cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a Novel Applicator for Esophageal High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

esophageal cancer in medically inoperable patients is complex. We have previously examined the outcomes and toxicity in a series of patients with primary and recurrent superficial esophageal cancer, treated with endoluminal HDR brachytherapy at our institution (Folkert et al, Brachytherapy 2013). The study showed that HDR brachytherapy was a safe and well-tolerated treatment for both previously untreated and recurrent lesions of the esophagus. However, in light of the high rate of local recurrence in these patients, we are planning a prospective dose escalation trial for recurrent esophageal cancer to determine an optimal brachytherapy regimen. Here, we set to design an applicator for reliable and consistent delivery of these treatments.
RET nanobiosensors using affinity of an apo-enzyme toward its substrate

Fluorescent biosensors can be highly specific and sensitive, and may be engineered as implantable devices for metabolic monitoring. Commonly-used systems for glucose monitoring based on resonance energy transfer (RET) and competitive binding involve Concanavalin A (Con A), which is known to be toxic, and has problems of aggregation and irreversible binding. This work presents an improved RET assay wherein Con A was replaced by apo-glucose oxidase (apo-GOx). Fluorescence measurements confirm that the apo-GOx/dextran complexes are highly sensitive to glucose, observed as an increase in the donor peak relative to acceptor with the stepwise addition of glucose solution. The assay showed strong signals and excellent repeatability, with a sensitivity of 9/spl times/10/sup -4/ (ratio units)/mM over the range of 0-90 mM glucose. If properly encapsulated, these sensors can potentially be used for in vivo sensing without the concern of toxicity associated with Con A.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF LARGE DIVIDING LYMPH NODE CELLS IN SYNGENEIC RECIPIENT RATS AFTER INTRAVENOUS INJECTION

The distribution of large dividing lymph node or thoracic duct lymph cells, labeled in vitro with (3)H-thymidine, was studied in syngeneic recipient rats after intravenous injection. In most experiments the donor rats had been immunized with Bacillus pertussis 4 days earlier, but in some instances cells from nonimmunized donors were used. In smears, the labeled donor cells had the appearance of large lymphocytes or large pyroninophilic cells. By electronmicroscopy, the majority of labeled donor cells were seen to have only scanty endoplasmic reticulum. It was found that the labeled cells rapidly "homed" to lymphoid tissue and recirculated in the recipient, in a fashion resembling that of small lymphocytes. However, the distribution of labeled cells was found to depend upon the source of the donor cells. Cells from mesenteric lymph nodes or thoracic duct lymph showed a marked preferential accumulation in lymphoid tissue within or adjacent to the intestine, whereas cells from peripheral nodes accumulated preferentially in peripheral lymph nodes. Cells from any of these sources showed an equal tendency to accumulate in the white pulp of the spleen. Suspensions of small lymphocytes, labeled in vitro with (3)H-uridine, did not display a similar tendency to localize preferentially in lymphoid tissue in certain regions. It was also found that large dividing lymph node cells from donors immunized with an antigen (2,4-dinitrophenyl-bovine gamma globulin (DNP-BGG) or B. pertussis) showed a greater tendency to accumulate in a recipient lymph node containing that antigen than in the contralateral node. It was not determined whether the selective accumulation of large dividing lymphoid cells from different sources in lymphoid tissue of different regions in recipients was due to an antigen recognition mechansim or was the result of two different populations of cells with different "homing" mechanisms.
Energy-Efficient Virtual Machine Replication and Placement in a Cloud Computing System

By utilizing Virtual Machines (VM) and doing server consolidation in a datacenter, a cloud provider can reduce the total energy consumption for servicing his clients with little performance degradation. In particular, the cloud provider can take advantage of dissimilar workloads and by assigning these workloads to the same server, can utilize fewer active servers to service his clients. Placing multiple copies of a VM on different servers and distributing the incoming requests among these VM copies can reduce the resource requirement for each VM copy and help the cloud provider utilize the servers more efficiently. In this paper, the problem of energy-efficient VM placement in a cloud computing system is solved. Precisely, we present an approach that first creates multiple copies of VMs and then uses dynamic programming and local search to place these copies on the physical servers. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm reduces the total energy consumption by up to 20% with respect to previous work.
Compressive failure of notched uniply composite laminates

Abstract A finite element analysis (FEA) is used to develop a micromechanics-based failure initiation predictive capability for analyzing notched composite laminates loaded in compression. In order to develop the model, results from a previous experimental study that investigated compression failure mechanisms in special ‘uniply’ composite laminates were used as motivation. The FEA model and geometry were defined based on these experimental results that showed failure to initiate in the form of a narrow kink band near the hole edge and to be confined in extent to a distance within one half of the hole radius. A finite size rectangular region adjacent to the cutout edge corresponding in size to the area in which the kink banding occurs is analyzed. The values of boundary loads on this rectangular region that correspond to kink banding is related to the far-field loading on the boundaries of the specimen via an available closed form analysis for orthotropic laminates. Good agreement is reported between experiment and analysis.
Development of self-packaged high frequency circuits using micromachining techniques

A new concept for packaging high frequency monolithic circuits is presented. It consists of developing miniaturized housings to shield individual passive components (e.g., CPW based), active elements, or combinations of them by employing silicon micromachining technology. At high frequencies, self-packaged configurations that are fabricated in this manner provide reduction in the overall size and weight of a circuit and provide increased isolation between neighboring circuits. Therefore, the resulting characteristics make these micropackaged components appropriate for high density, multilevel interconnect circuits. This paper will describe the fabrication procedures used to develop self-packaged components. Performance curves for typical high frequency circuit geometries that are implemented in this configuration are shown for measured and theoretical results. >
Consumer Protection via Self-regulation:

What should be the roles of government, business, and consumers in consumer protection? The author discusses the limitations of government and business in consumer-protection efforts. He also raise...
Targeted metagenomics: finding rare tryptophan dimer natural products in the environment.

Natural product discovery from environmental genomes (metagenomics) has largely been limited to the screening of existing environmental DNA (eDNA) libraries. Here, we have coupled a chemical-biogeographic survey of chromopyrrolic acid synthase (CPAS) gene diversity with targeted eDNA library production to more efficiently access rare tryptophan dimer (TD) biosynthetic gene clusters. A combination of traditional and synthetic biology-based heterologous expression efforts using eDNA-derived gene clusters led to the production of hydroxysporine (1) and reductasporine (2), two bioactive TDs. As suggested by our phylogenetic analysis of CPAS genes, identified in our survey of crude eDNA extracts, reductasporine (2) contains an unprecedented TD core structure: a pyrrolinium indolocarbazole core that is likely key to its unusual bioactivity profile. This work demonstrates the potential for the discovery of structurally rare and biologically interesting natural products using targeted metagenomics, where environm...
A Reply to Dr. Isaac

I am sorry to have given Dr. Isaac the impression, from my comments on his experimentally valuable paper "Evidence for a sensory drive in monkeys", that I had a quarrel "with contemporary psychology in general." My quarrel is only with Dr. Isaac's apparent agreement with that segment of contemporary psychology which continues to assume the need for a drive concept. More specifically, I wondered whether this concept is necessary or useful for an understanding of the effects of different intensities of sensory stimulation on behavior. It seems to me that the effects could be more parsimoniously and accurately understood in terms of neural activation or arousal and without reference to an hypothesized "drive state." If the latter is inrerpreced to mean the former, then it is, of course, redundant. My comments were aimed, I had thought, not at a minor aspect of D r . Isaac's paper, but at his main conclusion as indicated in the title of his paper: "Evidence for a sensory drive in monkeys." The comments were directed at the general theoretical framework of his paper. I suggested that, although i r was true that his experimental evidence was not inconsistent with some of the conventional aspects of a biological drive, this did not necessitate the assumption of a "drive state." In fact, such an assumption, I tried to show, can have misleading consequences for an understanding of behavior; it can be used to obscure more accurate conceptions, closer to the known facts of behavior.
Methods for Liposome-Mediated Gene Transfer to the Arterial Wall

Cationic liposomes are preparations of positively charged lipids used for transfection of mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. Although viruses efficiently infect mammalian cells, the potential risks of viral gene delivery spurred research in the development of synthetic chemical vectors that would duplicate viral delivery but have no risk of infectious complications. These nonviral vectors were first developed in the late 1980s. Cationic lipids are attractive vectors for vascular gene transfer studies owing to ease of preparation, reproducibility, and safety (1-3). In this chapter, we describe our experience with vascular gene transfer using four liposome reagents: DOTMA/DOPE, DC-cholesterol, DOSPA/DOPE, and DMRIE/DOPE.
Girls of Color and the Media

We use this chapter to discuss the literature on media influences and the sexualization of girlhood. With a focus on the literature addressing girls of color we also review some of the debate about the genre of hip-hop. We provide a literature review on the effects of media and critique this literature using Rosalind Gill’s analysis. Within this chapter we also discuss how we used a Lupe Fiasco video to explore the effects of media on girls and boys of color and how our students responded to it.
An automated workflow for observing track data in 3-dimensional geo-accurate environments

Recent developments in computing capabilities and persistent surveillance systems have enabled advanced analytics and visualization of image data. Using our existing capabilities, this work focuses on developing a unified approach to address the task of visualizing track data in 3-dimensional environments. Our current structure from motion (SfM) workflow is reviewed to highlight our point cloud generation methodology, which offers the option to use available sensor telemetry to improve performance. To this point, an algorithm outline for navigation-guided feature matching and geo-rectification in the absence of ground control points (GCPs) is included in our discussion. We then provide a brief overview of our onboard processing suite, which includes real-time mosaic generation, image stabilization, and feature tracking. Exploitation of geometry refinements, inherent to the SfM workflow, is then discussed in the context of projecting track data into the point cloud environment for advanced visualization. Results using the new Exelis airborne collection system, Corvus Eye, are provided to discuss conclusions and areas for future work.
Addressing Practice Gaps in Cutaneous Surgery: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment.

ImportanceCutaneous surgery is performed by otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, dermatologic surgeons, and some primary care physicians. Practice gaps exist among cutaneous ...
Technical Aspects of I-125 Fibrinogen Testing for Detection of Deep Venous Thrombosis

Historically, the detection of deep venous thrombosis has been difficult because of the lack of a simple and accurate screening test. Recent technical advances have produced a number of sensitive procedures for confirming the presence or absence of thrombosis. For the past three years our institution has been using the radiolabeled fibrinogen procedure in the diagnosis of clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities. We present and define the technical aspects of performing a radiolabeled fibrinogen test. Physiology, instrumentation, and data presentation are also discussed so that the technologist will have a working knowledge of this procedure.
Prescribed Burning Affects a Measure of Fitness in Ctenus hibernalis (Araneae: Ctenidae) at Oak Mountain State Park, Shelby County, AL

Abstract Fire-suppressed forests in Oak Mountain State Park (OMSP; Shelby County, AL) have undergone experimental prescribed burning as a means to restore the open canopy architecture and diverse understory characteristic of Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) communities. Populations of a ground-hunting spider, Ctenus hibernalis, in the forests of OMSP were studied in order to examine the effect of restoration efforts on populations of understory arthropods. Study sites included regions burned 1 year prior and 5 years prior, as well as a region that has experienced 2 decades of fire suppression. No individuals of C. hibernalis were found in the region burned 1 year prior. There was no significant difference in the total number of spiders in the fire-suppressed region and the region burned 5 years prior, although the body mass of the spiders in the region burned 5 years prior was significantly greater than those in the fire-suppressed region. These results suggest that increased resource availability related ...
Survival advantage associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to neoadjuvant hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer: A National Cancer Data Base study.

e12119Background: Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) are both considered effective strategies in postmenopausal, hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients. Small prospective studies show comparable response rates and breast conservation rates. Using National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) we report overall survival (OS) differences between these two strategies with subgroup analysis by Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PgR) status. Methods: We extracted data on hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients without metastasis in women aged ≥ 50 from the NCDB registry (2004-2014). We excluded patients who did not receive adjuvant endocrine therapy after NCT and patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy after NET as this could affect OS. We calculated OS using Kaplan Meier analysis with hazard ratio (HR) from cox regression model. Subgroup analysis was performed by ER, PgR status. Results: Out of 2,246,279 patients, 30,348 patients met our inclusion crite...
At the end of the road – an essay on childhood play memories

It always started the same way. After what seemed like a drive to eternity through the eyes of a little kid, and endless ‘are we almost there’ comments from me and my little brother, we would final...
Intrinsic and Antipsychotic Drug-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

For decades, there have been observations demonstrating significant metabolic disturbances in people with schizophrenia including clinically relevant weight gain, hypertension, and disturbances in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Many of these findings pre-date the use of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) which on their own are also strongly associated with metabolic side effects. The combination of APD-induced metabolic changes and common adverse environmental factors associated with schizophrenia have made it difficult to determine the specific contributions of each to the overall metabolic picture. Data from drug-naive patients, both from the pre-APD era and more recently, suggest that there may be an intrinsic metabolic risk associated with schizophrenia. Nevertheless, these findings remain controversial due to significant clinical variability in both psychiatric and metabolic symptoms throughout patients’ disease courses. Here we provide an extensive review of classic and more recent literature describing the metabolic phenotype associated with schizophrenia. We also suggest potential mechanistic links between signaling pathways associated with schizophrenia and metabolic dysfunction. We propose that, beyond its symptomatology in the central nervous system, schizophrenia is also characterized by pathophysiology in other organ systems directly related to metabolic control.
A novel THz radar imaging system using the radon transform

In this study a novel THz system is presented for 2D or 3D radar imaging. The system implements a Computerized Tomography's (CT's) algorithm that records the Radon Transform (RT) of an object and reconstructs the image using the Inverse Radon Transform (IRT). As such, the imaging system is comprised of a simple linear antenna that significantly simplifies the system topology and results in a compact and real-time imaging system. This configuration can be used for earth observation applications, standoff security monitoring and surveillance. In this work, the design of the novel THz imaging system is presented and simulation results of a phantom object at 300 GHz are verifying the proof of this concept.
Localization in planetary sub-surfaces using deep-sub-wavelength magnetoquasistatics

We propose a magnetoquasistatic (MQS) field-based technology that would enable localization and communication from surface to cave exploring robots. In this article, we focus on the localization aspect of the technology. The technique requires a minimum of two nodes, of which one is mobile and can be located in the sub-surface, whereas the second is located at a fixed location above the over-burden. To simplify the proof-of-concept, we use a fixed transmitter device located above the ground, and a mobile receiver device located within a cave system, below the over-burden. By sensing and inverting the MQS field detected at the receiver, we were able to solve for positions of the mobile receiver device.
Analyzing the Effect of Information Stagnancy on the Distributed Stochastic Algorithm

Despite the fact that many real world problems change over time, many Distributed Constraint Optimization Problem (DCOP) algorithms assume that the problem is constant or changing at a negligible rate. In addition, these algorithms also assume that changes to the environment are instantaneously observable. However, in highly dynamic environments with communication delays, both of these assumptions can be violated resulting in problem solving with out-of-date information. In this study, we explore the relationship between environmental dynamics, information stagnancy, and solution quality in Dynamic DCOP problems. By using recent advances in the analysis of dynamic, distributed problems, we show that information stagnancy can be characterized and used to accurately predict the behavior of a protocol. To evaluate our finding, we use the Distributed Stochastic Algorithm (DSA) as a basis. Through extensive empirical testing, we show that the prediction function is accurate.
Inflorescence branching in maize: A quantitative genetics approach to identifying key players in the inflorescence development pathway

iv CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 1 Literature Review 2 Research Goals 13 Literature Cited 14 Tables and Figures 21 CHAPTER 2. IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING OF EMS-INDUCED MODIFIERS OF BRANCHING IN RAMOSA MUTANTS 25 Abstract 25 Introduction 25 Materials and Methods 29 Results 30 Discussion 34 Literature Cited 37 Tables and Figures 40 CHAPTER 3. QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCI FOR EAR BRANCH NUMBER IN RA1-63.3359 MUTANTS 53 Abstract 53 Introduction 53 Materials and Methods 55 Results 60 Discussion 62 Literature Cited 64 Tables and Figures 67 CHAPTER 4. QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCI FOR EAR BRANCH NUMBER IN RA2-R MUTANTS 85 Abstract 85 Introduction 86 Materials and Methods 87 Results 89 Discussion 91 Literature Cited 93 Tables and Figures 96
Halobacterium cutirubrum ribosomes. Properties of the ribosomal proteins and ribonucleic acid.

1. The 30S ribosomal subunit of the extreme halophile Halobacterium cutirubrum is unstable and loses 75% of its ribosomal protein when the 70S ribosome is dissociated into the two subunits. A stable 30S subunit is obtained if the dissociation of the 70S particle is carried out in the presence of the soluble fraction. 2. A fractionation procedure was developed for the selective removal of groups of proteins from the 30S and 50S subunits. When the ribosomes, which are stable in 4m-K + and 0.1m-Mg 2+ , were extracted with low-ionic-strength buffer 75–80% of the 30S proteins and 60–65% of the 50S proteins as well as the 5S rRNA were released. The proteins in this fraction are the most acidic of the H. cutirubrum ribosomal proteins. Further extraction with Li + –EDTA releases additional protein, leaving a core particle containing either 16S rRNA or 23S rRNA and about 5% of the total ribosomal protein. The amino acid composition, mobility on polyacrylamide gels at pH4.5 and 8.7, and the molecular-weight distribution of the various protein fractions were determined. 3. The s values of the rRNA are 5S, 16S and 23S. The C+G contents of the 16S and 23S rRNA were 56.1 and 58.8% respectively and these are higher than C+G contents of the corresponding Escherichia coli rRNA (53.8 and 54.1%).
Historical Perspectives on the European Transition from Middle to Upper Paleolithic

This paper examines the historical development of understandings of the transitions in Europe from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic and from Neanderthals to anatomically modern humans, and of the linkages (if any) between the two processes. Although the particular claims, and the databases supporting them, have changed greatly over time, the main line of contention regarding both transitions has been between advocated of rapid, even revolutionary change with a strong allochthonous component, versus those embracing gradual, primarily autochthonous transitions. Proponents of both approaches have proved to be adept at accommodating their views to changes in available data and theoretical approaches. Yet, as an emerging quasi-consensus on the fate of the Neanderthals indicates, these opposing approaches are not indefinitely able to avoid modification in the face of accumulating evidentiary patterns.
Hierarchical structure of bone and micro-computed tomography.

More than 130 years have passed since early investigators described the coincident relationship between the orientation of trabecular bone and the presumed direction of principal stresses engendered during habitual activity.1-4Stimulated by these early perceptions, current investigators continue to explore structure function relationships for bone as a means to understand the basis for its resistance to failure or its strategy for adapting to functional demands while remaining a participant in mineral homeostasis.
Improvement of Protection Scheme for Microgrids using Lithium- Ion Battery during Islanding

Microgrid protection schemes require a fast, reliable and robust communication system, to adjust relay settings for the appropriate current levels according to the microgrid's operation mode. However, risks of communication link failures and cyber security threats are major challenges for the implementation of protection scheme. This paper presents a co-simulation platform for microgrid based on multiagent system (MAS) when the communication is available in the system. IEC 61850 is used to emulate the proposed protection scheme. The DDS middleware is used to link between the hardware and software environments. During islanded mode, the system is capable of riding-through communication failures by the aid of a lithium ion battery. A battery - as the main contributor to fault currents in the microgrid's islanded mode when the communication link fails to detect the shift to the islanded mode. The design of an autonomous control algorithm for the battery's AC/DC converter capable of operating when the microgrid is in both grid-connected and islanded mode. Utilizing a single mode of operation for the converter will eliminate the reliance on communicated control command signals to shift the controller between different modes.
A la Carte Grading: Providing Students Opportunities to Determine Their Own Paths to Success.

One goal of most courses is to prepare students with basic knowledge and skills associated with the course content. Mastery learning can be a rewarding way to encourage greater student achievement by allowing students multiple attempts to demonstrate an understanding of course concepts. This may involve repeated submissions of individual assignments or selection from multiple assignments for a single submission. However, such techniques can be unsustainable in large classes where additional evaluation and grading taxes instructor time and resources. For two large enrollment (>50) introductory level courses (PLS 366: Fundamentals of Soil Science; PLS 104: Plants, Soils, and People) offered in the Department of Agronomy at the University of Kentucky we implemented an adaptation of the mastery learning approach that encourages broader comprehension of course material and recognizes different learning styles, but does not require all students to redo all incorrect work. Instead, students are required to complete a minimum number of assignments, and then they are given the option to complete additional work that can be substituted for other completed assignments. In general, student perception of these grading systems were favorable; however, students did not seem to take full advantage of the available options because many did not choose to complete the additional assessments that could demonstrate further learning and be used to improve their course grade.
The Accidental Optimist

In The Myth of Sisyphus Camus famously wrote, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to the fundamental question of philosophy.” Camus was one of the greatest thinkers and writers of his day. He was also a widely recognized depressive. Writing at a time when psychology was only beginning to explore the processes of depression, Camus used narrative and language to explore the meaning and causes of the disease. Today, psychologists and researchers have the benefit of statistical models, neuroscience, longitudinal studies, and perhaps most importantly, of the new science of positive psychology — all of which are reshaping the way researchers and practitioners think about and address depression. Lawyers and law students, a notoriously depressive population with unusually high rates of suicide and related ills, have provided fertile soil for some of the most recent depression research. Dr. Martin Seligman, one of the people credited with the invention of positive psychology, studied depressive thinking in law students at the University of Virginia. The resulting article, “Why Lawyers are Unhappy,” established, albeit inadvertently, the foundations of an increasingly widely-held view that, for some, depression is perhaps a necessary ill and may even be crucial to the success of those who work in judgment-driven fields like law. This article will explore the findings of the University of Virginia study and its impact on the current popular conception of lawyer and law-student psychology. This article will argue that the best explanation for the UVA study's results lies in defensive pessimism, an idea that is consistently overlooked largely because of its technical and therefore counter-intuitive nature. The article will argue that students manifesting defensive pessimism are not necessarily at risk for depression, though they may not manifest "happiness" or "optimism" as psychology currently defines those concepts. The article challenges the notion that one's psyche must fit neatly into one or another category and suggests that, for a better understanding of defensive pessimism and what it might mean, we look both to current advances in psychology and neuroscience, and also to classical philosophy and concepts like Aristotilean eudaimonia. This article will go on to explore the relationship between defensive pessimism and the current theories of intrinsic motivation — theories that, together, cast some light on how to best utilize philosophical conceptions of happiness. Finally, this article will establish the importance of encouraging intrinsic motivation in law school learning and the implications such an explanation of the UVA results may have on conceptions of depression in the legal community and beyond.
Distinguishing Plasma Contributions to Catalyst Performance in Plasma-Assisted Ammonia Synthesis

Plasma-assisted catalysis is the process of electrically activating gases in the plasma-phase at low temperatures and ambient pressure to drive reactions on catalyst surfaces. Plasma-assisted catalytic processes combine conventional heterogeneous surface reactions, homogeneous plasma phase reactions, and coupling between plasma-generated species and the catalyst surface. Herein, we perform kinetically controlled ammonia synthesis measurements in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-assisted catalytic reactor. We decouple contributions due to plasma phase reactions from the overall plasma-assisted catalytic kinetics by performing plasma-only experiments. By varying the gas composition, temperature, and discharge power, we probe how macroscopic reaction conditions affect plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis on three different γ-alumina-supported transition metal catalysts (Ru, Co, and Ni). Our experiments indicate that the overall reaction and plasma-phase reaction are first-order in both N2 and H2. In ...
Moderation Practices as Emotional Labor in Sustaining Online Communities: The Case of AAPI Identity Work on Reddit

We examine how and why Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) moderators on Reddit shape the norms of their online communities through the analytic lens of emotional labor. We conduct interviews with 21 moderators who facilitate identity work discourse in AAPI subreddits and present a thematic analysis of their moderation practices. We report on their challenges to sustaining moderation, which include burning out from volunteer work, navigating hierarchical structures, and balancing unfulfilled expectations. We then describe strategies that moderators employ to manage emotional labor, which involve distancing away from drama, building solidarity from shared struggles, and integrating an ecology of tools for self-organized moderation. We provide recommendations for improving moderation in online communities centered around identity work and discuss implications of emotional labor in the design of Reddit and similar platforms.
Identities for Spherical Means

Let f(x) be a continuous function defined in a domain D. $$I(x,r)\, = \,\frac{1}{{{\omega _n}}}\,\int\limits_{{\Omega _\xi }} {f(x + r\xi )} \,d{\omega _\xi }$$ (4.1) .
Using Bakhtin’s ‘Third Ear’ to Hear Mad Men’s Adspeak in the Everyday

Kenney draws from Mikhail Bakhtin to analyse the use of adspeak in Mad Men, arguing that the show’s engagement with the language of advertisements contributes to its portrait of mid-century stratification. She begins with a discussion of advertising’s significance in post-war America, contextualizing the infiltration of adspeak into everyday language that the show presents. She then argues that the show’s early seasons train viewers to be suspicious of adspeak used outside of advertising campaigns and corporate settings—but that later seasons slacken their critique of adspeak’s objectives. She ends with an analysis of Mad Men’s final scene, arguing that the ‘Hilltop’ commercial appropriates Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque, but ultimately delivers an endorsement of the very conditions it originally trained viewers to denounce.
Behavioral Responses by Adult Northern Leopard Frogs to Conspecific Chemical Cues

Chemical signaling is an important facet of vertebrate communication, and amphibians are no exception. However, very little is known about adult anuran (frog and toad) chemical communication, with the few studies that have investigated chemical sensing in adult anurans documenting species- and sex-biased behavioral responses to chemical cues. Varied life histories and reproductive pressures likely dictate these responses, but to better understand the prevalence and purpose of adult anuran olfaction across species, information on chemical sensing across a large number of species is needed. We investigated sex-biased adult Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) behavioral responses to familiar and unfamiliar conspecific chemical cues to determine the importance of olfaction in conspecific recognition. Our results indicate that adult females respond to conspecific cues, with females spending significantly more time investigating cue vs. control sides of the testing arena. Results for males were equivocal, with males responding much more variably. Comparisons of familiar vs. unfamiliar cues indicate that both sexes tend to spend more time near familiar cues, although this was not statistically significant. Females also responded to unfamiliar, opposite-sex conspecific cues, indicating chemical cues may be involved in mate identification for female Leopard Frogs. Unfamiliar, same-sex conspecific odors did not appear to influence behavior for either sex. Collectively, our results indicate that adult Northern Leopard Frogs utilize chemical sensing for conspecific recognition and further indicate a sex-bias in that sensing, with adult females exhibiting a stronger response than males. Future research should investigate aquatic vs. terrestrial cues and learned vs. innate odors of significance to Northern Leopard Frog adults.
Surveillance of coal-burning endemic fluorosis prevailing status in Henan Province

Objective To understand the prevailing status of coal-burning endemic fluorosis in Henan, and to provide scientific grounds for endemic fluorosis prevention. Methods Undertook general surveillance on factors such as coal using, living habit, main foods, the structure of the houses and the fluoride content in drinking-water among 1832 historical coal-burning endemic fluorosis villages within 13 counties in 2006 and 2007, and conducted focal point sampling survey on 216 villages which still using local high-fluoride. For all children aged 8-12 years of each village, conducted dental fluorosis examination and collected 30 immediate urinary samples for fluoride content determination. Results The fluoride content in drinking-water of all historical fluorosis villages was below 1.0 mg/L. Households having individual kitchens accounted for 93.7%(241 281/257 393), those with stoves having smoke evacuation devices accounted for 41.9% (107 917/257 393), those using local high-fluoride coal for cooking accounted for 28.6%(73 686/257 393), those using local high-fluoride coal for heating accounted for 24.1%(61 924/257 393). Villages with serf-supply of main foods accounted for 95.7%(1753/1832) of all fluorosis villages. Solar drying food was used in all households. Villages with dental fluorosis detection rate for children aged 8 to 12 years above 30.0% accounted for 16.2%(35/216), which axe all in Luoyang City. Among 77.8%(168/216) of fluorosis villages, children' s urinary fluoride concentrations were no higher than 1.50 mg/L. Conclusions Coal-burning endemic fluorosis areas in Henan Province were decreased greatly and the extent of the health hazard was becoming slightly. The detection rate of dental fluorosis for children aged 8 to 12 years of 8 counties had reached the standard for fluorosis control, whereas the other 5 counties had not yet, all located in Luoyang City. Key words: Fluoride poisoning; Coal; Data collection
Progressive Compressively Sensed Band Processing for Hyperspectral Classification

Compressive sensing (CS) has recently been demonstrated as an enabling technology for hyperspectral sensing on remote and autonomous platforms. The power, on-board storage, and computation requirements associated with the high dimensionality of hyperspectral images (HSI) are still limiting factors for many applications. A recent work has exploited the benefits of CS to perform HSI classification directly in the compressively sensed band domain (CSBD). Since the required number of compressively sensed bands (CSBs) needed to achieve full band performance varies with the complexity of an image scene, this article presents a progressive band processing (PBP) approach, called progressive CSB classification (PCSBC), to adaptively determine an appropriate number of CSBs required to achieve full band performance, while also providing immediate feedback from progressions of class classification predictions carried out by PCSBC. By taking advantage of PBP, new progression metrics and stopping criteria are also designed for PCSBC. Four real-world HSIs are used to demonstrate the utility of PCSBC.
Agriculture induces isotopic shifts and niche contraction in Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) of the Colorado Desert

Agriculture can dramatically alter community composition, food webs, and resource availability, yet the impacts of agriculture on many ecosystems and their constituents remain unstudied. Here, we examined the effect of agriculture on the isotopic ecology of Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) in the Colorado Desert. Over the last century, the Imperial Valley in southeastern California has transformed from desert scrub into agricultural land, while breeding Horned Larks have persisted in the area. We compared the isotopic composition of nitrogen (δ15N), carbon (δ13C), and hydrogen (δ2H) from feathers of lark specimens from two time periods in the Imperial Valley: a historical series collected between 1916 and 1923 and more recent vouchers collected between 1984 and 2014. We also quantified δ15N and δ13C values from plants and soil samples in contemporary agricultural land and adjacent desert scrub to estimate isotopic baseline changes associated with agricultural intensification. Contemporary larks had lower δ15N and δ13C ratios compared to historical larks, while plant and soil δ15N ratios were higher at agricultural sites compared to adjacent desert sites. These opposing trends suggest temporal change in isotope values that cannot be explained by shifting baselines alone. Furthermore, isotopic niche breadth (‰2; δ15N and δ13C) was lower among contemporary larks. Thus, contemporary larks in the Imperial Valley may capitalize on seeds and phytophagous insects that are abundant among crops, possibly representing an opportunistic change in diet over time in response to agriculture. Finally, δ2H values did not differ between historical and contemporary larks, but contemporary larks had δ2H values that differed from historical ground water, suggesting intake of water introduced by irrigational canals. Collectively, these findings highlight the power of stable isotope analyses combined with natural history collections to examine ecological change in the Anthropocene.
Identifying COVID-19 Risk Through Observational Studies to Inform Control Measures.

A year into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic there remains an urgent need to limit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread and to curb the pandemic in the US through nonpharmaceutical interventions Clear evidence supports the effectiveness of simple strategies in identifying risks and mitigating the spread of infection, with much of this evidence coming from observational studies Community risk factors for infection can be identified by comparing recent behaviors and exposures among people who have been infected with those who are not infected using a traditional case-control approach High-risk environments identified from these investigations need to be clearly communicated to the public to support public health measures and motivate individual behavior change to reduce the risk of infection
Heterologous vaccine interventions: boosting immunity against future pandemics.

While vaccines traditionally have been designed and used for protection against infection or disease caused by one specific pathogen, there are known off-target effects from vaccines that can impact infection from unrelated pathogens. The best-known non-specific effects from an unrelated or heterologous vaccine are from the use of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, mediated partly through trained immunity. Other vaccines have similar heterologous effects. This review covers molecular mechanisms behind the heterologous effects, and the potential use of heterologous vaccination in the current COVID-19 pandemic. We then discuss novel pandemic response strategies based on rapidly deployed, widespread heterologous vaccination to boost population-level immunity for initial, partial protection against infection and/or clinical disease, while specific vaccines are developed.
From Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD) to #BlackLivesMatter: Revolutionary Lessons from Black Women in the Urban Peace and Justice Movement

This essay situates #BlackLivesMatter (#BLM) in its historical precursor, the Urban Peace and Justice Movement (UPJM) of the 1980-90s in the US. Central to the UPJM was the Detroit-based grassroots organization, Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD), founded by Clementine Barfield, a city worker whose teenaged son had been murdered outside a Detroit high school. SOSAD became linked with the Atlanta-based, Mothers of Murdered Sons (MOMS), founded by Brenda Muhammad whose son also had been killed. SOSAD linked with groups organizing gang truces in Los Angeles following the 1992 rebellion in that city after the acquittal of white policemen filmed beating black motorist Rodney King. Central among the latter was Brenda Meredith’s Mothers Reclaiming Our Children (Mothers-ROC). The UPJM highlighted the institutional incapacity of the US justice system and the unwillingness of US political leaders take sufficient actions to provide for the physical security of its citizens. The UPJM viewed institutions of public security (e.g. local police, jails, and prisons), public health, and education as not only deficient in their provisions of meaningful public service, but white supremacist as well. This combination warranted fundamental and ostensibly revolutionary changes in these systems in the US. Yet, the work of the UPJM—especially of the black women survivors who were instrumental in it—is under-appreciated by current activists and academics even as they attempt to address many similar challenges. One result is the relative absence of a strategy for #BLM to realize its more pragmatic as well as more revolutionary objectives.
Teleseismic earthquake wavefields observed on the Ross Ice Shelf

Observations of teleseismic earthquakes using broadband seismometers on the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) must contend with environmental and structural processes that do not exist for land-sited seismometers. Important considerations are: (1) a broadband, multi-mode ambient wavefield excited by ocean gravity wave interactions with the ice shelf; (2) body wave reverberations produced by seismic impedance contrasts at the ice/water and water/seafloor interfaces and (3) decoupling of the solid Earth horizontal wavefield by the sub-shelf water column. We analyze seasonal and geographic variations in signal-to-noise ratios for teleseismic P-wave (0.5–2.0 s), S-wave (10–15 s) and surface wave (13–25 s) arrivals relative to the RIS noise field. We use ice and water layer reverberations generated by teleseismic P-waves to accurately estimate the sub-station thicknesses of these layers. We present observations consistent with the theoretically predicted transition of the water column from compressible to incompressible mechanics, relevant for vertically incident solid Earth waves with periods longer than 3 s. Finally, we observe symmetric-mode Lamb waves generated by teleseismic S-waves incident on the grounding zones. Despite their complexity, we conclude that teleseismic coda can be utilized for passive imaging of sub-shelf Earth structure, although longer deployments relative to conventional land-sited seismometers will be necessary to acquire adequate data.
Differential SINE evolution in vesper and non-vesper bats

Short interspersed elements (SINEs) have a powerful influence on genome evolution and can be useful markers for phylogenetic inference and population genetic analyses. In this study, we examined survey sequence and whole genome data to determine the evolutionary dynamics of Ves SINEs in the genomes of 11 bats, nine from Vespertilionidae. We identified 41 subfamilies of Ves and linked several to specific lineages. We also revealed substantial differences among lineages including the observation that Ves accumulation and Ves subfamily diversity is significantly higher in vesper as opposed to non-vesper bats. This is especially interesting when one considers the increased transposable element diversity of vesper bats in general. Our data suggest that survey sequencing and genome mining are valuable tools to investigate SINE evolution among related lineages and can provide substantial information about the ability of SINEs to proliferate in diverse genomes. This method would also be a useful first step in determining which subfamilies would be the best to target when developing SINEs as markers for phylogenetic and population genetic analyses.
Chromatographic Separations of Alphavirus Strains by Hydroxylapatite

Hydroxylapatite column chromatography methods were developed to characterize selected alphavirus populations. Different conditions of pH and phosphate molarity were required to obtain satisfactory elution profiles and separations for Western equine encephalomyelitis virus strains, compared with Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus and Semliki Forest virus strains. Raising the pH of the buffers effected earlier elutions of all viruses. Selection of phosphate gradients with more gentle slopes and adjustment to the proper pH effected better separations of virus subpopulations. Elution profiles were not affected by 0.85% NaCl, 10% fetal calf serum, or 1% bovine serum albumin, which are common constituents of virus-stabilizing diluents. Passage of Western equine encephalomyelitis and Semliki Forest viruses in BHK-21, Vero, or duck embryo cell cultures or in suckling mouse brains did not usually affect elution profiles, unless passage also resulted in a shift in the plaque size marker. Essentially all infectious virus applied to the column was recoverable in appropriate fractions. This permitted accurate determinations of heterogeneity within alphavirus populations. For Western equine encephalomyelitis large-plaque (LP) and small-plaque (SP) virus populations, it was possible to detect ratios of 1 LP in a population of 106 SP, and 1 SP in 103 LP by using linear phosphate gradients. When stepwise elution procedures were used, it was possible to detect ratios of 1 SP in a population of 105 LP. Hydroxylapatite column chromatography therefore appears to be a useful tool for characterizing alphaviruses and for isolating minority subpopulations of viruses of biological or epidemiological importance from apparently homogeneous virus stocks.