cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Database support for enabling data-discovery queries over semantically-annotated observational data

Observational data plays a critical role in many scientific disciplines, and scientists are increasingly interested in performing broad-scale analyses by using observational data collected as part of many smaller scientific studies. However, while these data sets often contain similar types of information, they are typically represented using very different structures and with little semantic information about the data itself, which creates significant challenges for researchers who wish to discover existing data sets based on data semantics (observation and measurement types) and data content (the values of measurements within a data set). We present a formal framework to address these challenges that consists of a semantic observational model (to uniformly represent observation and measurement types), a high-level semantic annotation language (to map tabular resources into the model), and a declarative query language that allows researchers to express data-discovery queries over heterogeneous (annotated) data sets. To demonstrate the feasibility of our framework, we also present implementation approaches for efficiently answering discovery queries over semantically annotated data sets. In particular, we propose two storage schemes (in-place databases rdb and materialized databases mdb) to store the source data sets and their annotations. We also present two query schemes (ExeD and ExeH) to evaluate discovery queries and the results of extensive experiments comparing their effectiveness.
A Picture Age: Reproductions in Picture Study

The picture study movement was, in part, the result of the late-19th-century development of printing processes capable of reproducing works of art. Picture-study advocates favored using these photomechanically produced halftone reproductions which shared the qualities of line and tone found in older intaglio and relief printing processes. This historical description of the reproductions used in picture study illustrates how popularist attitudes toward art and technological changes set the context for a curriculum movement in art education. At the same time, traditional assumptions about appropriate aesthetic qualities for reproductions prevented many art educators from making the best use of new technologies.
Financial considerations in outpatient spine surgery

Abstract This paper aims to review the cost benefits of performing spine surgeries at an ambulatory surgery center or an outpatient hospital department. The potential for cost savings associated with ambulatory based surgery centers or outpatient hospital departments will likely continue to increase the number of spine surgeries performed at such locations. Several types of ownership structures for ambulatory based surgery centers or outpatients hospital departments exist, and can be broadly categorized into sole physician ownership, sole hospital ownership, physician-hospital joint ownership, physician-management service joint ventures. It can be argued that a sole physician ownership of these centers can cause potential conflicts of interests; however, it can also decrease costs for patients and improve physician satisfaction.
Automating the Detection of Precipitation and Wind Characteristics in Navy Ocean Acoustic Data

A challenge in Underwater Acoustics is identifying the independent variables associated with an environment's ambient noise. A strict definition of ambient noise would focus on non-transient signatures and exclude transient impacts from marine mammals, pelagic fish species, man-made sources, or weather events such as precipitation or winds speeds. Recognizing transient signatures in acoustic spectra is an essential element for providing environmental intelligence to the U.S. Navy, specifically the acoustic signatures from meteorological events. While weather event detection in acoustic spectra has been shown in previous studies, leveraging these concepts via U.S. Navy assets is largely an unknown. Environmental intelligence collection can be improved by detecting precipitation events and establishing wind velocities with acoustic signatures. This will further improve meteorological models by enabling validation from both manned and unmanned sub-surface assets.
Understanding the public’s profile of mental health literacy in China: a nationwide study

In the wake of China’s massive economic development, attention has only recently turned to the enormous treatment gap that exists for mental health problems. Our study is the first comprehensive, national examination of the levels and correlates of the public’s ability to recognize mental illness in the community and suggest sources of help, setting a baseline to assess contemporary Chinese efforts. Data were collected in China as part of the Stigma in Global Context – Mental Health Study (SGC-MHS) through face-to-face interviews using vignettes meeting clinical criteria for schizophrenia and major depression. Our analysis targets the Han Chinese participants (n = 1812). Differences in the recognition of mental health problems were assessed using a chi-square test and further stratified by vignette illness type and urban vs. rural residence. Adjusted regression models estimated the effects of each predictor towards the endorsement three types of help-seeking: medical doctor, psychiatrist, and mental health professional. As expected, recognition of mental health problems is low; it is better for depression and most accurate in urban areas. Perceived severity increases endorsement of the need for care and for treatment by all provider types. Recognition of a mental health problem specifically decreases endorsement of medical doctors while increasing recommendations for psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Neurobiological attributions decrease recommendations for mental health professionals as opposed to general or specialty physicians. Continued efforts are needed in China to promote mental illness recognition within rural areas, and of schizophrenia specifically. Promoting recognition of mental illness, while balancing the special challenges among individuals who understand the neurobiological roots of mental illness, may constitute a key strategy to reduce the sizeable mental health treatment gap in China.
XenoCP: Cloud-based BAM cleansing tool for RNA and DNA from Xenograft

Xenografts are important models for cancer research and the presence of mouse reads in xenograft next generation sequencing data can potentially confound interpretation of experimental results. We present an efficient, cloud-based BAM-to-BAM cleaning tool called XenoCP to remove mouse reads from xenograft BAM files. We show application of XenoCP in obtaining accurate gene expression quantification in RNA-seq and tumor heterogeneity in WGS of xenografts derived from brain and solid tumors.
Multi-robot formation control: a comparison between model-based and learning-based methods

Formation control of multi-robot systems has been extensively studied by model-based methods, where analytic control inputs are constructed based on the kinematics and/or dynamics model and the com...
Male peer support and sexual assault: the relation between high-Profile, high school sports participation and sexually predatory behaviour

The etiology of the nexus between high-profile athletic participation and sexual aggression has been explained using Male Peer Support (MPS) Theory, though research is dated and has relied heavily ...
A Case Study on Energy Efficient Green Building with New Intelligent Techniques Used to Achieve Sustainable Development Goal

In a broad ranging a green building includes a building which is outline, constructed, operated, maintained and reuse by considering the maximum conservation of energy in all phases. First objective of a green building is related to human health, maximum use of natural resources, reduction in electrical energy consumption, maximum utilization of renewable energy and reduction of environmental pollutants. Reflective and systematic site design and expansion practices help to minimize the energy consumption and improve performance of a building. In this paper a case study on energy efficient with intelligent technique in construction and operation of newly constructed hospital building has been presented. Main purpose behind this study is to analysis the strategy is there in hospital green building where the scope of further minimization of electrical energy consumption and maximize the utilization of natural resources which results in maximum percentage of savings in energy. All the electrical instruments used in building are based on Energy Conservation Building Code and Bureau of Energy Efficiency rated. In this paper main focus is on HVAC system, Water Treatment Plant, Building Management System, Solar Water Heating System, Solid Waste Generation and Management and Sewage Treatment Plant.
Neural Kernels Without Tangents

We investigate the connections between neural networks and simple building blocks in kernel space. In particular, using well established feature space tools such as direct sum, averaging, and moment lifting, we present an algebra for creating "compositional" kernels from bags of features. We show that these operations correspond to many of the building blocks of "neural tangent kernels (NTK)". Experimentally, we show that there is a correlation in test error between neural network architectures and the associated kernels. We construct a simple neural network architecture using only 3x3 convolutions, 2x2 average pooling, ReLU, and optimized with SGD and MSE loss that achieves 96% accuracy on CIFAR10, and whose corresponding compositional kernel achieves 90% accuracy. We also use our constructions to investigate the relative performance of neural networks, NTKs, and compositional kernels in the small dataset regime. In particular, we find that compositional kernels outperform NTKs and neural networks outperform both kernel methods.
Decolonizing entry to practice: Reconceptualizing methods to facilitate diversity in nursing programs

Abstract Nursing education is the foundation from which all nursing practice, theory, and science cultivate the professional practice of nurses working across the entire healthcare spectrum. Diversity in the nursing workforce originates in schools of nursing (SON). Selective-admission practices fluctuate across SONs. SONs, to limit bias, often de-identify an applicant's information, commonly retaining application content that is centric to highlighting academic performance, representing a unique paradox. Given this paradox, SONs must review their recruiting strategies to diversify the application pool by removing barriers and abandoning outdated practices to decolonize the admissions process. Decolonization refers to the process by which there is an intentional and systematic undoing of western colonial ideologies of superiority, thought, approaches, and privilege. We examine the current recruiting practices for prelicensure nursing programs within the United States and using existing research, inspire various methods to decolonize the recruiting and subsequent application process to expand the diversity of applicants. There remains an urgent and persistent requisite to diversify the nursing profession to compliment the developing and emerging ethnic profile of the United States.
Historical trauma and social support as predictors of psychological stress responses in American Indian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Background American Indians (AIs) live with historical trauma, or the cumulative emotional and psychological wounding that is passed from one generation to the next in response to the loss of lives and culture. Psychological consequences of historical trauma may contribute to health disparities. Purpose Here, we investigate whether historical trauma predicts changes in psychological stress associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in AI adults. Based on the stress-sensitization theory, we hypothesize that greater historical trauma will predict greater increases in levels of psychological stress from before the onset of the pandemic to after. Method: Our analytic sample consisted of 205 AI adults. We measured historical trauma and levels of psychological stress before and after the onset of the pandemic. Results Using hierarchical regression models controlling for age, biological sex, income, symptoms of depression and anxiety, psychological stress at Time 1, COVID-19 specific stress, and childhood trauma, we found that greater historical trauma preceding the pandemic predicted greater increases in psychological stress (β = 0.38, t = 5.17 p Conclusions Historical trauma may contribute to AI mental health disparities, through heightened psychological stress responses to life stressors and social support appears to moderate this relationship.
Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in a Patient with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab represents an effective combination of checkpoint inhibitors that can lead to a durable response with minimal toxicity in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We present a case of a pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab in a patient with a 13.9 cm left renal mass and significant retroperitoneal and iliac lymphadenopathy, classified as intermediate-risk mRCC. We discuss and review the literature on complete responses after systemic therapy and the ability to predict who has undergone a complete response in the face of residual radiographic evidence of disease.
Men's psychiatric distress in context: Understanding the impact of masculine discrepancy stress, race, and barriers to help-seeking

This study examined perceived barriers to help-seeking as mechanisms by which masculinity may generate risk for psychiatric distress in men. An online sample of 558 men completed self-report measures of masculine discrepancy stress (i.e. distress about one's perceived gender nonconformity), barriers to help-seeking, and psychiatric distress. A significant indirect effect of masculine discrepancy stress on psychiatric distress emerged through perceived barriers to help-seeking; notably, this effect was stronger among Men of Color (vs White men). The promotion of optimal psychiatric functioning in men may necessitate interventions that target the effects of masculine socialization and race-related stress on help-seeking attitudes.
Is There Value in Venous Thromboembolism Chemoprophylaxis After Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery? A 28-Year Single Center Study.

Background With a recognized increase in the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in children, especially in those with complex, chronic conditions, it is important for patient safety and risk management to identify subgroups that would benefit from prophylactic treatment. The aim of our study was to assess whether scoliosis surgery in children was associated with an increased incidence of VTE, including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism, and if chemoprophylaxis is warranted. Methods We reviewed our institution's Pediatric Orthopaedic Spine Database (1992-2019) to identify patients who had a symptomatic VTE postoperatively. Results There were 1471 patients (1035 female, 436 male) with a mean age at surgery of 12.1±3.2 years (range, 1 to 18 y) underwent posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation (2131 procedures). No patients were given pharmacological VTE prophylaxis, and no routine screening for VTE was performed. Two patients had a lower extremity DVT (0.13%) within 6 months following surgery, (range, 55 to 161 d). Neither patient had a subsequent pulmonary embolism. They were 9 and 17 years of age with a diagnosis of neuromuscular scoliosis (1 each postpolio and myelodysplasia). One affected patient had a central venous line inserted perioperatively, a known risk factor for thromboembolism. All DVTs were treated with appropriately dosed anticoagulants. None had a family history of hypercoagulation. Conclusions The risk of symptomatic VTE is extraordinarily low after pediatric spinal deformity surgery. Mechanical prophylaxis is sufficient in most cases. Further multi-center studies may help identify patient specific risk factors.
Ergonomic Redesign of the Coca Cola Freestyle Machine Graphical User Interface to Improve Accessibility

The purpose of this research is to redesign the graphical user interface of the Coca Cola Freestyle machine to improve its usability for individuals with visual impairments. The proposed design inc...
Trophic complexity alters the diversity–multifunctionality relationship in experimental grassland mesocosms

Plant diversity has a positive influence on the number of ecosystem functions maintained simultaneously by a community, or multifunctionality. While the presence of multiple trophic levels beyond plants, or trophic complexity, affects individual functions, the effect of trophic complexity on the diversity-multifunctionality relationship is less well known. To address this issue, we tested whether the independent or simultaneous manipulation of both plant diversity and trophic complexity impacted multifunctionality using a mesocosm experiment from Cedar Creek, Minnesota, USA. Our analyses revealed that neither plant diversity nor trophic complexity had significant effects on single functions, but trophic complexity altered the diversity-multifunctionality relationship in two key ways: It lowered the maximum strength of the diversity-multifunctionality effect, and it shifted the relationship between increasing diversity and multifunctionality from positive to negative at lower function thresholds. Our findings highlight the importance to account for interactions with higher trophic levels, as they can alter the biodiversity effect on multifunctionality.
A machine learning approach to detecting cracks in levees and floodwalls

Abstract Levees and floodwalls are structures that often protect larger inhabitants. These structures disintegrate over time due to the effect of harsh weather, subsidence of land, seepage, development of cracks, toe erosion, sand boils, and levee sections sloughing off. Due to these threats, levees and floodwalls require constant monitoring and maintenance. This paper describes and compares different approaches for detecting cracks in the concrete toe, levees crown, and other general areas of levees and floodwalls using digital images. The image dataset is sourced from real data and manually collected and annotated as needed, creating a new dataset of images that can be used in further research. We use object detection methods and machine learning to detect cracks, which have distinctive characteristics from the rest of the surrounding images. We analyze different algorithms to identify the best one for detecting cracks. We study stacking (85% accuracy) latest deep learning techniques (90.90% accuracy). There is information about how we select and extract the best features from each image, which can be used with commonly known machine learning methods such as SVM, GBC, etc. We also explain the reason for 100% accuracy when using the Viola-Jones method for detection.
Synergistic Phase Separation of Two Pathways Promotes Integrin Clustering and Integrin Adhesion Complex Formation

Integrin adhesion complexes (IACs) are integrin-based plasma membrane-associated comp iartments where cells sense environmental cues. The physical mechanisms and molecular interactions that mediate nascent IAC formation are unclear. We found that both p130Cas ("Cas") and Focal adhesion kinase ("FAK") undergo liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro under physiologic conditions. Cas- and FAK- driven phase separation is sufficient to reconstitute kindlindependent integrin clustering in vitro. In vitro condensates and cellular IACs exhibit similar sensitivities to environmental perturbations including changes in temperature and pH. Furthermore, mutations that inhibit or enhance phase separation in vitro reduce or increase the number of IACs in cells, respectively. Finally, we find that the Cas and FAK pathways act synergistically to promote phase separation, integrin clustering and IAC formation in vitro and in cells. We propose that Cas- and FAK- driven phase separation provides an intracellular trigger for integrin clustering and nascent IAC formation.
Initial Experiences with the MitraClip G4: Review of the Novel Device Features.

ObjectivePercutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair is an evolving procedure with increasing indications for use. The MitraClip™ G4 is the newest device with 4 device options, each with distinct...
Ethics of Digital Verification in International Reporting

This chapter looks into journalists who rely primarily on social media to report international news in hard-to-reach countries like Iran, Syria, and North Korea. While social media-based, remote-controlled reporting is often associated with cheap journalism, it can also deliver high-quality journalism with accuracy and depth. Specifically, this chapter focuses on two ethical issues emerging out of journalistic verification via social media: hierarchies and risks for journalists. It finds that colonial hierarchies are being replaced with flatter and more horizontal relationships. With regard to risk, digital verification decreases physical harm but raises new issues of trauma. This chapter proposes the recognition of ethical tradeoffs and offers examples of best practices.
Durable Cognitive Gains and Symptom Improvement Are Observed in Individuals With Recent-Onset Schizophrenia 6 Months After a Randomized Trial of Auditory Training Completed Remotely

Objective Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia predicts functional outcomes and is largely unresponsive to pharmacology or psychotherapy; it is thus a critical unmet treatment need. This article presents the impact of remotely completed, intensive, targeted auditory training (AT) vs control condition computer games (CG) in a double-blind randomized trial in young adults with recent-onset schizophrenia. Method Participants (N = 147) were assessed for cognition, symptoms, and functioning at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up. All participants were provided with laptop computers and were instructed to complete 40 hours remotely of training or computer games. An intent-to-treat analysis (N = 145) was performed using linear mixed models with time modeled as a continuous variable. Planned contrasts tested the change from baseline to post-training, baseline to 6-month follow-up, and post-training to 6-month follow-up. Results Global Cognition, which had improved in the AT group relative to the CG group at post-training, showed durable gains at 6-month follow-up in an omnibus group-by-time interaction test (F(1,179) = 4.80, P = .030), as did Problem-Solving (F(1,179) = 5.13, P = .025), and Speed of Processing improved at trend level significance (F(1,170) = 3.80, P = .053). Furthermore, the AT group showed significantly greater improvement than the CG group in positive symptoms (F(1,179) = 4.06, P = .045). Conclusions These results provide the first evidence of durable cognitive gains and symptom improvement at follow-up of cognitive training (CT) in early schizophrenia completed independently and remotely. While functioning did not show significant improvement, these findings suggest that intensive targeted CT of auditory processing is a promising component of early intervention to promote recovery from psychosis.
Addressing Educational Reform: Exploring PE Metrics as a System to Measure Student Achievement in Physical Education.

The current educational reform movement in the United States is focused on measuring the effectiveness of teachers. One component of teacher effectiveness is student achievement. The effectiveness of using PE Metrics as a measure of student achievement in a physical activity setting with a low socioeconomic, culturally diverse population was examined in this study. Two raters scored second and fifth grade children (N = 90) on skills using the PE Metrics system. Skills assessed included skipping, galloping, dribble with hand jog, basketball, soccer, and overhand throw. An item analysis showed that teachers could use the majority of the items to discriminate skill level. Strengths and weaknesses of the PE Metrics system were discussed.
Greening pesticides: A historical analysis of the social construction of farm chemical advertisements

Ideology is maintained anddriven by powerful symbols. Agricultural mediasuch as farm magazines achieve this byappropriating societal values of currency andincorporating them in imagery that accompanyadvertisements of agricultural products,including pesticides. Critical questionsrelating to environmental sustainability andsocial risks associated with the use of suchproducts are often masked as a result. Contentanalyses of two mid-western farm magazines fromthe 1940s to 1990s trace the socialconstruction of pesticide advertisements overtime, illuminating changing images ofpesticides in farm magazine advertisements inresponse to changes in the socio-culturalsetting. Changing images reflect how theagricultural industry strategically repositionsitself to sustain market and corporate profitby co-opting dominant cultural themes atspecific historical moments in mediaadvertising. Sustainability implications in thebroad context of agriculture and society areexamined.
Stimulation of Lipid Synthesis in Reticulocytes as a Response to Membrane Damage

Exposure of rabbit reticulocytes to agents which damage the cell membrane by a variety of different mechanisms stimulates the incorporation of radioactive acetate and glycerol into membrane lipids. An increase in the rate of lipid synthesis occurs within minutes at 37°C at concentrations of the agents which do not cause spontaneous cell lysis. Different agents do not increase synthesis of different classes of reticulocyte lipids to the same extent. 1.5 x 10-4 M vincristine stimulates the incorporation of precursors only into neutral lipids while, in contrast, 10-3 M puromycin stimulates only synthesis of the three carbon backbone of phospholipids. The effects of these two agents are additive, confirming their selective action on distinct pathways. The effect of puromycin is independent of its ability to inhibit protein synthesis. 3.6 x 10-3 M butanol stimulates pathways for synthesis of both neutral lipids and phospholipids to approximately equal extents. The major effect of 4% hydrogen peroxide is to increase exchange of labeled fatty acids, but it also increases phopholipid synthesis. The evidence indicates that a metabolic response of the reticulocyte to membrane damage is to increase synthesis of neutral lipid and phospholipid, and the particular pathway or pathways which respond are related to the agent used to induce damage.
Corporations vs. communities

Abstract The Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the way for rapid expansion of wireless services in the United States. Industry was well-positioned to exploit new opportunities in placing towers and antennas across the American landscape. However, communities were not prepared for the legal battles needed to protect their local zoning and land use decisions. Portraying communities as anti-progress, impatient corporate interests mounted a successful campaign for federal preemption of all local moratoriums that communities had used to buy more time to assess issues, risks, and opportunities. In response, communities (fueled by senators and congressmen) have launched a national grassroots movement to protect their interests.
Synergies Between Generation-IV and Advanced Fusion Power Plant Research Programs

For the first time since the early 1990's, the U.S. Department of Energy has long term research and development programs in both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, the Generation IV program and the ARIES program, respectively. The Generation IV program has introduced a safety goal for future fission reactor systems that has long been reflected in the ARIES mission: no off.site emergency response to any design basis accident. This change, in concert with the overall departure from light water reactor technology, will drive a change in the regulatory framework for both Generation IV reactors and fusion power plants of the future. Further, both fission and fusion power plants will have to compete in similar future energy markets with uncertainties in energy prices and the development of alternative energy products. Enabling the success of nuclear energy, advanced materials will be a cornerstone to both programs, driven both by higher temperatures and heat fluxes and by a desire for longer lifetimes in high radiation environments. The synergies created by these increasingly parallel programs open the door for renewed collaborations that will increase the total effectiveness of research needed in both.
Nonviolent Civil Resistance and Social Movements

Research on non-violent civil resistance has burgeoned in recent years. This field has much in common with the study of social movements, and yet there has been little cross-fertilization between these literatures. In this article, I review the historical development of non-violence studies from its Gandhian roots, through an emphasis on strategic non-violence, to current empirical research that has generated new insights into the strategic interactions between non-violent movements and their opponents, the effects of repression, the factors shaping movement outcomes, and cross-national tactical diffusion. I summarize key findings and implications for the field of social movements. I conclude by charting out new areas of inquiry that future researchers ought to explore.
Reliable linear-quadratic state-feedback control

Abstract This paper introduces a procedure for the design of modified linear-quadratic (LQ) state-feedback controls that tolerate actuator outages. The controls improve on the known stability gain-margin properties of the standard LQ regulator by tolerating the insertion of any independent gains from zero to infinity into selected feedback loops. They also guarantee a given performance bound despite the insertion of gains from zero to two into those loops. The reliable LQ design is shown to be equivalent to a standard LQ-optimal design with a modified performance index. Thus, the design procedure is seen as a means of choosing a particular quadratic performance index for which the optimal control will possess the desired reliability properties.
Maternal employment and child development: a fresh look using newer methods

The employment rate for mothers with young children has increased dramatically over the past 25 years. Estimating the effects of maternal employment on children's development is challenged by selection bias and the missing data endemic to most policy research. To address these issues, this study uses propensity score matching and multiple imputation. The authors compare outcomes across 4 maternal employment patterns: no work in first 3 years postbirth, work only after 1st year, part-time work in 1st year, and full-time work in 1st year. Our results demonstrate small but significant negative effects of maternal employment on children's cognitive outcomes for full-time employment in the 1st year postbirth as compared with employment postponed until after the 1st year. Multiple imputation yields noticeably different estimates as compared with a complete case approach for many measures. Differences between results from propensity score approaches and regression modeling are often minimal.
Characterization of combat-related spinal injuries sustained by a US Army Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom

Abstract Background context The United States is presently engaged in the largest scale armed conflict since Vietnam. Despite recent investigations into the scope of injuries sustained by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, little information is available regarding the incidence and epidemiology of spine trauma in this population. Purpose Characterize the incidence and epidemiology of spinal injuries sustained during combat by soldiers of a US Army Brigade Combat Team (BCT) that participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Study design Descriptive epidemiologic study. Patient sample A total of 4,122 soldiers who served in Iraq with an Army BCT during “The Surge” operation. Outcome measures Spine injury epidemiology was calculated for the BCT, including the spine combat casualty rate, and percent medically evacuated (MEDEVAC). Methods Unit rosters were obtained, and a comprehensive database identifying all combat-related spine injuries was created by querying each soldiers' electronic medical record and the unit's casualty rosters. Demographic information was recorded including age, sex, rank, injury mechanism, presence of polytrauma, and injury outcome. Injury outcomes were classified as killed in action, died of wounds, MEDEVAC, or returned to duty. The incidence of spine injuries was determined, and epidemiology was characterized using calculations of the spine combat casualty rate and percent MEDEVAC. Comparisons were made to published reports from previous conflicts. Results A total of 29 soldiers sustained 31 combat-related spine injuries. These accounted for 7.4% (29 out of 390) of all casualties sustained during combat. Blunt trauma to the spine, often resulting from an explosive mechanism, was encountered in 65% of cases. Closed fractures of the spine occurred in 21% of casualties and open injuries occurred in 7%. The spine combat casualty rate was 5.6 out of 1,000 soldier combat-years, and the percent MEDEVAC was 19%. Conclusions This investigation is the first of its kind, documenting the nature of spine trauma in a major American conflict. The incidence of spine injuries in this study is the highest ever documented and is indicative of the tactics used by the enemy in the current war. Given this fact, it is likely that the prevalence of combat-related spine trauma will increase in the future. Larger, more extensive, studies of this kind must be conducted in the future.
Determining the tie bar break point in LFCSP

Strip Testing is popular in LFCSP as it addressed difficulty of handling small and unleaded packages. In LFCSPs, tie bars are very susceptible to mechanical stress after the lead trimming process because it is the only part that holds the package while being processed at laser marking and electrical test. A phenomenon called “stressed tie bar” is a condition when the tie bars are already deformed or damaged prior to singulation. A good indicator to this is the “crack” on the plastic covering underneath the package. Under this condition the affected units may result to potential reliability issues at Singulation. Possible defects include chipout, package cracking or missing leads depending on the angle of crack lines produced. This documentation is composed of a three-part study. The first uses theoretical computation of Shearing Stress and Strain to determine the maximum shearing that the tie bars can withstand prior to permanent deformation. The second part is a laboratory setup that uses actual load force to determine the required shearing stress to break the tie bars. This validates the findings made on the theoretical computation. The last phase of the study dwells into the characterization of the tie bars on different load force below the shearing strength. In this study, the 4×4 LFCSP was used. The theoretical computation showed that the tie bars have a maximum shearing strength of 8.075 Kg. This means that beyond this value, the tie bars will undergo phase change towards permanent deformation or the break point. This was validated through shearing simulation where the mean reading of the breakpoint is at 9.38 Kg. After determining the maximum shearing strength and correlation with the actual values, the next step is the characterization of stressed tie bars. This study revealed that if the mechanical stress were equally applied on the four tie bars, there is a minimal chance that the package will crack. On the other hand, if the stress is not distributed evenly, it will result to package chipping when the unit is singulated. The findings presented in this documentation were used on various applications. These include control for strip contacting, process improvements, and as a critical guide in the design considerations for the acquisition of various strip handlers.
Metabolic and cellular plasticity in white adipose tissue I: effects of β3-adrenergic receptor activation

Selective agonists of β3-adrenergic receptors (Adrb3) exhibit potent anti-diabetes properties in rodent models when given chronically, yet the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. A salient f...
Stanford University institutional report. Phase I evaluation of equipment for hyperthermia treatment of cancer.

From September 16, 1981, through April 4, 1986, a total of 21 radiative electromagnetic (microwave and radiofrequency), ultrasound and interstitial radio-frequency hyperthermia applicators and three types of thermometry systems underwent extensive phantom and clinical testing at Stanford University. A total of 996 treatment sessions involving 268 separate treatment fields in 131 patients was performed. Thermal profiles were obtained in 847 of these treatment sessions by multipoint and/or mapping techniques involving mechanical translation. The ability of these devices to heat superficial, eccentrically located and deep-seated tumours at the major anatomical locations is evaluated and the temperature distributions, acute and subacute toxicities, and chronic complications compared. Average measured tumour temperatures between 42°C and 43°C were obtained with many of the devices used for superficial heating; average tumour temperatures of 39-6°C to 42- 1°C were achieved with the three deep-heating devices. W...
Predictors of asthma control and lung function responsiveness to step 3 therapy in children with uncontrolled asthma

Background Predictors of improvement in asthma control and lung function to step 3 therapy in children with persistent asthma have not been identified despite reported heterogeneity in responsiveness. Objective We sought to evaluate potential predictors of asthma control and lung function responsiveness to step 3 therapy. Methods A post hoc analysis from the Best Add-On Giving Effective Response (BADGER) study tested the association between baseline biological, asthma control, pulmonary function, and demographic markers and responsiveness to step-up to a higher dose of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS step-up therapy) or addition of leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA step-up therapy) or long-acting β 2 -agonist (LABA step-up therapy). Results In multivariate analyses higher impulse oscillometry reactance area was associated ( P = .048) with a differential FEV 1 response favoring LABA over ICS step-up therapy, whereas higher urinary leukotriene E 4 levels were marginally ( P = .053) related to a differential FEV 1 response favoring LTRA over LABA step-up therapy. Predictors of differential responses comparing ICS with LTRA step-up therapy were not apparent, probably because of suppression of allergic markers with low-dose ICS treatment. Minimal overlap was seen across FEV 1 and asthma control day predictors, suggesting distinct mechanisms related to lung function and asthma control day responses. Conclusion Levels of impulse oscillometry reactance area indicating peripheral airway obstruction and urinary leukotriene E 4 levels indicating cysteinyl leukotriene inflammation can differentiate LABA step-up responses from responses to LTRA or ICS step-up therapy. Further studies with physiologic, genetic, and biological markers related to these phenotypes will be needed to predict individual responses to LABA step-up therapy.
Melt flow of polymer blends

The production of polymer blends increases at a rate of about 13 percent/y. Most of the commercial blends are multiphase systems of complex morphology, determined by the thermodynamic properties of the components and the rheology. Since the diffusion rates are relatively low, the blends are seldom at equilibrium. In most cases, the blend products have properties imposed by the morphology, created by a particular combination of the thermal and deformational history. There are three main reasons for studying the melt flow of blends: optimization of the processing conditions, search for the appropriate means to generate the desired morphology, and the interest in the basic study of the rheology of these complex systems. In this paper the results published during the last five years are reviewed. The data for polymer blends are compared with those obtained for simpler model systems: liquid mixtures, emulsions, and polymer blends. From the rheological point of view, the blends are divided into three groups: those where viscosity shows positive deviation from the log-additivity rule, PDB, those where the opposite effect is observed, NDB, and the remaining mixed-behavior systems, PNDB. To PDB belong the miscible blends and those with strong inter-domain interactions. To NDB belong those where the interactions are weak. To PNDB belong the blends in which there is a concentration-dependent transition of structure. The shear dependent properties of blends are also discussed.
Modifications to achieve subnanosecond jitter from standard commercial excimer lasers

Two projects at the Los Alamos National Laboratory require lower jitter than available from standard commercial excimer lasers. The first experiment demanded an optical pulse width of only 5 ns. With the ± 5-ns jitter of the commercial lasers, it was impossible to achieve the desired timing accuracy. The second application uses commercial lasers as a diagnostic tool to determine the temporal profile in a large-aperture laser experiment. This arrangement uses three different lasers, all of which must be timed within a nanosecond in order to obtain accurate data. This report describes the standard laser performance before modifications, the modifications, and the resulting jitter reduction. In all four cases, jitter was reduced to less than 0.75-ns peak to peak. Details on the electrical and mechanical modifications are included.
Nanometer Scale Surface Properties of Supported Lipid Bilayers Measured with Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Atomic Force Microscope Probes

Using the atomic force microscope (AFM), surface-forces measurements are made in water between chemically modified AFM probes and model membranes created by Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) deposition. A series of four different lipid monolayers with varying headgroups and monolayer properties were transferred onto monolayers on mica for analysis. Using a hydrophilic probe, the bilayers are elastically deformed at low load and punctured at a repeatable, material-dependent breakthrough force. Using hydrophobic probes, the bilayers are punctured on contact, at loads near zero, in all cases. This effect is also manifest when imaging mixed LB monolayers, which show a large topography contrast at low load when using hydrophilic tips but none when using hydrophobic tips. These results provide evidence that the forces required to deform lipid bilayers are dramatically changed in the vicinity of nonpolar surfaces, which is central to the understanding of membrane fusion processes and the function of membrane-associated pro...
IFI16 as a Negative Regulator in the Regulation of p53 and p21Waf1

IFI16 is a member of the HIN-200 family (hematopoietic interferon-inducible nuclear antigens with 200 amino acid repeats) that contains a DNA binding domain, a transcriptional regulatory domain, and DAPIN/PAAD, a protein domain associated with interferon response. It can function as a transcription repressor and directly binds p53. Although the structural and biochemical properties of IFI16 are known, the physiological relevance of these properties in the cellular context is still elusive. Here we report that the inhibition of endogenous IFI16 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) induces p21Waf1 mRNA and protein expression through p53 but does not induce pro-apoptotic p53 target genes. This rapid induction of p21 was wild-type p53-dependent and resulted in cell cycle arrest along with a marked reduction of phosphorylated Rb in normally growing cells. We also showed that the repression of IFI16 affects p53 transcriptional activity at the p21 promoter as well as the protein stability of p53 and p21. Our findings identified a new role for IFI16 in modulating p53 function and its target gene regulation in the control of cell cycle regulation.
Evaluation of a video tracking device for measurement of horizontal and vertical eye rotations during locomotion.

Abstract We have evaluated a video-based method for measuring binocular horizontal and vertical eye movements of human subjects by comparing it with the magnetic search coil technique. This video tracking system (VTS) uses multiple infrared light sources and small video cameras to simultaneously measure the positions of reflected corneal images and the center of the pupil. The system has a linear range of approximately ±40° horizontally and ±30° vertically, a sampling rate of 120 Hz (180 Hz with the head fixed), and system noise with standard deviation of
The reduction of rhodopsin with sodium borohydride under non-bleaching conditions.

Abstract At 35° or in 2.0 M urea at 3°, an aqueous miceller suspension of rhodopsin will not bleach in the absence of light. However, two sulfhydryl groups previously unreactive with p -hydroxymercuribenzoate became reactive, and the bond between the chromophore and the backbone of the molecule may be slowly reduced with NaBH 4 . Under the mildest conditions, 0.10 M potassium phosphate buffer of pH 7.2 at 35°, the reduction product is N -retinylphosphatidylethanolamine. With 0.33 M potassium phosphate buffer of pH 7.2 at 35°, or 2.0 M urea in 0.10 M potassium phosphate buffer of pH 7.2 at 3°, the reduction product is unextractable with organic solvents, suggesting that it is bound to the protein portion of the molecule. This suggests that the bond between the chromophore and the backbone of the molecule is very labile, but does not involve phosphatidylethanolamine directly in the Schiff base linkage.
The synthesis of a photolabile detergent and its use in the isolation and characterization of protein.

Abstract A new ionic detergent sodium 4-(3,3-dimethyl-1-oxotridecyl)benzenesulfonate similar to sodium dodecyl sulfate has been synthesized which is photodegradable to sodium p -acetyl-benzenesulfonate and a simple olefin mixture upon irradiation in aqueous solution with light 300 nm and above in wavelength. This photodegradable detergent can be used to solubilize many proteins and provide information as to the molecular weight and subunit composition of proteins by electrophoresis. The removal of this detergent by photolysis results in no apparent damage to protein.