cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acoustic Droplet Ejection Technology and Its Application in High-Throughput RNA Interference Screening

The development of acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) technology has resulted in many positive changes associated with the operations in a high-throughput screening (HTS) laboratory. Originally, this liquid transfer technology was used to simply transfer DMSO solutions of primarily compounds. With the introduction of Labcyte's Echo 555, which has aqueous dispense capability, the application of this technology has been expanded beyond its original use. This includes the transfer of many biological reagents solubilized in aqueous buffers, including siRNAs. The Echo 555 is ideal for siRNA dispensing because it is accurate at low volumes and a step-down dilution is not necessary. The potential for liquid carryover and cross-contamination is eliminated, as no tips are needed. Herein, we describe the siRNA screening platform at Southern Research's HTS Center using the ADE technology. With this technology, an siRNA library can be dispensed weeks or even months in advance of the assay itself. The protocol has been optimized to achieve assay parameters comparable to small-molecule screening parameters, and exceeding the norm reported for genomewide siRNA screens.
Characterization of the CH4/H2/Ar High Density Plasma Etch Process for HgCdTe

High density plasma etching of Hg1−xCdxTe in CH4/H2/Ar chemistry is examined using mass spectroscopy with careful surface temperature monitoring. The dominant etch products are monitored as a function of surface temperature (15–200°C), ion energy (20–200 eV), total pressure (0.5–5 mTorr), microwave power (200–400 W), and flow fraction of methane in the etch gas mixture (0–30%). In addition, observations are made regarding the regions of parameter space which are best suited to anisotropie, low damage etch processing. These observations are compared with previous results in the form of scanning electron micrographs of etched features for anisotropy evaluation and Hall effect measurements for residual damage. Insights to the overall etch mechanism are given.
Magnifying Smartphone Screen Using Google Glass for Low-Vision Users

Magnification is a key accessibility feature used by low-vision smartphone users. However, small screen size can lead to loss of context and make interaction with magnified displays challenging. We hypothesize that controlling the viewport with head motion can be natural and help in gaining access to magnified displays. We implement this idea using a Google Glass that displays the magnified smartphone screenshots received in real time via Bluetooth. Instead of navigating with touch gestures on the magnified smartphone display, the users can view different screen locations by rotating their head, and remotely interacting with the smartphone. It is equivalent to looking at a large virtual image through a head contingent viewing port, in this case, the Glass display with ~ 15 ° field of view. The system can transfer seven screenshots per second at 8 × magnification, sufficient for tasks where the display content does not change rapidly. A pilot evaluation of this approach was conducted with eight normally sighted and four visually impaired subjects performing assigned tasks using calculator and music player apps. Results showed that performance in the calculation task was faster with the Glass than with the phone's built-in screen zoom. We conclude that head contingent scanning control can be beneficial in navigating magnified small smartphone displays, at least for tasks involving familiar content layout.
Utilizing the One-Minute Preceptor for Patient Education

Providing thorough responses to patient questions is an important part of the provider–patient relationship and key to good communication. Failure to do so puts patients at risk of looking for alternative and possibly harmful answers. Mindfulness is a popular topic, but due to its vague definition and variable outcomes, it may be difficult for health care providers to know how to answer patient questions or to identify patient needs. Using the One-Minute Preceptor model as a template provides health care providers a thorough yet organized and time-efficient method while also giving patients answers to their questions.
A managed care perspective of individualized care.

OBJECTIVE To examine the concept of individualized care for people with major depressive disorder, understand the drugs currently available, and review the implications of switching drug therapy solely for cost reasons. SUMMARY The use of antidepressant drugs and their associated costs has been the subject of many pharmacoeconomic analyses. Each particular type of analysis has strengths and weaknesses, and their value can only be determined by stakeholders, all of whom have different perspectives. The development of new and better drugs to treat depression has had a significant impact on the nation.s rate of suicide. For managed care pharmacists, cost is often a concern, especially for patients who are treatment refractory. Studies have demonstrated that attempts to reduce prescription drug use in mental health settings increase other costs in a magnitude of $17 spent for every $1 saved. Adequate treatment, careful cross-tapering, and cultural concerns are addressed. CONCLUSION Pharmacists who practice in managed care must be cognizant of the implications of inadequate treatment of depression, the potential morbidity and mortality that may result from switching antidepressants based on cost alone, and the most appropriate ways to switch from one drug to another.
The Functional Differentiation of the Small Intestine: VII. The Duodenum of the Foetal Guinea-Pig, with a Note on the Growth of the Adrenals

The epithelium of the duodenal mucosa of vertebrates is strikingly uniform. In all but the cyclostomes and a few fishes, the epithelium is made up of tall columnar absorbing cells, with mucus-producing goblet cells interspersed. The columnar cells have a high cytoplasmic/nuclear ratio, with the cytoplasm arranged into an apical zone containing a prominent Golgi apparatus, and a basal zone. The apical surface is featured by a sheet of microvilli that are extremely rich in alkaline phosphatase. The attainment of these characteristics has been shown to take place in a brief critical period, just before hatching in the chick embryo (Moog, 1950) and just before birth in the mouse (Moog, 1951), although in the latter animal a second period of phosphatase accumulation precedes weaning. The guinea-pig has now been added to this comparative series, because the protracted gestation period (about 67 days) might permit some further insight into the problems of duodenal differentiation.
Quantitative Evaluation of Cardiac Volumes and Outputs: Technical Aspects

La scintigraphie cardiaque a l'equilibre permet non seulement de mesurer les fractions d'ejection et les mouvements parietaux mais aussi les volumes ventriculaires gauches et le debit cardiaque
Drop Test of Tactical Mobile Robot

The aim of the research presented in this article was to obtain boundary conditions necessary to run a computer simulation of the robot’s drop on the basis of the actual drop test. The Tactical Throwing Robot TRM developed by the Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP was used in testing. The moment of the robot’s contact with the ground was recorded by a high-speed camera. The video and adequate math calculations were the grounds for obtaining the boundary conditions and several additional values, which subsequently allowed to verify convergence of the results obtained for the real object and the simulation model. The verified simulation model was then used in the analysis consisting of the reduction of the robot’s tyre weight.
Corn oil exposure increases inflammatory cytokine production in human white preadipocytes but canola oil exposure does not

B62 Consumption of 18C alpha linolenic, 20C eicosapentaenoic or 22C docosahexaenoic omega 3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) has been shown to slow the growth of existing mammary tumors. It is likely that the reduction of cancer growth due to n-3 FAs uptake is not a consequence of one single significant mechanism since multiple mechanisms have been identified to suppress tumor growth. Preadipocytes or adipocytes make cytokines that promote the growth of tumor cells. For a better understanding the mechanisms of n-3 FAs suppression of tumorigeneses, this study was focused on the influence of canola oil (rich in n-3 FAs) versus corn oil (rich in n-6 FAs) on communication between preadipocytes/adipocytes and breast tumoral cell lines. The hypothesis was that canola oil and corn oil differentially affect the tumor microenvironment by modulating adipocyte secretion of inflammatory molecules. >Human white preadipocytes (HWP) were treated with serial doses of canola or corn oil (0, 25, 50, 100 μM) for 72 hours. The fat uptake was monitored by gas chromatography. It was a dose responsive increase in production of the proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-11, in HWP treated with corn oil. There was no increase in IL-6 or IL-11 in HWP treated with canola oil. The production of IL-6 or IL-11 in fully differentiated adipocytes did not increase in response to either oil. T47D breast cancer cells (estrogen receptor positive) and MDA-MB-231 (estrogen receptor negative) were pretreated with the same concentration range of oil as the preadipocytes/adipocytes. The conditioned media from HWP and adipocytes was then used to treat two breast cancer cell lines for 72 hours. Analyses of these results are in progress. Decreasing of preadipocytes production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-11) by canola oil could represent a beneficial tool in cancer prevention. We expect that the results will provide the basis for an increased knowledge of n-3 FAs inhibition of tumorigeneses by a dietary change that humans could easily make. This research can open new avenues for breast cancer prevention via a better understanding at the cellular and molecular level of how the food influences cell communication. We are what we eat!
Facebook Divide, Facebook Native and Facebook Immigrant

Facebook with the largest group of daily active user on social network was the largest subset of digital divide. Facebook native were user who joined Facebook as student, and Facebook immigrant were those who joined Facebook in later days after school. The two groups of people who were opt-in plus people who were opt-out Facebook construct the situation of Facebook divide. Own personal discretion, privacy, financial matter, technical skills, literacy, were reasons for people to opt-out. 40 out of the 56 counties with population over 20 millions had over 50% as Facebook users. The Facebook divide thrived the situation of social inequality in different aspects. The Facebook divide situation shall push us to contemplate on the possibility to reach these two groups of people in-Facebook and out-Facebook.
Ösophagogastrektomie: Linksseitiger thorakoabdominaler Zugang

Die Osophagogastrektomie durch linksseitig thorakoabdominales Vorgehen ist bei Malignomen im mittleren bis distalen Osophagus, im Kardiabereich und bei Magenfunduslokalisation indiziert.
Endorectal ultrasound in the preoperative staging of rectal tumors: A learning experience

The preoperative staging of rectal cancer has important implications for treatment as local therapies become increasingly utilized. Seventy-seven patients underwent preoperative staging using endorectal ultrasonography. All patients had complete pathologic staging and none had preoperative radiotherapy. Depth of invasion of the tumor was accurately predicted in 75 percent of cases in the entire group, with 22 percent overstaged and 3 percent understaged. Accuracy improved greatly over the study period, and in the past six months, 95 percent have been accurately staged for depth of invasion with 5 percent overstaged. Lymph nodes have been properly classified into positive and negative groups in 88 percent of cases in the past year, with a specificity of 90 percent and a sensitivity of 88 percent. Endorectal ultrasound is an accurate preoperative staging modality. Accuracy is improved greatly with increased experience and it has been found that the 5-layer anatomical model facilitates accurate staging. Introduction of the ultrasound probe through a previously placed proctoscope ensures complete scanning of the entire lesion and should be used for the majority of examinations.
Using excited states and degeneracies to enhance the electric polarizability and first hyperpolarizability

We investigate the efficacy of boosting the nonlinear-optical response by using novel systems such as those in an excited state or with a degenerate ground state. By applying the three-level ansatz and using the Thomas–Reiche–Kuhn sum rules as constraints, we find the electric polarizability and the first hyperpolarizability of excited-state systems to be bounded, but larger than those derived for a system in the ground state. It is shown that a system with a degenerate ground state can have divergent polarizabilities and that such divergences are real and not relics of a pathology in the perturbation theory. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these divergences occur only on time scales short compared with the relaxation time for the population difference to reach an equilibrium value. Such systems provide a way to obtain an ultra-large nonlinear-optical response. We discuss examples of huge enhancements in molecules and double quantum dots using a double quantum well as a model.
Public Relations and the Production of News: A Critical Review and Theoretical Framework

Because the source-reporter relationship forms the focal point of news gathering, it is a significant topic in the media sociology literature. Most of the source-reporter literature, however, focus...
Lasting Prolongation of NMDA Channel Openings after Kindling

Central synapses undergo specific lasting structural or functional alterations. This property, also referred to as plasticity, is an essential property of synaptic transmission. Proper central nervous system development, function, and, unfortunately, malfunction leading to specific brain disorders would be unthinkable without plastic alterations at the level of synapses. An essential consequence of plasticity at the synaptic level is the altered gain of synaptic transmission, resulting in an increase or a decrease in synaptic strength. An excessively increased excitatory synaptic drive may induce aberrant discharges in neurons easily convertible into epilepsy at the network level. Probing the basic mechanisms of epileptogenesis has furnished evidence consistent with highly conserved means of plastic neuronal alterations regardless of the experimental models or species involved. Several cellular and molecular neuronal changes appear to be common to human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and to various experimental chronic epilepsy models.43 The more conserved an alteration in neuronal function, across boundaries of species and experimental models, the more likely the resultant change in neuronal excitability should have a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of TLE.
Rating Scales for Bipolar Disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder may experience both manic and depressive symptoms which fluctuate over time, so appropriate monitoring includes assessment of both sets of symptoms. As these symptoms may persist even in the absence of a DSM-IV-defined mood episode, tools for monitoring must be sensitive to milder or subthreshold symptoms. In addition, as patients commonly experience concomitant axis I disorders, particularly anxiety disorders, symptom monitoring should address these symptoms as well.
Acid deposition control

The assets and liabilities of using benefit-cost analyses to guide policy choice in the acid rain controversy are discussed. Because of the dominant dynamic and stochastic features of acid deposition control, it is recommended that the conventional benefit-cost analysis be used with caution. It should be used primarily to illustrate the natural system consequences of market responses and people's adaptations to variations in acid deposition levels. 18 references, 2 tables.
Unplanned postoperative reintubation following general and vascular surgical procedures: Outcomes and risk factors.

Abstract Background Unplanned postoperative reintubation (UPR) is a marker for severe adverse outcomes following general and vascular surgery. Study design A retrospective analysis of 8809 adult patients, aged 18 years and older, who underwent major general and vascular surgery at a large single-center urban hospital was conducted from January 2013 to September 2016. Patients were grouped into those who experienced UPR and those who did not. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify predictors of UPR, and association of UPR with adverse postoperative outcomes. All regression models had Hosmer-Lemeshow P > 0.05, and C-statistic >0.75, indicating excellent goodness-of-fit and discrimination. Results Of the 8809 patients included, 138 (1.6%) experienced UPR. There was no statistical difference in incidence of UPR between general and vascular surgery patients (p = 0.53). Independent predictors of UPR advanced age (OR 5.1, 95%CI 3.5–7.5, p Conclusion UPR is significantly associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Perioperative management aimed at decreasing incidences of UPR after noncardiac surgery should target preoperative anemia in addition to previously identified predictors.
Aspirin and Non-Aspirin NSAID Use and Prostate Cancer Incidence, Mortality, and Case Fatality in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background: NSAIDs appear to moderately reduce prostate cancer risk. However, evidence is limited on whether NSAIDs protect against prostate cancer mortality (death from prostate cancer among men without a cancer history) and case fatality (death from prostate cancer among men with prostate cancer), and whether benefits are consistent in white and black men. This study investigated associations of aspirin and non-aspirin (NA) NSAID use with prostate cancer incidence, mortality, and case fatality in a population-based cohort of white and black men. Methods: We included 6,594 men (5,060 white and 1,534 black) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study without a cancer history at enrollment from 1987 to 1989. NSAID use was assessed at four study visits (1987–1998). Cancer outcomes were ascertained through 2012. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted HRs, overall and by race. Results: Aspirin use was not associated with prostate cancer incidence. However, aspirin use was inversely associated with prostate cancer mortality [HR, 0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.36–0.96]. This association was consistent among white and black men and appeared restricted to men using aspirin daily and/or for cardiovascular disease prevention. Aspirin use was inversely associated with case fatality (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22–0.94). NA-NSAID use was not associated with these endpoints. Conclusions: Aspirin use was inversely associated with prostate cancer mortality and case fatality among white and black men. Impact: If confirmed by additional studies, benefits of aspirin for preventing prostate cancer mortality may need to be factored into risk–benefit calculations of men considering an aspirin regimen.
Heat resistance and growth of Listeria monocytogenes in liquid whole egg.

Listeria monocytogenes F5069, ATCC 19111, Scott A, and two L. monocytogenes strains isolated from egg were evaluated for growth and thermal resistance in liquid whole egg. Each strain grew in liquid whole egg at temperatures between 4 and 30°C, except Scott A which did not grow at 4 or 10°C. Generation times ranged from 24 h for F5069 to 51 h for ATCC 19111 at 4°C and from 7.8 h for one of the egg isolates to 31 h for ATCC 19111 at 10°C. Maximum populations for each strain increased with increasing growth temperature and were between 105 and 3 × 108 CFU/g. Decimal reduction times (D-values) of each L. monocytogenes strain in raw liquid whole egg were similar to D-values reported in milk. The heat resistance of all strains was similar. For L. monocytogenes F5069, D-values ranged from 22.6 min at 51°C to 0.20 min at 66°C. The zD-value for F5069 was 7.2°C. Minimal pasteurization parameters (60°C, 3.5 min) for liquid whole egg would result in 99 to 99.9% inactivation (populations reduced 2 to 3 log cycles) of the L. monocytogenes strains tested.
Prenatally diagnosed developmental abnormalities of the central nervous system and genetic syndromes: A practical review

Developmental brain abnormalities are complex and can be difficult to diagnose by prenatal imaging because of the ongoing growth and development of the brain throughout pregnancy and the limitations of ultrasound, often requiring fetal magnetic resonance imaging as an additional tool. As for all major structural congenital anomalies, amniocentesis with chromosomal microarray and a karyotype is the first-line recommended test for the genetic work-up of prenatally diagnosed central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities. Many CNS defects, especially neuronal migration defects affecting the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, are caused by single-gene mutations in a large number of different genes. Early data suggest that prenatal diagnostic exome sequencing for fetal CNS defects will have a high diagnostic yield, but interpretation of sequencing results can be complex. Yet a genetic diagnosis is important for prognosis prediction and recurrence risk counseling. The evaluation and management of such patients is best done in a multidisciplinary team approach. Here, we review general principles of the genetic work-up for fetuses with CNS defects and review categories of genetic causes of prenatally diagnosed CNS phenotypes.
Multiplex PCR for genotyping Flavobacterium columnare.

Recent research has identified four distinct genetic groups among isolates of Flavobacterium columnare through multilocus phylogenetic analyses; however, there are no quick methods to determine the genotype of an isolate. The objective of this research was to develop a multiplex PCR to rapidly genotype F. columnare to genetic group. Comparative bacterial genomics was used to identify regions in the genomes unique to each genetic group, and primers were designed to specifically amplify different sized amplicons for each genetic group. The optimized assay was demonstrated to be specific for each genetic group and F. columnare, and no specific amplicons were generated using gDNA from a panel of other Flavobacterium spp. and bacterial fish pathogens. The analytical sensitivity of the assay ranged from 209 to 883 genome equivalents depending on the genetic group. The multiplex PCR was evaluated by genotyping a panel of 22 unknown F. columnare isolates and performing DNA sequencing of the dnaK gene in parallel. The results demonstrated 100% accordance between multiplex PCR results and assignment to genetic group via phylogenetic analysis. The multiplex PCR provides a useful tool for assigning an unknown isolate to genetic group and may be used to determine which genetic groups of F. columnare are circulating and most predominant in different aquaculture industries.
Gender and Sexual Minority Faculty Negotiating “A Way of Life”: Friendships and Support Within the Academy

Workplace friendships, and the various networks that develop out of those relationships, are a key factor in the career and identity development for gender and sexual minority (GSM) faculty and in essence help us to create and navigate a way of life in the academy. Previous research has underscored the important role of friendships in the lives of gay men and lesbians as a source of support, intimacy, and acceptance for developing and sustaining meaningful identities and selves often at odds with cultural norms that privilege heterosexuality (Nardi in Gay men’s friendships: Invincible communities. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1999; Weeks et al. in Same-sex intimacies: Families of choice and other life experiments. Routledge, London, 2001; Weinstock in Lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities in families. Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 122–154, 1998). While a few studies have examined how gay men and lesbians can struggle to negotiate identities within an organization (Lee et al. in Public Administration 86(1):149–167, 2008; Ozga and Walker in Transforming managers: Gendering change in the public sector. UCL Press, London, pp. 107–119, 1999), little has been done to explore the role that friendships and relationships, either at a network or dyadic level, enable the career and identity development of gender and sexual minority university faculty. Indeed, an exploration of this issue in contemporary organizational life is relevant given that heteronormativity is manifest in many organizational settings as the source of everyday oppression experienced by gender and sexual minorities in the workplace (Lewis in Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal 4(3):208–230, 2009; Skidmore in Gender, Work & Organization 11(3):229–253, 2004; Ward and Winstanley in Human Relations 56(10):1255–1280, 2003). Based on narrative interviews with 70 GSM faculty across the USA, this chapter explores workplace relationships and friendships of GSM faculty within university contexts as a way to add to our understanding about how, indeed, can we as GSM faculty create and sustain the multiplicity of relationships that ultimately support us and allow us to create a particular way of life for ourselves.
Formoterol, a β2-adrenoreceptor agonist, induces mitochondrial biogenesis and promotes cognitive recovery after traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to acute necrosis at the site of injury followed by a sequence of secondary events lasting from hours to weeks and often years. Targeting mitochondrial impairment following TBI has shown improvements in brain mitochondrial bioenergetics and neuronal function. Recently formoterol, a highly selective β2-adrenoreceptor agonist, was found to induce mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) via Gβγ-Akt-eNOS-sGC pathway. Activation of MB is a novel approach that has been shown to restore mitochondrial function in several disease and injury models. We hypothesized that activation of MB as a target of formoterol after TBI would mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction, enhance neuronal function and improve behavioral outcomes. TBI-injured C57BL/6 male mice were injected (i.p.) with vehicle (normal saline) or formoterol (0.3 mg/kg) at 15 min, 8 h, 16 h, 24 h and then daily after controlled cortical impact (CCI) until euthanasia. After CCI, mitochondrial copy number and bioenergetic function were decreased in the ipsilateral cortex of the CCI-vehicle group. Compared to CCI-vehicle, cortical and hippocampal mitochondrial respiration rates as well as cortical mitochondrial DNA copy number were increased in the CCI-formoterol group. Mitochondrial Ca2+ buffering capacity in the hippocampus was higher in the CCI-formoterol group compared to CCI-vehicle group. Both assessments of cognitive performance, novel object recognition (NOR) and Morris water maze (MWM), decreased following CCI and were restored in the CCI-formoterol group. Although no changes were seen in the amount of cortical tissue spared between CCI-formoterol and CCI-vehicle groups, elevated levels of hippocampal neurons and improved white matter sparing in the corpus callosum were observed in CCI-formoterol group. Collectively, these results indicate that formoterol-mediated MB activation may be a potential therapeutic target to restore mitochondrial bioenergetics and promote functional recovery after TBI.
Verification and validation tests of gamma library of MC2-3 for coupled neutron and gamma heating calculation

Abstract For the accurate assessment of the heat generation rate in fast reactors, the gamma library of MC2-3 and the MC2-3 + GAMSOR procedure employing the coupled neutron and gamma heating calculation has been thoroughly verified against Monte Carlo results and validated using the ZPPR-15D gamma dose measurement data. NJOY outputs are post-processed in a consistent way with the NJOY procedure to avoid any missing data or double counting of data. Prompt heating for 379 out of 391 isotopes in the gamma library was verified against MCNP6.2 to within 1% relative error in total heating for most isotopes. For both a simple one-dimensional slab problem representing a sodium cooled fast reactor and the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) benchmark problem, the root-mean-square values of assembly power error were less than 0.5% for fuel assemblies, ~1% in blankets and ~1 to ~3% in reflectors compared to MCNP6.2 results. The most plausible cause for the 3% error in a reflector assembly is believed to be the error in the multigroup neutron cross sections for the reflector assembly. For validation, gamma doses measured with thermoluminiscent dosimeters (TLDs) in the ZPPR-15D experiment were calculated using GAMSOR. Due to the uncertainty in the TLD measurement with regards to the energy deposition of photons and neutrons, the validation data leads to a 12.7% uncertainty on the experimental measurement. With this uncertainty bound, the calculated doses all fell within one standard deviation of the measured value. Combined with the accurate calculation of reaction rate distributions and neutron spectrum measurements, these results indicate good agreement for the neutron and gamma heating calculations that were performed.
Stress, Anxiety, and Change in Alcohol Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings Among Adult Twin Pairs

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted the lives of people worldwide since being declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Social restrictions aimed at flattening the curve may be associated with an increase in stress and anxiety, which may increase the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism. The objective of this study was to examine if stress and anxiety were associated with changes in alcohol use in a sample of adult twins. Twins allowed us to control for genetic and shared environmental factors that would confound the alcohol - mental health relationship. Twins (N = 3,971; 909 same-sex pairs) from the Washington State Twin Registry (WSTR) completed an online survey examining several health-related behaviors and outcomes and their self-reported changes due to COVID-19. About 14% of the respondents reported an increase in alcohol use. We found an association between both stress and anxiety and increased alcohol use, where twins with higher levels of stress and anxiety were more likely to report an increase in alcohol consumption. The associations were small and confounded by between-family factors and demographic characteristics. However, there was no significant difference in stress or anxiety levels between non-drinkers and those who reported no change in alcohol use. Our findings suggest that individuals' mental health may be associated with changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Detection of 30 Fentanyl Analogs by Commercial Immunoassay Kits

Health-care workers, laboratorians and overdose prevention centers rely on commercial immunoassays to detect the presence of fentanyl; however, the cross-reactivity of fentanyl analogs with these kits is largely unknown. To address this, we conducted a pilot study evaluating the detection of 30 fentanyl analogs and metabolites by 19 commercially available kits (9 lateral flow assays, 7 heterogeneous immunoassays and 3 homogenous immunoassays). The analogs selected for analysis were compiled from the Drug Enforcement Administration and National Forensic Laboratory Information System reports from 2015 to 2018. In general, the immunoassays tested were able to detect their intended fentanyl analog and some closely related analogs, but more structurally diverse analogs, including 4-methoxy-butyryl fentanyl and 3-methylfentanyl, were not well detected. Carfentanil was only detected by kits specifically designed for its recognition. In general, analogs with group additions to the piperidine, or bulky rings or long alkyl chain modifications in the N-aryl or alkyl amide regions, were poorly detected compared to other types of modifications. This preliminary information is useful for screening diagnostic, forensic and unknown powder samples for the presence of fentanyl analogs and guiding future testing improvements.
Climate Change Vulnerability and Currency Returns

Using measures of physical risk from climate change, we develop a methodology to allocate currency pairs according to a country’s vulnerability to climate change and construct portfolios with decreasing vulnerability to physical risk. We show that non-G10 currencies are more vulnerable to physical risk, have become less vulnerable over time, and that the vulnerability measure is correlated with higher losses from natural disasters. Portfolios exposed to currencies with decreasing vulnerability have exhibited positive abnormal returns, with the abnormal return coming from currencies that have relatively high levels of vulnerability. These results exist in non-G10 currencies, while no relation to returns exist within G10 currencies.
Between Worlds in Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors

This article turns to Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors (1594) in order to revise critical accounts of globalization and to propose a contrasting notion of “world” as a function of affective experienc...
“Creating a New Roma Identity”: TV Production as an Alternative Site for Identification and Identity Negotiation

Romani people are often portrayed through long-enduring cultural stereotypes in media, perpetuating myths of criminality, nomadism, and deviance. Such representations have received extensive analysis; however, additional work is needed on the responses by communities to these portrayals, including developing more diverse representations for Roma. Using a political economic analysis that considers the structures and practices contributing to the exclusion of Romani voice within media in the Czech Republic, this article examines the production of media by Roma, for Roma, as a critical intervention into an exclusive media environment through interviews with key community organizers and observations of various gatherings. This article emphasizes the tensions and opportunities of minority media production, paying close attention to how organizers identify media as a critical site to articulate belonging, which works in tandem alongside other activist efforts. At the same time, this article addresses the challenges of the media production including resistance by mainstream media, financial barriers, and the possible reification of marginality by a production that exists outside of the mainstream purview.
Correct-by-Construction Network Programming for Stateful Data-Planes

As switch hardware becomes faster, more stateful, and more programmable, functionality that was once confined to end hosts or the control plane is being pushed into the data plane. For example, recent work on adaptive congestion control and heavy hitter detection uses stateful switches to implement sophisticated functionality with only minor controller involvement. In applications where correctness depends on individual switches making coherent decisions, it is important that the switches have a consistent view of global state. However, such a consistency requirement makes it difficult to maintain efficiency (high throughput), due to the CAP theorem. Moreover, previous work on data-plane programming provides little to no built-in support for addressing this difficulty. We propose Callback State Machines(CSMs), a new high-level declarative network programming abstraction which allows operators to write correct data-plane programs against global state. CSMs offer programmers useful consistency guarantees without the need to manage how global state is replicated/updated at the individual switch level. To aid in the implementation of this high-level programming framework, we present a flexible new intermediate representation (IR) called TAPIR that natively supports stateful data plane functionality, as well as a compiler to generate device-specific code such as P4 from TAPIR code. Additionally, we demonstrate the power of TAPIR itself by using it to build a working implementation of the CONGA congestion control system.
Use of lectins in analysis of glycoconjugates.

Publisher Summary Different lectins are commercially available and used to identify and separate cells, to assay for the activities of glycosyltransferases, to isolate glycoproteins and glycolipids, and to separate and purify oligosaccharides and glycopeptides by affinity chromatography. The technique of serial lectin affinity chromatography allows for the fractionation of oligosaccharides based on their differential affinity for a series of immobilized lectins. The combined use of many lectins is shown to be a powerful method for fractionating and purifying a number of complex oligosaccharides from cell-derived mixtures. The technique of serial lectin affinity chromatography for the purification of oligosaccharides has many advantages. The binding of an oligosaccharide to a particular lectin provide information of the structure of the oligosaccharide. The differential affinity of different oligosaccharides for different lectins can facilitate their rapid separation from each other. When used in conjunction with other techniques, such as gel filtration, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and paper chromatography, serial lectin affinity chromatography can provide purified oligosaccharides for structural analysis.
NATURE AND ROLE OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINANTS IN MASS CULTURES OF THERMOPHILIC CHLORELLA PYRENOIDOSA.

A study was made of bacterial contaminants isolated from an algal mass-culture unit. The study was performed specifically to determine the dependence of the size of bacterial population on algal density and the nature of any association of the contaminants with the algal cell. Growth of the bacterial contaminants on standard medium was also investigated. An estimate was made of the O2 uptake of the bacterial population under normal operating conditions of the algal massculture system. Viable numbers of bacteria tended to increase with increased algal density. Bacteria were found imbedded in the surface of algal cells when the cultures of algae were characterized by subnormal rates of growth and photosynthetic gas exchange. Bacterial isolates failed to grow in standard medium alone, thus implying a dependency of bacterial growth on material(s) produced by the algae. A slight inhibitory effect on algal growth was noted in the case of two of three of the bacterial isolates. Manometric studies demonstrated that the bacterial population normally found in the algal cultures did not appreciably effect total gas exchange.
Statistical and Legal Aspects of the Forensic Study of Illicit Drugs

Prosecuting those arrested for the unlawful possession, distribution or importation of illicit drugs, such as powder cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and LSD, is usually both time-consuming and expensive, primarily because of the need to determine "beyond a reasonable doubt" the total amount of drugs seized in each case. Accuracy is important since penalties (imprisonment or fines) depend upon the quantity seized. Substantial backlogs in processing drug cases often develop as a result. In some jurisdictions, complete testing and analysis of all substances seized froma defendant are custom ary in support of a case, while in other jurisdictions randomsam pling of drugs and the subsequent pre- sentation of an estimate of the total amount seized have been used for many years. Due to pressure from crime laboratories and prosecutors, who point to major increases in their caseloads as well as a trend toward decreasing funding and staffing for the crime laboratories, jurisdictions which currently carry out a complete census of all seized evidence are now seriously considering a change in their methodology with a view to instituting new guidelines for the scientific sampling of evidence. In this article, we discuss the statistical and legal issues that have arisen in cases involving illicit drugs.
Automatic Generation of String Signatures for Malware Detection

Scanning files for signatures is a proven technology, but exponential growth in unique malware programs has caused an explosion in signature database sizes. One solution to this problem is to use string signatures , each of which is a contiguous byte sequence that potentially can match many variants of a malware family. However, it is not clear how to automatically generate these string signatures with a sufficiently low false positive rate. Hancock is the first string signature generation system that takes on this challenge on a large scale. To minimize the false positive rate, Hancock features a scalable model that estimates the occurrence probability of arbitrary byte sequences in goodware programs, a set of library code identification techniques, and diversity-based heuristics that ensure the contexts in which a signature is embedded in containing malware files are similar to one another. With these techniques combined, Hancock is able to automatically generate string signatures with a false positive rate below 0.1%.
Structure, Dynamics and Statistical Properties of Galaxies

The following empirical or physical parameters describing individual and statistical proper­ties of galaxies are reviewed: morphological type including new or revised types; intrinsic luminosity distribution functions of two main components (spheroid and disk); true ellipticities of different types; characteristic scale parameters (effective diameter and luminosity density) of spheroidal and flat systems; masses and densities of spheroidal, disk and mixed systems from velocity dispersion and rotation velocities; rotation periods, maximum rotation velocities, angular velocities and momenta of different types; neutral hydrogen masses and densities; spectral energy distributions and colour in­dices; number of independent parameters from principal component (factor) analysis; luminosity functions and selection effects; clustering and space distribution; maximum density-radius and velocity dispersion-radius relations in systems of galaxies.
Amino-aciduria and Mental Retardation

The different biochemical disturbances leading to or associated with mental retardation are reviewed. Clinical symptomatology, pathogenesis, and possible treatment of some forms of mental retardation and amino-aciduria are discussed.
The products from the oxidation of H2S in seawater

The oxidation of sulfide in seawater is an overall second-order reaction, first-order with respect to both sulfide and oxygen. The major products formed from the oxidation of H[sub 2]S with O[sub 2] have been measured in water and seawater as a function of pH (4-10), temperature (10-45[degrees]C), and salinity (O-36). The major products formed from the oxidation of H[sub 2]S were SO[sup 2[minus]][sub 3], S[sub 2]O[sup 2[minus]][sub 3], and SO[sup 2[minus]][sub 4]. The pH dependence of the product distribution has been attributed to the effect of pH on the rate of the individual reaction steps. A kinetic model was developed to account for the distribution of the reactants and products. The model is based on the following overall reactions: H[sub 2]S + O[sub 2] [sup k1][r arrow] Products SO[sub 3], H[sub 2]SO[sub 3] + O[sub 2] [sup k2][r arrow] Products (SO[sub 4]), and H[sub 2]S + H[sub 2]SO[sub 3] + O[sub 2] [sup k3][r arrow] Products (S[sub 2]O[sub 3]). Rate constants were determined for the oxidation of HS[sup [minus]] and formation of SO[sup 2[minus]][sub 3] (k[sub 1]), for the oxidation of SO[sup 2[minus]][sub 3] and production of SO[sup 2[minus]][sub 4] (k[sub 2]) and for the formation of S[sub 2]O[sup 2[minus]][submore » 3] from HS[sup [minus]] and SO[sup 2[minus]][sub 3] (k[sub 3]). These values of k[sub 1], k[sub 2], and k[sub 3] as a function of pH, temperature, and salinity can predict the concentrations of the measured reactants and products within experimental error. The effect of metals (Fe[sup 3+], Fe[sup 2+], Mn[sup 2+], Cu[sup 2+], and Pb[sup 2+]) and oxides ([alpha]-FeOOH and MnO[sub 2]) on the product distribution has also been examined. The field measurements from the Framvaren Fjord (Norway) and Cariaco Trench (Venezuela) are in reasonable agreement with the laboratory results at the same concentration of Fe[sup 2+].« less
Graded conductivity electrodes as a means to improve plasma uniformity in dual frequency capacitively coupled plasma sources

Dual frequency, capacitively coupled plasma (DF-CCP) tools are now being used for etching of 30 cm diameter wafers during microelectronics fabrication. These tools typically use a high frequency (HF, tens to hundreds of megahertz) to sustain the plasma and a low frequency (LF, a few to 10 MHz) for ion acceleration into the wafer. With an increase in both the HF and the wafer size, electromagnetic (EM) wave effects can significantly affect power deposition and the distribution of the plasma due to constructive interference at the centre of the wafer. Here we report on a computational demonstration of using graded conductivity electrodes (GCEs) to improve the plasma uniformity in a DF-CCP reactor. GCEs consist of a metal electrode covered by a dielectric which is in direct contact with the plasma. The conductivity of the dielectric decreases from edge to centre. So as the HF wave propagates inwards from the edge of the electrode, the penetration of the HF field into the dielectric increases. This increasing penetration counteracts the increase in the electric field resulting from the constructive interference of the EM wave at the centre of the reactor, and hence improves the uniformity of the resulting plasma.
A Method for Constructing Quasimultiple Affine Planes of Arbitrary Order

A quasimultiple affine plane of order n and multiplicity ? is a (v, k, ?) = (n2, n, ?) balanced incomplete block design. For those cases where the Bruck-Ryser theorem rules out ? = 1 it is an interesting problem to determine the smallest actual value of ?. Jungnickel DiscreteMath. 85 (1990), 177?189] has conjectured that ? = 2 is possible for all orders. In this note we present a construction based on a result of Stahly which reduces a number of the bounds on ? given by Jungnickel. In particular, we construct quasidouble affine planes of orders 6 and 28 verifying the conjecture in these two cases.
Surface and aerosol models for use in radiative transfer codes

Absolute reflectance-based radiometric calibrations of Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) are improved with the inclusion of a method to invert optical-depth measurements to obtain aerosol-particle size distributions, and a non-Lambertian surface reflectance model. The inverted size distributions can predict radiances varying from the previously assumed jungian distributions by as much as 5 percent, though the reduction in the estimated error is less than one percent. Comparison with measured diffuse-to-global ratios show that neither distribution consistently predicts the ratio accurately, and this is shown to be a large contributor to calibration uncertainties. An empirical model for the surface reflectance of White Sands, using a two-degree polynomial fit as a function of scattering angle, was employed. The model reduced estimated errors in radiance predictions by up to one percent. Satellite calibrations dating from October, 1984 were reprocessed using the improved methods and linear estimations of satellite counts per unit radiance versus time since launch were determined which showed a decrease over time for the first four bands.