cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving interfacial adhesion between thermoplastic polyurethane and copper foil using amino carboxylic acids

A chemical methodology to improve the adhesion between copper foil and a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix is reported. The copper foil (0.127 mm thickness) was treated with aminocarboxylic acid-based coupling agents such as 6-aminohexanoic acid and 4-aminobenzoic acid. 3-Aminopropyl trimethoxysilane was also used as a conventional silane coupling agent for comparative studies. The interfacial adhesion between copper foil and laminated TPU was examined by means of peel adhesion test, scanning electron microscopy, and attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopic methods. The treatment of copper foils with 6-aminohexanoic acid resulted in improved adhesion, which was equal to that of the silane-treated system. The mechanism of how the coupling agents strengthen the interfacial adhesion between TPU and copper foil is discussed. The solution concentrations of the coupling agents were optimized with respect to the peel adhesion of the interface. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Experimental characterization of space optical communications with disruption-tolerant network protocols

Disruption-tolerant networks (DTNs) are groups of network assets connected with a suite of communication protocol technologies designed to mitigate the effects of link delay and disruption. Application of DTN protocols to diverse groups of network resources in multiple sub-networks results in an overlay network-of-networks with autonomous data routing capability. In space environments where delay or disruption is expected, performance of this type of architecture (such as an interplanetary internet) can increase with the inclusion of new communications mediums and techniques. Space-based optical communication links are therefore an excellent building block of space DTN architectures. When compared to traditional radio frequency (RF) communications, optical systems can provide extremely power-efficient and high bandwidth links bridging sub-networks. Because optical links are more susceptible to link disruption and experience the same light-speed delays as RF, optical-enabled DTN architectures can lessen potential drawbacks and maintain the benefits of autonomous optical communications over deep space distances. These environment-driven expectations - link delay and interruption, along with asymmetric data rates - are the purpose of the proof-of-concept experiment outlined herein. In recognizing the potential of these two technologies, we report an initial experiment and characterization of the performance of a DTN-enabled space optical link. The experiment design employs a point-to-point free-space optical link configured to have asymmetric bandwidth. This link connects two networked systems running a DTN protocol implementation designed and written at JPL for use on spacecraft, and further configured for higher bandwidth performance. Comparing baseline data transmission metrics with and without periodic optical link interruptions, the experiment confirmed the DTN protocols' ability to handle real-world unexpected link outages while maintaining capability of reliably delivering data at relatively high rates. Finally, performance characterizations from this data suggest performance optimizations to configuration and protocols for future optical-specific DTN space link scenarios.
On quantification of systemic redundancy in reliable systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of quantifying systemic redundancy in re- liable systems having multiple controllers with overlapping functionality. In particular, we consider a multi-channel system with multi-controller configurations - where controllers are required to respond optimally, in the sense of best-response correspondence, a reliable-by- design requirement, to non-faulty controllers so as to ensure or maintain some system prop- erties. Here we introduce a mathematical framework, based on the notion of relative entropy of probability measures associated with steady-state solutions of Fokker-Planck equations for a family of stochastically perturbed multi-channel sys tems, that provides useful infor- mation towards a systemic assessment of redundancy in the system.
HEAVY CHAIN SUBCLASSES OF HUMAN γG-GLOBULIN SERUM DISTRIBUTION AND CELLULAR LOCALIZATION

Two antigenic types of naturally occurring proteins related to the papain produced Fc fragment of γG-globulin have been studied. Most normal and myeloma γG-globulins are related to one or the other of these proteins, based on antigenic and structural characteristics of their heavy chain. Molecules bearing the determinant "Cr" are approximately 10 times as abundant as those bearing the determinant termed "Zu" in pools of normal γG-globulin and among a large group of γG-myeloma globulins. Both populations have properties of typical γG-globulin antibodies. Splenic cells, stained for these two populations with specific fluorescent antibody preparations, are found to contain one or the other of the two populations of γG-globulin, but not both. Approximately 10 times as many cells contain the Cr determinant as contain the Zu determinant.
Factors Associated with Dietary Supplement Use among Healthy Adults of Five Ethnicities The Multiethnic Cohort Study

Participants of the Multiethnic Cohort Study in Hawaii and Los Angeles, California, a representative sample of African-American, Native Hawaiian, Latino, Japanese-American, and White adults, completed a baseline questionnaire in 1993-1996 assessing dietary supplement use during the past year as well as demographic, dietary, and other lifestyle factors. Factors associated with supplement use were examined among those who reported an absence of chronic disease (n = 100,196). Use of any of eight supplements at least once per week during the past year ranged from 44% among Hawaiian men to 75% among Japanese-American and White women. Multivitamins were the most frequently reported supplement; 48% of the men and 56% of the women reported regular use. Dietary supplement use was high across all ethnic groups, although levels and length of regular use varied. In all gender-specific ethnic groups, supplement use tended to increase with age, education, physical activity, fruit intake, and dietary fiber intake and to decrease with obesity, smoking, and dietary fat intake. Participants whose lifestyles were healthier were more likely to use dietary supplements. Therefore, it may be difficult to separate the effects of supplement use from other lifestyle factors when studying disease etiology.
Analyzing the Duration and Prolongation of Performance-Based Contracts Through Hazard-Based Duration and Zero-Inflated Random Parameters Poisson Models

Performance-based contracts (PBCs) for roadway maintenance are emerging as a promising contracting approach that offers highway agencies enhanced project control and greater assurance of accountability and product quality. The duration of a PBC is typically longer than that of a traditional contract. Under a PBC, the contractor bears greater risk and responsibility for the final product and is obliged to undertake any required maintenance after the product is completed. A PBC period is typically considered prolonged if both the road agency and the contractor agree that the contract should be extended beyond the original completion date. This paper examines the relationships between PBC duration and prolongation on one hand, and the factors that affect these outcomes on the other hand, while accounting for unobserved heterogeneity. For the PBC duration model, a number of hazard-based function types are estimated. The Weibull model with gamma heterogeneity is found to provide the best fit. For the PBC prolongation model, a zero-inflated random parameters Poisson model is developed to estimate the probability and extent of PBC prolongation. Random variations in the parameter estimates are duly investigated. The size of the contract and whether the contract scope of work includes certain maintenance activities, among other factors, are found to influence the duration and prolongation of PBCs. This paper also computes and interprets elasticities and marginal effects, to shed more light on the individual effects of the influential variables.
Needle Localization of Peripheral Lung Nodules for Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery provides an alternative to conventional thoracotomy for resection of peripheral lung nodules. To localize small peripheral lung nodules that may not be visible or palpable by the surgeon, we have placed a Kopans hook wire percutaneously into the lung as a guide. The indications for localization included previous nondiagnostic percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy (PNAB) (n=4), nodules too small for PNAB (n=2), nodules inaccessible to PNAB (n=3), and planned resection of a known peripheral tumor less than 1 cm (n=1). The localization procedure was performed with computed tomographic guidance in all patients. The nodules ranged in size from 2 to 15 mm and were located immediately subpleural to 2-cm deep the pleura. A 20-gauge Greene biopsy needle was used as an introducer for a 35-cm-long Kopans hook wire. Patients were sent directly to the operating room in a dependent position. All ten nodules were successfully resected, including hamartoma (n=1), carcinoid tumors (n=2), granulomas (n=3), adenocarcinoma (n=1), fibrosis (n=1), benign metastasizing leiomyoma (n=1), and lymphoma (n=1). In two patients, the wire slipped out of the lung. Small focal pneumothoraces developed in five patients. There were no major complications. This procedure can safely and effectively localize nonvisible or nonpalpable pulmonary nodules for thoracoscopic surgery for diagnostic purposes or for resection of small peripheral tumors in patients who cannot tolerate a lobectomy or pneumonectomy.
Factors affecting technical success of fetal aortic valve dilation.

Objective We have reported previously that valve dilation enhances growth of cardiac structures and may prevent hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in fetuses with critical aortic stenosis. We aimed to investigate maternal/fetal factors which may affect the technical success of fetal valvuloplasty, and to describe perinatal complications of the procedure. Methods This was a descriptive series of 22 fetuses diagnosed with critical aortic stenosis developing into HLHS which underwent intervention by valvuloplasty. Initially this was attempted using a percutaneous approach; reassessment after our first five attempts, only one of which was successful, led to the introduction of the option of laparotomy. Technical success was defined as balloon inflation across the aortic annulus and a broader jet through the aortic valve as assessed by Doppler. Data collected included body mass index, demographic variables, ultrasound findings and postprocedure interventions. Results Technical success increased significantly if maternal laparotomy was an option (83.3% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.017). Laparotomy was performed in 66.6% (12/18) of cases. There was a learning curve that showed an increase in success rate and decrease in need for laparotomy over the 3-year study period. Neither the need for laparotomy nor the chances of technical success were predictable by gestational age, body mass index or placental location. Tocolysis was limited to perioperative prophylaxis; one woman experienced wound infection and fluid overload. Postoperatively, three fetuses died and two delivered prematurely, 2 and 7 weeks after intervention. Conclusion Fetal aortic valvuloplasty can be performed with technical success, with low fetal loss rate and few maternal complications. While the need for laparotomy cannot be predicted, having it available as an option improves the technical success rate. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immunotoxicity of Perfluorinated Compounds: Recent Developments

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are environmentally widespread, persistent, and bioaccumulative chemicals with multiple toxicities reported in experimental models and wildlife, including immunomodulation. The two most commonly detected compounds, which also generally occur in the highest concentrations in environmentally exposed organisms, are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). PFOA and PFOS have been reported to alter inflammatory responses, production of cytokines, and adaptive and innate immune responses in rodent models, avian models, reptilian models, and mammalian and nonmammalian wildlife. Mounting evidence suggests that immune effects in laboratory animal models occur at serum concentrations below, within the reported range, or just above those reported for highly exposed humans and wildlife. Thus, the risk of immune effects for humans and wildlife exposed to PFCs cannot be discounted, especially when bioaccumulation and exposure to multiple PFCs are considered. Th...
Required, practical, or unnecessary? An examination and demonstration of propensity score matching using longitudinal secondary data

Using longitudinal data, this chapter demonstrates propensity score matching and ordinary least squares regression across several models to examine the necessity of implementing propensity score matching techniques.
An Alternating Least Squares Approach to Inferring Phylogenies from Pairwise Distances

A computational method is presented for minimizing the weighted sum of squares of the differences between observed and expected pairwise distances between species, where the expectations are generated by an additive tree model. The criteria of Fitch and Margoliash (1967, Science 155:279-284) and Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards (1967, Evolution 21:550-570) are both weighted least squares, with different weights. The method presented iterates lengths of adjacent branches in the tree three at a time. The weighted sum of squares never increases during the process of iteration, and the iterates approach a stationary point on the surface of the sum of squares. This iterative approach makes it particularly easy to maintain the constraint that branch lengths never become negative, although negative branch lengths can also be allowed. The method is implemented in a computer program, FITCH, which has been distributed since 1982 as part of the PHYLIP package of programs for inferring phylogenies, and is also implemented in PAUP*. The present method is compared, using some simulated data sets, with an implementation of the method of De Soete (1983, Psychometrika 48:621-626); it is slower than De Soete's method but more effective at finding the least squares tree. The relationship of this method to the neighbor-joining method is also discussed.
Looking outside education: Expanding our thinking about moving research into practice

This essay explores the usefulness of looking outside of education for inspiration, particularly with regard to seemingly intractable issues that have been resigned to the margins. First, it proposes that, rather than comparing education to medicine and law—the traditional comparison fields for education—we turn instead to the “helping fields” of nursing and social work, which seem to offer better parallels. Then it considers a test case: the stalled conversation around linking research and practice in education. Finally, the work offers a model framework of the sort that might be generated through such cross-field analysis—one for organizing our thinking about what matters in moving research into practice in education.
Development of a scale to measure skepticism toward electronic word-of-mouth

In recent years, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become an influential factor affecting Internet users' perceptions and behaviors (Chatterjee 2001; Lee et?al. 2009). However, as more evidence demonstrating the utilization of fake eWOM has been discovered (Forrest and Cao 2010; Malbon 2013), Internet users' trust of eWOM may have been severely undermined, and they may have developed skepticism about this kind of communication in general. Current measurement scales for evaluating Internet users' suspicions/distrust toward eWOM messages are adopted from the marketing discipline and developed for advertising skepticism, which is contextually different from skepticism toward eWOM. The purpose of this study is to create a new measurement scales for eWOM skepticism. Using data from a preliminary survey, new measurement items for eWOM skepticism were established. Then, the new items were validated using a second survey dataset. The reliability and validity of the new scales suggested that the new instrument is suitable for measuring eWOM skepticism. This study contributes to the eWOM literature by highlighting the importance of investigating eWOM situations from the perspective of suspicion and distrust.
Heat capacities and thermodynamics of formation of flat-Al13 nitrate - [Al13(OH)24(H2O)24](NO3)15·11H2O

Abstract We report enthalpies of formation from the elements and oxides, Δ f H ∘ = −(26195.31 ± 34.46) kJ · mol−1 and Δ f,ox H = −(1402.09 ± 33.36) kJ · mol−1, for crystalline [Al13(μ3-OH)6(μ2-OH)18(H2O)24](NO3)15·11H2O(cr) (flat-Al13) measured using aqueous solution room temperature calorimetry. This material is a nitrate salt of a polynuclear aluminum hydroxide ion with thirteen aluminum metal centers, Al1315+. Unlike the e-Al137+ Keggin ion, it contains solely octahedrally coordinated aluminum in a more flat topology. We also report heat capacities from temperatures of (2 to 300) K on this flat-Al13 nitrate using a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). These measurements were used to calculate the standard molar entropy and subsequently the free energy of formation for this material. We observed that during the heat capacity measurements, the flat-Al13 sample underwent a second order phase transition near T = 214 K.
Metric Considerations in Clustering: Implications for Algorithms

Given measurements on p variables for each of n individuals, aspects of the problem of clustering the individuals are considered. Special attention is given to models based upon mixtures of distributions, esp. multivariate normal distributions. The relationship between the orientation(s) of the clusters and the nature of the within-cluster covariance matrices is reviewed, as is the inadequacy of transformation to principal components based on the overall (total) covariance matrix of the whole (mixed) sample. The nature of certain iterative algorithms is discussed; variations which result from allowing different covariance matrices within clusters are studied.
UV Resonance Raman Spectroscopy: A Highly Sensitive, Selective and Fast Technique for Environmental Analysis

For analyzing environmental samples, a highly sensitive, selective and fast technique is desirable. This is due to the fact that [1]. Analytes of interest in the environment are often rare, down to the ppb concentration; [2]. The compositions of environmental samples are often rather complex; [3]. There is an increasing need for real-time analysis, such as detecting explosives in airports or monitoring pollutant in waste water. An incisive technique that meets all these challenges is UV Resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRR).
ARAIM Integrity Support Message Parameter Validation by Online Ground Monitoring

In this paper we introduce a ground monitoring architecture to validate the Integrity Support Message (ISM) parameters to be used by aircraft for Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (ARAIM). This work focuses on two critical ISM parameters: Psat, which designates the prior probabilities of satellite faults, and bmax, which is a range domain bound on small faults that may occur at probabilities higher than Psat. We show that the choices of bmax and Psat are not independent. The paper first establishes the relationship between bmax, Psat, Time to Integrity Alert (TIA) and constellation service provider performance commitments. We then provide an example ground monitor design that detects inter-frequency bias faults and code-carrier divergence faults. We show that the performance of the monitor can be used to validate specific bmax and Psat values for ARAIM.
Nonlinear Controller Design With Bandwidth Consideration for a Novel Compressed Air Energy Storage System

Maintaining the accumulator pressure regardless of its energy level and tracking the power demanded by the electrical grid are two potential advantages of the Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) system proposed in [1, 2]. In order to achieve these goals, a nonlinear controller is designed motivated by an energy-based Lyapunov function. The control inputs of the storage system include displacement of the pump/motor in the hydraulic transformer and displacement of the liquid piston air compressor/expander. While the latter has a relatively low bandwidth, the former is a faster actuator with a higher bandwidth. In addition, the pneumatic path of the storage vessel that is connected to the liquid piston air compressor/expander has a high energy density, whereas the hydraulic path of the storage vessel is power dense. The nonlinear controller is then modified to achieve a better performance for the entire system according to these properties. In the proposed approach, the control effort is distributed between the two pump/motors based on their bandwidths: the hydraulic transformer reacts to high frequency events, while the liquid piston air compressor/expander performs a steady storage/regeneration task. As a result, the liquid piston air compressor/expander will loosely maintain the accumulator pressure ratio and the pump/motor in the hydraulic transformer will precisely track the desired generator power. This control scheme also allows the accumulator to function as a damper in the storage system by absorbing power disturbances from the hydraulic path generated by wind gusts.© 2013 ASME
Impact of Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring on Children and Their Families

Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices have great potential to improve glycemic management in children and adolescents with diabetes and other disorders of glucose regulation. These devices can be used as either adjuncts or replacements for traditional meters because they have additional features such as blood sugar alarms and glucose-trend information. These features allow for dynamic adjustments in therapy and, hopefully, will be key components to closed-loop insulin infusion devices. The DirectNet research group, which was created to study the use of new diabetes management technologies in pediatric and adolescent patient populations, is currently looking for the best methods to translate continuous glucose data into meaningful adjustments in therapy. This presentation examines possible ways to use CGM devices to their maximize benefits. Of note, not all of the devices discussed are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved (i.e. some are investigational) and those sensors that are FDA approved are not labeled for use in children.
Angiocatheter rate limiting technology in contrast-enhanced CT in children

Objective To investigate the advantage of angiocatheter rate limiting technology in contrast-enhanced CT in children.Methods Totally 431 children underwent contrast-enhanced CT examination with angiocatheter rate limiting technology.Age,weight,dosage of contrast medium,injection rate,injection time and the density of abdominal aorta in arterial phase of all the patients were recorded,as well as the rate of sensation of warmth,vomiting,hives,anaphylaxis,contrast medium extravasation and other side effects,and statistic analysis was progressed.Results Venepuncture via vein of dorsum manus was performed in 321 patients(74.48%),in 274 patients(63.57%)with 24G angiocatheter paracentesis.The average injection rate of contrast medium was(1.44±0.50)ml/s.There was only 1 Contrast medium extravasation occurred in only 1 patient(0.23%).Conclusion Angiocatheter rate limiting technology can improve the security of contrast medium injection program used high pressure injection unit in contrast-enhanced CT in children,decrease the incidence rate of contrast medium extravasation,and the enhanced effect of target vessel in arterial phase can satisfy the requirement of diagnosis.
Wildfire Spread Simulation

Forest fires, whether naturally occurring or prescribed, are potential risks for ecosystems and human settlements. These risks can be managed by monitoring the weather, prescribing fires to limit available fuel, and creating firebreaks. With computer simulations we can predict and explore how fires may spread. We can explore scenarios and test different fire management strategies under different weather conditions. Using Tangible Landscape and the GRASS GIS wildfire toolset we simulated several wildfire scenarios. We tested different configurations of firebreaks on the physical model and evaluated their effectiveness.
The Canterbury Tales, II: experience and authority

Wel oughte us…on olde bokes leve, There as there is non other assay by preve. ( LGW G Pro 27–8) Here the textual authority of old books is set in contrast with proof by other means. Citation of auctoritees (extracts from the revered auctores ) was a long-established means of discovering the truth of any matter – what some divinely inspired biblical writer had to say on a given subject was proof enough. But sometimes, as in this passage from the Legend , deployment of auctoritee and assay by preve were separated out, as two possible ways to truth. The latter could be quite sufficient, as when Chaucer’s Knight remarks that the prime mover of the universe has fixed certain durations of time to whatever is begotten, born, and dies. In this matter ‘Ther nedeth noght noon auctoritee t’allegge, | For it is preeved by experience’ ( KnT I.3000–1). Here ‘preve’ designates the evidence of one’s own eyes. In Chaucer’s day the English terms experience and experiment (following the Latin experientia and experimentum ) were regularly applied in discussion of knowledge acquired through personal observation of natural events (cf. pp. 70–1 above). However, experientia was not necessarily regarded as functioning in opposition to what one read in some old book. What to us is textual authority may have been personal experience to a given auctor , and/or one’s personal experience could be quite consonant with what a given auctor had said. Very often auctoritee and experience were treated as mutually supportive, as when, in his Treatise on the Astrolabe Chaucer appeals to his own experience (‘had I of this conclusioun the ful experience’, ‘By experience I wot wel’) in the course of a work compiled ‘of the labour of olde astrologiens’.
Parametric Diodes ߝ Design and Fabrication

Solid state diffusion into silicon can be used to produce a rectifying junction. The capacitance of a diode made this way varies with the bias applied to it. The device is designed to be a variable capacitance having a low loss. The unbiased capacitance of a diode depends on the starting material and the diffusion parameters but to reduce the value to one that is useful (a few pF) the area has to be limited. A small area of the junction is isolated by ultrasonic cutting, leaving a plinth or "mesa". Contact to the mesa is made in an encapsulation suitable for use in a wave-guide. Amongst other uses, the diodes are suitable for low-noise (para metric) amplifiers, frequency multipliers and high-frequency switches.
Color Flow Doppler Point of Care Ultrasound to Evaluate Vessels before Infant Lumbar Puncture

Abstract Background Infant lumbar punctures (LPs) are common procedures performed in the emergency department. However, 10% to 35% of these LPs are unsuccessful or grossly bloody, which can lead to increased hospitalization, increased costs, and prolonged exposure to antibiotics or antivirals. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) may help to surmount the intrinsic causes of LP failure by providing a visual guide of the vascular structures in the needle path before a LP is performed. Case Report We report two cases where color flow Doppler POCUS was used to identify vascular structures around the spinal canal in infants before attempting a LP. Why Should An Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Color flow Doppler POCUS directly visualizes the spinal vascular structures in infants and may help guide the physician in the decision-making process of what intervertebral space and stylet placement to use for a LP.
Optical Society Uniform Color Scales

Greetings from the Optical Society of America and congratulations to the University of Houston and to the faculty and students of the School of Optometry on the dedication of this splendid new building.
PMMA-titania floating macrospheres for the photocatalytic remediation of agro-pharmaceutical wastewater

Antibiotics such as tetracycline are used on a large scale in agriculture, and can become concentrated in wastewater lagoons that are used in conjunction with confined animal feeding operations. Solar-illuminated titanium dioxide can be used to photocatalytically degrade aqueous tetracycline, but its application in a lagoon environment requires that the photocatalyst be supported on a macroscopic support material to prevent loss of the nanoscale photocatalyst into the environment. In this work, titanium dioxide was deposited within a porous poly(methyl methacrylate) film on the surface of floating 7.0 cm diameter acrylic spheres. Six of these floating spheres removed over 96% of the tetracycline in 3.5 L of 60 mg/L tetracycline in natural pond water during 24 hours of solar illumination. The durability of these spheres under long-term solar exposure was also investigated along with the amount of photocatalyst lost from the sphere surface during use. These macroscale floating composite spheres provide a new method for removing tetracycline from wastewater lagoons with minimal risk of being displaced in the environment due to the large size of the spheres.
Testing criminological theory through causal mediation analysis: Current status and future directions

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper was three-fold: 1. Present an overview of the core requirements of causal mediation analysis; 2. Evaluate the quantity and quality of current mediation research in criminology and criminal justice; 3. Demonstrate the proper use of causal mediation analysis in testing criminological theory. Methods Core requirements in conducting causal mediation analysis are examined, followed by a review of mediation research published in the last 10 issues of 8 high-ranking criminology and criminal justice journals. Recommendations are then offered. Results Five core requirements (causal order, causal direction, confirmatory model, evaluating significance, and sensitivity testing) for causal mediation analysis are identified. A survey of top journals in criminology and criminal justice revealed that while mediation analysis is commonly found in the literature, most studies violate one or more of the core requirements of the causal mediation method. In addition to exploring simple mediation, multiple mediation and moderation are also discussed. Conclusions Causal mediation analysis has a great deal to offer the fields of criminology and criminal justice, particularly when it comes to building, testing, and integrating theories. To be effective, however, the method must be properly utilized and implemented.
In Their Own Words: How Black Teens Define Trauma

Trauma is a subjective phenomenon. However, when examining trauma among low-income, Black teens, it is common to use established clinical criteria as the metric for identifying and evaluating its presence and impact. Little attention has been devoted to exploring how Black youth characterize trauma in their own terms. This qualitative study explored the concept of trauma from the perspectives of 12 low-income, Black teens. Participants' descriptions included death and loss; violence exposure; police harassment, racism, and discrimination; poverty; being stuck in the hood; and being bullied. While some of their descriptions were compatible with traumatic stressors outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), participants also highlighted factors that are not explicitly enumerated in the DSM. Findings present important implications for the development of more culturally and developmentally inclusive discussions of trauma and for clinical practice with low-income, Black youth who are impacted by trauma and adversity.
Abstract 15537: E2F1 Suppresses Fibrosis Through Serine-threonine Kinase Receptor Associated Protein (Strap)

Background: E2F1 is best studied in cell-cycle control and cancer biology. Recently, we have disclosed a novel function of E2F1 that suppresses TGF-beta signaling pathway; however the underlying molecular mechanisms and physiological significance of this regulation remains unknown. Methods and Results: In a proteomics approach, Flag-tagged Smad3 protein was overexpressed in the embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) isolated from wild-type (WT) and E2F1-null (E2F1-KO) mice, and the Smad3-interacting proteins were isolated by co-immunoprecipitation and identified by mass spectrometry. Notably, the serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein (Strap) was found associated with Smad3 in WT MEFs, but not in E2F1-KO MEFs. This is important because Strap has been shown as inhibitor of canonical TGF-beta signaling pathway by interacting with both TGF-beta receptor I and Smad7 to interfere with Smad2/3 activation. When analyzed by Western blotting, we found that the expression of Strap was significantly higher in WT MEFs than in E2F1-KO MEFs, and similar results were obtained in the cardiac and lung tissues of WT and E2F1-KO mice. Remarkably, both bleomycin and Ang II treatments resulted in a significantly greater degree of lung fibrosis in E2F1-KO mice than in WT mice. Conclusion: Our results suggest that E2F1 suppresses tissue fibrosis through Strap expression and Strap-mediated repression of canonical TGF-beta signaling pathway.
The Next Generation of Energy Test Procedures

An energy test procedure is the foundation for energy efficiency standards, energy labels, and other related programs. It provides manufacturers, regulatory authorities, and consumers a way of consistently evaluating energy use and savings across different appliance models. The relationship among these components is illustrated in Figure 1. A well-designed test procedure services the needs of its users economically and with an acceptable level of accuracy and correspondence to actual conditions. On the other hand, a poorly-designed energy test procedure can undermine the effectiveness of everything built upon it.
Determining optimal storage of field sampled cotton leaves for hyperspectral analysis

Quite often a hyperspectral sensor must be confined to a lab environment to measure leaves when collecting data for ground truth. In such a situation it may be advantageous to collect samples and bring them back to the lab to measure hyperspectral signatures. This paper explores the feasibility of such a data collection procedure for precision agriculture or other applications where the research involves collecting plant hyperspectral signatures, and attempts to discover whether it is best to store these plant samples in a cooler or not during transport to the lab. The results show the optimum storage method depends on the amount of time that elapses between collecting the samples and measuring their reflectance. If this time is less than about 1 hour and 30 minutes, then it is best not to use a cooler to store leaf samples.
Structure and monomer/dimer equilibrium for the guanylyl cyclase domain of the optogenetics protein RhoGC.

RhoGC is a fusion protein from the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii, combining a type I rhodopsin domain with a guanylyl cyclase domain. It has generated excitement as an optogenetics tool for the manipulation of cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways. To investigate the regulation of the cyclase activity, we isolated the guanylyl cyclase domain from Escherichia coli with (GCwCCRho) and without (GCRho) the coiled-coil linker. Both constructs were constitutively active but were monomeric as determined by size-exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation, whereas other class III nucleotidyl cyclases are functional dimers. We also observed that crystals of GCRho have only a monomer in an asymmetric unit. Dimers formed when crystals were grown in the presence of the non-cyclizable substrate analog 2′,3′-dideoxyguanosine-5′-triphosphate, MnCl2, and tartrate, but their quaternary structure did not conform to the canonical pairing expected for class III enzymes. Moreover, the structure contained a disulfide bond formed with an active-site Cys residue required for activity. We consider it unlikely that the disulfide would form under intracellular reducing conditions, raising the possibility that this unusual dimer might have a biologically relevant role in the regulation of full-length RhoGC. Although we did not observe it with direct methods, a functional dimer was identified as the active state by following the dependence of activity on total enzyme concentration. The low affinity observed for GCRho monomers is unusual for this enzyme class and suggests that dimer formation may contribute to light activation of the full-length protein.
A new dataset for evaluating pedometer performance

This work describes a new dataset to improve pedometer evaluation. Prior evaluation techniques focus on regular gaits using laboratory assessment to simplify the manual counting of actual steps. Our goal is to analyze pedometer algorithms under more natural conditions that occur during daily living where gaits are frequently changing or remain regular for only brief periods of time. We video recorded 30 participants performing 3 activities: walking around a track, walking through a building, and moving around a room. Walking around a track uses a regular, consistent gait, and represents the traditional approach to pedometer evaluation. Walking through a building and around a room are activities that include varying amounts of pauses and gait changes, and represent a wider variety of normal daily activities. The ground truth time of each step was manually marked in the accelerometer signals by observing the videos. Collectively 60,853 steps were recorded and annotated. A subclass of steps called shifts were identified as those occurring at the beginning and end of regular strides, during gait changes, and during pivots changing the direction of motion. While shifts comprised only .03% of steps in the regular stride activity, they comprised 10–25% of steps in the semi-regular and unstructured activities. We believe these motions should be identified separately, as they provide different accelerometer signals, and likely result in different amounts of energy expenditure. The proposed dataset will be the first to specifically allow for pedometer algorithms to be evaluated on unstructured gaits that more closely model natural activities.
A Soft Casting Technique for Managing Pediatric Hand and Foot Burns

Hand and foot burns in children are difficult to dress. The authors have developed a soft casting technique to manage burns to these areas. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes using weekly dressing changes with a soft casting technique to manage pediatric hand and foot burns in the outpatient setting. A retrospective chart review was performed on children with burns to the hands or feet, who underwent dressing changes with a soft casting technique at the Children's Hospital Colorado Burn Center. Soft casting was performed by placing antibiotic ointment-impregnated nonadherent gauze over the burn wound(s), wrapping the extremity using rolled gauze, applying soft cast pad, plaster, soft cast tape, and an elastic bandage. This was changed weekly. Two hundred ninety-eight children with hand burns had a mean age of 16.8 ± 2 months. Two hundred forty-eight children had partial thickness burn injuries (83%), 50 had full thickness burn injuries (17%), and the mean total body surface area (TBSA) was 1 ± 2.4%. The mean time to heal was 10.1 ± 1.7 days for all subjects. Sixty-six children with foot burns were identified with a mean age of 24 ± 2.6 months. Forty-six children had partial thickness injuries (70%), 20 had full thickness burn injuries (30%), and the mean TBSA was 2.3 ± 2.9%. The mean time to heal was 14.1 ± 2.2 days for all subjects. Weekly dressing changes using a soft casting technique are effective for the outpatient management of pediatric hand and foot burns. This method avoids costly inpatient hospital care, reduces the number of painful dressing changes, and allows children to heal in their own environment.
Diagonalization strikes back: some recent lower bounds in complexity theory

The area of complexity lower bounds is concerned with proving impossibility results for bounded-resource computation. In spite of its apparent weaknesses, the ancient method of diagonalization has played a key role in recent lower bounds. This short article briefly recalls diagonalization along with its strengths and weaknesses, and describes a little about how diagonalization has made a recent comeback in complexity theory (although many would argue that it never really went away).
Sentence Comprehension Processes in the Pre-Schooler

Among the goals of developmental psycholinguistics are these three: to construct a description of the tacit knowledge of language that children have at various points in their development; to describe the processes that children use in producing and comprehending sentences; and to describe the principles of change or development that govern the first two. It is obvious that these are interdependent tasks.
Rapid evolution and the genomic consequences of selection against interspecific mating

While few species introduced into a new environment become invasive, those that do provide critical information on ecological mechanisms that determine invasions success and the evolutionary responses that follow invasion. Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) was introduced into the naturalized range of Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito) in the United States in the mid-1980s, resulting in the displacement of A. aegypti in much of the south-eastern United States. The rapid displacement was likely due to the superior competitive ability of A. albopictus as larvae and asymmetric mating interference competition, in which male A. albopictus mate with and sterilize A. aegypti females, a process called "satyrization." The goal of this study was to examine the genomic responses of a resident species to an invasive species in which the mechanism of character displacement is understood. We used double-digest restriction enzyme DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to analyse outlier loci between selected and control lines of laboratory-reared A. aegypti females from two populations (Tucson, AZ and Key West, Florida, USA), and individual females classified as either "resisted" or "mated with" A. albopictus males via mating trials of wild-derived females from four populations in Florida. We found significant outlier loci in comparing selected and control lines and between mated and nonmated A. aegypti females in the laboratory and wild-derived populations, respectively. We found overlap in specific outlier loci between different source populations that support consistent genomic signatures of selection within A. aegypti. Our results point to regions of the A. aegypti genome and potential candidate genes that may be involved in mating behaviour, and specifically in avoiding interspecific mating choices.
Financial Statements and Mergers

In its application, finance relies on financial statements, the balance sheet and the income statement. This chapter introduces a basic understanding of financial statements and some applications, especially in mergers.
The EU in multilateral arms negotiations: shaping the process or outcome?

The European Union demonstrates varying patterns of impact in multilateral negotiations. In some areas the EU focuses on shaping the outcome document of negotiations through the use of multilateral means. In other areas, however, the Union is merely preoccupied with a process of negotiations that contributes to the collective benefit of multilateral dialogue. While discussions of the EU’s process and outcome effectiveness are not new, this article provides an explanation for when and why the EU is effective in terms of process or outcome of multilateral negotiations. The EU focuses on shaping the outcome of negotiations under a condition of prevailing uncertainty, whereas the dominance of complexity leads to the EU’s inclination to influence the negotiation process. In order to probe these assumptions, the article examines the EU’s role in the multilateral negotiations on arms trade and nuclear non-proliferation
Use of a carbon dioxide laser for surgical management of cutaneous masses in horses: 65 cases (1993-2004)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of horses treated for cutaneous masses with the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. The records of 65 horses were examined. Surgery was performed under general anesthesia or standing under sedation and local anesthesia. Excision was performed freehand using a focused beam with power settings ranging from 10 to 32 Watts in a continuous mode. Following en bloc removal of masses the subcutaneous tissue and wound margins were photovaporized using a defocused beam. Follow-up information was obtained via telephone interview with owners or referring veterinarians Cutaneous masses were divided into three groups: sarcoid (29), neoplasia including squamous cell carcinoma (15), melanoma (6), schwanoma (2), fibroma (1), and fibrosarcoma (1), and non-neoplastic masses (11). Mass reoccurrence developed in 8 of 29 (28%) sarcoids and 4 of 14 (29%) squamous cell carcinoma. No reoccurrence was reported for horses diagnosed with melanoma, schwanoma, fibrosarcoma, fibroma, or any of the non-neoplastic masses. Sixty of 63 owners (95%) reported that they were satisfied with the outcome of the procedure. This study demonstrates that the CO2 laser is an effective means of treating cutaneous masses in horses.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rockets, gauges, and pendulums: applying engineering principles to cell biology.

From flight to radar to Velcro, biological form and function have inspired engineers for centuries. It is equally valuable to consider whether concepts in engineering might provide insights into co...
Impact of Formulation and Suspension Properties on Redispersion of Aluminum-Adjuvanted Vaccines

The adsorption of antigens to the surface of 2 commonly used insoluble adjuvants, aluminum phosphate and aluminum hydroxide, has been well characterized. In spite of the pharmaceutical benefits, alum-based vaccine formulations can present challenges in redispersion of the final product after storage. Inability to resuspend alum-based vaccines during administration results in inadequate dosing, thus rendering the product unusable. Here, the influence of formulation conditions on the resuspendability of aluminum adjuvant-containing vaccines was investigated. Particle size analysis by Micro-Flow Imaging (MFI™), zeta potential measurement, and sedimentation analysis by Turbiscan® were used to characterize suspension properties. Ionic strength, pH, and antigen concentration were found to significantly influence sedimentation behavior, particle size, and redispersion. Increasing ionic strength increased the sedimentation rate of adjuvants favoring resuspendability. The addition of bovine serum albumin to aluminum phosphate reduced resuspendability more significantly than the addition of lysozyme. Decreased resuspendability correlated with an increase in fine-to-large particle ratio and decrease in sedimentation rate. In summary, resuspendability of adjuvant drug product is favored by increased flocculation, decrease in fine-to-large particle ratio, and reduction in surface charge of antigen and adjuvant. A careful balance of these formulation conditions can therefore be an effective means to mitigate challenges of alum adjuvant redispersion.