cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of poultry manure–derived biochars on nutrients bioavailability and chemical properties of a calcareous soil

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to investigate the effects of poultry manure (PM) and its derived biochars on chemical properties of a calcareous soil. PM and biochars prepared at 200°C (B200), 300°C (B300) and 400°C (B400) were applied to a calcareous soil at 2% level (w/w) and incubated for 150 days. Selected soil chemical properties and phosphorous, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper availability and recovery were determined at 1, 15, 45 and 150 days of incubation. Soil nutrients availability, organic carbon (OC), electrical conductivity (EC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased by addition of all organic substances. Biochars prepared at higher temperatures were more effective in increasing soil OC with higher durability compared to other treatments. The addition of PM and B200 decreased soil pH, whereas B400 increased it. Although the highest soil EC was observed in B300- and B400-treated samples in the early stages of incubation, the rate of increase in soil EC was higher for PM- an...
Characterizing the differences between the 2D and 3D measurements of spine in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Although adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is known to impact the 3D orientation of the spine and pelvis, the impact of the vertebral position relative to the X-ray scanner on the agreement between 2D and 3D measurements of a curve has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the agreement between 2D and 3D measurements of the scoliotic curve as a function of the 3D spinal parameters in AIS. Three independent observers measured the thoracic and lumbar Cobb angles, Kyphosis, and lordosis on the posterior–anterior and lateral X-rays of AIS patients. The 3D reconstructions were created from bi-planar X-rays and the 3D spinal parameters were calculated in both radio and patient planes using SterEOS software. The degree of agreement between the 2D and 3D measurements was tested and its relationship with the curve axial rotation was determined. 2D and 3D measurements of the sagittal plane spinal parameters were significantly different (p < 0.05). The differences between the 2D and 3D measurements were related to the apical vertebrae rotation, the orientation of the plane of maximum curvature, pelvic axial rotation, and the curve magnitude. Differences between the radio plane and patient plane measurements were related to the pelvic axial rotation, Cobb angles, and apical vertebrae rotation, p < 0.05. Clinically and statistically significant differences were observed between the 2D and 3D measurements of the scoliotic spine. The differences between the 2D and 3D techniques were significant in sagittal plane and were related to the spinal curve and pelvic rotation in transverse plane.
Small Center Kidney Transplantation

AbstractWe herein present the results of our first 100 kidney transplants. The 1-year patient and graft survivals were 94 and 74 per cent, respectively, for living related grafts, and 85 and 57 per cent, respectively, for cadaver grafts. These results compare favorably to the recent standards set by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Standards Committee (95.1, 78.6, 88.6 and 55 per cent).Initial hospitalization averaged 21 plus or minus 7 days, while hospitalization during the first year after transplantation averaged 35 plus or minus 21 days. Average expenses (Medicare reimbursed) during the first 12 months after kidney placement were $29,572 plus or minus $6,468 for 15 successive patients. A total of 22 complications occurred within 1 year of transplantation and 11 required surgical management. Of 24 patients who survived 1 year with loss of graft function 15 (62 per cent) required transplant nephrectomy. Causes of death and types of complications are presented. Our results suggest that high qu...
Reflective Consciousness, Phenomenalism, Epiphenomenalism

Nietzsche develops negative arguments against conscious subject things, against the existence of certain species of consciousness perennially popular with philosophers, and against views of consciousness that fail to acknowledge its embodiment. He also argues positively that where it is discovered, reflective consciousness exists only as a property of psychological states and then only as a property of some but not all of those states. These arguments are the topic of Section I. Nietzsche’s speculative explanations imply certain contemporary views in neuroscience of consciousness and neuroscientifically informed philosophy of mind that fly under the banner of embodied and embedded cognitive neuroscience of consciousness.
Photophysical comparisons of PEGylated porphyrins, chlorins and bacteriochlorins in water

Comparison of the photophysics of analogous members of the porphyrin, chlorin, and bacteriochlorin family has rarely been carried out, and most studies of individual members have been performed in non-aqueous media. Advances in synthesis and molecular design now enable such comparative studies in aqueous solution. A water-soluble bioconjugatable free base porphyrin (FbP1) has been synthesized, complementing recently prepared chlorin and bacteriochlorin analogues. The porphyrin (a trans-AB architecture; i.e., 5,15-substitution pattern) is equipped with one meso-aryl group that bears three short polyethylene glycol (PEG) substituents at the 2,4,6-positions for aqueous solubility, and one meso-aryl group that bears an oxyacetic acid group at the p-position for bioconjugation. Spectroscopic examination of porphyrin FbP1 gave the following quantum yields in DMF versus water: fluorescence (Φf = 0.077 vs. 0.066), intersystem crossing (Φisc = 0.90 vs. 0.84), and internal conversion (Φic = 0.023 vs. 0.094). The increase in Φic upon moving from DMF into water reflects the 4-fold increase in rate constant for internal conversion, from (600 ns)−1 to (140 ns)−1. Photophysical comparisons (τS, kf, kic, kisc, Φf, Φic, Φisc) were made with analogous chlorins and bacteriochlorins in DMF and water. The value of kic in both media increases in the order (visible-absorbing) porphyrin < (red-absorbing) chlorin < (near-infrared-absorbing) bacteriochlorin, consistent with the general S1-energy dependence of kic expected on the basis of the energy-gap law for non-radiative decay. In summary, there are now satisfactory molecular designs, viable synthetic routes, and thoroughly characterized photophysical properties that permit aqueous solution studies of a complement of porphyrins, chlorins, and bacteriochlorins.
Small Molecule Inhibition of SIRT Activity: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common adult hematologic malignancy in the United States and is characterized by a unique form of progressive bone destruction. Although new treatments such as bortezomib (BZ), carfilzomib and IMIDs have provided benefit to many patients with MM, drug resistance remains a very significant problem. Patients diagnosed with high-risk MM in particular are in urgent need of more effective therapeutic strategies in order to improve their survivorship. The sirtuin deacetylases (SIRTs, SIRT1-7) are critical epigenetic regulators that control longevity, cell growth, tumor suppression, and apoptosis. Elevated SIRT expression has been reported in several types of cancer and may promote pathogenesis and drug resistance by increasing the lifespan and survival capacity of malignant cells. Our preliminary analysis of SIRT expression indicated that SIRT1 was consistently expressed at significantly higher levels in primary MM cells from patients with high-risk disease than those with favorable risk MM or normal CD138+ controls. We investigated the role of SIRT1 as a potential regulator of MM pathogenesis and evaluated the benefit of SIRT inhibition as a novel strategy for MM therapy. A series of experiments established a mechanistic relationship between MYC and SIRT1 in that SIRT1 increased MYC protein stability and transcriptional activity. Disruption of SIRT1 function through targeted knockdown or with the small molecule inhibitor tenovin-6 (T6) directly led to the reduction in the expression of key MYC transcriptional targets that play important roles in MM pathogenesis including cyclin D and MAF. Subsequent analyses revealed that U266 and RPMI-8226 cells with acquired BZ resistance exhibited significantly higher basal SIRT1 expression levels (p Disclosures Carew: Boehringer Ingelheim: Research Funding.
MYOCARDITIS AND RHABDOMYOLYSIS INCIDENCE WITH IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have expanded treatment options for a number of cancer types by enhancing anti-tumor immune responses. Specifically, ipilimumab, an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) antibody, and nivolumab, an anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) antibody,
Consequences of MEGF10 deficiency on myoblast function and Notch1 interactions

Mutations in MEGF10 cause early onset myopathy, areflexia, respiratory distress, and dysphagia (EMARDD), a rare congenital muscle disease, but the pathogenic mechanisms remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of Megf10, as well as overexpression of the pathogenic human p.C774R mutation, leads to impaired proliferation and migration of C2C12 cells. Myoblasts from Megf10-/- mice and Megf10-/-/mdx double knockout (dko) mice also show impaired proliferation and migration compared to myoblasts from wild type and mdx mice, whereas the dko mice show histological abnormalities that are not observed in either single mutant mouse. Cell proliferation and migration are known to be regulated by the Notch receptor, which plays an essential role in myogenesis. Reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation studies show that Megf10 and Notch1 interact via their respective intracellular domains. These interactions are impaired by the pathogenic p.C774R mutation. Megf10 regulation of myoblast function appears to be mediated at least in part via interactions with key components of the Notch signaling pathway, and defects in these interactions may contribute to the pathogenesis of EMARDD.
A Categorical Content Analysis of Highly Cited Literature Related to Trends and Issues in Special Education

This investigation employs categorical content analysis processes as a mechanism to examine trends and issues in a sampling of highly cited (100+) literature in special education journals. The authors had two goals: (a) broadly identifying trends across publication type, content area, and methodology and (b) specifically identifying articles with disaggregated outcomes for students with learning disabilities (LD). Content analyses were conducted across highly cited (100+) articles published during a 20-year period (1992-2013) in a sample ( n = 3) of journals focused primarily on LD, and in one broad, cross-categorical journal recognized for its impact in the field. Results indicated trends in the article type (i.e., commentary and position papers), content (i.e., reading and behavior), and methodology (i.e., small proportions of experimental and quasi-experimental designs). Results also revealed stability in the proportion of intervention research studies when compared to previous analyses and a decline in the proportion of those that disaggregated data specifically for students with LD.
A new squat lobster species of the genus Munida (Decapoda, Anomura, Munididae) from the deep-sea off the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Munida michaeli , a new species of deep-sea squat lobster (Munididae), is described and illustrated on the basis of a single male specimen collected off Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, at depths of 641-650 m. It closely resembles M. sacksi Macpherson, 1993 known with certainty only from the Philippines, but different spination of the carapace dorsum and the greatly reduced armature of the flexor margins of the ambulatory dactyli distinguish the new species from the latter. With the addition of the present new species, 41 species of Munida Leach, 1820 are now known from Japanese waters.
Retargeting Lentiviruses via SpyCatcher-SpyTag Chemistry for Gene Delivery into Specific Cell Types.

We report a simple strategy for the creation of lentiviral vectors specific to any desired target cells. SpyTag is inserted into an engineered Sindbis virus envelope protein and displayed on the lentivirus surface to create Sindbis virus-SpyTag pseudoparticles (Sind-SpyTag-pp). The SpyTag serves as the covalent anchoring site for a target-cell-specific cell-binding protein (CBP) that is fused to a truncated SpyCatcher (SpyCatcherΔ). Target-cell-specific lentiviruses are created by mixing the Sind-SpyTag-pp and CBP-SpyCatcherΔ in vitro We first used a HER2-binding designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin.9.26) as the model CBP. The DARPin-conjugated lentivirus transduced HER2+ SKOV3 cells with an infectious titer of 5.2 × 106 IU/ml, >500-fold higher than the unfunctionalized "naked" virions (<104 IU/ml). The ability of the DARPin-conjugated lentivirus to transduce HER2+ cells correlated with the surface expression level of HER2. Furthermore, these lentiviruses preferentially transduced HER2+ cells in cocultures containing HER2+ and HER2- cells. To enable the use of commercially available monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) as the CBP, we developed a convenient click chemistry-based approach to conjugate MAb-derived Fab fragments to a variant SpyCatcherΔ protein containing a nonnatural amino acid, 4-azido-l-phenylalanine (AzF). Using the HER2-binding trastuzumab as a model cell-specific MAb, we created Fab-conjugated lentiviral vectors that transduced HER2+ SKOV3 cells with an infectious titer of 2.8 × 106 IU/ml, on par with the result achieved using the DARPin-SpyCatcherΔ fusion protein. The ability to create cell-specific lentiviral vectors through chemical conjugation of a CBP should make this approach generalizable to any antibody, giving it broad utility for a wide range of research and clinical applications.IMPORTANCE Lentiviral vectors hold great potential in gene therapy. However, it remains a major hurdle to robustly engineer cell-specific lentiviral vectors. This article reports a simple and effective strategy to functionalize lentiviral vectors with cell-binding proteins, thus retargeting these viruses to cells expressing the binding partner of the CBP. The CBP is genetically or chemically linked to the SpyCatcher. The SpyTag is displayed on the virion surface as a fusion to an engineered Sindbis virus envelope protein and is used as the anchorage site for SpyCatcher-linked CBP. Using this strategy, we created lentiviral vectors highly infectious toward HER2+ cancer cells. The ability to rapidly create cell-specific lentiviral vectors targeting a wide range of cell types should accelerate the development of custom lentiviral vectors for many research and clinical applications.
Moving forward in a reverse estuary: habitat use and movement patterns of black drum (Pogonias cromis) under distinct hydrological regimes.

Understanding the effects of freshwater inflow on estuarine fish habitat use is critical to the sustainable management of many coastal fisheries. The Baffin Bay Complex (BBC) of south Texas is typically a reverse estuary (i.e., salinity increases upstream) that has supported many recreational and commercial fisheries. In 2012, a large proportion of black drum (Pogonias cromis) landed by fishers were emaciated, leading to concerns about the health of this estuary. In response to this event and lacking data on black drum spatial dynamics, a 2-year acoustic telemetry study was implemented to monitor individual-based movement and seasonal distribution patterns. Coupled with simultaneous water quality monitoring, the relationship between environmental variables and fish movement was assessed under reverse and “classical” estuary conditions. Acoustic monitoring data suggested that the BBC represents an important habitat for black drum; individuals exhibited site fidelity to the system and were present for much of the year. However, under reverse estuary conditions, fish summertime distribution was constrained to the interior of the BBC, where food resources are limited (based on recent benthic sampling), with little evidence of movement across the system. Out of eight environmental variables used to model fish movement using multiple linear regression, the only significant variable was salinity, which exhibited a negative relationship with movement rate. These findings suggest that prolonged periods of hypersalinity, which are detrimental to other euryhaline species due to increased osmoregulatory costs, reduce black drum distribution patterns and can limit the species’ access to benthic habitats supporting abundant prey resources.
Transplantation tolerance through mixed chimerism: From allo to xeno

To date, the only successful means of achieving allogeneic transplantation tolerance in the clinic has involved induction of mixed lymphohematopoietic chimerism. Such chimerism was first achieved in mice and subsequently in large animals, including miniature swine, monkeys and most recently humans. The mechanism of tolerance has differed between models, involving both deletional and regulatory mechanisms, in varying proportions, depending on the model. Considerable progress has also been made toward induction of tolerance across the xenogeneic pig-to-primate barrier, although complete success has not yet been achieved. The two approaches toward xenograft tolerance currently being investigated both involve establishment of a mixture of host and donor cells in the thymus, in one case through administration of donor bone marrow to the recipient and in the other through vascularized donor thymus transplantation to a thymectomized recipient. Hopefully, a combination of these approaches may provide an effective means for achieving full tolerance and thereby bringing xenograft organ transplantation to the clinic.
Processing of Acidic Deposition

Deposition of atmospheric acidity has been implicated in negative effects both to vegetation surfaces (e.g., Fairfax and Lepp 1975; Evans et al. 1981; Lovett et al. 1985) and to soil chemistry (e.g., Ulrich 1983; Binkley et al. 1989a). An important goal of the Integrated Forest Studies (IFS) was to monitor important pathways of acid deposition to a wide range of forest types, with consistent protocols over the same period of years. With this information we could examine patterns in nutrient cycling or ecosystem nutrient release across sites in relationship to acid deposition.
Advances in the treatment of pediatric obsessive-compulsive d-cycloserine with exposure and response prevention.

Exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications are efficacious treatment options for the management of pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder. Despite established efficacy, many youths receiving either therapy remain symptomatic after acute treatment. Regardless of the rationale for persistent symptoms, a clear need emerges for treatment options that restore functioning efficiently to symptomatic youths. One innovative approach builds upon the identified role of NMDA receptors in the fear extinction process. Instead of breaking existing connections during fear extinction, new associations develop that eventually predominate over prior associations. Recent investigations have explored augmenting exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy with the NMDA partial agonist d-cycloserine, with preliminary results demonstrating expedited treatment gains and moderately larger effects above exposure and response prevention therapy alone. A large randomized clinical trial is underway to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of this therapeutic combination in pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder. Results from this trial may translate into improved management practices.
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression and activity are induced by amyloid-beta 1-42 in brain derived cells.

One of the early events in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the extracellular deposition of amyloid-beta peptide (An), a 39- to 43- amino acid cleavage product of the transmembrane glycoprotein, amyloid precursor protein. Excess A13 within the brain has long been thought to play a major role in AD pathogenesis, however, the mechanisms of its actions are highly debatable. Recent evidence suggests that inflammation may be the pathogenetic link between AP deposition and neuronal death (Halliday et al., 2000).
Adolescent Attentional Bias toward Real-world Flavored E-cigarette Marketing.

Objectives E-cigarettes are now the most commonly-used tobacco product among adolescents; yet, little work has examined how the appealing food and flavor cues used in their marketing might attract adolescents' attention, thereby increasing willingness to try these products. In the present study, we tested whether advertisements for fruit/sweet/savory-flavored ("flavored") e-cigarettes attracted adolescent attention in real-world scenes more than tobacco flavored ("unflavored") e-cigarettes. Additionally, we examined the relationship between adolescent attentional bias and willingness to try flavored e-cigarettes. Methods Participants were 46 adolescents (age range: 16-18 years). All participants took part in an eye-tracking paradigm that examined attentional bias to flavored and unflavored e-cigarette advertisements embedded in pictures of real-world storefront scenes. Afterwards, participants' willingness to try flavored and unflavored e-cigarettes was assessed. Results In support of our primary hypothesis, adolescents looked longer and fixated more frequently on flavored (vs unflavored) e-cigarette advertisements. Moreover, this attentional bias towards flavored e-cigarette advertisements predicted a greater willingness to try flavored vs unflavored e-cigarettes. Conclusions These findings suggest that flavored e-cigarette marketing attracts the attention of adolescents, in- creases their willingness to try flavored e-cigarette products, and could, therefore, put them at greater risk for tobacco initiation.
Segmental Maxillary Osteotomy to Close Wide Alveolar Clefts.

Wide alveolar clefts are challenging to treat and are often associated with a higher chance of failure requiring repeated bone grafts. Even if successful, an excessively large cleft leads to a wide edentulous space, and patients are faced with prolonged orthodontic treatment. We present a series of large alveolar clefts closed with the aid of segmental maxillary osteotomies. Cases of alveolar clefts treated by segmental maxillary osteotomy from 2014 to 2016 were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans were analyzed to assess the alveolar gap and bone filling. Demographic characteristics, diagnoses, and operative techniques were reviewed and described. A total of 10 alveolar fistulae were addressed, using 6 segmental osteotomies in 6 patients. Of the cases, 66% were bilateral. There were 4 female and 2 male patients with an average age of 12.6 years. The average preoperative cleft width was 14.2 mm on computed tomography scans. Postoperatively, all clefts were successfully closed and no adverse effects were observed. Segmental maxillary osteotomy with concurrent bone grafting and fistula closure is an effective approach to treat excessively wide alveolar clefts. This enables a prudent dental substitution or prosthodontic plan while minimizing prolonged orthodontia, in addition to achieving the traditional goals of alveolar bone grafting (stabilizing the maxillary arch, closing fistulae, and permitting canine eruption).
Connecting measured BRDFs to analytic BRDFs by data-driven diffuse-specular separation

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is crucial for modeling the appearance of real-world materials. In production rendering, analytic BRDF models are often used to approximate the surface appearance since they are compact and flexible. Measured BRDFs usually have a more realistic appearance, but consume much more storage and are hard to modify. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for connecting measured and analytic BRDFs. First, we develop a robust method for separating a measured BRDF into diffuse and specular components. This is commonly done in analytic models, but has been difficult previously to do explicitly for measured BRDFs. This diffuse-specular separation allows novel measured BRDF editing on the diffuse and specular parts separately. In addition, we conduct analysis on each part of the measured BRDF, and demonstrate a more intuitive and lower-dimensional PCA model than Nielsen et al. [2015]. In fact, our measured BRDF model has the same number of parameters (8 parameters) as the commonly used analytic models, such as the GGX model. Finally, we visualize the analytic and measured BRDFs in the same space, and directly demonstrate their similarities and differences. We also design an analytic fitting algorithm for two-lobe materials, which is more robust, efficient and simple, compared to previous non-convex optimization-based analytic fitting methods.
Impact of games for better language learning

This study examines the purpose of using games in the kids’ second language classroom and its’ benefits for the learners. Further, it investigates the possibility of using games during the class sessions as a strategy to make the students active learners. As the study suggests it is possible for the teachers to use it as a strategy in the classroom and they should give the concern to see the practical issues that can arise with the learning and teaching process. Anyhow this study has given an outline with evidence about the areas that the teachers can use games for better language learning especially for kids in their second language classroom.
Leaching of ANC and Chromium from Concrete: Effect of Aging Simulated by Sample Carbonation

Chemicals leached from concrete are an important way that urban stormwater can influence water quality. In this study, we evaluated the weathering properties of sidewalk samples and tested how carbonation (exposure to elevated levels of gaseous CO2) can be used to simulate natural aging of concrete. The experiments focused on acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), which is known to be released by concrete in large amounts, and Cr(VI), because of its established carcinogenicity and prevalence in concrete. Chemical weathering of crushed sidewalk samples was measured with upflow recirculating columns carrying simulated acid rain. The weathering rate of ANC from four different samples was found to decrease after 1 week of exposure to a 5% carbon dioxide atmosphere and to remain constant thereafter through 8 weeks of carbonation treatment. In contrast, weathering of chromium (VI) increased after exposure to a 5% carbon dioxide atmosphere for 1 week, though it also remained stable from then through 8 weeks of carbonation. Almost all ions approached steady state after 2.5 h in the recirculation columns irrespective of carbonation time. The main contributor of ANC was Ca2+ ion, though this was partly balanced by an unexpectedly high amount of SO42−. A notable exception to the temporal leaching pattern was largely un-ionized Si, which continued to increase in concentration for at least 3 days of recirculation. Si levels were also higher than is generally observed for aluminosilicate weathering in small watersheds, a novel finding.
Association of Clinical Characteristics With Variation in Emergency Physician Preferences for Patients.

Importance Much of the wide variation in health care has been associated with practice variation among physicians. Physicians choosing to see patients with more (or fewer) care needs could also produce variations in care observed across physicians. Objective To quantify emergency physician preferences by measuring nonrandom variations in patients they choose to see. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used a large, detailed clinical data set from an electronic health record system of a single academic hospital. The data set included all emergency department (ED) encounters of adult patients from January 1, 2010, to May 31, 2015, as well as ED visits information. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019. Exposure Patient assignment to a particular emergency physician. Main Outcomes and Measures Variation in patient characteristics (age, sex, acuity [Emergency Severity Index score], and comorbidities) seen by emergency physicians before patient selection, adjusted for temporal factors (seasonal, weekly, and hourly variation in patient mix). Results This study analyzed 294 915 visits to the ED seen by 62 attending physicians. Of the 294 915 patients seen, the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (19.8) years and 176 690 patients (59.9%) were women. Many patient characteristics, such as age (F = 2.2;P Conclusions and Relevance This study found preference variation across physicians and within physicians during the course of a shift. These findings suggest that current efforts to reduce practice variation may not affect the variation associated with physician preferences, which reflect underlying differences in patient needs and not physician practice.
Constructing Imperial and National Identities: Monstrous and Human Bodies in Book of Watchers, Daniel, and 2 Maccabees:

Monster theory illuminates the construction of imperial and national identities in the portrayals of monstrous and human bodies in three early Jewish texts; Book of Watchers, Daniel, and 2 Maccabee...
Backscatter WERS for trace chemical analyte detection using a handheld spectrometer

Waveguide-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (WERS) enables the detection and identification of trace concentrations of vapor-phase analytes using a functionalized chip-scale photonic circuit. Here, we show that WERS signal can be collected from part-per-billion levels of targeted analytes in a backscatter geometry, which, compared to forward-scatter, simplifies component integration and is more tolerant of waveguide loss and modal interference. In addition, we discuss our progress towards a compact Raman sensing system that incorporates a handheld spectrometer and chip-scale optical filters. We demonstrate that a handheld, thermo-electrically cooled spectrometer can be used for backscatter WERS with a comparable signal-to-noise to that of a liquid-nitrogen cooled benchtop spectrometer. Finally, we describe efforts to integrate the dichroic Raman filter on-chip using arrays of unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers. Measurements show filter performance sufficient for integration with WERS: Transmission of >80% of the laser in the cross port and Stokes signal in the through port; and extinction of the laser by >20 dB in the though port and of Stokes signal by >8 dB in the cross port.
The Good, the Bad, and the Data: Shane the Lone Ethnographer’s Basic Guide to Qualitative Data Analysis: by Sally Campbell Galman, New York, NY, Routledge, 2016, 104 pp., $29.00 (paperback), $18 eBook.

The Good, the Bad, and the Data is the latest volume in a series of graphic guides aimed at students learning ethnographic methods. It tackles an important resource need, because coding qualitative...
A Framework That Describes the Challenges of the High Jewelry Market in the US

The fine jewelry market took a major hit during the financial crisis of 2008–2010. Even though jewelry sales increased when the economy recovered and boosted consumers’ confidence, today fine jewel...
Estimating relative prevalence of competing issue voting rules in multiparty elections using finite mixture modeling

Abstract How do citizens of democratic polities translate their policy preferences into voting choices? Proximity and directional theories of issue voting offer different answers to this question that have strong implications for parties’ strategies. Controlled scenarios in imaginary two-candidate contests have gained popularity as a method to estimate proportions of proximity and directional voters in the population. However, this method is not always applicable in comparative research where scholars often have to study multiparty elections with observational data. In the present paper, I demonstrate how relative prevalence of different issue voting rules can be estimated using finite mixture modeling. Using both a paradigmatic and a recent case, I demonstrate that the mixture model predicts observed voting choices better than the alternatives. I also show how finite mixture modeling can be used to study individual-level characteristics of proximity and directional voters using education as an example.
Individual responsibility towards providing water and wastewater public goods for displaced persons: How much and how long is the public willing to pay?

Abstract In 2019, the number of displaced persons worldwide reached a historic peak. When those displaced arrive in hosting cities, local utilities, often with no additional money, are tasked with meeting unexpected demands. One way to recoup these costs is to raise rates. However, publics are not always willing to share their own financial resources and utilities. In this empirical study, we quantitatively assess the residents’ perceived individual responsibility—or willingness to pay—for these expanded services. Here we seek to not only identify if an individual is willing to financially support the provision of services for those displaced via an increase in their own rates, but also, to quantify how long they are willing to support these services. Further, we explore factors that influence this perceived individual responsibility. Enabling this study is survey data from the German public in 2016, a time when the asylum seekers, who were displaced by instability in the Middle East, encountered increased public opposition. We find respondents who are male, wealthier, more highly educated, and more urban are more willing to pay for services for displaced populations. These results can inform awareness campaigns or changes in rates and rate structures.
Twarog, Emily E. LB., Politics of the Pantry: Housewives, Food, and Consumer Protest in Twentieth-Century America: New York: Oxford University Press, 208 pp., $38.95, ISBN 9780190685591, Publication Date: October 2017

Emily E. LB. Twarog’s Politics of the Pantry: Housewives, Food, and Consumer Protest in Twentieth-Century America is an extraordinarily well-researched account of housewives’ activism in consumer p...
Rick Kay: And Now for the Rest of the Story

In this essay, Professor Pomp reflects on Richard Kay’s influence on UConn, the legal world, and on Pomp’s life. Professor Kay was a key player in Dean Blumberg’s plan to elevate UConn to national prominence. And Pomp, after spending one day with Kay while visiting UConn for the first time, was eager to join the team despite offers from better law schools. Professor Kay was an early pioneer of the approach to constitutional interpretation known as “originalism.” Though an unpopular view in the early days of Kay’s writings, his perspective was later vindicated: originalism has since burst into the mainstream. Pomp describes Kay’s scholarship as straight-forward and unpretentious. He lived his core beliefs with consistency; he quit teaching constitutional law when it had been emptied of content, eroded by a flood of balancing tests. He was also known by many as the funniest person on the faculty. For Pomp, Kay’s office served as a source of laughter, intellectual disagreements, confidences, and prognostication. Pomp and Kay collaborated on numerous, high-profile projects. Together they helped create New York’s independent tax court. And in response to the effect of tax-exempt property on Hartford’s tax base, they drafted proposals resulting in landmark legislation that required the State to pay municipalities for taxes lost due to exempt colleges and hospitals. Also, they worked to convince the State legislature, on behalf of retailers, that gift cards should not expire. Despite entering retirement, Kay has continued with his scholarship. Pomp suspects that Kay, a lifelong intellectual, will never fully retire from academic work.
Capital and Control: Lessons from Malaysia

This paper outlines the lessons of Malaysia's experience with capital controls for other developing countries and the international financial architecture.
Sensor to monitor in-cockpit eye level arterial pulse patency for G-LOC

Human physiology continues to be the limiting factor in aircraft performance. The ability to monitor head level arterial pulsations gives insight into the consciousness of the pilot during high acceleration maneuvers. With the use of acceleration technologies and a post processing algorithm, results indicate an average of over 90% detection of arterial pulsations in a light weight, unobtrusive package that can be implemented into a helmet.
Foreign Bodies in the Stomach

Excerpt The discovery of foreign bodies in the stomach in the course of roentgenologic investigation or laparotomy is not uncommon. The literature on this subject is extensive and includes case his...
On convergence of minimization methods: attraction, repulsion, and selection

In this paper, we revisit the convergence properties of the iterationprocess xk+1=xk−α(xk)B(xk)−1∇f(xk)for minimizing a function f(x). After reviewing some classic results andintroducing the notion of strong attraction, we give necessary andsufficient conditions for a stationary point of f(x) to be a point of strongattraction for the iteration process. Not only this result gives a newalgorithmic interpretation to the classic Ostrowski theorem, but alsoprovides insight into the interesting phenomenon called selectiveminimization. We present also illustrative numerical examples for nonlinearleast squares problems.
Improved clinical trial enrollment in adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology patients after the establishment of an AYA oncology program uniting pediatric and medical oncology divisions.

BACKGROUND: Since 1975, there has been a dramatic increase in the survival rates of pediatric and older cancer patients, but adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients ages 15 to 40 years have not had a similar improvement. Data indicate a direct correlation between increased cure rates and clinical trial enrollment. METHODS: The authors previously published data indicating inferior clinical trial enrollment when AYA patients were treated at an adult oncology center versus a pediatric oncology center. To address this deficit, a joint pediatric and adult AYA Oncology Program was established in July 2006 with the primary objective of improving outcomes by increasing therapeutic clinical trial enrollment in this population. Patients who were referred to that program from July 2006 through June 2010 were examined retrospectively to establish whether clinical trial enrollment increased compared with historic controls. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were referred to the program from 2006 to 2010 (range, 12-16 new patients per year). Eight patients were referred for consultation only and were not treated at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute or Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Five of 22 patients (23%) who received treatment at the pediatric cancer center were enrolled onto a clinical trial, whereas 9 of 27 patients (33%) patients who received treatment at the adult cancer center were enrolled. There was superior trial participation compared with the previous 3 years for those shared AYA patients who were treated at the adult center (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study demonstrated that establishing a unified AYA oncology program can lead to improved clinical trial enrollment for patients who are treated at medical oncology centers. Cancer 2012;3614–3617. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Incorporating generalized quantifiers into description logic for representing data source contents

Systems for helping users to select data sources in an environment, such as the Internet, must be expressive enough to allow a variety of data sources to be formally represented. We build upon and extend the concept language, description logic (DL), to propose a novel representation system to achieve that goal. We point out that there are technical barriers within description logic limiting the types of data sources that can be represented. Specifically, we show that (1) DL is awkward in representing sufficient conditions, and (2) DL can describe properties of a concept itself only in the case of existential quantification. To be concrete, whereas it is easy in DL to say ‘There are some objects in a concept C such that each of them holds the property P’, it is awkward, if not impossible, to say ‘All (Most, More-than-n, More-than-1/2) of those that hold the property P are in the concept C’ or ‘Most (More-than-n, More-than-1/2) of those that are in the concept C hold the property P’. These barriers cause us to extend DL with the notion of generalized quantifiers. We improve the previous results of generalized quantifiers to make them inter-operable with traditional logic. The proposed formalism integrates the nice features of generalized quantifiers into description logic, and hence achieves more expressive power than various representation systems based purely on description logic. It is also shown that our proposed language preserves those mathematical properties that traditional logic-based formalisms are known to hold.
Superior Protection Elicited by Live-Attenuated Vaccines in the Murine Model of Paratuberculosis

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis) causes Johne's disease, a chronic enteric infection in ruminants with severe economic impact on the dairy industry in the USA and worldwide. Currently, available vaccines have limited protective efficacy against disease progression and does not prevent spread of the infection among animals. Because of their ability to elicit wide-spectrum immune responses, we adopted a live-attenuated vaccine approach based on a sigH knock-out strain of M. paratuberculosis (ΔsigH). Earlier analysis of the ΔsigH mutant in mice indicated their inadequate ability to colonize host tissues, unlike the isogenic wild-type strain, validating the role of this sigma factor in M. paratuberculosis virulence. In the present study, we evaluated the performance of the ΔsigH mutant compared to inactivated vaccine constructs in a vaccine/challenge model of murine paratuberculosis. The presented analysis indicated that ΔsigH mutant with or without QuilA adjuvant is capable of eliciting strong immune responses (such as interferon gamma-γ, IFN-γ) suggesting their immunogenicity and ability to potentially initiate effective vaccine-induced immunity. Following a challenge with virulent strains of M. paratuberculosis, ΔsigH conferred protective immunity as indicated by the reduced bacterial burden accompanied with reduced lesions in main body organs (liver, spleen and intestine) usually infected with M. paratuberculosis. More importantly, our data indicated better ability of the ΔsigH vaccine to confer protection compared to the inactivated vaccine constructs even with the presence of oil-adjuvant. Overall, our approach provides a rational basis for using live-attenuated mutant strains to develop improved vaccines that elicit robust immunity against this chronic infection.
Terpyridine-based cruciform-Zn2+ complexes as anion-responsive fluorophores.

The synthesis of a terpyridine-appended, zinc-complexed cruciform, 3−Zn2+, and the anion-reactive modulation of its emissive properties in acetone−water mixtures are reported.
North Atlantic cloud cover response to the North Atlantic oscillation and relationship to surface temperature changes

[1] Cloud cover changes over the high-latitude North Atlantic during January associated with the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) are studied using the Polar MM5 regional climate model. The cloud response to the NAO is marked by an increase in cloudiness during the high phase over much of the North Atlantic east of Greenland and an overall decrease in cloudiness west of Greenland. These cloud changes are accompanied by surface cloud radiative forcing anomalies that are of the same sign as the model-simulated surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies in most areas. NAO-related cloud cover changes in January are therefore likely to represent a positive feedback on the SAT changes induced by anomalous atmospheric advection.
Three-dimensional experiment for solid-state NMR of aligned protein samples in high field magnets.

A pulse sequence that yields three-dimensional 1H chemical shift / 1H-15N heteronuclear dipolar coupling / 15N chemical shift solid-state NMR spectra is demonstrated on a uniformly 15N labeled membrane protein in magnetically aligned phospholipid bilayers. Based on SAMPI4, the pulse sequence yields high resolution in all three dimensions at a 1H resonance frequency of 900 MHz with the relatively low rf field strength (33 kHz) available for a lossy aqueous sample with a commercial spectrometer and probe. The 1H chemical shift frequency dimension is shown to select among amide resonances, which will be useful in studies of larger polytopic membrane proteins where the resonances overlap in two-dimensional spectra. Moreover, the 1H chemical shift, which can be measured from these spectra, provides an additional orientationally dependent frequency as input for structure calculations.
Computing the outer and group inverses through elementary row operations

Abstract A new method based on elementary row operations for computing the outer inverse of a given constant matrix is presented. When this method is applied to matrices of index one, a new expression for the group inverse is derived. Through this expression, a more efficient method for computing the group inverse of the square matrix A of order n with rank r ≤ 0.725 n is developed.
STRUCTURE OF ODD-A INDIUM ISOTOPES DETERMINED BY THE (d,$sup 3$He) REACTION.

The nuclear structure of the odd-$A$ indium isotopes with masses 115, 117, 119, 121, and 123 has been studied using the proton pickup reaction Sn ($d$, $^{3}\mathrm{He}$) In with a deuteron bombarding energy of 28.9 MeV. Seven or more levels have been observed in each isotope. Excitation energies have been measured and $l$ values and spectroscopic factors have been extracted from the measured angular distributions. Ground-state $Q$ values have been measured relative to that for $^{116}\mathrm{Sn}$. The five ($d$, $^{3}\mathrm{He}$) spectra are quite similar. The ground state and levels at approximately 0.3 and 0.6 MeV in each nucleus are excited by pickup of a proton from the $1{g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$, $2{p}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, and $2{p}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ orbitals, respectively. These three levels contain approximately 70% of the ${g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$ sum-rule strength, 75% of the ${p}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ strength, and 50% of the ${p}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ strength. There is evidence for additional ${g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$ strength in $l=4$ transitions near 1.4 MeV in each isotope. The existence of these transitions can be explained by an admixture of the ${g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$ hole configuration with the ${\frac{9}{2}}^{+}$ member of the multiplet formed by coupling a ${g}_{\frac{9}{2}}$ hole to the collective ${2}^{+}$ state near 1.2 MeV in the tin core. Transitions to levels weakly excited near 1.0 MeV in $^{115}\mathrm{In}$, $^{117}\mathrm{In}$, and $^{119}\mathrm{In}$ are best reproduced with $l=2$ distorted-wave-approximation curves. If these levels are populated by a one-step $l=2$ direct reaction, it indicates a nonclosure of the $Z=50$ proton shell in the tin ground state. Surprisingly, no $l=3$ transitions corresponding to pickup of protons from the $1{f}_{\frac{5}{2}}$ orbital were observed, even though most of the isotopes were studied up to 3.5-MeV excitation.