cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collagen nanofibres are a biomimetic substrate for the serum-free osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells

Electrospinning has recently gained widespread attention as a process capable of producing nanoscale fibres that mimic native extracellular matrix. In this study, we compared the osteogenic differentiation behaviour of human adipose stem cells (ASCs) on a 3D nanofibre matrix of type I rat tail collagen (RTC) and a 2D RTC collagen-coated substrate, using a novel serum-free osteogenic medium. The serum-free medium significantly enhanced the numbers of proliferating cells in culture, compared to ASCs in traditional basal medium containing 10% animal serum, highlighting a potential clinical role for in vitro stem cell expansion. Osteogenic differentiation behaviour was assessed at days 7, 14 and 21 using quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis of the osteogenic genes collagen I (Coll I), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OP), osteonectin (ON), osteocalcin (OC) and core-binding factor-alpha (cbfa1). All genes were upregulated (>one-fold) in ASCs cultured on nanofibre scaffolds over 2D collagen coatings by day 21. Synthesis of mineralized extracellular matrix on the scaffolds was assessed on day 21 with Alizarin red staining. These studies demonstrate that 3D nanoscale morphology plays a critical role in regulating cell fate processes and in vitro osteogenic differentiation of ASCs under serum-free conditions.
Pole-zero decomposition: A new technique for design of digital filters

A new technique for design of digital filters is presented in this paper. The technique consists of splitting the given log magnitude response into two parts, one corresponding to the response of the numerator polynomial of the filter transfer function and the other part to the response of the denominator polynomial. The inverse of each of these polynomials is considered as an all-pole filter and the response of the all-pole filter is approximated by a small number of autoregressive coefficients. The autoregressive coefficients obtained for the numerator polynomial represent the zero part of the final filter and the coefficients obtained for the denominator polynomial represent the pole part of the final filter. With equal number of poles and zeros, the overall filter response can be made nearly equiripple in the passband and stopband. The amplitude of the ripple can be traded with the width of the transition band. The ripple characterstics can be controlled by appropriately choosing the number of poles and zeros of the filter.
A chemically bonded liquid crystal as a stationary phase for high performance liquid chromatography. Synthesis on silica via an organochlorosilane pathway

A compound which becomes a liquid crystal when bonded to a polysiloxane was reacted with dimethylchlorosilane to produce a reagent suitable for bonding to a silica surface. After the silanization reaction was complete, the product was characterized by elemental analysis, diffuse reflectance Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFT), CP/MAS carbon-13 NMR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Preliminary chromatographic testing was done by retention index measurements using the alkylarylketone homologous series and by measuring the separation factor, α, for anthracene/phenanthrene at two different mobile phase compositions.
When East Meets West: Understanding the Misconduct of Teenage Girls in Hong Kong

Although acculturation towards western culture has been linked to higher levels of misconduct in previous research, little is understood about the mechanisms involved. The present study uses two mediators, early autonomy timetable and large family obligation discrepancy to explain how western values alter children's behavior and family dynamics, that would push them towards misconduct. The sample included 138 girls (M = 13.8 years) from Hong Kong, a former British colony. Results showed that when indigenous youths adopted western values, their autonomy timetables were accelerated, which in turn manifested itself as misconduct. Meanwhile, the western acculturated youths also had a larger discrepancy between parental expectation and a child's willingness to fulfill family obligations, and this discrepancy in turn became a source of misconduct. The two mediation pathways replaced the direct pathway, suggesting that the key intervention effort for problem behaviors in hybrid cultural settings ought to focus on autonomy timetable and obligation discrepancy rather than western influence per se.
Experiments with reinforcement learning in problems with continuous state and action spaces

A key element in the solution of reinforcement learning problems is the value function. The purpose of this function is to measure the long-term utility or value of any given state and it is important because an agent can use it to decide what to do next. A common problem in reinforcement learning when applied to systems having continuous states and action spaces is that the value function must operate with a domain consisting of real-valued variables, which means that it should be able to represent the value of infinitely many state and action pairs. For this reason, function approximators are used to represent the value function when a close-form solution of the optimal policy is not available. In this paper, we extend a previously proposed reinforcement learning algorithm so that it can be used with function approximators that generalize the value of individual experiences across both, state and action spaces. In particular, we discuss the benefits of using sparse coarse-coded function approximators to represent value functions and describe in detail three implementations: CMAC, instance-based, and case-based. Additionally, we discuss how function approximators having different degrees of resolution in different regions of the state and action spaces may influence the performance and learning efficiency of the agent. We propose a simple and modular technique that can be used to implement function approximators with non-uniform degrees of resolution so that it can represent the value function with higher accuracy in important regions of the state and action spaces. We performed extensive experiments in the double-integrator and pendulum swing up systems to demonstrate the proposed ideas.
The ultraviolet-irradiated hairless mouse: A model for photoaging

The hairless mouse is proving to be a relevant model for the systematic study of photoaging. As in humans, with chronic ultraviolet radiation, these mice develop elastic fiber hyperplasia, followed by elastosis and ultrastructural degradation. Collagen is damaged and its metabolism is altered, while the normally low levels of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans are greatly increased. With this model we have described the effects on dermal connective tissue of UVB (290 to 320 nm), UVA (320 to 400 nm), and the combination of the two. We have also assessed the protective effects of sunscreens. We found that a significant amount of photodamage was repaired when ultraviolet radiation was stopped. Subepidermally in a former region of elastosis, a band of new normal dermis was laid down. Enhancement of the repair was achieved with topical all-trans-retinoic acid in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Retinoic acid was also found to induce angiogenesis in unirradiated mice.
RESOLVING “NYFFELER'S PUZZLE”—THE INTRIGUING TAXONOMIC POSITION OF BLOSSFELDIA

Abstract Taxonomic relationships between Blossfeldia liliputana Werdermann and other members of the Cactoideae have not been fully clear due to morphological and anatomical peculiarities of this diminutive species. Current classifications place Blossfeldia in Tribe Notocacteae Buxbaum due to similarities in seed morphology with Parodia microsperma Weber (Spegazzini). Following an extensive molecular study by Nyffeler, the phylogenetic placement of Blossfeldia was shown to be as the sister lineage to the Cactoideae, a finding which Nyffeler considered extremely intriguing. A number of hypotheses have been advanced to explain Nyffeler's puzzle. In this paper, the author investigates the phylogenetic position of Blossfeldia through the use of the presence/absence of the chloroplast rpoC1 intron, which is missing in all members of Cactoideae sampled to date. Blossfeldia possesses the rpoC1 intron, thus supporting Nyffeler's previous findings and dismissing other hypotheses regarding Blossfeldia. A new tribe, ...
Atypical Acorns Appear to Allow Seed Escape After Apical Notching by Squirrels

Atypical acorn traits, such as multiseeded acorns, have frequently been reported in oaks (Genus: Quercus), yet there is disagreement over whether such traits are advantageous or selectively neutral. Squirrel embryo-excision behavior is one factor that has not previously been considered in discussions of these traits. Several tree squirrels are known to remove acorn embryos before caching them by notching acorns apically using their incisors. We hypothesized that atypical acorns could potentially be advantageous in environments where such embryo excision occurs. To test this, we conducted germination tests on whole acorns, squirrel-notched acorns and artificially-notched acorns for Quercus alba trees that produced either single-seeded or atypical acorns. Atypical acorns included both multiseeded acorns and acorns with non-apical embryos. Atypical acorns appear to confer a survival advantage following either squirrel or artificial notching. Trees producing such acorns had higher successful acorn germination following notching when compared to trees that produced only single-seeded acorns. For acorns that had been either notched by squirrels in the field or artificially-notched apically in the lab, only acorns from trees producing atypical acorns successfully produced shoots with plumules. These acorns were planted and developed into healthy single seedlings. We review the literature for reports of atypical acorn traits, specifically multiseeded acorns, and find that this trait has been reported for 14 species of oaks, across both oak subgenera in temperate and tropical regions. We argue that atypical acorns are advantageous for oaks, allowing escape from both insect and mammalian seed predators.
Random Two-Dimensional Nets

We shall first apply the equations derived in the previous chapter to two-dimensional nets. We have noted previously that two-dimensional structures are characterized by the fact that all edges have a face valency s = 2. According to equation (4-12) this implies for two-dimensional structures \( \overline r = \overline p \) hence from equation (3-5), \( \overline q = 2. \) Equation (4-11) then becomes.
Probing Interlayer Interactions in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures by Optical Spectroscopy: MoS2/WS2 and MoSe2/WSe2.

We have applied optical absorption spectroscopy to investigate van der Waals heterostructures formed of pairs of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide crystals, choosing MoS2/WS2 and MoSe2/WSe2 as test cases. In the heterostructure spectra, we observe a significant broadening of the excitonic transitions compared to the corresponding features in the isolated layers. The broadening is interpreted as a lifetime effect arising from decay of excitons initially created in either layer through charge transfer processes expected for a staggered band alignment. The measured spectral broadening of 20 meV – 35 meV implies lifetimes for charge separation of the near band-edge A and B excitons in the range of 20–35 fs. Higher-lying transitions exhibit still greater broadening.
Impact Behavior of Extrinsically Toughened Discontinuously Reinforced Aluminum Composites

Discontinuously reinforced aluminum (DRA) composites with enhanced fracture toughness have recently been developed at ALCOA. The approach consists of producing a composite microstructure in which discrete ductile phases have been incorporated into the DRA through traditional powder processing routes. In the present paper, the high strain rate behavior of these toughened composites is investigated by obtaining (i) the dynamic flow characteristics at various levels of elevated strain rates using a split Hopkinson compression bar, and (ii) energy absorption during dynamic crack initiation and crack propagation using three-point bend specimens loaded on a modified Hopkinson bar configuration.
Phase and coherence of optical microresonator frequency combs

We use a combination of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental measurement to investigate the near-threshold phase and coherence properties of parametric optical frequency combs generated in low-loss dielectric microresonators. Our analysis reveals that near threshold the phases of the comb lines do not stabilize to a constant value across the spectrum, although well-defined phase relationships relative to the pump laser do exist. Our results are supported by numerical simulations of two different microresonator combs operated under varying conditions of input drive, dispersion, and detuning. These results are also experimentally confirmed through phase measurements of the individual comb lines. We also investigate the processes leading to the breakdown of the equidistant frequency spacing of the modes in a microresonator comb.
A review of familial correlates of child and adolescent obesity: what has the 21st century taught us so far?

UNLABELLED With the rising prevalence rates of child and adolescent obesity over the last several decades, it is important to examine the extant research to inform future research. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper was to review and critique research investigating familial correlates of child and adolescent obesity in the last decade. METHODS A literature review was conducted between March 2008 and December 2008. Studies published after 2000 that assessed familial associations with child and adolescent obesity in the parental, family functioning, and sibling domains were included in the review. A total of 80 studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS The majority of studies focused on the parental domain. Substantial evidence indicates an association between authoritative parenting style and child/adolescent lower BMI, healthy dietary intake, and physical activity. Also, research on family meals has consistently shown an association between the frequency of family meals and child/adolescent lower BMI and healthy dietary intake. CONCLUSION To date, preliminary evidence suggests that familial factors are associated with child and adolescent obesity, dietary intake, physical activity, and weight control behaviors, but most of the evidence is cross-sectional and there are limitations to the research. Recommendations for future research are discussed.
‘Anthropological mutilation’ and the reordering of Cameroonian literature

I argue in this article that the postcolonial existential wound, otherwise referred to by Eboussi Boulaga as the anthropological mutilation, represents the intertextual nexus that bridges the generational gap in Francophone Cameroonian literature. The tragic malaise, rooted in absurdity and the dire state of the postcolonial condition, echoes anxieties expressed by earlier generations of Cameroonian writers in the 1950s about engaged literature. The article is therefore an exercise in detecting commonalities and discontinuities that weave a shared national literary tradition. Among the commonalities, the presence of jazz, the writing of the anticolonial struggle stand out while innovations are to be found in the epidemic manifestation of madness and the disintegration of the basic social fabric visible in the form of incest.
Baseline survey for creating pilot healthy canteens in collective units in Huairou district, Beijing

Objective To investigate the information of canteens' basic situation, dietary habits and staff health status in collective units and establish a foundation database, therefore to provide supporting for intervention decision and evaluation in the next stage. Methods A comparative research method and typical convenience sampling were employed in this study. Two collective canteens that classified level B were randomly chosen to be pilot and controlled unit. All information collected through questionnaires which answered by a pointed person and intercepted staff. Results There were 160 and 198 persons recruited from the pilot and controlled unit. The number of effective questionnaire is 146 and 183 respectively. There was no significant difference between the demographic characteristics of two units (P0.05), which met the requirement of grouping standard. The rates of three meals dining per day in pilot unit were 56.2%、56.2% and 18.8%, compared with 50.5%、50.5% and10. 1% in the controlled unit respectively. Both two canteens formulated weeks recipe, daily intake amount and nutrients calculation system. However,the workers in canteens were unfamiliar with Chinese food guide pyramid and short of calculation skills. The amounts of salt,soy sauce and edible oil that provided per capita were 8. 2g,10. 2g,and 17. 0g in pilot canteen, compared with 2. 6g,8. 2g and 26. 0g in controlled canteen. There was no difference in dietary and health behaviors between two units ( P 0. 05) . There was significant difference in hypertension and hyperlipidemia incidence between two units ( P = 0. 001 和 P = 0. 032) . The incidence rates were 16. 4% and 15. 1% ,respectively. Conclusion It was necessary to create healthy canteens in collective units. According to the results of this study,targeted measures should be taken in order to prevent chronic diseases and improve persons’health.
Current Challenges and Limitations in Antibody-Based Detection of Citrullinated Histones.

Studies on NETosis demand reliable and convenient markers to monitor the progress of this form of cell death. Because a determining step in the release of nuclear chromatin NETs requires the conversion of arginine residues to citrulline residues in histones by peptidylarginine deiminase, citrullinated histones can provide such a marker. Here, we evaluate antibody reagents for the detection of citrulline residues in histones and observe alarming differences between commercial antisera and mouse and rabbit monoclonal antibodies in their ability to detect their nominal target residues. Differences between antibodies that are currently used to detect citrulline residues in histones could jeopardize efforts to reach a scientific consensus and instead lead to inconsistent and even conflicting conclusions regarding the regulation of histone deimination. Our results will assist others in planning their initial or ongoing studies on peptidylarginine deiminase activity with the use of currently available antibodies. Further, we argue that, along with the careful attention to experimental conditions and calcium concentrations, validated antibody reagents are urgently needed to avoid possible setbacks in the research on NETosis.
Ring fusion isomers of dithienoborepins: perturbations of electronic structure, aromaticity, and reactivity in boron-containing polycyclic heteroaromatics

Through a combination of rational design and synthetic serendipity, two new structural isomers of the dithienoborepin (DTB) architecture have been realized. Unlike previous members of this family, ...
A Behavioral Perspective on Inventory Sharing

Effective transshipment of inventory is a way to take advantage of aggregation effects in decentralized inventory systems. Previous research in the inventory sharing area has been mostly analytical in nature, focused on optimal stocking and sharing decisions and the coordinating role of transfer prices. We examine inventory sharing effectiveness from a behavioral perspective. Four conditions are necessary to create an effective inventory sharing system: adequate inventory in the system, sufficient requests for sharing, reasonable transshipments upon requests, and responsiveness of initial orders to the transfer price. Using behavioral experiments, we examined these four conditions. Our results show that without a carefully designed system, inventory sharing may be neither effective nor a route to enhanced profitability. In general, decision makers do not stock enough to benefit from sharing, and the opportunity to share inventory leads to an even further reduction in the initial inventory stock. Further, decision makers tend not to react to the transfer price unless inventory is not transparent in the supply chain. In addition, decision makers are more likely to under-request inventory, leading to reduced demand signal processing among decision makers. Finally, we provide evidence that by reducing inventory transparency in the system and providing decision support, inventory sharing can become effective and increase profitability for participants.
From STEM to STEAM: Using Brain-Compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts,: by David A. Sousa and Tom Pilecki. (2013). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 280 pp.

Since the Americans for the Arts-National Policy Roundtable discussion in 2007, there has been a growing interest to incorporate the arts into STEM education also know n as “STEAM (Science, Technol...
Case Report of a Pregnancy During Ipilimumab Therapy.

The most common malignancy during pregnancy is melanoma, and approximately one third of all women diagnosed with melanoma are of childbearing age.1,2 Thus, the effects of the drugs used in the treatment of melanoma on reproduction and development is of high interest. Ipilimumab, an anti–cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte-4 (CTLA-4) antibody, was approved for the therapy of metastatic melanoma in 2011. We describe what we believe is the first report with follow-up of the successful outcome of a pregnancy in a patient who received ipilimumab therapy for metastatic melanoma.
The risk of prescribing antibiotics “just-in-case” there is infection

Abstract The habit of prescribing antibiotics "just-in-case" there is infection is based on the misguided perception that antibiotics are "safe" drugs and therefore pose little risk to patients. Surgeons need to dispel this myth. One in five patients experience an antibiotic adverse drug event. The risk of overprescribing antibiotics far outweighs the perceived benefit and contributes to antibiotic resistance that not only threatens the efficacy of prophylaxis it also threatens the practice of surgery. Every unnecessary antibiotic contributes to a scenario in which patients who need surgery can no longer be protected from infections by antibiotic prophylaxis. Surgeons need to be fully engaged in antibiotic stewardship.
Climate change reduces water availability for agriculture by decreasing non-evaporative irrigation losses

Abstract Irrigation efficiency plays an important role in agricultural productivity; it affects farm-scale water demand, and the partitioning of irrigation losses into evaporative and non-evaporative components. This partitioning determines return flow generation and thus affects water availability. Over the last two decades, hydrologic and agricultural research communities have significantly improved our understanding of the impacts of climate change on water availability and food productivity. However, the impacts of climate change on the efficiency of irrigation systems, particularly on the partitioning between evaporative and non-evaporative losses, have received little attention. In this study, we incorporated a process-based irrigation module into a coupled hydrologic/agricultural modeling framework (VIC-CropSyst). To understand how climate change may impact irrigation losses, we applied VIC-CropSyst over the Yakima River basin, an important agricultural region in Washington State, U.S. We compared the historical period of 1980–2010 to an ensemble of ten projections of climate for two future periods: 2030–2060 and 2060–2090. Results averaged over the watershed showed that a 9% increase in evaporative losses will be compensated by a reduction of non-evaporative losses. Therefore, overall changes in future efficiency are negligible (−0.4%) while the Evaporative Loss Ratio (ELR) (defined as the ratio of evaporative to non-evaporative irrigation losses) is enhanced by 10%. This higher ELR is associated with a reduction in return flows, thus negatively impacting downstream water availability. Results also indicate that the impact of climate change on irrigation losses depend on irrigation type and climate scenarios.
Music maker: Using music to introduce coding and concurrency to young learners

Computing has become ubiquitous in many fields. The pervasiveness of computing has catalyzed growing demand for a broad range of skills. However, recent trends suggest a growing gap between supply-versus-demand for programmers — estimates indicate that by 2024, there will be a million more jobs than computing professionals resulting in over $500 billion in lost salaries. A key aspect to this growing gap is attributed to negative stereotypes associated with coding, particularly among women. Since stereotypes and perceptions form at a young age, it is imperative to dispel them by exposing young learners to key aspects of coding. Accordingly, we have explored introducing coding to elementary school students (4th and 5th grade students in Mid-West USA) in a class involving coding music. The class used custom software called MUSIC MAKER (developed by us) that enables composing music using intuitive notations for notes and meta-notes. MUSIC MAKER enables multitrack composition which is used to introduce basic notions of concurrency to students. The survey data collected from the students (N = 77) shows that the proposed approach is effective in meeting its primary objective of exciting young learners about coding and initiating (we do not assess long term effects) a more positive outlook on computing as a profession.
Insight into Metal-Organic Framework Reactivity: Chemical Water Oxidation Catalyzed by a [Ru(tpy)(dcbpy)(OH2 )]2+ -Modified UiO-67.

Investigation of chemical water oxidation was conducted on [Ru(tpy)(dcbpy)(OH2 )]2+ (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, dcbpy=5,5'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine)-doped UiO-67 metal-organic framework (MOF). The MOF catalyst exhibited a single-site reaction pathway with kinetic behavior similar to that of a homogeneous Ru complex. The reaction was first order with respect to both the concentration of the Ru catalyst and ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN), with kcat =3(±2)×10-3 m-1 s-1 in HNO3 (pH 0.5). The common degradation pathways of ligand dissociation and dimerization were precluded by MOF incorporation, which led to sustained catalysis and greater reusability as opposed to the molecular catalyst in homogeneous solution. Lastly, at the same loading (ca. 97 nmol mg-1 ), samples of different particle sizes generated the same amount of oxygen (ca. 100 nmol), indicative of in-MOF reactivity. The results suggest that the rate of redox-hopping charge transport is sufficient to promote chemistry throughout the MOF particulates.
In vitro P-glycoprotein activity does not completely explain in vivo efficacy of novel centrally effective oxime acetylcholinesterase reactivators

Novel-substituted phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oxime acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivators (US patent 9,227,937) that showed convincing evidence of penetration into the brains of intact rats were developed by our laboratories. The oximes separated into three groups based on their levels of brain AChE reactivation following exposure of rats to the sarin surrogate nitrophenyl isopropyl methylphosphonate (NIMP). P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a major blood-brain barrier (BBB) transporter and requires ATP for efflux. To determine if P-gp affinity screening could be used to reduce animal use, we measured in vitro oxime-stimulated ATPase activity to see if the in vivo reactivation efficacies related to the oximes' functions as P-gp substrates. High efficacy oximes were expected to be poor P-gp substrates, thus remaining in the brain longer. The high efficacy oximes (24-35% brain AChE reactivation) were worse P-gp substrates than the low efficacy oximes (0-7% brain AChE reactivation). However, the oxime group with medium in vivo reactivation of 10-17% were even worse P-gp substrates than the high efficacy group so their reactivation ability was not reflected by P-gp export. The results suggest that in vitro P-gp ATPase activity can remove the low efficacy oximes from in vivo testing, but is not sufficient to differentiate between the top two tiers.
A Mechanism of Unidirectional Transformation, Leading to Antibiotic Resistance, Occurs within Nasopharyngeal Pneumococcal Biofilm Consortia.

Streptococcus pneumoniae acquires genes for resistance to antibiotics such as streptomycin (Str) or trimethoprim (Tmp) by recombination via transformation of DNA released by other pneumococci and closely related species. Using naturally transformable pneumococci, including strain D39 serotype 2 (S2) and TIGR4 (S4), we studied whether pneumococcal nasopharyngeal transformation was symmetrical, asymmetrical, or unidirectional. Incubation of S2Tet and S4Str in a bioreactor simulating the human nasopharynx led to the generation of SpnTet/Str recombinants. Double-resistant pneumococci emerged soon after 4 h postinoculation at a recombination frequency (rF) of 2.5 × 10-4 while peaking after 8 h at a rF of 1.1 × 10-3 Acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes by transformation was confirmed by treatment with DNase I. A high-throughput serotyping method demonstrated that all double-resistant pneumococci belonged to one serotype lineage (S2Tet/Str) and therefore that unidirectional transformation had occurred. Neither heterolysis nor availability of DNA for transformation was a factor for unidirectional transformation given that the density of each strain and extracellular DNA (eDNA) released from both strains were similar. Unidirectional transformation occurred regardless of the antibiotic-resistant gene carried by donors or acquired by recipients and regardless of whether competence-stimulating peptide-receptor cross talk was allowed. Moreover, unidirectional transformation occurred when two donor strains (e.g., S4Str and S19FTmp) were incubated together, leading to S19FStr/Tmp but at a rF 3 orders of magnitude lower (4.9 × 10-6). We finally demonstrated that the mechanism leading to unidirectional transformation was due to inhibition of transformation of the donor by the recipient.IMPORTANCE Pneumococcal transformation in the human nasopharynx may lead to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes or genes encoding new capsular variants. Antibiotics and vaccines are currently putting pressure on a number of strains, leading to an increase in antibiotic resistance and serotype replacement. These pneumococcal strains are also acquiring virulence traits from vaccine types via transformation. In this study, we recapitulated multiple-strain colonization with strains carrying a resistance marker and selected for those acquiring resistance to two or three antibiotics, such as would occur in the human nasopharynx. Strains acquiring dual and triple resistance originated from one progenitor, demonstrating that transformation was unidirectional. Unidirectional transformation was the result of inhibition of transformation of donor strains. Unidirectional transformation has implications for the understanding of acquisition patterns of resistance determinants or capsule-switching events.
Detection of viruses: atomic force microscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

This paper demonstrates the capability of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to function effectively as ultra-sensitive readout tools for chip-scale platforms designed for pathogen detection in complex biological media. AFM allows direct (i.e., label-free) visualization and quantification of nanometer-sized viruses captured on a smooth, selective surface. AFM readout led to optimization of a capture substrate for feline calicivirus (FCV), and yielded a limit of detection of 3 x 10 6 FCV/mL. SERS-based detection of FCV, carried out in a sandwich-type assay, requires labelling of the substrate-bound FCV with a selective extrinsic Raman label (ERL). These studies yielded a limit of detection of 1 x 10 6 FCV/mL. The prospects of these two readout methods as additions to the arsenal of tools in bioterrorism prevention are briefly discussed.
What Knowledge Do Teachers Need for Teaching Mathematics Through Applications and Modelling

This paper begins by describing teachers’ knowledge as the creation and development of increasingly sophisticated models or ways of interpreting the tasks of teaching. One study illuminates several ways that pre-service teachers perceive the processes of modelling and the limits of their experiences with stochastic models. Results from a second study indicate that teachers need to have a broad and deep understanding of the diversity of approaches that students might take with modeling tasks. The second study also suggests a reversal in the usual roles of teachers and students by engaging students as evaluators of models.
Confidence Intervals from Single Observations in Forest Research

A procedure for constructing confidence intervals and testing hypothese from a single trial or observation is reviewed. The procedure requires a prior, fixed estimate or guess of the outcome of an experiment or sampling. Two examples of applications are described: a confidence interval is constructed for the expected outcome of a systematic sampling of a forested tract, and a hypothesis is tested in connection with a watershed experiment. Potential misuses of the procedure also are discussed.
Intergenerational exchange: undergraduate researchers’ learning and listening enhanced through older adults’ entertainment preferences

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an intergenerational exchange as undergraduate students taking an introductory Psychology of Aging course, interviewed and watched films with ol...
Effects of different routes of endotoxin injury on barrier function in alcoholic lung syndrome.

Abstract In the lung, chronic alcohol consumption is a risk factor for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a disorder that can be fatal due to airspace flooding. The severity of pulmonary edema is controlled by multiple barriers, and in particular the alveolar epithelial barrier and pulmonary microvasculature. However, to date, the effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on both of these barriers in the lung has not been directly and simultaneously measured. In addition the effects of alcohol on systemic, indirect lung injury versus direct injury have not been compared. In this study, we used tissue morphometry and Evans Blue permeability assays to assess the effects of alcohol and endotoxemia injury on pulmonary barrier function comparing intraperitoneal (IP) administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to intratracheal (IT) administration. Consistent with previous reports, we found that in alcohol-fed mice, the alveolar barrier was impaired, allowing Evans Blue to permeate into the airspaces. Moreover, IT administered LPS caused a significant breach of both the alveolar epithelial and vascular barriers in alcohol-fed mice, whereas the endothelial barrier was less affected in response to IP administered LPS. The alveolar barrier of control mice remained intact for both IP and IT administered LPS. However, both injuries caused significant interstitial edema, independently of whether the mice were fed alcohol or not. These data suggest that in order to properly target pulmonary edema due to alcoholic lung syndrome, both the alveolar and endothelial barriers need to be considered as well as the nature of the "second hit" that initiates ARDS.
Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli from retail poultry meat with different antibiotic use claims.

We sought to determine if the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli differed across retail poultry products and among major production categories, including organic, “raised without antibiotics”, and conventional. We collected all available brands of retail chicken and turkey—including conventional, “raised without antibiotic”, and organic products—every two weeks from January to December 2012. In total, E. coli was recovered from 91% of 546 turkey products tested and 88% of 1367 chicken products tested. The proportion of samples contaminated with E. coli was similar across all three production categories. Resistance prevalence varied by meat type and was highest among E. coli isolates from turkey for the majority of antibiotics tested. In general, production category had little effect on resistance prevalence among E. coli isolates from chicken, although resistance to gentamicin and multidrug resistance did vary. In contrast, resistance prevalence was significantly higher for 6 of the antibiotics tested—and multidrug resistance—among isolates from conventional turkey products when compared to those labelled organic or “raised without antibiotics”. E. coli isolates from chicken varied strongly in resistance prevalence among different brands within each production category. The high prevalence of resistance among E. coli isolates from conventionally-raised turkey meat suggests greater antimicrobial use in conventional turkey production as compared to “raised without antibiotics” and organic systems. However, among E. coli from chicken meat, resistance prevalence was more strongly linked to brand than to production category, which could be caused by brand-level differences during production and/or processing, including variations in antimicrobial use.
Propagators and x-Space Methods

This chapter continues the use of the Fourier transform but the point of view is different. The main estimates in the last chapter were in ξ space. This section concentrates on behavior in x.
Stereotypes of Older Adults: Development and Evaluation of an Updated Stereotype Content and Strength Survey

Background and objectives Stereotypes are beliefs about a particular group often adopted to bypass complex information processing. Like racism and other forms of discrimination, ageism affects individuals and society as a whole. The purpose of the study was to analyze the Stereotype Content and Strength Survey (SCSS) designed to update assessment tools commonly used to measure stereotypes of older adults. Research design and methods An updated survey was developed including aging-related descriptive items from previously published studies. Students enrolled at two Midwestern universities (n = 491) were directed to think about their perceptions of "older adults" and select the proportion they believed could be described by the items used in the tool. Response categories for each descriptive item were dichotomized and operationalized to be a strong stereotype if the collapsed response percentage was significantly ≥80%. Results A Principal Axis Factor analysis and Direct Oblim rotation was computed on 117 descriptive items representing positive, negative, and physical characteristics, resulting in a 3-factor model with acceptable psychometric properties. Cronbach alpha analyses revealed reliable scales for negative (α = .92), positive (α = .88), and physical (α = .81) stereotypes. Of 117 descriptive items, 33 emerged as strong stereotypes including 30 positive, 2 physical, and 1 negative item. Discussion and implications This updated assessment has the potential to contribute to an understanding of the existence of age-related stereotypes as well as the strength, or the proportion of older adults who could be described by each of the items used in the SCSS.
Efficient Collection of Connected Vehicle Data based on Compressive Sensing

Connected vehicles (CVs) can capture and transmit detailed data like vehicle position, speed and so on through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. The wealth of CV data provides new opportunities to improve the safety, mobility and sustainability of transportation systems. However, the potential data explosion likely will overburden storage and communication systems. To solve this issue, we design a real-time compressive sensing (CS) approach which allows CVs to collect and compress data in real-time and can recover the original data accurately and efficiently when it is necessary. The CS approach is applied to recapture 10 million CV Basic Safety Message speed samples from the Safety Pilot Model Deployment program. With a compression ratio of 0.2, it is found that the CS approach can recover the original speed data with the root mean-squared error as low as 0.05. The recovery performances of the CS approach are further explored by time-of-day and acceleration. The results show that the CS approach performs better in data recovery when CV speeds are steady or changing smoothly.
Stability of Equilibriums

In this chapter, basic concepts of nonlinear dynamical systems are introduced. A local theory of equilibrium stability for nonlinear dynamical systems is discussed. The spiral stability of equilibriums in nonlinear dynamical systems is presented through the Fourier series base. The higher order singularity and stability for nonlinear systems on the specific eigenvectors are developed. The Lyapunov function stability is briefly discussed, and the extended Lyapunov theory for equilibrium stability is also presented.
Bacterial flagellar motor PL-ring disassembly subcomplexes are widespread and ancient

The bacterial flagellum is an amazing nanomachine. Understanding how such complex structures arose is crucial to our understanding of cellular evolution. We and others recently reported that in several Gammaproteobacterial species, a relic subcomplex comprising the decorated P and L rings persists in the outer membrane after flagellum disassembly. Imaging nine additional species with cryo-electron tomography, here, we show that this subcomplex persists after flagellum disassembly in other phyla as well. Bioinformatic analyses fail to show evidence of any recent horizontal transfers of the P- and L-ring genes, suggesting that this subcomplex and its persistence is an ancient and conserved feature of the flagellar motor. We hypothesize that one function of the P and L rings is to seal the outer membrane after motor disassembly.
Geographic Learning in Children

To discuss geographic learning in children, it is first necessary to define how ‘learning’ and ‘geographic’ are used here. Whether a space is called geographic is partly a matter of scale: it is geographic rather than perceptual if the space cannot be seen all at once, as in the case of a village, town, or city. ‘Learning’ is used here neither in the formal educational sense (e.g., ‘learning’ that Paris is the capital of France, or what France imports and exports), nor in the strict sense of behavioral psychology (‘a change in behavior due to practice’), but refers rather to the acquisition of important geographical concepts and skills, such as map reading and map use. ‘Learning,’ in this sense, actually straddles the realms of both developmental psychology and the psychology of learning, as well as perception and spatial cognition. The children who engage in geographical learning range from toddlers to high school students: thus, at least a part—and perhaps a large part—of this geographic learning occurs outside of the formal learning environments provided by schools. While some attention is given to formal school learning in this article, informal learning is stressed here.
The Solutions Unlimited Now--SUN(SM) Program: Psychodynamic/cognitive structured groups for teens, pre-teens, and families.

This paper presents an overview of Solutions Unlimited Now—SUN(sm) and results of an Outcome Study by an Outside Evaluator. It describes the overall conceptual framework of social interaction, Social Capital, which underlies the rationale for and development of the structured group as a means for bringing about both individual and social assets and protective factors for teens, pre-teens and their families. The strategy of combining a psychodynamic approach which promotes the establishment of group norms that are caring, supportive, safe and empathic with the development of cognitive skills in problem solving and coping is shown to be effective.
International Evidence on the Efficacy of New-Keynesian Models of Inflation Persistence

In this paper we take an agnostic view of the Phillips curve debate, and carry out an empirical investigation of the relative and absolute efficacy of Calvo sticky price (SP), sticky information (SI), and sticky price with indexation models (SPI), with emphasis on their ability to mimic inflationary dynamics. In particular, we look at evidence for a group of 13 OECD countries, and we consider three alternative measures of inflationary pressure, including the output gap, labor share, and unemployment. We find that the Calvo SP and the SI models essentially perform no better than a strawman constant inflation model, when used to explain inflation persistence. Indeed, virtually all inflationary dynamics end up being captured by the residuals of the estimated versions of these models. We find that SPI model is preferable because it captures the type of strong inflationary persistence that has in the past characterized the economies of the countries in our sample. However, two caveats to this conclusion are that improvement in performance is driven mostly by the time series part of the model (i.e. lagged inflation) and that the SPI model overemphasizes inflationary persistence. Thus, there appears to be room for improvement via either modified versions of the above models, or via development of new models, that better "track" inflation persistence.
Willingness to obtain COVID-19 vaccination in adults with multiple sclerosis in the United States.

Abstract Background: As vaccines for the coronavirus become available, it will be important to know the rate of COVID-19 vaccine acceptability in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), given that vaccination will be a key strategy for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. Using a national sample of adults with MS in the United States obtained early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study aimed to: (1) assess willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine when available; (2) determine demographic, MS, and psychosocial correlates of vaccine willingness; and (3) measure where people with MS get their COVID-19 information and their perceived trustworthiness of such sources, which may influence COVID-19 vaccine willingness. Methods: Adults with MS (N = 486) living in the United States completed a cross-sectional online survey (between 10 April 2020 and 06 May 2020) about their willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination once available. Participants also completed measures to describe the sample and to assess factors potentially related to vaccine willingness, including demographics, MS-specific variables, psychological measures, COVID-19 information sources, and perceived trustworthiness of their information sources. Results: Approximately two-thirds of the participants (66.0%) reported a willingness to obtain a future COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 15.4%of the sample was unwilling. Greater willingness to receive the vaccine was associated with having a higher level of education and holding a higher perception of one's risk of catching COVID-19. Participants reported accessing COVID-19 information from many different sources. Approximately a third (31.6%) of the sample reported getting their information from healthcare providers. Healthcare providers and the National MS Society had the highest perceived trustworthiness for COVID-19 information. The perceived trustworthiness of information sources was highly associated with vaccine willingness. Conclusion: Early in the pandemic, willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine was not universal in this large sample or people living with MS. Vaccine willingness was associated with a few variables including education level, perceived risk for COVID-19 infection, and trust in COVID-19 information sources. These results have important implications for guiding healthcare providers and the MS community as COVID-19 vaccines become widely available.