cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using a Participatory Design Approach to Create and Sustain an Innovative Technology-rich STEM Classroom

This paper describes the design and implementation of a technology-rich STEM classroom in a secondary school associated with a comprehensive U.S. Midwestern university. Built to address a waning interest in STEM and STEM careers, this classroom offers multiple technologies and an engaging, flexible physical space that together create an innovative learning environment. A participatory design approach was utilized in order to maximize the use and sustainability of the classroom. Students, teachers, and administrators from the secondary school worked in collaboration with university faculty and staff and with Herman Miller®, an international design company that conducts learning-space research. In addition to the design process, this paper outlines successes and challenges encountered in implementation, as well as strategies used in addressing the challenges, providing guidance for other educational organizations seeking to infuse advanced technologies into classroom design and instruction.
Talking about a cancer diagnosis.

Cancer is a life-altering experience, and newly diagnosed cancer patients need information throughout the course of their disease. In the 1970s, Weissman and Worden identified the first 100 days surrounding the diagnosis of cancer as an "existential plight" in which patients suddenly confront their mortality.[1] During this fragile period of fear and anxiety, the need for information is tantamount to the patient's mental well-being. Providing quality information to cancer patients and their families is an essential aspect of care, but it is not always clear how and when information should be delivered. The purpose of this article is to suggest simple steps for talking with patients about their diagnosis, assessing their understanding, and facilitating their ability to share their concerns, fears, and hopes.
The family history and the pedigree chart.

In investigating the etiology of a familial disease, it is important to obtain a detailed family history and to construct a pedigree chart. The chart not only aids in recognizing genetic factors in the disease but also provides important information for genetic counseling. Suggestions are given here for constructing a pedigree chart using conventional symbols.
Evaluation of 3D printing technology for corrugated horn antenna manufacturing

We report on the performance of waveguide components at W-band manufactured with 3-D printing technology. The precision and surface roughness of the various techniques are studied to determine the applicability of millimeter-wave components. The best waveguide attenuation measured of 0.014 dB/mm is still three times higher than for metal WR-10 waveguides. Full-wave simulations and surface roughness analysis show that performance can be improved by changing the orientation of the parts in the printer. The performance of a multi-flare angle and corrugated horn antennas is evaluated.
Treatment with a low pH processing aid to reduce Campylobacter counts on broiler parts.

Abstract New regulations and performance standards for Campylobacter have been implemented by the USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The objective of this study was to evaluate treatment with a low pH processing aid (CMS1 PoultrypHresh), a formulated low pH processing aid, to reduce numbers of Campylobacter which could help companies meet regulatory requirements. Two experiments (3 replicates each) were conducted. Experiment 1, in each of 3 replicates, skin-on split chicken breasts (n = 15) were obtained from a local grocery and divided into groups of 5. The skin of each part was inoculated with approximately 107 cells of a gentamicin resistant C. coli (CCGR) marker strain in an area of approximately 6.5 cm2. CCGR cells were allowed to attach for 5 min prior to treatment. Ten inoculated breasts were individually placed into separate 6 L plastic storage boxes containing either 3.5 L deionized water or PoultrypHresh solution at a pH of 1.4. Parts were subjected to agitation (bubbled air) for 25 s. After treatment, each part was removed, allowed to drain for 5 s, and placed into a plastic bag prior to mechanical rinsing with 150 mL of buffered peptone water for 60 s. Five inoculated breasts served as controls, were untreated with a dip or agitation and sampled as above. Experiment 2 procedures were repeated using skin-on thighs under the same conditions. Rinsates were collected from each chicken part, serially diluted, and plated onto Campy Cefex agar with 200 ppm gentamicin (CCGen). All plates were incubated microaerobically (5% O2, 10% CO2, 85% N2) for 48 h at 42°C, colonies were counted and the cfu/mL was log transformed. The use of PoultrypHresh on split breast produced a 99.6% reduction compared to untreated controls, while thighs showed a 99.4% reduction. This study demonstrated an approximate 3 log reduction (P
Applications of PET/CT in breast cancer, NCCN guidelines and beyond

1304 Objectives 1. Review indications for FDG PET/CT based on 2016 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for breast cancer staging and therapeutic response through case examples. 2. Highlight use of FDG PET/CT when the scan was not indicated by NCCN guidelines resulting in false positive interpretation through case examples. 3. Discuss emerging PET radiotracers for breast cancer staging and response to treatment and their possible future role in breast cancer management. Methods PET/CTs performed at our institution and obtained for either clinical management or as part of a research study were reviewed. PET/CTs from outside institutions submitted as reference studies or for second interpretation were also reviewed. Results Using the 2016 NCCN guidelines, the appropriate applications of FDG PET/CT are reviewed with illustrative examples. Applications of PET/CT in setting outside of the guidelines, such as in the setting of early stage breast cancer, are illustrated. Examples of 16-α[18F]-fluoro-17β-estradiol (FES) PET and 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET scans are depicted with discussion of potential and future clinical applications. Conclusions FDG PET/CT is an important clinical tool for breast cancer evaluation because it combines metabolic and anatomic imaging for staging locoregional and distant metastases and monitoring response to therapy. FDG PET/CT has the advantage of using metabolic imaging to detect early metastases that may not be evident on anatomical imaging in higher risk patients and may ultimately alter management. Application of FDG PET/CT to the appropriate breast cancer patient population is important to maximize utility and to avoid false positives, especially for early-stage patients, which could delay treatment or incorrectly upstage a diagnosis. Finally, while FDG is the primary PET imaging tool used in current practice in later stage breast cancer, several radiotracers are currently under investigation as noninvasive tools to determine biological characteristics of the tumor, to determine which tumors will respond to therapy, and as a marker of therapeutic response. RESEARCH SUPPORT: None
Is There an Association between Body Mass Index and Cervical Length? Implications for Obesity and Cervical Length Management in Pregnancy.

Objective Obesity and cervical insufficiency are leading causes of morbidity in pregnancy. We assess the relationship between maternal body mass index (BMI) and second-trimester cervical length. Methods A secondary analysis of a nested case–control study of women with singleton gestations enrolled from 2006 to 2008. The primary exposure was first-trimester BMI, categorized per World Health Organization criteria: normal (18.5 to ≤ 25 kg/m2), overweight (25 to ≤ 30 kg/m2), and obese (> 30 kg/m2). The primary outcome was cervical length > 75th percentile. Results Among 391 pregnant women observed, the median cervical length was 3.6 cm, and the median BMI was 24.8 kg/m2. In multivariable analyses, after adjusting for BMI, age, race, parity, smoking, and gestational age at delivery, women who were overweight (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.20–3.96) and obese (AOR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.47–5.43) were more than two times more likely to have a cervical length > 75th percentile. When cervical length and BMI were assessed linearly, for each 1.0 kg/m2 increase in BMI, cervical length increased by 0.25 mm. These results were robust to utilizing different cutoffs of cervical length and pre-pregnancy BMI. Conclusion This study demonstrates a relationship between BMI and cervical length suggesting that obesity may be associated with longer cervical length. These results will need to be replicated in larger cohorts undergoing universal cervical length assessment.
Infiltrated Zinc Oxide in Poly(methyl methacrylate): An Atomic Cycle Growth Study

We have investigated the growth of zinc oxide in a polymer matrix by sequential infiltration synthesis (SiS). The atomic cycle-by-cycle self-terminating reaction growth investigation was done using photoluminescence (PL), Raman, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). Results show clear differences between Zn atom configurations at the initial stages of growth. Mono Zn atoms (O–Zn and O–Zn–O) exhibit pure UV emission with little evidence of deep level oxygen vacancy states (VO). Dimer Zn atoms (O–Zn–O–Zn and O–Zn–O–Zn–O) show strong UV and visible PL emission from VO states 20 times greater than that from the mono Zn atom configuration. After three precursor cycles, the PL emission intensity drops significantly exhibiting first evidence of crystal formation as observed with Raman spectroscopy via the presence of longitudinal optical phonons. We also report a first confirmation of energy transfer between polymer and ZnO where the polymer absorbs light at 241 nm and emits at 360 nm, which coincides with...
Combined Gold Seed Implantation and External Radiotherapy for Stage B2 or C Prostate Cancer

AbstractPatients with clinical stage B2 or C prostatic carcinoma represent a group for which there are several treatment options. We followed the course and outcome of 72 patients with clinical stages B and C prostate cancer who were treated with surgical staging, insertion of gold grains and external radiation at our institutions between 1975 and 1984. Of the patients 44 (61 per cent) had clinical stage B disease and the majority (89 per cent) of these were stage B2 lesions. The remaining 28 patients (39 per cent) had clinical stage C tumors. In our series 27 per cent of the clinical stage B and 68 per cent of the clinical stage C cancer patients had positive lymph nodes. The 5-year survival free of disease was 52 per cent for patients with both stages of disease. The 7-year survival free of disease was 47 per cent for patients with clinical stage B and 14 per cent for those with clinical stage C cancer. Lymph node status did not have a statistically significant effect on total survival but survival free...
Optimizing resilience in large scale networks

We propose a decision making framework to optimize the resilience of road networks to natural disasters such as floods. Our model generalizes an existing one for this problem by allowing roads with a broad class of stochastic delay models. We then present a fast algorithm based on the sample average approximation (SAA) method and network design techniques to solve this problem approximately. On a small existing benchmark, our algorithm produces near-optimal solutions and the SAA method converges quickly with a small number of samples. We then apply our algorithm to a large real-world problem to optimize the resilience of a road network to failures of stream crossing structures to minimize travel times of emergency medical service vehicles. On medium-sized networks, our algorithm obtains solutions of comparable quality to a greedy baseline method but is 30-60 times faster. Our algorithm is the only existing algorithm that can scale to the full network, which has many thousands of edges.
Abstract A33: Discovery of novel anti-cancer therapeutic agents for Notch activation complex kinase (NACK) targeting the Notch pathway

The Notch signaling pathway has been found to play an important role in multiple human cancers by regulating transcriptional programs. However, the mechanism by which Notch drives target gene transcription is still elusive. In our previous study, we have identified and characterized a novel Notch activation complex kinase, NACK, which acts as a Notch transcriptional co-activator and an essential regulator of Notch-mediated tumorigenesis and development. In this regard, NACK could become a putative drug target in anti-cancer therapies. The lack of three-dimensional (3D) structure of NACK hinders the designing of potential drug inhibitors. Therefore, computational methods are adopted to elucidate the structural and functional features of NACK, which further aid in designing new NACK inhibitors. Molecule docking (Glide) is utilized to obtain potential hit inhibitors for NACK, which will be validated using in-vitro and in-vivo assays. This will open avenues for the development of new therapies for Notch-dependent cancers. Citation Format: Xiaoxia Zhu, Zhiqiang Wang, Ke Jin, Luisana Astudillo, Wen Zhou, Jinshui Chen, Peter Buchwald, Stephan C. Schurer, Anthony J. Capobianco. Discovery of novel anti-cancer therapeutic agents for Notch activation complex kinase (NACK) targeting the Notch pathway. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Targeting the Vulnerabilities of Cancer; May 16-19, 2016; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(1_Suppl):Abstract nr A33.
System upgrades and performance evaluation of the spectrally agile, frequency incrementing reconfigurable (SAFIRE) radar system

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory has developed the Spectrally Agile Frequency-Incrementing Reconfigurable (SAFIRE) radar, which is capable of imaging concealed/buried targets using forward- and side-looking configurations. The SAFIRE radar is vehicle-mounted and operates from 300 MHz–2 GHz; the step size can be adjusted in multiples of 1 MHz. It is also spectrally agile and capable of excising frequency bands, which makes it ideal for operation in congested and/or contested radio frequency (RF) environments. Furthermore, the SAFIRE radar receiver has a super-heterodyne architecture, which was designed so that intermodulation products caused by interfering signals could be easily filtered from the desired received signal. The SAFIRE system also includes electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) cameras, which can be fused with radar data and displayed in a stereoscopic augmented reality user interface. In this paper, recent upgrades to the SAFIRE system are discussed and results from the SAFIRE’s initial field tests are presented.
Analysis of soft wall AdS/QCD potentials to obtain the melting temperature of scalar hadrons

We consider an analysis of potentials related to Schrodinger-type equations for scalar fields in a 5D AdS black hole background with dilaton in order to obtain melting temperatures for different hadrons in a thermal bath. The approach does not consider calculations of spectral functions, and it is easy to yield results for hadrons with an arbitrary number of constituents. We present results for scalar mesons, glueballs, hybrid mesons and tetraquarks, and we show that mesons are more resistant to being melted in a thermal bath than other scalar hadrons, and in general the melting temperature increases when hadrons contain heavy quarks.
Putin’s Re-election in March 2004 and the Murder of Tsepov in September; the Sechinites’ All-Out Assault on Cherkesov and His Group

This chapter analyzes the onset of the intense years of the silovik war, which played out over 2004–2007. After Putin was re-elected in March 2004 and Tsepov was murdered in September, the Sechinites launched an all-out assault on Cherkesov and his group, and then Cherkesov counter-attacked. In June 2004 the murder of a journalist and Tsepov’s risky visit to the oil giant Yukos seemingly underlay the subsequent murder of Tsepov. Suspicion points to the Sechin group, and the police investigation was quickly closed with no findings. Tsepov’s memorial service was promptly followed by a two-pronged attack on Cherkesov. An office of the state drug control agency that he headed was viciously raided, people in it being murdered, and his integrity was savagely blackened in the media. In late December, Putin evidently sanctioned a strong counter-attack in the press by Cherkesov against his enemies.
The Probability of a Cessation of the Growth of Population in England and Wales during the Next Century

Many things about which we are habitually obliged to form estimates are of a much more speculative character than the growth of population, and the estimates which we do form about them in many cases actually depend on our estimate of the probable growth of population. There is not a builder nor a town ~ouncil in the country that is not obliged to prophesy every month what the growth of population in a particular district is likely to be, and it was the speculations of the Metropolitan Water Commission as to the population of London in 1931 that inspired me to make this contribution to the literature of the subject.
Time course of clinical change following neurofeedback.

Abstract Neurofeedback – learning to modulate brain function through real-time monitoring of current brain state – is both a powerful method to perturb and probe brain function and an exciting potential clinical tool. For neurofeedback effects to be useful clinically, they must persist. Here we examine the time course of symptom change following neurofeedback in two clinical populations, combining data from two ongoing neurofeedback studies. This analysis reveals a shared pattern of symptom change, in which symptoms continue to improve for weeks after neurofeedback. This time course has several implications for future neurofeedback studies. Most neurofeedback studies are not designed to test an intervention with this temporal pattern of response. We recommend that new studies incorporate regular follow-up of subjects for weeks or months after the intervention to ensure that the time point of greatest effect is sampled. Furthermore, this time course of continuing clinical change has implications for crossover designs, which may attribute long-term, ongoing effects of real neurofeedback to the control intervention that follows. Finally, interleaving neurofeedback sessions with assessments and examining when clinical improvement peaks may not be an appropriate approach to determine the optimal number of sessions for an application.
Confessions of a schmentencite: towards an explicit semantics

Natural language semantics is heir to two formalisms. There is the extensional machinery of explicit variables traditionally used to model reference to individuals, and the intensional machinery of...
A CRITIQUE OF TECHNIQUES OF MACROPHAGE-MONOCYTE DEPLETION IN STUDIES OF HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE (MNL) FUNCTION

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a critique of techniques of macrophage–monocyte depletion in studies of human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocyte (MNL) function. A number of methods exist for in vitro depletion of monocytes from MNL fractions of human peripheral blood. These techniques appear to vary in their monocyte-depleting efficiency, revealing a heirarchy of dependency upon the monocyte of certain in vitro immunologic functions. Most techniques useful for macrophage depletion attempt to take advantage of various cell properties, which are more or less unique to the macrophage. The most widely employed methods depend upon the relatively greater adherence properties of macrophages compared to the majority of lymphocytes. Adherence columns of glass and Sephadex beads, nylon, cotton, and rayon wool and adherence to flat glass or plastic surfaces have been widely used. These techniques are variably effective in removing macrophages. Those methods with the highest efficiency also tend to remove adherence populations of B and T lymphocytes and yield a very poor cell recovery. The phagocytic capacity of the macrophage can be used to remove these cells by allowing them to ingest iron particles and then exposing the cells to density gradient centrifugation and/or a magnetic field.
A NOTE ON THE ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR OF NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the asymptotic behavior of nonlinear systems. It highlights the asymptotic relationships between the solutions of the system dy ( t )/ dt = Ay ( t ), t ≥ 0 and those of the nonlinear system dx ( t )/ dt = Ax ( t ) + f ( t , x ( t )), t ≥ 0 where x , y , and f are n -vectors in R n , A is a constant matrix in R n×n for t ≥ 0, and f ( t , x ) is a continuous function of t and x for t ≥ 0 and ∥ x ∥ α ( t ) is a positive continuous functions on J = [0, ∞); and w ( t , x ) is nonnegative, continuous on J × J , and nondecreasing in s for s t ∈ J. Supposing that a solution y ( t ) of dy ( t )/ dt = Ay ( t ), t ≥ 0 exists, this chapter discusses whether there exists a solution x ( t ) of dx ( t )/ dt = Ax ( t ) + f ( t , x ( t )), t ≥ 0 such that ∥ x ( t ) − y ( t ) ∥ = o (α( t )) as t → ∞.
A modified method for estimating inherent strains from detailed process simulation for fast residual distortion prediction of single-walled structures fabricated by directed energy deposition

Abstract Predicting residual distortion in metal additive manufacturing (AM) is important to ensure quality of the fabricated component. The inherent strain method is ideal for this purpose, but has not been well developed for AM parts yet. In this paper, a modified inherent strain model is proposed to estimate the inherent strains from detailed AM process simulation of single line depositions on top of each other. The obtained inherent strains are employed in a layer-by-layer static equilibrium analysis to simulate residual distortion of the AM part efficiently. To validate the model, depositions of a single wall and a rectangular contour wall models with different number of layers deposited by a representative directed energy deposition (DED) process are studied. The proposed model is demonstrated to be accurate by comparing with full-scale detailed process simulation and experimental results. To make the method practical, a small-scale detailed simulation model is proposed to extract the mean inherent strains. Based on this approach, simulation results applied to the rectangular contour wall structures of different heights show that the modified inherent strain method is quite efficient, while the residual distortion of AM parts can be accurately computed within a short time. The improvement of the computational efficiency can be up to 80 times in some specific cases.
Experimental evidence that titi and saki monkey alarm calls deter an ambush predator

Many animals use alarm calls in intraspecific communication to warn conspecifics of a predator's presence or to elicit coordinated group responses. However, alarm calls may also be aimed directly at the predator to discourage further pursuit. These 'pursuit-deterrent' signals are particularly important in the presence of ambush predators that rely on stealth to hunt prey. Here, we conducted playback experiments over a 16-month period on radiocollared ocelots, Leopardus pardalis, in Peru using audio stimuli of titi monkey (Callicebus toppini) and saki monkey (Pithecia rylandsi) alarm calls, with nonalarm loud calls as controls. We predicted that, if titi and saki alarm calls function as deterrent signals, then ocelots would move away from the sound source and leave the area following exposure to alarms but not following controls. We tracked ocelots via radiotelemetry for 30 min prior to and 30 min following experiments. At 15 min intervals we noted subject location, whether the cat was stationary or moving towards, away from or parallel to the playback area (calculated using a deflection angle) and distance travelled. Results showed a significantly different pattern in response movement between playback trials; ocelots moved away from the sound source in the majority of alarm trials but remained stationary/hidden or moved in a variety of directions following control trials. Ocelots also moved significantly farther following exposure to alarm trials than following exposure to controls. We conclude that ocelots can distinguish alarm calls from other loud calls and are deterred by alarm-calling monkeys. This is the first study to use playbacks on wild predators to test the pursuit-deterrent function of primate alarm calls.
Editorial 2014 IEEE TSM Best Paper Award

High quality scholarship requires technical excellence and also connects the work to the primary references in the field. In this way, the reader advances their knowledge and gains perspective. The IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING (TSM) supports these goals by recognizing the best paper chosen by the Associate Editors and reviewers. The winning paper was selected from 59 papers published by the TSM in 2014. The winner is “ Feasibility Evaluation of Virtual Metrology for the Example of a Trench Etch Process ” by Georg Roeder, Sirko Winzer, Martin Schellenberger, Stefan Jank, and Lothar Pfitzner published in the August 2014 issue of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING (10.1109/TSM.2014.2321192). Congratulations to the authors on being selected.
Electrodewetting on Transparent Substrate: Device Fabrication and Demonstration

Electrodewetting [1] is a newly discovered droplet manipulation mechanism that works in a manner opposite to the well-known electrowetting including electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) [2]. When electrically actuated, the contact angle of a liquid on a solid surface would “increase” (i.e., electrodewetting) rather than decrease (i.e., electrowetting). This opposite effect of electrowetting allows digital microfluidic devices to work on a hydrophilic surface, i.e., free of the hydrophobic topcoat that has been the main drawback of electrowetting. In this paper, we detail the design and fabrication of electrodewetting “devices” and advance the technology to accommodate transparent substrates. To prove the feasibility of transparent devices, we achieve moving and splitting aqueous droplets along ITO electrodes on a glass wafer by electrodewetting with only ~5 V. The fabrication process is simple and compatible with today's LCD manufacturing process, indicating potential for low cost.
Circulating tumor cell-based or tissue biopsy-based AR-V7 detection: which provides the greatest clinical utility?

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is a condition characterized by cancer progression in the setting of low serum testosterone levels (1,2), and represents the lethal phase of the disease. Biologically, the development of castration-resistance occurs through a multitude of primarily androgen receptor (AR)-dependent mechanisms such as AR amplification, AR mutation, AR splice variant expression, and increase in synthesis of intratumoral and adrenal androgens through CYP17 and other pathways (3,4).
10 story builder: the development of IOS and Android apps for ESL education

The "10 story builder" apps is an application software custom made for ESL (English Second Language) education.[1] The goal is to develop a useful downloadable app, which will help non-native students learn phrasal verbs. One of the unique features of this "10 Story Builder" is that the continuity and interesting "story content" through all these stories are connected and intriguing readers' desire to read more. This app code is developed on Android studio platform, connecting to an online database through a web server and a web code in PHP with JSON technology. This design provides the capability to update information to the stories as needed. A website is made to connect to the database, so that content of stories can be updated through the web. This App's design has laid a software architecture base for further potential developments in education of other disciplines.
How Subgroup Analyses Can Miss the Trees for the Forest Plots: A Simulation Study

Abstract Objectives Subgroup analyses of clinical trial data can be an important tool for understanding when treatment effects differ across populations. That said, even effect estimates from prespecified subgroups in well-conducted trials may not apply to corresponding subgroups in the source population. While this divergence may simply reflect statistical imprecision, there has been less discussion of systematic or structural sources of misleading subgroup estimates. Study Design and Setting We use directed acyclic graphs to show how selection bias caused by associations between effect measure modifiers and trial selection, whether explicit (e.g., eligibility criteria) or implicit (e.g., self-selection based on race), can result in subgroup estimates that do not correspond to subgroup effects in the source population. To demonstrate this point, we provide a hypothetical example illustrating the sorts of erroneous conclusions that can result, as well as their potential consequences. We also provide a tool for readers to explore additional cases. Conclusion Treating subgroups within a trial essentially as random samples of the corresponding subgroups in the wider population can be misleading, even when analyses are conducted rigorously and all findings are internally valid. Researchers should carefully examine associations between (and consider adjusting for) variables when attempting to identify heterogeneous treatment effects.
The H•/H– Redox Couple and Absolute Hydration Energy of H–

A supermolecule-continuum approach with water clusters up to n = 16 H2O molecules has been used to predict the absolute hydration free energies at 298 K (ΔGhyd) of both hydrogen (H•) and hydride (H-) to be 4.6 ± 1 and -78 ± 3 kcal/mol, respectively. These values are combined with a high accuracy prediction of the gas-phase electron affinity (ΔGgas,298K = -16.9 kcal/mol) to determine the aqueous electron affinity of H• of 99.5 ± 3 kcal/mol, which yields a reduction potential for H• vs SHE of -0.03 ± 0.15 V. This value is in agreement within 0.2 V with most estimates obtained using a wide variety of approaches. These results can be used to improve the absolute hydricity scale in water which provides additional insights into how a putative hydride interacts with solvent but do not change the ability to predict the relative reactivity of two species using relative hydricity scales.
Label-free cell viability assay using phase imaging with computational specificity

Existing approaches to evaluate cell viability involve cell staining with chemical reagents. However, this step of exogenous staining makes these methods undesirable for rapid, nondestructive and long term investigation. Here, we present instantaneous viability assessment of unlabeled cells using phase imaging with computation specificity (PICS). This new concept utilizes deep learning techniques to compute viability markers associated with the specimen measured by quantitative phase imaging. Demonstrated on HeLa cells culture, the proposed method reports approximately 95% accuracy in identifying injured and dead cells. Further comparison of cell morphology with labeled HeLa cells suggests that potential adverse effect on cell dynamics introduced by the viability reagents can be avoided using the label-free investigation method, which would be valuable for a broad range of biomedical applications.
Using Video Teleconferencing to Involve Fathers in The Morning Rounds in the NICU. A Novel Approach Forced by A Change in Visitation Policy.

Background: Previous research has shown that father of infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) are stressed as a result of fullling the traditional role as a breadwinner as well as a caregiver 1 Due toCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the parental visitation policy in our hospital changed Thenew policy allowed only one parent to visit the NICU at one time This was necessary as part of initiative toenforce social distancing and keep families and providers safe and prevent them from the contracting thedisease During family centered rounds in our NICU, only one parent (usually the mother) was able to bepresent At that time, multiple fathers had expressed the disappointment and frustration at not being able tobe present during the morning rounds We utilized a teleconferencing platform to involve the fathers in themorning rounds Methods: The teleconferencing platform zoom was utilized for the program During theweekdays before the rounds, the father was sent a link with a password to join the rounds The father was informed of the approximate time of rounding and requested to log in to the platform 10 minutes prior At thetime of the rounding, the Physician (who was the team leader) was able to check if the father was available inthe virtual waiting room in the platform If the father was present, he was checked into the live stream andparticipated in the rounds Results: So far, we have successfully completed family centered rounds using theteleconferencing platform zoom in 13 infants Verbal feedback received from the parents (both parents,especially the father) were very encouraging as all of them found this program useful The providers in theunit had a general feeling that it not only improved the satisfaction of the parents but also allayed someanxiety in them, especially involving the father Conclusion: A video based teleconferencing platform wassuccessfully utilized during the restrictions from hospital policy created by the pandemic We believe that thesuccessful implementation of this new program has future implications Usually, fathers are still working whentheir infants are admitted to the NICU A video teleconferencing platform can be offered to the workingfathers to stay connected and involved in the care of their infants This may improve satisfaction and reducestress in fathers who are often not able to get involved to the extent they would like
The effect of multiple forms of father-child contact during imprisonment on fathers’ reports of relationship quality

According to the most recent national estimates, nearly 2.6 million children have an incarcerated parent (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). Children with incarcerated parents are more likely to face height...
Validating skin conductance for measuring acute pain in mechanically ventilated infants

Measuring pain in mechanically ventilated infants is challenging. The measurement of skin conductance (SC) is based on the sympathetic nervous system response to stress. This study purpose was to evaluate the validity of SC for measuring pain in mechanically ventilated infants. A prospective cross-sectional observational design was used to study SC and its relation to: the category of procedure (i.e., painful or non-painful); the phase of procedure (i.e., before, during and after), and referent pain measures (i.e., Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) and Neonatal Facial Coding System (NFCS)). Eligible infants were those up to 12 months of age, in intensive care units, who were mechanically ventilated, and required painful and non-painful procedures. From October 2017 to November 2018, 130 eligible infants were identified, and 55 infants were studied. SC (number of waves per second) during painful procedures (median 0.27, interquartile range 0.2-0.4) was statistically significantly higher than those during non-painful procedures (0, 0-0.09). SC during painful procedures was statistically significantly higher than those before (0, 0-0.07) and after painful procedures (0, 0-0.07). SC showed moderate statistically significant positive correlations with PIPP-R (Spearman's rho=0.4-0.62) and the four-item NFCS (Spearman's rho=0.31-0.67) before, during and after painful or non-painful procedures respectively. SC had excellent performance (area under the receiver operator curve=0.979) with excellent sensitivity (92.31%), specificity (95.42%) and negative predictive value (99.21%) but only sufficient positive predictive value (66.67%) when used to discriminate moderate-to-severe pain. This present study is the first to evaluate different sources of validity evidence of SC for pain measurement in the same population of infants during the same time period. Specifically, SC showed good validity for pain measurement in mechanically ventilated infants in relation to the category of procedure, the phase of painful and non-painful procedures and referent pain measures. This study was funded by the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) Trainee Research Award (Clinical Science, 2018-2019) and Sigma Theta Tau International/Rosemary Berkel Crisp Research Award (2018-2019). The first author (J. Hu) was supported by the Ontario Trillium Scholarship (2015-2019) and International Doctoral Scholarship.
Racial Discrimination, Mental Health, and Parenting Among African American Mothers of Preschool-Aged Children.

Objective Indirect exposure to racism experienced by a caregiver (ie, vicarious racism) is associated with poor outcomes for children, but mechanisms of vicarious racism transmission are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between experiences of racial discrimination and parenting among African American mothers and to identify psychological mediators and moderators of this relationship. Method African American mothers (N = 250) with young children (mean age = 3.7 years old) reported on perceived racial discrimination (Race-Related Events Scale), parenting (Parenting Stress Index, Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire), coping (Coping Strategies Index), and mental health (Stress Overload Scale, Beck Depression Inventory). Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations between perceived racial discrimination and parenting and to test coping as a moderator of these relationships. Ordinary least-squares regression-based path analysis with bootstrapping was used to examine mediation by stress overload and depressive symptoms. Results At least one experience of racial discrimination was reported by 57% of women. Experiences of racial discrimination were associated with increased parenting stress (β = 0.69, p = .02), and this relationship was mediated by stress overload (95% CI [0.35, 1.09]) and depressive symptoms (95% CI [0.27, 1.18]). Racial discrimination was not associated with parenting styles, and coping strategies largely did not moderate the relationships examined. Conclusion Racial discrimination has harmful intergenerational effects on African American children and families. Systemic-level interventions are needed, including adoption of policies to promote racial justice and eliminate structural racism in the United States. Future research on coping strategies specific to racism-related stress is needed to inform approaches to intervention.
San Bernardino Flying Squirrel Use of Residential Areas: A Citizen Science Approach

The San Bernardino flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis californicus) is a California Species of Special Concern restricted to montane forests of southern California. We confirmed the distribution of this species in residential areas of the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains with the assistance of citizen scientist volunteers. Project participants placed motion sensor camera traps near bird feeders on their property and uploaded their results to a project webpage and associated iNaturalist project. Flying squirrels were documented at all sites monitored in the San Bernardino Mountains but were not detected in the San Jacinto Mountains, consistent with survey results in recent decades. Forest structure plots between the 2 ranges differed in tree density, tree height, litter depth, and canopy closure, but it is unclear whether these differences alone can explain the lack of detections in the San Jacinto Mountains. Habitat in residential areas may provide subsidized food and water resources that are attractive to flying squirrels and important to their persistence, especially in seasonally dry forests and areas subject to prolonged drought, such as those in the study area.
Tracking Cryptic SARS-CoV-2 Lineages Detected in NYC Wastewater

Tracking SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity is strongly indicated because diversifying selection may lead to the emergence of novel variants resistant to naturally acquired or vaccine-induced immunity. To monitor New York City (NYC) for the presence of novel variants, we amplified regions of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein gene from RNA acquired from all 14 NYC wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and ascertained the diversity of lineages from these samples using high throughput sequencing. Here we report the detection and increasing frequencies of novel SARS-CoV-2 lineages not recognized in GISAIDs EpiCoV database. These lineages contain mutations rarely observed in clinical samples, including Q493K, Q498Y, H519N and T572N. Many of these mutations were found to expand the tropism of SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses by allowing infection of cells expressing the human, mouse, or rat ACE2 receptor. In addition, pseudoviruses containing the Spike amino acid sequence of these lineages were found to be resistant to many different classes of receptor binding domain (RBD) binding neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. We offer several hypotheses for the anomalous presence of these mutations, including the possibility of a non-human animal reservoir. Although wastewater sampling cannot provide direct inference of SARS-CoV-2 clinical sequences, our research revealed several lineages that could be relevant to public health and they would not have been discovered if not for wastewater surveillance.
Early-age compressive strength and dynamic modulus of FRC based on ultrasonic pulse velocity

Due to the increasing use of rapid construction methods and the challenges of maintaining construction schedules, a growing demand exists for procedures that can assure quality of work without sacrificing the pace of construction. The quality control of construction materials specifically, the mechanical properties of concrete are among the most important concerns in today’s construction industry. In the present study, the correlation between fiber-reinforced concrete’s compressive strength and dynamic modulus to its ultrasonic pulse velocity is investigated at early ages up to 7 days after mixing. An experimental program involving 189 FRC specimens were designed containing different types of structural fibers, fiber volume fractions, and water-to-cement ratios. Mathematical equations were developed to predict the early-age compressive strength and dynamic modulus of four different types of fiber-reinforced concrete based on ultrasonic pulse velocity. The predicted compressive strength and dynamic modulus from the proposed equations showed good agreement with the measured ones.
Finding a Teaching A11y: Designing an Accessibility-Centered Pedagogy

Introduction: This article describes our work to build an undergraduate program in user experience centered on empathy, access, and humanism. About the case: This teaching case is focused on how we situated accessibility (a11y, a numeronym) at the core of our undergraduate degree. Based on our program values, industry experience, and market need, we aimed to build a program that focused on accessibility. Situating the case: Our work is situated in the literature of technical communication, specifically on accessibility as social justice design. Focusing primarily on issues of pedagogy, we discuss the market need for this work, both inside the academy and within industry. Methods/approach: Through our experimental work applied within the program's framework, we built a foundational course, launched an intensive short program (study away), and developed opportunities for student knowledge sharing on the local, regional, and national levels. Results/discussion: Focusing on accessibility gave our students a strong foundation and broader connections with outside partners focused on user experience. Conclusions: Placing accessibility at the center of the mission, scholars and practitioners alike can address these concerns and keep their commitment to creating user experiences centered on shared values of equity, sustainability, and usability. With the rising need for accessibility specialists in the workforce and structured programs in academia, this article describes how technical communicators can develop these foundations in their own organizations.
Towards Structured Approaches to Arbitrary Data Selection and Performance Prediction for Speaker Recognition

We developed measures relating feature vector distributions to speaker recognition (SR) performances for performance prediction and potential arbitrary data selection for SR. We examined the measures of mutual information, kurtosis, correlation, and measures pertaining to intra- and inter-speaker variability. We applied the measures on feature vectors of phones to determine which measures gave good SR performance prediction of phones standalone and in combination. We found that mutual information had an -83.5% correlation with the Equal Error Rates (EERs) of each phone. Also, Pearson's correlation between the feature vectors of two phones had a -48.6% correlation with the relative EER improvement of the score-level combination of the phones. When implemented in our new data-selection scheme (which does not require a SR system to be run), the measures allowed us to select data with 2.13% overall EER improvement (on SRE08) over data selected via a brute-force approach, at a fifth of the computational costs.
The role of T lymphocytes in asthma.

There is now overwhelming evidence to support a major role for T cells in asthma, in particular the involvement of T helper type 2 (Th2) cells in atopic allergic asthma as well as nonatopic and occu
Existence of positive solutions for multi-point boundary value problems.

The existence of positive solutions are established for the multi-point bound- ary value problems � ( 1) n u (2n) (x) = �p(x)f(u(x)), 0 < x < 1 u (2i) (0) = P m=1 aju (2i) (�j), u (2i+1) (1) = P m=1 bju (2i+1) (�j), i = 0,1,...,n 1 where aj,bj 2 (0,1), j = 1,2,...,m, with 0 < P m j=1 aj < 1, 0 < Pm j=1 bj < 1, and �j 2 (0,1) with 0 < �1 < �2 < ... < �m < 1, under certain conditions on f and p using the Krasnosel'skii fixed point theorem for certain values of �. We use the positivity of the Green's function and cone theory to prove our results.
The Bradycardia Reflex in Competitive Swimmers.

Thirteen male competitive swimmers were tested on breath-holding in air and breath-holding in water with a Sanborn visocardette electrocardiograph recorder. The t test statistic showed a significan...
alpha-synuclein and cytosolic dopamine: stabilizing a bad situation.

The intriguing finding that α-synuclein—a protein recently found to be mutated in some familial cases of Parkinson disease—and cytosolic dopamine interact to form adducts that stabilize a presumably toxic intermediate of fibril formation provides clues into the mechanism of neurodegeneration.
Chorismate Mutase-Prephenate Dehydratase PHENYLALANINE-INDUCED DIMERIZATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO FEEDBACK INHIBITION

Abstract The bifunctional enzyme chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydratase catalyzes the first two reactions specific for phenylalanine biosynthesis in Salmonella typhimurium. Both activities are subject to feedback inhibition by phenylalanine. In the presence of phenylalanine the sedimentation coefficient of the enzyme is increased from approximately 5.6 to 8.0 S and the molecular weight is increased from approximately 109,000 to 220,000. This apparent dimerization is dependent upon the concentrations of phenylalanine and enzyme. Chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydratase that has been rendered insensitive to feedback inhibition either chemically or by mutational alteration does not dimerize. Therefore, dimerization appears somehow related to end product control. However, dimerization is not obligatory for feedback inhibition of either activity. At low protein concentration some enzyme does not dimerize in the presence of phenylalanine. Such enzyme can still be inhibited by phenylalanine. It is therefore suggested that phenylalanine binds to the monomer (smallest active species) to produce an inhibited monomer which dimerizes at appropriate protein concentrations.