cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS): Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for SERS and sensing applications

There have been significant advancements in the field of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Despite being an ultra-sensitive analytical technique, challenges, such as how to get a proper match between the SERS substrate and light for better signal enhancement to obtain a stable, sensitive SERS substrate, prevent its widespread applications. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, a numerical tool for modeling computational electrodynamics, has recently been used to investigate SERS for understanding the underlying physics, and optimally design and fabricate SERS substrates for molecular analysis. In this review, we summarize the trend of using FDTD method in SERS studies by providing an introduction of fundamental principles, the studies of optical responses, electromagnetic (EM) field distribution, enhancement factor (EF) of SERS, the application in design and fabrication of SERS substrates, and SERS for biosensing and environmental analysis. Finally, the critical issues of using inherently approximate FDTD method and future improvement for solving EM problems and SERS applications are discussed.
Effects of prenatal dexamethasone on spatial learning and response to stress is influenced by maternal factors.

The present study investigated the effect of prenatal dexamethasone (Dex) exposure on early perinatal events, hippocampal function, and response to stress. Pregnant rats received Dex in the evening water (2.5 μg/ml) or tap water (Veh) from gestational day 15 until delivery. On the day of parturition, pups were randomized, cross-fostered, and reduced to eight or nine per dam. Four groups resulted: Veh-Veh (offspring exposed to Veh in utero, rearing mother treated with Veh during gestation), Veh-Dex, Dex-Veh, and Dex-Dex. Spatial visual memory was evaluated with the Morris water maze. The corticosterone response to restraint stress was examined, and the expression of hippocampal glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization. Exposure to Dex caused restlessness in mothers, low birth weights, and poor weight gain in the offspring. The Dex-Dex males had impaired spatial learning, inability to rapidly terminate the adrenocortical response to stress, and decreased hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA expression. In contrast, Dex-exposed animals reared by Veh-treated mothers had adequate spatial learning, enhanced glucocorticoid feedback, and increased hippocampal GR mRNA. We conclude that the environment provided by a healthy mother during the postnatal period can prevent the detrimental effects of prenatal Dex administration on cognition, GR mRNA expression of the hippocampus, and the quality of the stress response.
Editorial: Medieval Literature in Translation: A Polemical Assessment

(1986). Editorial: Medieval Literature in Translation: A Polemical Assessment. Translation Review: Vol. 19, Medieval Literature, pp. 1-2.
Mechanical response of high density polyethylene to gamma radiation from a Cobalt-60 irradiator

Abstract The response of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) to gamma irradiation is important for a variety of applications, from the durability of hip replacements after gamma sterilization to the degradation of power cable insulation that guides the licensing and regulation of nuclear power plants. HDPE samples are irradiated with up to 58.8 kGy from a Cobalt-60 gamma irradiator, and mechanical properties are examined using models assuming exponential behavior. Increasing the radiation dose led to increases to the ultimate strength and the Rockwell hardness with a corresponding reduction in the maximum elongation at ultimate strength, supporting the hypothesis that the samples increased their strength and brittleness.
Short-Term Optimal Scheduling of Songjianghe Cascade Hydropower Stations Based on Mathematical Modeling

Improved Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) is applied to solving the short-term optimal scheduling of Songjianghe cascade hydropower stations.Two mathematic models characterized respectively by maximum power generation and maximum generation profit are established.Shrinkage factor and hereditary mutation operator are adopted to overcome the shortcomings of standard PSO like precocity and slow convergence in late stage.These mathematical models are employed in the optimal scheduling analysis for Songjianghe cascade power stations,and the results show that the quality and benefit of the stations could be improved by short-term optimal scheduling.Both the calculation time and accuracy by applying the improved PSO are satisfactory.
Rituals: The Unlikely Journey

I will now turn to a discussion of rituals in society and how individuals undertake a journey in order to find themselves. I examine several films that fall within this category. Alain Corneau’s Nocturne Indien (1989) takes the spectator on a trip to India, casting a Western traveler in search of his lost friend, and losing himself in the process, only to find himself. Antonio Tabucchi’s postmodern novel on which the script is based sheds a light on my interpretation of Corneau’s film. Khaled Ghorbal’s Un si beau voyage (2008) is featured in the second part of the chapter ‘The Sacred’, when an exiled worker journeys back to his home country of Tunisia and sheds all his material belongings. The next segment covers Emmanuel Finkiel’s Voyage/Tracks (1999) as it maps out three different itineraries of discovery and travel in Europe, with France, Poland, and Israel, integrating the full weight of Jewish history and identity.
Nonenforcement by Accretion: The Logan Act and the Take Care Clause

The Logan Act is a centuries-old law designed to bolster executive power. Yet Presidents have uniformly declined to don the statute’s vintage armor. Countless enforcement opportunities have yielded precisely zero prosecutions; the Act has ceased to function as law in any meaningful sense. A recent resurgence in Take Care Clause scholarship has overlooked this unparalleled passivity, likely because the Logan Act’s slow, awkward demise has been bereft of programmatic pronouncements. The Act’s present hollowness has instead resulted from hundreds of unconnected (and only coincidentally aligned) nonprosecution decisions. This Article contends that the gradual — even accidental — nullification of an entire statute presents a far greater threat to the idea of legislative policymaking supremacy than does the advance signaling of cabined enforcement priorities. I call the former species of inaction "nonenforcement by accretion." The Article explores this concept by chronicling Presidents’ refusal to remedy even archetypal Logan Act violations in the face of deafening enforcement demands. It identifies several mutually reinforcing nonenforcement imperatives that vastly overdetermine the statute’s spectacular torpor. The Article also shows that incremental nonenforcement cannot be easily analyzed under conventional Take Care Clause tests; when each administration remains inert for its own reasons, it is not obvious whether a law has been gutted because of policy disagreements, constitutional objections, or otherwise. The piece concludes by arguing that executive efforts to channel modern majorities — as by neglecting to enforce outmoded laws — can in fact thwart long-term democratic responsiveness.
Conceptualizing and investigating the contextual variability of stuttering: The speech and monitoring interaction (SAMI) framework

Researchers, clinicians, and people who stutter find it difficult to adequately explain the variability across contexts in the frequency and severity of stuttering. The purpose of this paper is to present the speech and monitoring interaction framework of stuttering that incorporates potential deficits within the speech production system and a contextually modulated monitoring system to provide a biologically plausible explanation for the contextual variability of stuttering. SAMI incorporates trait and state factors within the speech production system and the monitoring system that can account for stuttering variability. The specificity of the neural substrates of the monitoring system and how the monitor interacts with the speech production system can be used to drive hypotheses based research and computational modeling of the contextual variable stuttering. The framework can also be used clinically to inform clients of the social and emotional factors contributing to their stuttering; while highlightin...
Screening of the gene encoding the α'-subunit of cone cGMP-PDE in patients with retinal degenerations

PURPOSE: To screen the exons of the gene encoding the alpha'-subunit of cone cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP>phosphodiesterase (PDE6C) for mutations in a group of 456 unrelated patients with various forms of inherited retinal disease, including cone dystrophy, cone-rod dystrophy, macular dystrophy, and simplex/multiplex and autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. METHODS: The 22 exons of the PDE6C gene were screened for mutations either by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and single-strand conformation polymorphism electrophoresis (SSCP) or by SSCP alone; variants were sequenced directly. RESULTS: Although many sequence variants were found, none could be associated with disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that PDE6C was not the site of the amutations responsible for the types of inherited retinal degenerations analyzed in the large population of patients 'in the present study. The types of degeneration included those that predominantly affect cone-mediated function (cone and cone-rod dystrophies) or rod-mediated function (retinitis pigmentosa) or that have a predilection for disease in the macula (macular dystrophies).
Cancer History Portends Worse Acute and Long-term Noncardiac (but Not Cardiac) Mortality After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Abstract Objective To define the effect of a history of cancer on in-hospital and long-term mortality after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Patients and Methods In this retrospective cohort study of 2346 patients with STEMI enrolled in the Mayo Clinic PCI registry from November 1, 2000, through October 31, 2010, we identified 261 patients (11.1%) with a history of cancer. The in-hospital and long-term outcomes (median follow-up, 6.2 years; interquartile range=4.3-8.5 years), including cardiac and noncardiac death and heart failure hospitalization, of these patients were compared with those of 1313 cancer-negative patients matched on age, sex, family history of coronary artery disease, and date of STEMI. Results Patients with cancer had higher in-hospital noncardiac (1.9% vs 0.4%; P =.03) but similar cardiac (5.8% vs 4.6%; P =.37) mortality as matched controls. The group at highest acute mortality risk were those diagnosed as having cancer within 6 months before STEMI (hazard ratio [HR]=7.0; 95% CI, 1.4-34.4; P =.02). At 5 years, patients with cancer had similar cardiac mortality (4.2% vs 5.8%; HR=1.27; 95% CI, 0.77-2.10; P =.35) despite more heart failure hospitalizations (15% vs 10%; HR=1.72; 95% CI, 1.18-2.50; P =.01) but faced higher noncardiac mortality (30.0% vs 11.0%; HR=3.01; 95% CI, 2.33-3.88; P Conclusion One in 10 patients in this contemporary registry of patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI has a history of cancer. These patients have more than a 3 times higher acute in-hospital and long-term noncardiac mortality risk but no increased acute or long-term cardiac mortality risk with guideline-recommended cardiac care.
Prevalence of sucretolerant bacteria in common soils and their isolation and characterization

Sucretolerant microbes grow in the presence of sugar concentrations high enough to substantially lower water activities. Natural habitats high in sugars are mainly limited to dried fruit, floral nectar, honey, sugarcane, and associated soils. Organisms that tolerate extremes of solute concentration, high enough to lower water activities, might not be expected in common oligoosmotic soils. We report on the isolation of sucretolerant bacteria from common soils using media supplemented with 50% sucrose (a w 0.91) and their physiological characterization and identification by 16S rRNA gene phylogeny. Fifteen of these sucretolerant isolates from common soils were related to four Bacillus spp. A Lysinibacillus and a Microbacterium (actinomycete) also were collected. All grew at 50% sucrose and 13 grew at 60% sucrose. Most probable number counts were used to determine the abundance of sucretolerant microbes in several common soil types, including agricultural, managed turf, and native prairie. Microbial abundance (with fungicides) was about 105 and 103 cells g−1 soil in media containing 50 or 70% sucrose, respectively. The abundances of sucretolerant bacteria in common soils mirror those of halotolerant bacteria that grow at 10 and 20% NaCl. However, there is not a correlation between halotolerance and sucretolerance in our isolates, nor can predictions be made based on taxonomy. Specific solute effects may be at work, rather than biological responses to a single physicochemical parameter such as a w. The occurrence of spore-forming sucretolerant bacteria in common soils has relevance to forward planetary protection and astrobiology. Extraterrestrial habitable regions are defined in part by tolerance to high solute concentrations and osmotolerant soil microbes may contaminate spacecraft.
New Product Development Process Implementation in a Business-To-Business Firm: The Driving and Moderating Factors for Improved Program Performance and Time-To-Market

Purpose: The study aims to examine the critical factors affecting the implementation of a formalized new product development (NPD) process in a business-to-business (B-to-B) company with product-dr...
Don’t Fight Like a Girl: Veteran Preferences Based on Combat Exposure and Gender

Military culture promotes status hierarchy and a hypermasculine paradigm, upholding combat arms, and war heroism to exemplify the ideal soldier, contributing to existing gender disparities. This st...
THE EFFECTS OF A 5-WEEK GOLF SPECIFIC STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING INTERVENTION ON SWING PERFORMANCE FACTORS

Background The effects of golf specific strength and conditioning interventions on performance are scarcely researched. However, a multitude of research exists relative to golf related injuries. From those studies, it has been postulated that an increase in the X-Factor Stretch (XFS) variable increases the probability of a lower back injury. As the XF has been identified as a performance variable, it is of interest to determine how it is influenced by a golf specific intervention. Objective To examine the effects of a 5-week strength and conditioning intervention on golf swing performance factors. Design Quasi-experimental. Setting Laboratory and gym. Participants Nine female NCAA Division II collegiate golfers (age 20.7±2.7 yrs; height 175 ±9.81 cm; body mass 76.5 ±9.2 kg), maintaining a handicap of ≤3. Intervention The 5-week strength and conditioning intervention was implemented to improve the subject9s golf swing.The majority of the exercises were lower body orientated, and included rotational aspects. Main Outcome Measurements The pre- and post-testing procedures included a biomechanical analysis using 3D motion analysis. The dependent variables were clubhead velocity (CV; m/s), hip velocity (HV; °/s), XFS angle (°), and ball speed (BS; m/s). It was hypothesized that CV, HV, and BS would increase without an increase in the XFS. T-tests were used to define statistical significance (p Results From pre- to post-intervention, subjects significantly increased HV (8.2±0.5°/s to 8.8±0.7°/s; p Conclusions It was demonstrated that the intervention increased CV, HV, and BS; but decreased the XFS. Thus, it can be suggested that a golf specific strength and conditioning program can increase golf swing performance factors, without increasing the risk of lower back injury.
Social Identity and Social Emotions: Toward New Conceptualizations of Prejudice

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses social identity and social emotions. Specific stereotypic beliefs may be positive or negative in evaluative tone, and may be thought to characterize virtually all members of the group or just a few of them. This definition of stereotype is widely accepted. Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination—ranging from economic exploitation of outgroup members through genocide—have been among the central historical themes of the 20th century. Social psychologists have been at the forefront among social scientists attempting to understand the nature and sources of intergroup conflicts. The chapter also discusses some of the problems in the traditional conceptualization and some of the theoretical strengths and novel hypotheses implicit in the new one. It describes some directions for research that could provide further empirical support for this new viewpoint on prejudice and related phenomena.
Links between sediment consolidation and Cascadia megathrust slip behaviour

At sediment-rich subduction zones, megathrust slip behaviour and forearc deformation are tightly linked to the physical properties and in situ stresses within underthrust and accreted sediments. Yet the role of sediment consolidation at the onset of subduction in controlling the downdip evolution and along-strike variation in megathrust fault properties and accretionary wedge structure is poorly known. Here we use controlled-source seismic data combined with ocean drilling data to constrain the sediment consolidation and in situ stress state near the deformation front of the Cascadia subduction zone. Offshore Washington where the megathrust is inferred to be strongly locked, we find over-consolidated sediments near the deformation front that are incorporated into a strong outer wedge, with little sediment subducted. These conditions are favourable for strain accumulation on the megathrust and potential earthquake rupture close to the trench. In contrast, offshore Central Oregon, a thick under-consolidated sediment sequence is subducting, and is probably associated with elevated pore fluid pressures on the megathrust in a region where reduced locking is inferred. Our results suggest that the consolidation state of the sediments near the deformation front is a key factor contributing to megathrust slip behaviour and its along-strike variation, and it may also have a significant role in the deformation style of the accretionary wedge. Consolidated sediments in the Cascadia subduction zone may create conditions favourable for megathrust earthquake ruptures over long distances and close to the trench, according to analyses of seismic velocity of sediments from the region. Less-consolidated sediments instead may promote aseismic slip of the plate boundary.
Finding the Best Job Applicants for a Job Posting: A Comparison of Human Resources Search Strategies

Finding the best candidates to match a set of job requirements can be viewed as both an art and a science. In this paper, we conduct an empirical study using actual job candidates and job applicants. We compare the ranked lists generated by executive recruiting experts with the list generated by three search strategies: one using crowdworkers in a gamified environment, a second using information retrieval-based search methods, and a third method which combines information retrieval methods and weighted feature-based approach. We examine these three strategies across two separate job categories – technical and non-technical (management). Our study finds the gamified-enhanced crowdsourcing environment works best for ranking candidates for technical jobs while the text mining and gamified crowdsourcing environments perform equally well for ranking candidates for non-technical jobs. Last, we discuss possible reasons for our results as well as suggest possible enhancements to reduce the gap between our strategies and the HR executive recruiting experts.
Nest Emigration Behavior of the Asian Needle Ant, Brachyponera (=Pachycondyla) chinensis Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Ant colonies change nest location in response to physical disturbance, climate fluctuation, and resource availability. During the emigration process, worker recruitment is vital to ensuring that individual colony members are moved to the new nest site. Recruitment methods used during emigration differ between ant species. In a laboratory study, we investigated the recruitment behaviors of the invasive Asian needle ant, Brachyponera (= Pachycondyla ) chinensis (Emery), during nest emigration. Subsets of P. chinensis worker ants were subjected to physical nest disturbance, and the recruitment methods and associated behaviors were recorded. Before recruitment to the new nest location began, B. chinensis ants organized into three distinctive groups: queen-tending, brood-tending, and scouting. Once the new nest site was identified, scout ants began physically transporting nestmates into the new harborage. Transport rates increased with time in the first 30 minutes and did not change during the 30to 55 minute interval when brood was transported. However, adult transport rate increased again after brood transport was completed and decreased after 90 minutes. These studies are the first to identify the recruitment methods, division of labor, and social organization behavior of B. chinensis during nest emigration.
Epigenetic modifications of conjugate linoleic acid (CLA) on tumor suppressor gene, protein tyrosine phosphatase γ (PTPγ), in MCF-7 cells

2570 Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are naturally occurring compounds found in ruminant products such as cheese and beef and has been shown to possess anti-cancer activities in in vivo and in vitro . It is widely accepted that epigenetic events, DNA methylation and histone modification affect the status of gene expression. Epigenetic aberrations plays a role in tumorigenesis and are involved in the silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Protein tyrosine phosphatase γ (PTPγ) has been implicated as an estrogen (E 2 )-regulated candidate tumor suppressor gene in breast, ovarian and lung tumors. Our lab has previously demonstrated that CLA up-regulated PTPγ in human breast cells. This study is to examine whether CLA-mediated up-regulation of PTPγ expression is regulated by epigenetic modification in MCF-7 cells. One of the most potent CLA isomer, t 10, c 12-CLA (10-40 μM), was used to examine CLA’s anti-proliferative activities by MTS and soft agar assays. Cell proliferation and colony formation were suppressed by 3 and 10 days of t 10, c 12-CLA (10-40 μM) treatment by 20-30% and 35-50%, correspondingly. t 10, c 12-CLA (10-40 μM, 3 days) significantly decreased DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) protein expression by 20-30% and 40-50%, respectively. Furthermore, the combinative effects of t 10, c 12-CLA (10-40 μM), 5-Azacytidine (5-Aza-CR, 1-10 μM, DNMT inhibitor), and Trichostatin A (TSA, 0.1-1 μM, HDAC inhibitor) on PTPγ protein expression were examined by western blot analysis. Our results showed that PTPγ protein expression was up-regulated by t 10, c 12-CLA (1.5-1.8 fold), 5-Aza-CR (1.2-1.5 fold) and TSA (1.6-2 fold). The combination of t 10, c 12-CLA (40 μM) and 5-Aza-CR (1-10 μM), or t 10, c 12-CLA (40 μM) and TSA (0.1-1 μM) further increased PTPγ protein expression by 2.5-3 or 2-2.5 fold, respectively. Our experimental data suggest that epigenetic modification of PTPγ expression induced by CLA alone or synergistically enhanced by the combined treatment of 5-Aza-CR and TSA are practical important and clinical relevance. It is noteworthy that a natural food component produced from the fermentation of rumen bacterium in food-producing ruminants such as beef and dairy cattle has health significance to the consumers at large and also for chemoprevention purposes. The beneficial effects of low level and long-term daily consumption of CLA-enriched beef and dairy products may serve as potent natural demethylation compounds. Further basic research targeting the elucidation of regulatory mechanisms of epigenetic modification of chemopreventive food component, such as CLA is on-going in our lab. (Supported by NIH grants CA95915, ES0521-01 and IAMS Research Fund).
Illicit Markets: A Short Historical Summary

As long as certain commodities and services are deemed illegal by the state, illicit markets will exist if there is significant demand for them. Prohibition gives illicit materials a higher price, as risk-takers form cartels and indulge in criminal operations to make as much money as possible. This has been true throughout history in most corners of the world. This chapter will discuss moments in history when the state tried to ban certain goods for the purpose of morality. Most of the time, the result has been the formation of black markets to supply the good.
Treatment of postpartum metritis in dairy cows caused by Actinomyces pyogenes

Three treatments (oxytetracycline infusions, prostaglandin injections, and no treatment) were applied to Holstein cows with postpartum metritis from which A pyogenes had been isolated from the uterus. Gross involution was not different between groups, but oxytetracycline infusions significantly reduced (P <0. 005) the incidence of A pyogenes infected uteri. Numbers were too small to pass judgement on fertility between groups, but when all groups were combined fertility was definitely reduced.
Satellite Telemetry of Sea-Level Data to Monitor Crustal Motions in the Shumagin Islands Region of the Aleutian Arc

Sea level is being used to provide a datum for monitoring vertical tectonic deformation in the Shumagin Islands Seismic Gap. An array of sea-level monitors has been installed that records filtered near-shore sea-level variations and in some cases, piezometric pressures on shorelines with a resolution of 1 mm of water height. The data from the sea- level monitors are transmitted via satellite to provide hourly values for analysis. The spacing between monitors is less than 30 km to enable deformation processes to be studied in detail. In the last two years, the islands have tilted to the south with an amplitude of approximately 10-6 radians/year.
Computer-Guided Total Knee Arthroscopy

Total knee arthroscopy is a major concern to an increasing number of people. The World Health Organization estimates that several hundred million people already suffer from bone and joint diseases, with dramatic increases expected due to a doubling in the number of people over 50 years of age by 2020. In Europe, by 2010, for the first time there will be more people over 60 years of age than under the age of 20. A study based on the American National Hospital Discharge Survey (1996–1999) predicts that there will be more than 474,000 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures performed in the United States in 2030. This number is expected to increase in tandem with the life expectancy of the population.
Predicting Phenotype from Genotype Through Reconstruction and Integrative Modeling of Metabolic and Regulatory Networks

A central challenge in systems biology is the identification of molecular interactions that regulate organismal phenotype, and to predict phenotypic changes that arise from these interacting networks. The reconstruction of gene networks provides a mechanistic basis for understanding the genotype-phenotype relationship, and enables the simulation of cellular behavior resulting from genetic and environmental perturbations. Currently, there is a critical need for new methods that rapidly transform high-throughput genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics data into such predictive network models for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. This chapter describes tools and technologies that address these key challenges, with a focus on the algorithms, PROM and ASTRIX, which perform complementary functions in mapping and modeling gene networks. The Analyzing Subsets of Transcriptional Regulators Influencing eXpression (ASTRIX) approach builds Transcriptional Regulatory Networks from gene expression data while the Probabilistic Regulation of Metabolism (PROM) algorithm integrates disparate gene networks (metabolic and regulatory networks) together in an automated fashion. Some basic principles of reconstructing and modeling these networks are discussed, followed by a detailed description of these algorithms. Understanding how the networks function together in a cell will pave the way for synthetic biology and has wide-ranging applications in biotechnology, drug discovery and diagnostics.
Rates of Convergence and Approximations to the Distribution of the Maximum of Chain-Dependent Sequences

In this paper we propose two methods for approximating the distribution of the maximum for a chain-dependent process. For these methods we investigate the rate of convergence of the approximations. A simulation study was performed that demonstrated excellent performance of the approximations even for small sample sizes. In addition, an application was made to river flow data collected on the North Pacolet River in South Carolina.
Human use of small forage fish: Improved ancient DNA species identification techniques reveal long term record of sustainable mass harvesting of smelt fishery in the northeast Pacific Rim

Abstract The bulk storage and mass capture of small forage fish has played a primary role in the cultural traditions and subsistence practices of many ancient and modern indigenous communities throughout the world. Archaeologists are improving their recognition of human interaction with these fisheries through the application of fine-mesh screening techniques and ichthyofaunal analysis of fish bone. Because of the differing life histories of many of these fish, determining their species from archaeological contexts can improve our resolution of past harvesting and consumption patterns. This has remained a challenge for many categories of fish, such as salmon and smelt. Here, we present an improved genetic species identification process that utilizes ancient DNA amplification techniques involving a reagent-rich PCR protocol (i.e., “Rescue PCR”) and a PCR Enhancer Cocktail P (i.e., PEC-P) to identify smelt and other forage fish bone from five archaeological sites located along the northern California (United States) Pacific coast dating to the Late Period (after 1300 cal BP). Through the application of these novel techniques, our species identification success rate increased to 71.2% overall, with some sites having a remarkable 100% success rate. We identified the species of 104 of 146 fish vertebrae, and determined that inhabitants at these sites harvested primarily surf smelt with potentially less emphasis on night smelt. Observations of herring, perch, sculpin and rainbow trout/steelhead were also made. Along with these small surf fish, we found evidence of larger fish such as shark and Pacific hake (common predatory fish in the area). The study demonstrates a significant breakthrough in ancient DNA identification techniques that resulted in information that speak to the long term continuity of use of mass harvested forage fish by indigenous peoples. The results of this project help establish a better understanding of subsistence and cultural traditions of northern California indigenous communities, with the potential to provide a more global understanding of fishing technologies, sustainability, and mass harvesting of small fishes.
B Cell Receptor Crosslinking Augments Germinal Center B Cell Selection when T Cell Help Is Limiting.

Summary Antigen-dependent engagement of germinal center (GC) B cell receptors (BCRs) promotes antigen internalization and presentation for follicular helper T cells. However, whether BCR signaling is critical or synergistic with T cell help for GC B cell selection or differentiation is unclear. Here, by adapting an experimental approach that enables independent delivery of BCR-crosslinking antigen or T cell help to GC B cells in vivo, we showed that T cell help was sufficient to induce GC B cell expansion and plasmablast formation. However, although BCR crosslinking could not by itself promote GC B cell selection or differentiation, it could synergize with T cell help to enhance the GC and plasmablast responses when T cell help was limiting. These findings indicate that GC B cells can integrate variable inputs from T cell help and BCR signaling in vivo for an optimal process of selection and differentiation, critical for potent long-term humoral immunity.
Double Jeopardy: (Trans)Versing Higher Ed as Queer Trans Advocates.

AbstractHigher education professionals with a keen eye and commitment to advocacy face many obstacles through their work. Manifesting the realities of embodiment of these identities, with professio...
The 2011 Ming K Jeang Award for Excellence in Cell & Bioscience

Two research groups led by Dr T.C. Wu of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and Dr P. Liu of National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, respectively, have won the 2011 Ming K Jeang Award for Excellence in Cell & Bioscience.
The impact of regional environmental amenity on skill aggregation across regions in developing countries: evidence from air pollution in China

This paper investigates the impact of an environmental amenity on regional skill aggregation, defined as the share of highly educated people. I analyzed the impact of air quality on skill aggregation across prefecture-level cities in China using college graduates as the measure of skill aggregation. By exploiting exogenous air quality variation from a Chinese heating policy known as the Huai River Policy, I identified a considerable negative impact of air pollution on the share of high-skilled people in the city population. This indicates that an environmental amenity has considerable potential to influence regional growth even in developing countries.
Soil P Storage Capacity in Agricultural Treatment Wetlands: Can a System Designed for N Reduction Also Retain P?

Increasing interest focuses on utilizing wetlands to reduce nutrient loading to surface waters. The current study examines soil P storage capacity in three treatment wetlands designed to decrease N loading from an agricultural tile drainage system in Illinois. Adjacent farm field and restored floodplain wetland soils were also evaluated. Results demonstrate that wetland soils sequestered P; however, the magnitude of P retention varied significantly across treatment systems and floodplain wetlands related to differences in soil properties. Soil P storage capacity increased in the direction of water flow, but varied across treatment wetlands; soils ranged from P sinks (5.8 ± 1.5 mg P kg−1) to potential P sources (−17.2 ± 2.0 mg P kg−1). Farm fields displayed the highest water soluble P levels (11.3 ± 1.5 mg P kg−1) and represented the largest potential source of P with a mean storage capacity of −48.6 ± 6.8 mg P kg−1. A phosphorus saturation ratio threshold value of 0.10 differentiated between potential P sources and sinks. Findings suggest wetlands receiving P loadings from tile drainage accumulate soil P over time, but maintaining P removal efficiency in treatment wetlands may require periodic management to decrease soil P concentrations via nutrient removal and/or soil amendments.
Facial Expression Recognition Using DCNN and Development of an iOS App for Children with ASD to Enhance Communication Abilities

In this paper, continued work of a research project is discussed which achieved the end goal of the project - to build a mobile device application that can teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to recognize human facial expressions utilizing computer vision and image processing. Universally, there are seven facial expressions categories: angry, disgust, happy, sad, fear, surprise, and neutral. To recognize all these facial expressions and to predict the current mood of a person is a difficult task for a child. A child with ASD, this problem presents itself in a more sophisticated manner due to the nature of the disorder. The main goal of this research was to develop a deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) for facial expression recognition, which can help young children with ASD to recognize facial expressions, using mobile devices. The Kaggle's FER2013 and Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces (KDEF) dataset have been used to train and test with the DCNN model, which can classify facial expressions from different viewpoints and in different lighting contrasts. An 86.44% accuracy was achieved with good generalizability for the DCNN model. The results show an improvement of the DCNN accuracy in dealing with lighting contrast changes, and the implementation of image processing before performing the facial expression classification. As a byproduct of this research project, an app suitable for the iOS platform was developed for running both the DCNN model and image processing algorithm. The app can be used by speech-language pathologies, teacher, care-takers, and parents as a technological tool when working with children with ASD.
Real-world use of emicizumab in patients with haemophilia A: Bleeding outcomes and surgical procedures.

INTRODUCTION Emicizumab is a recombinant humanized bispecific antibody that bridges factor IXa and factor X to mimic the cofactor function of factor VIII. It is approved to prevent bleeding in patients with haemophilia A (HA). Outside of clinical trials, there is limited data on outcomes of patients treated with emicizumab, particularly in children without inhibitors. AIM To report our experience treating patients with emicizumab, including (a) bleeding rates pre and postemicizumab, (b) peri-procedural management and outcomes and (c) serious drug-related adverse events. METHODS Multicentre observational study in patients with HA who started emicizumab prior to 15 May 2019. Data collection continued until 15 October 2019 and included demographics, disease history, bleeding events, invasive procedures, thrombotic events and death. Annualized bleeding rates (ABR) prior to emicizumab were compared to postemicizumab. RESULTS Ninety-three patients (including three females) met inclusion criteria, 19 with an active inhibitor. Median age was 8.6 years; patients <12 years without inhibitors (n = 49) accounted for the majority. ABR dropped from 4.4 (inhibitors) and 1.6 (non-inhibitors) to 0.4 (both groups) on emicizumab, P = .0012 and .0025, respectively. There were 28 minor (21 port removals) and two major procedures. Three patients received 1-2 doses of unplanned factor postoperatively to treat minor bleeding events. No patient discontinued therapy, and there were no thrombotic events or deaths. DISCUSSION Our favourable clinical experience with emicizumab is similar to that reported in the clinical trials. Notably, this is the largest cohort of patients <12 years without inhibitors treated with emicizumab.
Application of the third RIT binary black hole simulations catalog to parameter estimation of gravitational-wave signals from the LIGO-Virgo O1 and O2 observational runs

Using exclusively the 777 full numerical waveforms of the third binary black hole RIT catalog, we reanalyze the ten black hole merger signals reported in LIGO/Virgo's O1/O2 observation runs. We obtain binary parameters, extrinsic parameters, and the remnant properties of these gravitational waves events which are consistent with, but not identical to, previously presented results. We have also analyzed three additional events (GW170121, GW170304, GW170727) reported by Venumadhav, Zackay, Roulet, Dai, and Zaldarriaga [Phys. Rev. D 101, 083030 (2020)] and found closely matching parameters. We finally assess the accuracy of our waveforms with convergence studies applied to O1/O2 events and found them adequate for current estimation of parameters.
Influence of Particles on Amine Losses During CO2 Capture: A Process Simulation Coupled Aerosol Dynamics Model

Abstract Aerosol-driven solvent losses have been identified as one of the major challenges of amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture. In this work, a multi-component aerosol dynamics model based on the discrete-sectional approach, accounting for condensation and coagulation was coupled with a process simulation model developed using ASPEN PLUS v10® to account for the multi-component mass and heat transfer, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and electrolytic-solution chemistry. Particle losses inside the absorber were incorporated into the model based on a cut-off size determined from experiments reported in the literature. Based on the results, it was shown that neglecting particle losses inside the absorber resulted in a significant over-prediction of amine-based solvent losses, while coagulation of particles resulted in reduced (∼10%) amine emissions. Furthermore, amine emissions increased when the number concentration and the geometric standard deviation of inlet particles in the flue gas were increased. Moreover, it was shown that amine emissions were lower at lower solvent concentrations and temperatures. CO2 capture efficiency dropped for decreasing solvent concentration, but remained unchanged for lower temperatures, suggesting that decreasing the solvent temperature is an efficient strategy to reduce amine emissions.
Measuring Bilingualism: The Quest for a "Bilingualism Quotient".

The study of bilingualism has a history that extends from deciphering ancient multilingual texts to mapping the structure of the multilingual brain. The language experiences of individual bilinguals are equally diverse and characterized by unique contexts of acquisition and use that can shape not only sociocultural identity but also cognitive and neural function. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this variability in scholarly perspectives and language experiences has given rise to a range of methods for defining bilingualism. The goal of this article is to initiate a conversation about the utility of a more unified approach to how we think about, study, and measure bilingualism. Using concrete case studies, we illustrate the value of enhancing communication and streamlining terminology across researchers with different methodologies within questions, different questions within domains, and different domains within scientific inquiry. We specifically consider the utility and feasibility of a bilingualism quotient (BQ) construct, discuss the idea of a BQ relative to the well-established intelligence quotient, and include recommendations for next steps. We conclude that though the variability in language backgrounds and approaches to defining bilingualism presents significant challenges, concerted efforts to systematize and synthesize research across the field may enable the construction of a valid and generalizable index of multilingual experience.
Reliability analysis of body sensor networks subject to random isolation time

Abstract Relayed communications are typically used in body sensor networks (BSNs) to improve reliability and energy efficiency. Particularly, a biosensor communicates with the sink device through relay(s) to conserve its limited battery power. When the relay malfunctions, the biosensor may increase its transmission power to enable a direct communication with the sink. However, such a direct communication may last only a limited, uncertain time; the biosensor becomes isolated to the rest of the BSN when the sensor's remaining power depletes to the level insufficient to support the direct communication. This paper makes contributions by addressing realistic random isolation time (RIT) in reliability analysis of BSN systems. Moreover, competitions between the isolation and propagated failures originating from the biosensor are considered. Based on the total probability theorem, a combinatorial methodology is suggested for reliability analysis of BSNs subject to the competitions and RIT. The method is applicable to any types of time-to-failure and time-to-isolation distributions of biosensors. As demonstrated through a detailed case study with numerical results, RIT can significantly influence the BSN reliability and thus it is pivotal to consider this factor for accurate system reliability assessment. Correctness of the proposed method is verified using a continuous-time Markov chain-based method.
Twelve tips for clinical teaching with telemedicine visits.

Telemedicine is now an established mode of clinical care for most medical specialties, and clinical teachers must teach and precept learners in this modality. However, faculty need training on how ...
Boundary Spanning Roles and Power in Educational Partnerships

Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) offer promising approaches to improve educational outcomes. Navigating boundaries between contexts is essential for RPP effectiveness, yet much work remains to...
Chiral spin textures in amorphous iron germanium thick films

To date, the emergence of topological vector fields has almost exclusively been associated with a global inversion symmetry breaking that causes a vector spin exchange, known as Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Engineering a locally varying vector spin exchange has been proposed as an alternative to stabilize anisotropic topological states. I will present experimental evidence of 3D chiral spin textures stabilized in amorphous iron germanium thick films with local inversion symmetry breaking and DMI [1]. Lorentz microscopy with exit wave reconstruction revealed both isotropic Bloch skyrmions and anisotropic solitons, which are accompanied by a reduced orbital-to-spin moment ratio, underling the importance of disordered electron orbitals and random DMI. Persistent switching of anisotropic skyrmions corroborate variations in magnetic anisotropy and exchange, and confirm a degenerate spin chirality and particle-like properties.
Genetic adjuvants for DNA immunization

The injection of naked plasmid DNA expression vectors into animal muscle or skin has been shown to be an effective means to stimulate cellular and humoral immunity against the expressed protein [36]. However, even though such DNA vaccines in some cases may be more effective than inactivated virus or subvirion vaccines in inducing anti-viral immunity [8, 12], the immune response that they elicit is often too weak or too late in developing to provide protective immunity [10, 23]. For this reason, investigators have attempted to enhance the efficacy of DNA vaccines by co-injecting plasmids encoding immune stimulatory cytokines, such as IL-2 and GM-CSF, along with plasmid encoding the antigen [17, 29, 35, 37].
Nuclear magnetic resonance studies on structure and breathing dynamics of transfer RNA.

The hydrogen-bonded ring NH protons of the complementary base pairs in Escherichia coli isoleucine tRNA have been studied by 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance. These protons generate a set of about 30 well-resolved resonances in the -10p.p.m. to-15 p.p.m. region of the spectrum and can be observed in H2O solutions by Fourier transform NMR using the Redfield 214 observation pulse. Each of these low field protons has been assigned to its respective base pair in the tRNA by sequential nuclear Overhauser effect connectivity to its nearest neighbours. The helix-coil opening rates for several individual base pairs have been determined by monitoring the solvent-exchange contribution to the inversion recovery rate or the saturation recovery rate of the assigned ring NH peaks. Contrary to current theory, the two most rapidly opening base pairs in the molecule are located not at the helix termini but in the interior of helices.
Why Athens? Investigations into the site of an American music revolution

(1994). Why Athens? Investigations into the site of an American music revolution. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 19-31.
Advanced Applications of Monte Carlo

The range of specialized radiation transport problems that can be analyzed using Monte Carlo methods is broad and extends well beyond the rudiments developed in the preceding chapters. The purpose of this chapter is to give the reader a brief introduction to some advanced radiation transport applications of Monte Carlo. The literature is full of special Monte Carlo techniques that allow users to attack sophisticated problems in radiation analysis as well as other fields of science, and the reader is referred to such literature for additional discussion of the topics treated in this chapter and for information on other advanced concepts.