cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monocytic adhesion molecule expression and monocyte–endothelial cell dysfunction are increased in patients with peripheral vascular disease versus patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract Background Statin therapy is used in the medical management of patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) for the pleiotropic and anti-inflammatory benefits. We hypothesize that the inflammatory mechanisms of monocyte–endothelial cell interactions in endothelial barrier dysfunction are more significant in patients with PVD compared with those with AAA. The purpose of this study was to assess patient peripheral blood monocyte adhesion molecules by flow cytometry and monocyte-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction by using an in vitro endothelial cell layer and electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) system. Methods Peripheral blood was collected from patients with either PVD (ankle-brachial index 3.0 cm). Monocytes were isolated from fresh whole blood using an accuspin-histopaque technique. The separated monocytes underwent flow cytometry analysis to evaluate the expression levels of the cell membrane adhesion molecules: CD18, CD11a/b/c, and very late antigen-4. Endothelial cell function was assessed by adding monocytes to an endothelial monolayer on ECIS arrays and coculturing overnight. Peak changes in transendothelial electrical resistance were measured and compared between patient groups. Results Twenty-eight monocyte samples were analyzed for adhesion molecules (PVD, 19 and AAA, 9) via flow cytometry, and 11 patients were evaluated for endothelial dysfunction (PVD, 7 and AAA, 4) via ECIS. There was no significant difference between risk factors among PVD and AAA patients except for age, where AAA patients were significantly older than PVD patients in both flow cytometry and ECIS groups ( P = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively). There were significantly higher levels of adhesion molecules CD11a, CD18, and CD11c (averaged mean fluorescent intensity P values: 0.047, 0.038, and 0.014, respectively) in PVD patients compared with AAA patients. No significant difference was found for CD11b and very late antigen-4 expression ( P = 0.21 and 0.15, respectively). There was significantly more monocyte–endothelial cell dysfunction in patients with PVD versus patients with AAA, with a maximal effect seen at 15 h after monocyte addition ( P = 0.032). Conclusions Patients with PVD have increased expression levels of certain monocyte adhesion molecules and greater monocyte-induced endothelial layer dysfunction compared with those with AAA. This may lead to other methods of targeted therapy to improve outcomes of these vascular patients.
Examining the uncertain origin and management role of martens on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Conservation biologists are generally united in efforts to curtail the spread of non-native species globally. However, the colonization history of a species is not always certain, and whether a species is considered non-native or native depends on the conservation benchmark. Such ambiguities have led to inconsistent management. Within the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, the status of American marten (Martes americana) on the largest, most biologically diverse and deforested island, Prince of Wales (POW), is unclear. Ten martens were released to POW in the early 1930s, and it was generally believed to be the founding event, although this has been questioned. The uncertainty surrounding when and how martens colonized POW complicates management, especially because martens were selected as a design species for the Tongass. To explore the history of martens of POW we reviewed other plausible routes of colonization; genetically and isotopically analyzed putative marten fossils deposited in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene to verify marten occupancy of POW; and used contemporary genetic data from martens on POW and the mainland in coalescent simulations to identify the probable source of the present-day marten population on POW. We found evidence for multiple routes of colonization by forest-associated mammals beginning in the Holocene, which were likely used by American martens to naturally colonize POW. Although we cannot rule out human-assisted movement of martens by Alaskan Natives or fur trappers, we suggest that martens be managed for persistence on POW. More generally, our findings illustrate the difficulty of labeling species as non-native or native, even when genetic and paleo-ecological data are available, and support the notion that community resilience or species invasiveness should be prioritized when making management decisions rather than more subjective and less certain conservation benchmarks.
Reification Fallacies and Inappropriate Totalities

As Russell's paradox of "the set of all sets that do not contain themselves" indicated long ago, matters go seriously amiss if one operates an ontology of unrestricted totalization. Some sort of restriction must be placed on such items as "the set of all sets that have the feature F' or "the conjunction of all truths that have the feature G." But generally, logicians here introduce such formalized and complex devices as the theory of types or the doctrine of impredictivity. The present paper argues for the informal and elementary idea that the items invoked in a proper identification have themselves already been identified. Even as an explanation is not satisfactory that proceeds in terms of items that themselves require prior explanation, so the same holds with identification. And heed of this elementary idea suffices to sideline those otherwise paradoxical perplexities.
The Berkeley Tricorder: Ambulatory Health Monitoring

We developed and tested the Berkeley Tricorder, a health monitoring device capable of measuring a subject's ECG, EMG, Blood Oxygenation, Respiration (via Bioimpedance), and motion--almost equivalent to the feature set of a hospital bedside patient monitor. Our focus has been a highly integrated design incorporating the radio and all associated circuitry on a single PCB. The device stores data locally on microSD flash and/or transmits via Bluetooth. We will also discuss a strap we have developed which utilizes reusable electrodes for data acquisition as well as a desktop and mobile application for real-time data telemetry. We have evaluated the efficacy of the device in recording ambulatory data from 24 subjects and found the data acquisition relatively free of motion artifacts.
Rational bias in forensic science

The current organization of forensic science induces biases in the conduct of forensic science even if forensic scientists are perfectly rational. Assuming forensic examiners are flawless Bayesian statisticians helps us to identify structural sources of error that we might otherwise have undervalued or missed altogether. Specifically, forensic examiners’ conclusions are affected not just by objective test results but also by two subjective factors: their prior beliefs about a suspect's likely guilt or innocence and the relative importance they attach to convicting the guilty rather than the innocent. The authorities—police and prosecutors—implicitly convey information to forensic examiners by their very decision to submit samples for testing. This information induces the examiners to update their prior beliefs in a manner that results in a greater tendency to provide testimony that incriminates the defendant. Forensic results are in a sense ‘contaminated’ by the prosecution and thus do not provide jurors with an independent source of information. Structural reforms to address such problems of rational bias include independence from law enforcement, blind proficiency testing and separation of test from interpretation.
Are high school chemistry textbooks gender fair

This study compared two generations of seven high school chemistry texts (1970/1973) and current editions analyzed for gender fairness in illustrations and in concrete analogies. Results support these conclusions: (a) considering the texts as a group, there are significant differences between relative frequencies of named and unnamed illustrations of men and women and no significant differences between relative frequencies of illustrations of boys and girls in seven high school chemistry texts in the 1970 editions compared to current edition of the same texts; (b) a current best-seller is the only text that has achieved balance between male/female illustrations; (c) the other texts overwhelmingly favor pictures of males; (d) most current texts had more analogies than their 1970 editions; the former favored images reflecting girls' interests.
Testicular Responses to Photoperiod Are Blocked by Lesions of the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei in Golden Hamsters

Lesions of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of golden hamsters prevented the testicular regression ordinarily observed in short photoperiods or after peripheral enucleation. These lesions also induced testicular regrowth in hamsters whose testes had previously been regressed by the absence of adequate photostimulation. Interruption of the primary optic tracts just caudal to the chiasm did not prevent testicular regression by short photoperiods. We hypothesize that testicular responses to photoperiod are mediated by the retinohypothalamic tract, which projects to the SCN, and that the SCN in turn control the secretion of a pineal antigonadal substance. The mechanism for this control may involve entrainment by light of hormonal rhythms in the pineal that are regulated by the SCN. Alternatives to this hypothesis are discussed.
Increased Hepatic Iron Deposition Resulting From Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C With Ribavirin

Increased levels of hepatic iron may impair the response of patients with chronic hepatitis C to treatment with interferon-alfa, but combination therapy with ribavirin has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of hepatitis C. When used alone or with interferon-alfa, ribavirin may cause a dose-dependent reversible hemolytic anemia. We compared the extent and cellular localization of iron deposition in liver tissue from biopsy specimens obtained before and after 36 weeks of therapy with ribavirin or placebo for 59 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Paired slides were available for review from 26 ribavirin and 27 placebo recipients. Iron deposition was assessed using coded slides stained with Perls Prussian blue and was semi-quantitated in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and areas of fibrosis. The overall iron score fell by 0.96 in the placebo group and increased 1.69 in the ribavirin recipients. Iron was deposited mainly in hepatocytes; the hepatocyte iron score increased from 2.19 to 3.81 in the ribavirin group. The amount of iron staining in Kupffer cells declined in the placebo group and increased slightly in the ribavirin group. Iron changes in areas of fibrosis were minor and did not differ between groups. Increased total hepatic iron deposition occurred during a 9-month course of ribavirin. Ribavirin-associated hemolysis deposits iron preferentially in hepatocytes. This increased deposition of hepatic iron does not seem to affect the biochemical or histologic response to ribavirin therapy but may have implications for hepatocyte susceptibility to future injury.
An fmri investigation of spontaneous mental state inference for moral judgment

Human moral judgment depends critically on "theory of mind," the capacity to represent the mental states of agents. Recent studies suggest that the right TPJ (RTPJ) and, to lesser extent, the left TPJ (LTPJ), the precuneus (PC), and the medial pFC (MPFC) are robustly recruited when participants read explicit statements of an agent's beliefs and then judge the moral status of the agent's action. Real-world interactions, by contrast, often require social partners to infer each other's mental states. The current study uses fMRI to probe the role of these brain regions in supporting spontaneous mental state inference in the service of moral judgment. Participants read descriptions of a protagonist's action and then either (i) "moral" facts about the action's effect on another person or (ii) "nonmoral" facts about the situation. The RTPJ, PC, and MPFC were recruited selectively for moral over nonmoral facts, suggesting that processing moral stimuli elicits spontaneous mental state inference. In a second experiment, participants read the same scenarios, but explicit statements of belief preceded the facts: Protagonists believed their actions would cause harm or not. The response in the RTPJ, PC, and LTPJ was again higher for moral facts but also distinguished between neutral and negative outcomes. Together, the results illuminate two aspects of theory of mind in moral judgment: (1) spontaneous belief inference and (2) stimulus-driven belief integration.
Alpha particle mutagenesis of human lymphoblastoid cell lines

Despite being derived from the same donor, the human lymphoblastoid cell lines WTK1 and TK6 have markedly different responses to low LET radiation. We originally observed that WTK1 was more resistant to the cytotoxic effects of X-irradiation, but significantly more sensitive to mutation induction at both the TK and HPRT loci. In an effort to better understand these properties, we have examined the effects of alpha-particles on these cells. Relative to TK6, WTK1 has enhanced survival and mutation after both X-ray and alpha-particle exposure. While the HPRT locus was significantly more mutable in WTK1 as a function of alpha-particle versus X-ray dose, the TK locus was only slightly more sensitive to alpha-particle mutagenesis. In addition, the slowly growing TK mutants that constitute the majority of X-ray-induced TK mutants of TK6 were recovered in lower proportions following alpha-particle exposures. This is consistent with the further finding that in both cell lines, loss of heterozygosity occurred in a smaller fraction of alpha-induced TK mutants than X-ray-induced mutants. These results are consistent with our previous model suggesting that WTK1 has an error-prone repair pathway that is either missing or deficient in TK6, and further suggest that this pathway may be involved in the processing of alpha-particle-induced damage.
11B NMR Spectral and Nuclear Spin–Lattice Relaxation Analyses of ReB2

Analyses of the one-dimensional 11B NMR spectra from static and MAS experiments of a polycrystalline ReB2 sample have extracted parameters characterizing both the electric field gradient and the shielding at the boron site. In contrast to that previously assumed for AlB2, the principal axis systems for these two interactions are not coincident in ReB2. A brief discussion of the literature regarding spin–lattice relaxation for half-integer quadrupolar nuclei and the mathematical functions used for the extraction of relaxation time constants is presented. With radiofrequency conditions chosen to excite the central and satellite transitions, the saturation recovery spin–lattice relaxation rate of ReB2 is better described by a single exponential rather than the Andrew–Tunstall multiexponential model for I = 3/2. In addition, relaxation measurements for 11B in ReB2 have been extended to temperatures above ambient and show a deviation from the Korringa relationship.
Pre-Order Price Guarantee in e-Commerce

With the development of the Internet and E-commerce, retailers often offer pre-orders for new to-be-released products. To encourage pre-orders, retailers such as Amazon offer pre-order price guarantee (PG). That is, if the product price drops before or on the release date, pre-order consumers automatically receive a refund for the difference between the pre-order price and the new price. We find that whether or not the retailer should offer pre-order PG depends on two factors: the fraction of high-valuation consumers and the pre-order demand uncertainty. Specifically, the retailer should not offer PG if and only if both the fraction of high-valuation consumers and the pre-order demand uncertainty are sufficiently small. In addition, we show that price commitment is dominated by dynamic pricing when the retailer can optimally decide whether or not to offer PG under dynamic pricing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a retailer should sell in advance, with or without PG, if the marginal cost is less than a certain threshold, which is higher than the traditional threshold in advance selling literature without consideration of PG.
Telephone Cable Splicing

In the 1920s and ’30s and perhaps, in some places, yet today, telephone lines were formed out of 1000-foot lengths of wire cables spliced together. These cables, in simplified form, have a crosssection which looks like this: Open image in new window Each little circle is the crosssection of a wire carrying a single conversation.
The Idea of a University: John Henry Newman

(1997). The Idea of a University: John Henry Newman. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 68, No. 5, pp. 588-589.
The effect of gentian violet on protozoa and on growing adult tissue

This study was primarily undertaken to settle two questions raised by the observations made during the last two years on the effect of gentian violet on bacteria.1 It was noticed early in the gentian violet studies that motile organisms not killed by the stain (violet negative organisms) retained their motility even though deeply stained; and that these stained violet negative organisms when transplanted to agar slants grew equally well with the control smears of unstained bacteria. The retention of motility by the stained organisms might in these experiments be explained as a survival phenomenon; and the growth of transplants made from the stained specimens might be regarded as arising, not from the organisms in the smear which had taken the stain, but from the few in the smear which had escaped it. It seemed altogether likely, from other observations that these explanations were not the correct ones; and that the violet negative organisms actually took the stain during life. Still, definite proof was la...
Intramolecular metal—double bond interactions

Abstract The intramolecular cyclization reactions of tri-1-hex-5-enyl Group III derivatives and of 1-hex-5-enyllithium have been investigated and it is proposed that the reactions may be depicted as internal addition across the terminal double bonds of the alkenyl species. The cyclization reaction proceeds more readily for the 1-hex-5-enyl derivatives than for any other chain length and is dependent on temperature, concentration and solvent. 1H NMR data and cryoscopic molecular weight data are presented for several diisobutyialkenyl- and diisobutylalkyl-aluminum derivatives. These data have been interpreted in terms of a direct intramolecular interaction between the metal center and the π-electron system of the olefinic site. The intramolecular cyclization reactions for the 1-hept-6-enyl, 1-oct-7-enyl- and 1-undec-10-enylaluminum derivatives also were investigated and it was found that cyclization occurred only for the 1-hept-6-enyl derivative.
Four new species of Pomphopsilla Jałoszyński and a new record of Cephennodes glabella Castellini in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

Four new species of the genus Pomphopsilla Jaloszynski are described, all based on specimens collected in the north-eastern part of DR Congo: P. pygmaea sp. n., P. pseudosoror sp. n., P. similis sp. n., and P. gumovskyi sp. n. Previously Pomphopsilla , represented by two species, was known to occur in Kenya; the only genera of Cephenniini recorded from DR Congo were Cephennodes Reitter and Cephennomicrus Reitter. Cephennodes (s. str.) glabella Castellini, so far known only from the type series, is recorded from the same region of Congo, based on numerous specimens collected by yellow pan traps. Because figures in the original description of this species were relatively schematic, the aedeagus and modifications of the head in the male are illustrated.
Estradiol exerts neuroprotective actions against ischemic brain injury: insights derived from animal models.

Over the last 100 yr, the life-span of women has increased from 50 yr to over 80 yr, but the age of the menopause has remained unchanged, at 51 yr. Menopause is one of the most permanent physiologic changes that a woman will experience and is marked by a dramatic decrease in circulating levels of ovarian estrogens. Because the timing of menopause has remained fixed in the face of an increasing life-span, more women will live a greater proportion of their lives in a hypoestrogenic state. We appreciate more and more that the actions of ovarian steroid hormones are complex, and possibly exert opposing actions in different contexts. I review here the results of my laboratory’s recent studies that clearly establish that low physiologic levels of estradiol replacement can exert profound neuroprotective actions when administered prior to an ischemic strokelike injury.
The role of ultrasound in graduate anatomy education: Current state of integration in the United States and faculty perceptions

Ultrasound (US) is increasingly taught in medical schools, where it has been shown to be a valuable adjunct to anatomy training. To determine the extent of US training in nonmedical anatomy programs, and evaluate anatomists' perceptions on the role of US in anatomy education, an online survey was distributed to faculty in anatomy Master's and Doctoral programs. Survey results sampled 71% of anatomy graduate degree programs nationally. Of the faculty surveyed, 65% report little to no experience with US. Thirty-six percent of programs surveyed incorporate exposure to US, while only 15% provide hands-on US training. Opportunities for anatomy trainees to teach with US were found in 12% of programs. Likert responses indicated that anatomists hold overwhelmingly positive views on the contributions of US to anatomy education: 91% agreed US reinforces anatomical concepts (average 4.33 ± 0.68), 95% agreed it reinforces clinical correlates (average 4.43 ± 0.65). Anatomists hold moderately positive views on the value of US to the future careers of anatomy graduates: 69% agreed US increases competitiveness on the job market (average 3.91 ± 0.90), 85% agreed US is a useful skill for a medical school teaching career (average 4.24 ± 0.75), and 41% agreed that US should be required for a medical education career (average 3.34 ± 1.09). With continued improvements in technology and the widespread adoption of US into diverse areas of clinical practice, medical education is on the cusp of a paradigm shift with regards to US. Anatomists must decide whether US is an essential skills for the modern anatomist. Anat Sci Educ 9: 453-467. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.
Computational Studies of EHD-Enhanced Condensation Heat Transfer on a Downward-Facing Horizontal Plate

This study aims to investigate the effect of uniform electric fields on the enhancement of condensation heat transfer from a downward facing horizontal plate by direct numerical simulations. The governing equations of fluid flow and electric field are solved using a front tracking/finite difference technique in the framework of Taylor’s leaky dielectric model. The electric force comprises of the dielectrophoretic and the Coulomb forces. Both forces act on the phase boundary and their relative magnitude and directions affect the condensation rate. For the results shown here, the condensate drops are more elongated compared to the those in zero-electric field. It is shown that the electric field enhances the condensation rate in two ways: by increasing the number of the drops that are generated per unit surface due to destablizing the interface and by increasing the frequency of drop generation and pinch off. The mechanism of elongation of the condensate drops are explained by detailed examination of the distribution of the electric field at the phase boundary.© 2009 ASME
Anti-inflammatory activity of constituents isolated from Terminalia chebula.

This study was aimed at the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of twelve compounds isolated from the methanolic extract of fruits of Terminalia chebula. The activity was determined in ter...
Review of: Geographic Profiling

Dr. Rossmo, a criminologist and a police officer has formulated a procedure that has been titled “geographic profiling” which is explained and illustrated in this relatively easy-to-follow book. A seasoned specialist in law enforcement, Dr. Rossmo has combined his experiences as a police officer with his education in criminology to offer an interesting formula intended to facilitate the process of investigating particularly serial crimes. The book's 12 chapters are enhanced by a glossary and lengthy bibliography. Criminal behavioral demography occupies nine of the chapters with one devoted to “geographic profiling,” another to applications and a final concluding chapter. The reader will find a preponderance of descriptive criminology and an relative absence of criminal psycho dynamics. This is not a work focusing on causality or etiology of criminal behavior. Rather, the author utilizes characteristics similar to diagnostic symptoms, a procedure that lends itself to the formula proposed by Dr. Rossmo. At the center of his model is computer analysis of variables associated with crime scene locations ideally resulting in the identification and apprehension of the perpetrator.
Cultures of bovine tracheal epithelium with differentiated ultrastructure and ion transport

Tracheal epithelial cells were grown on Nuclepore filters coated with human placental collagen. When grown immersed in medium containing fetal bovine serum, cells displayed an undifferentiated ultrastructure (no cilia and a cell height of ∼ 10 µm). Short-circuit current (Isc) was approximately 1/10 that of the native epithelium. By contrast, when grown in hormonally defined, serum-free medium with an air interface, cells showed Isc equal to or greater than the original tissue, possessed cilia, and had a cell height of ∼ 50 µm. Responses in Isc to mediators were similar to those of the original tissue, but differed from those of dog or human tracheal epithelium. Given the ready availability and low cost of the native tissues, bovine tracheal cultures grown in serum-free medium with an air interface should prove useful in studies of airway epithelial physiology.
Posttraumatic Hydrocephalus as a Confounding Influence on Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Incidence, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes

Abstract Objective To describe incidence, clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes in posttraumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) for patients treated in an inpatient rehabilitation program. Design Cohort study with retrospective comparative analysis. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Participants All patients admitted for TBI from 2009 to 2013 diagnosed with PTH (N=59), defined as ventriculomegaly, delayed clinical recovery discordant with injury severity, hydrocephalus symptoms, or positive lumbar puncture results. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Primary measures were incidence of PTH and patient and injury characteristics. Secondary measures included frequency and timing of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, related complications, emergence from and duration of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA), Rancho Los Amigos Scale (RLAS) score, and FIM score at rehabilitation admission and discharge. Results Of 701 patients with TBI admitted, 59 (8%) were diagnosed with PTH. Of these, the median age was 25 years, with 73% being men. At initial presentation, 52 (88%) did not follow commands. Fifty-two (90%) patients with PTH had a VP shunt placed. Median time from injury to shunt placement was 69 (range, 9–366) days. Seven (12%) patients with PTH experienced postsurgical seizure, 3 (6%) had shunt infection, and 7 (12%) had shunt malfunction. Thirty-six (61%) patients with PTH emerged from PTA during rehabilitation. Median total FIM score at rehabilitation admission was 20 (range, 18–76), and at discharge it was 43 (range, 18–118). Injury severity predicted outcome at rehabilitation admission, whereas shunt timing predicted outcome at rehabilitation discharge. Conclusions Incidence of PTH was observed in 8% of patients with TBI in inpatient rehabilitation. Earlier shunting predicted improved outcome during rehabilitation. Future studies should prospectively examine clinical decision rules, type, and timing of intervention and the coeffectiveness of rehabilitation treatment on outcomes.
Impaired myogenic response of the afferent arteriole contributes to the increased susceptibility to renal disease in Milan normotensive rats.

Abstract Milan normotensive (MNS) rats are more susceptible to the development of renal disease than Milan hypertensive (MHS) rats, but the genes and pathways involved are unknown. This study compared the myogenic response of isolated perfused afferent arterioles (Af‐Art) and autoregulation of renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular capillary pressure (Pgc) in 6–9‐week‐old MNS and MHS rats. The diameter of the Af‐Art of MHS rats decreased significantly from 14.3 ± 0.5 to 11.5 ± 0.6 μ m when perfusion pressure was elevated from 60 to 120 mmHg. In contrast, the diameter of Af‐Art of MNS rats did not decrease. RBF was well autoregulated in MHS rats, but it increased by 26% in MNS rats. Pgc rose by 11 mmHg when renal perfusion pressure (RPP) was increased from 100 to 140 mmHg in MNS but not in MHS rats. Protein excretion increased from 10 ± 1 to 245 ± 36 mg/day in MNS rats as they aged from 3 to 11 months but it did not increase in MHS rats. We also compared the development of proteinuria in MNS and MHS rats following the induction of diabetes with streptozotocin. Protein excretion rose from 16 ± 3 to 234 ± 43 mg/day in MNS rats, but it remained unaltered in MHS rats. These data indicate that the myogenic response of the Af‐art is impaired in MNS rats and increased transmission of pressure to the glomerulus may contribute to renal injury in MNS rats similar to what is seen in fawn‐hooded hypertensive and Dahl salt‐sensitive rats.
In Her Words: Factors Influencing African American Women to Pursue and Complete Doctoral Degrees in Engineering

The purpose of this paper was to examine and document the factors that influenced five African American women to pursue and complete doctoral degrees in engineering disciplines. Critical race theory (CRT) and literature on graduate student persistence influenced the conceptual framework for this paper. CRT is imperative to this research endeavor, as this theory advocates for the voices of marginalized populations to be included in mainstream discourse and places underrepresented groups as experts. Through in-depth interviews, study participants identified involvement in summer research or internship programs and encouragement from others as factors influencing the decision to pursue advanced degrees in engineering. Support from peers, faculty, administrators, and family were instrumental to doctoral degree completion. The documented experiences of this group of African American women doctoral recipients can be used to influence the development and implementation of programs and policies designed to recruit, retain, and graduate a cadre of women engineers with doctoral degrees.
Can a virtual reality surgical simulation training provide a self-driven and mentor-free skills learning? Investigation of the practical influence of the performance metrics from the virtual reality robotic surgery simulator on the skill learning and associated cognitive workloads

While it is often claimed that virtual reality (VR) training system can offer self-directed and mentor-free skill learning using the system’s performance metrics (PM), no studies have yet provided evidence-based confirmation. This experimental study investigated what extent to which trainees achieved their self-learning with a current VR simulator and whether additional mentoring improved skill learning, skill transfer and cognitive workloads in robotic surgery simulation training. Thirty-two surgical trainees were randomly assigned to either the Control-Group (CG) or Experiment-Group (EG). While the CG participants reviewed the PM at their discretion, the EG participants had explanations about PM and instructions on how to improve scores. Each subject completed a 5-week training using four simulation tasks. Pre- and post-training data were collected using both a simulator and robot. Peri-training data were collected after each session. Skill learning, time spent on PM (TPM), and cognitive workloads were compared between groups. After the simulation training, CG showed substantially lower simulation task scores (82.9 ± 6.0) compared with EG (93.2 ± 4.8). Both groups demonstrated improved physical model tasks performance with the actual robot, but the EG had a greater improvement in two tasks. The EG exhibited lower global mental workload/distress, higher engagement, and a better understanding regarding using PM to improve performance. The EG’s TPM was initially long but substantially shortened as the group became familiar with PM. Our study demonstrated that the current VR simulator offered limited self-skill learning and additional mentoring still played an important role in improving the robotic surgery simulation training.
Pay It Forward: High School Video-based Instruction Can Disseminate CPR Knowledge in Priority Neighborhoods.

Introduction: The implementation of creative new strategies to increase layperson cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation may improve resuscitation in priority populations. As more communities implement laws requiring CPR training in high schools, there is potential for a multiplier effect and reach into priority communities with low bystander-CPR rates. Methods: We investigated the feasibility, knowledge acquisition, and dissemination of a high school-centered, CPR video self-instruction program with a “pay-it-forward” component in a low-income, urban, predominantly Black neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois with historically low bystander-CPR rates. Ninth and tenth graders followed a video self-instruction kit in a classroom setting to learn CPR. As homework, students were required to use the training kit to “pay it forward” and teach CPR to their friends and family. We administered pre- and post-intervention knowledge surveys to measure knowledge acquisition among classroom and “pay-it-forward” participants. Results: Seventy-one classroom participants trained 347 of their friends and family, for an average of 4.9 additional persons trained per kit. Classroom CPR knowledge survey scores increased from 58% to 93% (p < 0.0001). The pay-it-forward cohort saw an increase from 58% to 82% (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: A high school-centered, CPR educational intervention with a “pay-it-forward” component can disseminate CPR knowledge beyond the classroom. Because schools are centrally-organized settings to which all children and their families have access, school-based interventions allow for a broad reach that encompasses all segments of the population and have potential to decrease disparities in bystander CPR provision.
Adaptive wireless beamforming for swarm array

In this paper, we present a novel adaptive wireless beamforming technique for swarm array (SA). The array elements are airborne self-organized mini-drones that act as RF repeaters between the target and the designation. The repeaters amplify and up convert the received signal and transmit to the destination at slight different frequencies among them to avoid self-interference. The receiver will separate the mixed signal to each RF channel through a filter bank, down convert to baseband, amplified, digitized and send to a PC or FPGA based beamformer to recover the desired signal. System principles, simulation study on link budget and SA noise model, and the repeater design are presented.
Tolerability of ADXS11-001 Lm-LLO Listeria-Based Immunotherapy With Mitomycin, Fluorouracil, and Radiation for Anal Cancer.

Purpose To obtain safety and preliminary efficacy data of the combination of ADXS11-001, live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, with mitomycin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and intensity modulated radiation therapy in locally advanced anal cancer. Patients and Methods Eligibility included patients with previously untreated, nonmetastatic anal cancer with a primary tumor >4 cm or node-positive disease. Patients received 2 cycles of mitomycin and 5-FU concurrent with 54.0 Gy intensity modulated radiation therapy. One intravenous dose of ADXS11-001 (1 × 10 9 colony-forming units) was administered before chemoradiation; 3 additional monthly doses were given after chemoradiation. Results Ten patients were treated, including 1 with N2 and 4 with N3 disease. Two patients had grade 3 acute toxicities after the initial dose of ADXS11-001, including chills/rigors (n = 2), back pain (n = 1), and hyponatremia (n = 1). All ADXS11-001 toxicities occurred within 24 hours of administration. There was no apparent increase in chemoradiation toxicities or myelosuppression. One patient had a grade 5 cardiopulmonary event shortly after beginning 5-FU treatment. All 9 assessable patients had complete clinical responses by sigmoidoscopy. Eight of 9 patients (89%) are progression-free at a median follow-up of 42 months. Conclusions Preliminary data show that ADXS11-001 can be safely administered with standard chemoradiation for anal cancer. Further studies of listeria-based immunotherapy with radiation are warranted.
Revisiting Clear Floor Area Requirements for Wheeled Mobility Device Users in Public Transportation.

Current accessibility standards in the U.S. prescribe minimum dimensions for “clear floor area” to accommodate wheeled mobility device (WhMD) users on transportation vehicles. Prior research on the...
What Are Ethical Implications of Regionalization of Trauma Care

Patient transfers from critical care hospitals to trauma centers should be regarded as an integral part of care rather than as a detraction from it.
Frequency Planning Techniques

This chapter considers cellular frequency planning techniques for TDMA and OFDMA/SC-FDMA based cellular systems. The chapter begins with a discussion of basic cellular frequency planning techniques, including cell sectoring, cell splitting and reuse partitioning. This is followed by a treatment of issues related to frequency planning in OFDMA/SC-FDMA cellular networks. Afterwards, a novel TDMA hierarchical cellular architecture is considered that is based on the concept of cluster planning, where macrocells and microcells can share the same frequencies. Finally, the chapter wraps up with a treatment of macrodiversity TDMA architectures, where a mobile station is simultaneously served by multiple base stations.
Design Science Research in Information Systems

Design activities are central to most applied disciplines. Research in design has a long history in many fields including architecture, engineering, education, psychology, and the fine arts (Cross 2001). The computing and information technology (CIT) field since its advent in the late 1940s has appropriated many of the ideas, concepts, and methods of design science that have originated in these other disciplines. However, information systems (IS) as composed of inherently mutable and adaptable hardware, software, and human interfaces provide many unique and challenging design problems that call for new and creative ideas.
Building competency in self-care for social work students: a course-based case study

ABSTRACTThere is increasing recognition that social work educators must do more to ensure that social work students transitioning into the profession are prepared to engage in adept self-care practices. However, documented curricular efforts targeted at meeting this aim are few. This paper documents the impact of a credit-bearing self-care course on student (N = 40) competency about self-care. The course occurred in a social work education program at a large public institution in the United States. The researcher used a pre-experimental (e.g. pre/post) design to assess course outcomes. Results indicate significant improvements in student knowledge about self-care, skills related to engaging in self-care practices, and value related to self-care. After a review literature, this paper will provide a foundational overview of the course, delineate outcome variables and measures, explicate evaluative findings, and discuss salient implications derived from this endeavor.
Compressive fatigue and endurance of juvenile bovine articular cartilage explants

Abstract Articular cartilage is an enduring tissue. For most individuals, articular cartilage facilitates a lifetime of pain-free ambulation, supporting millions of loading cycles from activities of daily living. Although early studies into osteoarthritis focused on the role of mechanical fatigue in articular cartilage degeneration, much is still unknown regarding its strength and endurance characteristics. The compressive strength of juvenile, bovine articular cartilage explants was determined to be loading rate-dependent, reaching a maximum strength of 29.5 ± 4.8 MPa at a strain rate of 0.10 %/sec. The fatigue and endurance properties of articular cartilage were characterized utilizing a material testing system, as well as a custom, validated instrument termed the two degrees-of-freedom endurance meter (endurometer). These instruments characterized fatigue in articular cartilage explants at loading levels ranging from 10 to 80 % strength (%S), up to 100,000 cycles. Cartilage explants displayed characteristics of fatigue – fatigue life increased as the loading magnitude decreased. All explants failed within 14,000 cycles at loading levels between 50 and 80 %S. At 10 and 20 %S, all explants endured 100,000 loading cycles. There was no significant difference in equilibrium compressive modulus between run-out explants and unloaded controls, although the pooled modulus increased in response to testing. Histological staining and biochemical assays revealed no material changes in collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycan, or hydration content between unloaded controls and explants cyclically loaded to run-out. These results suggest articular cartilage may have a putative endurance limit of 20 %S (5.86 MPa), with implications for articular cartilage biomechanics and mechanobiology.
An interesting case of gluteal haematoma

A 72-year-old woman with the past medical history of Parkinson’s disease, atrial fibrillation on warfarin, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus on metformin, presented to the emergency room for generalised weakness, skin discoloration over lower back and buttocks of 3 days
Robotic Liver Resection

Robotic liver resection is an evolving approach for treatment of benign and malignant liver lesions. It offers a variety of advantages such as improved three-dimensional imaging, 540-degree movement of instruments, improved dexterity and precision in vascular dissection and intracorporeal suturing when compared to the laparoscopic approach. Perioperative outcomes of the robotic approach are comparable to those of the laparoscopic and open approaches. Long-term oncologic outcomes are also comparable. The learning curve and potential costs may hinder wide-spread implementation.
DEFINING ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE VALUES OF LEFT VENTRICULAR VOLUMES, EF, STROKE VOLUME AND LV AND RV STRAIN IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH NORMAL CARDIAC GEOMETRY: A SINGLE CENTER STUDY

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF), end diastolic, end systolic, stroke volumes (EDV, ESV, SV), global longitudinal strain (GLS) and right ventricular GLS, are frequently reported in cardiology. These have not been defined in the obese population. Given the prognostic impact of cardiac
Hermite Methods in Time

We study time-stepping methods based on Hermite-Birkhoff interpolation. For linear problems, the methods are designed so that their stability characteristics are identical to those of standard implicit Runge–Kutta methods based on Gauss-Legendre quadrature (Hairer and Wanner, Solving ordinary differential equations II, stiff and differential-algebraic problems. Springer, New York, 1996). However, in contrast, only a single nonlinear system whose dimension matches that of the original problem must be solved independent of the method order; that is, they are singly implicit. Besides outlining the construction of the methods and establishing some of their basic properties, we carry out illustrative computations both on standard test problems and a spectral discretization of an initial-boundary value problem for the Schrodinger equation.
Balanced and Bruhat Graphs

We generalize chain enumeration in graded partially ordered sets by relaxing the graded, poset and Eulerian requirements. The resulting balanced digraphs, which include the classical Eulerian posets having an R-labeling, imply the existence of the (non-homogeneous) $$\mathbf{c}\mathbf{d}$$ -index, a key invariant for studying inequalities for the flag vector of polytopes. Mirroring Alexander duality for Eulerian posets, we show an analogue of Alexander duality for bounded balanced digraphs. For Bruhat graphs of Coxeter groups, an important family of balanced graphs, our theory gives elementary proofs of the existence of the complete $$\mathbf{c}\mathbf{d}$$ -index and its properties. We also introduce the rising and falling quasisymmetric functions of a labeled acyclic digraph and show they are Hopf algebra homomorphisms mapping balanced digraphs to the Stembridge peak algebra. We conjecture non-negativity of the $$\mathbf{c}\mathbf{d}$$ -index for acyclic digraphs having a balanced linear edge labeling.
Business Schools as Living Labs: Advancing Sustainability in Management Education:

The buildings in which we teach management and decision analysis are ideal labs for advancing sustainability in management education, experiential learning, and integrated performance measurement. ...
Demographic Differences in PrEP-Related Stereotypes: Implications for Implementation.

Qualitative interviews about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) stereotypes were conducted with a subsample of 160 MSM who participated in a PrEP messaging study. Negative stereotypes about PrEP users were identified by 80 % of participants. Two types of stereotypes were most common: PrEP users are HIV-infected (and lying about it), and PrEP users are promiscuous and resistant to condom use. Participants’ identification of these stereotype categories differed significantly by demographic factors (i.e., race/ethnicity, education). Expanding access to PrEP requires recognizing potential differences in the experience or anticipation of PrEP-related stereotypes that might impact willingness to discuss PrEP with providers, friends, or partners.
Changing Course through Collaboration.

I agree with Vyse's (2013) argument that becoming more mainstream will require openness to new methods and a careful examination of how the next generation of scientists is to be trained. However, I do not believe that turning away from behavior analysis to become a generalist is the answer, nor do I think that sufficient action can be taken by any individual scientist. To achieve the most mainstream relevance, we must take systemic action by increasing our connections and collaborations with others. We must seek out individuals from other perspectives and listen to what they have to say, integrate between- and within-subject designs, and train the next generation of behavior-analytic scientists to be collaborative specialists. We can act in these ways without turning away from behavior analysis as a discipline.