cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth Characteristics of Au/SiO2 Nanocomposites

This paper describes experimental studies of the growth morphology of Au/SiO2 nanocomposites consisting of nanometer-sized metal particles imbedded in a metal oxide, formed by the sequential deposition of metal and metal-oxide layers by RF sputtering. The materials work is aimed at the development of novel resistive-type exhaust gas constituent sensors. Using digitized images from a transmission electron microscope and an automated particle counting routine, we have measured the particle size distributions for films with varying layer thicknesses and deposition conditions. We find strong dependence of the particle size and overall composite structure on the Au and SiO2 layer thicknesses, in agreement with previous work.[1] We also identified four microstructure classes which can occur.
The Structure of the Perithecium in the Meliolineae

The Meliolineae comprises a homogeneous group but shows relationships with several groups of fungi. Its members are remarkably constant as to spore character but to a less degree regarding the structure of the perithecium. The Meliolineae show relationship with the Microthyriaceae through Amazonia. The original description of Amazonia places it as a section of the Microthyriaceae. von Hohnel has shown that in this genus, under the shield-like cover, a completely closed perithecium exists, pale and thin walled, and properly regards this as a transition genus between Meliola and the Micro? thyriaceae. Superflcially there is a striking resemblance between Amazonia and Asterina. Both possess hyphopodiate mycelium, and the perithecium in each case is rounded above. However, Asterina has a large stellate ostiole and the perithecium is flattened, while the ostiole in the Meliolineae, when present, is small and circular, and the perithecium varies from dimidiate to globose, but is never flat. The relationship of the Meliolineae with the Dothideales is shown through the genus Actinodothis. However, as a rule, the Dothideales are partially, if not entirely, immersed in the sub? stratum, while Actinodothis is entirely superficial with the exception of a few minute strands which anchor the perithecium to the substratum. The asci in Actinodothis are evanescent, disap? pearing soon after the spores are mature. This is a constant characteristic of the Meliolineae.
Circular RNA Expression: Its Potential Regulation and Function

In 2012, a new feature of eukaryotic gene expression emerged: ubiquitous expression of circular RNA (circRNA) from genes traditionally thought to express messenger or linear noncoding (nc)RNA only. CircRNAs are covalently closed, circular RNA molecules that typically comprise exonic sequences and are spliced at canonical splice sites. This feature of gene expression was first recognized in humans and mouse, but it quickly emerged that it was common across essentially all eukaryotes studied by molecular biologists. CircRNA abundance, and even which alternatively spliced circRNA isoforms are expressed, varies by cell type and can exceed the abundance of the traditional linear mRNA or ncRNA transcript. CircRNAs are enriched in the brain and increase in abundance during fetal development. Together, these features raise fundamental questions regarding the regulation of circRNA in cis and in trans, and its function.
Universal time effect in the response of the thermosphere to electric field changes

Understanding the dynamics of the thermospheric mass density is of paramount importance for predicting drag on low-altitude satellites, particularly during geomagnetic storms. Transient enhancements in ion velocities, which frequently occur as a result of storm-driven solar wind electric field fluctuations, cause increases in neutral density and temperature. Since the Earth's quasi-dipolar magnetic field is tilted and offset from the center of the planet, it is hypothesized that hemispheric asymmetries arise, altering the thermospheric response to energy input based upon the time of day. This study used the Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GITM) to investigate this phenomenon via a series of 22 idealized simulations, where the convective electric field was enhanced for 1 h of the day. Two configurations of the Earth's magnetic field were considered, the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) and a centered dipole. These runs were conducted at March equinox when the amount of sunlight falling on the two hemispheres was the same. Two additional sets of runs were conducted at the June and December solstices for comparison. It was found that the most geoeffective times were those times when the geomagnetic poles were pointed toward the Sun. This orientation maximizes the photoionization colocated with the high-latitude potential pattern, leading to more in Joule heating.
Fluoro-quinolones in the Treatment of MDR-TB Clinical Efficacy Studies

Objective: Observation and evaluation of fluoroquinolones in combination with a one second-line anti-TB drugs to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) Clinical efficacy and safety.Methods: 156 cases of MDR-TB patients were randomly divided into two groups,in which the observation group adopted 6MfxZPtoKmPAS /18MfxZPtoPAS Chemotherapy;Controlgroupdopted6LfxZPtoKmPAS /18LfxZPtoPAS chemotherapy,Treatment for 24 months.Results: Observation group of 79 patients,62 cases had marked effect,total effective rate was 96.20%,Control group 77 patients in 49 cases had marked effect,total effective rate was 84.42%,Comparison of clinical efficacy difference was significant(P 0.01),Observation group the patients 3 months,12 months sputum negative rate were 55.69%,73.42%,24 months of treatment at the end of the cumulative sputum negative rate 68patients,sputum negative rate were 86.08%,Significantly higher than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P 0.05),Observation group the incidence of adverse reactions was 16.46%(13 /79);The control group was 15.58%(12 /77),The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(P 0.05).Conclusion: fluoroquinolones in combination with a one second-line anti-TB drugs to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) Clinical No cross resistance in curative effect is distinct,and has higher security.
Surveillance of hand-foot-mouth disease in Dongguan City,2010-2012

Objective To analyze the pathogenic characteristics and epidemiological data of handfoot-mouth disease( HFMD) cases in Dongguan City from 2010 to 2012,and provide the reference for timely adjustment of the prevention and control scenario. Methods Specimens of HFMD cases including surveillance cases,severe cases and outbreaks in Dongguan City from 2010 to 2012 were collected for detecting the specific nuclear acids of general enterovirus,Coxsackievirus A16( Cox A16),and Enterovirus 71( EV 71) by Real-time RT-PCR. Results A total of 2 282 samples of HFMD cases were detected and2 026 were general enterovirus nuclear acids positive,with a detection rate of 88. 78%( 2 026 /2 282). Of the 2 026 cases,937( 46. 25%) were infected with EV 71,372( 18. 36%) were Cox A16,2( 0. 10%)were mixed infection of EV 71 and Cox A16,and 715( 35. 29%) were other enterovirus,respectively.EV 71 was the major pathogen( 60. 63%,516 /851) in 2010. While the other enteroviruses were predominant in 2011( 39. 29%,211 /537) and 2012( 44. 67%,285 /638),respectively. HFMD occurred all the year round and the peak of HFMD cases were mainly from April to June each year( 41. 24%,941 /2 282).Most of the cases were children under 5 years( 92. 73%,2 116 /2 282). Of all the cases,1 483 were males and 799 were females. Of the 2 026 cases,1 429( 70. 53%) were mild and 587( 28. 97%) were severe. EV 71 was the predominant pathogen in severe cases( 81. 43%,478 /587),as well as in all death cases( 10 cases). Conclusion EV 71 was the predominant pathogen of HFMD in Dongguan City in 2010.However,other enteroviruses became predominant in 2011 and 2012. EV 71 is still the predominant type for severe and fatal HFMD cases.
Survey on the antibody levels of measles,rubella and mumps among the normal healthy population in Weifang

Objective To know the antibody level of measles,rubella and mumps among the normal healthy persons in Weifang city,to provide the evidences for eliminating measles and controlling rubella and mumps outbreaks.Methods The serum specimens were collected from the helthy persons of the different age groups,and the IgG antibody levels against measles,rubella and mumps were detected by ELISA.Results A total of 320 samples were detected,the positive rate of measles antibody is 98.75% and,96.25% in Changle county and Weicheng district,respectively;the positive rate of rublla antibody is 89.38 % and 91.88% respectively,there is not statistical difference of measles and rublla antibody positive rate between Changle and Weicheng(χ2=1.15,0.59,P0.05);the positive rate of mumps antibody in Changle county is 84.38 %,wereas the positive rate is 66.25% in Weicheng,there is statistical difference of positive rate between two areas(χ2=14.14,P0.01);The range of measles antibody positive rate is 92.50%—100%;the range of rubella antibody positive rate is 87.50%—92.50%;the range of mumps antibody positive rate is 67.50%—85.00%.There is not significance in the different age groups(χ2=13.49,1.58,5.23,P0.05).Conclusions The measles IgG antibody level is high in Weifang city,but the rubella and mumps IgG antibody level is lower.It is necessary to perform the work of checking leak and supplemental vaccinating vaccine in the school-age children.
Deep Voting: A Robust Approach Toward Nucleus Localization in Microscopy Images.

Robust and accurate nuclei localization in microscopy image can provide crucial clues for accurate computer-aid diag In this paper, we propose a convolutional neural network (CNN) based hough voting method to localize nucleus centroids with heavy cluttering and morphologic variations in microscopy images. Our method, which we name as deep voting, mainly consists of two steps. (1) Given an input image, our method assigns each local patch several pairs of voting offset vectors which indicate the positions it votes to, and the corresponding voting confidence (used to weight each votes), our model can be viewed as an implicit hough-voting codebook. (2) We collect the weighted votes from all the testing patches and compute the final voting density map in a way similar to Parzen-window estimation. The final nucleus positions are identified by searching the local maxima of the density map. Our method only requires a few annotation efforts (just one click near the nucleus center). Experiment results on Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) microscopy images proves the proposed method to be state-of-the-art.
Audience Involvement and Agency in Digital Games: Effects on Learning, Game Experience, and Social Presence

One of the most popular audiences of museums is classroom-size groups of students, in the context of school field trips. However, students do not get adequate involvement during interactive group experiences, which might affect their impression and learning gained from the visit. In this paper, we present our findings from a recent study in middle schools, where 507 students were engaged with their class in a learning game about olive oil production. We had two players directly control the game and varied the level of involvement of the audience (the rest of the class), using iPads. We found that higher involvement in the game afforded greater retention of information after two days, while there was no difference after one day. Also, students with direct agency in the game revealed greater learning gains than the audience members. Results about the impact of socioeconomic status and social interactions on learning are reported, along with the most important design implications.
Each Reader Decides if a Replication Counts

The article discusses the value of replication in psychological research studies in response to a commentary to the author's paper on the use of effect-size estimates in testing psychological theories. Topics addressed include the use of the small-telescopes approach in explaining a psychological phenomena, the role of manipulation checks for the small-telescopes test and hypothesis testing. The role of readers in emphasizing the importance of replication is reiterated.
Coincidence Experiments on Sc 46 , Ga 72 , Au 198 , and Rb 86

Gamma-gamma- and beta-gamma-coincidences have been investigated in the disintegration of the active isotopes ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{46}$, ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{72}$, ${\mathrm{Au}}^{198}$, and ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$. Gamma-gamma-correlation was found in ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{46}$ and in ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{72}$ but not in ${\mathrm{Au}}^{198}$ or ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$. The beta-ray spectra of ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{46}$ and ${\mathrm{Au}}^{198}$ are found to be simple on the basis of beta-gamma-coincidence measurements, while those of ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{72}$ and ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$ are complex. Gamma-ray energies and beta-ray maximum energies were determined by absorption methods.
ZmDof3, a maize endosperm-specific Dof protein gene, regulates starch accumulation and aleurone development in maize endosperm

To explore the function of Dof transcription factors during kernel development in maize, we first identified Dof genes in the maize genome. We found that ZmDof3 was exclusively expressed in the endosperm of maize kernel and had the features of a Dof transcription factor. Suppression of ZmDof3 resulted in a defective kernel phenotype with reduced starch content and a partially patchy aleurone layer. The expression levels of starch synthesis-related genes and aleurone differentiation-associated genes were down-regulated in ZmDof3 knockdown kernels, indicating that ZmDof3 plays an important role in maize endosperm development. The maize endosperm, occupying a large proportion of the kernel, plays an important role in seed development and germination. Current knowledge regarding the regulation of endosperm development is limited. Dof proteins, a family of plant-specific transcription factors, play critical roles in diverse biological processes. In this study, an endosperm-specific Dof protein gene, ZmDof3, was identified in maize through genome-wide screening. Suppression of ZmDof3 resulted in a defective kernel phenotype. The endosperm of ZmDof3 knockdown kernels was loosely packed with irregular starch granules observed by electronic microscope. Through genome-wide expression profiling, we found that down-regulated genes were enriched in GO terms related to carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, ZmDof3 could bind to the Dof core element in the promoter of starch biosynthesis genes Du1 and Su2 in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the aleurone at local position in mature ZmDof3 knockdown kernels varied from one to three layers, which consisted of smaller and irregular cells. Further analyses showed that knockdown of ZmDof3 reduced the expression of Nkd1, which is involved in aleurone cell differentiation, and that ZmDof3 could bind to the Dof core element in the Nkd1 promoter. Our study reveals that ZmDof3 functions in maize endosperm development as a positive regulator in the signaling system controlling starch accumulation and aleurone development.
Optical Sensing of Electric Fields in Harsh Environments

Fiber optic electric field sensors are ideal for characterizing the electric field in many different systems. Unfortunately, many of these systems produce one or more noise types, like vibrational noise which contribute to a harsh sensing environment on the fiber optic sensor. When fiber optic sensors are placed in a harsh vibration environment, multiple noise types can overwhelm the measurements. This work shows how to simultaneously eliminate three different noise types in a fiber optic sensor induced by a harsh vibration environment. Specifically, nonlocalized vibration-induced interferometric noise is up converted to higher frequency bands by single-tone phase modulation. Then, localized vibrational noise, and radio frequency noise are all eliminated using a push–pull slab coupled optical sensor configuration to allow for an optical measurement of an electric field in a harsh environment.
Nonunion After Clavicle Osteosynthesis: High Incidence of Propionibacterium acnes.

Objective The objective of this study was to review the etiology of clavicle nonunions after osteosynthesis and investigate the outcomes of a treatment with a single-stage revision. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Orthopaedic specialty hospital. Patients Twenty cases of nonunion after osteosynthesis of the clavicle were identified. The average age was 44 years (±13 years). In 9 cases, there was catastrophic implant failure that prompted the revision surgery. In the 18 cases in which cultures were taken, 15 of the 18 (83%) were treated as infections with a course of antibiotics. In 14 cases, the cultures were positive for Propionibacterium acnes. Results Fifteen patients were treated with a prolonged course of antibiotics. Eighteen patients had follow-up, and the average time to radiographic union was 22 weeks. There were no cases of nonunion after revision surgery. Conclusions There is a high rate of positive cultures in cases of nonunion after osteosynthesis of the clavicle. This suggests the etiology of midshaft clavicle nonunions may result from a combination of suboptimal mechanical fixation and latent infection. Our treatment protocol of superior and anterior plating, interfragmentary fixation, bone grafting, and appropriate antimicrobial treatment of latent infections has resulted in 100% union rate. Level of evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Design, Manufacture, and Quasi-Static Testing of Metallic Negative Stiffness Structures within a Polymer Matrix

A composite material system comprised of a monostable negative stiffness (NS) structure within a polymer matrix was designed, fabricated, and experimentally evaluated. The monostable negative stiffness (NS) structure was designed using a combination of analytical and numerical models and manufactured in stainless steel. The NS structure was arranged in parallel with different polymer matrices to experimentally evaluate the effects of the matrix properties on the overall stiffness and energy dissipation of the composite NS-matrix system when loaded in uniaxial compression. A strong influence of the matrix properties on the stiffness and energy absorption capacity of the composite system was observed. Unlike conventional composites for which there is a natural tradeoff between stiffness and energy absorption capacity, the composite NS-matrix system enhanced stiffness while simultaneously improving energy absorption relative to a neat matrix, but only when the stiffness of the matrix was carefully matched to the stiffness of the NS structure.
Discovery and characterization of single nucleotide polymorphisms in two anadromous alosine fishes of conservation concern

Freshwater habitat alteration and marine fisheries can affect anadromous fish species, and populations fluctuating in size elicit conservation concern and coordinated management. We describe the development and characterization of two sets of 96 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays for two species of anadromous alosine fishes, alewife and blueback herring (collectively known as river herring), that are native to the Atlantic coast of North America. We used data from high-throughput DNA sequencing to discover SNPs and then developed molecular genetic assays for genotyping sets of 96 individual loci in each species. The two sets of assays were validated with multiple populations that encompass both the geographic range and the known regional genetic stocks of both species. The SNP panels developed herein accurately resolved the genetic stock structure for alewife and blueback herring that was previously identified using microsatellites and assigned individuals to regional stock of origin with high accuracy. These genetic markers, which generate data that are easily shared and combined, will greatly facilitate ongoing conservation and management of river herring including genetic assignment of marine caught individuals to stock of origin.
Your golden age of device research

Twenty-five years ago I had the honor of serving as technical program chair for the 50th Device Research Conference. For the plenary session we invited grey beards: Chapin Cutler, Makoto Kikuchi, Jim Early, and Herb Kroemer. I enjoyed the talks and after the session a young attendee remarked how great it must have been to be involved in the device research the plenary speakers recounted. I agreed that the grey beards had done great work, but noted that if I had been doing device research then I might have been too witless to see BJTs through the lens of the point contact transistor, too lazy to bring the junction laser to practical utility, too slow to see heterojunctions everywhere. After all, there were a lot of old device researchers not giving plenary talks and many companies had come and gone. I also noted that I had had a lot of fun working on devices in more recent times, and that I greatly preferred the parameter analyzer and electron microscopes I used to the curve tracers and worse of my predecessors. I've had the pleasure of participating in every DRC but one since 1979 (the one due to the birth of my younger son), with, if I have counted correctly, 44 talks from myself or my students, including some firsts or bests such as ultra-short-gate-length self-aligned GaAs MESFETs, superconducting JFETs, Ge MOSFETs, high mobility organic (pentacene) TFTs, flexible electronics demos, fast oxide semiconductor devices, and more.
Harmonic L P Functions and Quasiharmonic Degeneracy

The class OHL P of Riemannian manifolds which do not carry harmonic L P functions was introduced and its relations to other harmonic null classes discussed in [42]. In the present paper we take up the problem of relations of OHL P to quasiharmonic null classes O QX of Riemannian manifolds, denned by QX = Φ.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle LOS Large-Scale Doppler Channel Model Using GSCM

The Doppler effect is typically an impairment for wireless communications in mobile-to-mobile environments. Multipath effects leading to delay dispersion at the receiver can create a challenging doubly selective time-frequency channel response. In Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, small-scale effects of the V2V channel over short durations are well understood. However, observing the Doppler response over longer durations can provide observations directly related to the vehicle dynamics. Understanding the channel contributions of the Doppler response in the macro could enable context aware Doppler sensing leading to enhanced collision avoidance or location based services. To model the large-scale Doppler channel response, geometry-based stochastic channel models (GSCM) provide the best representation of how the Doppler profile is changing with the vehicle motion (or lack of). In this novel work, we build upon an existing GSCM by including the double-bounced scattering off the participating vehicles themselves and validating these contributions through real-world experimentation. The model enables the study of a potentially new sensor in connected vehicle networks: the large-scale Doppler response, in which mobile scatters are observable and the V2V radio can be aware of the surrounding communication environment.
TID and SEL test results for texas instruments' LMX2492 14 GHz PLL

Texas Instruments' automotive grade, 14 GHz PLL, LMX2492QRTWTQ1 was put through total ionizing dose and heavy ion testing.
Density-functional theory based molecular dynamics simulation of tetrahedrite thermoelectrics: Effect of cell size and basis sets

Abstract In this work we investigated the effect of cell size and basis sets on the structural and dynamic properties from density-functional theory based molecular dynamics simulations. Three simulations, 1 × 1 × 1 cell with plane wave (PW) basis set, 1 × 1 × 1 cell with atomic orbital (AO) basis, and 2 × 2 × 2 cell with AO basis, were performed at 300 K on a model material: tetrahedrite thermoelectric Cu10Zn2Sb4S13. It was found that lattice parameters, vibrational spectra, heat capacity, and EXAFS spectra are comparable for three simulations. In addition, the 2 × 2 × 2 cell can provide access to length scales closer to the hydrodynamic limit, which allow us to identify the sound/acoustic modes in momentum/velocity correlation, as well as quasi-localized modes that are possibly responsible for its low lattice thermal conductivity.
Alterations in Global Radiation Fluxes: Implications for Forest Health

Advances in global monitoring, climate modeling, and atmospheric and oceanic dynamics over the last 10 years have emphasized the need for biologists to become involved with ecosystem interaction with global-scale as well as local- and regional-scale air pollutants. This chapter will introduce potential interactions temperate forests may have with global-scale air contaminants. Global-scale pollutants, in contrast to local and regional contaminants, are released into the troposphere all around the earth by anthropogenic and natural sources, are capable of polluting the entire atmosphere of the earth, and may have their greatest significance to forest ecosystems by indirect consequences associated with alterations of radiation fluxes to and from the earth.
Hierarchical Controlled Component Synthesis of Large Space Structures

Abstract This paper describes a new framework called Controlled Component Synthesis for the design of multi-level decentralized controllers for large flexible structures. In contrast to the existing decentralized control approach in which the design begins with a given dynamic model of the flexible structure, controlled components are built and assembled into a controlled flexible structure that meets performance specifications. A simple truss structural control problem is employed to illustrate the design procedures, as well as demonstrate the potentials of the developed method for controlling very large dimensional truss structures.
Efficient algorithms for segmenting globally optimal and smooth multi-surfaces

Despite extensive studies in the past, the problem of segmenting globally optimal single and multiple surfaces in 3D volumetric images remains challenging in medical imaging. The problem becomes even harder in highly noisy and edge-weak images. In this paper we present a novel and highly efficient graph-theoretical iterative method with bi-criteria of global optimality and smoothness for both single and multiple surfaces. Our approach is based on a volumetric graph representation of the 3D image that incorporates curvature information. To evaluate the convergence and performance of our method, we test it on a set of 14 3D OCT images. Our experiments suggest that the proposed method yields optimal (or almost optimal) solutions in 3 to 5 iterations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first algorithm that utilizes curvature in objective function to ensure the smoothness of the generated surfaces while striving for achieving global optimality. Comparing to the best existing approaches, our method has a much improved running time, yields almost the same global optimality but with much better smoothness, which makes it especially suitable for segmenting highly noisy images.
Income Elasticity Decomposition Models and Determinants of U.S. Pharmaceutical Expenditures

Prescription drugs are the third largest component of U.S. healthcare spending, and quickly growing. This novel study provides greater information on consumer behavior in the market for prescription drugs, and how that behavior may vary due to fluctuating economic conditions, using an annual panel dataset. Specifically, the research presented applied the income elasticity decomposition methodology to prescription drug expenditures, deriving both its quality and quantity components. Per capita gross domestic product and median home values were used interchangeably to test whether alternative income concepts affect income elasticity estimates. The system generalized method of moments three-stage least squares estimation results revealed that the: (a) 0.647 short-run income elasticity comprises 0.453 and 0.194 in quantity and quality components; (b) long-run income elasticity estimate of 0.167 has 0.027 and 0.140 quantity and quality components. Pharmaceuticals were found to behave as a necessity and normal good with significant tendencies for long-run consumption shifts towards quality. Further illustrated are supply and demand-side impacts, with policy implications for Medicare and Medicaid programs, among others.
Information Transfer to the Geoscientist Through the International Union of Geological Sciences

The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) promotes information transfer by distribution of formal publications, and by sponsoring conferences and symposia which lead to informal information transfer between geoscientists. Data have been collected which show that IUGS publications are well-distributed in United States geoscience libraries. Frequency of citation of IUGS publications shows that some of these publications are being used by many geoscientists. An annual bibliography of all IUGS publications is needed as these publications are often difficult to identify and obtain. IUGS fosters some useful informal contact between geoscientists, but its role could be expanded.
Prioritizing the Investments Needed to Avoid the Unmanageable (Mitigation) and to Manage the Unavoidable (Adaptation)

According to the present “scientific evidence,” the “unmanageable” is part of our possible futures. Mitigation of CO2 emissions is an imperative. There are many sources of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and however global the mitigation effort may be, it has a strong local component. The rest of the world has a vested interest in mitigation efforts everywhere. It is a case of “act locally but think globally.” Mitigation involves also transitioning to a greener economy. Adaptation, on the other hand, is the purview of individual countries. Their needs and situations differ widely. Most countries have an adaptive capacity gap, including the USA (Preston et al. 2011). That was eloquently illustrated by the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought to New Orleans in August 2005. Still, the gap is as a rule more pronounced in poor countries, which are also the least equipped to fill it. Furthermore, adaptation intersects with other concerns: “Climate change adds to the list of stressors that challenge our ability to achieve the ecologic, economic and social objectives that define sustainable development” (IPCC 2007).
G9a and G9a-Like Histone Methyltransferases and Their Effect on Cell Phenotype, Embryonic Development, and Human Disease

Post-translational modifications of histone proteins alter the topology of the chromatin, which affect genome accessibility and thus, impact gene regulation. One type of histone modification that has a profound effect on the chromatin is methylation, where specific marking of lysine or arginine residues within the N-terminal tails of the histone core proteins control chromatin packaging and transcriptional dynamics throughout the genome. Two important histone methyltransferases are G9a and G9a-like protein-1 (GLP), whose enzymatic activities have a major influence on cell phenotype, embryonic development, cancer progression, and other human diseases. This review will provide an overview of the structural and enzymatic properties of G9a and GLP, the development of pharmacological reagents that target their catalytic activities, the impact of these enzymes on cell biology, embryogenesis, cancer progression, neurological and other human diseases. In addition, we will examine the known non-histone targets of the enzymes, to understand how G9a and GLP influence biological responses beyond their effect on histone proteins. Emphasis will be placed on highlighting the latest discoveries and examining the experimental details of several key studies that have contributed to our current understanding of the biological significance of G9a and GLP.
Widespread global increase in intense lake phytoplankton blooms since the 1980s

Freshwater blooms of phytoplankton affect public health and ecosystem services globally1,2. Harmful effects of such blooms occur when the intensity of a bloom is too high, or when toxin-producing phytoplankton species are present. Freshwater blooms result in economic losses of more than US$4 billion annually in the United States alone, primarily from harm to aquatic food production, recreation and tourism, and drinking-water supplies3. Studies that document bloom conditions in lakes have either focused only on individual or regional subsets of lakes4–6, or have been limited by a lack of long-term observations7–9. Here we use three decades of high-resolution Landsat 5 satellite imagery to investigate long-term trends in intense summertime near-surface phytoplankton blooms for 71 large lakes globally. We find that peak summertime bloom intensity has increased in most (68 per cent) of the lakes studied, revealing a global exacerbation of bloom conditions. Lakes that have experienced a significant (P < 0.1) decrease in bloom intensity are rare (8 per cent). The reason behind the increase in phytoplankton bloom intensity remains unclear, however, as temporal trends do not track consistently with temperature, precipitation, fertilizer-use trends or other previously hypothesized drivers. We do find, however, that lakes with a decrease in bloom intensity warmed less compared to other lakes, suggesting that lake warming may already be counteracting management efforts to ameliorate eutrophication10,11. Our findings support calls for water quality management efforts to better account for the interactions between climate change and local hydrological conditions12,13. Analyses show that the peak intensity of summertime phytoplankton blooms has increased in 71 large lakes globally over the past three decades, revealing a worldwide exacerbation of bloom conditions.
Influence of curcumin on performance and post-exercise recovery

Intense exercise, especially involving eccentric contractions, causes muscle damage concomitant with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to increased fatigue and decrements in physical performance. Additionally, inflammatory cytokines and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are produced as a result of eccentric exercise and may further lead to decreased exercise performance. Nutritional interventions may provide an avenue to respond to and reduce the symptoms associated with muscle damage. Of recent interest, curcumin, the main constituent in the spice turmeric, has been the focus of various studies considering post-exercise recovery. Curcumin has potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce the accumulation of AGEs. This review considers the current evidence for curcumin to impact muscle recovery following exercise to improve performance and the potential mechanisms of action. To date, clinical studies have considered the potential role of curcumin to reduce muscular damage following treadmill running (downhill and flat), conventional walking/running, cycling (acute and chronic), single-leg jumping (downhill), and eccentric muscular fitness exercises of the upper and lower body (single- and double-leg). Studies have been conducted in sedentary to highly active men and women, both young and old, with supplementation duration lasting from a single, acute dose to daily dosages for three months. Various curcumin-based interventions have improved self-perceived measures of pain and tenderness, reduced evidence of muscle damage, ameliorated inflammatory markers, increased markers of antioxidant capacity, diminished markers of oxidative stress, reduced markers of AGEs, and attenuated loss in mean power of single-leg sprints. However, these findings have not been consistently reported.
Piezoceramic Electrodynamic Wireless Power Receiver Using Torsion Mode Meandering Suspension

This paper reports the design, fabrication and experimental characterization of an electrodynamic wireless power transmission (WPT) receiver that utilizes a meander-shaped suspension and two piezo-ceramic transducers to achieve up to 8.2 mW/cm$^{3}\cdot$ mT2 normalized power density (NPD). The system operates at its torsion mode mechanical resonance of 211 Hz. The 2.5 cm3 prototype generates 3.3 mW average power (1.3 mW/cm3 power density) at a distance of 3 cm from a transmitter coil that is operating at the maximum allowable human exposure limit (a maximum 2 mT rms field generated at the center of the coil). Compared to prior works, the proposed design affords the use of multiple piezo transducers within a compact footprint while maintaining a form factor suitable for low-profile system implementation for bio-implantable and wearable applications.
De novo production of human extracellular matrix supports increased throughput and cellular complexity in 3D skin equivalent model

Three-dimensional (3D) tissue models of human skin are being developed to better understand disease phenotypes and to screen new drugs for potential therapies. Several factors will increase the value of these in vitro 3D skin tissues for these purposes. These include the need for human-derived extracellular matrix (ECM), higher throughput tissue formats, and greater cellular complexity. Here, we present an approach for the fabrication of 3D skin-like tissues as a platform that addresses these three considerations. We demonstrate that human adult and neonatal fibroblasts deposit an endogenous ECM de novo that serves as an effective stroma for full epithelial tissue development and differentiation. We have miniaturized these tissues to a 24-well format to adapt them for eventual higher throughput drug screening. We have shown that monocytes from the peripheral blood can be incorporated into this model as macrophages to increase tissue complexity. This humanized skin-like tissue decreases dependency on animal-derived ECM while increasing cellular complexity that can enable screening inflammatory responses in tissue models of human skin.
Modern Trends in Operative Time and Outcomes in Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

Study Objective To describe trends in utilization of laparoscopic (TLH) and vaginal hysterectomy (TVH) for benign indications in a modern cohort of women and to evaluate whether TVH remains associated with lower operative times and postoperative complications as compared to TLH or laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), as prior research suggests. Design A secondary analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Route of surgery was identified by current procedural terminology code. Primary outcomes included operative time and rates of major and minor complications. Secondary outcomes included changes in route of surgery over time. Setting N/A Patients or Participants Between 2008 and 2018, 161,626 women underwent a minimally invasive hysterectomy for benign indications without concomitant procedures. Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results Descriptive, bivariate and multivariable mixed regression analyses were used to assess differences in outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic factors and medical comorbidities. Sensitivity analyses used a propensity-score matched cohort to balance groups across time. Rates of TVH fell from 51 to 13 percent between 2008 and 2018, while TLH increased from 12 to 68 percent (p Conclusion This analysis highlights recent shits in rates of minimally invasive hysterectomy and brings to light a resultant shift in the complication rates associated with each surgical approach, as laparoscopic hysterectomy has lower rates of complications than vaginal hysterectomy despite longer operative times.
The Role of the Blood-Brain Barrier in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis

A relationship between the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been suspected ever since Dawson1 demonstrated that MS plaques were located close to small cerebral blood vessels. Broman2 then proved that a loss of impermeability of the BBB did indeed exist at the site of the plaques, but it took almost 50 years to determine if this alteration of the BBB was the result of the destruction of myelin or was an important step leading to lesion formation. The availability of neuroimaging technics, first computer assisted tomography (CT) aided by iodine-containing contrast media, and more recently and more importantly, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium enhancement, has added considerably to our understanding of the crucial role played by this structure in the development of MS. This means that some questions remain unanswered and must await further investigation.
Parameterizing tropical curves, I: Curves of genus zero and one

In tropical geometry, given a curve in a toric variety, one defines a corresponding graph embedded in Euclidean space. We study the problem of reversing this process for curves of genus zero and one. Our methods focus on describing curves by parameterizations, not by their defining equations; we give parameterizations by rational functions in the genus-zero case and by nonarchimedean elliptic functions in the genus-one case. For genus-zero curves, those graphs which can be lifted can be characterized in a completely combinatorial manner. For genus-one curves, we show that certain conditions identified by Mikhalkin are sufficient and we also identify a new necessary condition.
Acoustic monitors and direct observations provide similar but distinct perspectives on bird assemblages in a lowland forest of eastern Ecuador

Bird communities in lowland Neotropical forests exhibit temporal and spatial variation in species composition and abundance at multiple scales. Detecting and explaining such variation requires adequate methods for sampling those bird communities but counting birds in highly diverse lowland forests of the Neotropics can be particularly challenging. Point counts are one of the most frequently used methods for counting birds in tropical forests but inter- and intra-observer variability in detecting and identifying sounds may cause problems. Acoustic monitors (passive acoustic monitors; autonomous recording units) provide an alternative and potentially effective method to sample bird communities by acting, in effect, as "point counts", recording vocalizations at a given point for a set time. I used acoustic monitors to examine patterns of species richness, spatial distribution, and community composition of birds in a lowland forest in eastern Ecuador, one of the most diverse regions on earth. I deployed monitors at 25 locations, each separated by at least 200 m, on each of two 100-ha plots (Harpia, Puma) at Tiputini Biodiversity Station during January-February, 2013-2017. Monitors were set to record for 10 min followed by a 5-min break, from 0545 h to 0810 h (10 recording periods/morning). Recordings were later reviewed to identify species; no attempt was made to distinguish individuals or to estimate distance. Results were compared with contemporaneous direct observations along transects on the same plots. A total of 214 species were identified from recordings on both plots, combined, with slightly more on Harpia (208) than on Puma (188). Number per year ranged from 142 on Harpia in 2016 to 161 on Puma in 2015. Number per point was ~45 with an overall range of 29-68. Number of species detected in recordings was similar to but somewhat less than the number recorded during direct observations. Number of species recorded increased rapidly from the first period (0545-0555 h) to the third (0615-0625 h) but showed little subsequent change. Most species were recorded at relatively few points; the four most widely distributed species were the same on both plots (Patagioenas plumbea, Xiphorhynchus guttatus, Capito aurita, Ramphastos tucanus), all of which are relatively loud canopy or subcanopy species. Ordinations based on species composition illustrated differences between plots based on both recordings and direct observations; similarly, patterns of species composition differed between methods. Acoustic monitors can be an effective tool for sampling bird communities and may be particularly effective and efficient for sampling loud species with distinctive songs. Nonetheless, results from monitors may provide different perspectives on species composition when compared to direct observations. Which method is preferred likely will depend on the specific objectives of individual studies.
Inaccurate Ethnicity and Race Classification of Hispanics following Trauma Admission.

BACKGROUND Race and ethnicity are associated with disparate trauma outcomes. This study seeks to characterize accuracy of trauma registry classification of patient race and ethnicity and to identify factors associated with misclassification. METHODS A prospective observational study of patients admitted to an urban Level 1 trauma center was conducted over a 6-mo period. Race and ethnicity data recorded in the trauma registry were compared to patients' self-identifying data obtained through in-person interviews. Logistic regression determined rates of discordant race and ethnicity between trauma registry and patient self-identification processes, and identified factors independently associated with misclassification. RESULTS A total of 444 patients were recruited. 98 (22%) self-identified as Hispanic/Latino. 45 patients self-identifying as Hispanic (45.9%) had inaccurately recorded ethnicity in the trauma registry. There was an increased odds of ethnicity misclassification in younger patients (OR 0.97, P < 0.01) and Spanish-only speakers (OR 11.80, P < 0.001). A decreased odds was found in males (OR 0.43, P < 0.05). No factors increased odds of racial misclassification, while dual English/Spanish speakers (OR 0.05, P < 0.01) wereas found to have decreased odds. Neither ethnicity nor race misclassification was associated with clinical variables. New racial self-identification was observed with 75% of patients who self-identified ethnically as Hispanic also self-identifying racially as Hispanic. CONCLUSIONS Hispanic trauma patients have racial and ethnic misclassifications regardless of clinical status. Racial and ethnic identification is not sufficiently captured by current standardized questionnaires. Accuracy of hospital level racial data is important for local and national policies to address trauma disparities.
Reinforcement Learning and Dynamic Programming

Abstract Reinforcement learning refers to a class of learning tasks and algorithms based on experimented psychology’s principle of reinforcement. Recent research uses the framework of stochastic optimal control to model problems in which a learning agent has to incrementally approximate an optimal control rule, or policy, often starting with incomplete information about the dynamics of its environment. Although these problems have been studied intensively for many years, the methods being developed by reinforcement learning researchers are adding some novel elements to classical dynamic programming solution methods. This article provides a brief account of these methods, explains what is novel about them, and suggests what their advantages might be over classical applications of dynamic programming to large-scale stochastic optimal control problems.
Prognostic Significance of Cutaneous Adverse Events Associated With Pembrolizumab Therapy.

The goal of cancer immunotherapy is to harness the immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells, with the potential to produce durable responses that may translate into curative outcomes in patients with metastatic cancers. Results from multiple randomized clinical trials have established immune checkpoint inhibitors as the most successful class of immunotherapies to date. These include monoclonal antibodies that reinvigorate T cell responses by blocking cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), two coinhibitory receptors that regulate T cell activation.