cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing Efficacy of Administration of the Antiaging Drug Rapamycin in a Nonhuman Primate, the Common Marmoset

This report is the first description of dosing procedures, pharmacokinetics, biochemical action, and general tolerability of the antiaging drug rapamycin in the common marmoset, a small and short-lived monkey. Eudragit-encapsulated rapamycin was given orally to trained marmosets in a short-term (3 weeks) and a long-term (14 months) study. Circulating trough rapamycin levels (mean = 5.2 ng/mL; 1.93–10.73 ng/mL) achie ved at roughly 1.0 mg/kg/day was comparable to those reported in studies of rodents and within the therapeutic range for humans. Long-term treated animals (6/8) indicated a reduction in mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling as noted by a decrease in the phospho rpS6 to total rpS6 ratio after 2 weeks of treatment. All long-term treated subjects had detectable concentrations of rapamycin in liver (4.7–19.9 pg/mg) and adipose tissue (2.2–32.8 pg/mg) with reduced mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in these tissues. There was no evidence of clinical anemia, fibrotic lung changes, or mouth ulcers. The observed death rate in the long-term study was as expected given the animals’ ages. The ability to rapidly and reliably dose socially housed marmosets with an oral form of rapamycin that is well tolerated and that demonstrates a suppression of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway leads us to conclude that this species offers a viable model for rapamycin testing to establish safety and efficacy for long-term antiaging intervention.
Longitudinal study of body mass index in Asian men who immigrate to the US.

Background: Cross-sectional studies indicate that adaptation to Western norms, especially at a younger age, might explain the higher average BMI among Asians living in the US compared to Asians living in Asia. However, migrants differ from non-migrants in sociocultural factors that are difficult to measure and, thus, longitudinal studies on the same individuals prior to and after immigration are needed. Objective: To determine differences in changes in BMI across age by residence (US or Asia) and age at immigration using longitudinal data on BMI prior to and after immigration. Methods: The California Men's Health Study includes 1,549 foreign-born Asian men who were aged 44-71 at baseline in 2002-03. BMI at ages 30, 40, 50 and 60 was calculated using self-reported weight history and current height. Residence at each age decade and age at immigration were determined. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Results: Ten-year BMI increases were smaller among Asians who lived in Asia prior to migrating to the US compared to those who already lived in the US. This effect was most evident between ages 30-40 when Asians in Asia had a 0.69kg/m2 (95% CI:-1.08,-0.30) smaller increase in BMI. Immigrants who moved to the US before age 40 experienced greater increases in BMI than immigrants who moved to the US at an older age. Conclusion: This study is the first to support the hypothesis that living in the US and younger age at immigration results in larger BMI increases in Asian men.
Muscle recruitment patterns regulate physiological responses during exercise of the same intensity

On different days, 10 men performed 30-min sessions of cycling at 50–55% of their peak oxygen uptake (V˙o 2); one at 40 rpm and another at 80 rpm. Rectal temperature, heart rate (HR), mean arterial...
Phenotypic and functional analysis of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell clones

Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells are generated by the culture of peripheral blood lymphocytes with interleukin-2 (IL-2). A variety of cells, including T-lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, can be activated by IL-2 to exhibit the ability to kill multiple tumor and “modified-self” targets. Recent reports indicate that culture conditions can determine the phenotype of cells expressing LAK activity. Using limiting dilution techniques, we first generated cloned LAK cells with three culture conditions: autologous human serum (AHS)+IL-2; AHS+IL-2+0.1 μg/ml phytohemagglutinin and fetal bovine serum and IL-2. We determined that all but one of the 47 LAK cell clones generated with the three culture conditions were CD3+ and T-cell like; one NK-like clone was observed. Clones that were cytotoxic for one target could generally kill multiple targets, and the absence of phytohemagglutinin did not significantly affect the ability of the LAK cell clones to kill multiple targets. The presence of phytohemagglutinin was, however, necessary for the long-term maintenance of proliferation and cytotoxic activity of the LAK cell clones. The mechanism by which LAK cells kill tumor targets is not known. We here demonstrate that LAK cells and LAK cell clones can produce interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) when stimulated with an erythroleukemia cell, K562. Five of the six CD3+, LAK cell clones tested could be stimulated by K562 cells to produce both interferon-γ and TNF. However, the ability of the cloned LAK cells to kill K562 cells, as measured in a 4-h 51Cr-release assay, did not correlate with their ability to produce these cytokines. Furthermore, specific antibodies that neutralize the cytotoxic activity of interferon-γ and TNF did not inhibit killing of K562 cells by LAK cells as measured with a 4-h cytotoxic assay. The cytostatic and cytotoxic activities of interferon-γ and TNF for tumor cells are well documented, but these cytolytic activities are slower acting and exhibit their maximum effect after 48–96 h. We here propose that LAK cells kill tumor targets by a combination of cell-to-cell-mediated killing and by the release of slower acting cytostatic/cytotoxic cytokines that can inhibit the growth of tumors some distance from the effector cells.
Exploring the Direct and Indirect Family Effects on Adolescent Drug Use

Research exploring the development of adolescent drug use has focused much attention on family and peer influences. Most of this research has concentrated on the direct effects of family structure, parent-child relations, or peer associations on marijuana and other illicit drug use. Peers typically have the greatest impact, followed by family relations, and finally family structure. However, research has failed to explore the potential indirect effects of family variables on adolescent drug use. The author develops and evaluates empirically several models that examine the direct and indirect effects of family structure and family relations on marijuana and polydrug use. The results suggest that peers have the strongest effect on adolescent drug use, yet parent-child involvement and family structure also have a direct effect. The indirect models indicate that family factors influence peers, and family structure affects family relations. These findings suggest that the family effects on adolescent drug use ...
Molecular layer deposition on carbon nanotubes.

Molecular layer deposition (MLD) techniques were used to deposit conformal coatings on bulk quantities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Several metalcone MLD chemistries were employed, including alucone (trimethylaluminum/glycerol and trimethylaluminum/ethylene glycol), titanicone (TiCl4/glycerol), and zincone (diethyl zinc/glycerol). The metalcone MLD films grew directly on the CNTs and MLD initiation did not require atomic layer deposition (ALD) of an adhesion layer. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that MLD formed three-dimensional conformal deposits throughout a CNT scaffold. Mechanical testing was also performed on sheets of CNT networks coated by MLD. Young’s Modulus values improved from an initial value of 510 MPa for uncoated CNT sheet to values that ranged from 2.2 GPa, for 10 nm of glycerol alucone (AlGL), to 8.7 GPa for a composite 5 nm AlGL + 5 nm Al2O3 coating.
Modeling of Reverse Bias Differential Charge Experiments in Amorphous Silicon

An analytic model is developed for differential charge measurements which avoids the use of the depletion approximation. In this experiment the incremental charge in the device is calculated as the difference between the total steady-state junction charge at two nearly equal voltages, similar to a very low frequency capacitance Measurement. All of the calculations, including an iteration to find the bulk Fermi level, can easily be performed using a spreadsheet program on a personal computer. It is shown that the results of these calculations agree extremely well with simulations performed with a complete numerical device simulator. Thus, the model useful for the analysis of experimental data
Racial Discourse Networks: Race Blogs, Media Influence & the Possibilities for Collective Action

In this paper I analyze the network structure of race blogs in relation to the broader political blogosphere and traditional media landscape. Findings show that race blogs exhibit a multi-level, homophilous link structure with respect to non-race blogs, and among race blogs. Race blogs also frame their content in racial terms, unlike their non-race blog counterparts. I argue that these differences set race blogs apart from political blogs and warrant using a different theoretical lens to understand their nature and role within the U.S. political and media landscape. Specifically, I argue that race blogs should be viewed not only through the theoretical lens of political and media influence, but also through the lens of collective action.
On the determination of three-parameter Weibull MLE's

The determination of maximum likelihood estimators for the three–parameter Weibull model is usually considered a nontrivial problem, because of the nonlinear likelihood equations. Despite the availability of a large number of algorithms that tackle this problem, there is considerable dissatisfaction among practitioners, who report an inability to conveniently determine the desired MLE's (e.g. Adatia and Chan, 1985; Sinha and Sloan, 1988). We therefore review several existing algorithms for obtaining these estimators and investigate the causes of failure and some computational difficulties associated with these procedures. We find that a simple procedure outlined by Lawless (1982) is the only one that is guaranteed to yield parameter estimates that maximize the likelihood function for any sample. We describe this procedure in detail with modifications to improve its efficiency. The method is based on first principles and requires less computational effort than most other schemes. Several examples from the ...
Analysis on Disinfection Effect of Hairdressing Tools in Haizhu District of Guangzhou City from 2005 to 2010

[Objective]To understand the disinfection effect of hairdressing tools in Haizhu district of Gnangzhou city from 2005 to 2010. [Methods]According to the methods and requirements of the Hygienic standard for barber shop and beauty shop(GB 9666-1996) and the Hygienic standard of articles in public place(WS 205-2001),the hairdressing tools were sampled and tested,and SPSS 17.0 statistical software was adopted to analyze the data. [Results]From 2005 to 2010,the qualified rate of all kinds of hairdressing tools in Haizhu district reached 90%.There were significant differences in qualified rates of facial towel and facial basin among different years(facial towel: χ2=19.925,P0.01;facial basin: χ2=35.251,P0.01).The difference in qualified rate of coliform group between haircut tools and facial tools was significant(χ2=133.751,P0.01).There were significant differences in qualified rates in year of 2005,2009 and 2010 between haircut tools and facial tools(2005:χ2=8.941,P0.015;2009:χ2=23.617,P0.01;2010:χ2=21.610,P0.01). [Conclusion]The supervision and management should be strengthened in hairdressing trade in this district,so as to ensure the disinfection effect of hairdressing tools and people's health.
The Annual Reproductive Cycle of Mink (Mustela Vison)

SUMMARY Reproductive organ development, plasma sex steroid concentrations and fur growth patterns were determined for pubescent and adult mink of both sexes, at 1- tc~ 8-week intervals, between July and the following June. Plasma estradiol concentrations and weights (mg/kg) of ovaries, oviducts and uteri decreased slightly in both pubescent and adult females during the first half of anestrus (July to October), then increased slowly throughout the second half of anestrus (October to December). During proestrus (January to February) plasma estradiol concentrations and oviduct weights reached maximum values. During estrus (late February to March) ovarian weights were maximal prior to mating-induced ovulations (before March 11) and subsequently reduced, whereas uteriffe weights continued to increase until implantation (April 8). During estrus, plasma estradiol concentrations prior to mating were reduced (P<.05) from previous peak concentrations and were reduced further following mating. Estradiol remained low throughout pregnancy and lactation. Plasma progesterone remained at or near non-detectable concentrations throughout anestrus, proestrus and estrus, increased slightly (P<.05) on
Principles and Approaches in Surgical Resection of Esophageal Cancer

Despite the scarcity of level I evidence, many strongly held opinions persist regarding best practices for the surgical management of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction tumors. The range of opinions span from a seeming nihilism, wherein the role of esophagectomy is considered to be primarily palliative, to a belief in “radical” resections, wherein an en bloc esophagectomy constitutes the major component of a curative treatment strategy. Fortunately, some data have accrued during the past decade that can help clarify at least some of the principle areas of importance in esophageal resection. This new knowledge includes clarification of the variable risks of developing nodal disease, on the basis of tumor stage, and what role the assessed risk should play in the choice of operation, the importance of operative margins, and the oncologic implications of technical complications.
De-light-ful Cities

Urban lighting and urban display systems shape the image of cities at night. However, they are strictly separate realms of urban design and technology development. Even though many cities regulate the use of large-scale digital displays in public spaces cities are becoming increasingly illuminated. What interaction design and urban design opportunities arise if we eliminate the distinction between urban lighting and display technology? On the one hand, programmable pixels would enable ad-hoc reshaping of urban form throughout the evening because light outlines the image of the city at night. On the other hand, responsive systems would facilitate interactions among urban residents. Together reshaping urban form and enhancing interactions could increase the de-light-ful character of cities at night without increasing overall light levels.
Crystallization kinetics of cerium oxide nanoparticles formed by spontaneous, room-temperature hydrolysis of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate in light and heavy water

A stable sol of cerium oxide nanoparticles forms spontaneously when cerium(iv) ammonium nitrate (CAN) is dissolved in room-temperature water at mM concentrations. Electron microscopy experiments reveal the formation of highly crystalline cerium oxide particles several nm in diameter and suggest that they are formed from amorphous particles that are similar in size. Under the low pH conditions of the experiments, the nanoparticles form a stable dispersion and show no evidence of aggregation, even many months after synthesis. The absence of particles large enough to scatter light significantly makes it possible to observe the crystallization kinetics through dramatic changes in the UV-visible absorption spectra that occur during solution aging. Measurements show that the cerium oxide nanocrystals are formed roughly an order of magnitude more slowly in D2O than in H2O solution. This large solvent kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD ∼ 10), which is reported here for the first time for the crystallization of a solid metal oxide phase, indicates a rate-determining proton transfer reaction, which is assigned to the conversion of hydroxy to oxo bridges. In D2O solution, the absorption per mole of cerium ions increases by over 400% at 290 nm as the weakly absorbing precursor phase is transformed into nanocrystalline cerium oxide. An isosbestic point is detected at 368 nm, and the absorption spectra can be modeled throughout aging by the sum of spectra of just two interconverting species. Preliminary ultrafast transient absorption experiments confirm that the optical properties of the amorphous precursors differ greatly from those of the final, nanocrystalline phase. Crystallization of CeO2 from CAN in water has much in common with the crystallization of iron oxides from iron(iii) salts, including the importance of non-classical nucleation and growth pathways. It is an outstanding system for studying the poorly understood events that cause molecularly solvated ions to self-assemble into nanocrystals, following hydrolysis. At the same time, the strong susceptibility of CAN to spontaneously form CeO2 nanocrystals under the mildest of reaction conditions indicates that caution is needed when working with this common sacrificial oxidant.
Space and Narrative: Ricoeur and a Hermeneutic Reading of Place

In this contribution I apply Ricoeur’s hermeneutics to the topic of place, arguing that place is always interpreted and that there is a hermeneutic tension between “metaphorical” and “physical” space. I draw on some of Ricoeur’s writings on architecture, but also push his thought on narrative and other hermeneutic considerations further to think about place and space more broadly. I conclude by working out some of the implications of Ricoeur’s thought for environmental thinking.
State-specific dissociation in O2–O2 collisions by quasiclassical trajectory method

Abstract State-specific dissociation rate coefficients of oxygen in collisions with another oxygen molecule are obtained using the quasiclassical trajectory method on a six-dimensional potential energy surface at high temperatures characteristic of hypersonic flows. The present results indicate that O2–O2 rate coefficients can not be obtained by a simple scaling of a simpler O2–O dataset. A difference is observed between the present rate coefficients and those obtained via the preferential dissociation and forced harmonic oscillator models. Depletion via an exchange mechanism significantly contributes to the total dissociation rate at low temperatures and at low vibrational energies. The new set of rate coefficients is used in a one-dimensional shock flow simulation. The computed vibrational temperature is then compared to data obtained by absorption spectroscopy in the Schumann-Runge bands. A better agreement with the experimental data is achieved at moderate levels of nonequilibrium when the new dataset is implemented.
Phenomenology of panic attacks: a descriptive study of panic disorder patients' self-reports

The phenomenology of panic disorder and panic attacks was systematically assessed in 46 consecutive patients. The results suggest that DSM-III criteria include several symptoms that are not frequently present during a panic attack and that DSM-III's characterization of a panic attack is imprecise and misleading. Panic attacks were found to vary in intensity, frequency, spontaneity, and associated symptoms. A panic attack typically presents as a unified symptom complex of psychic anxiety and multiple somatic symptoms in multiple body systems. It occurs in a crescendolike pattern, is self-limited, and often leaves the subject weak or shaken. The temporal course as much as the symptomatic presentation defines a panic attack.
Toward reliable RRAM performance: macro- and micro-analysis of operation processes

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) technology promises superior performance and scalability while employing well-developed fabrication processes. Conductance in insulating oxides employed in RRAM devices can be strongly affected by atomic-level changes that makes cell switching properties extremely sensitive to operation conditions inducing local structural modifications. This opens an opportunity to condition the memory cell stack by forming a conductive filament capable of high frequency, low energy switching. Certain materials with pre-existing conductive paths, in particular some polycrystalline oxides, like hafnia, are shown to respond well to this approach. For this class of materials, the concept of ultra-fast pulse technique as an ultimate method for assessing RRAM switching capabilities in circuitry operations is discussed. Hafnia-based cells demonstrate compliance-free (1R) forming with no current overshoot, low operation currents, and reduced variability.
Beneficial actions of microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites.

Tryptophan is an important dietary amino acid and it is the precursor for 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis in the nervous system and by enterochromaffin cells in the gut mucosa. Tryptophan is also metabolized by enzymes in the gut mucosa and also by enzymes produced by the gut microbiome. Diet and the microbiome can contribute to metabolic disease in part by causing intestinal inflammation and increased permeability. In this issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Jennis et al. test the hypothesis that indole tryptophan metabolites produced by gut bacteria might be responsible for the anti-inflammatory and beneficial metabolic effects of the gut microbiome and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery for weight loss by obese patients. The authors identified indole-3-propionic acid as the beneficial metabolite. A review of the literature also revealed the beneficial effects of tryptophan metabolites on diabetes and metabolic disease and on inflammatory bowel disease. Taken together, these data highlight another health benefit of the intestinal microbiome, which produces beneficial products from dietary amino acids especially tryptophan.
Clinical Trial Design for Myasthenia Gravis

After an evidence base composed largely of retrospective case series, open-label studies, and expert opinions, evaluation of therapeutics for myasthenia gravis (MG) has become much more rigorous using randomized clinical trial methodologies. Advances in immunotherapeutics and the biological basis of MG have accelerated the number of drugs under development for MG leading to a greater necessity to optimize approaches for evaluation of new treatments. The design of clinical trials involves a multidisciplinary approach encompassing the disease and its characteristics, the drug or treatment and its putative mechanism of action, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the endpoints, the logistics and duration of the study, and the ability to recruit and complete the trial in a reasonable time frame. The chapter provides a broad overview of clinical trial development for MG.
Impact of Recent Findings on Study Design of Future Autism Clinical Trials

There are specific challenges to studying the design of pharmacologic trials in child/adolescent and adult autism, such as subject stratification and parallel versus crossover designs. This article describes how optimal study design is influenced by subject selection and outcome measures chosen. Lessons learned in study design from the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology Autism Network trial with risperidone, Seaver Center trials with fluoxetine and valproate, Dartmouth trials with amantadine, and National Institutes of Health secretin trials are highlighted. The Internet System for Assessing Autistic Children system for managing multicenter clinical trials in autism and statistical issues in autism research are also described.
Advances in Nanostructured Membranes for Water Desalination

The availability of freshwater resources is dwindling in many parts of the world, a problem that is anticipated to grow with budding population. One promising source of potable water is the world’s virtually limitless supply of seawater, but so far desalination technologies have been too expensive for widespread use. With current advances in nanotechnology and the development of diverse nanomaterials, which can be employed for successful membrane fabrication, nanostructured membrane-based desalination might be ready for the next generation of breakthroughs. Typically, by facilitating the manipulation of matter and control of transport at nanometer length scales, fabrication of nanostructured membranes offers new opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. This chapter will provide a broad discussion on highly promising nanomaterials; their specific morphology, which leads to specific enhanced water permeation, membrane–vapor interactions, their membrane fabrication procedures, and potential applications in leading desalination technologies.
Multiyear Performance Trends Analysis of Primary Care Practices Demonstrating Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation: An Observation of Quality Improvement Indicators among Outpatient Clinics.

Despite the ever-changing requirements of modern policy, payers seek interventions for care delivery improvement through value-based care models. Prior research acknowledges the Patient-Centered Me...
Using self-organizing maps to identify the South Asian seasonal cycle

A synoptic climatological approach using the self-organizing maps (SOMs) technique has been used to identify South Asian seasonality, by categorizing atmospheric patterns for each of five near-surface variables. This research mainly focused on showing the general climatology of the monsoonal seasonal cycle through four traditional seasons (winter, pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon) and the transitions between each of these seasons, highlighting spatiotemporal variability. For each variable, a 9 × 9 SOM was created using surface-level reanalysis data. Each node in each SOM is assigned to a season or a seasonal transition, based on defined standard criteria. The SOM-based synoptic approach helps to increase our understanding and visualization of the different atmospheric conditions and their seasonal cycle of the South Asian climate, such as a complete reversal of mean sea-level pressure over the course of the year, with high pressure over the land in winter and low pressure in the summer, and a clear seasonal cycle in wind direction with cyclonic and anticyclonic circulations in different seasons creating a greater wind speed over the ocean than the land.
D-DIMER AS A NOVEL MARKER OF INFLAMMATION IN PERICARDITIS

Positive D-dimer, a fibrin degradation product, is non-specific for thromboembolism and may be seen with inflammation. To study its prevalence and significance in pericarditis, we hypothesized that elevated D-dimer correlates with traditional biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) as a marker
Two years after Newtown--public opinion on gun policy revisited.

Highlights • We examined public attitudes on gun policy two years after the Newtown tragedy. • Large majorities of Americans support a range of gun violence prevention policies. • Few differences were found among gun owners and non-gun owners for most policies. • Most Americans continue to support universal back ground checks for gun sales. • Americans support banning guns for people with domestic violence restraining orders. Language: en
Flexible shift-invariant locality and globality preserving projections

In data mining and machine learning, the embedding methods have commonly been used as a principled way to understand the high-dimensional data. To solve the out-of-sample problem, local preserving projection (LPP) was proposed and applied to many applications. However, LPP suffers two crucial deficiencies: 1) the LPP has no shift-invariant property which is an important property of embedding methods; 2) the rigid linear embedding is used as constraint, which often inhibits the optimal manifold structures finding. To overcome these two important problems, we propose a novel flexible shift-invariant locality and globality preserving projection method, which utilizes a newly defined graph Laplacian and the relaxed embedding constraint. The proposed objective is very challenging to solve, hence we derive a new optimization algorithm with rigorously proved global convergence. More importantly, we prove our optimization algorithm is a Newton method with fast quadratic convergence rate. Extensive experiments have been performed on six benchmark data sets. In all empirical results, our method shows promising results.
The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in coastal soil and sediment samples from the eastern seaboard of the USA

Infections from antibiotic resistant microorganisms are considered to be one of the greatest global public health challenges that result in huge annual economic losses. While genes that impart resistance to antibiotics (AbR) existed long before the discovery and use of antibiotics, anthropogenic uses of antibiotics in agriculture, domesticated animals, and humans are known to influence the prevalence of these genes in pathogenic microorganisms. It is critical to understand the role that natural and anthropogenic processes have on the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance in microbial populations to minimize health risks associated with exposures. As part of this research, 15 antibiotic resistance genes were analyzed in coastal sediments and soils along the eastern seaboard of the USA using presence/absence quantitative and digital polymerase chain reaction assays. Samples (53 soil and 192 sediment samples including 54 replicates) were collected from a variety of coastal settings where human and wildlife exposure is likely. At least one of the antibiotic resistance genes was detected in 76.4% of the samples. Samples that contained at least five or more antibiotic resistance genes (5.7%) where typically hydrologically down gradient of watersheds influenced by combined sewer outfalls (CSO). The most frequently detected antibiotic resistance target genes were found in 33.2%, 34.4%, and 42.2% of samples (target genes blaSHV, tetO, and aadA2, respectively). These data provide unique insight into potential exposure of AbR genes over a large geographical region of the eastern seaboard of the USA.
"From Victimhood to Warriors": Super-researchers' Insights Into Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial Participation Motivations.

Background and objectives Recruitment and retention of research participant serve as a significant challenge in the search for ways to slow or prevent Alzheimer's disease. While barriers to participation are well documented, less is known about motivations for Alzheimer's disease clinical research participation. The purpose of this study was to explore what motivates individuals-who ultimately develop an ongoing connection to research and frequently participate-to engage and stay involved in Alzheimer's disease research. Research design and methods Individuals who had participated in multiple Alzheimer's disease-related clinical trials, or their study partners, were interviewed about their decisions to engage and remain in research. Findings Interviews were completed with 33 individuals, 28 research participants, and 5 study partners. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Respondents indicated learning about research opportunities through the media, community events, doctors, and other research participants. While many were initially motivated by a family history or knowing someone with Alzheimer's disease, others had no personal exposure. Individuals in prevention studies were generally proactive and viewed research as a constructive way to address memory concerns. While several individuals acknowledged personal benefits of research participation, most indicated an understanding of the importance of research and being motivated to help others in the future, frequently referencing a sense of social responsibility or moral obligation to help. Positive relationships with personnel at the site encouraged continued involvement. Discussion and implications These findings suggest that efforts to identify research participants should highlight the value of research and help illuminate how participation may contribute to well-being of future generations.
Comparing Discursive and Performative Contributions to Legitimation of Government: A Study of Municipal Policy Making in Chengdu

Research in political science has found that government effectiveness in providing public services can contribute to citizen attributions of legitimacy to government, referred to as legitimation by performance. A communicative line of research expands legitimacy to include procedural elements such as quality of deliberation in decision making, called discursive legitimation. This study incorporates Jurgen Habermas’s theory of communicative action to further the understanding of communication’s role in discursive legitimation of municipal decision making and analyzes this in relation to contributions from performance. The government policy setting was Chengdu, China. The policy issue concerned this city’s plans to increase taxi fares. A sample of 255 adult residents were surveyed. Results indicate that perceived government performance and perceived speech conditions were both positively, and almost equally, associated with attributions of legitimacy to the policy decision. In addition, perceived speech conditions moderated the relationship between the performance evaluation and legitimacy attributions.
Male-specific EAD active compounds produced by female European chafer Rhizotrogus majalis (Razoumowsky).

Chemical investigation of a fmale balloon-like organ of the European chafer, Rhizotrogus majalis (Razoumowsky), with GC-EAD has resulted in the identification of female-specific compounds, (R)-3- hydroxybutan-2-one, (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol, and meso-2,3-butanediol that are specifically EAD-active with male antennae. No behavioral role for any of the EAD active compounds could be discerned with this species.
Boundary-Shear Stress in Unsteady Turbulent Pipe Flow

In laminar flow, instantaneous mean velocity and instantaneous velocity profile are dependent upon history of motivating force or piezometric-pressure gradient; in turbulent flow, strong lateral diffusion of turbulent eddies tends to eliminate dependence of velocity distribution upon history of motion; greater degree of generalization of results appears to be possible for unsteady turbulent flow in pipe than for laminar flow.
Protocol of Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Health (REACH): A Pilot Study.

A growing body of evidence supports that aerobic exercise can decrease the risk of future cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There is a pressing need to rigorously determine whether cognitively normal yet at-risk individuals stand to benefit from the protective effects of exercise. The present study will test the feasibility of an aerobic exercise intervention in such a population and inform the design of a larger-scale randomized, controlled trial examining the effect of aerobic exercise on biomarkers of AD in late-middle-aged, at-risk individuals. This was a single-site, 1 : 1 block-randomized, parallel, two-arm trial. Cognitively normal participants aged 45–80 with documentation of familial and genetic AD risk factors were randomly assigned to one of two interventions. The Usual Physical Activity group was provided educational materials about exercise. The Enhanced Physical Activity intervention delivered 26 weeks of individualized and supervised aerobic exercise. Exercise duration and intensity were incrementally increased to 150 min/week and 70–80% of heart rate reserve, respectively. Retention and adherence were measured to assess study feasibility. In addition, pre- and post- intervention differences between the two arms were evaluated for cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, brain glucose metabolism, cerebral structure, vascular health, memory, executive function, and mood. Data from randomized controlled trials of exercise training are needed to identify the proper exercise prescription for reducing accumulation of AD biomarkers in cognitively normal individuals. The current trial will contribute to filling that gap while informing the design of large-scale trials.
Rapid Response Systems Across Multisite Locations of a Pediatric Hospital System: Patient Characteristics Matter Most.

Rapid response systems (RRSs) have become a common presence in hospitals globally since their first formal description by Lee et al1 in 1995. Given the success of these teams at improving pediatric outcomes, rapid response team implementation in pediatric institutions has an established foothold as well, spreading from tertiary hospitals to affiliated satellite institutions and community hospitals. The gap in knowledge now is how patient outcomes may vary across these settings and what features of RRSs and escalation systems need adaptation or are not relevant. In the article by Bavare et al,2 the authors have designed a multisite single institution retrospective observational study to evaluate patient characteristics, outcomes, and use differences between sites with similar RRSs. The strength of this study is the relatively consistent framework and policies implemented from an institutional level at sites where patient characteristics, staffing experience, subspecialist availability, and other contextual factors vary significantly. The authors present the principles of a “realist evaluation” to consider the effects of local context and social structure on program performance.3 A total of 2935 rapid response team activations were evaluated across 3 medical campuses (1816 at the central campus and 405 at 2 satellite campuses). As would be expected, there was a larger proportion of medically complex patients at the central campus. Although the central campus and satellite campuses had identical RRS protocols, they had variations in …
Sensitive neutron transverse polarization analysis using a 3He spin filter.

We report an experimental implementation for neutron transverse polarization analysis that is capable of detecting a small angular change (≪10−3 rad) in neutron spin orientation. This approach is demonstrated for monochromatic beams, and we show that it could be extended to polychromatic neutron beams. Our approach employs a 3He spin filter inside a solenoid with an analyzing direction perpendicular to the incident neutron polarization direction. The method was tested with polarized neutron beams and a spin rotator placed inside a μ-metal shield just upstream of the analyzer. No cryogenic superconducting shields or additional neutron spin manipulations are needed. With a counting detector, we experimentally show that the angular resolution δθ=1/(PnAN) rad is only determined by the counting statistics for the total counts N and the product of the neutron polarization Pn and the analyzing power A. With a high-flux neutron beam, 10−6 rad angular sensitivity is feasible within a day. This simple, classical-quantum-limited transverse polarization analysis scheme may reduce the overall complexity of experimental implementation for applications requiring sensitive neutron polarimetry and improve the precision in fundamental science studies and polarized neutron imaging.
Incorporation of polyethylene fillers in all-polymer high-thermal-conductivity composites

This work presents a lightweight electrically insulating composite material for high thermal conductivity: all polymer composites created by mixing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene flakes into a matrix of low-density polyethylene or ethylene vinyl acetate. The ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene flakes have a reported thermal conductivity of 40 W m−1 K−1, and when 30 volume percent is compounded in an ethylene vinyl acetate matrix, the thermal conductivity is measured to be 2.5 W m−1 K−1 at 52 °C and the notched impact strength is 350 J/m. The temperature stability of the polyethylene flakes is investigated using polarized Raman spectrometry and thermal conductivity measurements, and it is discovered that flakes compounded at temperatures of 115 °C and above show a dramatic drop in thermal conductivity due to melting and reduced polymer chain alignment. This study highlights the possibility of using high-thermal-conductivity polymer fillers in bulk composites for near-room-temperature applications.
Problems: Circuit Components, Methods of Circuit Analysis, and Circuit Theorems

This chapter helps both groups of underprepared and knowledgeable undergraduate students taking courses in electrical circuit analysis. In this chapter, the basic and advanced problems of three important subjects of electrical circuit analysis, that is, circuit components, methods of circuit analysis, and circuit theorems, are presented. The problems of methods of circuit analysis are concerned with mesh analysis, nodal analysis, and heuristic techniques. Moreover, the problems of circuit theorems are related to source transformation theorem, superposition theorem, Thevenin theorem, Norton theorem, and maximum power transform theorem. Like the other chapters of this textbook, the problems are categorized in different levels based on their difficulty levels (easy, normal, or hard) and calculation amounts (small, normal, or large). Additionally, the problems are ordered from the easiest problem with the smallest calculations to the most difficult problems with the largest calculations.
Student Resilience and COVID-19

This paper analyzes the impact of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 on graduate students’ resilience. Thirty first-year graduate students in a rigorous program of study in a health sciences field in the United States were interviewed for the study. The researcher focused on three questions related to specific areas: 1) What have you learned about yourself? (self-knowledge/learning); 2) What challenges have you faced and how did you deal with them? (challenges); and 3) Have there been any “blessings in disguise”? (positive outcomes). Responses to the three questions were coded, categorized and predominant themes emerged. Major themes included time management, social interaction, physical/mental well-being, and adaptability. The findings suggest that students exhibit traits of resilience. These findings have implications for teaching and clinical faculty as well as higher education administration.
Widowhood and leisure: An exploration of leisure’s role in coping and finding a new self

The loss of a spouse is a significantly stressful life event that can negatively affect social connections, life satisfaction, and mental health. This study looked at leisure’s role in helping stud...
Externally fed accretion on to protostars

The asymmetric molecular emission lines from dense cores reveal slow, inward motion in the clouds’ outer regions. This motion is present both before and after the formation of a central star. Motivated by these observations, we revisit the classic problem of steady, spherical accretion of gas on to a gravitating point mass, but now include self-gravity of the gas and impose a finite, subsonic velocity as the outer boundary condition. We find that the accretion rate on to the protostar is lower than values obtained for isolated, collapsing clouds, by a factor that is the Mach number of the outer flow. Moreover, the region of infall surrounding the protostar spreads out more slowly, at a speed close to the subsonic, incoming velocity. Our calculation, while highly idealized, provides insight into two long-standing problems – the surprisingly low accretion luminosities of even the most deeply embedded stellar sources, and the failure so far to detect spatially extended, supersonic infall within their parent dense cores. Indeed, the observed subsonic contraction in the outer regions of dense cores following star formation appears to rule out a purely hydrodynamic origin for these clouds.
Does Punishment Compel Payment? Driver’s License Suspensions and Fine Delinquency

Many state and local governments use the threat of driver's license suspension (DLS) to compel the payment of fines and fees. In this paper, I provide the first quasi-experimental evidence on the efficacy of such threats. Using administrative records from the City of Chicago, I estimate the effect of receiving a threat of DLS on the payment of traffic fines. To isolate the causal effect of receiving a threat, I exploit cross-sectional variation in exposure to a change in the enforcement of DLS policy in a fuzzy difference-in-differences research design. Receiving a threat of DLS increases traffic fine payment by $658 on average over the four years following receipt, representing 40 percent of the average traffic fine debt among drivers in my sample. The effect is significantly smaller among drivers with vehicles registered in higher-poverty ZIP Codes. My estimates suggest that eliminating DLS for the non-payment of traffic fines would reduce annual traffic fine revenue in the city by 4.5 percent.
CONSEQUENCES OF SHRUB ENCROACHMENT: LINKING CHANGES IN CANOPY STRUCTURE TO SHIFTS IN THE RESOURCE ENVIRONMENT

82 Introduction 83 Materials and Methods 87 Results 91 Discussion 94 Literature Cited 100 Tables 106 Figure Legends 107 Figures 109 CHAPTER FIVE: LINKING LIGHT ATTENUATION, SUNFLECKS AND CANOPY ARCHITECTURE IN MESIC SHRUB THICKETS Abstract 116 Introduction 117 Materials and Methods 121 Results 125 Discussion 129 Literature Cited 135 Tables 142 Figure Legends 144 Figures 146
Decomposition-Based Decision Making for Aerospace Vehicle Design

Most practical engineering systems design problems have multiple and conflicting objectives. Furthermore, the satisfactory attainment level for each objective ( requirement ) is likely uncertain early in the design process. Systems with long design cycle times will exhibit more of this uncertainty throughout the design process. This is further complicated if the system is expected to perform for a relatively long period of time, as now it will need to grow as new requirements are identified and new technologies are introduced. These points identify a need for a systems design technique that enables decision making amongst multiple objectives in the presence of uncertainty. Traditional design techniques deal with a single objective or a small number of objectives that are often aggregates of the overarching goals sought through the generation of a new system. Other requirements, although uncertain, are viewed as static constraints to this single or multiple objective optimization problem. With either of these formulations, enabling tradeoffs between the requirements, objectives, or combinations thereof is a slow, serial process that becomes increasingly complex as more criteria are added. This research proposal outlines a technique that attempts to address these and other idiosyncrasies associated with modern aerospace systems design. The proposed formulation first recasts systems design into a multiple criteria decision making problem. The now multiple objectives are decomposed to discover the critical characteristics of the objective space. Tradeoffs between the objectives are considered amongst these critical characteristics by comparison to a probabilistic ideal tradeoff solution. The proposed formulation represents a radical departure from traditional methods. A pitfall of this technique is in the validation of the solution: in a multi-objective sense, how can a decision maker justify a choice between non-dominated alternatives? A series of examples help the reader to observe how this technique can be applied to aerospace systems design and compare the results of this so-called Decomposition-Based Decision Making to more traditional design approaches.