cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of the high-pressure Ar-Xe laser pumped by an electron beam and an electron-beam sustained discharge

Mechanisms of the line competition observed among the 1.73-, 2.03-, and 2.65- mu m lines are interpreted based on the gain and saturation data along with some known kinetics. The energy distribution among the lines is also investigated as a function of various operating parameters. An enhancement factor of approximately 10 was readily obtained for both electrical input energy and laser output energy in the e-beam sustained discharged. However, there is a tradeoff between enhancement factors and laser output energy due to a degradation of the laser output observed for discharge power enhancements greater than 5. The maximum output energy obtained was 4 J/l, with an intrinsic efficiency of approximately 3%. >
A Rapid Aerodynamic Prediction Method for Simulation of Post-Stall Flight Dynamics

A decambering approach was developed in 2006 at NCSU for prediction of post-stall aerodynamics of wings and configurations using post-stall data for airfoils as input. This approach can be incorporated in vortex lattice methods (VLM), Weissinger and liftingline formulations. Recently, in 2008, this method was made significantly faster by the use of pre-computed basic and additional loadings, enabling the use of rapid superposition of these loadings for post-stall aerodynamic calculations. The new approach only requires the VLM (or other analysis method) for pre-computing the loadings and does not use the VLM for the iterative post-stall computations. This paper describes the incorporation of this fast decambering approach in flight dynamics simulations at post-stall conditions. The fast decambering method is written as a function that can be called by an ordinary differential equation (ODE) solver for solving the standard fixed-wing equations of motion (EOM). At each time step in the solution of the EOM, the full aerodynamic lift distributions (pre- or post-stall) on the lifting surfaces of the configuration are computed using superposition of stored basic and additional lift distributions. An important modification to the aerodynamic prediction method was in developing a way to simulate the effect of aircraft motion, especially angular velocity, on the lift distributions using superposition of stored lift distributions. The examples in the paper illustrate the use of this approach for simulation of aircraft motion in post-stall conditions. The computations are fast enough for use in real-time simulations.
Optimal Sensor Placement for Modal Identification of Bridge Systems Considering Number of Sensing Nodes

A series of optimal sensor placement (OSP) techniques is discussed in this paper. A framework for deciding the optimum number and location of sensors is proposed, to establish an effective structural health monitoring (SHM) system. The vibration response from an optimized sensor network reduces the installation and operational cost, simplifies the computational processes for a SHM system, and ensures an accurate estimation of monitoring parameters. In particular, the proposed framework focuses on the determination of the number of sensors and their proper locations to estimate modal properties of bridge systems. The relative importance of sensing locations in terms of signal strength was obtained by applying several OSP techniques, which include effective influence (EI), EI-driving point residue (EI-DPR), and kinetic energy (KE) methods. Additionally, the modified variance (MV) method, based on the principal component analysis (PCA), was developed with the assumption of independence in modal ordinates at each sensing location. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) between the target and interpolated mode shapes from an optimal sensor set was utilized as an effective measure to determine the number of sensors. The proposed framework is verified by three examples: (1) a numerically simulated simply supported beam, (2) finite-element (FE) model of the Northampton Street Bridge (NSB), and (3) modal information identified using a set of wireless sensor data from the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB). These three examples demonstrate the application and efficiency of the proposed framework to optimize the number of sensors and verify the performance of the MV method compared to the EI, EI-DPR, and KE methods.
Nasal Carriage of Epidemic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus 15 (EMRSA-15) Clone Observed in Three Chicago-Area Long-Term Care Facilities

Spread of pandemic methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones such as USA300 and EMRSA-15 is a global health concern. As a part of a surveillance study of three long term care facilities n the Greater Chicago area, phenotypic and molecular characterization of nasal MRSA isolates was performed. We reports a cluster of pandemic EMRSA-15, a MRSA clone rarely reported from the US, detected during this study.
Instrumentality – Expressiveness – Selling Performance: are They Related?

This study examined the relationship between salespeople’s self-reported "instrumental" and "expressive" traits and their performance of the personal selling process. Two research questions were addressed: ( 1 ) whether there was a relationship between instrumentality, expressiveness and selling performance, and (2) what was the nature of the relationship, if present.
An interactive computer graphics approach to surface representation

An interactive computer graphics method has been developed for the rapid generation of arbitrary shaped three-dimensional surfaces. The method is a synthesis of spline theory and algorithms, an interactive means for man-machine communication, and software for static or dynamic graphics display. The basic technique employed is a modified lofting method in which sectional curves are represented by uniform B-splines and the surface is interpolated between sections by Cardinal splines. Among the features of this method are algorithm, which enable interactive modification of the B-spline representation of the sectional curves. At all stages of the process, the spatial information is graphically displayed to the user. Complex surfaces can be created by the combination of a number of shapes that have been separately generated and automatically joined. The system has been successfully interfaced to a variety of analytical routines for structural, medical and graphical applications.
Family Communication Patterns Moderate the Relationship Between Psychological Reactance and Willingness to Talk About Organ Donation

Considerable research has investigated how psychological reactance affects individuals' responses to health promotion messages, but little is known about how family processes might moderate the reactance process. In this study, 301 participants were exposed to a persuasive message about organ donation. The moderating role of family communication patterns in the reactance process was tested using hierarchical regression. We found that family conversation orientation had a direct effect on willingness to talk with family members about being an organ donor and that family conformity orientation and family conversation orientation each interacted with reactance to predict willingness to communicate with family about donation. Theoretically, these results extend psychological reactance theory by considering how interpersonal factors affect the reactance process. Practically, the findings suggest that for optimal impact, family processes should be considered in the design of messages promoting organ donation.
Parallel encoder, decoder, detector, corrector for cyclic redundancy checking

Redesigning the linear feedback shift register so that syndrome calculations can be performed in one sweep allows for fast error control in high-speed computer networks. The resulting structure forms the basis of the PEDDC (parallel encoder, decoder, detector, corrector) which replaces the conventional SEDDC (serial encoder, decoder, detector, corrector) for generation and utilization of cyclic codes. The authors built a PEDDC to harness the advantages of syndrome calculations from information acquired in parallel. Its operation is examined and its performance is compared with a SEDDC. Possible variations on the PEDDC structure are given, and further speed enhancement techniques are considered. >
Mother–Adolescent Agreement Regarding Decision-Making Autonomy: A Longitudinal Comparison of Families of Adolescents with and without Spina Bifida

Objective Longitudinal comparison of mother and adolescent agreement regarding decision-making autonomy for adolescents with and without spina bifida (SB). Methods Forty-two mother–adolescent dyads of adolescents with SB and 55 comparison dyads reported on who was responsible for decision-making across five waves of data collection, beginning at age 8 or 9 years through age 16 or 17 years. Results The proportion of tasks that dyads agreed were decided by adolescents increased over time for both samples beginning at age 12 or 13 years, but appeared to be delayed by roughly two years for youth with SB and was lower for youth with SB from lower socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Mothers and adolescents with low SES demonstrated higher proportions of tasks that dyads agreed were decided by mothers. Conclusions SB and low SES are risk factors for lower levels of agreed-upon decision-making autonomy. Future studies should examine how parent–adolescent agreement regarding autonomy relates to psychosocial outcomes.
Association Studies of Vascular Phenotypes: How and Why?

Technological and methodological advances in the last decade have rendered genetic studies of complex traits, influenced by multiple genes and their interactions with each other and with the environment, increasingly feasible. Cardiovascular disease and its risk factors have been the subject of numerous genetic studies seeking to identify the specific DNA variants that influence these traits. One such study appears in this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology . Brousseau and colleagues1 investigate associations of a variant in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene with lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, particle sizes, and coronary heart disease endpoints. Given the increasing frequency of genetic association studies in the pages of the Journal, we take this opportunity to explain the types of methodology used in these studies, how the results of these studies may be interpreted, and how association techniques fit into the larger arsenal of genetic epidemiological methods. See page 1148 Genetic association studies essentially look for correlations between phenotype and genotype. The phenotype may be presence or absence of disease, such as atherosclerosis, or it may be a quantitative measure such as systolic blood pressure or HDL cholesterol concentration. Slightly different analytical techniques, explained below, are used for discrete and quantitative phenotypes. The genotype is generally obtained from some type of polymorphic marker. This may be a short tandem repeat or microsatellite in which the number of copies of a 2-, 3-, or 4-base pair DNA motif varies in the population or it may be a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in which a particular DNA base pair varies. A marker is said to be polymorphic and may be referred to as a polymorphism, if the frequency of the most common variant is less than 99%. Microsatellites generally have 4 to 12 variants, or alleles, whereas SNPs generally have …
Untangling Vascular Cognitive Impairment

See related articles, pages 783–830 . Vascular pathology is often the cause of cognitive impairment and dementia. The entities implicated include large cortical infarcts; single strategically-placed or multiple small infarcts, cerebral hemorrhage, cortical changes due to hypoperfusion (eg, hippocampal sclerosis, ischemic-anoxic damage, cortical laminar sclerosis), and a variety of vasculopathies (eg, lipohyalinosis, CADASIL, cerebral amyloid angiopathy). Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is an umbrella term that encompasses these instances of cognitive decline due to vascular factors, and includes patients with mixed vascular and neurodegenerative pathologies.1,2 It is an evolving concept, and as our understanding grows, new questions arise, including two that are addressed by studies published in this issue of Stroke : do white matter lesions and silent infarcts lead to a specific pattern of cognitive impairment, and if so, how?; and do changes in the microvasculature precede and potentially lead to the development of Alzheimer pathology? The effect of silent infarcts and CT- and MRI-detected white matter changes on cognition is still controversial. On the one hand, these lesions are commonly seen in healthy individuals with intact mental functions, and some researchers in the field question whether they play a role in cognitive decline …
Application of the padé approximant method to excluded volume effects in polymer chains

Closed formulas for the expansion factor α and the h function appearing in the second virial coefficient are derived by the Pade approximant method, using the first two or three series coefficients. The equations for α agree well with experimental results for small z, the excluded volume parameter. The equation for h agrees well with data over the entire accessible range of z.
The effect of blood on laser‐resistant endotracheal tube combustion

The protection afforded against CO 2 laser-induced combustion by five different types of tracheal tubes or protective foil wraps was evaluated. They were compared before and after the application of human blood to their external surfaces. The tracheal tubes tested were polyvinylchloride (PVC) tubes wrapped with Venture copper (Cu) foil tape, 3M aluminum (Al) foil tape, and the Laser-Guard protective coating. The Xomed Laser Shield II« and Mallinckrodt Laser-Flex tracheal tubes were also tested. A CO 2 laser set to 38 W in the continuous mode was directed at the shaft of the tracheal tube under study, which had 5 L/min of oxygen flowing through it. The laser was actuated for 90 seconds or until combustion or melting occurred
An Efficient Implementation of Multiscale Simulation Software PNP-cDFT

An efficient implementation of PNP-cDFT, a multiscale method for computing the chemical potentials of charged species is designed and evaluated. Spatial decomposition of the multi particle system is employed in the parallelization of classical density functional theory (cDFT) algorithm. Furthermore, a truncated strategy is used to reduce the computational complexity of cDFT algorithm. The simulation results show that the parallel implementation has close to linear scalability in parallel computing environments for both 1D and 3D systems. It also shows that the truncated versions of cDFT improve the efficiency of the methods substantially.
Asymmetric surface roughness measurements and meniscus modeling of polysilicon surface micromachined flaps

Polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) films are primary structural materials for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Due to relatively high compliance, large surface-to-volume ratio, and small separation distances, micromachined polysilicon structures are susceptible to surface forces which can result in adhesive failures. Since these forces depend on surface properties especially surface roughness, three types of microhinged flaps were fabricated to characterize their roughness and adhesive meniscus properties. The flaps enabled access to both the top and bottom surfaces of the structural polysilicon layers. Roughness measurements using an atomic force microscope revealed that MEMS surfaces primarily exhibit non-Gaussian surface height distributions, and for the release procedures studied, the bottom surface of the structural layers was significantly smoother and prone to higher adhesion compared to the top surface. A non-symmetric surface roughness model using the Pearson system of frequency curves was coupled with a capillary meniscus adhesion model to analyze the effects of surface roughness parameters (root-mean-square, skewness, and kurtosis), relative humidity, and surface contact angle on the interfacial adhesion energy. Using the measured roughness properties of the flaps, four different surface pairs were simulated and compared to investigate their effects on capillary adhesion. It was found that since the base polysilicon layer (poly0) was rougher than the base silicon nitride and the structural layer on poly0 was also rougher than that on silicon nitride, depositing MEMS devices on poly0 layer rather than directly on silicon nitride will reduce the adhesion energy.
Nonclassical Transpeptidases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Alter Cell Size, Morphology, the Cytosolic Matrix, Protein Localization, Virulence, and Resistance to β-Lactams

ABSTRACT Virtually all bacteria possess a peptidoglycan layer that is essential for their growth and survival. The β-lactams, the most widely used class of antibiotics in human history, inhibit d,d-transpeptidases, which catalyze the final step in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. The existence of a second class of transpeptidases, the l,d-transpeptidases, was recently reported. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an infectious pathogen that causes tuberculosis (TB), is known to possess as many as five proteins with l,d-transpeptidase activity. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that loss of l,d-transpeptidases 1 and 2 of M. tuberculosis (LdtMt1 and LdtMt2) alters cell surface morphology, shape, size, organization of the intracellular matrix, sorting of some low-molecular-weight proteins that are targeted to the membrane or secreted, cellular physiology, growth, virulence, and resistance of M. tuberculosis to amoxicillin-clavulanate and vancomycin.
Development of CPT_M3D for Multiple Chemical Plume Tracing and Source Identification

This paper explores the developing of a graphical simulation environment for multiple chemical plume tracing and source identification. A number of classes, including a graphical display class, make up the simulation program. Because the intent is to capture and simulate real life scenarios, the program simulates significant variation of fluid flow velocity and orientation, the significant intermittency between advection fluid flow, chemical filaments, and significant meander of chemical plumes to challenge a chemical plume tracing strategy. Thus, the advection fluid flow model class, plume model classes, sensor classes, plume tracing strategy classes, and vehicle model classes were created to bring this challenge alive in a measurable, three dimensional model. The outcome is highly promising, in that it can efficiently evaluate strategies for tracing multiple plumes, identifying their sources, and can do so even in three-dimensions.
Fatigue of the inspiratory muscle pump in humans: an isoflow approach.

A new method is described for measurement of inspiratory muscle endurance in humans that is based on isokinetic principles of muscle testing (i.e., measurement of maximum force during a constant velocity of shortening). Subjects inspired maximally while their lungs were inflated at a constant rate during each breath for 10 min. Inspiratory and expiratory time, flow rate, tidal volume, and end-tidal CO2 were maintained constant. In each subject, maximum inspiratory mouth pressure exponentially decayed over the first few minutes to an apparent sustainable value. Repeated tests in experienced subjects showed high reproducibility of sustainable pressure measurements. To determine the effects of flow, endurance tests were repeated in four subjects at flows of 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 l/s, with a constant duty cycle. As flow increased, the maximum pressures that could be attained at rest and the maximum sustainable pressures decreased. At each flow, the sustainable pressure remained a constant fraction of the maximum pressure attainable at rest. We interpret the decay in mouth pressure during isoflow endurance tests to directly reflect the loss of net inspiratory muscle force available by maximum voluntary activation of the inspiratory pump.
Constraints on the star formation efficiency of galaxies during the epoch of reionization

Reionization is thought to have occurred in the redshift range of 6 6 that matches the measured galaxy luminosity functions at these redshifts. We find that f⋆ peaks at ∼30 per cent at halo masses M ∼ 10^(11)–10^(12) M⊙, in qualitative agreement with its behaviour at lower redshifts. We then investigate the cosmic star formation histories and the corresponding models of reionization for a range of extrapolations to small halo masses. We use a variety of observations to further constrain the characteristics of the galaxy populations, including the escape fraction of UV photons. Our approach provides an empirically calibrated, physically motivated model for the properties of star-forming galaxies sourcing the epoch of reionization. In the case where star formation in low-mass haloes is maximally efficient, an average escape fraction ∼0.1 can reproduce the optical depth reported by Planck, whereas inefficient star formation in these haloes requires either about twice as many UV photons to escape, or an escape fraction that increases towards higher redshifts. Our models also predict how future observations with James Webb Space Telescope can improve our understanding of these galaxy populations.
Casein kinase II promotes target silencing by miRISC through direct phosphorylation of the DEAD-box RNA helicase CGH-1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential, conserved roles in diverse developmental processes through association with the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). Whereas fundamental insights into the mechanistic framework of miRNA biogenesis and target gene silencing have been established, posttranslational modifications that affect miRISC function are less well understood. Here we report that the conserved serine/threonine kinase, casein kinase II (CK2), promotes miRISC function in Caenorhabditis elegans. CK2 inactivation results in developmental defects that phenocopy loss of miRISC cofactors and enhances the loss of miRNA function in diverse cellular contexts. Whereas CK2 is dispensable for miRNA biogenesis and the stability of miRISC cofactors, it is required for efficient miRISC target mRNA binding and silencing. Importantly, we identify the conserved DEAD-box RNA helicase, CGH-1/DDX6, as a key CK2 substrate within miRISC and demonstrate phosphorylation of a conserved N-terminal serine is required for CGH-1 function in the miRNA pathway.
Volumetric compensation of accuracy errors in a multi-robot surgical platform

A multi-robot platform, made of a hybrid parallel kinematic machine and 2 KUKA LWR arms, is dedicated to open skull neuro-surgical tasks. Sub-millimeter accuracy is clearly required for both the absolute tool tracking and for good performances in motion compensation when the head is set free to move. An analysis of the sources of inaccuracies, mostly derived from the calibration phase, illustrates that errors are insufficiently reduced by stand-alone calibrations of the single robots. A method for volumetric compensation of errors is reported. A compensation transform is, in fact, computed during an offline training phase for a set of discretized subregions of the constrained head workspace. At runtime, a compensation motion is applied to robots so as to reach the desired real targets on anatomical parts. The resulting end-to-end static accuracy is distributed with median 0.75 mm and below 1 mm for the 95% of tests, with a 1∶36 reduction factor from the starting conditions. The accuracy is evaluated also in dynamic tests with mild oscillatory patterns.
Thrust-Power Pareto Fronts based on Experiments for Small Flapping Wings

Flapping wing micro air vehicles (MAV) have recently attracted ample interest due to their capability of hovering and forward flight with high maneuverability. In our previous work, we dealt with the maximization of thrust through experimental optimization. During that study, many wing failures were attributed to overloading or high power consumption. This along with the general restriction of a limited power source on an MAV led us to look into a multi-objective set-up with power as an objective. The main aim of this paper is to understand the trade-offs between thrust and current or power consumed or efficiency of the wing, which can lead to the choice of appropriate objective functions. This is achieved by the analyzing predictions of Pareto fronts generated by multiple surrogates. In this work, surrogates are fitted to actual experimental data. The surrogate-based Pareto fronts appear to indicate that not much improvement may be achieved in the current design space, so that new design concepts need to be explored. It also indicates that maximizing thrust and efficiency are the best choice of objectives.
Audiometric Calibration: Air Conduction

The main goal of this article is to discuss the calibration of air-conducted signals delivered by an audiometer via an earphone or a loudspeaker. The common types of earphones used in hearing testing are described and the importance of calibrating these transducers is discussed. After covering the instruments used for calibration, the performance parameters measured in the calibration process are examined. The limitations of our current methods are discussed and areas for improvement are considered.
Foundations for tactical training - A challenge to industry

Training crews to tactically employ a weapon system requires heavy emphasis on cognitive learning. The quality and complexity of the cues received from the environment is crucial to the crew members' ability to make quality judgments about the tactical situation. Simply stated, environmental events must be consistent with what is known of the characteristics and the tactical behavior of both enemy and friendly forces; tactical training requires highly realistic combat environments. The level of realism required to support tactics training can only be achieved when both the appearance and behavioral aspects of the combat environment are properly represented as they are perceived by the crew. The ordered nature of environmental cues is a manifestation of underlying rules that govern behavior, including physical laws, national policy, military doctrine, strategies, and tactics. The simulations of Orders of Battle (OOB's) and C213 processes and structures are crucial elements that provide the appearance and behavioral qualities required for tactical environment realism. This paper examines the mission-ready (MR) unit's most basic responsibilities and reveals requirements for the development of viable tactical training environments. It also presents a methodology for identifying lower-level requirements for simulating tactical environments for effective training in decision-making.
Thermally Stimulated Luminescence of Naphthylsubstituted Benzidine Derivative and Tris-8-(Hydroxyquinoline) Aluminum With and Without Metal Layers

Multilayer organic light emitting devices based on tris-8-(hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq{sub 3}) and a naphthyl-substituted benzidine derivative (NPB) have demonstrated practical electroluminescence with a wide range of color. Trap states in these materials play an important role in the carrier transport as well as the light emission process. The authors report the first observation of thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) from Alq{sub 3} and NPB. The TSL spectra from 8K to 300K were used to determine the trap states in Alq{sub 3} and NPB. The results for Alq{sub 3} show a significant trap distribution at 156K, which corresponds to a mean trap depth ranging from 0.18 to 0.12 eV, whereas the trap states in NPB are centered from 0.15 eV to 0.01 eV. The authors have used TSL to study the trap state properties of thin metal layers in the Alq{sub 3} films. In addition, they report photoluminescence as a function of temperature for Alq{sub 3}. TSL spectroscopy provides a technique to study the trap states in a specific layer of the device structure.
Successful Extraction of Intracardiac Tumor Thrombus of Renal Carcinoma

AbstractSuccessful management of a patient with an intracardiac tumor thrombus of renal carcinoma is described. Important considerations in the management include precise localization of the upper limits of the tumor thrombus preoperatively, early ligation of the renal artery, control of the circulation through the inferior vena cava by temporary occlusion of the vena cava below the renal veins, the left renal vein and the hepatic circulation, and a team approach, using the expertise of the urologist and the cardiac surgeon, as well as cardiopulmonary bypass.
Ectopic Tertiary Lymphoid Tissue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Protective or Provocateur?

Organized lymphoid tissues like the thymus first appeared in jawed vertebrates around 500 million years ago and have evolved to equip the host with a network of specialized sites, strategically located to orchestrate strict immune-surveillance and efficient immune responses autonomously. The gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) maintain a mostly tolerant environment to dampen our responses to daily dietary and microbial products in the intestine. However, when this homeostasis is perturbed by chronic inflammation, the intestine is able to develop florid organized tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLT), which heralds the onset of regional immune dysregulation. While TLT are a pathologic hallmark of Crohn’s disease (CD), their role in the overall process remains largely enigmatic. A critical question remains; are intestinal TLT generated by the immune infiltrated intestine to modulate immune responses and rebuild tolerance to the microbiota or are they playing a more sinister role by generating dysregulated responses that perpetuate disease? Herein we discuss the main theories of intestinal tertiary lymphoid tissue neogenesis and focus on the most recent findings that open new perspectives to their role in inflammatory bowel disease.
Coordinating Care for Falls via Emergency Responders: A Feasibility Study of a Brief At-Scene Intervention.

Falls account for a substantial portion of 9-1-1 calls, but few studies have examined the potential for an emergency medical system role in fall prevention. We tested the feasibility and effectiveness of an emergency medical technician (EMT)-delivered, at-scene intervention to link elders calling 9-1-1 for a fall with a multifactorial fall prevention program in their community. The intervention was conducted in a single fire department in King County, Washington and consisted of a brief public health message about the preventability of falls and written fall prevention program information left at scene. Data sources included 9-1-1 reports, telephone interviews with intervention department fallers and sociodemographically comparable fallers from three other fire departments in the same county, and in-person discussions with intervention department EMTs. Interviews elicited faller recall and perceptions of the intervention, EMT perceptions of intervention feasibility, and resultant referrals. Sixteen percent of all 9-1-1 calls during the intervention period were for falls. The intervention was delivered to 49% of fallers, the majority of whom (75%) were left at scene. Their mean age (N=92) was 80±8 years; 78% were women, 39% had annual incomes under $20K, and 34% lived alone. Thirty-five percent reported that an EMT had discussed falls and fall prevention (vs. 8% of comparison group, P<0.01); 84% reported that the information was useful. Six percent reported having made an appointment with a fall prevention program (vs. 3% of comparison group). EMTs reported that the intervention was worthwhile and did not add substantially to their workload. A brief, at-scene intervention is feasible and acceptable to fallers and EMTs. Although it activates only a small percent to seek out fall prevention programs, the public health impact of this low-cost strategy may be substantial.
An Investigation of Discrepancies between Qualitative and Quantitative Findings in Survey Research

The purpose of this paper is to bring attention to an important aspect of mixed methods research design which occurs when the qualitative findings do not match the quantitative findings within a particular study. Different perspectives on this phenomenon attempt to understand and then to resolve such differences. The authors present these various perspectives as well as an example of a study which illustrates the phenomenon in question. Recommendations for resolving differences within the study are given based on the perspectives presented and conclusions are drawn relevant to an analysis founded in the literature.
Leveraging natural killer cells for cancer immunotherapy

Natural killer (NK) cells are potent antitumor effector cells of the innate immune system. Based on their ability to eradicate tumors in vitro and in animal models, significant enthusiasm surrounds the prospect of leveraging human NK cells as vehicles for cancer immunotherapy. While interest in manipulating the effector functions of NK cells has existed for over 30 years, there is renewed optimism for this approach today. Although T cells receive much of the clinical and preclinical attention when it comes to cancer immunotherapy, new strategies are utilizing adoptive NK-cell immunotherapy and monoclonal antibodies and engineered molecules which have been developed to specifically activate NK cells against tumors. Despite the numerous challenges associated with the preclinical and clinical development of NK cell-based therapies for cancer, NK cells possess many unique immunological properties and hold the potential to provide an effective means for cancer immunotherapy.
Demo: Reptor: Enabling API Virtualization on Android for Platform Openness

This paper proposes a new technique that enables open innovation in mobile platforms. Our technique allows third-party developers to modify, instrument, or extend platform API calls and deploy their modifications seamlessly. The uniqueness of our technique is that it enables modifications completely at the app layer without requiring any platform-level changes. This allows practical openness---third parties can easily distribute their modifications for a platform without the need to update the entire platform. To demonstrate the benefits of our technique, we have developed a prototype on Android called Reptor and used it to instrument real-world apps with novel functionality. Our evaluation in realistic scenarios shows that Reptor has little overhead in performance and energy, and only modest overhead in memory usage that ranges from 0.6% to 10% for the observed worst cases.
Campus Sexual Assault, Institutional Betrayal, and Title IX

The problem of campus sexual assault is viewed through the theoretical construct of institutional betrayal and the legal construct of Title IX.
Representations of Resistance: Ironic Iconography in a Southern Mexican Social Movement

This chapter analyzes the highly politicized street art produced by public school teachers in the impoverished southeastern Mexican state of Oaxaca. In posters, graffiti, and three-dimensional imagery and performance, members of the union Local 22 have used biting imagery that inverts state symbols to critique neoliberal policies that they contend jeopardize teachers’ jobs and the future of public education. I contend that visuals and spectacles produced during and since the events of 2006, when the Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca (Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca, or APPO) social movement emerged following a violent dislodging of the striking Local 22 members, reify the power of public art as a critical form of resistance that contests and challenges the status quo.
Signal Reliability and Intraspecific Deception

Abstract A signal is considered to be reliable if (1) some feature of the signal is consistently correlated with an attribute of the signaler or its environment and (2) receivers benefit from knowing about that attribute. Signaling systems that do not provide reliable information may exist if signal features exploit a sensory bias of the receiver. At evolutionary equilibrium, however, signals are expected to be reliable on average, meaning that they are reliable enough that a receiver benefits overall from responding to them rather than ignoring them. When there is a conflict of interest between signaler and receiver, signal reliability requires some mechanism to be maintained. Proposed mechanisms include (1) physical and informational constraints on signal production; (2) signal costs that differentially affect signalers of varying quality (the handicap mechanism); (3) differential benefits, which produce honest signals of need; and (4) receiver-dependent costs, which produce conventional signals whose meaning is not related to their physical structure but rather results from an arbitrary convention. The requirement that signals be reliable only on average allows the possibility of some admixture of intra-specific deception, which has been observed in various types of signals, including signals used in aggression, courtship, predator warning, and begging.
High Frequency (MHz) Nanoactuators for Tips and Tip-Arrays

Integrated nanostructure mechanisms should add a new dimension to mesoscopic physics. Here we discuss the fabrication and operation of movable, integrated nanostructure mechanisms that produce precision motion. Self supporting, movable single crystal silicon springs and electric-field drive structures with integrated, movable field emission or tunneling tips are described. These devices include resonant mass sensors; precision x-y stages for instrument and sensor applications; and scanning tunneling and atomic force tip-structures for sensors. Movable mechanical structures with cross-sectional dimensions of 150 nm x 1000 nm have been fabricated using single crystal silicon. The nanofabrication process includes high resolution e-beam and optical lithographies, anisotropic reactive ion etching, and selective oxidation of silicon. For these very stiff, low mass nanostructures, the mechanical resonant frequency, f r =(k/m)1/2 = (stiffness/mass)1/2 is 5 MHz. We demonstrate nanometer-scale motion of these nanostructures and scanning probe devices. This technology is a significant array-technology that supports on-chip array addressing, control and amplification. Large, dense arrays of 10–20 nm diameter tips for field emission or scanned-probe applications have been fabricated using these processes. Such nanoelectromechanical array-architectures are important for the fabrication of tunnel sensors, scanned-probe actuators for information storage systems, and microrobotic mechanisms for moving small objects and atoms.
On the Recovery of Surface Temperature and Heat Flux via Convolutions

The determination of the surface temperature and heat flux of a body by means of interior temperature measurements is very important in many areas of science and industry (cf. [1], [8], [9]), and is usually referred to as inverse heat conduction problems (IHCP). Due to their wide applicability, much emphasis has been placed on the numerical solutions of these IHCP. It is stated in [1] that few exact (or, analytic) solutions have been found, and that the known exact soluti ons usually have quite restrictive assumptions imposed on the boundary data (such as infinite differentiability).
CHAPTER 5 – Ribozymes in Cancer Gene Therapy

Ribozymes are small RNA molecules with endoribonuclease activity that hybridize to complementary endoribonuclease activity that hybridize to complementary sequences of a particular target mRNA transcript through Watson-Crick base pairing. The simple structure of ribozymes and their ability to cleave RNA molecules in trans in a site specific manner have important therapeutic implications for a variety of diseases where well-defined key RNA molecules are involved in causing or maintaining a disease state. This chapter focuses on two classes of ribozymes—the hammerhead and hairpin ribozymes—and explains their unique features and specific characteristics. It reviews recent advances using these ribozymes in the field of cancer gene therapy and outlines current limitations and recent developments in the application of ribozymes. Ribozymes can be designed to target oncogenes and to transport proteins or growth factors to specifically inhibit tumor cell proliferation, drug resistance, or angiogenesis. Genes known to be sufficient for malignant transformation and genes for which expression is important but not sufficient for malignant transformation are both potential targets for ribozymes.
Elastic Moduli of Polymer Nanocomposites Derived from the Molecular Structure

Polymer based nanocomposites are a novel class of materials in which the polymer matrix is filled with nanoscale fillers, nanoparticles or nanotubes. These materials exhibit interesting mechanical, optical and transport properties and are currently under intense scrutiny. In this work we focus on a model polymeric material filled with spherical nanoparticles, with the goal of identifying the relationship between the molecular structure and the elastic properties of the composite. The effect of the confinement imposed by fillers on chain conformations in the vicinity of the interface is investigated using an atomistic model for the polymeric material. The polymer structure is determined by lattice Monte Carlo simulations. Realistic energetics, including excluded volume and cohesive interactions in the bulk polymer, as well as filler-polymer interactions are considered. The elastic constants of the polymer structure are derived from the free energy of the system of chains, and based on the determined structure. Four contributions to the matrix polymer stiffness are identified: due to bonded and non-bonded interactions, due to the energetic interaction between polymer and fillers, and due to the entropie component of the free energy. The resulting continuum model for the matrix is in the form of a material with graded elasticity in a spherical layer surrounding each filler. The filler is considered rigid. The overall composite moduli are obtained by homogenization of this graded structure. The scaling of the overall composite moduli with filler radius at constant filler volume fraction is determined.
Total neoadjuvant chemotherapy to facilitate delivery and tolerance of systemic chemotherapy and response in locally advanced rectal cancer.

3519Background: The most common therapy for locally advanced (T3/4 or N+) rectal cancer (LARC) consists of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (chemoRT) followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Re...
The buffering effect of social support on the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among church-going African-American adults.

Abstract Discrimination is a pervasive stressor among African-American adults. Social support is an important protective factor for psychological distress, especially among minority populations. Although a number of studies have examined social support in relation to discrimination, little research has examined how social support may serve as an important protective factor against both physical and psychological symptoms related to overall psychological distress within this group. The current study examined social support as a moderator of the relationship between discrimination and overall psychological distress as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory among a community sample of 122 African-American church-going adults. Results indicated that social support buffered the associations of discrimination and overall psychological distress (p
r/Agenda_rejection: Attribute agenda-setting resistance between horizontal Reddit pages and vertical news coverage

Abstract Reddit communities focused on Christianity demonstrate significant resistance to mainstream news media attribute agendas on Christianity and Christians. This computerized content analysis of five years of news coverage and survey responses from 113 Redditors found digital community members soundly rejected mainstream news attribute agendas. Data point to the strength and independence of digital communities to meld and define their own agendas and rhetoric while affirming both a need for orientation and previous research establishing limited agenda-setting effects regarding religion.
Carnosol, a dietary diterpene from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) activates Nrf2 leading to sestrin 2 induction in colon cells.

Background Rosemary is abundant with phytochemicals and has recently been approved as an antioxidant food preservative in the European Union. The safety of rosemary is well established, however, the benefits on gastrointestinal health are less known. Our overall hypothesis is that the phytochemicals in rosemary including carnosol have the potential to promote gastrointestinal health by activation of the antioxidant sestrin-2 when consumed in our diet. Methods Colon cells HCT116 and SW480 were treated with carnosol and evaluated by MTT, immunofluorescence, ELISA, and Western blot analysis to understand the modulation of the PERK/Nrf2/Sestrin-2 pathway. Results Carnosol was found to modulate PERK and increase the concentration of nuclear Nrf2. Furthermore, a downstream marker of Nrf2 expression, Sestrin-2 was shown to be upregulated. Conclusion Based on these observations carnosol modulates the PERK and Nrf2 pathways along with increased expression of sestrin-2, a known stress inducible antioxidant.
Perioperative, oncological and functional outcomes after robotic partial nephrectomy vs. cryoablation in the elderly: A propensity score matched analysis.

Abstract Objective To compare perioperative, oncological and functional outcomes of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) versus cryoablation in elderly patients (>75 years old), accounting for patient's and tumor's related factors. Methods Retrospective institutional review of 312 consecutive elderly patients (> 75 years old) who underwent RPN or cryoablation for renal mass (June 2006–December 2016). Demographic, perioperative, functional, and oncological data were evaluated. Sixty-five patients who underwent RPN were propensity-score matched 1:1 to 65 who underwent cryoablation (matching was based on demographics, renal function, comorbidities and tumor characteristics). Perioperative outcomes were compared. Survival analysis was performed to estimate overall (OS), recurrence-free (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) by Kaplan-Meier method. A linear mixed effect model (LME) estimated the effect of follow-up on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results After matching, the variables were well balanced with no differences at baseline between groups. Shorter operative time and lower blood losses favored cryoablation (140 vs. 200 min, P At a median follow-up of 37 (29–44) and 46 (38–53) months for RPN and cryoablation, no significant differences were found in CSS (100% vs. 95%, P = 0.3) and OS (80% vs. 75%, P = 0.2) but RFS was higher for RPN (100% vs. 83%, RPN vs. cryoablation, respectively, P = 0.02). eGFR was comparable between the groups at every time point analyzed. Conclusions Although with a higher rate of recurrences, our data confirm cryoablation as a lower morbidity profile treatment option for small renal masses in the elderly population, with cancer-specific survival comparable to surgery.
Measuring DNA Copy Number Variation Using High-Density Methylation Microarrays.

Abstract Genetic and epigenetic changes drive carcinogenesis, and their integrated analysis provides insights into mechanisms of cancer development. Computational methods have been developed to mea...