cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion Tensor Imaging in the Study of Aging and Age-Associated Neural Disease

Abstract Senescence of neural systems is associated with profound alterations in connective anatomy and tissue architecture. Classical neuroimaging has allowed the in vivo examination of these dynamic changes, and prior studies utilizing quantitative methods have revealed many basic principles of cerebral organization across the lifespan. Recent developments in a range of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) techniques have provided a significant advance in the neural parameters available for the in vivo examination of tissue changes across the lifespan. Microstructural measurements produced through diffusion imaging are particularly helpful in charting patterns of alterations in tissue integrity and changes in anatomical connectivity that result from both the typical aging process as well as the myriad of detrimental conditions that increase in incidence with advancing age and affect the nervous system. Diffusion methods may facilitate the measurement of tissue parameters that precede functional or macroscopic structural neural alterations. There is also optimism that the multitude of tissue contrasts that can be extrapolated from diffusion properties may even provide information useful for the specification of different histological degenerative processes that have been documented to occur in older adults. Here we perform a historic review of the literature employing DWI to gain neurobiological insight into the aging brain, as well as work exploring the clinical utility of diffusion imaging towards understanding patterns of age-associated neurodegenerative conditions. We additionally review related concepts, including discussion of the common metrics obtained from diffusion imaging and how lifespan changes in diffusion metrics relate to classically utilized macrostructural volumetric measures. With the great promise of diffusion imaging, it will be critical to continue the advancement of procedures for the acquisition and analysis of diffusion data to increase the specificity and sensitivity of measures of human neuroanatomy and microstructure. In this regard, we review some of the current limitations and challenges in the application of diffusion imaging to address clinical questions, and discuss the great potential for future applications once these challenges are addressed.
A Qualitative Meta-Analysis of Computer Games as Learning Tools

Drawing on grounded theory approach and a qualitative meta-analysis, this chapter intends to systematically review and synthesize the theories, methods, and findings of both qualitative and quantitative inquiries on computer-based instructional games. A major purpose of this literature review and meta-analysis is to inform policy and practice based on existing studies. Four major recurring themes concerning the effectiveness of computer-based instructional games have emerged from a comparative analysis with 89 instructional gaming studies and are discussed with the support of exemplar research. The chapter will assist practitioners and policymakers in understanding the “best practices” and key factors of a computer game-based learning program.
The Modernity of His Financial Thought

Wagner pinpoints some of De Viti de Marco’s key ideas and their relevance to current issues, ending up by comparing the Parliamentary chambers to special investment banks. He brings the question of electoral law and the parliamentary system back into the mechanism of forming parliamentary consensus: in short, he raises the question of the “market of politics”.
Contours of Coalition Politics on Hydraulic Fracturing Within the United States of America

This chapter analyzes coalition politics and public policy in the USA. The data are based on an online survey of policy actors in Texas, New York, and Colorado. Two coalitions are identified based on respondents’ positions on hydraulic fracturing, problem perceptions, and interaction patterns. One coalition consists of proponents of hydraulic fracturing and they prefer to see it expanded or continued. The second coalition consists of opponents of hydraulic fracturing and they prefer to see it stopped or limited. The two coalitions have moderate differences in their resource capacities, interaction patterns, and strategies. Public policy in the three states reflects the characteristics of the two coalitions with a ban in New York and the passage of regulations in Colorado and Texas.
Anion conducting multiblock copolymer membranes with partial fluorination and long head-group tethers

Anion conductive polymers are of value in anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells. A series anion conductive polymers composed of partially fluorinated multiblock copoly(arylene ether)s (mPEs) with long head-group tethers were synthesized via polycondensation and Friedel–Crafts reaction. The relationship between chemical structure, membrane morphology and physical properties was explored by varying the length of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks and the number of tethers per hydrophilic repeat unit in the synthesized multiblock copolymers. Efficient, ion-conductive nano-channels were formed by using nanophase-separation of the multiblock copolymer to improve channel formation and ionic conductivity without inducing excess water uptake (WU). The hydrophobicity of the partially fluorinated backbone further reduced the WU. Doubling the number of head-groups resulted in more than doubling the hydroxide ion conductivity. From the study of the number of freezable and bound water molecules per head-group, it was found that bound water played a dominant role in ion transport, while excess unbound water led to higher unproductive WU. Multiblock copolymer AEMs with high hydroxide conductivity, up to 119 mS cm−1 were obtained. Polymers with an attractive OH− conductivity of 94 mS cm−1 at 80 °C, and low WU of 26.7% with a modest ion exchange capacity were also obtained. The membranes showed excellent alkaline stability due to the use of the long head-group tether structure and partial fluorination. Less than 1.5% conductivity loss was observed after soaking the membrane in 1 M NaOH solution at 60 °C for over 1000 h. Membranes with higher ionic conductivity showed lower oxygen diffusivity and permeability.
Attitudes and Beliefs of Pathology Residents Regarding the Subspecialty of Clinical Chemistry: Results of a Survey

Context.—Previous studies suggest that training in pathology residency programs does not adequately prepare pathology residents to become competent in clinical chemistry. Objectives.—To define the ...
Experimental study of heat transfer between thin liquid films flowing down a vertical string in the Rayleigh-Plateau instability regime and a counterflowing gas stream

Abstract Direct contact heat exchangers based on wetted string columns offer an intriguing alternative to packed beds and spray columns. We experimentally examine the flow and heat transfer characteristics of thin liquid films flowing down strings of a diameter approximately 1 mm against a counterflowing air stream. Numerical simulations are also performed to help interpret and validate our experimental results. The Rayleigh-Plateau instability caused by interplay among surface tension, gravity, and viscous forces leads to the formation of uniformly spaced drop-like liquid beads traveling down a string. The liquid mass flow rate and also the nozzle radius influence the radius and spatial/temporal frequency of liquid beads. Aerodynamic drag exerted by the counterflowing air stream deforms liquid beads. The relationship between flow characteristics and heat transfer effectiveness are examined experimentally for different combinations of the air velocities, liquid mass flow rates, and nozzle radii. We show that the liquid mass flow rate and the air velocity are two primary factors influencing heat transfer effectiveness whereas details of the liquid flow instability affect local bead-to-air heat transfer coefficients. We also compare the heat transfer effectiveness and the pressure drop between a wetted string column that consists of an array of vertical strings and a well-established structured packing that consists of vertical plates. The wetted string column is shown to deliver comparable heat transfer performance but at a lower air pressure drop than the structured packing. The present work helps improve our understanding of the flow and heat transfer performance of string-based direct-contact heat exchangers and helps build a foundation for their systematic design and optimization.
Global Dynamics of a Breast Cancer Competition Model.

In this paper, we present a system of five ordinary differential equations which consider population dynamics among cancer stem cells, tumor cells, and healthy cells. Additionally, we consider the effects of excess estrogen and the body’s natural immune response on the aforementioned cell populations. Employing a variety of analytical methods, we study the global dynamics of the full system, along with various submodels. We find sufficient conditions on parameter values to ensure cancer persistence in the absence of immune cells, and cancer eradication when an immune response is included. We conclude with a discussion on the biological implications of the resulting global dynamics.
Analysis of the uptake of chlorotrimethylsilane on glass from toluene solution-phase depositions

Abstract The uptake of chlorotrimethylsilane on glass from toluene is proposed to follow a defined reaction model. Static contact angles θm are measured on glass exposed to a range of solution concentrations for t = 20 min. The uptake is potentially sensitive to residual moisture. Fractional surface coverage fc is calculated from three models, direct conversion fc∝θm, a patchy layer fc∝cos (θm), and a micro-heterogeneous surface f c ∝ ( 1 + cos ( θ m ) ) 2 . Phase contrast images in atomic force microscopy show uniform coverage and thereby favor the micro-heterogeneous model. Calibrations of fc against the intensity of an R-Si peak from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy favor the direct or micro-heterogenous model. The uptake reaction is a two step process. The first step is equilibrium Langmuir adsorption/desorption to physisorbed silane. The second is an irreversible, first-order, rate-determining step. The equation f c = 1 − exp ( − k r d s t K e q C ( 1 + K e q C ) ) is applied using weighted regression analysis. The parameters weighted from all three coverage models are K e q > = 35 ± 14 M−1 and k r d s > = 0.219 ± 0.053 min−1.
US Strategic Ambiguity, Rising China, and Taiwan’s Security

This chapter looks at the ramifications of President Ma and the KMT’s “1992 consensus” policy on Taiwan’s relations with the United States. The chapter discusses America’s strategic ambiguity policy and how the KMT’s cross-strait policy has contradicted some of the major premises of Washington’s long-standing interests. The KMT–CCP rapprochement is then analyzed in light of intensification of US–PRC rivalry since 2010, especially in the territorial and maritime contentions in the East and South China Seas.
Tau phosphorylation induced by severe closed head traumatic brain injury is linked to the cellular prion protein.

Studies in vivo and in vitro have suggested that the mechanism underlying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathogenesis is initiated by an interaction between the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and amyloid-β oligomers (Aβo). This PrPC-Aβo complex activates Fyn kinase which, in turn, hyperphosphorylates tau (P-Tau) resulting in synaptic dysfunction, neuronal loss and cognitive deficits. AD transgenic mice lacking PrPC accumulate Aβ, but show normal survival and no loss of spatial learning and memory suggesting that PrPC functions downstream of Aβo production but upstream of intracellular toxicity within neurons. Since AD and traumatic brain injury (TBI)-linked chronic traumatic encephalopathy are tauopathies, we examined whether similar mechanistic pathways are responsible for both AD and TBI pathophysiologies. Using transgenic mice expressing different levels of PrPC, our studies investigated the influence and necessity of PrPC on biomarker (total-tau [T-Tau], P-Tau, GFAP) levels in brain and blood as measured biochemically following severe TBI in the form of severe closed head injury (sCHI). We found that following sCHI, increasing levels of T-Tau and P-Tau in the brain were associated with the PrPC expression levels. A similar relationship between PrPC expression and P-Tau levels following sCHI were found in blood in the absence of significant T-Tau changes. This effect was not seen with GFAP which increased within 24 h following sCHI and progressively decreased by the 7 day time point regardless of the PrPC expression levels. Changes in the levels of all biomarkers were independent of gender. We further enhanced and expanded the quantitation of brain biomarkers with correlative studies using immunohisochemistry. We also demonstrate that a TBI-induced calpain hyperactivation is not required for the generation of P-Tau. A relationship was demonstrated between the presence/absence of PrPC, the levels of P-Tau and cognitive dysfunction. Our studies suggest that PrPC is important in mediating TBI related pathology.
Quality Street: encountering higher education’s accountabilities

AbstractThis article offers a new approach to quality, focusing on the dimensions that gather around it. The mismatched goals of controlling and improving higher education continue to trouble the conceptual clarity of accountability. Quality in higher education emerges as something agreed upon (to varying efficacy) through accountability measures, rather than dictated or scheduled. A concept of purchase (the connectedness of accountability with quality) informs discussion. Following an overview of what quality means logically and in the operational context of high rates of access to and participation in higher education, the argument proceeds to a schema of complementary types, or personages, of accountability (transactional, political, bureaucratic, institutional and disciplinary). Throughout, the desire to be viewed well and self-awareness interplay, rendering the various approaches to quality assurance presences to be acknowledged in their own right.
Demand Side Management

Der im Zuge der Energiewende wachsende Anteil regenerativer Energietrager verstarkt Preisschwankungen auf Energiemarkten und fuhrt zur zunehmenden Gefahrdung der Versorgungssicherheit. Vor allem Industrieunternehmen stehen vor der Herausforderung, das dadurch erschwerte Energieversorgungsmanagement so anzupassen, dass die Wertschopfung und die Rentabilitat der deutschen Standorte gesichert sind. Die Nutzung von Flexibilitat im Energieverbrauch und in der Eigenenergieerzeugung („Demand Side Management“) kann dabei einen vielversprechenden Ansatz bieten, da somit ein kostensensitives Energiemanagement moglich ist und neue Erlospotentiale durch Flexibilitatsvermarktung an Markten fur Strom, Systemdienstleistungen und speziellen Flexibilitatsmarkten erschliesbar werden. Dennoch ist die Ermittlung des realisierbaren und wirtschaftlichen Energieflexibilitatspotentials von hoher Komplexitat und die Literatur gibt bislang kaum Antworten darauf, wie Industrieunternehmen zukunftig mit dieser Situation umgehen sollen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird im vorliegenden Beitrag die Entwicklung und Nutzung neuartiger Entscheidungsunterstutzungssysteme motiviert, welche Industrieunternehmen alleine oder zusammen mit IT-Dienstleistern und Energieberatern entwickeln und zur optimalen Nutzung vorhandener Energieflexibilitat unter integrierten Chancen- und Risikoaspekten nutzen konnen. Dazu werden neben Grundlagen zum Thema Energieflexibilitat und Flexibilitatsvermarktung wesentliche funktionale Anforderungen prasentiert, die ein Entscheidungsunterstutzungssystem (EUS) fur das Energieflexibilitatsmanagement (EFM) idealerweise erfullen sollte. Anschliesend wird eine Systemarchitektur fur ein derartiges EUS vorgestellt und Handlungsempfehlungen fur die Praxis abgeleitet. Im Rahmen von Experteninterviews wird dabei die Praxistauglichkeit sichergestellt.
CASH TRANSFERS ENABLE HOUSEHOLDS TO COPE WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND PRICE SHOCKS: EVIDENCE FROM ZAMBIA.

ABSTRACTClimate change is projected to dramatically disrupt rainfall patterns and agricultural yields in sub-Saharan Africa. These shocks to food production can mire farming households in poverty t...
Introduction: The Female Philosopher

The Introduction discusses Mary Wollstonecraft’s rise to prominence as a female philosopher through the publication of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and puts her work into two contexts: that of reaction in Britain to the Revolution in France, and of the rise of women’s involvement in the intellectual culture of the Enlightenment. The Introduction makes the claim that, in response to the attacks on Wollstonecraft after her death, her less radical contemporaries—Amelia Opie, Maria Edgeworth, and Jane Austen—created a series of afterlives for her, thereby using the non-parodic female philosopher and the resources of the novel to refurbish feminist thought for a more conservative age
Studying the Symbiotic Bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila in Individual, Living Steinernema carpocapsae Nematodes Using Microfluidic Systems

ABSTRACT Animal-microbe symbioses are ubiquitous in nature and scientifically important in diverse areas, including ecology, medicine, and agriculture. Steinernema nematodes and Xenorhabdus bacteria compose an established, successful model system for investigating microbial pathogenesis and mutualism. The bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila is a species-specific mutualist of insect-infecting Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes. The bacterium colonizes a specialized intestinal pocket within the infective stage of the nematode, which transports the bacteria between insects that are killed and consumed by the pair for reproduction. Current understanding of the interaction between the infective-stage nematode and its bacterial colonizers is based largely on population-level, snapshot time point studies on these organisms. This limitation arises because investigating temporal dynamics of the bacterium within the nematode is impeded by the difficulty of isolating and maintaining individual living nematodes and tracking colonizing bacterial cells over time. To overcome this challenge, we developed a microfluidic system that enables us to spatially isolate and microscopically observe individual, living Steinernema nematodes and monitor the growth and development of the associated X. nematophila bacterial communities—starting from a single cell or a few cells—over weeks. Our data demonstrate, to our knowledge, the first direct, temporal, in vivo visual analysis of a symbiosis system and the application of this system to reveal continuous dynamics of the symbiont population in the living host animal. IMPORTANCE This paper describes an experimental system for directly investigating population dynamics of a symbiotic bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophila, in its host—the infective stage of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Tracking individual and groups of bacteria in individual host nematodes over days and weeks yielded insight into dynamic growth and topology changes of symbiotic bacterial populations within infective juvenile nematodes. Our approach for studying symbioses between bacteria and nematodes provides a system to investigate long-term host-microbe interactions in individual nematodes and extrapolate the lessons learned to other bacterium-animal interactions.
From allergen to oral vaccine carrier: A new face of ragweed pollen

Oral delivery of vaccines is highly desirable, yet it has met with limited success. Previously we developed allergen-free pollen grains as a novel approach for oral vaccination. We showed that spores of Lycopodium clavatum can be used for oral vaccination. However, it is unknown if pollens of other species can be similarly used as an oral vaccine carrier. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated common ragweed (RW) pollen (Ambrosia elatior) for its oral vaccination potential. Allergen-free RW pollens were prepared from natural pollens through chemical treatment. Eight weekly oral doses of ovalbumin (OVA) formulated with treated RW generated strong systemic (anti-OVA IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA) and mucosal (anti-OVA IgA) immune responses that sustained for at least three months after vaccination. Mucosal IgA against OVA was found in the lung lavage, feces, saliva, and vaginal secretion. Moreover, three and half months after the last immunization OVA-specific plasma cells were found in the bone marrow that actively secreted IgG and IgG1 antibodies. No IgE against RW-specific proteins was detected in the serum. Overall, RW pollen demonstrated potential for oral vaccine delivery.
Urbanization and land property rights

Abstract We analyze the joint dynamics of land property rights and urbanization, a key yet underexplored relation that underpins the process of economic development. Using a dynamic stochastic model of urbanization with endogenous demand for property rights over land use, we demonstrate that the costly provision of those rights may result in both residential informality that can persist over time and suboptimal urbanization whereby cities are too small and insufficiently productive. In developing countries, because land administrations in charge of issuing titles are difficult to reform, achieving the second best may require acceptance of some level of informality in spite of the negative externalities stemming from informal land tenure and informal settlements. This may not be easily implemented as urban elites may favor overall welfare-reducing policies that over-evict informal dwellers.
C-2002: Expanding environmental specimen bank applications – Banking for marine mammal health research

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began banking specimens for contaminant trend monitoring in 1979. Based on these initial collections, NIST protocols for collection, processing, and banking have been primarily for environmental contaminant analysis. In 2010, NIST consolidated all banking operations to the Marine Environmental Specimen Bank (Marine ESB) at the Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program began the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank (NMMTB) in response to a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) mortality event where a lack of banked specimens left questions concerning unusually high environmental contaminants unanswered. The NMMTB was designed as a resource of tissue samples for chemical analysis to determine exposure to contaminants and retrospective research on exposure history of populations to emerging contaminants. Maintained by NIST, the NMMTB tissues are collected and banked within the Marine ESB from fresh-stranded marine mammals, animals taken incidentally in fishing operations, and from Native Americans for subsistence. In 2002, NIST began collaborating with researchers to assess the health of bottlenose dolphins. These studies involve the capture and release of live animals during which health measurements and samples are collected. This health assessment and banking approach is being expanded to other marine mammal species in the US, and has been used in studies on dolphins for natural resources damage assessment in response to the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The Marine ESB has become a chain-of-custody biorepository for samples collected as a part of the spill. NIST is working with NOAA and its collaborating partners to expand the scope of the specimen bank and develop it as a resource of samples for animal health research. This expansion will emphasize the banking of specimens for wildlife disease studies, exposure to biotoxins, and developing health biomarkers.
The Effect of Cognitive Manipulation on Pupillary Diameter and Evoked Vertex Potentials

The phenomenon of pupillary dilation to fear, pain, discomfort and strong emotion has been known for centuries. Lowenstein was probably the first to produce objective evidence of this dilation by cinephotographic recordings and his experiments led to further exploration of the anatomical and psychological connections mechanism of this phenomenon. Loewenfeld in 1958 in a brilliant dissertation summarized the research findings on the dilation mechanism and added important findings of her own.
Electrochemical Roughening of Thin-Film Platinum Macro and Microelectrodes

This protocol demonstrates a method for electrochemical roughening of thin-film platinum electrodes without preferential dissolution at grain boundaries of the metal. Using this method, a crack free, thin-film macroelectrode surface with up to 40 times increase in active surface area was obtained. The roughening is easy to do in a standard electrochemical characterization laboratory and incudes the application of voltage pulses followed by extended application of a reductive voltage in a perchloric acid solution. The protocol includes the chemical and electrochemical preparation of both a macroscale (1.2 mm diameter) and microscale (20 µm diameter) platinum disc electrode surface, roughening the electrode surface and characterizing the effects of surface roughening on electrode active surface area. This electrochemical characterization includes cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy and is demonstrated for both the macroelectrodes and the microelectrodes. Roughening increases electrode active surface area, decreases electrode impedance, increases platinum charge injection limits to those of titanium nitride electrodes of same geometry and improves substrates for adhesion of electrochemically deposited films.
VERTEBRAL ARTERY TORTUOSITY IS A BIOMARKER FOR ARTERIAL EVENTS IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH VASCULAR EHLERS-DANLOS SYNDROME

Vertebral artery tortuosity has been associated with adverse events in Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndromes, but has not been assessed in Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (VEDS). Subjects <55 years old with VEDS (pathogenic COL3A1 variants) were included from our institution (n=22) and the National
Skewed Perceptions: Psychopathy and Systematic Biases of Risk and Reward from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Scholarship on perceptions of risk and reward of criminal behavior illustrates a substantial impact of individual differences on the decision to offend given a perceived opportunity. The current study extends this literature with a longitudinal assessment of the systematic effects of psychopathic personality traits on perceptions of offending. Multivariate regression analyses using a sample of adjudicated delinquents from the Pathways to Desistance study (n = 987) were employed to estimate the association between psychopathic personality traits and perceptions of offending in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Results indicated that individuals who scored higher on psychopathic personality traits reported higher perceptions conducive to crime in both adolescence and emerging adulthood. Identifying personality characteristics that affect perceptions of offending has important implications for deterrence and other criminological theories that rely on the perceptions of risk. The current study identified psychopathic personality traits as one source of individual differences in perceptions.
Sperm retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes in men with cystic fibrosis disease versus congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens

Recent data suggest that cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene alterations negatively impact male fertility beyond obstruction. We sought to compare gene alterations, sperm retrieval rates, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes among men with cystic fibrosis (CF) disease and congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) only. We retrospectively evaluated all men who underwent surgical sperm retrieval at two academic, high-volume andrology centers from 2010 to 2018. Only men with documented CFTR alterations and obstructive azoospermia from either CBAVD or CF were included. Differences between groups for CFTR abnormality, sperm retrieval, and ICSI outcomes were statistically analyzed. Overall, 39 patients were included with 10 in the CF and 29 in the CBAVD groups. Surgical sperm retrieval rates were significantly lower in the CF group for sperm concentration (14.8 × 10[6] ml-1 vs 61.4 × 10[6] ml-1, P = 0.02) and total motile sperm count (2.9 million vs 11.4 million, P = 0.01). This difference was only predicted by homozygous delta F508 CFTR mutations (P < 0.05). The CF group also demonstrated a significantly higher rate of rescue testicular sperm extraction (70.0% vs 27.6%, P < 0.03) and lower fertilization rate with ICSI (32.5% vs 68.9%, P < 0.01). In conclusion, those with CF demonstrated lower sperm quality, greater difficulty with sperm retrieval, and worse ICSI outcomes compared with CBAVD-only patients. Homozygous delta F508 CFTR mutations appear to significantly impair spermatogenesis and sperm function.
Effectiveness of the care of persons with dementia in their environments intervention when embedded in a publicly funded home- And community-based service program

Background and Objectives In the absence of effective pharmacotherapy, there is an urgent need to test evidence-based dementia care interventions using pragmatic trial approaches. We present results from a study in which an evidence-based, nonpharmacologic intervention for persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) and their informal caregivers, Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments (COPE), was tested in a Medicaid and state revenue-funded home and community-based service (HCBS) program. Research Design and Methods Using pragmatic trial design strategies, persons living with ADRD and their caregivers were randomly assigned as dyads to receive COPE plus usual HCBS (COPE; n = 145 dyads) or usual HCBS only (Usual Care or UC; n = 146 dyads). Outcomes were measured prerandomization, and 4 and 12 months postrandomization. Outcomes for persons living with ADRD included functional independence, activity engagement, self-reported quality of life, and behavioral and psychological symptoms. Caregiver outcomes included perceived well-being, confidence using dementia management strategies, and degree of distress caused by behavioral and psychological symptoms. Results After 4 months, caregivers receiving COPE reported greater perceived well-being (least squares mean = 3.2; 95% CI: 3.1-3.3) than caregivers receiving UC (3.0; 2.9-3.0; p < .001), and persons living with ADRD receiving COPE, compared to those receiving UC, showed a strong trend toward experiencing less frequent and less severe behavioral and psychological symptoms (9.7; 5.2-14.2 vs 12.7; 8.3-17.1; p = .07). After 12 months, persons living with ADRD receiving COPE were more engaged in meaningful activities (2.1; 2.0-2.1 vs 1.9; 1.9-2.0; p = .02) than those receiving UC. Discussion and Implications Embedding COPE in a publicly funded HCBS program yielded positive immediate effects on caregivers' well-being, marginal positive immediate effects on behavioral and psychological symptoms, and long-term effects on meaningful activity engagement among persons living with ADRD. Findings suggest that COPE can be effectively integrated into this service system, an important step towards widespread adoption. Clinical Trials Registration Number NCT02365051.
Capsular Contracture: Controversies in Etiology and Management

Capsular contracture is a one of the most common complications following cosmetic breast augmentation. In fact, it is frequently cited as the first or second most common reason for reoperation in these patients. Multiple potential theories exist with varying levels of supporting data, and it is widely accepted that the pathogenesis is multifactorial. The end results are excessive fibrosis, foreign body reaction, and distortion. The best treatment always begins with prevention. This includes both refinements in technique and surgical adjuncts to improve outcomes and minimize complications. Unfortunately, even after strict adherence to sterile, hemostatic, atraumatic techniques and the use of antimicrobial agents, patients are still at risk for the development of capsular contracture. There are numerous techniques discussed in the literature. These can broadly be divided into nonoperative techniques and operative techniques. This book chapter introduces the reader to etiologies and treatment strategies for capsular contracture following cosmetic breast augmentation.
Expanding the Theological Classroom : People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as Theological Learners

Disability, ableism, and universal design for learning continue to be under-investigated areas in the context of theological education. This essay considers the history of accessibility and disability in theological education, highlighting pressing considerations for contemporary theological educators. Offering a case study of a course in Christian ethics with degree-seeking Duke Divinity School students and community learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this essay analyzes both challenges and supports for the participation of diverse students in theological education. In conversation with scholars in the areas of disability studies and inclusive pedagogy, this essay also offers some best practices in relationship to disability and universal design for learning within a theological framework for education.
Computational modeling of wake flow to improve visibility during high speed snow plowing

Abstract The snow particles entrained in the wake of the maintenance trucks and the subsequent snow accumulation on the rear warning lights appear as the most pronounced visibility problems during high speed snowplowing (HSSP). Development of reliable and cost-effective methods have been demanded by State Department of Transportations to address the visibility hazards that impair safety of the operator and following traffic. An experimentally validated three dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to study the performance of a convex shaped tailgate airfoil to reduce visibility problems during HSSP. Possibility of snow coverage at the rear side of the truck is assessed by evaluating pressure and shear stress distributions. The airfoil selected based on the numerical study is installed to the tailgate of the truck and tested in the field. The full scale field tests validated the accuracy of the CFD model and confirmed the improved rear-side visibility by the tailgate airfoil.
Impact of Vitamin A Supplementation on Prevalence and Incidence of Xerophthalmia in Nepal

Results. Before the intervention, 4318 children were examined for xerophthalmia. The prevalence was 2.3% in the vitamin A group and 3.3% in the placebo group. All children with xerophthalmia were treated with vitamin A at the time of the examination. Of those examined at baseline, 38 in the vitamin A group and 48 in the placebo group died in the 16 months after intervention. There were 1871 (84%) surviving children in the vitamin A group and 1711 (85%) in the placebo group examined at follow-up. After adjustment for the baseline prevalence of xerophthalmia, vitamin A reduced the prevalence at follow-up by 63% (95% confidence interval, 21% to 83%). The apparent incidence was 3.2/1000 per year in the vitamin A group and 9.2/1000 per year in the placebo group, an adjusted reduction of 62% (95% confidence interval, 0% to 86%).
False Positives in Genomic Map Assembly and Sequence Validation

This paper outlines an algorithm for whole genome order restriction optical map assembly. The algorithm can run very reliably in polynomial time by exploiting a strict limit on the probability that two maps that appear to overlap are in fact unrelated (false positives). The main result of this paper is a tight bound on the false positive probability based on a careful model of the experimental errors in the maps found in practice. Using this false positive probability bound, we show that the probability of failure to compute the correct map can be limited to acceptable levels if the input map error rates satisfy certain sharply delineated conditions. Thus careful experimental design must be used to ensure that whole genome map assembly can be done quickly and reliably.
The amino acid sequence of an extracellular nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus. II. The amino acid sequences of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides.

Treatment of the extracellular nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus, strain V8, with cyanogen bromide was previously shown to produce five polypeptides which could be arranged in a linear order. Trypsin digestion of these yielded sets of peptides, in each of which the carboxyl-terminal fragment could be identified by the absence of lysine or arginine, or by the presence of homoserine. The amino acid sequence of each tryptic peptide has been determined. These results, together with the isolation and characterization of peptides produced by chymotrypsin digestion of the intact nuclease, account closely for the amino acid composition of the cyanogen bromide fragments.
The radiation response of a long-term culture of human lymphoid cells. I. Asynchronous populations.

SummaryThe radiation response of a long-term culture of human immunoglobulin-producing lymphoid cells (T1 cells) studied by the colony-forming method, is remarkably similar to the response of other mammalian cell cultures. The relevant parameters are: n = 7–8; Dq = 175 rads and D0 = 85 rads. The cells also demonstrate the ability to repair x-ray damage when the total dose is delivered in two separate exposures. Repair results in the restitution of the shoulder region in dose-dependent survival curves. T1 cells, as an in vitro model for the radiation response of lymphoid cells, contradict the classical contention that immunocytes are extremely radiosensitive.
New adaptive detection filters using Newton-type algorithms

An adaptive detection filter detects the presence of a desired signal in noisy environment. In this paper, we present several detection filtering algorithms in the time domain. Our algorithm's vector forms are compared with gradient search methods include Newton, steepest descent and least-mean-square. We find that our algorithms are of the Newton-type. >
The September 11 Relief Efforts and Surviving Same-Sex Partners: Reflections on Relationships in the Absence of Legal Recognition

The criteria established by federal, state, and private relief efforts to assist the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks present a unique opportunity to examine the status of same-sex relationships in the United States. In the absence of uniform relationship recognition, surviving same-sex partners continue to struggle with a loss that legally is not cognizable. The stories from the September 11 survivors illustrate that a surviving partner is a legal stranger, who often must reconfigure her relationship with her partner to fit within the various legal categories where relief or compensation might be forthcoming. These legal categories generally do not provide recovery in recognition of the nature of her relationship with her partner, but rather in spite of the nature of the relationship. Loss experienced by a surviving same-sex partner in the United States continues to unfold against the backdrop of a persistent morality discourse that demonizes same-sex relationships and enshrines such sentiments in legislation and citizens' initiatives designed to protect traditional marriage. A surviving same-sex partner is denied the basic luxury of grieving because she must navigate a complicated legal system offering pockets of partial recognition and, at times, resort to litigation. The highly polarized nature of the debate regarding the recognition of same-sex relationships means that her very loss is contested and her mourning politicized.
Natural Product-Derived Treatments of Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Review of Progress and Recommendations

Abstract Most currently used psychotropic agents have limited efficacy, significant side-effect and toxicity problems, and are unavailable to approximately 80% of the World's population. The development of efficacious and safe psychotropic medications based on naturally occurring substances used in non-allopathic healing traditions would represent a significant contribution to global mental health care. Rigorous empirical validation of indigenous treatments for neuopsychiatric symptoms and syndromes is necessary to ensure that goals of safety and efficacy are achieved. With these goals in view, the present monograph reviews and discusses important historical, scientific, cross-cultural and legal-regulatory aspects of naturally occurring substances as treatments of neuropsychiatric disorders. The design of a systematic review of published scientific literature on controlled studies (using the Napralert database) is described. Limitations of the literature review are identified and possible solutions described. Significant findings of the literature review are discussed and developed into a framework for further analysis. Six Napralert CNS activity categories are selected for in-depth review because of their central relevance to common neuropsychiatric symptoms or syndromes. In the main body of the monograph synoptic reviews, including summary exhibits, are provided on the current status of significant recent research, including in-vitro, animal and human clinical trials investigating the efficacy of selected naturally occurring substances for treatment of seizure disorders, schizophrenia, dementia and age-related cognitive decline, unipolar depression and other mood disorders, anxiety states, and substance abuse and dependence. Substantial scientific evidence is advanced for safety and efficacy of many natural products employed in non-allopathic systems of medicine to treat common neuropsychiatrie disorders. Many empirically validated treatments appear to have efficacies that are comparable or superior to currently used synthetic psychotropic agents. The monograph concludes with recommendations offered with goals of facilitating improved networking, accelerating promising research directions, and enhancing quality standards of ethnopharmacologic investigations into putative psychotropic agents.
The Age Structure of Contemporary Homelessness: Evidence and Implications For Public Policy

Amidst concern about the implications of an aging U.S. population, recent evidence suggests that there is a unique aging trend among the homeless population. Building on this, we use data from New York City and from the last three decennial Census enumerations to assess how the age composition of the homeless population—both single adults and adults in families—has changed over time. Findings show diverging trends in aging patterns for single adults and adults in families over the past 20 years. Among single adults, the bulk of the sheltered population is comprised of persons born during the latter part of the baby boom era whose high risk for homelessness has continued as they have aged. Specifically, the age group in this population facing the highest risk for homelessness was 34–36 (born 1954–1956) in 1990; 37–42 (born 1958–1963) in 2000; and 49–51 (born 1959–1961) in 2010. In contrast, among adults in sheltered families, there is no indication of any progressive aging of the family household heads. The modal age across the study period remains at 21–23 years of age. We consider implications for the health care and social welfare systems, and policy responses to homelessness.
Analysis and Predictive Models of Single-Family Customer Response to Water Curtailments During Drought1

Polebitski, Austin S. and Richard N. Palmer, 2012. Analysis and Predictive Models of Single-Family Customer Response to Water Curtailments During Drought. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1-12. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00691.x Abstract: This research investigates customer response to demand management strategies during two drought periods in the City of Seattle. An analysis of customer response to voluntary water curtailments is conducted using k-means clustering to identify like groups of customers and behavior patterns. The clustering method identified important variables (household income, lot size, living space, and family size) useful in determining customer response to water curtailments. Ordinary least squares and spatial lag regression models are estimated using the first and second principal components of variables identified in the clustering analysis. Larger values of income, lot size, and living space enhanced water reductions whereas larger family size tended to reduce the effectiveness of curtailments. Projections of changes in Seattle’s built environment and demographics between 2000 and 2030 were obtained from an urban simulation model (UrbanSim) and were processed through the regression models to investigate changes in future curtailment effectiveness. This research found that increasing household size hardened demands (decreased curtailment effectiveness) whereas decreasing household size increased per-capita curtailment effectiveness. These results suggest that changes in the number of residents within a home is likely to be the most important factor in determining future curtailment effectiveness.
Stochastic adaptive control-an historical prospective

Stochastic adaptive control has become an important area of activity in control theory. This activity has developed especially during the past twenty years or so because many mathematical models of physical phenomena are systems which contain parameters and for which control is required. With the maturity of this area of research there are a number of books and general surveys. The author considers adaptive control of discrete and continuous time stochastic systems with an emphasis on continuous time stochastic systems. >
Using Technology to Promote Safe Patient Handling and Rehabilitation

Technology has improved and expanded the equipment options for use in patient handling. There is substantial evidence that these activities expose healthcare professionals, including nurses and physical therapists, to risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. There is also evidence that ergonomic use of equipment to assist with patient handling is associated with decreases in injuries among healthcare providers. The use of patient-handling equipment has additional potential for facilitating the goals of rehabilitation and improving patient outcomes. This article presents an overview of new research areas and a discussion of these topics.
Pedestrian injuries near disabled vehicles

Six cases of pedestrians injured near disabled vehicles and treated at Denver General Hospital are reviewed, with special attention paid to their cause. All occurred next to disabled or stopped vehicles. The serious injuries sustained could be avoided with public education.
Application of Small Interfering RNA for Inhibition of Lipopolysaccharide-induced Osteoclast Formation and Cytokine Stimulation

RNA interference (RNAi) is a unique and powerful tool used for the study of gene function by suppressing its expression. Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATc1) is the most strongly induced transcription factor mediated by receptor activator for nuclear factor kappa B ligand stimulation and has shown to be a key regulator of osteoclastogenesis. To determine the application of small interfering RNA (siRNA) for inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine stimulation and osteoclast formation, murine monocyte, RAW 264.7 cells as well as differentiated osteoclasts were transfected with NFATc1-specific siRNA and then stimulated with 100 ng/mL LPS. By using real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we confirmed that monocytes whose NFATc1 protein expression was silenced by using RNAi produced lower levels of inflammatory cytokines, fewer numbers evolved into mature osteoclasts, and osteoclasts expressed lower levels of osteoclast-specific gene markers such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and cathepsin K. These results suggested that RNAi could be used to modulate the effects of LPS stimulation.