cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Starobinsky-Like Inflation in Dilaton-Brane Cosmology
Creators: name: Ellis, John
name: Mavromatos, Nick E.
name: Nanopoulos, Dimitri V.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We discuss how Starobinsky-like inflation may emerge from dilaton dynamics in brane cosmology scenarios based on string theory, in which our universe is represented as a three-brane. The effective potential may acquire a constant term from a density of effectively point-like non-pertubative defects on the brane. Higher-genus corrections generate corrections to the effective potential that are exponentially damped at large field values, as in the Starobinsky model, but at a faster rate, leading to a smaller prediction for the tensor-to scalar perturbation ratio r. This may be compensated partially by logarithmic deformations on the world-sheet due to recoil of the defects due to scattering by string matter on the brane, which tend to enhance the tensor-to-scalar ratio.
description: 6 pages, 1 figure, Note Added to discuss BICEP2 data in connection with the present class of stringy inflation models. References added. No effect on conclusions other than the statement that D-particle fluctuations may provide independent (from dilaton) sources of tensor perturbations that enhance the tensor-to-scalar ratio in agreement with BICEP2 data. Version to appear in Phys. Lett. B
title: Physiological and Social Stress on Cognitive Performance
Creators: name: Nagatti, Doreet
name: Anina, Daniele
name: Daigle, Maria
name: O'Brien, Kymberlee M.
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Humans are highly social creatures and this provides us with a number of benefits, such as protection and support, but it also brings new avenues for stress from social sources. Basic and translational neuroendocrine research has yielded a rich set of findings and a general understanding of how acute and chronic stress can result in reduced health, earlier aging, and earlier death. Although stress can be indexed by level of cortisol, the major stress hormone in humans, many interrelated physiological systems are involved in a stress response, including the cardio and vascular systems. Research toward greater understanding of stress buffering mechanisms holds value for improved human health in the face of entrenched social stressors.

In particular, acute and chronic stress have consistently been found to impair cognitive performance, Many adults in high stress environments also face a changing social landscape during college years: changes in living partners, less control over noise, sleep, exercise, and nutrition. In this pilot investigation, we are interested in measuring the influences of acute stress on cognitive performance and whether social support, a factor that is modifiable, would be protective on the multi-systems relationships between stress and cognition.

Broadly, we found (1) that higher levels of cortisol measured in saliva was associated with a faster return to resting levels of salivary cortisol (a measure of flexible, adaptive functioning of the central HPA stress system) after the stressor is removed and may also be associated with lower cortisol in the initial response to the stressor. In parallel, we found (2) that higher levels of cortisol were associated with impaired cognitive performance after the stress task, (3) finally, we found that those reporting high social support showed faster recovery to baseline in the cardiovascular systems and greater social support produced some buffering of stress response on their post-stress cognitive performance.
title: The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Imported Medications by Brazilians in Massachusetts
Creators: name: Negrini, Adriana
name: Dalla Costa, Renata
name: Hernon, Christina
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Background: The use of CAM products and imported pharmaceuticals has been rising in the United States. These practices are particularly common in Latino populations. This descriptive study sought to investigate the use of pharmaceuticals imported from Brazil and CAM products by the Brazilian population in Massachusetts.

Methods: A brief anonymous survey was administered online via social media and in paper during visits to Brazilian establishments to a sample of first-generation Brazilian immigrants residing in Massachusetts. The survey questionnaire was administered in Portuguese and explored participants’ use of CAM products and imported pharmaceuticals as well as patient disclosure of use to physician.

Results: 595 surveys responses were collected and a total of 540 surveys were included in the statistical analysis. 59.1% of respondents reported having used imported medications from Brazil during their time of residence in the US. The most commonly used classes of imported medications were analgesics and antibiotics. 31.5% of participants reported use of CAM products; most commonly for cold-like symptoms. CAM products and imported medications were most often obtained through friends or relatives who brought them from Brazil. 63.9% of respondents did not inform their physician about their use of imported medications and/or CAM products. The most common reason for not reporting was because the doctor did not ask.

Conclusions: To improve care of Brazilian immigrants, it is essential that US physicians ask patients about the use of imported medications and CAM products. Familiarity with the most commonly used products is important for patient education regarding efficacy, toxicity, and possible drug interactions.
Equivalence between free quantum particles and those in harmonic potentials and its application to instantaneous changes
Creators: name: Steuernagel, Ole
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In quantum physics the free particle and the harmonically trapped particle are arguably the most important systems a physicist needs to know about. It is little known that, mathematically, they are one and the same. This knowledge helps us to understand either from the viewpoint of the other. Here we show that all general time-dependent solutions of the free-particle Schroedinger equation can be mapped to solutions of the Schroedinger equation for harmonic potentials, both the trapping oscillator and the inverted 'oscillator'. This map is fully invertible and therefore induces an isomorphism between both types of system, they are equivalent. A composition of the map and its inverse allows us to map from one harmonic oscillator to another with a different spring constant and different center position. The map is independent of the state of the system, consisting only of a coordinate transformation and multiplication by a form factor, and can be chosen such that the state is identical in both systems at one point in time. This transition point in time can be chosen freely, the wave function of the particle evolving in time in one system before the transition point can therefore be linked up smoothly with the wave function for the other system and its future evolution after the transition point. Such a cut-and-paste procedure allows us to describe the instantaneous changes of the environment a particle finds itself in. Transitions from free to trapped systems, between harmonic traps of different spring constants or center positions, or, from harmonic binding to repulsive harmonic potentials are straightforwardly modelled. This includes some time-dependent harmonic potentials. The mappings introduced here are computationally more efficient than either state-projection or harmonic oscillator propagator techniques conventionally employed when describing instantaneous (non-a 1,920 characters
description: 8 pages, 5 Figures
On ratios of harmonic functions
Creators: name: Logunov, Alexander
name: Malinnikova, Eugenia
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Analysis of PDEs (math.AP)
subject: Classical Analysis and ODEs (math.CA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 31B05

description: Let $u$ and $v$ be harmonic in $ Ω\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ functions with the same zero set $Z$. We show that the ratio $f$ of such functions is always well-defined and is real analytic. Moreover it satisfies the maximum and minimum principles. For $n=3$ we also prove the Harnack inequality and the gradient estimate for the ratios of harmonic functions, namely ${ \sup\limits_{K} |f| \leq C \inf\limits_{K}| f| \quad \& \quad \sup\limits_{K} |\nabla f| \leq C \inf\limits_{K}| f| }$ for any compact subset $K$ of $Ω$, where the constant $C$ depends on $K$, $Z$, $Ω$ only. In dimension two the first inequality follows from the boundary Harnack principle and the second from the gradient estimate recently obtained by Mangoubi. It is an open question whether these inequalities remain true in higher dimensions ($n \geq 4$).
title: Workplace Predictors of Perceived Quality of Care in Nursing homes
Creators: name: Chin, Winnie
name: Punnett, Laura
name: Gore, Rebecca
name: Kernan, Laura
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Nursing home quality of care (QOC) is a matter of public concern and public policy. Higher nurse-to-patient ratios have been shown to decrease rates of adverse outcomes. Positive nurse-doctor relationships also have a positive effect, which might translate to other clinical staff, such as nursing aides, who perform the majority of direct care tasks in nursing homes. This cross-sectional study examined whether workplace factors in nursing homes were associated with QOC as evaluated by staff members themselves. Surveys were distributed to personnel in 24 nursing home facilities in the Northeast U.S. A total of 1463 respondents provided ratings of QOC and 14 work environment features. Analyses included correlations, Cronbach’s alpha, and principal components analyses (with rotation) to examine psychometric properties of predictor scales and reduce multicollinearity. A multivariable model of QOC was built using all potential workplace factors to determine which factors contribute to self-reported QOC, with removal of those covariates that were not significant (p>0.05), decreased the model fit, or showed a confounding effect (>15% change in other coefficients). The final model showed that perceived commitment and obstacles to safe-lifting programs, respect and support between coworkers and supervisors, adequacy of staffing, physical exertion, safety climate, and psychological demand, were significant contributors to staff-assessed QOC. Nursing homes should consider cultivating these work environment characteristics for the benefit of both direct-care staff and the residents for whom they provide care.
Mechanisms of technology affordance actualization: critical realist case studies of information systems in Saudi Arabian SMEs
Creators: name: Albayan Alraddadi
Publisher: name: Loughborough University
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: 150399 Business and Management not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Economics and business

description: Affordance actualization (AA) is a process through which organizations realize their IT potentials. The extant IS literature on affordances has mainly focused on theorizing the existence and perception of affordances; the actualization process remains understudied and undertheorized. To address this gap, this research investigates the process of affordance actualization and unpacks the mechanisms that explain how and why affordance actualization has evolved in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) context.Critical realist philosophical assumptions were adopted to identify and analyse the causal paths through which technology affordances are successfully realized. Three case studies were carried out in Saudi Arabian SMEs through two phases: exploratory and explanatory. The data collection methods comprised semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a review of organizational documentation. Findings from the case studies were used to develop a mechanism-based explanation of the affordance actualization process to address the question: ‘How does affordance actualization occur in SMEs?’The theory of affordance actualization and the theory of workarounds were integrated to account for various actualization actions and outcomes. Three types of actualization actions were identified: planned actions; workarounds; and assessments and alterations. The actualization actions, enacted at the individual level, collectively contribute to produce actualization outcomes at the organizational level. These outcomes correspond to the actualization actions and broadly involve enabling organizational changes and goals.This research contributes to the IS literature on affordances in two ways. First, the research develops a SME-specific AA process that demonstrates the two-level dynamics of actualization actions and outcomes. Second, the research identifies four sets of contextual conditions that contingently determine the outcomes of the affordance actualization process for SMEs. These conditions are classified according to their influence on AA process, including: restraining conditions; enabling conditions; stimulating conditions; and releasing conditions. The findings from this research also provide practical implications for SME managers and practitioners to succeed in actualizing technology affordances through improving affordance potency and locality and reducing affordance dependency.
title: Human monoclonal antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein for transient passive protection of malaria travelers to endemic areas
Creators: name: Nelson, Stuart
name: Golenbock, Douglas
name: Moormann, Ann M.
name: Souders, Colby A.
name: Cavacini, Lisa
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Plasmodium falciparum, is a protozoa that causes over 214 million cases of Malaria worldwide and the World Health Organization reported an estimated 438,000 deaths attributed to malaria in 2015. Current prevention strategies have reduced malaria cases but they are either costly, have poor efficacy or resistance has begun to develop. There is a global need for an effective pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment.

The leading Malaria vaccine candidate is RTS,S which contains a monovalent Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP). The goal of this vaccine is to induce anti-CSP antibodies that would block sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes and thereby hinder parasite development into a blood-stage infection that causes malaria morbidity and mortality. Antibodies isolated from individuals who have received the RTS,S vaccine have been shown to prevent infection of hepatocytes, suggesting that CSP antibodies could be used prophylactically. However, phase III trial results of the vaccine have shown underwhelming efficacy in children.

Growing resistance to transient protection strategies for travelers and low efficacy in vaccine trials suggest there is a need for a new treatment strategy. The generation of CSP specific human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) would be useful as prevention especially for individuals that are temporarily exposed to Malaria in endemic regions such as travelers or military personnel.

Isolation and production of therapeutic mAbs traditionally utilizes a handful of techniques including antibody engineering, phage display or hybridoma generation from transgenic mice. We have sorted antigen-specific memory B-cells from the peripheral blood of children naturally infected with malaria to isolate CSP-specific memory B-cells. These cells were individually sorted and PCR was performed to amplify antibody variable regions of the B-cell’s antibody mRNA. Samples that produced heavy and light chain antibody sequence were cloned and transiently expressed. We plan to characterize these mAbs for binding and neutralization of CSP to identify functional therapeutic mAbs.
title: 6-Month Change in Pain and Function by Pre-Operative Pain and Function among Patients Selected for Total Knee Replacement in the United States
Creators: name: Nguyen, Uyen-Sa D.T.
name: Ayers, David
name: Li, Wenjun
name: Harrold, Leslie R.
name: Franklin, Patricia D.
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Background/Purpose: The increase in total knee replacements (TKRs) between 1979 and 2006 is staggering. Debate is growing regarding the appropriate utilization of TKRs. We examined pain, function, quality of life (QOL), and satisfaction at 6-month post-surgery by pain and function at time of surgery.

Methods: Data came from the nationally representative FORCE-TJR cohort of patients from 150 surgeons. Participants had primary, unilateral TKRs due to osteoarthritis between 2011 and 2014. Their knee pain (KOOS), physical functions (SF36), and QOL were measured at pre- and 6 months post-surgery. We classified patients as having high or low pre-operative pain (KOOS Pain < 70 vs. ≥70), low or high pre-operative physical function (SF-36 PCS < 40 vs. ≥40), and grouped as: 1) Low pain-High function (LP-HF), 2) Low pain-Low function (LP-LF), 3) High pain-High function (HP-HF), and 4) High pain-Low function (HP-LF). We compared pre- and post-operative changes in pain and function scores among the four groups.

Results: Of 4,563 participants, 5% had pre-operative LP-HF and 75% HP-LF. By 6-month post-surgery, 85% of LP-HF patients reported no change and 4% reported worse symptoms; the HP-LF group had 18% no change and 52% with large improvement. For function in the LP-HF group, mean 6-month change (SD) was 2.6 (7.8), with post-operative mean of 50.0 (7.4). Mean change for the HP-LF group was 11.9 (9.0), with post-operative mean of 42.0 (9.5). For pain score in the LP-HF group, mean 6-month change was 8.3 (14.6), with post-operative mean (SD) of 88.9 (13.0). The HP-LF group had average improvement of 37.2 (19.7), and post-operative mean of 79.9 (17.3). QOL was better among the LP-HF than HP-LF groups; satisfaction was similar.

Conclusion: The majority of patients had appropriate TKR utilization and achieved large improvement in pain and function. Patients with pre-operative LP-HF achieved the smaller mean change, but better absolute outcomes.
Non-thermal Histories and Implications for Structure Formation
Creators: name: Fan, JiJi
name: Ozsoy, Ogan
name: Watson, Scott
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We examine the evolution of cosmological perturbations in a non-thermal post-inflationary history with a late-time matter domination period prior to BBN. Such a cosmology could arise naturally in the well-motivated moduli scenario in the context of supersymmetry (SUSY) -- in particular in models of Split-SUSY. Sub-horizon dark matter perturbations grow linearly during the matter dominated phase before reheating and can lead to an enhancement in the growth of substructure on small scales, even in the presence of dark matter annihilations. This suggests that a new scale (the horizon size at reheating) could be important for determining the primordial matter power spectrum. However, we find that in many non-thermal models free-streaming effects or kinetic decoupling after reheating can completely erase the enhancement leading to small-scale structures. In particular, in the moduli scenario with wino or higgsino dark matter we find that the dark matter particles produced from moduli decays would thermalize with radiation and kinetically decouple below the reheating temperature. Thus, the growth of dark matter perturbations is not sustained, and the predictions for the matter power spectrum are similar to a standard thermal history. We comment on possible exceptions, but these appear difficult to realize within standard moduli scenarios. We conclude that although enhanced structure does not provide a new probe for investigating the cosmic dark ages within these models, it does suggest that non-thermal histories offer a robust alternative to a strictly thermal post-inflationary history.
description: 28 pages, 5 figures, Improved discussion and typos corrected
The influence of food-to-mealtime congruency on expected satiety, eating rate and energy intake
Creators: name: McLeod, Chris
Publisher: name: Loughborough University
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: 119999 Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Other medical sciences

description: The influence of food-to-mealtime congruency on expected satiety, eating rate and energy intake
Software Design Testing -- NSPE Case No. 96-4
Publisher: name: Online Ethics Center
Year: 2006
Subjects: Conflict of Interest
Employer/Employee Relationships
Engineer/Client Relationships
Public Health and Safety
Research and Practice
Safety
Workplace Ethics

description: An engineer, hired by a software company, believes that the company's new software design is safe under existing standards. However, the new software may not meet the new standards that he knows are about to be released -- standards that performing more tests could cost both the company and the public significantly. Issues of conflicting obligations to the company and the general public also arise.
the code of my manuscript
Creators: name: Liu, Gang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Convolutional Neural Networks
Small Object Detection

description: There are three zips in the file, all of which are codes for my manuscript. Among them, the faster-rcnn compressed package is the code used to compare the performance of the Faster-RCNN (resnet50) model, and the yolov5 compressed package contains the model structure yolov4, version1-7, yolov5l, and yolov4-ours in the manuscript, which is the code used to compare the performance of these models. The yolor zip package is the code used to compare the performance of the yolor model. "Notes: yolov5 folder(Contains multiple model constructs) ./data/hyps/hyp.scratch-low.yaml is the hyperparameter configuration file. ./data/coco128-***.yaml the dataset information configuration file. ./models/s2tld/ and ./models/visdrone/ is the configuration file of our model structure of different versions (different data clusters produce different anchors). ./models/commom.py is the specific structural information of the model. ./train.py is the file of the training model, and corresponding parameters need to be configured during training. ./val.py is the file that validates the model. ./detect.py is the file that uses trained weights to detect images. faster-rcnn folder ./VOCdevkit is the dataset file in Pascal Voc format. ./change_backbone_without_fpn.py is the file for training the faster-rcnn(resnet50) model. ./pascal_voc_classes.json is the dataset category profile. ./predict.py is the file that uses trained weights to detect images. yolor folder ./data/hyps/hyp.scratch-low.yaml is the hyperparameter configuration file. ./data/coco128-***.yaml the dataset information configuration file. ./models/s2tld/ and ./models/visdrone/ is the configuration file of our model structure of different versions (different data clusters produce different anchors). ./models/commom.py is the specific structural information of the model. ./train.py is the file of the training model, and corresponding parameters need to be configured during training. ./val.py is the file that validates the model. ./detect.py is the file that uses trained weights to detect images. Above are the codes of our proposed model and some classical models." Folder experiment_results contains the experimental results of these models on two datasets the visdrone and the s2tld.
title: Total hip arthroplasty and mental health status
Creators: name: Nguyen, Uyen-Sa D.T.
name: Perneger, Thomas
name: Franklin, Patricia D.
name: Barea, Christophe
name: Hoffmeyer, Pierre
name: Lubbeke, Anne
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Purpose. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) effectively restores function and alleviates pain in patients with end-stage hip osteoarthritis. Pain affects mood through its effect on disability and fatigue. Few studies have examined mental health as a consequence of pain or function after THA. We assessed change in mental health 1-year post-surgery, and examined whether change in pain and function predict change in mental health.

Methods. We used data from a prospective THA registry that began in 1996 at a large public Geneva University hospital. We included surgeries performed 2010 and 2012-2014, with demographic information, body mass index (BMI), co-morbidities, baseline and 1-year post-surgery WOMAC pain and function scores, and the SF-12 mental health component score (MCS). The pain, function, and MCS scores were normalized and ranged from 0-100; increasing score indicating better outcome. We calculated descriptive statistics, and used multivariable linear regression to predict 1-year change in MCS.

Results. Of 610 participants, mean (SD) age was 68.5 (11.8) years and BMI of 26.9 (4.9), 53% were women. Mean MCS was 44.7 (11.2) at baseline and 47.5 (10.5) at 1-year post surgery; average 1-year change was 2.8 (95% CI 1.9-3.6). WOMAC pain score was 39.6 (18.3) at baseline and 83.8 (20.4) at 1-year post surgery; 1-year change was 44.2 (95% CI 42.4-46.0). Corresponding WOMAC function was 40.2 (18.8) and 78.3 (22.1); 1-year change was 38.1 (95% CIs 36.2-40.0). On average, a 10-point increase in 1-year change in pain score was associated with a 0.7 point increase in the adjusted 1-year change in MCS (95% CI 0.2-1.1). The change in function was associated with a 0.9 point increase in 1-year change in MCS (95% CI 0.5-1.4).

Conclusion. Mental health significantly improved from baseline to 1-year post-surgery. Patients whose pain and function scores improved the most had also the greatest improvement in mental health.
title: Angina Characteristics as Predictors of Trajectories of Quality of Life Following Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Transitions, Risks and Actions in Coronary Events-Center for Outcomes Research and Education cohort (TRACE-CORE)
Creators: name: Nobel, Lisa
name: Tjia, Jennifer
name: Saczynski, Jane S.
name: Waring, Molly E.
name: Anatchkova, Milena D.
name: Ash, Arlene
name: Kiefe, Catarina I.
name: Allison, Jeroan
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: BACKGROUND: To describe longitudinal trajectories of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after hospitalization with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), their associations with baseline angina characteristics, and associations with anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment.

METHODS: TRACE-CORE participants (N=1,613) completed the SF-36 during hospitalization for ACS and 1, 3, & 6 months post-discharge. Latent growth curves identified trajectories of physical and mental components of HRQOL (MCS and PCS) and sequential multiple logistic regression estimated associations between trajectories and angina characteristics.

RESULTS: Participants (N=1613) had mean age 63.3 (SD 11.4) years, 33.0% female, and 78.2% non-Hispanic white. We identified 2 MCS trajectories: AVERAGE and IMPAIRED HRQoL. The majority of participants (81.0%) had AVERAGE MCS at baseline (mean MCS 53.6) and slight improvement in scores over time. A minority (19.0%) had IMPAIRED HRQoL at baseline (mean MCS 36.7) and slight improvement in scores over time. We identified 2 similar PCS trajectories with similar patterns of scores over time: AVERAGE (71.1%) and IMPAIRED (28.9%) HRQoL at baseline. Adjusting for demographics & comorbidities, patients with less severe baseline angina were more likely to have AVERAGE MCS (odds ratio [OR]/10 unit change in severity 1.1) and PCS (OR 1.1) trajectories, and similarly for less frequent angina (MCS OR 1.2; PCS OR 1.3). The associations of MCS trajectory with severity and frequency lost significance after adjusting for psychosocial factors, whereas the PCS associations remained significant [All p < 0.05 unless noted].

CONCLUSIONS: About 1/3 of patients exhibited impaired 6-month HRQoL trajectories, which can be predicted by angina characteristics. Psychosocial factors may explain the prediction of mental, not physical, trajectories. Interventions to improve HRQoL after ACS should consider psychosocial factors and angina.
MOND prediction of a new giant shell in the elliptical galaxy NGC3923
Creators: name: Bílek, M.
name: Bartošková, K.
name: Ebrová, I.
name: Jungwiert, B.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Context. Stellar shells, which form axially symmetric systems of arcs in some elliptical galaxies, are most likely remnants of radial minor mergers. They are observed up a radius of $\sim$100 kpc. The stars in them oscillate in radial orbits. The radius of a shell depends on the free-fall time at the position of the shell and on the time since the merger. We previously verified the consistency of shell radii in the elliptical galaxy NGC 3923 with its most probable MOND potential. Our results implied that an as~yet undiscovered shell exists at the outskirts of the galaxy. Aims. We here extend our study by assuming more general models for the gravitational potential to verify the prediction of the new shell and to estimate its position. Methods. We tested the consistency of the shell radial distribution observed in NGC 3923 with a wide variety of MOND potentials of the galaxy. The potentials differed in the mass-to-light ratio and in distance to the galaxy. We considered different MOND interpolation functions, values of the acceleration constant $a_0$, and density profiles of the galaxy. We verified the functionality of our code on a Newtonian self-consistent simulation of the formation of a shell galaxy. Results. Our method reliably predicts that exactly one new outermost shell exists at a galactocentric radius of about 1900$^{\prime\prime}$ ($\sim$210 kpc) on the southwestern side of the galaxy. Its estimated surface brightness is about 28 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in $B$ - a value accessible by current instruments. This prediction enables a rare test of MOND in an elliptical down to an acceleration of $a_0/10$. The predictive power of our method is verified by reconstructing the position of the largest known shell from the distribution of the remaining shells.
description: 12 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A
Reducing cross-flow vibrations of underflow gates: experiments and numerical studies
Creators: name: Erdbrink, C. D.
name: Krzhizhanovskaya, V. V.
name: Sloot, P. M. A.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn)
subject: Computational Physics (physics.comp-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: An experimental study is combined with numerical modelling to investigate new ways to reduce cross-flow vibrations of hydraulic gates with underflow. A rectangular gate section placed in a flume was given freedom to vibrate in the vertical direction. Holes in the gate bottom enabled leakage flow through the gate to enter the area directly under the gate which is known to play a key role in most excitation mechanisms. For submerged discharge conditions with small gate openings the vertical dynamic support force was measured in the reduced velocity range 1.5 < Vr < 10.5 for a gate with and without holes. The leakage flow through the holes significantly reduced vibrations. This attenuation was most profound in the high stiffness region at 2 < Vr < 3.5. Two-dimensional numerical simulations were performed with the Finite Element Method to assess local velocities and pressures for both gate types. A moving mesh covering both solid and fluid domain allowed free gate movement and two-way fluid-structure interactions. Modelling assumptions and observed numerical effects are discussed and quantified. The simulated added mass in still water is shown to be close to experimental values. The spring stiffness and mass factor were varied to achieve similar response frequencies at the same dry natural frequencies as in the experiment. Although it was not possible to reproduce the vibrations dominated by impinging leading edge vortices (ILEV) at relatively low Vr, the simulations at high Vr showed strong vibrations with movement-induced excitation (MIE). For the latter case, the simulated response reduction of the ventilated gate agrees with the experimental results. The numerical modelling results suggest that the leakage flow diminishes the whipping effect of fluctuations at the trailing edge associated with the streamwise pressure drop across the gate and the body's vertical oscillatory motion.
description: 27 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables
Grand Unification, Axion, and Inflation in Intermediate Scale Supersymmetry
Creators: name: Hall, Lawrence J.
name: Nomura, Yasunori
name: Shirai, Satoshi
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: A class of supersymmetric grand unified theories is introduced that has a single scale below the cutoff, that of the supersymmetry breaking masses $\tilde{m}$. For a wide range of the dimensionless parameters, agreement with the observed mass of the Higgs boson determines $\tilde{m} \sim 10^9-10^{13} {\rm GeV}$, yielding Intermediate Scale Supersymmetry. We show that within this framework it is possible for seesaw neutrino masses, axions, and inflation to be described by the scale $\tilde{m}$, offering the possibility of a unified origin of disparate phenomena. Neutrino masses allowing for thermal leptogenesis can be obtained, and the axion decay constant lies naturally in the range $f_a \sim 10^9-10^{11} {\rm GeV}$, consistent with a recent observational suggestion of high scale inflation. A minimal $SU(5)$ model is presented that illustrates these features. In this model, the only states at the grand unified scale are those of the heavy gauge supermultiplet. The grand unified partners of the Higgs doublets have a mass of order $\tilde{m}$, leading to the dominant proton decay mode $p \rightarrow \barν K^+$, which may be probed in upcoming experiments. Dark matter may be winos, with mass environmentally selected to the TeV scale, and/or axions. Gauge coupling unification is found to be successful, especially if the wino is at the TeV scale.
description: 27 pages, 7 figures; minor corrections, references and discussion added
title: Predisposed Health Conditions of Children Exposed to Methamphetamine In Utero
Creators: name: Peters, Seth
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Methamphetamine (MA) use and abuse is a growing problem worldwide [United Nations World Drug Report]. It is common knowledge that MA use affects not only the user, but also friends, family, and the communities close to them [NIDA]. One area of impact that is lacking sufficient study is the effects of MA use by expectant mothers on her child later in life. That is to say, a child who was exposed to MA in utero may be more likely than an unexposed fetus to have predispositions to a variety of health conditions. After an extensive PubMed database search, it is apparent that research is limited on the childhood illnesses and health conditions related to fetal exposure to MA. Some research, suggests a potential link between a fetus exposed to MA and the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in childhood. [Kiblawi, et. al.; Legasse, et. al.] The lack of available research warrants an exhaustive database search and a retrospective epidemiological study to better understand the health risk of children exposed to MA. The knowledge gained from this work can inform healthcare providers and public health officials when intervening to reduce MA use and addiction.
title: Advancing Medical Device and Biotech Innovations
Creators: name: Hafer, Nathaniel
name: Koziel, Margaret
name: McCarthy, Stephen
name: Tello, Steven
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: M2D2 is a UMass Lowell – UMass Medical School Worcester initiative that helps entrepreneurs move new medical device and biotech ideas from patent to production and offers early-stage inventors and established companies easy, affordable and coordinated access to world-class researchers and resources at both the Lowell and Worcester campuses.

UMass Lowell and UMass Worcester extend use of engineering and scientific resources to M2D2 companies. These core resources are available to researchers by using the research services agreement. The use of UMass Lowell and UMass Worcester interns and faculty is an enormous benefit to an emerging medical device or biotech company.

UMass Worcester’s campus offers access to core research supports and highly trained personnel to efficiently conduct animal or clinical studies across the life cycle of projects.

UMass Lowell has two M2D2 facilities with private and shared wet lab space, equipment, office space and conference rooms. It offers business and medical feasibility assessments, product development, medical and clinical pathway assistance, SBIR and STTR research partnerships and access to capital.

M2D2 was established with seed funding from the UMass President’s Office, the Mass Life Sciences Center and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Andreev-Majorana bound states in superfluids
Creators: name: Silaev, Mikhail
name: Volovik, G. E.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We consider Andreev-Majorana (AM) bound states with zero energy on surfaces, interfaces and vortices in different phases of the $p$-wave superfluids. We discuss the chiral superfluid $^3$He-A, and time reversal invariant phases: superfluid $^3$He-B, planar and polar phases. The AM zero modes are determined by topology in bulk, and they disappear at the quantum phase transition from the topological to non-topological state of the superfluid. The topology demonstrates the interplay of dimensions. In particular, the zero-dimensional Weyl points in chiral superfluids (the Berry phase monopoles in momentum space) give rise to the one-dimensional Fermi arc of AM bound states on the surface and to the one-dimensional flat band of AM modes in the vortex core. The one-dimensional nodal line in the polar phase produces the two-dimensional flat band of AM modes on the surface. The interplay of dimensions also connects the AM states in superfluids with different dimensions. For example, the topological properties of the spectrum of bound states in the three-dimensional $^3$He-B is connected to the properties of the spectrum in the two-dimensional planar phase (thin film).
description: paper accepted to the special issue of JETP devoted to 75-th anniversary of A.F. Andreev, 16 pages, 16 figures, references added
title: Rational Design of an Epitope-Based Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine
Creators: name: Pierce, Brian G.
name: Boucher, Elisabeth N.
name: Monir, Ejemel
name: Thomas, William D.
name: Weng, Zhiping
name: Wang, Yan
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: Despite improving treatment methods and therapeutic options, hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a major global disease burden, and a vaccine would help greatly in reducing its incidence. Due to its extremely high sequence variability, HCV can readily escape the immune response, thus a vaccine must elicit an immune response toward conserved, functionally important epitopes.

Using structural data of the broadly neutralizing antibody HCV1 in complex with a conserved linear epitope from the HCV E2 protein (aa 412-423, referred to as epitope I or domain E), we performed structure-based design to generate vaccine immunogens to induce antibody responses to this epitope. Designs selected for immunological characterization included a stabilized minimal epitope structure based on a defensin protein, as well as a bivalent vaccine featuring two copies of epitope I on the E2 surface. In vivo studies confirmed that these designs successfully generated robust antibody responses to this epitope, and sera from vaccinated mice neutralized HCV. In addition to presenting several effective HCV vaccine immunogens, this study demonstrates that induction of neutralizing anti-HCV antibodies is possible using an epitope-based vaccine, providing the basis for further efforts in structure-based vaccine design to target this and other critical epitopes of HCV.
การสอบสวนสภาวะการเกิดเยื่อหุ้มปอดหนาจากการสัมผัสแร่ใยหิน โรงงานกระเบื้องกระดาษไทย ณ อำเภอทุ่งสง จังหวัดนครศรีธรรมราช
Creators: name: พนมพันธ์ ศิริวัฒนานุกุล
Publisher: name: กองนวัตกรรมและวิจัย กรมควบคุมโรค
Year: 2551
Subjects: แร่ใยหิน
ภาวะการเกิดเยื่อหุ้มปอดหนา

description: วารสารควบคุมโรค, 34, 4, 427-440
Interlayer coupling enhancement in graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures by intercalated defects and vacancies
Creators: name: Park, Sohee
name: Park, Changwon
name: Kim, Gunn
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Among two-dimensional atomic crystals, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is one of the most remarkable materials to fabricate heterostructures revealing unusual properties. We perform first-principles calculations to determine whether intercalated metal atoms and vacancies can mediate interfacial coupling and influence the structural and electronic properties of the graphene/hBN heterostructure. Metal impurity atoms (Li, K, Cr, Mn, Co, and Cu) as extrinsic defects between the graphene and hBN sheets produce $n$-doped graphene. We also consider intrinsic vacancy defects and find that a boron monovacancy in hBN act as a magnetic dopant for graphene whereas a nitrogen monovacancy in hBN serves as a nonmagnetic dopant for graphene. In contrast, smallest triangular vacancy defects in hBN are unlikely to result in significant changes in the electronic transport of graphene. Our findings reveal that the hBN layer with some vacancies or metal impurities enhance the interlayer coupling in the graphene/hBN heterostructure with respect to charge doping and electron scattering.
description: 6 figures, 7 pages
Whole-genome sequencing and virulome analysis of Escherichia coli isolated from New Zealand environments of contrasting observed land use
Creators: name: Cookson, Adrian L.
name: C. Marshall, Jonathan
name: J. Biggs, Patrick
name: Rogers, Lynn E.
name: Collis, Rose M.
name: Devane, Megan
name: Stott, Rebecca
name: A. Wilkinson, David
name: Kamke, Janine
name: Brightwella, Gale
Publisher: name: Institute of Environmental Science and Research
Year: 2023
Subjects: Genome structure and regulation

description: Generic Escherichia coli is commonly used as an indicator of fecal contamination to assess water quality and human health risk. Where measured E. coli exceedances occur, the presence of other pathogenic microorganisms, such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), is assumed, but confirmatory data are lacking. Putative E. coli isolates (n = 709) were isolated from water, sediment, soil, periphyton, and feces samples (n = 189) from five sites representing native forest and agricultural environments. Ten E. coli isolates (1.41%) were stx2 positive, 19 (2.7%) were eae positive, and stx1-positive isolates were absent. At the sample level, stx2-positive E. coli (5 of 189, 2.6%) and eae-positive isolates (16 of 189, 8.5%) were rare. Using real-time PCR, these STEC-associated virulence factors were determined to be more prevalent in sample enrichments (stx1, 23.9%; stx2, 31.4%; eae, 53.7%) and positively correlated with generic E. coli isolate numbers (P < 0.05) determined using culture-based methods. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was undertaken on a subset of 238 isolates with assemblies representing seven E. coli phylogroups (A, B1, B2, C, D, E, and F), 22 Escherichia marmotae isolates, and 1 Escherichia ruysiae isolate. Virulence factors, including those from extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, were extremely diverse in isolates from the different locations and were more common in phylogroup B2. Analysis of the virulome from WGS data permitted the identification of gene repertoires that may be involved in environmental fitness and broadly align with phylogroup. Although recovery of STEC isolates was low, our molecular data indicate that they are likely to be widely present in environmental samples containing diverse E. coli phylogroups.
การพัฒนาแบบจำลองเพื่อประเมินความเสี่ยงจากการใช้สารเคมีอันตราย ในภาคเกษตรกรรม
Creators: name: ณรงค์ เนตรสาริกา
Publisher: name: กองนวัตกรรมและวิจัย กรมควบคุมโรค
Year: 2551
Subjects: โปรแกรมประเมินความเสี่ยง
สารเคมีในภาคเกษตร
กลุ่มผู้มีส่วนได้ส่วนเสีย

description: วารสารควบคุมโรค, 34, 4, 434-426
The Gluon Propagator with Two-loop Schwinger-Dyson Equations
Creators: name: Meyers, Joseph
name: Swanson, Eric S.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Gluon, ghost, and quark propagators are computed in the Schwinger-Dyson formalism. The full set of one-loop and two-loop contributions to the gap equations are evaluated for the first time. A new and efficient method for dealing with quadratic divergences is presented and a consistent renormalization method is proposed. We find that the two-loop contribution to the propagators is subleading, good fits to lattice data are possible, and reliable vertex models are important to obtaining desired ultraviolet, infrared, and gauge-symmetric behavior.
description: 13 pages, 6 figures. v2: new figures, added references and discussion
title: Advanced MRI Center: a 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance system for preclinical, translational and clinical imaging studies
Creators: name: Politi, Letterio S.
name: Zheng, Shaokuan
name: Gounis, Matthew J.
Publisher: name: eScholarship@UMMS
Year: 2016

description: The Advanced MRI Center, located in the UMass Medical School building, is a research core facility providing the latest magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy capabilities to UMass scientists. It is equipped with a Philips Achieva 3.0T X-series whole-body scanner and radiofrequency coils for studying all organs of the human body, and small and large animals, such as mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, sheep and non-human primates. The center also includes a radiofrequency coil lab, a nurses’ station, two patient holding rooms and two patient changing rooms.

The Center’s specialized techniques are able to elucidate functional, physiological and biochemical information from all organs of the body.

The 3.0 Tesla system features the Quasar Dual gradient system with industry leading performance specifications, that allow high-level diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI (fMRI) applications in humans, and high resolution imaging studies in small animal studies. A fMRI stimulus delivery system, a MRI compatible goggle set with eye tracking system, microphone and earphones are available for facilitating fMRI studies.

Small animal monitoring and gating system and an MR compatible Anesthesia system with heater and ventilator option are also available.

The 3.0T MR system is also equipped with a Multi-nuclear spectroscopy system, which provide the ability to perform 13C, 31P, 7Li, 23Na and other nuclei spectroscopy and imaging. Technical and clinical expertise for collaborative research is also provided.