cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legal Representation for New York City's Chinese Immigrant Workers

Any sustainable improvement in access to legal services will require intermediate institutions that provide information about legal rights and assistance in securing those rights. Aaron Halegua in this chapter suggests that the growing phenomenon of “worker centers” may play such a role, especially in immigrant communities. This chapter explores the challenges that keep Chinese immigrant workers from retaining legal counsel and how various organizations work to overcome those obstacles. BACKGROUND The largest population of ethnic Chinese in America today is in New York City. As of 2010, New York City was home to 500,434 Chinese, of whom approximately 73% – over 365,000 individuals – is foreign-born. This population is spread across the numerous “Chinatowns” that now exist not only in Manhattan and Flushing, but also in places like Sunset Park, Bensonhurst and Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, and Bayside and Elmhurst in Queens. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly one in five Chinese in New York City is living below the poverty line. Statistics further show that 31% of the Chinese in New York City never obtained a high school diploma. In addition, many Chinese immigrants come to the United States with very limited, if any, ability to speak and understand English and lack significant opportunities to develop these abilities once they arrive and start working. This lack of education, skills, and language ability sharply narrows the employment opportunities available to these immigrants. As a result, not unlike many other immigrants in New York City, the Chinese are often found working in restaurants, nail salons, laundries or dry cleaners, and the construction industry; driving taxis or livery cabs; performing hospitality or other cleaning jobs; and laboring as home health aides. Further, many workers are limited to jobs in which either the boss or at least certain coworkers speak Chinese – and, perhaps even their specific dialect. Therefore, within these industries that often involve long hours and low wages to begin with, many Chinese immigrants find work at smaller, more informal workplaces in which strict adherence to legal or regulatory requirements is less common. Moreover, survey data show that Chinese-owned businesses, along with Korean and Vietnamese ones, pay among the lowest average wages of Asian-owned businesses.
Dendritiform Keratopathy Associated with Exposure to Polyquarternium-1, a Common Ophthalmic Preservative.

Purpose To describe dendritiform keratopathy associated with exposure to polyquaternium-1, a common preservative found in contact lens solutions and tear replacement products. Design Case series. Participants Sixteen patients who demonstrated dendritiform keratopathy during topical ophthalmic exposure to polyquaternium-1. Methods Records were reviewed of all patients diagnosed with dendritiform keratopathy between 1999 and 2014 who had documented exposure to contact lens care disinfecting solutions or artificial tear solutions containing polyquaternium-1. Patients were excluded who had coexisting potential causes for dendritiform keratopathy, such as prior herpes simplex keratitis, varicella-zoster viral keratitis, the linear form of Thygeson's superficial keratitis, epithelial regeneration line, Acanthamoeba keratitis, mucus plaque keratopathy, medication-related keratopathy, or limbal stem cell deficiency characterized by conjunctivalization of the corneal epithelium. Main Outcome Measures Effect of discontinuation of exposure to polyquaternium-1 on the dendritiform keratopathy. Results Sixteen patients demonstrated dendritiform keratopathy after exposure to the preservative polyquaternium-1. Thirteen patients had a history of recent exposure to contact lens disinfecting solutions (Opti-Free, Equate) containing polyquaternium-1. Three patients used a tear replacement product (Systane) containing a polyquaternium-1 preservative. Four patients were treated with antiviral medications for presumed herpes simplex keratitis; 4 patients underwent diagnostic testing for Acanthamoeba keratitis. Two additional patients were diagnosed sequentially with herpes simplex keratitis, then Acanthamoeba keratitis before referral. All dendritiform lesions resolved within 2 to 6 weeks after elimination of exposure to polyquaternium-1. Conclusions Ophthalmic products containing polyquaternium-1 may cause dendritiform keratopathy that may be confused with infections of the superficial cornea, such as herpes simplex virus keratitis or Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Coastal ocean variability in the US Pacific Northwest region: seasonal patterns, winter circulation, and the influence of the 2009–2010 El Niño

A 2-km horizontal resolution ocean circulation model is developed for a large coastal region along the US Pacific Northwest (34–50N) to study how continental shelf, slope, and interior ocean variability influence each other. The model has been run for the time period September 2008–May 2011, driven by realistic surface momentum and heat fluxes obtained from an atmospheric model and lateral boundary conditions obtained from nesting in a global ocean model. The solution compares favorably to satellite measurements of sea surface temperature and sea surface height, observations of surface currents by high-frequency radars, mooring temperature time series, and glider temperature and salinity sections. The analysis is focused on the seasonal response of the coastal ocean with particular emphasis on the winter circulation patterns which have previously garnered relatively little attention. Interannual variability is examined through a comparison of the 2009–2010 winter influenced by El Nino and the winters in the preceding and following years. Strong northward winds combined with reduced surface cooling along the coast north of Cape Mendocino (40.4N) in winter 2009–2010, resulting in a vigorous downwelling season, characterized by relatively energetic northward currents and warmer ocean temperatures over the continental shelf and upper slope. An analysis of the time variability of the volume-averaged temperature and salinity in a coastal control volume (CV), that extends from 41 to 47N and offshore from the coast to the 200-m isobath, clearly shows relevant integrated characteristics of the annual cycle and the transitions between winter shelf circulation forced by northward winds and the summer circulation driven primarily by southward, upwelling-favorable winds. The analysis also reveals interesting interannual differences in these characteristics. In particular, the CV volume-average temperature remains notably warmer during January–March 2010 of the El Nino winter.
Alternative CN Averaging Methods for Determining the Representative CN of a Watershed

AbstractA representative curve number (CN) of a catchment is often calculated from the area-weighted average of CN values of unique land use and soil combinations. While convenient for implementation, this method is known to underestimate direct runoff depth. This paper investigates the mathematical mechanism of the expected underestimation and proposes alternative CN averaging methods called the quadratic and exact averaging methods, to handle the underestimation problem. Results suggest that the quadratic method could reduce the level of underestimation in direct runoff depth; further, the exact method could provide the same direct runoff depth as that of the area-weighted direct runoff depth averaging method. A representative CN is found to be a function of rainfall size and catchment landscape, and the underestimation is relatively large for small and mid-sized storm events. The improvement in runoff estimation with the newly proposed averaging methods is particularly beneficial to stormwater manageme...
Multiscale Patterning of a Metallic Glass using Sacrificial Imprint Lithography

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been developed as a means to achieve durable multiscale, nanotextured surfaces with desirable properties dictated by topography for a multitude of applications. One barrier to this achievement is the lack of a bridging technique between macroscale thermoplastic forming and nanoimprint lithography, which arises from the difficulty and cost of generating controlled nanostructures on complex geometries using conventional top-down approaches. This difficulty is compounded by the necessary destruction of any resulting reentrant structures during rigid demolding. We have developed a generalized method to overcome this limitation by sacrificial template imprinting using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. It is established that such structures can be grown inexpensively and quickly with tunable morphologies on a wide variety of substrates out of solution, which we exploit to generate the nanoscale portion of the multiscale pattern through this bottom-up approach. In this way, we achieve metallic structures that simultaneously demonstrate features from the macroscale down to the nanoscale, requiring only the top-down fabrication of macro/microstructured molds. Upon detachment of the formed part from the multiscale molds, the ZnO remains embedded in the surface and can be removed by etching in mild conditions to both regenerate the mold and render the surface of the BMGs nanoporous. The ability to pattern metallic surfaces in a single step on length scales from centimeters down to nanometers is a critical step toward fabricating devices with complex shapes that rely on multiscale topography for their intended functions, such as biomedical and electrochemical applications. Biomedical and optical devices stand to benefit from a multiscale patterning technique developed by researchers in the USA. Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are extremely strong and corrosion-resistant alloys that can be thermoplastically molded with features spanning centimeter to nanometer dimensions. The generation of multiscale molds with conventional lithography, however, requires several costly steps. To simplify BMG patterning from the bottom-up, Chinedum Osuji from Yale University and co-workers from Yale and Rutgers grew tunably packed nanowires and nanosheets of zinc oxide (ZnO) directly onto mold surfaces. When a BMG is formed then detached from this modified mold, the nanostructures embed themselves into the metallic surface. A subsequent mild etching procedure removes the ZnO and gives the BMG a nanoporous surface—an economical route to biomimetic textures for applications ranging from biomanipulation to fuel cells.
Effect of Depriving Newborn of Placental Blood upon Early Postnatal Blood Picture

Within the last few years, the collection of postpartum placental blood for “blood banks” has been strongly advocated not only in Russia1 but also in Canada2 and in this country.345 It has been pointed out that this is an inexhaustible and “lucrative” source of blood, satisfactory for transfusion purposes, and that its collection has no deleterious effect upon the mother. Possible effects upon the child have been disregarded because it has already become a rather common obstetrical practice to clamp the umbilical cord promptly at birth in spite of the fact that most of the placental blood normally drains into the body of the infant within a few minutes when the umbilical cord is not clamped immediately after delivery.6 When the cord is clamped immediately, the infant is deprived of an alarming proportion of its total blood volume and usable iron at the very beginning of extra-uterine life. We have obtained proof that this blood-letting at birth affects the blood picture of the newborn significantly. The p...
Patent Ductus Arteriosus and the Immature Brain: Is Early Intervention Protective?

* Abbreviations: NIRS — : near-infrared spectroscopy PDA — : patent ductus arteriosus rSco2 — : regional cerebral oxygenation saturation Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth, is a common congenital heart defect in premature infants.1 The optimal management of a hemodynamically significant PDA, in terms of the indications for closure, timing of closure, and role of surgery, has been debated for decades. Although diastolic runoff and left-to-right shunting in the presence of a significant PDA have been postulated to compromise blood flow to the immature brain and other structures, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality,2–4 some studies have shown that surgical PDA closure may contribute to perioperative hemodynamic instability,5 neurosensory complications,6,7 and even increased risk for worse neurodevelopmental outcome.8 In this issue of Pediatrics, Lemmers et al9 present a retrospective comparison of cerebral oxygenation, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and MRI-assessed regional brain volume and myelination in 3 groups of premature infants. One group underwent successful early closure of a PDA with 1 or 2 doses of indomethacin; pharmacological closure failed in the second group, and they underwent surgical ligation; and the third group of … Address correspondence to Lara S. Shekerdemian, MB ChB, MD, MHA, Baylor College of Medicine, Section Head of Critical Care, Texas Children’s Hospital, 6621 Fannin St, Suite W6006, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: lssheker{at}texaschildrens.org
Establishment of a reserve transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection method for Yellow fever virus

[Objective] Establish a simple and rapid molecular detection of Yellow fever virus. [Methods] The reserve transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification(RT-LAMP) that amplifies RNA with high specificity and rapidity under an isothermal condition was applied for rapid detection of Yellow fever virus. A set of primers were designed specifically to identify six special areas of Yellow fever virus' s E gene. [Results] The results indicated that the method had high specificity, and no cross amplification occurred with other arbovirus RNAs. The sensitivity of the RT-LAMP assay was 0.066 pg, which was 100 times higher than that of RT-PCR. The detection results of simulation samples were consistent with expected. [Conclusion] The established rapid detection method for Yellow fever virus that can be carried out in a simple experimental environment has been proved to be specific and sensitive.
Public Policy Adrift: Veblen’s Blind Drift and Neoliberalism

AbstractThis paper considers the factors that currently shape and direct public policy formation in the United States. The paper begins by articulating the general position of institutionalists with regard to the purpose of public policy analysis and formulation. Next, a discussion of Thorstein Veblen’s view is presented focusing on his rejection of meliorative tendencies in the economy and the meaning of his concept of blind drift as applied to the likely direction of ongoing social processes. Then, we explore a contemporary analysis of the belief in the role of meliorative trends in contemporary social and economic policy analysis and discussions by James K. Galbraith. Then, we examine Philip Mirowski’s recent analysis of the shaping of the direction of public policy debate by what he refers to as the neoliberal thought collective as a mitigating factor to the blind drift suggested by Thorstein Veblen.
Lipid-Lipid Coupling to Membrane Curvature by Simulation and NMR

The material properties of a bilayer must be determined by the chemical structure of its lipid components and the interactions between them. The preferred (“spontaneous”) curvature of a lipid leaflet is one of the most interesting properties as it is the most direct connection between the stability of leaflet structures and lipid chemistry. For example, the curved lipid hexagonal phase is stabilized by phosphatidylethanolamine head groups.Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics can probe structure on the molecular level, but relating these techniques to material properties requires new models and theoretical methods.In this work, we use computer simulation of lipid bilayers (in particular, sphingomyelin and DPPC) to predict the impact of chemical structure on spontaneous curvature. Then, NMR applied to small vesicles measures how lipid identity controls population of the inner and outer leaflet, reflecting the lipid's spontaneous curvature. Simulations predict that at low concentration of sphingomyelin, strong coupling between lipids determines this behavior in a non-linear way, in contrast to DPPC.
Impact of Chinese parenting on adolescents' social bonding, affiliation with delinquent peers, and delinquent behavior

Using data collected from 615 middle- and high-school students in rural and urban areas in China, this study examines how different parenting styles such as warmth, coercion, monitoring, and permissiveness affect children’s delinquent behavior, both directly and indirectly through bonds with conventional others (i.e., parents, school, and peers) and affiliation with delinquent peers. The results show that only parental coercion has a direct effect on delinquency. All parenting styles, except for parental monitoring, affect delinquency indirectly through mediating processes of social control and social learning in predicted directions. Despite different pathways to delinquency, variables of social control and social learning play an important role in mediating the relationship between parenting and delinquency. The implications of the results are discussed.
Introduction to Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems: Theory and Applications

This text provides background information, description, and analysis of four major cooling system technologies—vapor compression cooling, evaporative cooling, absorption cooling, and gas cooling. Vapor compression systems are currently the primary technology used in most standard domestic, commercial, and industrial cooling applications, as they have both performance and economic advantages over the other competing cooling systems. However, there are many other applications in which evaporative cooling, absorption cooling, or gas cooling technologies are a preferred choice. The main focus of the text is on the application of the thermal sciences to refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The goals are to familiarize the reader with cooling technology nomenclature, and provide insight into how refrigeration and air conditioning systems can be modeled and analyzed.Cooling systems are inherently complex, as the second law of thermodynamics does not allow thermal energy to be transferred directly from a lower temperature to a higher temperature, so the heat transfer is done indirectly through a thermodynamic cycle. Emphasis is placed on constructing idealized thermodynamic cycles to represent actual physical situations in cooling systems. The text also contains numerous practical examples to show how one can calculate the performance of cooling system components. By becoming familiar with the analyses presented in the examples, one can gain a feel for the the representative values of the various thermal and mechanical parameters that characterize cooling systems.
An efficient Western Energy Imbalance Market with conflicting carbon policies

Abstract A reform of the Western Energy Imbalance Market should target the right problem. Import leakage is a problem; resource shuffling is a solution. Proposed modifications for the existing EIM design target the wrong problem and would work at cross purposes to the very reasons for the EIM’s existence. There is a better approach that would address the right problem and preserve the critical elements of the existing EIM design.
When technology meets technology: Retrained ‘Inception V3’ classifier for NGS based pathogen detection

Accurate characterization of pathogenic microbes that may be present in food or clinical samples is essential in the design of appropriate intervention strategies. Inherent genomic patterns (codon-biases and rate of evolution) do simplify the classification of microbes at most taxonomic levels (genus and above), but mostly blur classification at Species/Strain levels. Hence, their classification at these finer taxonomic levels requires high-resolution genomic-data that provide SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) level precision. Existing classification methods involve either targeted amplification of sero-specific genes (serotyping and MLST) or sequencing of the entire microbial genome, both of which require extra time and resources. We present a computational approach, which harnesses the power of the metagenomic NGS-data and object-detection abilities of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN)(Inception V3), for precise classification of pathogens by converting genomic-data (NGS-reads) into images (nucleotide-by-color). A small scale retraining (<50 images/class) of ‘Inception V3’ resulted in a classifier with 100% and 96% validation and test accuracies, respectively, when classifying pathogens such as Campylobacter coli/jejuni and Escherichia coli (O157:H7 and Non O157-STECs). We aim to extend this protocol to the detection of several microbes (multiple-objects) in a metagenomic image (genomic image of an entire microbial community).
Assessment of attitudes towards future implementation of the "Surgical Risk Preoperative Assessment System" (SURPAS) tool: a pilot survey among patients, surgeons, and hospital administrators.

Risk assessment in surgery is essential to guide treatment decisions but is highly variable in practice. Providing formal preoperative risk assessment to surgical teams and patients may optimize understanding of risk. Implementation of the Surgical Risk Preoperative Assessment System (SURPAS), an innovative real time, universal, preoperative tool providing individualized risk assessment, may enhance informed consent and reduce adverse outcomes. To ensure optimal development and implementation of SURPAS we performed an in-depth pre-implementation evaluation of SURPAS at an academic tertiary referral center in Colorado. Four focus groups with 24 patients, three focus groups with 29 surgical providers and clinic administrators, and five individual interviews with administrative officials were conducted to elicit their perspectives about the development and implementation of SURPAS. Qualitative data collection and analyses, utilizing a Matrix Analysis approach were used to explore insights regarding SURPAS. Participants were positive about SURPAS and provided suggestions to improve and address concerns regarding it. For healthcare personnel three major themes emerged: 1) The SURPAS tool - Important work especially for high risk patients, yet not a substitute for clinical judgment; 2) Benefits of SURPAS to the risk assessment process - Improves the processes, enhances patients’ participation in shared decision-making process, and creates a permanent record; and 3) Facilitators and barriers of implementation of SURPAS - Easy to incorporate into clinical practice in spite of surgical providers’ resistance to adoption of new technology. For patients three major themes emerged: 1) Past experience of preoperative risk assessment discussions – Patients were not made aware of possible complications that occurred; 2) The SURPAS tool - All patients liked SURPAS and believed having printed material would be useful to guide discussions and facilitate remembering conversations with the providers; and 3) Potential concerns with having risk assessment information – Patients were mixed in deciding to have an operation with high risks. Systematically capturing data from the beginning of the implementation process from key stakeholders (patients, surgical providers, clinical staff, and administrators) that includes adaptations to the tool and implementation process will help to inform pragmatic approaches for implementing the SURPAS tool in various settings, scaling-up, and sustaining it.
Exposure to environmental enrichment attenuates addiction-like behavior and alters molecular effects of heroin self-administration in rats

Environmental factors profoundly affect the addictive potential of drugs of abuse and may also modulate the neuro-anatomical/neuro-chemical impacts of uncontrolled drug use and relapse propensity. This study examined the impact of environmental enrichment on heroin self-administration, addiction-related behaviors, and molecular processes proposed to underlie these behaviors. Male Sprague-Dawley rats in standard and enriched housing conditions intravenously self-administered similar amounts of heroin over 14 days. However, environmental enrichment attenuated progressive ratio, extinction, and reinstatement session responding after 14 days of enforced abstinence. Molecular mechanisms, namely DNA methylation and gene expression, are proposed to underlie abstinence-persistent behaviors. A global reduction in methylation is reported to coincide with addiction, but no differences in total genomic methylation or repeat element methylation were observed in CpG or non-CpG (CH) contexts across the mesolimbic circuitry as assessed by multiple methods including whole genome bisulfite sequencing. Immediate early gene expression associated with drug seeking, taking, and abstinence also were examined. EGR1 and EGR2 were suppressed in mesolimbic regions with heroin-taking and environmental enrichment. Site-specific methylation analysis of EGR1 and EGR2 promoter regions using bisulfite amplicon sequencing (BSAS) revealed hypo-methylation in the EGR2 promoter region and EGR1 intragenic CpG sites with heroin-taking and environmental enrichment that was associated with decreased mRNA expression. Taken together, these findings illuminate the impact of drug taking and environment on the epigenome in a locus and gene-specific manner and highlight the need for positive, alternative rewards in the treatment and prevention of drug addiction.
Honored Papers 2018 - Informatics in Medicine Unlocked

Abstract Honors papers are selected from articles published in the Informatics in Medicine Unlocked journal, 2018.
The Effect of Unstable Schedules on Employee Turnover Productivity

Unstable schedules with varying hours week to week and inadequate average hours hurt low-wage retail employees and their families. In this paper, we examine how unstable schedules affect company pe...
The literary genre effect: A one-word science fiction (vs. realism) manipulation reveals intrinsic text properties outweigh extrinsic expectations of literary quality

Abstract We test the literariness of genre fiction with an empirical study that directly manipulates both intrinsic text properties and extrinsic reader expectations of literary merit for science-fiction and narrative-realism stories. Participants were told they were going to read a story of either low or high literary merit and then read one of two stories that were identical except for one genre-determining word. There were no differences between the science-fiction and narrative-realism versions of the story in literary merit perception, text comprehension, or inference effort for theory of mind and plot. Participants did, however, exert more theory-of-world effort (i.e., world-building) for the science-fiction version. The more inference effort science-fiction readers dedicated to theory of world, the more cognitively and emotionally engaged they were. These results contradict the assumption that science fiction cannot achieve literariness and instead demonstrate a “literary genre effect.”
The Psychometric Properties of the Competency Assessment Tool for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients.

This study introduces a new instrument designed to assess affirmative clinical practices with sexual and gender minority (SGM) clients, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Competency Assess...
Rescuers as Saints and Martyrs in Contemporary Migrant Melodrama

This chapter focus on two relative newcomers to migrant humanitarian assistance in Mexico: Olga Sanchez Martinez, a layperson who runs a Tapachula shelter focused on the care of sick, injured, and disabled migrants; and Father Alejandro Solalinde, who in 2007 established a shelter to protect migrants passing through Ixtepec, Oaxaca from corrupt local officials and drug traffickers alike. We argue that Sanchez’s self-presentation and life story cast her as a saintly, angelic figure who nevertheless defied convention, and even Catholic Church officials, to take her domesticity to the streets on behalf of migrant rescue. In the second half of the chapter, we analyze how Solalinde has staged himself and migrants as potential martyrs. While still working within the conventions of migrant melodrama and putting his own life at risk through a dangerous route that helped build his reputation, he strengthens the transnational migrant rights movement in which he participates by opening a space in his religious services for migrants to express not only their pain but also other affective states, such as relief, gratitude, courage, pride, and family love. Through the examples of Rigoni, Sanchez, and Solalinde we develop the concepts of spectacles of suffering and migrant melodrama to describe how rescue, charity, and humanitarian relief work figure in the political economy of suffering.
Policy uncertainty and demand for revolving-door lobbyists

Interest groups spend large sums of money hiring lobbyists often as a form of insurance against the risk of undesirable policy change. This theory of lobbying as political insurance needs systematic testing. Previous experience serving in government makes lobbyists more valuable as providers of political insurance. The insurance theory of lobbying thus points to an empirical link between policy uncertainty and interest groups’ demand for these “revolving-door lobbyists” with previous government experience. I examine this link using complementary sets of panel analysis of lobbying activity by companies in four economic sectors over an 11-year period. They draw on a sector-specific and time-variant measure of policy uncertainty based on analyzing companies’ discussions of policy risks in annual 10-K filings submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In all four sectors companies’ preference for revolvers increases in response to policy uncertainty relative to conventional lobbyists.
Structure of quantum chaotic wave functions: ergodicity, localization, and transport

Abstract We discuss recent developments in the study of quantum wave functions and transport in classically ergodic systems. Surprisingly, short-time classical dynamics leaves permanent imprints on long-time and stationary quantum behavior, which are absent from the long-time classical motion. These imprints can lead to quantum behavior on single-wavelength or single-channel scales that is very different from random matrix theory expectations. Robust and quantitative predictions are obtained using semiclassical methods. Applications to wave function intensity statistics and to resonances in open systems are discussed.
Is it me or the room moving? Recreating the classical “moving room” experiment with virtual reality for postural control adaptation:

Postural control is a complex process requiring both sensory and motor responses. Perturbation-based balance training has emerged as an effective fall prevention intervention, which provides physic...
RNA-CLAMP Enables Photo-activated Control of CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing by Site-specific Intramolecular Cross-linking of the sgRNA

Abstract Here we introduce RNA-CLAMP, a technology which enables site-specific and enzymatic cross-linking (clamping) of two selected stem loops within an RNA of interest. Intramolecular clamping of the RNA can disrupt normal RNA function, whereas subsequent photo-cleavage of the crosslinker restores activity. We applied the RNA-CLAMP technique to the single guide RNA of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system. By clamping two stem loops of the single-guide RNA (sgRNA) with a photo-cleavable cross-linker, gene editing was completely silenced. Visible light irradiation cleaved the crosslinker and restored gene editing with high spatiotemporal resolution. Furthermore, by designing two photo-cleavable linkers which are responsive to different wavelength of lights, we achieved multiplexed photo-activation of gene editing in mammalian cells. Notably, although the Cas9-sgRNA RNP is not capable of DNA cleavage activity upon clamping, it maintained the capability to bind to the target DNA. The RNA-CLAMP enabled photo-activated CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing platform offers clean background, free choice of activation wavelength and multiplexing capability. We believe that this technology to precisely and rapidly control gene editing will serve as a versatile tool in the future development of stimuli responsive gene editing technologies. Beyond gene editing, RNA-CLAMP provides a site-specific tool for manipulating the internal structure of functional RNAs.
Diagnostic tests for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in rectal and pharyngeal specimens.

Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are two of the most often reported bacterial infections in the United States. The rectum and oropharynx are important anatomic sites of infection and can contribute to ongoing transmission. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are the mainstays for the detection of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infections owing to their high sensitivity and specificity. Several NAATs have been evaluated for testing in rectal and pharyngeal infections. A few assays recently received clearance by the Food and Drug Administration, including one point-of-care test. Those assays can be used for testing in symptomatic individuals, as well as for asymptomatic screening in certain patient populations. Routine screening for C. trachomatis in pharyngeal specimens is not recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though is often performed due to the use of multiplex assays. While expanding the types of settings for screening and using self-collected rectal and pharyngeal specimens can help to increase access and uptake of testing, additional research is needed to determine the potential benefits and costs associated with increased screening for rectal and pharyngeal C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infections on a population level.
Leaders and International Conflict

Chiozza and Goemans seek to explain why and when political leaders decide to initiate international crises and wars. They argue that the fate of leaders and the way leadership changes, shapes leaders' decisions to initiate international conflict. Leaders who anticipate regular removal from office, through elections for example, have little to gain and much to lose from international conflict, whereas leaders who anticipate a forcible removal from office, such as through coup or revolution, have little to lose and much to gain from conflict. This theory is tested against an extensive analysis of more than 80 years of international conflict and with an intensive historical examination of Central American leaders from 1848 to 1918. Leaders and International Conflict highlights the political nature of the choice between war and peace and will appeal to all scholars of international relations and comparative politics.
Changing Risks Confronting Pension Participants

The past decade has seen a shift from traditional employer-sponsored defined benefit pensions toward individual account defined contribution plans. This has profound implications for participants' retirement security, as it involves a reallocation of risks and rewards from the plan sponsor to the employee. While much has been written about the transfer of investment risk and the potential consequences of bad investment choices, less attention has been focused on other potential hazards to retirement security. These include the effect of job changes and other employment factors on contribution patterns, the chance of outliving one's accumulated assets, and the tension between encouraging participants to save for retirement while allowing access to those assets for a variety of other pressing financial needs. This chapter examines these challenges to participant retirement income security and identifies several legal and policy changes that might enable participants to cope better with such changes.
Role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in osteoclast differentiation

Previously we showed that hypoxia-induced mitochondrial respiratory stress in RAW 264.7 macrophages and other cells caused activation of retrograde signaling (also known as mitochondrial respiratory stress signaling) and the appearance of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells. In the present study, we used N-acetyl cysteine and ascorbate (general antioxidants) and MitoQ, a mitochondria-specific antioxidant, to investigate the role of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in osteoclast differentiation. Our results show that hypoxia-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, as tested by disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, was suppressed by MitoQ as well as by the other antioxidants. These agents also suppressed the activation of mitochondrial retrograde signaling. Interestingly, in terms of molar concentrations, MitoQ was more than 1000-fold more effective than general antioxidants in suppressing the receptor activator of nuclear factor-B ligand-induced differentiation of RAW 264.7 cells into multinucleated and TRAP-positive osteoclasts. We propose that mitochondrial function and intramitochondrial ROS play important roles in osteoclastogenesis.
Impact of residue on Al/Si pads on gold bonding

Gold wire bonds on Al/Si bonding pads were evaluated for bondability and bond reliability as a function of bonding pad over- and under-etch. Glass residues affect the bonds when the bonding pad is under-etched. When pads are over-etched, residues deposited form the plasma affect the bonds. Bondability to pads with various layers of residue was evaluated by visual inspection of the bonds, by pull-testing the bonds, and by measuring the electrical resistance of the bonds. Reliability was evaluated by monitoring electrical resistance of the bonds as a function of bake-time. It was discovered that bonds to under-etched pads do not stick and have low reliability. A small amount of over-etching was observed to improve the reliability of the bonds, but extended over-etching decreased the lifetime slightly. >
Optogenetic Control of Gene Expression in Drosophila

To study the molecular mechanism of complex biological systems, it is important to be able to artificially manipulate gene expression in desired target sites with high precision. Based on the light dependent binding of cryptochrome 2 and a cryptochrome interacting bHLH protein, we developed a split lexA transcriptional activation system for use in Drosophila that allows regulation of gene expression in vivo using blue light or two-photon excitation. We show that this system offers high spatiotemporal resolution by inducing gene expression in tissues at various developmental stages. In combination with two-photon excitation, gene expression can be manipulated at precise sites in embryos, potentially offering an important tool with which to examine developmental processes.
Fracture Toughness Variation Induced by Geometric Confinement in Nanostructures

The multiscale process of material failure from the interatomic bond breaking to the visible crack propagation leads us to explore the validity of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), particularly for fracture toughness as a constant from nanoscale to macroscale. In the current study, by considering the local virial stress averaged within one lattice, we overcome the barrier of ambiguous crack-tip stress field in molecular dynamics (MD) and perform direct estimation of fracture toughness not through remote stresses. By changing the specimen geometry, i.e., either the crack length or the specimen height (the dimension perpendicular to the crack line), the MD and corresponding finite element method (FEM) solutions show that fracture toughness decreases as the crack length or specimen height decreases. Consequently, fracture toughness cannot be treated as a material constant for nanostructures. The size of the singular stress zone (K-dominance zone) is used to explain the size-dependent behavior of fracture toughness. While the crack length or specimen height decreases, the decreasing K-dominance zone makes the singular part around the crack tip stress not capable of accounting for the full fracture driving force.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Phosphatases Inactivate Stress-activated Protein Kinase Pathways in Vivo

The c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNKs), also called stress-activated protein kinases, are members of the growing family of serine/threonine kinases in the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase superfamily. Like other MAP kinases, JNKs are activated via phosphorylation on adjacent threonine and tyrosine residues and can be inactivated by a unique family of dual specificity phosphatases, called MAP kinase phosphatases (MKPs). MKPs are encoded by immediate early genes and induced in response to environmental stressors and growth factor stimulation. Two prevalent isoforms of MKP, MKP1 and MKP2, are co-expressed in a wide variety of cell types. In this study, we examined the actions of MKP1 and MKP2 on JNK1 and JNK2. JNK1 phosphorylation and activation was inhibited by expression of both MKP1 and MKP2, although MKP1 selectivity toward JNK1 appeared significantly higher than that of MKP2. In contrast, JNK2 activity was inhibited by either phosphatase to similar degrees. Both MKP1 and MKP2 were highly effective at blocking the activation of the physiological target of JNK activation, the transcription factor c-Jun. In PC12 cells, MKP1 and MKP2 are transcriptionally induced following stimulation by nerve growth factor. In these cells, UV light-evoked JNK activation was reduced by pretreatment with nerve growth factor. Therefore, JNKs may be selective targets of MKP action in certain cells.
The effect of PK 11 195, a specific antagonist of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptors, on body weight in rats chronically exposed to diazepam.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of acute and repeated (daily and weekly) intravenous (IV) administration of PK 11 195 (PK; 10 mg kg(-1)) on body weight (BW) in Sprague-Dawley male and female rats exposed for 4-8 weeks to diazepam (DZ) slowly released from Silastic capsules (120 and 90 mg/capsule/week for males and females, respectively). Rats implanted with empty capsules served as controls. Both acute and repeated (daily and weekly) administration of PK inhibited BW gain to a greater extent in male than in female rats that received identical treatment. There was no difference in PK effect between DZ-treated and control rats. Furthermore, regardless of treatment or gender, PK-induced inhibition of BW gain lessened during repeated administration of PK. The present data indicate that PK-induced inhibition of BW gain is related to gender rather than to chronic DZ treatment.
Somatic genetic analysis of the expression of cell surface molecules

Abstract Many mutations that affect the biosynthesis and expression of cell surface molecules are potentially lethal in vivo . Somatic cell genetics provides a means of isolating novel mutants and studying their effects. This approach has been applied to study the genes important in mediating the cell surface expression of the murine Thy-1 glycoprotein, a molecule present on subsets of cells within the hematopoietic system. Nine classes of mutants with no known in vivo counterpart have been identified and studied.
Primary Culture of Human Vestibular Schwannomas

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) represent Schwann cell (SC) tumors of the vestibular nerve, compromising 10% of all intracranial neoplasms. VSs occur in either sporadic or familial (neurofibromatosis type 2, NF2) forms, both associated with inactivating defects in the NF2 tumor suppressor gene. Treatment for VSs is generally surgical resection or radiosurgery, however the morbidity of such procedures has driven investigations into less invasive treatments. Historically, lack of access to fresh tissue specimens and the fact that schwannoma cells are not immortalized have significantly hampered the use of primary cultures for investigation of schwannoma tumorigenesis. To overcome the limited supply of primary cultures, the immortalized HEI193 VS cell line was generated by transduction with HPV E6 and E7 oncogenes. This oncogenic transduction introduced significant molecular and phenotypic alterations to the cells, which limit their use as a model for human schwannoma tumors. We therefore illustrate a simplified, reproducible protocol for culture of primary human VS cells. This easily mastered technique allows for molecular and cellular investigations that more accurately recapitulate the complexity of VS disease.
The effect of non-covalent functionalization on the thermal conductance of graphene/organic interfaces

The intrinsic interfacial thermal resistance at graphene/organic interfaces, as a result of mismatches in the phonon vibrational spectra of the two materials, diminishes the overall heat transfer performance of graphene/organic nanocomposites. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to design alkyl-pyrene molecules that can non-covalently functionalize graphene surfaces in contact with a model organic phase composed of octane. The alkyl-pyrene molecules possess phonon-spectra features of both graphene and octane and, therefore, can serve as phonon-spectra linkers to bridge the vibrational mismatch at the graphene/octane interface. In support of this hypothesis, we find that the best linker candidate can enhance the out-of-plane graphene/organic interfacial thermal conductance by ∼22%, attributed to its capability to compensate the low-frequency phonon mode of graphene. We also find that the length of the alkyl chain indirectly affects the interfacial thermal conductance through different orientations of these chains because they dictate the contribution of the out-of-plane high-frequency carbon–hydrogen bond vibrations to the overall phonon transport. This study advances our understanding of the less destructive non-covalent functionalization method and design principles of suitable linker molecules to enhance the thermal performance of graphene/organic nanocomposites while retaining the intrinsic chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of pristine graphene.
Bioprospection of Eastern red cedar from nine physiographic regions in Mississippi

Abstract Juniperus virginiana L. (Family Cupressaceae), commonly called Eastern red cedar, is a widely distributed species in the United States and parts of Canada. It produces two important chemical products, the anticancer compound podophyllotoxin and essential oil. The objective of this study was to evaluate variations in podophyllotoxin concentration in Eastern red cedar, across nine physiographic regions in Mississippi: Tishomingo Hills, Bluff Region, Blackland Prairie, Jackson Prairie, Delta, Pontotoc Ridge, Flatwoods, North Central Plateau, and Piney Woods. The concentration of podophyllotoxin in red cedar needles across different physiographic regions varied from 0.11% to 0.36%. This variation was not statistically significant in 2007 nor in 2008, suggesting that soil nutrient concentrations and topography within Mississippi may not affect the synthesis and the accumulation of podophyllotoxin in Eastern red cedar. Podophyllotoxin accumulation seems to be a stable trait. The results demonstrated that J. viriginiana could be used as a consistent source of podophyllotoxin and that the collection of plant material for commercial extraction of podophyllotoxin can be done independent of the site of collection within the state.
Different effects of cortisone on the humoral immune response to T-dependent and T-independent antigens

Abstract The effect of the administration of cortisone on the murine humoral immune response to either thymus-dependent (TD) or -independent (TI) antigens was studied in vivo . Whereas the thymus-dependent immune response was markedly suppressed, the thymus-independent immune response was preserved. The opposing effect of steroids on these two types of immune responses appears to be due to the relative independence of thymus-independent antigens of a radioresistant cortisone-sensitive accessory cell.