cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simple method for characterizing and engineering thermal relaxation of an optical microcavity

Thermal properties of a photonic resonator are determined not only by intrinsic properties of materials, such as thermo-optic coefficient, but also by the geometry and structure of the resonator. Techniques for characterization and measurement of thermal properties of individual photonic resonator will benefit numerous applications. In this work, we demonstrate a method to optically measure the thermal relaxation time and effective thermal conductance of a whispering gallery mode microcavity using optothermal effect. Two nearby optical modes within the cavity are optically probed, which allows us to quantify the thermal relaxation process of the cavity by analyzing changes in the transmission spectra induced by optothermal effect. We show that the effective thermal conductance can be experimentally deduced from the thermal relaxation measurement, and it can be tailored by changing the geometric parameters of the cavity. The experimental observations are in good agreement with the proposed analytical modeling. This method can be applied to various resonators in different forms.
Progressive Ambition and Party Switching: Testing the Model on State Legislators

The better-known cases of party switching may be found at the national level (e.g., Arlen Specter, Jim Jeffords), but elite party switching is not confined to the halls of the U.S. Congress. Following the 2010 midterm elections, for instance, a number of state legislators – many of them conservative southern Democrats – decided the time was right to bolt to the Republican Party. Those cases of party switching were widely reported in the media as an indication that on the heels of its historic landslide victory, the GOP had the wind at its back. Theoretically any sitting politician at the national, state, or local level can decide to switch partisan stripes. These numerous opportunities for party switching at all levels of government in the United States can then be leveraged to inform our theoretical understanding of the phenomenon. With a much wider pool of potential party switchers, states legislatures represent another arena in which I can test some empirical implications of my theoretical framework. From the perspective of testing theories of elite decision making, the many cases of party switching at the state level offer at least three distinct advantages. First, we can examine whether the theory and findings from the congressional analyses are generalizable to other settings across time and space. Second, the data allow for more precise estimates if only because of the larger number of cases. Third, as one of the main launching pads for a national career (Berkman 1993; 1994; Canon 1990; Maestas, Maisel, and Stone 2005; Maestas et al. 2006; Schlesinger 1966), state legislatures are an incubator for ambitious politicians with national aspirations. Party switching among state legislators therefore has implications that can spill over to the national stage because it directly affects one of the main pipelines of viable congressional candidates. This chapter serves a very specific goal: to further our understanding of party switching by testing one implication of the theory in the state legislative arena, namely the role of progressive ambition in fueling party switching. The central motivation for this chapter, then, is to test a causal mechanism of the theory with systematic data from an entirely different setting. In short, I examine whether the progressive ambition hypothesis finds support at the state level. In addition, this chapter offers detailed descriptive accounts of specific instances of party switching at the state level.
Viable Seeds from Prehistoric Caches? Archaeobotanical Remains in Southwestern Folklore

A rich oral history exists regarding viable seeds reported to have been taken from prehistoric cultural deposits in the Southwest. In some cases, progeny of these reputed prehistoric seed have been...
Adverse events following pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent and seasonal influenza vaccinations during the 2009-2010 season in the active component U.S. military and civilians aged 17-44years reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

Abstract Background No comparative review of Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) submissions following pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 and seasonal influenza vaccinations during the pandemic season among U.S. military personnel has been published. Methods We compared military vs. civilian adverse event reporting rates. Adverse events (AEs) following vaccination were identified from VAERS for adults aged 17–44 years after pandemic (monovalent influenza [MIV], and seasonal (trivalent inactivated influenza [IIV3], live attenuated influenza [LAIV3]) vaccines. Military vaccination coverage was provided by the Department of Defense’s Defense Medical Surveillance System. Civilian vaccination coverage was estimated using data from the National 2009 H1N1 Flu Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Results Vaccination coverage was more than four times higher for MIV and more than twenty times higher for LAIV3 in the military than in the civilian population. The reporting rate of serious AE reports following MIV in service personnel (1.19 per 100,000) was about half that reported by the civilian population (2.45 per 100,000). Conversely, the rate of serious AE reports following LAIV3 among service personnel (1.32 per 100,000) was more than twice that of the civilian population. Although fewer military AEs following MIV were reported overall, the rate of Guillain–Barre Syndrome (GBS) (4.01 per million) was four times greater than that in the civilian population. (1.04 per million). Conclusions Despite higher vaccination coverage in service personnel, the rate of serious AEs following MIV was about half that in civilians. The rate of GBS reported following MIV was higher in the military.
Linear Stability Analysis for a Reactive, Multiphase Bubble Column

Reactive processes often depend on the dynamic states of the fluid in which the reaction takes place. In this study, we consider coupled momentum and solutal mass transport in a multiphase (gas/liquid) bubble column with a chemical reaction, in a configuration often found in columns used for microorganism growth. We model the reaction with a pseudoreaction term in the concentration balance equation, which represents the growth as a function of species and reactor conditions. We present a linear stability analysis on a two-dimensional bubble column with water as the continuous phase and carbon dioxide as the dispersed phase. It is concluded that in the range of variables examined the flow is always unstable.
Nanomedicine strategies to overcome the pathophysiological barriers of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading causes of cancer- related deaths. PDAC remains one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers, owing to its unique pathobiological features: a nearly impenetrable desmoplastic stroma, and hypovascular and hypoperfused tumour vessels render most treatment options largely ineffective. Progress in understanding the pathobiology and signalling pathways involved in disease progression is helping researchers to develop novel ways to fight PDAC, including improved nanotechnology-based drug-delivery platforms that have the potential to overcome the biological barriers of the disease that underlie persistent drug resistance. So-called 'nanomedicine' strategies have the potential to enable targeting of the Hedgehog-signalling pathway, the autophagy pathway, and specific RAS-mutant phenotypes, among other pathological processes of the disease. These novel therapies, alone or in combination with agents designed to disrupt the pathobiological barriers of the disease, could result in superior treatments, with increased efficacy and reduced off-target toxicities compared with the current standard-of-care regimens. By overcoming drug-delivery challenges, advances can be made in the treatment of PDAC, a disease for which limited improvement in overall survival has been achieved over the past several decades. We discuss the approaches to nanomedicine that have been pursued to date and those that are the focus of ongoing research, and outline their potential, as well as the key challenges that must be overcome.
Chemical Proteomic Profiling of Human Methyltransferases

Methylation is a fundamental mechanism used in Nature to modify the structure and function of biomolecules, including proteins, DNA, RNA, and metabolites. Methyl groups are predominantly installed into biomolecules by a large and diverse class of S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs), of which there are ∼200 known or putative members in the human proteome. Deregulated MT activity contributes to numerous diseases, including cancer, and several MT inhibitors are in clinical development. Nonetheless, a large fraction of the human MT family remains poorly characterized, underscoring the need for new technologies to characterize MTs and their inhibitors in native biological systems. Here, we describe a suite of S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) photoreactive probes and their application in chemical proteomic experiments to profile and enrich a large number of MTs (>50) from human cancer cell lysates with remarkable specificity over other classes of proteins. We further demonstrate that the...
New Wine in Old Bottles: Title IX and Transgender Identity Issues

This article addresses issues raised by the federal government’s enforcement/compliance guidance regarding Title IX. Under Title IX, recipients of federal funding may not discriminate on the basis of sex in programs or activities that receive federal funds. The guidance treats discrimination based on gender identity as equivalent to discrimination on the basis of sex, essentially defining gender identity as sex for purposes of Title IX enforcement/compliance. And gender identity is based on an individual’s internal sense of gender identity. The guidance builds on an earlier, comparable interpretation in an opinion letter issued by the Department of Education. This article notes that sex nondiscrimination and race nondiscrimination norms have diverged. Separate but equal has no place in the racial context. But Title IX, in contrast, embraces a regime of sex segregation, separate but equal. The area of sex-based competitive athletics is an example. The article investigates the important values that are promoted by sex segregation and observes that part of the rationale for a regime of sex segregation is not only to assure equality but also to provide protection of one sex from the other. For example, men are precluded from competing for women’s athletic teams; women are protected against that type of competition. But a regime of sex segregation cannot persist in the face of a regime of gender identity in which an individual’s gender identity is based on that individual’s subjective and internal sense of gender identity. To safeguard the values of sex segregation, there must be an opportunity for societally-determined criteria for determining one’s sex and a forum and a process for challenging insincere claims of gender identity or claims that do not appropriately accommodate the Title IX values promoted and protected by its regime of sex segregation. The article also concludes that the enforcement agency likely has authority to define “sex” in a way that is compatible with sex segregation and that does not threaten women’s competitive athletics, which could be an unforeseen victim of the approach taken in the enforcement/compliance guidance. The article also considers the special accountability provisions contained in Title IX and concludes that neither the original opinion letter nor the enforcement/compliance guidance comports with those requirements, which apply when the enforcement agency effectuates Title IX.
Reproductive health counseling delivered to women living with HIV in the United States

ABSTRACTAdvances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) and reproductive technologies have made transmission of HIV to partners and infants almost completely preventable. Comprehensive reproductive health counseling (CRHC) is an important component of care for women living with HIV, but few women report discussing reproductive health with an HIV care provider. We surveyed a probability sample of U.S. HIV care providers during 2013–2014. Of 2023 eligible providers, 1234 responded (64% adjusted provider response rate). We estimated the percentage delivering CRHC to their female patients. CRHC was defined as delivering each of five components of reproductive health care to most or all female patients. We assessed associations between provider characteristics and delivering CRHC using chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression. Of all providers, 49% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42–55) reported delivering all components of CRHC: 71% assessed reproductive intentions of reproductive-aged women, 78% expla...
Expression of long non-coding RNAs in autoimmunity and linkage to enhancer function and autoimmune disease risk genetic variants

Genome-wide association studies have identified numerous genetic variants conferring autoimmune disease risk. Most of these genetic variants lie outside protein-coding genes hampering mechanistic explorations. Numerous mRNAs are also differentially expressed in autoimmune disease but their regulation is also unclear. The majority of the human genome is transcribed yet its biologic significance is incompletely understood. We performed whole genome RNA-sequencing [RNA-seq] to categorize expression of mRNAs, known and novel long non-coding RNAs [lncRNAs] in leukocytes from subjects with autoimmune disease and identified annotated and novel lncRNAs differentially expressed across multiple disorders. We found that loci transcribing novel lncRNAs were not randomly distributed across the genome but co-localized with leukocyte transcriptional enhancers, especially super-enhancers, and near genetic variants associated with autoimmune disease risk. We propose that alterations in enhancer function, including lncRNA expression, produced by genetics and environment, change cellular phenotypes contributing to disease risk and pathogenesis and represent attractive therapeutic targets.
Single-setting endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and cholecystectomy improve the rate of surgical site infection

Cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure. The presence of common bile duct stones complicates treatment, often requiring a second procedure for stone retrieval. For such patients, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) provides adequate therapy, and can be performed before, after, or at the same time as cholecystectomy. In 2013, duodenoscopes were implicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. In this study, we sought to determine if the addition of ERCP to cholecystectomy was associated with higher rates of surgical site infections and microbial resistance. Adding ERCP to cholecystectomy increases the SSI rate. For this retrospective review, we used the SSI surveillance database at our tertiary-care academic hospital. Cholecystectomy cases between 2010 and 2015 were included in the analysis. SSI was diagnosed using criteria of CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). We applied a logistic regression model to our data (SAS Studio software, v3.4, Enterprise Edition). Our 6-year study period included 2201 cholecystectomies. The SSI rate was 4.1 times higher for patients who underwent open cholecystectomy as compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (95% CI 1.61–10.24). When adjusted for wound class and procedure type, the SSI rate was significantly higher for patients who underwent ERCP within 60 days before cholecystectomy (P = 0.04; OR 2.2; CI 1.04–4.49). Rates of resistant pathogens were significantly higher in patients who underwent ERCP in addition to cholecystectomy (1.1% vs. 0.2%, P = 0.02, Fisher’s exact test). ERCP performed in the same setting as cholecystectomy carries no increased risk of SSI and should be the treatment of choice in patients with choledocholithiasis. ERCP performed separately within 60 days before cholecystectomy doubles the risk of SSI. Contaminated equipment might play a role, but other factors are likely at play, and should be taken into account when selecting treatment pathways for patients with choledocholithiasis.
Beyond polarization: using Q methodology to explore stakeholders’ views on pesticide use, and related risks for agricultural workers, in Washington State’s tree fruit industry

Controversies in food and agriculture abound, with many portrayed as conflicts between polarized viewpoints. Framing such controversies as dichotomies, however, can at times obscure what might be a plurality of views and potential common ground on the subject. We used Q methodology to explore stakeholders’ views about pesticide safety, agricultural worker exposure, and human health concerns in the tree fruit industry of central Washington State. Using a purposive sample of English and Spanish-speaking agricultural workers, industry representatives, state agencies, educators, and advocates (n = 41), participants sorted 45 statements on pesticide use and perceived human safety risks in the tree fruit industry in 2011. We used PQMethod 2.33 statistical software program to identify viewpoints, based on differences between how participants sorted the statements. The results revealed three distinct viewpoints among 38 sorters that explained 52 percent of the variance. The viewpoints included the: (1) skeptics (n = 22) who expressed concern over the environmental and human health impacts of pesticide use; (2) acceptors (n = 10) who acknowledged inherent risks for using pesticides but saw the risks as known, small and manageable; and (3) incrementalists (n = 6) who prioritized opportunities to introduce human capital and technological improvements to increase agricultural worker safety. We then brought representatives with these different viewpoints together to analyze the results of the Q study, and to brainstorm mutually acceptable improvements to health and safety in tree fruit orchards. In describing and analyzing this case study, we argue that Q methodology can serve as one potentially effective tool for collaborative work, in this case facilitating a process of orchard safety improvements despite perceived stakeholder polarization.
Preterm birth: the role of knowledge transfer and exchange

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of death in children under age five. Healthcare policy and other decision-making relevant to PTB may rely on obsolete, incomplete or inapplicable research evidence, leading to worsened outcomes. Appropriate knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) strategies are an important component of efforts to reduce the global PTB burden. We sought to develop a ‘landscape’ analysis of KTE strategies currently used in PTB and related contexts, and to make recommendations for optimising programmatic implementation and for future research. In the University of California, San Francisco’s Preterm Birth Initiative, we convened a multidisciplinary working group and examined KTE frameworks. After selecting a widely-used, adaptable, theoretically-strong framework we reviewed the literature to identify evidence-based KTE strategies. We analysed KTE approaches focusing on key PTB stakeholders (individuals, families and communities, healthcare providers and policymakers). Guided by the framework, we articulated KTE approaches that would likely improve PTB outcomes. We further applied the KTE framework in developing recommendations. We selected the Linking Research to Action framework. Searches identified 19 systematic reviews, including two ‘reviews of reviews’. Twelve reviews provided evidence for KTE strategies in the context of maternal, neonatal and child health, though not PTB specifically; seven reviews provided ‘cross-cutting’ evidence that could likely be generalised to PTB contexts. For individuals, families and communities, potentially effective KTE strategies include community-based approaches, ‘decision aids’, regular discussions with providers and other strategies. For providers, KTE outcomes may be improved through local opinion leaders, electronic reminders, multifaceted strategies and other approaches. Policy decisions relevant to PTB may best be informed through the use of evidence briefs, deliberative dialogues, the SUPPORT tools for evidence-informed policymaking and other strategies. Our recommendations for research addressed knowledge gaps in regard to partner engagement, applicability and context, implementation strategy research, monitoring and evaluation, and infrastructure for sustainable KTE efforts. Evidence-based KTE, using strategies appropriate to each stakeholder group, is essential to any effort to improve health at the population level. PTB stakeholders should be fully engaged in KTE and programme planning from its earliest stages, and ideally before planning begins.
Lowering the barriers for accessing distributed geospatial big data to advance spatial data science: the PolarHub solution

Data is the crux of science. The widespread availability of big data today is of particular importance for fostering new forms of geospatial innovation. This article reports a state-of-the-art solu...
Disposition to fear and anxiety: Negative affectivity

This chapter reviews the theory and data pertaining to negative affectivity as a vulnerability factor that places individuals at risk for anxiety as well as other emotional disorders. The chapter presents the evidence for a link between negative affectivity and later emotional distress, and revies the biological and environmental factors that influence negative affectivity. Numerous theories of the etiology of anxiety disorders hypothesize an underlying trait or temperament that predisposes certain individuals to later experience a full anxiety disorder. Variability in temperament, at least in adults, is mostly explained by five broad factors—surgency/extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability/neuroticism, and openness to experience. There are four ways in which temperament can influence the development of psychopathology. First, temperament may serve as a predisposition, playing a direct causal role in psychopathology. Second, temperament may moderate the expression or course of the disorder without having a direct causal role. Third, temperament may be altered by the experience of the disorder—known as the complication or scarring model. Fourth is the continuity model, in which both temperament and disorder are seen as reflecting the same underlying process. It is unlikely that a continuity model accounts for the majority of anxiety disorders given that about only one-third of children considered to be temperamentally predisposed to develop anxiety disorders actually do so. These models are not mutually exclusive and support exists for almost all possibilities.
The Small Startup

If the large corporation failed, surely the best pathway to success would be a small, nimble startup, right? Just kidding! Of course not—this is another story of failure. But in fairness to me, it is failing in an entirely different way.
Functionalized Block-Copolymer Templates for Synthesis and Shape Control of Quantum Dots

A new quantum dot synthesis method based on metallic-block copolymer precursors was developed. The synthesis produced CdS QDs assembled into chains. This method provides a new model for the study of 1D QD chains to determine its effect on charge transport and optoelectronic coupling. This synthesis method was readily extended to other semiconductor materials including PbS and perovskites producing QDs of various shapes. It evidenced further promise of this synthesis method to assist in the assembly, shape and size control of various nanomaterials
What is the Greatest Need for the Future of Research in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery? An Evaluation of Research Gaps and Research Excesses

Abstract Objectives: The objectives for this study were to identify research gaps and research excesses in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS) using Levels A- and C-rated clinical practice guideline (CPG) recommendations and to determine the extent to which new and ongoing studies are adhering to guideline recommendations. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trial Registry Platform Methods. Level A and Level C recommendations from the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists' CPGs were used to constructed research questions using the Participants, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome (PICO) format. Keywords were used to develop search strings for the questions and to search public trial registries for ongoing studies in the related topics. Results: This study identified a large portion of registered MIGS research currently addresses Level C recommendations, thus these studies were deemed as ...
COMPARISON OF THE AMADO MODEL TO SIMPLE MODELS FOR THE REACTION D(p,2p)n AT 30.3 MeV

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a comparison of the Amado model with simple models for the reaction D (p,2p)n at 30.3 MeV. The purpose of this work was: (1) to establish the validity of the Amado model in the energy region for breakup processes dominated by the two-body features of quasifree scattering (QFS) and final-state interactions (FSI), (2) to compare the application of the Amado model with other currently used models such as the Watson–Migdal model and the modified simple impulse approximation (MSIA) using a sharp radial cutoff, and (3) to understand deviations from the Amado model. It has been pointed out several times that the Amado model provides a better description of the FSI process than does the Watson–Migdal model. It has been argued that if one investigates the FSI in the kinematic region far from QFS, then the Watson–Migdal model should be adequate. The chapter reviews a number of correlation spectra that was measured and also discusses the discrepancies of the Amado model.
Insolation and Snow Melt in the Sierra Nevada

The role of solar radiation in processes causing melting of a deep snow pack in the Sierra Nevada in 1946 was found important, both in direct absorption and as source of heat relayed to the snow by forest canopy and other elements in the environment of the snow.
Comparative effects of scopolamine and phencynonate on organophosphorus nerve agent-induced seizure activity, neuropathology and lethality.

The efficacy of anticonvulsant therapies to stop seizure activities following organophosphorus nerve agents (NAs) has been documented as being time-dependent. We utilized the guinea pig NA-seizure ...
Neglecting plant–microbe symbioses leads to underestimation of modeled climate impacts

Abstract. The extent to which terrestrial ecosystems slow climate change by sequestering carbon hinges in part on nutrient limitation. We used a coupled carbon–climate model that accounts for the carbon cost to plants of supporting nitrogen-acquiring microbial symbionts to explore how nitrogen limitation affects global climate. To do this, we first calculated the reduction in net primary production due to the carbon cost of nitrogen acquisition. We then used a climate model to estimate the impacts of the resulting increase in atmospheric CO2 on temperature and precipitation regimes. The carbon costs of supporting symbiotic nitrogen uptake reduced net primary production by 8.1 Pg C yr −1 , with the largest absolute effects occurring in tropical forest biomes and the largest relative changes occurring in boreal and alpine biomes. Globally, our model predicted relatively small changes in climate due to the carbon cost of nitrogen acquisition with temperature increasing by 0.1 ∘ C and precipitation decreasing by 6 mm yr −1 . However, there were strong regional impacts, with the largest impact occurring in boreal and alpine ecosystems, where such costs were estimated to increase temperature by 1.0 ∘ C and precipitation by 9 mm yr −1 . As such, our results suggest that carbon expenditures to support nitrogen-acquiring microbial symbionts have critical consequences for Earth's climate, and that carbon–climate models that omit these processes will overpredict the land carbon sink and underpredict climate change.
The Geography of Mental Health: An Examination of Police Calls for Service

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the geographic distribution of mental health-related 911 calls for service in the City of Detroit, Michigan. Optimized hot spot analysis found that the calls were not randomly distributed. Statistically significant hot and cold spots were identified for all mental health calls, suicides and suicide attempts, as well as people with mental illness who were violent and non-violent. Using risk terrain modeling, various characteristics of the physical/built environment were examined to see if there was a relationship between place and mental health related calls for service. For all mental health calls, the range of Relative Risk Scores was 1–384, which means that cells with an RRS of 384 have an expected rate of mental health calls for service that is 384 times higher than a place with a score of 1. While the locations of crimes of violence do influence risk of calls for service for mental health issues, locations of non-violent property crimes, blight violations, and quality of life offenses have a greater influence on the risk of suicide, non-violent mental health, and violent mental health calls for service.
Advances in Retinal Imaging: Retinal Amyloid Imaging

Growing evidence indicates that the brain is not the only CNS tissue affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology—the retina is also afflicted with the pathological hallmarks Aβ and tau, as well as associated inflammation, neurodegeneration, astrogliosis, and vascular abnormalities. Current molecular imaging modalities for AD-specific diagnosis and disease monitoring are limited by high cost, invasiveness, inaccessibility, and safety concerns. Therefore, a noninvasive, easy-to-use, and inexpensive imaging technique to definitively diagnose AD pathological changes in living patients and to monitor response to therapy is desperately needed. One such technique, a noninvasive retinal amyloid imaging, was developed and recently translated in a proof-of-concept clinical study. The histological and biochemical evidence of AD biomarkers in the retina, their correlation with disease in the brain, together with emerging new retinal imaging techniques provide new hope for advancing early diagnosis and therapy for this devastating disease.
The cellular and molecular mechanisms that establish the mechanics of Drosophila gastrulation

In this review, we cover advances in the field that have contributed to our mechanistic understanding of how tissues internalize during Drosophila melanogaster gastrulation. The changes in tissue shape and architecture that are associated with mesoderm and endoderm invagination in the early Drosophila embryo are accompanied by cell shape changes which are driven by actomyosin contractility. The activation of signal transduction pathways is patterned by embryonic transcription factors, which define distinct geometries of gene expression and the tissue contractile domains. At the subcellular level, outputs from signaling pathways that activate actomyosin contractility are highly polarized and their behavior is fine-tuned by a balance of both positive and negative regulation. Cells are mechanically linked through adherens junctions, allowing forces that are generated by cells to be integrated across the tissue, ensuring coordinated cell behavior during tissue invagination. The transmission of force between cells also enables mechanical feedback whereby force generation influences both cell and cytoskeletal behavior. Finally, after tissue invagination, mesoderm cells undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cell spreading. We highlight studies that have utilized this model system to uncover fundamental principles at molecular-, cell-, and tissue-levels, which have contributed to our understanding of similar tissue morphogenetic processes across different organisms.
A big, new Hitler? Capitalism, ‘Anglo-America’, and Hitler’s war

A new biography of Adolf Hitler contends that historians have overlooked Hitler’s obsessive hatred for capitalism, and challenges the dominant historiography by asserting that both the Fuhrer’s own...
Linking geospatial crash and citation data to inform equitable enforcement decisions

Risky and aggressive driving behaviors remain a serious safety concern across the globe. While engineering, education, and emergency medical services can affect the outcome of these behaviors, enfo...
Targeting 14-3-3ε-CDC25A interactions to trigger apoptotic cell death in skin cancer.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide. We previously documented an anti-apoptotic role for CDC25A in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), an activity dependent on its association with 14-3-3 proteins. We hypothesized that targeting CDC25A-14-3-3e interactions may be an effective strategy for inducing skin cancer cell apoptosis. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that CDC25A associated with 14-3-3e, 14-3-3γ and 14-3-3ζ in SCC cells but not normal keratinocytes. 14-3-3e and CDC25A activated Akt/BAD/Survivin pro-survival signaling. To target the interaction of 14-3-3e with CDC25A for cancer therapy, we developed two novel phospho-peptides, pS and pT, corresponding to each of the 14-3-3 binding sites of CDC25A, to specifically interfere with 14-3-3e binding to CDC25A. Peptides pT (IC50 = 22.1 μM), and pS (IC50 = 29 μM) induced SCC cell death and blocked 14-3-3e binding to CDC25A. pS or pT treatment of SCC xenografts increased apoptotic cell death and decreased pro-survival P-Akt (S473) and Survivin, demonstrating the effectiveness of the peptides in vivo. These findings lay a framework for the further development of peptides to target 14-3-3e-CDC25A interactions for skin cancer treatment.
“Maybe it’s still good?” A qualitative study of factors influencing food waste and application of the E.P.A. Food recovery hierarchy in U.S. supermarkets

Abstract About 31% of post-harvest food available for human consumption is lost or wasted annually in the United States. Roughly one third (43 billion lbs.) of food loss occurs in grocery and other retail food stores. Supermarkets engage in food waste reduction, rescue, and recycling strategies, but little is known about frontline workers' and department managers' perspectives on food discards and strategies to limit waste. We aimed to increase understanding of factors influencing grocery retail employees' food waste decision-making at the store level, and of the perspectives of those frontline supermarket workers and managers responsible for food waste prevention and mitigation. We conducted 20 qualitative semi-structured interviews and used thematic analysis to explore how grocery workers and managers view food waste decision drivers, and how these impact the feasibility and effectiveness of waste reduction and food rescue and recycling in their stores. Workers and managers report personalized discard decision-making and confusion between quality and safety indicators. Interviewees described in-store policies, resources and trainings as lacking or inconsistently applied, leading to variability in food waste prevention, rescue, and recycling. Overall, interview participants considered waste reduction strategies that rescue profitable goods more feasible than other food rescue and recycling efforts like donation and composting. Workers' and managers’ perceptions of in-store food waste drivers and views on extant food waste prevention and mitigation efforts point to areas for future research and intervention.
Toxicities of Novel Antineoplastic Therapies

Recent innovation and discovery in oncologic and pharmaceutical industry have led to many new efficacious cancer therapeutics. In the past decade, the US Food and Drug Administration approved, at an accelerated pace, over a hundred novel agents in oncologic alone. These rapid advances present important challenges to emergency physicians, relating to knowledge about the timing, sequence, duration, and treatment of disease processes, as well as prompt identification of the risk profiles of new cancer therapies that may present with acute toxicities, in oncologic centers and non-oncologic centers as well. In the presence of a large gap between the emergency medicine literature and these rapid advances in oncologic, emergency physicians are not well acquainted with the diagnosis and management of the emerging adverse effects of the new cancer therapeutics. In this chapter, we discuss these issues, offering suggestions for diagnosis and management in the emergency department setting. In particular, we address differentiation syndrome, sinusoidal occlusion syndrome, QT prolongation, infusion-related reactions, cytokine release syndrome due to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, and immune-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (affecting multiple organ systems and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis). Novel cancer therapies offer the promise to improve outcomes and survival of cancer patients, at the price of unique toxicities that can be devastating, and emergency physicians are at the front line to intervene and mitigate these problems.
Enhanced Learning and Retention of Medical Knowledge Using the Mobile Flash card Application Anki

As medical schools condense the basic science phase of undergraduate medical education, it has become increasingly important to identify methods and tools that facilitate learning, mastery, and application of medical knowledge. One increasingly popular tool that promotes engagement with content is Anki, a web-based flash card system. Using Anki, medical students can access pre-made flash cards specifically tailored to prepare students for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 exam. The objective of this study was to identify Anki use and its association to USMLE Step 1 performance. In March 2020, medical students in years 2, 3, and 4 who had completed USMLE Step 1 were administered a survey to measure Anki usage. The survey was locally developed and was reviewed by survey experts on campus. Survey responses were paired with USMLE Step 1 results for analyses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Anki usage was associated with higher USMLE Step 1 scores. Additionally, amongst those who used Anki, those with more consistent use had higher USMLE Step 1 scores and higher perceived levels of knowledge retention. This research suggests that Anki is an effective educational tool that should be recommended to medical students alongside other evidenced-based study tools, such as the popular question bank USMLE World. Future research should attempt to identify a relationship between Anki usage and future clinical performance to demonstrate the implications that Anki has on clinical skills.
Preparing for the Oral Defense

If you have ever taken a road trip that involved crossing the border and traveling into a different country, you are probably familiar with the reality that border crossings can present their own challenges. By understanding the process and preparing in advance you can be ready to pass muster with the customs agents and continue your journey.
Valuation and Returns on Stock Return Volatility

We develop a tractable valuation model which shows that future asset returns are predictably related to two firm characteristics, book-to-market (bm) and return on equity (roe), because these measures carry information about priced risk. The model we derive predicts a negative relation between expected variance returns embedded in option prices (variance risk premiums) and both bm and roe. We confirm this prediction using a variety of empirical specifications. Our results show that accounting-based characteristics simultaneously inform investors about cash flows as well as the priced risk of those cash flows.
Emergence of orbital two-channel Kondo effect in epitaxial TiN thin films

Abstract The continual scaledown and stringent defect control in electronic devices are opening up frontiers in Kondo effect-a powerful testbed for probing magnetic impurity coupling to a continuum of electronic states. In disordered ferromagnets, degenerate quantum states like two-level systems (TLS) with a pseudo-half spin can couple with the continuum to mimic Kondo physics, creating the orbital two-channel Kondo (2CK) effect below the characteristic Kondo temperature (TK). By employing vacuum-annealing to inject ∼12 at.% nitrogen vacancies (VN) in TiN1-x films, we generated room-temperature ferromagnetic ordering with 13.6 emu g−1 saturation magnetization. The transport characteristics exhibited non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) behavior below TK of 20.2 K. The orbital 2CK effect is signified by a clear transition from logarithmic (T
Does when you eat and exercise matter? Differences in eating and physical activity patterns in overweight and obese adults.

Purpose Despite current recommendations and guidelines on the treatment of overweight and obesity, little is known about what patterns of energy intake or expenditure are ideal for weight loss. The present study examined patterns in energy intake and expenditure and explored whether those differences were associated with weight loss.
Serum calcium concentrations in human pregnancy.

Total and ionic calcium concentrations were measured in maternal serum from nonpregnant (N=30), pregnant (N=137), and early puerperal (N=17) women. In this cross-sectional study, total calcium levels (measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry) exhibited the previously described pattern of a decline beginning in the first trimester and continuing until approximately 32 weeks, with a slight terminal rise from thence to term. Mean (+/-SD) values for the three trimesters were 4.80 (+/- 0.13), 4.56 (+/- 0.14), and 4.46 (+/-0.16) mEq. per liter, respectively, with all differences statistically significant. Ionic calcium levels (measured by calcium flow-through electrode) declined to a lesser (though still statistically significant) degree; mean (+/- S.D.) values for the three trimesters were 2.33 (+/-0.07), 2.28 (+/-0.08), and 2.24 (+/-0.06) mEq. per liter, respectively. Because of the differential rates of fall, the proportion of total calcium represented by the ionic component increased progressively during gestation. The results indicate that the major portion of the characteristic decline in maternal serum total calcium concentration with pregnancy reflects changes in the nonionized (albumin-bound) fraction while the ionic portion declines only slightly. The concentration of calcium ions in serum is maintained within a very narrow physiologic range throughout gestation.
Developmental variation in the structure of the retina

Events traditionally called “developmental errors” are known to occur in both vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems. This study was concerned with the frequency and mode of generation of such events in the mammalian retina. We studied three anomalous structures observed in the rabbit's retina after staining of the cell populations that accumulate indoleamines: type 3 cells, stray processes in the optic fiber layer, and displaced cells. They were counted in rabbit retinas prepared as whole-mounts, and in most cases topological maps were made. For comparison, the conventional indoleamine-accumulating amacrine cells and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells, which are members of the mammalian retina's recognized complement of amacrine cells, were also counted. A further comparison was made with the number and distribution of TH-positive amacrine cells in highly inbred mice. The ordinary amacrine cells did not vary much in number from animal to animal. Especially in inbred mice, the reproducibility was striking: the extreme variation in number of TH amacrine cells between any two of the 14 retinas studied was 22%, and the mean difference between two eyes of individual mice was 2.5 +/- 1.7%. The three anomalous structures were rare and variable. Their numbers varied more than fourfold from animal to animal. However, their numbers in two eyes from the same animal varied by an overall average of only 14 +/- 10%. The anomalous structures were present in all rabbits, and their morphology was the same in all cases: they are under precise control by the developmental program. The anomalous cells share many phenotypic features with the regular amacrine cells of the indoleamine- accumulating class.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Serum Amyloid A Is an Endogenous Ligand That Differentially Induces IL-12 and IL-23

The acute-phase proteins, C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A (SAA), are biomarkers of infection and inflammation. However, their precise role in immunity and inflammation remains undefined. We report in this study a novel property of SAA in the differential induction of Th1-type immunomodulatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-23. In peripheral blood monocytes and the THP-1 monocytic cell line, SAA induces the expression of IL-12p40, a subunit shared by IL-12 and IL-23. SAA-stimulated expression of IL-12p40 was rapid (≤4 h), sustainable (≥20 h), potent (up to 3380 pg/ml/10 6 cells in 24 h), and insensitive to polymyxin B treatment. The SAA-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion required de novo protein synthesis and was accompanied by activation of the transcription factors NF-κB and C/EBP. Expression of IL-12p40 required activation of the p38 MAPK and PI3K. Interestingly, the SAA-induced IL-12p40 production was accompanied by a sustained expression of IL-23p19, but not IL-12p35, resulting in preferential secretion of IL-23, but not IL-12. These results identify SAA as an endogenous ligand that potentially activates the IL-23/IL-17 pathway and present a novel mechanism for regulation of inflammation and immunity by an acute-phase protein.
Incorporation of multi-scale spatial autocorrelation in soil moisture–landscape modeling

Effects of spatial autocorrelation (SAC), or spatial structure, have often been neglected in the conventional models of pedogeomorphological processes. Based on soil, vegetation, and topographic data collected in a coastal dunefield in western Korea, this research developed three soil moisture–landscape models, each incorporating SAC at fine, broad, and multiple scales, respectively, into a non-spatial ordinary least squares (OLS) model. All of these spatially explicit models showed better performance than the OLS model, as consistently indicated by R2, Akaike’s information criterion, and Moran’s I. In particular, the best model was proved to be the one using spatial eigenvector mapping, a technique that accounts for spatial structure at multiple scales simultaneously. After including SAC, predictor variables with greater inherent spatial structure underwent more reduction in their predictive power than those with less structure. This finding implies that the environmental variables pedogeomorphologists h...