegated to the unphysical sector of the GZ theory, and its physical states are obtained by the usual cohomological BRST construction. The fact that the horizon condition and the Kugo-Ojima confinement criterion coincide assures that color is confined in the GZ theory.
Sensory evaluation of milk.

Abstract: Powerful results will be achieved when using appropriate sensory tests in the accurate manner, with proper analysis and interpretation of results. This chapter reviews common methods used in the sensory evaluation of milk such as discrimination tests, descriptive analysis, acceptance (hedonistic), preference and threshold testing.
Preferential repair of UV damage in highly transcribed DNA diminishes UV-induced intrachromosomal recombination in mammalian cells

The relationships among transcription, recombination, DNA damage, and repair in mammalian cells were investigated. We monitored the effects of transcription on UV-induced intrachromosomal recombination between neomycin repeats including a promoterless allele and an inducible heteroallele regulated by the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter. Although transcription and UV light separately stimulated recombination, increasing transcription levels reduced UV-induced recombination. Preferential repair of UV damage in transcribed strands was shown in highly transcribed DNA, suggesting that recombination is stimulated by unrepaired UV damage and that increased DNA repair in highly transcribed alleles removes recombinogenic lesions. This study indicates that the genetic consequences of DNA damage depend on transcriptional states and provides a basis for understanding tissue- and gene-specific responses to DNA-damaging agents.
Connectivity of mouse somatosensory and prefrontal cortex examined with trans-synaptic tracing

Information processing in neocortical circuits requires integrating inputs over a wide range of spatial scales, from local microcircuits to long-range cortical and subcortical connections. We used rabies virus-based trans-synaptic tracing to analyze the laminar distribution of local and long-range inputs to pyramidal neurons in the mouse barrel cortex and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In barrel cortex, we found substantial inputs from layer 3 (L3) to L6, prevalent translaminar inhibitory inputs, and long-range inputs to L2/3 or L5/6 preferentially from L2/3 or L5/6 of input cortical areas, respectively. These layer-specific input patterns were largely independent of NMDA receptor function in the recipient neurons. mPFC L5 received proportionally more long-range inputs and more local inhibitory inputs than barrel cortex L5. Our results provide new insight into the organization and development of neocortical networks and identify important differences in the circuit organization in sensory and association cortices.
The Urban Labor Market and Income Distribution: A Study of Malaysia

This book is a detailed case study of the working of the urban labor market of Peninsular Malaysia and of the factors affecting the distribution of income there. Although Malaysia is a member of the middle-income group of developing countries, with a relatively high level of per capita income and a reasonably good resource base, its urban labor market presents problems of general relevance to poorer Asian and African countries. Among the economic features they have in common are: the importance of rural-urban migration in the process of urbanization, the coexistence in the urban labor market of modern and traditional sectors, the significance of formal education for urban earnings and employment, and the concentration of relative poverty in a particular racial group.
Climate response to projected changes in short-lived species under an A1B scenario from 2000–2050 in the GISS climate model

[1] We investigate the climate forcing from and response to projected changes in short-lived species and methane under an A1B scenario from 2000-2050 in the GISS climate model. We present a meta-analysis of new simulations of the full evolution of gas and aerosol species and other existing experiments with variations of the same model. The comparison highlights the importance of several physical processes in determining radiative forcing, especially the effect of climate change on stratosphere-troposphere exchange, heterogeneous sulfate-nitrate-dust chemistry, and changes in methane oxidation and natural emissions. However, the impact of these fairly uncertain physical effects is substantially less than the difference between alternative emission scenarios for all short-lived species. The net global mean annual average direct radiative forcing from the short-lived species is .02 W/m2 or less in our projections, as substantial positive ozone forcing is largely offset by negative aerosol direct forcing. Since aerosol reductions also lead to a reduced indirect effect, the global mean surface temperature warms by ∼0.07°C by 2030 and ∼0.13°C by 2050, adding 19% and 17%, respectively, to the warming induced by long-lived greenhouse gases. Regional direct forcings are large, up to 3.8 W/m2. The ensemble-mean climate response shows little regional correlation with the spatial pattern of the forcing, however, suggesting that oceanic and atmospheric mixing generally overwhelms the effect of even large localized forcings. Exceptions are the polar regions, where ozone and aerosols may induce substantial seasonal climate changes.
Effect of temperature and htpR on the biosynthesis of superoxide dismutase in Escherichia coli.

The synthesis of Mn- and FeSODs in response to temperature changes was examined in strains of Escherichia coli with different mutations in sod and htpR genes. Growth at or shift to elevated temperatures induced FeSOD but not MnSOD. The induction of FeSOD by heat was inhibited by chloramphenicol and was independent of the heat shock (htpR-controlled) regulon. FeSOD was more stable at 42°C than was MnSOD.
An initial examination of emotion regulation and obsessive compulsive symptoms

Abstract Emotion regulation deficits may contribute to the maintenance of anxiety and distress for individuals with generalized anxiety disorder and other emotional disorders. Recent work suggests a similar model for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, the associations between obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and emotion regulation deficits require further empirical support. The present study examined whether understanding of emotion, attention to emotion, negative reactivity (i.e., fear) to emotion, and ability to repair mood states were related to distress associated with OC symptoms. Analyses were conducted using self-report data collected from an undergraduate sample (N=170). Consistent with expectations, OC symptom distress was significantly related to poor understanding of emotions and fear of emotions including both negative (anxiety, anger, and depressed mood) and, unexpectedly, positive emotions. However, excessive attention to emotions and deficits in mood repair were not significantly related to OC symptoms. Comparison of an analog OCD group to controls revealed significantly poorer understanding of emotions and greater fear of emotions in the analog OCD group. Future research on emotion regulation deficits in relation to OC symptoms and OCD appears warranted.
Intertemporal Valuation of River Restoration

Willingness to pay for an environmental improvement is a function of how long it takes to deliver the improvement. To measure the effect of time on benefits, I utilize a discrete choice experiment that includes an attribute for delay until the improvement occurs and simultaneously estimate discount rates and valuation parameters. I estimate the present value of immediate and delayed Minnesota River Basin improvements using discount rates directly estimated from the econometric model. Compared to an immediate river basin cleanup, Minnesota residents lose almost half of the benefits when cleanup is delayed by 5 years.
Diagnosis and classification of avascular necrosis of the hip

Plain radiographs and MRI scanning are the most useful imaging studies for the diagnosis and treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Because treatment of early avascular necrosis may postpone or avoid joint replacement surgery, early diagnosis and staging are important aspects of the disease. Because it is easily understood and clinically relevant, the Ficat classification is currently the most widely used classification scheme. While the four stages of the Ficat classification are straightforward, it should be noted that it does not take into account the important factor of the size of the lesion.
Observation of two distinct, rapid loss mechanisms during the 20 November 2003 radiation belt dropout event

[1] The relativistic electron dropout event on 20 November 2003 is studied using data from a number of satellites including SAMPEX, HEO, ACE, POES, and FAST. The observations suggest that the dropout may have been caused by two separate mechanisms that operate at high and low L-shells, respectively, with a separation at L ∼ 5. At high L-shells (L > 5), the dropout is approximately independent of energy and consistent with losses to the magnetopause aided by the Dst effect and outward radial diffusion which can deplete relativistic electrons down to lower L-shells. At low L-shells (L < 5), the dropout is strongly energy-dependent, with the higher-energy electrons being affected most. Moreover, large precipitation bands of both relativistic electrons and energetic protons are observed at low L-shells which are consistent with intense pitch angle scattering driven by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and may result in a rapid loss of relativistic electrons near the plasmapause in the dusk sector or in plumes of enhanced density.
A two-point method for turbulent pipe flow measurements

A method for turbulent pipe flow measurements using velocities at two radial positions is presented. The method is insensitive to the Reynolds number and surface roughness; therefore, it is suitable for use in pipe systems subjected to slow variations in flow and pipe surface conditions. Applied to three independent data sources, the method shows significant improvement in average accuracy in comparison with a single-point method and a log-linear method.
Regional algal biofuel production potential in the coterminous United States as affected by resource availability trade-offs

Abstract A warm sunny climate and unoccupied arid land as in the American Southwest are favorable for algal cultivation. However, additional resource constraints affect the overall viability of specific sites and regions. We investigated tradeoffs between growth rate, water, and CO 2 availability and costs for two strains: Nannochloropsis salina and Chlorella sp. We conducted site selection exercises to produce 7.95E + 10 L yr − 1 (21 billion gal yr − 1 (BGY)) of renewable diesel (RD). Experimental trials from the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products (NAABB) team informed the growth model of our Biomass Assessment Tool. We simulated RD production by both lipid extraction (LE) and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Sites were screened for the availability of freshwater and flue gas, and prioritized by the net value of biofuel minus water (the least-expensive and available source) and flue gas delivery costs. Water sources considered were ground waters ranging in salinity from fresh to brines and seawater. We found that HTL produced more RD per unit biomass than LE, resulting in an improvement in economic efficiency of 76%. Selections constrained by production and water were concentrated along the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern Atlantic coasts. Adding flue gas constraints increased the spatial distribution to include sites nationwide. The 21 BGY target required ~ 3.8 million ha of mainly forest (41.3%) and pasture (35.7%). Exclusion in favor of barren and scrub lands forced most production to the southwestern US, but with increased water consumption (5.7 times) and decreased economic efficiency (− 38%).
Universal transport signatures of Majorana fermions in superconductor-Luttinger liquid junctions

One of the most promising proposals for engineering topological superconductivity and Majorana fermions employs a spin-orbit coupled nanowire subjected to a magnetic field and proximate to an s-wave superconductor. When only part of the wire's length contacts to the superconductor, the remaining conducting portion serves as a natural lead that can be used to probe these Majorana modes via tunneling. The enhanced role of interactions in one dimension dictates that this configuration should be viewed as a superconductor-Luttinger liquid junction. We investigate such junctions between both helical and spinful Luttinger liquids, and topological as well as nontopological superconductors. We determine the phase diagram for each case and show that universal low-energy transport in these systems is governed by fixed points describing either perfect normal reflection or perfect Andreev reflection. In addition to capturing (in some instances) the familiar Majorana-mediated “zero-bias anomaly” in a new framework, we show that interactions yield dramatic consequences in certain regimes. Indeed, we establish that strong repulsion removes this conductance anomaly altogether while strong attraction produces dynamically generated effective Majorana modes even in a junction with a trivial superconductor. Interactions further lead to striking signatures in the local density of states and the line shape of the conductance peak at finite voltage, and also are essential for establishing smoking-gun transport signatures of Majorana fermions in spinful Luttinger liquid junctions.
Development and use of site-specific chemical and biological criteria for assessing New Bedford Harbor pilot dredging project

Numerical site-specific chemical and biological criteria were established to assess the impact of a pilot dredging project on water quality at the New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, USA, Superfund site. Because most existing chemical concentrations in the water column and indigenous biota exceeded federal and state water quality limits, the derivation of site-specific criteria was required. Prior to any operational phases of the project (i.e., dike construction, dredging), criteria values were developed from background concentrations of PCBs and metals in water and biota, as well as for the toxic effects of water quality on the biota. During each operational phase of the project, water samples were collected, analyzed within 16 h, and the data supplied to a management committee in order to assess the environmental impact of the previous days' operation. The ambient unfiltered water concentration of PCBs and metals were the only chemical or biological criteria exceeded. Modification of the next days' operations resulted in a return of these concentrations to background levels. The combined use of site-specific criteria and a real-time decision making management process allowed for successful completion of this project with a minimal effect on water quality.
a first step

A new approach to the design of the computing curriculum for a Bachelor of Arts degree is described. The approach relies extensively on problem-based instruction and computer graphics to teach key concepts in computer science. The novelty arises from the magnitude and origin of the problems to be integrated into the curriculum and the breadth of the impact across the curriculum. Results from a trial course, the first experiment with the new approach, are described. The course, Tools and Techniques for Software Development, is a sophomore-level course in programming methodology. Construction of a ray-tracing system (for generating synthetic images) was the vehicle chosen for the instruction.