cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amplification-free in situ KRAS point mutation detection at 60 copies per mL in urine in a background of 1000-fold wild type

We have examined the in situ detection of a single-nucleotide KRAS mutation in urine using a (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65(PbTiO3)0.35 (PMN-PT) piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) coated with a 17-nucleotide (nt) locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe DNA complementary to the KRAS mutation. To enhance the in situ mutant (MT) DNA detection specificity against the wild type (WT), detection was carried out in a flow with a flow rate of 4 mL min(-1) and at 63 °C with the PEPS vertically situated at the center of the flow in which both the temperature and the flow impingement force discriminated the wild type. Under such conditions, PEPS was shown to specifically detect KRAS MT in situ with 60 copies per mL analytical sensitivity in a background of clinically-relevant 1000-fold more WT in 30 min without DNA isolation, amplification, or labeling. For validation, this detection was followed with detection in a mixture of blue MT fluorescent reporter microspheres (FRMs) (MT FRMs) that bound to only the captured MT and orange WT FRMs that bound to only the captured WT. Microscopic examinations showed that the captured blue MT FRMs still outnumbered the orange WT FRMs by a factor of 4 to 1 even though WT was 1000-fold of MT in urine. Finally, multiplexed specific mutation detection was demonstrated using a 6-PEPS array each with a probe DNA targeting one of the 6 codon-12 KRAS mutations.
Using large mammal communities to examine ecological and taxonomic structure and predict vegetation in extant and extinct assemblages

Evolutionary paleoecology is the study of paleoecological patterns of organization over time. However, identification of such patterns within modern communities must be made before any study over time can be attempted. This research analyzes mammalian ecological diversity of 31 African localities classified into eight vegetation types: forests, closed woodlands, closed woodland/bushland transition, bushlands, open woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, and deserts. Ecological diversity is measured as the relative proportions of large mammal trophic and locomotor behaviors within communities. Trophic and locomotor adaptations are assigned on the basis of published observations and stomach contents of 184 African mammal species. Communities are accordingly described on the basis of total percentages of mammalian trophic and locomotor adaptations. Since many paleoecology studies have been made using taxonomic uniformitarianism, this study also examines taxonomic community structure to compare with ecologically derived patterns. Results indicate that particular types of vegetation have predictable percentages of arboreal, aquatic, frugivorous, grazing, etc. large mammals. Therefore, these adaptations, because they are predictable in extant assemblages, can be used to predict paleovegetation as well as to portray the community structure of fossil assemblages. Taxonomic groupings also can be used to predict vegetation in extant assemblages, and taxonomic patterns in communities are compared with ecological ones. The mammalian communities of the Pliocene fossil locality Makapansgat, South Africa, are interpreted using these ecological and taxonomic methodologies. Trophic and locomotor adaptations are assigned for Makapansgat fossil mammals through morphological examination of each taxon. Vegetation type is predicted for these fossil localities, but ecological and taxonomic differences in the assemblages differ from extant communities.
Questions about a placebo-controlled trial of preventive therapy for tuberculosis in HIV-infected Ugandans.

The study of HIV-seropositive and PPD-positive Ugandan adults included a placebo group of almost 500 persons. The Journal apparently was influenced to publish this study despite reservations because it had been approved by the institutional review board of University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University and all the patients gave informed consent. It is hard to believe that a similar study of coinfected adults in Cleveland would ever have been approved by the same institutional review board. Just what is it that makes such a study possible in Kampala Uganda? The women in the study were of childbearing age and close to 70% of the participants were women. There was a total of 31 cases of tuberculosis in the placebo group. Not only were adults unnecessarily included in a placebo group but their children were also exposed and possibly infected as a necessary consequence of this ethically flawed study. (full text)
Development and Construction of a Prototype Mars Tumbleweed Rover

The Mars Tumbleweed is a prototype wind propelled sc out rover in development for the exploration of Mars. The Tumbleweed harnesses the power of the wind as the only form of propulsion, allowing the rover to traverse much larger distances more quickly than conventional rovers do. The Tumbleweed Earth Demon strator (TED) is the product of North Carolina State University’s senior design project in Aerospace Engineering. The purpose of the TED is to emulate the capabilities of the Mars Tumbleweed in Earth conditions. The senior design class of 2002 -2003 built the first Tumbleweed and the 2004 2005 class built the second iteration of the Mars Tumbleweed, appropriately named the Tumbleweed Earth Demonstrator 2 (TED2). This rover is 3 meters in diameter, while the Mars rover would be 6 meters in diameter. The l arge size of the Mars rover is necessary due to the low atmospheric density on Mars (as compared to Earth) that mandates that the sail area be large in order to generate enough drag for propulsion. The TED2 includes internal sails, full instrumentation, a nd solar panels as well as new design features, such as the double gimbal and Modular Instrument System (MIS). Rolling tests were conducted on campus and two problem areas were identified: the hubs and structural strength. Using these results, a team of five students worked during the summer of 2005 to correct problems, reconstruct the TED, and further the testing. From this research, the TED3 was born, and in total three rovers were built during the summer. The TED3 features new structural materials an d extra structural supports in the form of two side rings and a redesigned hub, but TED3 retained most of the TED2 characteristics. The three new rovers were taken to South Nags Head beach, North Carolina and Lake Toxaway in the mountains of North Carolin a to investigate the overall behavior of the rovers along with the drag and rolling dynamics. Some results of the TED2 were the confirmation that the double gimbal and MIS function properly. The TED3 tests yielded data on the high level of interference i n group situations and the impressive durability of the rover. This paper describes the detailed research and results obtained by the two teams of students.
Energy drink use by adolescents and emerging adults seeking care in the emergency department: Alcohol, drugs, and other risk behaviors

Aims: Consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks by young people presents concerns about the effects on perceived intoxication and risk behaviors. Emergency Department (ED) visits due to energy drinks have risen drastically. Among youth with past-year alcohol use who visited an ED, we assessed frequency of consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks or consuming both on the same occasion (Combined), reasons for and consequences of Combined use, and relationships with drug use and other risk behaviors. Methods: Youth aged14–20 completedpast-year surveys at the ED visit. Among 439 drinkers, mean age was 18.6 years (SD=1.4), 41% were male and 73% were Caucasian. We grouped patients into those who drank alcohol, but not energy drinks (Non-users; 41%, n=178), those who drank alcohol and energy drinks on separate occasions (Separate; 23%, n=103), and those who Combined (36%, n=158). Results: In Combined users, consequences included feeling jittery (71%), trouble sleeping (46%), and increased energy followed by a crash (35%). Reasons for combining were: hiding the flavor of alcohol (39%), liking the taste (36%), and staying awake (32%). Combined users had the highest rates of risk behaviors (e.g., drug use, multiple sex partners, sex after drinking, driving after drinking, alcohol use severity [AUDIT]). Multinomial logistic regression indicated that compared to Non-users, Combined users were more likely to bemale, have had sex after using alcohol/drugs, have used drugs, and have higher AUDIT scores. Combined users, compared to the Separate users, had significantly higher AUDIT scores. Separate users compared to Non-users weremore likely to bemale, and had lower AUDIT scores. Conclusions: Combining energy drinks and alcohol use is a marker for involvement in other risk behaviors among drinking youth. Future longitudinal studies are needed to determine longitudinal relationships of energy drink use on substance use problem trajectories. Financial support: NIAAA 018122.
Foreign Policy as Social Construction: A Post-Positivist Analysis of U.S. Counterinsurgency Policy in the Philippines

Much of the criticism directed at post-positivist international relations has called for more detailed exploration of its implications for specific areas of investigation. At the same time, the study of foreign policy has been largely unaffected by the critical insights offered by post-positivism. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by examining three approaches to foreign policy analysis and the metatheoretical issues underlying each of them. It is suggested that an approach informed by post-positivist insights can provide a useful alternative to traditional ways of studying foreign policy and can facilitate a more critical interpretation of foreign policy practices. The first two approaches, the Cognitive Decisionmaking Approach and the Social Performance Approach, were chosen as a way of differentiating and highlighting the ontological and theoretical issues that are relevant to understanding and situating the Discursive Practices Approach. After examining the three approaches, I use the Discursive Practices Approach to analyze United States' counterinsurgency policy in the Philippines circa 1950.
A Research Outlook for Real-Time Project Information Management by Integrating Advanced Field Data Acquisition Systems and Building Information Modeling

The paper aims to investigate the current research gaps in the application of advanced field data acquisition technologies (e.g. 3D Laser Scanning and Radio Frequency Identification) in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. It starts with an overview of past research done in the area and outlines the processes required to implement these tools. It provides a discussion on related challenges and presents a discussion on potential applications of these tools. The paper suggests an outlook for integrating these systems and Building Information Modeling (BIM) for real-time project information management as a response to the industry's low productivity rates.
Analysis of 182 cases with infantile eczema treated by adjunctive therapy of Mupirocin

Objective:To explore the effect of Mupirocin on infantile eczema.Methods:Clinical data of 182 cases with infantile eczema admitted from Nov 2009 to Jan 2010,who were treated with hydrocortisone butyrate and Mupirocin.Results:The effect of therapy group was significantly different from that of control group(P0.01).Conclusions:Adjunctive therapy of Mupirocin is easy and without side effect.It is worthy extensive clinical application.
Application of vector projection method based on decision-tree-based support vector machines in fault diagnosis for transformer

By applying vector projection method in fault diagnosis for transformer,the problem that how to structure effective SVM hierarchy based on decision-tree-based support vector machines(DTBSVM)is solved.According to the cross situation between classification and classification sample sets,Euclidean distance and radial basis function are utilized to calculate spatial distance and divisibility measure between different classifications,and the sequence on the basis of divisibility measure is made to design more reasonable hierarchy structure for classification.The fault diagnosis model combining one-to-rest with rest-to-rest classification is established by using the method of vector projection on decision-tree-based support vector machines,and it can solve the multi-classification problem better.The method of vector projection aiming at Nclassification problem just constructs(N-1)SVM classifiers and has no unrecognized sector,so the classification process is faster and the generalization ability is better.The test results show that correct-sentence rate increases comparing with traditional three-ratio method and neural network method in fault diagnosis,so the method has better utility value.
A study of the availability of six commercial formulations of isoniazid

The systemic availability of six formulations of isoniazid (INH) were compared. Each of 6 subjects ingested approximately 10 mg. per kilogram each of six formulations of INH. Plasma samples obtained at ¼, ½, ¾, 1, 1 ½, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours after ingestion were analyzed for unmetabolized INH. In order to enable calculation of gastrointestinal absorption kinetics, subjects received an intravenous dose of isoniazid with subsequent INH plasma concentration determinations. Studies of tablet potency, disintegration time, and dissolution rate were also conducted and correlated with in vivo results. All tablets met U.S.P. standards for potency (100 ± 7 mg.) and disintegration time (30 minutes), and all tablets dissolved rapidly. No significant differences were noted among formulations in mean peak INH concentrations (range 10.3 to 11.4 µ.g per milliliter) or in the integral of INH concentration with respect to time between 1 and 8 hours (range 37.5 to 41.4 µ.g-hr./ml.). All tablets were essentially completely absorbed by one hour, and gastrointestinal absorption rate calculations demonstrated no consistent differences among the INH formulations studied. It was concluded that the INH preparations studied were therapeutically equivalent.
Attribution theory and the glass ceiling: Career development among federal employees

Individuals who are not promoted or miss out on developmental opportunities suffer career setbacks that can greatly, and adversely, effect motivation and productivity. Attribution theory examines the causal inferences that subordinates themselves hold as to why they failed to receive promotion or were denied a developmental opportunity. The glass ceiling phenomenon also readily lends itself to attributional interpretations. Using the 1991/1992 Career Development (Glass Ceiling) Survey conducted by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, this study first looked at the barriers to promotion. In general, a pattern emerges in which attributions viewed as long-term and beyond the control of the individual to remedy are strongly attested to. Added to these general perceptions are heightened concerns expressed by women and minorities that the biases and in-group, buddy systems operate even more adversely against them.
Using a Controlled Sail and Tail to Steer an Autonomous Sailboat

We are designing a cheap, mass producible 1 m semi-autonomous robotic sailboat that can navigate the oceans for months using only intermittent external supervision. The boat should efficiently collect environmental data such as salinity, turbidity, fluorescence, and animal sounds. The boat has a symmetric airfoil sail, a thin, bulbed keel, and most notably, an apparently new means of steering: a tail-vane rudder replacing the water rudder. The tail-vane rudder is to the main sail as an elevator is to the wing on an airplane, controlling both the angle-of-attack of the wing and the vehicle orientation. The angle-of-attack of the main wing is set by the tail-vane rudder, and the direction of the boat relative to the wind is set by the mast-rotation motor; the tail-vane rudder turns the boat. 2D and 3D dynamic simulations indicate that the tail-vane rudder design yields both (1) a stable wing angle-of-attack (like other wing-sail boats with hinged main sails); and also (2) boat directional stability relative to the wind (like boats with auto-steer wind-vanes). With fixed control-surface angles, the boat finds and maintains a stable heading, regardless of initial conditions. This directional stability allows the boat to operate intermittently with neither electrical power nor a complex wind-vane, thus reducing demands on batteries and solar cells. Tests show that in light winds the boat can sail stably within approximately \(\pm 45^{\circ }\) of the wind direction. Because of the air tail-vane-, instead of water-, rudder, the boat requires new tacking techniques which we are currently developing. As predicted by 3D simulations, experiments show that in heavy winds the boat has an oscillatory instability. It then finds a stable backwards sailing mode. We have yet-untested ideas for correcting this high-wind instability.
An energy recovery static RAM memory core

In the design of low power circuits, recovered energy or adiabatic logic shows great promise. However work done till date has largely concentrated on implementing logic circuits/families using the principle of energy recovery. Today's VLSI systems integrate random logic, megamodules and memories. Hence, the success of recovered energy logic will depend on the efficient implementation of not just random logic, but also the other components of a VLSI system. In this paper we present a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) Core which operates on the principles of energy recovery, and can be implemented without compromising greatly on area or circuit complexity. The design addresses the issue of building very low powered memory circuits in VLSI systems. Our results indicates energy savings of 84% for read operations and 85% savings for write operations.
Growth of Twin Quarter Horses

Abstract Equine twins that survive gestation and the first few days postparturition are relatively rare, and growth data for equine twins are missing from the published literature. Documentation of the growth and developmental patterns of equine twins should be helpful in establishing expected rates of growth and in evaluating nutritional and management protocols best suited to equine twins. Weekly body weights were recorded on Quarter Horse twins over a span of approximately 640 days, and both body weights and average daily gain were compared to singleton Quarter Horse foals and standard growth curves. Average daily gain measurements showed a steady increase over the 640-day period, suggesting that the twins were undergoing catch-up growth. It is of particular note; although not surprising, that the twins do not follow any of the predicted growth curves. The frequency of measurements allow for a high-resolution perspective on short-term changes in the rate of gain and highlight the potential for further research on the normal patterns of equine growth. The data presented here are a unique study of the early growth pattern of equine twins.
Indirect Adaptive Neurocontrol Scheme for a Static Compensator Connected to a Power System

Abstract An indirect adaptive neurocontrol scheme for a Static Compensator connected to a power system using two Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) is presented in this paper. The ANNs are trained online and there is no need for offline data. The neurocontroller has a better performance in adaptively controlling the Static Compensator and damping the system transients, compared to conventional controllers. Preliminary results are provided to show the performance of the neurocontroller for large disturbances.
p115 RhoGEF activates the Rac1 GTPase signaling cascade in MCP1 chemokine–induced vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation

Although the involvement of Rho proteins in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases is well studied, little is known about the role of their upstream regulators, the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs). Here, we sought to identify the RhoGEFs involved in monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1)–induced vascular wall remodeling. We found that, among the RhoGEFs tested, MCP1 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p115 RhoGEF but not of PDZ RhoGEF or leukemia-associated RhoGEF in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). Moreover, p115 RhoGEF inhibition suppressed MCP1-induced HASMC migration and proliferation. Consistent with these observations, balloon injury (BI) induced p115 RhoGEF tyrosine phosphorylation in rat common carotid arteries, and siRNA-mediated down-regulation of its levels substantially attenuated BI-induced smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, resulting in reduced neointima formation. Furthermore, depletion of p115 RhoGEF levels also abrogated MCP1- or BI-induced Rac1–NFATc1–cyclin D1–CDK6–PKN1–CDK4–PAK1 signaling, which, as we reported previously, is involved in vascular wall remodeling. Our findings also show that protein kinase N1 (PKN1) downstream of Rac1–cyclin D1/CDK6 and upstream of CDK4–PAK1 in the p115 RhoGEF–Rac1–NFATc1–cyclin D1–CDK6–PKN1–CDK4–PAK1 signaling axis is involved in the modulation of vascular wall remodeling. Of note, we also observed that CCR2–Gi/o–Fyn signaling mediates MCP1-induced p115 RhoGEF and Rac1 GTPase activation. These findings suggest that p115 RhoGEF is critical for MCP1-induced HASMC migration and proliferation in vitro and for injury-induced neointima formation in vivo by modulating Rac1–NFATc1–cyclin D1–CDK6–PKN1–CDK4–PAK1 signaling.
Key process parameters to modify the porosity of cerium dioxide microspheres formed in the internal gelation process

Abstract Recently, an internal gelation study demonstrated that the use of heated urea and hexamethylenetetramine can have a pronounced impact on the porosity and sintering characteristics of cerium dioxide (CeO 2 ) microspheres. This effort has identified process variables that can significantly change the initial porosity of the CeO 2 microspheres with slight modifications. A relatively small difference in the sample preparation of cerium ammonium nitrate and ammonium hydroxide solution had a large reproducible impact on the porosity and slow pour density of the produced microspheres. Increases in the gelation temperature as small as 0.5 K also produced a noticeable increase in the slow pour density. If the gelation temperature was increased too high, the use of the heated hexamethylenetetramine and urea was no longer observed to be effective in increasing the porosity of the CeO 2 microspheres. The final process variable was the amount of dispersing agent, Span™ 80, which can increase the slow pour density and produce significantly smaller microspheres.
Tracing the Roots of Criminal Lifestyle Theory

Chapter 1 provides an overview of lifestyle theory and describes how it is rooted in nonlinear dynamical systems (chaos) theory and the conceptualizations of other criminological theorists. The first half of the chapter introduces the reader to chaos theory, describes what is meant by nonlinear dynamical systems theory, and defines the seven chaotic principles used to clarify concepts and relationships in the lifestyle theory of crime. The second half of the chapter identifies ten theorists or theorist teams that have provided much of the foundation upon which the lifestyle theory of crime is based: i.e., Yochelson & Samenow, Bandura, Sykes & Matza, Farrington & West, Hare, Gottfredson & Hirschi, Sutherland, Clarke & Felson, Cooley & Meade, and Agnew.
Exploring Topics in Elementary Number Theory Through A Computational Experiment

Chapter 8 considers topics in the elementary theory of numbers that span from the time of Pythagoras to the time of Euler and connects ancient ideas about the properties of numbers that concerned Pythagoras and Euclid with more sophisticated interpretation of those ideas by Fermat and Euler. Whereas mathematical explorations that can be included in a computational experiment can be quite significant, software tools allow for hiding some of the complexity and formal structure of mathematics involved. This feature of computing is especially important for mathematics teacher education programs for it enables teacher candidates true engagement in dealing with rather advanced content without the need to have full understanding of the content and command of rigorous argument expected from future professional mathematicians.
Three-dimensional spherical shell convection at infinite Prandtl number using the ‘cubed sphere’ method

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a new finite difference code for modeling three-dimensional thermal convection in a spherical shell using the cubed-sphere method. The equation of motion is solved using a poloidal potential formulation for an iso-viscous, infinite Prandtl number fluid on a finite difference grid and then advective transport is implemented using the second-order multidimensional positive definite advection transport algorithm (MPDATA) scheme of Smolarkiewicz. Because of the high efficiency of multigrid acceleration, low memory requirements, and the second-order accuracy of this model, the cubed-sphere method offers a great deal of potential for simulating the complicated problems of fluid mechanics in spherical geometry. Highly viscous thermal convection in the rocky mantles of the solid planets is the primary process governing their thermal and mechanical evolution over long time scales. This process is driven primarily by the transfer of heat from the interior to the surface. Cartesian domains are often used to obtain an approximation to convective motions in planetary mantles because of their relative simplicity of the relevant equations in a parallel coordinate system. This approximation has proven to be useful for many different problems, although it imposes a geometric symmetry between the upper and lower boundaries that does not exist in spherical geometry.
ENERGY MYTH FIVE - PRICE SIGNALS ARE INSUFFICIENT TO INDUCE EFFICIENT ENERGY INVESTMENTS

When policymakers are pressed to defend government interventions in energy markets, they frequently cite the existence of market failures. And rightly so. Economists are almost uniformly of the opinion that markets should be left alone by government unless market failures are discovered. They go on to caution that government intervention will improve efficiency if – and only if – the prospective intervention remedies one or more of those market failures. And even if market failures exist, actual government policies may not improve market operations because politicians rather than economists design the policies.1 Most of those people who concern themselves with federal or state energy policy are convinced that energy markets are riddled with market failures.2 That’s why most energy initiatives forwarded by the Left and Right would have the government more involved in private decisions about energy production and consumption. While liberals and conservatives may disagree about how the government should intervene in energy markets, they largely agree about whether the government should intervene in energy markets. For instance, environmentalists think market actors will make poor decisions about electricity generation if left to their own devices, so they propose to subsidize or mandate the renewable energy technologies that might otherwise never be employed. Conservatives likewise think market actors will make poor decisions about electricity generation if left to their own devices, but they propose to subsidize nuclear energy rather than wind or solar energy. Five characteristics of energy markets give rise to charges of energy market failure and, thus, provide the justification for government intervention.3
Isolation of centrosomes from Drosophila embryos.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a protocol for the isolation of large quantities of centrosomes from early Drosophila embryos and two protocols for assaying the microtubule-nucleating activity of the isolated centrosomes. These centrosomes display a robust microtubule nucleation activity in vitro, each one generating an array of hundreds of microtubules. These centrosomes have a large amount of pericentriolar material compared to isolated mammalian centrosomes. Other advantages of using Drosophila embryos as a source of centrosomes include the ease of obtaining multigram quantities of embryos in a few hours, the potential for isolating centrosomes from mutant fly stocks, the ability to employ genetics and the unique cell biological properties of live embryos in studying any new proteins identified, and the low cost of maintaining large populations of flies. The yield of active centrosomes from this preparation is typically 1–5 X 107 per sucrose gradient, from the equivalent of 2 g of embryos. Approximately, 5 μg of protein is found in the peak fraction (0.5 ml). Assuming that there is an average of 2500 centrosomes in a Drosophila embryo, and that an embryo is 9.5 μg, the yield is estimated to be an approximately 10%.
Benchmarking Deep Learning Frameworks: Design Considerations, Metrics and Beyond

With increasing number of open-source deep learning (DL) software tools made available, benchmarking DL software frameworks and systems is in high demand. This paper presents design considerations, metrics and challenges towards developing an effective benchmark for DL software frameworks and illustrate our observations through a comparative study of three popular DL frameworks: TensorFlow, Caffe, and Torch. First, we show that these deep learning frameworks are optimized with their default configurations settings. However, the default configuration optimized on one specific dataset may not work effectively for other datasets with respect to runtime performance and learning accuracy. Second, the default configuration optimized on a dataset by one DL framework does not work well for another DL framework on the same dataset. Third, experiments show that different DL frameworks exhibit different levels of robustness against adversarial examples. Through this study, we envision that unlike traditional performance-driven benchmarks, benchmarking deep learning software frameworks should take into account of both runtime and accuracy and their latent interaction with hyper-parameters and data-dependent configurations of DL frameworks.
Information Has Value: Teaching with the ACRL Framework in a STEM Setting

This paper is adapted from a conference lightning talk held at the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, in June 2018. It describes two teaching examples of how the Fram...
A hybrid plasmonic waveguide for sub-wavelength confinement and long range propagation

We describe the coupling between surface plasmons and semiconductor fiber modes across a nano-scale gap leading to “capacitor-like” energy storage for sub-wavelength transmission and long range propagation. The approach could enable nano-scale semiconductor-based plasmonics.
Analysis of Variance, Design, and Regression: Linear Modeling for Unbalanced Data, Second Edition

Analysis of Variance, Design, and Regression: Linear Modeling for Unbalanced Data, Second Edition presents linear structures for modeling data with an emphasis on how to incorporate specific ideas (hypotheses) about the structure of the data into a linear model for the data. The book carefully analyzes small data sets by using tools that are easily scaled to big data. The tools also apply to small relevant data sets that are extracted from big data. New to the Second Edition Reorganized to focus on unbalanced data Reworked balanced analyses using methods for unbalanced data Introductions to nonparametric and lasso regression Introductions to general additive and generalized additive models Examination of homologous factors Unbalanced split plot analyses Extensions to generalized linear models R, Minitab®, and SAS code on the author’s website The text can be used in a variety of courses, including a yearlong graduate course on regression and ANOVA or a data analysis course for upper-division statistics students and graduate students from other fields. It places a strong emphasis on interpreting the range of computer output encountered when dealing with unbalanced data.
Vernacular Politics in New Participatory Media: Discursive Linkage Between Biometrics and the Holocaust in Israel

In 2017, after vociferous public debate and strong opposition, Israel ratified a law sanctioning establishment of a mandatory biometric database. This study examines online vernacular texts that address this initiative through Holocaust imageries in four participatory platforms: Facebook, Twitter, user comments to journalistic items, and open forums ( N = 272). Applying discourse analysis to these texts, it asks (1) how participants construct Israel’s Biometric Project and how the narratives promoted thereby coalesce into a larger story about the country’s surveillance; (2) how this construction shapes the public status of the Holocaust in Israel; and (3) whether and how new media affordances support and encourage these processes. The article corresponds with perspectives that are alternative to the traditional model of the public sphere. Drawing on the concepts of vernacular creativity and cultural citizenship, it conceptualizes the discursive merger of biometrics and the Holocaust as online vernacular politics that attests to civic engagement.
Effects of Grains, Marbling and Sex on Pork Tenderness and Composition

The objectives were to determine the effects of kind of dietary grain on muscle and carcass characteristics of 216 barrows and gilts and the effects of marbling amount on muscle composition and tenderness of 88 barrows and gilts selected to fit three marbling groups
Enabling Scalable Multifluid Plasma Simulations Through Block Preconditioning

Recent work has demonstrated that block preconditioning can scalably accelerate the performance of iterative solvers applied to linear systems arising in implicit multiphysics PDE simulations. The idea of block preconditioning is to decompose the system matrix into physical sub-blocks and apply individual specialized scalable solvers to each sub-block. It can be advantageous to block into simpler segregated physics systems or to block by discretization type. This strategy is particularly amenable to multiphysics systems in which existing solvers, such as multilevel methods, can be leveraged for component physics and to problems with disparate discretizations in which scalable monolithic solvers are rare. This work extends our recent work on scalable block preconditioning methods for structure-preserving discretizatons of the Maxwell equations and our previous work in MHD system solvers to the context of multifluid electromagnetic plasma systems. We argue how a block preconditioner can address both the disparate discretization, as well as strongly-coupled off-diagonal physics that produces fast time-scales (e.g. plasma and cyclotron frequencies). We propose a block preconditioner for plasma systems that allows reuse of existing multigrid solvers for different degrees of freedom while capturing important couplings, and demonstrate the algorithmic scalability of this approach at time-scales of interest.
Cell Type Development in Chlamydia trachomatis Follows a Program Intrinsic to the Reticulate Body

Abstract The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) is reliant on an unusual developmental cycle consisting of two cell forms termed the elementary body (EB) and the reticulate body (RB). The EB is infectious and utilizes a type III secretion system and preformed effector proteins during invasion, but does not replicate. The RB replicates in the host cell but is non-infectious. This developmental cycle is central to chlamydial pathogenesis. In this study we developed mathematical models of the chlamydial developmental cycle that account for potential factors influencing the timing of RB to EB cell type switching during infection. Our models predicted that two broad categories of regulatory signals for RB to EB development could be differentiated experimentally; an “intrinsic” cell autonomous program inherent to each RB or an “extrinsic” environmental signal to which RBs respond. To experimentally differentiate between these hypotheses, we tracked the expression of Ctr developmental specific promoters using fluorescent reporters and live cell imaging. These experiments indicated that EB production was not influenced by increased MOI or by superinfection, suggesting the cycle follows an intrinsic program that is not influenced by environmental factors. Additionally, live cell imaging of these promoter constructs revealed that EB development is a multistep process linked to RB growth rate and cell division. The formation of EBs followed a cell type gene expression progression with the promoters for euo and ihtA active in RBs, while the promoter for hctA was active in early EBs/intermediate cells and finally the promoters for the true late genes, hctB, scc2, and tarp active in the maturing EB. Importance Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacteria that can cause trachoma, cervicitis, urethritis, salpingitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. To establish infection in host cells Chlamydia must complete a multi cell type developmental cycle. The developmental cycle consists of two specialized cells; the EB which mediates infection of new cells and the RB which replicates and eventually produces more EB cells to mediate the next round of infection. By developing and testing mathematical models to discriminate between two competing hypotheses for the nature of the signal controlling RB to EB cell type switching. We demonstrate that RB to EB development follows a cell autonomous program that does not respond to environmental cues. Additionally, we show that RB to EB development is a function of cell growth and cell division. This study serves to further our understanding of the chlamydial developmental cycle that is central to the bacterium’s pathogenesis.
Progress in pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy of children

Incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy of children is increasing in recent years. But, the pathogenesis remains obscure. Genetic factor. viral infection, autoimmunity and apoptosis may play some important roles in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy. We will summarize the progress in pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy of children. Key words: Dilated cardiomyopathy; Pathogenesis; Children
Iris Electron Microscopy

Examination of the ultrastructure of the iris is essential for recognizing the structural specifications and differences in human irides. The vast range of structural differences represent themselves as a variety of different color eyes as it is seen in human populations.
Engineering a methyllysine reader with photoactive amino acid in mammalian cells.

Methyllysine sites in proteins are recognized by an array of reader domains that mediate protein–protein interactions for controlling cellular processes. Herein, we engineer a chromodomain, an essential methyllysine reader, to carry 4-azido-L-phenylalanine (AzF) via amber suppressor mutagenesis and demonstrate its potential to bind and crosslink methylated proteins in human cells. We further develop a first-of-its kind chromodomain variant bearing two AzF units with enhanced crosslinking potential suitable for profiling the transient methyllysine interactome.
Inter-specific Variability in Demographic Processes Affects Abundance-Occupancy Relationships

Abstract Species with large local abundances tend to occupy more sites. One of the mechanisms proposed to explain this widely reported inter-specific relationship is a cross-scale hypothesis based on dynamics at the population level. Called the vital rates mechanism, it uses within-population demographic processes of population growth and density dependence to explain how positive inter-specific abundance-occupancy relationships can arise. Even though the vital rates mechanism is mathematically simple, it has never been tested directly because of the difficulty in estimating the demographic parameters involved. Here, using a recently introduced mark-recapture analysis method on 17 bird species, we show that inter-specific variability in density dependence strength can weaken both abundance-occupancy relationships and the expected corollaries of the vital rates mechanism. We demonstrate that one of the key assumptions of vital rates mechanism, that density dependence strength should be similar among species, is not met for these 17 species. Additionally, the mathematical structure of vital rates mechanism that relate population-level abundance and intrinsic growth rate is only weakly observed in our data. We argue that this mismatch of mathematical structure and data together with the violation of density dependence assumption weakens the expected positive abundance-occupancy association. Vital rates mechanism also predicts conditions under which positive abundance-occupancy association is weakened or even reversed; our results are consistent with these predictions. More generally, our findings support a cross-scale mechanism of macroecological abundance-occupancy relationship emerging from density-dependent dynamics at the population level.
Sex-Related Differences in Neurosensory Alterations Following Blunt Head Injury

Background: There is heterogeneity in neurosensory alterations following mild traumatic brain injury. Commonly assessed neurosensory symptoms following head injury include symptom reports and measures of oculomotor impairment, auditory changes, and vestibular impairment. Hypothesis/Purpose: Neurosensory alterations are prevalent acutely following mild traumatic brain injury secondary to blunt head trauma during collegiate varsity sports and may vary by sex and sport. Study Design: Retrospective study of a large collegiate athletic database. Methods: Analyses were performed using an established single University dataset of 177 male and female collegiate varsity athletes who were diagnosed with concussion/mild traumatic brain injury between September 2013 and October 2019. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed on individual and grouped acute concussion assessments pertaining to neurosensory alterations obtained within 72 h of injury using components of the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool Version 5 and Vestibular/Ocular-Motor Screening. Results: Females had significantly more abnormal smooth pursuit (p-value: 0.045), convergence (p-value: 0.031), and visual motion sensitivity tests results (p-value: 0.023) than males. There were no differences in neurosensory alterations when grouped by overall auditory, vestibular, or oculomotor impairments. The majority of sports-related concussions occurred during football (50, 28.25%), wrestling (21, 11.86%), water polo (15, 8.47%), and basketball (14, 7.91%). Abnormal vestibular assessments were high in these top four sports categories, but statistically significant differences in overall auditory, vestibular, or oculomotor impairments were not reached by individual sport. However, water polo players had higher abnormal individual assessments related to balance reports on the sideline (60.00%, p-value: 0.045) and in the clinic setting (57.14%, p-value: 0.038) as compared to all other sports. Conclusion: While neurosensory alterations are prevalent in both male and female athletes acutely post-concussion, females have a higher incidence of abnormalities in smooth pursuit, convergence, and visual motion sensitivity and may benefit from early rehabilitation.
The impact of prior and ongoing threat on the false alarm threshold for facial discrimination.

Abstract Background and objectives Perceptual adaptations that facilitate rapid responses to threats can also lead to false alarms, or the failure to discriminate safe stimuli from signals of threat. We examined the impact of varying degrees of threat on false alarms in the perceptual discrimination of faces along the dimension of emotion (Experiment 1) or identity (Experiment 2). Methods Participants first trained to discriminate between a target and nontarget face. Next, we tested their ability to identify the target in randomized presentations of the target, the nontarget, and nine novel stimuli morphed in 10% increments of similarity from the target to the nontarget. The task was completed under one of three randomized conditions: 1) Ongoing-Threat paired the target with an aversive outcome in both phases; 2) Prior-Threat paired the target with an aversive outcome in the training phase only; and 3) No-Threat paired the target with a neutral outcome in the training phase only. Results In Experiment 1 (N = 90), Ongoing-Threat lowered the false alarm threshold for facial discrimination based on anger intensity compared to Prior-Threat and No-Threat. In Experiment 2 (N = 90), Ongoing-Threat and Prior-Threat each lowered the false alarm threshold for identity-based discrimination compared to No-Threat. Limitations The experiment did not measure generalization of threat responses. Conclusion Associating a facial expression or identity with threat leads to faster but less accurate discrimination of faces with similar features, particularly under conditions of ongoing threat. These experiments provide an avenue for examining the parameters that impact false alarms, which play a key role in anxiety disorders.
Birds of a Caste - How Caste Hierarchies Manifest in Retweet Behavior of Indian Politicians

The Hindu caste system plays an important role in the socio-political landscape of India. In recent years, Indian politicians have moved a lot of direct communication online. Social media is now an important space for the articulation and performance of their political positions. In this paper, we study ways in which the political performance of caste relations can be captured from the online connections and messaging of parliamentarians in India. We run tests of odds ratios among the members of LokSabha (lower house) of India to find the extent to which their engagement is insular to their own caste group versus other groups. We observe that in the LokSabha network, Members of Parliament (MPs) have higher odds of getting retweeted by others whose caste is the same or closer to their own in the caste hierarchy. The findings of this research shed light on an understudied, yet critical, social relation of caste in the study of political behavior on social media.
Sensors for detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A critical review of development challenges, current sensors, and commercialization obstacles

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of compounds that have become environmental contaminants of emerging concern. They are highly persistent, toxic, bioaccumulative, and ubiquitous which makes them important to detect to ensure environmental and human health. Multiple instrument-based methods exist for sensitive and selective detection of PFAS in a variety of matrices, but these methods suffer from expensive costs and the need for a laboratory and highly trained personnel. There is a big need for fast, inexpensive, robust, and portable methods to detect PFAS in the field. This would allow environmental laboratories and other agencies to perform more frequent testing to comply with regulations. In addition, the general public would benefit from a fast method to evaluate the drinking water in their homes for PFAS contamination. A PFAS sensor would provide almost real-time data on PFAS concentrations that can also provide actionable information for water quality managers and consumers around the planet. In this review, we discuss the sensors that have been developed up to this point for PFAS detection by their molecular detection mechanism as well as the goals that should be considered during sensor development. Future research needs and commercialization challenges are also highlighted.