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1. Fostering inclusion and diversity through research, teaching, mentoring, and outreach

   https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E19-07-0379  

   Torres, Jorge Z. (November 2019, Molecular Biology of the Cell)

   I am deeply humbled and honored to receive the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity. Thank you to the ASCB for recognizing the contributions of faculty to inclusion and diversity in STEM and the importance of this for the advancement of science. Thank you to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) for your generous support of inclusivity. The prize money will be used to fund outreach activities aimed at increasing inclusion in science and to create research opportunities for students from underrepresented groups in the sciences. In this essay, I share bits of my life’s story that I hope will resonate with a broad audience, especially students from underrepresented groups in STEM, and that drive my passion for inclusion and diversity. I provide points of consideration for students to enhance their preparation for science careers and for faculty to improve the current landscape of inclusion and diversity in STEM. 

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2. Alluvial River Width Variability

   https://doi.org/10.4211/hs.56e0ac25249d4451845a843eb3154954  

   Phillips, Colin (November 2024, HydroShare)

   Data compilations of bankfull downstream hydraulic geometry for alluvial rivers, lidar derived high-resolution spatial series of bankfull width for 67 sites, and hydrograph metrics for sites with USGS hydrographs. This compilation is composed of three datasets: (1) a compilation of alluvial river geometry at bankfull for a variety of hydraulic attributes; (2) x, y, and z coordinates of channel bank lines for a selection of sites and their associated river widths derived from high-resolution lidar topography; and (3) statistics describing the hydrographs for a subset of the larger compilation. These data are divided into two primary sets, the larger compilation and a smaller set of sites where the bankfull width was derived from lidar topography. For the high-resolution dataset, the data are available as the coordinates of the bank lines, spatial series of distance downstream and bankfull width, and the spatial series filtered for quality. 

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3. Least squares preconditioning for mixed methods with nonconforming trial spaces

   https://doi.org/10.1080/00036811.2019.1582032  

   Bacuta, Constantin; Jacavage, Jacob (December 2020, Applicable Analysis)

   We consider a preconditioning technique for mixed methods with a conforming test space and a nonconforming trial space. Our method is based on the classical saddle point disccretization theory for mixed methods and the theory of preconditioning symmetric positive definite operators. Efficient iterative processes for solving the discrete mixed formulations are proposed and choices for discrete compatible spaces are provided. For discretization, a basis is needed only for the test spaces and assembly of a global saddle point system is avoided. We provide approximation properties for the discretization and iteration errors and also provide a sharp estimate for the convergence rate of the proposed algorithm in terms of the condition number of the elliptic preconditioner and the discrete inf− sup and sup− sup constants of the pair of discrete spaces. We focus on applications to elliptic PDEs with discontinuous coefficients. Numerical results for two and three dimensional domains are included to support the proposed method. 

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4. Wearable Stretch Sensors for Human Movement Monitoring and Fall Detection in Ergonomics

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103554  

   Chander, Harish; Burch, Reuben F.; Talegaonkar, Purva; Saucier, David; Luczak, Tony; Ball, John E.; Turner, Alana; Kodithuwakku Arachchige, Sachini N.; Carroll, Will; Smith, Brian K.; et al (May 2020, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)

   Wearable sensors are beneficial for continuous health monitoring, movement analysis, rehabilitation, evaluation of human performance, and for fall detection. Wearable stretch sensors are increasingly being used for human movement monitoring. Additionally, falls are one of the leading causes of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in the workplace. The use of wearable technology in the workplace could be a successful solution for human movement monitoring and fall detection, especially for high fall-risk occupations. This paper provides an in-depth review of different wearable stretch sensors and summarizes the need for wearable technology in the field of ergonomics and the current wearable devices used for fall detection. Additionally, the paper proposes the use of soft-robotic-stretch (SRS) sensors for human movement monitoring and fall detection. This paper also recapitulates the findings of a series of five published manuscripts from ongoing research that are published as Parts I to V of “Closing the Wearable Gap” journal articles that discuss the design and development of a foot and ankle wearable device using SRS sensors that can be used for fall detection. The use of SRS sensors in fall detection, its current limitations, and challenges for adoption in human factors and ergonomics are also discussed. 

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5. Quantitative analysis of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in cannabis plants using the Fast Blue BB (FBBB) and 4-aminophenol (4-AP) colorimetric tests

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talo.2024.100287  

   Valdes, Nicole B; Gorziza, Roberta; Almirall, José R (August 2024, Talanta Open)

   Banks, Craig (Ed.)

   The Fast Blue BB (FBBB) and 4-aminophenol (4-AP) colorimetric tests have been reportedly used for the qualitative determination of Δ9-THC in plants and for the differentiation between marijuana and hemp-type cannabis. We report the miniaturization of the FBBB colorimetric reaction on a silicone treated filter paper substrate and the analytical figures of merit for a quantitative determination of Δ9-THC for the first time. The reaction between Δ9-THC and FBBB forms a red chromophore that fluoresces when irradiated with visible (480 nm) or UV (365 nm) light, providing a 3-fold increase in sensitivity. Portable instruments are introduced for the objective color determination for both tests and for the fluorescence reading of the THC + FBBB complex. We report a fluorescence signal with Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, and CBN. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 1.6 ng/μL with precision ~12 % RSD for standard Δ9-THC solutions ranging between 5 and 20 ng/μL. The linear dynamic range for this test is reported between 1.6 ng/μL and 20 ng/μL for the portable fluorescence detector. The miniaturization of both colorimetric tests and the increased sensitivity of the FBBB test using fluorescence analysis, coupled to portable instruments allows for limited quantitative analysis of cannabis plants in the field. 

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