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Identifying Senate Bill 237 Implementation Challenges and Providing Program Options to Energize Delaware
No full textSenate Bill (SB) 237 requires Delaware’s three counties and municipalities with populations greater than 2,000 to include and consider climate change in their comprehensive development plans (comp plans). Energize Delaware commissioned this research to investigate the challenges to successful implementation of the legislation and to explore options the organization could consider if it wishes to use its resources to help counties and municipalities comply with the new planning requirements.
Based on a thematic analysis of twelve semi-structured interviews with key personnel/professionals across a range of stakeholder groups, this research identified five primary (though not mutually exclusive) challenges to implementation of SB 237: political opposition; lack of climate-related knowledge; low levels of technical, administrative, and financial capacity; the need to balance climate goals with other development goals; and uncertainty around acceptable standards of compliance and what is expected of counties and municipalities. These challenges lead to programmatic options that Energize Delaware could entertain if the organization wishes to help counties and municipalities overcome the barriers: fund efforts by the Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC) to establish acceptable standards, fund an education campaign, fund the development and dissemination of guidance materials, fund direct technical assistance, and fund post-planning implementation assistance.
Energize Delaware leadership should carefully consider these options as it looks to maximize its impact and enhance Delaware community resilience to climate change.Energize Delawar
Checking For Understanding: Administrator-Led Efforts For Developing Teachers To Deliver Evidence-Informed Reading Instruction
No full textThere is a century-old debate surrounding reading instruction that has been termed “The Reading Wars” (Kim, 2008). In 2022, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 55, a piece of legislation focused on school districts providing their teachers with professional development on the Structured Literacy (SL) approach to reading instruction. This Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) aimed to address the problem of teachers having too little understanding of reading development by enhancing teachers’ understanding of reading development and, ultimately, their reading instructional practice. Three improvement strategies were enacted to foster this enhancement: (a) understand teachers’ knowledge of reading development, (b) design and pilot a professional development series to enhance teachers’ reading instructional practice using the Science of Reading (SoR) principles and the SL approach, and (c) evaluate the initial implementation of the professional development series pilot. Data collection included surveys, observations, and interviews to learn about what informs teachers’ reading instruction, their understanding of reading development, and factors that enable or hinder teachers’ ability to implement evidence-informed instruction in their classrooms. Results suggested that teachers had increased awareness of SoR principles that undergird the SL approach, which illustrated a shift toward data-driven systematic and explicit reading instruction. Results also demonstrated increased student achievement in foundational skills based on Pennsylvania assessments. Overall, this ELP underscored the importance of an administrator’s role as an instructional leader in creating conditions to enhance teachers’ instructional practice, particularly evidence-informed reading instruction. This ELP has implications for several constituent groups. First, an elementary school should support teachers’ reading instructional practice, specifically language comprehension instruction and Duke and Cartwright’s (2021) research on the active view of reading to enhance teachers’ reading instructional practice. Next, as principals implement Act 55, they—themselves—need to work to understand their teachers’ understanding of reading development by gathering and analyzing teachers’ and support staff members’ perceptions. By understanding these perceptions, principals can leverage professional development to enhance teachers’ reading instructional practice. Finally, researchers are urged to investigate the long-term effects of teachers’ reading instructional practice that include SL to examine influences on students and their outcomes (e.g., if fewer students are identified for special education as a result of SL implementation in early grades). Such investigations should include urban, suburban, and rural schools to account for contextual differences. This kind of research builds upon this ELP to consider how more students across these contexts can have more equitable access to high-quality reading instruction
Information theoretical computational lithography based on pattern density statistics
No full textThis article was originally published in Optics Express. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.553893.
© 2025 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement (https://doi.org/10.1364/OA_License_v2#VOR-OA).Computational lithography is an important technology to improve the image resolution and fidelity of the optical lithography process. Recently, information theoretical models were introduced to explore the physical limit of image fidelity that can be achieved by different computational lithography methods. However, the existing models were derived based on a simple and idealized assumption of uniform pattern density, thus rendering a loose lower bound on the lithography imaging error. This work improves the accuracy of the information theoretical model by introducing a statistical approach of pattern density. In particular, a density classification rule (DCR) of mask and print image is established based on a number of randomly generated layout samples. The information transfer function between the mask and print image is formulated under the DCR constraint. Then, the optimal information transfer (OIT) and the theoretical limit of lithography image fidelity are derived using a numerical optimization algorithm with mask manufacturing regularization. It has been proved analytically and experimentally that our proposed model provides a much more accurate theoretical limit of lithography image fidelity than the conventional approach.National Natural Science Foundation of China (62374016, 52130504); State Key Lab of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology (DMETKF2022011)
The analysis of ergothioneine biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor M145 with co-inoculation of Triticum aestivum
No full textBais, Harsh P.The market for agricultural biologicals as replacements for synthetic crop chemicals has grown significantly due to their ability to improve soil health while reducing the overall carbon footprint. In particular, biostimulants can enhance crop yield and quality, increase soil microbial activity, and provide other various benefits to support crop productivity. Additionally, a decline in crude protein content in crops—caused by plant breeding, climate change, declining soil organic matter, and changes in environmental legislation— has led to an increased demand for strategies to boost protein levels in staple cereal crops. Ergothioneine (EGT), an amino acid with recognized nutraceutical and micronutrient properties, has gained popularity for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties on human health. EGT has been studied in relation to cardiometabolic diseases, anti-aging, neurodegenerative disorders, and various other inflammatory conditions. While plants and humans cannot biosynthesize EGT, its production by Streptomyces coelicolor presents as a promising bio-stimulant to support overall plant health and human health. Our study investigates the potential for Streptomyces coelicolor M145 to enhance EGT levels in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum). In vitro analyses quantified intracellular EGT production, under nutrient-rich and minimal nutrient conditions, using a developed cell extract protocol to determine how intracellular EGT levels vary based on condition and time. ☐ Following inoculation of S. coelicolor on T. aestivum roots, EGT was extracted and quantified from plant roots and shoots. Results confirmed successful EGT extraction from bacterial cell extracts and plant tissues. Additionally, a fluorescent confocal microscopy staining and imaging protocol was developed to assess bacterial colonization on T. aestivum and its potential as a root endophyte. As soon as day 5 post-inoculation, microscopy revealed clear colonization of S. coelicolor inhabiting T. aestivum roots, shoots, and internodes.M.S.University of Delaware, Microbiology Graduate Progra
Movable Antenna Enabled Near-Field MU-MIMO Communication
No full textThis article was originally published in IEEE Wireless Communications Letters. The version of record is available at: 10.1109/LWC.2025.3592716
© 2025 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
This article will be embargoed until August 5, 2027This letter investigates movable antenna (MA)-enabled near-field multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems, in which the base station (BS) equipped with an MA array serves multiple users equipped with fixed-position antenna (FPA) arrays. First, we present the near-field channel model to characterize channel variations with different positions of the MAs in a large moving region. Then, we aim to maximize the weighted sum-rate (WSR) of users by jointly optimizing the antenna position vector (APV) and precoding matrix at BS, subject to the constraints on antenna movement and maximum transmit power. To address the formulated challenging optimization problem, we discretize the feasible antenna moving region into a discrete-position set, and transform the problem into a sparse signal recovery framework. Next, based on the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) method, the suboptimal MAs’ positions are selected from the discrete-position set and the precoding matrix is simultaneously updated in closed-form to align with the APV changes. Simulation results show that the proposed MA-enabled system can significantly improve near-field MIMO channel conditions and enhance multi-stream transmission via antenna position optimization, achieving substantial performance gains over conventional FPA-based schemes.This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under grant numbers U22A2007 and 62171010
A Novel Method to Assess Subject-Specific Architecture of the Achilles Tendon In Vivo in Humans
No full textThis article was originally published in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70042.
© 2025 The Author(s). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The Achilles tendon (AT) comprises three subtendons whose relative locations, and respective lines of action, vary individually. This study was aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of a novel method, combining Ultrasound and electrical STIMulation (USTIM), to identify the in vivo location of individual subtendons in cross-sections of the AT. We individually stimulated the triceps surae muscle heads and imaged localized tissue movement on a transverse plane 1 cm proximal to the calcaneus using B-mode ultrasonography. Movement induced by muscle stimulation was presumed to arise from movement in the respective subtendon. Frame-by-frame changes in grayscale values were analyzed to detect localized tissue movement, establishing the three subtendon locations. From 12 successfully assessed legs, we found test–retest reliability to be excellent (ICC = 0.93, N = 3), and intra- and inter-rater reliability to be good for the subtendon centroid locations (ICC > 0.77, N = 12). Reliability for identifying the subtendon area was good for test–retest (ICC = 0.77) and intra-rater assessments (ICC > 0.70) but moderate between raters (ICC = 0.53). Subtendon centroid locations assessed using USTIM showed a strong association (N = 2; r2= 0.80, p < 0.001) with those identified via the high-field MRI method established by Cone et al. Fitting with prior literature, the majority of (83%) tendons were identified as low twist type I. The novel USTIM method can identify in vivo locations of the three subtendons within a cross-section of AT with moderate to excellent reliability. This method could be used to unravel the intricacies of structure–function relationships in the AT, with potential clinical benefits for treatment of patients with AT injuries.This work was supported by a Research Council of Finland-funded research project Development of novel methods for creation of a new subject-specific view of Achilles tendon structure and loading in health and disease (ACHILLES, grant #355678/Finni). MRI acquisitions at UNC Chapel Hill were supported by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health (R01AG051748, Franz)
The Zintl pnictides Yb10CdSb9 and Yb14CdSb11: New candidate thermoelectric materials
No full textThis article was originally published in Journal of Applied Physics. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0244442.
© 2025 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).The synthesis of new materials is the lifeline of solid-state science, and it continues to offer us unique opportunities for testing various theoretical formulations and models on a practical material. Such an avenue, therefore, provides a breeding ground for technological innovations and advancements that can completely revolutionize our world. Here, we report the results of our exploratory syntheses in the Yb–Cd–Sb compositional space that lead to the identification of two new Zintl antimonides, namely, Yb10CdSb9 and Yb14CdSb11. Their crystal structures were established via single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods; the basic electronic and transport properties of the new materials were also characterized. Yb10CdSb9 crystallizes in a disordered variant of the tetragonal Ca10LiMgSb9 structure type with unit cell parameters a = 11.8473(8) Å and c = 17.1302(12) Å (space group P42/mnm). Yb14CdSb11 crystallizes in the tetragonal Ca14AlSb11 structure type with unit cell parameters: a = 16.605(3) Å and c = 12.144(7) Å (space group I41/acd). Although the structures of both compounds can be rationalized within the framework of the Zintl formalism, based on the partitioning of the valence electrons in the much disordered Yb10CdSb9 phase, the charge is indicative of a slightly electron-rich composition. Electronic structure calculations in both cases support the notion of intrinsic semiconductor behavior, as expected for a Zintl phase. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of a single crystal of Yb10CdSb9 is in line with that, and the evolution of the Seebeck coefficient indicates an electron-dominated transport mechanism, and a respectable power factor of 0.71 μW/cm K2 at 460 K can be calculated for Yb10CdSb9. The electrical resistivity of Yb14CdSb11, however, evolves in a semimetallic manner, which could suggest an overdoped sample or degenerate semiconducting behavior.This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, under Award No. DE-SC0008885
The Utilization of Boron-Rich Clusters as Aids to Detect Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species Through Non-Fluorescent Modalities
No full textReactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) are small, highly reactive, and transient oxygen/nitrogen containing compounds that play important roles in redox signaling processes to maintain cellular homeostasis. Typically, these finnicky species are detected through activity-based sensors (ABS) which produce a fluorescent response after being selectively uncaged by the target analyte. However, these fluorescent scaffolds are limited by their large absorption and emission profiles. Therefore, to expand our ability to detect these species, our lab aims to develop and characterize this new class of activity-based sensors to detect these species via non-fluorescent imaging modalities utilizing boron-rich clusters. These boron-rich clusters have unique, tunable properties that are advantageous for alternative based imaging strategies such as time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) or Raman spectroscopy. Utilizing these non-fluorescent scaffolds, we hope to expand the toolbox ROS/RNS targeting scaffolds to further understand their behavior within biological systems.
In Chapter 1, I will discuss progress made towards the synthesis and photophysical characterization of this novel class of ABS scaffolds. A strategy to attach a boron-rich cluster to a known fluorescent scaffold was developed. These new dye derivatives were then characterized through UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy to observe how the addition of the cluster impacted the dye’s photophysical properties. Additionally, multiple formylations of these unique dyes were attempted and screened for optimal conditions. An alternative synthetic route is proposed to bypass obstacles and limitations within the current pathway.
In Chapter 2, I will discuss preliminary studies which demonstrate the viability of these boron-rich cluster compounds for alternative imaging strategies in biological systems. A protocol to reliably prepare cells for ToF-SIMS analysis was developed. Using this method, a cell sample was imaged via ToF-SIMS for the first time at the University of Delaware. Building off these preliminary experiments, cells were incubated with a dye conjugated to a boron-rich cluster then analyzed via fluorescence microscopy and ToF-SIMS. Shortcomings of the current strategy are discussed alongside potential solutions to troubleshoot complications encountered in follow-up experiments
Smoothing Senate Bill 237 Implementation: An Information Exchange Between Delaware’s Localand State-Level Planners
No full textSenate Bill (SB) 237 requires Delaware’s three counties and municipalities with populations greater than 2,000 to include and consider climate change in their comprehensive (comp) plans. Since the new law does not take effect until November 2026, and since the Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC) has yet to develop their compliance guidelines for municipalities and counties to follow, Energize Delaware commissioned this research to smooth implementation of SB 237 by executing an information exchange between local and state-level planners. Information about SB 237, including its content and expected impact, was presented to select planning and zoning commissioners and county councilmembers at their regularly scheduled meetings. Following this presentation, feedback was solicited from these same individuals. Commissioners and councilmembers voiced their comments and concerns about the impending rollout of the new planning requirements. This feedback was noted, synthesized, and analyzed to form the basis for this report. The content of this report can be reviewed and used to inform OSPC’s guideline development process.
Common concerns voiced by commissioners and councilmembers include uncertainty on the need to both plan for climate mitigation and adaptation; the technical and costly nature of compliance; the acceptability of different climate data and mapping products/tools; the potential negative impact on agriculture; the potential restrictions to housing growth and development; congruence of the forthcoming compliance guidelines with the forthcoming Climate Action Plan; and the need to know the planning expectations as soon as possible.
To initiate the creation of planning guidance, this report provides a simple sea level rise planning method using Delaware-specific data and maps. The method is presented as a straw man proposal, and two examples are provided to demonstrate how it might be applied in practice. The issues and limitations of the method are presented, and a robust critique to refine the method is invited.Energize Delawar