cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Going Beyond the Fab Five: Helping Students Cope With the Unique Linguistic Challenges of Expository Reading in Intermediate Grades

As students transition from primary to intermediate grades, the kind of materials that they are expected to read and write become more heavily dominated by expository texts. Expository texts contain grammatical patterns that are distinct from those used in primary-grade storybooks. These linguistic features pose new comprehension challenges for students. This article identifies some of the special linguistic features of expository texts and describes several classroom-based strategies for helping students develop insights on the language through which expository texts are constructed. It argues that reading instruction for intermediate grades needs to go beyond the “Fab Five” (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension strategies) endorsed by the National Reading Panel in the United States to include tasks that specifically address the unique linguistic challenges of expository reading.
Effect of vitamin D on MS activity by disease-modifying therapy class

Objective: To determine whether vitamin D status predicts disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) taking interferon-β (IFN), glatiramer acetate (GA), and fingolimod (FTY). Methods: Participants (n = 324) with relapsing-remitting MS on IFN (96), GA (151), or FTY (77) were identified from the Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigation of MS at Brigham and Women9s Hospital (CLIMB) Study at the Partners MS Center. FTY-treated participants were analyzed separately because of differences in selection. Serum vitamin 25(OH)D concentration was adjusted for season. We evaluated the relationship between 25(OH)D tertile and time to relapse or gadolinium-enhancing lesion using a Cox model adjusted for age, sex, and disease duration. Results: Higher 25(OH)D was associated with longer time to the combined endpoint in the overall IFN/GA cohort ( p for trend = 0.042; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.77) and in the IFN subgroup (HR IFN = 0.58; p IFN = 0.012), but not in GA-treated participants ( p = 0.50; HR = 0.89). For gadolinium-enhancing lesions alone, there was a significant association observed in GA and IFN subgroups, although the effect was more pronounced on IFN (HR GA = 0.57; p GA = 0.039 vs HR IFN = 0.41; p IFN = 0.022). No significant associations were found for relapses. For FTY, higher 25(OH)D was associated with longer survival for the combined endpoint (HR FTY = 0.48; p FTY = 0.016) and for relapses (HR FTY = 0.50; p FTY = 0.046), but not for gadolinium-enhancing lesions. Conclusions: Disease activity generally improved with higher 25(OH)D, but this study raises the question of effect modification by treatment class.
Maternal and Fetal 11C-Cocaine Uptake and Kinetics Measured In Vivo by Combined PET and MRI in Pregnant Nonhuman Primates

Cocaine use during pregnancy has been shown to be deleterious to the infant. This may reflect reduction of flow to placenta or effects on the fetal brain. Methods to assess pharmacokinetics of drugs of abuse in vivo would be useful to investigate the mechanisms underlying the fetal adverse effects. We recently reported that combined MRI and PET technology allows the measurement of radioisotope distribution in maternal and fetal organs in pregnant Macaca radiata. Here, we evaluate the utility of PET to measure the uptake and distribution of 11C-cocaine in the third-trimester fetus. Methods: Six pregnant M. radiata weighing 3.8–9.0 kg were anesthetized and MR images were acquired on a 4-T MRI instrument. In all 6 animals, dynamic PET scans were subsequently acquired using 148–259 MBq of 11C-cocaine. Time-activity curves for both maternal and fetal organs were obtained simultaneously with the pregnant animal positioned transverse in the PET scanner. Distribution volume ratios for maternal and fetal brain for 11C-cocaine were calculated. Results: Coregistration of PET and MR images allowed identification of fetal organs and brain regions and demonstrated that 11C-cocaine or its labeled metabolites readily cross the placenta and accumulate mainly in fetal liver and to a lesser extent in the brain. Time to reach peak 11C uptake in brain was shorter for the mother than for the fetus. The distribution volume ratios of the maternal striatum were higher than those of the fetus. Placenta was clearly visible on the early time frames and showed more rapid uptake and clearance than other fetal tissues. Conclusion: The pregnant M. radiata model allows the noninvasive measurement of radioisotope pharmacokinetics in maternal and fetal brain and other organs simultaneously. Although the uptake of radioactivity into the fetal brain after the injection of 11C-cocaine is lower and slower than in the maternal brain, a measurable quantity of 11C-cocaine (or its labeled metabolites) accumulates in the fetal brain at early times after injection. The highest accumulation of 11C occurs in the fetal liver. Rapid radioisotope accumulation and clearance in the placenta offer potential as an input function for kinetic modeling for future studies of binding site availability.
Density Functional Theory for Solids

A considerable part of all efforts in electronic structure theory is directed towards the understanding of the energetics of atoms, molecules and solids. Problems of interest are for instance the binding energy of molecules and solids, the compressibility of solids, the heat of formation of compounds, the energy associated with structural changes in solids and, more recently, the determination of the spatial arrangement of atoms on the surfaces of solids. These problems are often of considerable interest as far as practical applications are concerned. With a few exceptions, notably the energetics- of atoms and small molecules for which there exist sophisticated and quantitavely accurate methods, density-functional theory is presently our only means of attacking these complicated problems. Fortunately, as will become evident from the different lectures of this school, density-functional theory is capable of yielding not only insight into the qualitative aspects of these problems but can also provide rather accurate quantitative answers to them. This is the basis for the large and growing interest in density-functional methods in the last decade. This interest is reflected in several recent review articles on the subject and for further information we refer the reader, e.g., to Ref. 1 and Ref. 2. The present notes rely heavily on Ref. 1 and they can be described as an abbreviated and edited version of Ref. 1 but with new material added.
Lobbying at the Water's Edge: The Corporate Foreign Policy Lobby

Each year, groups ranging from multinationals to non-profits spend hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying America’s federal government on foreign policy. This massive flow of private dollars raises concerns about the health of political pluralism in the realm of America’s international relations. Using an original dataset that combines tens of thousands of Lobbying Disclosure Act filings from 2007 to 2011, information on the content of proposed legislation, and financial data on all publically listed firms in the U.S., we argue that corporate interests dominate the foreign policy lobby; that there are inequalities among firms in lobbying investment that parallel market advantages; and that the firms that lobby are not representative of the median voter. Rather than providing counteractive lobbying that represents the broad range of American opinion, the multitude of voices that lobby major foreign policy bills affecting America’s stance in the world are likely compounding the bias towards large corporations that on average advocate center-right positions.
Cotransmission of GABA and glycine to brain stem motoneurons.

Using whole cell patch-clamp recording in a rat brain stem slice preparation, we found that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine act as cotransmitters to hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs). Focal appl...
Values, Mechanism Design, and Fairness

The popular understanding of "free enterprise" has focused all too often on the importance of self interest. A better description gives prominence to the psychology of values. The recognition of the character of consenting players by other consenting players assists humans in taking part in productive, consensual interactions. Classical economic modeling gave insufficient attention to the structural requirements of trade and cooperative interaction. A combination of game theory and institutional economics helps us to redress the balance, and leads us to the conclusion that values play an important role in many kinds of institutions, and are of fundamental importance in interactions that are not subject to complete structuring through such alternatives as law, physical mechanisms, or institutionalized markets. Values such as honesty and trustworthiness can be very effective in transactional contexts, helping in the restructuring process of mechanism design and changing the dominant solutions in interactions from those with poor cooperative outcomes to those with higher mutual potential. Fairness, by contrast, often plays a different role. It can be viewed, at least in part, as a measuring process in which we decide whether participation in the game as designed is "individually rational," i.e. desirable as a matter of uncoerced choice. The pay-off structures set in place by a bargaining system based on the marginal utility of the players may not match up with their fairness pricing, a problem which could lead to instability in the system. This instability can be resolved by adding an appropriately calibrated redistribution rule to the overall game, whether in a dyadic paring, a firm, or in society as a whole.
Optimal Sensor Placement Using Chaotic Monkey Search Algorithm

The optimal sensor placement (OSP) problem is integral to modern large scale structures for their health monitoring. Evolutionary algorithms for the OSP problem are attractive as they can result in global optima without gradient information. In this paper, a modification of the Monkey Algorithm with a chaotic search strategy and adaptive parameters is proposed. It includes chaotic initialization, variable search step length, and adaptive watching time.The performance of the proposed chaotic Monkey Algorithm (cMA) is compared with the original Monkey Algorithm. Convergence property of cMA is established. The proposed method is applied to an optimal sensor placement problem for structural health monitoring. The OSP problem is solved for a mass-spring-damper system and then for a model of the I-40 bridge developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed Chaotic Monkey Algorithm has capability of solving mixed-variable optimization problems and that it performs better than the originally proposed Monkey algorithm. Finally, nonparametric uncertainty modeling is used to evaluate variability in a model and its effect on the optimal sensor placement.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Contributory 'Negligence?' The Impact of Future Contributions to Defined Contribution Plans on Retirement Income Adequacy for Gen Xers

One of the major findings in each of the last five annual retirement income adequacy studies by EBRI was that the retirement income adequacy prospects for Gen Xers were approximately the same as for Baby Boomers. However, recent studies by other organizations suggest Gen Xers will fare much worse than the Boomers; namely, a 2013 study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and a 2012 study published by the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College. Unfortunately, these studies appear to be plagued by either explicitly ignoring future contributions to defined contribution plans or failing to account for the recent changes in many defined contribution plans to incorporate automatic enrollment features (including automatic escalation of contributions). Ignoring future contributions exaggerates the percentage of Gen-X workers simulated to run short of money in retirement by roughly 10 to 12 percentage points among all but the lowest-income group. By comparison, EBRI’s Retirement Security Projection Model® (RSPM) incorporates the crucial factor of future worker contributions to defined contribution retirement plans -- as well as the impact of auto-enrollment and auto escalation in 401(k) plans. One of the major findings in each of the annual EBRI RSPM studies since 2010 (which differs sharply from both the Pew and CRR conclusions) was that the overall retirement income adequacy prospects for Gen Xers were approximately the same as for Early Boomers and Late Boomers. This paper compares the EBRI model results in detail to both the Pew and CRR reports.The PDF for the above title, published in the August 2014 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another August 2014 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Satisfaction With Health Coverage and Care: Findings from the 2013 EBRI/Greenwald & Associates Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey.”
Medical marijuana use in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy.

The purpose of the study was to better understand why patients with history of head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with radiotherapy are using medical marijuana (MM). Established HNC quality of life questionnaires and our own MM quality of life questionnaire were sent to 15 HNC patients treated at our institution who reported using MM. Patients are clinically disease free and currently using MM to manage long-term side effects after curative HNC treatment. There was a 100 % response rate. Median time from treatment was 45 months (21–136 months). Most patients smoked marijuana (12 patients), while others reported ingestion (4 patients), vaporizing (3 patients), and use of homemade concentrated oil (1 patient). Six patients reported prior recreational marijuana use before diagnosis. MM provided benefit in altered sense, weight maintenance, depression, pain, appetite, dysphagia, xerostomia, muscle spasm, and sticky saliva. HNC patients report MM use to help with long-term side effects of radiotherapy.
Autonomy in Organizational Life

The article reviews two books: “Autonomy in Organizational Life,” by David Moment and Dalmar Fisher; and “Personal Vitality,” by Donald B. Miller, which has a workbook.
The relation of thiamin to the production of perithecia by Ceratostomella fimbriata.

It is a well established fact that many fungi are unable to synthesize certain necessary vitamins, or are capable of only limited synthesis. If normal vegetative growth is to result, these vitamins must be supplied by the medium in or on which these fungi grow. In contrast with our knowledge of the dependence upon vitamins for normal vegetative growth, little is known regarding the relation of these vitamins to sexual reproduction in fungi. Robbins and Ma (6) postulated that the formation of sex organs by various vitamin-deficient fungi would be found to be associated with the specific vitamin for which a fungus is deficient. Barnett and Lilly (1) have recently shown that, for Sordaria fimnicola, a sufficient amount of biotin in the medium is necessary for (a) normal vegetative growth, (b) the production of perithecia and (c) the formation of normal mature ascospores, and that the amount of biotin required increases in the above order. The number of mature ascospores formed by this fungus was directly proportional to the amount (sub-optimal) of biotin added to the medium. Hawker (3), working primarily with Melanospora destruens, reported that an exogenous source of biotin was necessary for abundant mycelial growth and that fruiting occurred only on the further addition of thiamin.
Multi-octave spectral beam combiner on ultra-broadband photonic integrated circuit platform.

We present the design of a novel platform that is able to combine optical frequency bands spanning 4.2 octaves from ultraviolet to mid-wave infrared into a single, low M2 output waveguide. We present the design and realization of a key component in this platform that combines the wavelength bands of 350 nm – 1500 nm and 1500 nm – 6500 nm with demonstrated efficiency greater than 90% in near-infrared and mid-wave infrared. The multi-octave spectral beam combiner concept is realized using an integrated platform with silicon nitride waveguides and silicon waveguides. Simulated bandwidth is shown to be over four octaves, and measured bandwidth is shown over two octaves, limited by the availability of sources.
Diaphanous formin mDia2 regulates CENP-A levels at centromeres

Centromeres of higher eukaryotes are epigenetically defined by centromere protein A (CENP-A), a centromere-specific histone H3 variant. The incorporation of new CENP-A into centromeres to maintain the epigenetic marker after genome replication in S phase occurs in G1 phase; however, how new CENP-A is loaded and stabilized remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the formin mDia2 as essential for stable replenishment of new CENP-A at centromeres. Quantitative imaging, pulse-chase analysis, and high-resolution ratiometric live-cell studies demonstrate that mDia2 and its nuclear localization are required to maintain CENP-A levels at centromeres. Depletion of mDia2 results in a prolonged centromere association of holiday junction recognition protein (HJURP), the chaperone required for CENP-A loading. A constitutively active form of mDia2 rescues the defect in new CENP-A loading caused by depletion of male germ cell Rac GTPase-activating protein (MgcRacGAP), a component of the small GTPase pathway essential for CENP-A maintenance. Thus, the formin mDia2 functions downstream of the MgcRacGAP-dependent pathway in regulating assembly of new CENP-A containing nucleosomes at centromeres.
The interactive effects of human capital and quality of life on economic growth

ABSTRACTTo bridge the gap in the quality of life (QOL) and economic growth literature and understand the reinforcing effects of QOL and human capital on economic development, we examine the interactive effects of these two factors on wage growth from 2000 to 2007 at the county level across the United States. First, a Rosen–Roback model is employed to estimate implicit values of amenities including climate, clean air and other natural attributes, which are used to generate QOL indices. Second, QOL, human capital represented by the share of college graduates, and their interaction serve as key variables in the wage growth model. An instrumental variable approach and location fixed effects are used to address endogeneity of human capital and control for location-specific unobservable characteristics. Results suggest that human capital and QOL significantly contribute to economic growth and the growth effects are even larger in nonmetropolitan counties. Importantly, we find that the effect of human capital on...
Monocular 3D tracking of deformable surfaces

The problem of reconstructing deformable 3D surfaces has been studied in the non-rigid structure from motion context, where either tracked points over long sequences or an initial 3D shape are required, and also with piecewise methods, where the deformable surface is modeled as a triangulated mesh, which is fitted to an initial estimation of the 3D surface computed from correspondences in two views. In this paper we present a new scheme to reconstruct deformable surfaces by tracking relevant features that parametrize such deformation. Assuming that an initial 3D shape related to a reference frame is available, we initially match the reference and current frames using visual information. Then, these correspondences are clustered in patches with geometric characteristics in the image domain and 3D space. In order to reduce the number of parameters to be estimated, we explain each cluster using thin-plate splines (TPS) with a minimal number of control points. Then the 3D coordinates of these control points in the deformed surface are estimated using a non-linear least squares approach, deriving on the reconstruction of the full deformed patches. We perform experiments in synthetic and real data of monocular video sequences to validate our approach.
IL-2 and IL-6 cooperate to enhance the generation of influenza-specific CD8 T cells responding to live influenza virus in aged mice and humans.

// Xin Zhou 1 , Jacob W. Hopkins 1 , Chongkai Wang 1 , Vinayak Brahmakshatriya 2 , Susan L. Swain 2 , George A. Kuchel 1 , Laura Haynes 1,* and Janet E. McElhaney 1,3 1 UConn Center on Aging and Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 2 Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, North Worcester, MA, USA 3 Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, ON, Canada * Denotes co-senior author Correspondence to: Janet E. McElhaney, email: // Keywords : aging, CD8 T cell, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, granzyme B, Gerotarget Received : April 02, 2016 Accepted : June 01, 2016 Published : June 14, 2016 Abstract An age-related decline in cytolytic activity has been described in CD8 + T cells and we have previously shown that the poor CD8 + effector T cell responses to influenza A/H3N2 challenge result from a decline in the proportion and function of these cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). Here, we describe that addition of exogenous cytokines to influenza-stimulated PBMC from both aged mice and humans, enhances the generation of influenza specific CD8 CTL by increasing their proliferation and survival. Our data show that the addition of IL-2 and IL-6 to splenocytes from mice previously infected with influenza virus restores the aged CD8 + T cell response to that observed in young mice. In humans, IL-2 plus IL-6 also reduces the proportion of apoptotic effector CD8 + T cells to levels resembling those of younger adults. In HLA-A2 + donors, MHC Class I tetramer staining showed that adding both exogenous IL-2 and IL-6 resulted in greater differentiation into influenza-specific effector CD8 + T cells. Since this effect of IL-2/IL-6 supplementation can be reproduced with the addition of Toll-like receptor agonists, it may be possible to exploit this mechanism and design new vaccines to improve the CD8 T cell response to influenza vaccination in older adults.
Transmission Processes in Popular Culture: Recontextualization and Resemiotization in Music

Popular culture is an archive of cultural memory (Sobral, 2010). Youths’ active engagement with popular culture provides a space to observe intergenerational transmission processes in action. Cultural memory is constructed through the mnemonic activities of social groups such as the family, peers, and cultural-political communities. These sociocultural activities are embodied in artifacts of memory as art, songs, and literary texts. These sites of memory create an opportunity to fill the gaps that separate one generation from the next, constructing continuity through identity (Nora, 1989). Generational memory is constructed through participation in and engagement with sites of memory. In this chapter, we explore a representative cultural product related to the Uruguayan dictatorship and its recontextualizations. The processes of recontextualization (Bernstein, 2000) for cultural products and their resignification by youth are spaces of transmission.
Infection Rate in High Risk Patients Undergoing Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty With Antibiotic Loaded Bone Cement

Introduction: Deep infection after total joint arthroplasty is a devastating complication with reported incidence of 1–3% with projection to increase to 6.8% by 2030. The direct costs of revision surgery due to septic failure are estimated at over $55,000 per case. Antibiotic-Loaded Bone Cement (ALBC) has been proposed as a preventive measure to decrease post-operative infection rates. Its efficacy has been compared with plain bone cement (PBC) in multiple studies. There has been no study to our knowledge examining its efficacy in “high risk” patients. The purpose of this study is to compare infection rates in three cohorts of patients: (1) all patients receiving only PBC, (2) all patients receiving only ALBC, and (3) only “high risk” patients receiving ALBC. Methods: A standard cement protocol was instituted at our hospital for primary total knee arthroplasties (pTKA). From January 2000 to 2005 all pTKAs were performed with PBC. From February 2005 to May 2010, all pTKAs were performed with ALBC. From June 2010 to March 2012, all patients received regular bone cement unless they had previous diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and/or diabetes mellitus. Our institutional joint registry was queried and the three cohorts9 individual charts were retrospectively reviewed. Infection rates amongst cohorts were compared at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year from index surgery date utilizing two sided proportion tests. Results: A total of 3,292 consecutive primary TKAs with full follow up were included. Overall infection rate at one year for the entire study was 0.76%. There were 1,025 patients who received PBC, 1486 ALBC, and 781 in the risk stratified cohort. The 30-day infection rates for cohorts 1, 2, 3 were .0.29%, 0.20%, and 0.13% respectively. The 6-month infection rates for cohorts 1, 2, 3 were 0.39%, 0.54% and 0.38% respectively. The 1-year infection rate for cohorts 1, 2, 3 were 0.78%, 0.61%, and 0.64% respectively. The differences in infection rates between each cohort at all three time intervals were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Antibiotic loaded bone cement does not significantly decrease infection rates for primary total knee arthroplasty. Even risk stratified usage of ALBC for “high risk” patients may be unnecessary and add undue costs to both the patient and hospital, without any appreciable benefit.
Active interrogation of shielded fissionable material using a pulsed bremsstrahlung source

Passive detection of shielded special nuclear material (SNM) is a difficult problem, particularly at standoff distances. The SuperMISTI coded imaging and detection system was used with pulsed bremsstrahlung at the Hermes-III facility at Sandia National Laboratories to study active interrogation techniques as an alternative method of detecting shielded SNM. A combination of high- and low-Z shielding of varying thicknesses was used. Delayed gamma and neutron signatures were measured using NaI and 3He detectors, and signal-to-background ratios were calculated. Experimental setup details and results will be presented.
S 3 H: a symptom surveillance system in high spatial resolution using smartphones

The pandemic outbreaks including seasonal influenza demonstrate the continuous threat from multi-level pandemics and underline the need for robust preparedness and response. The goal of this paper is to develop a symptom surveillance system (S3H), providing supplementary data with public health data for long-term pandemic monitoring and prediction in large population. The system targets at high spatiotemporal monitoring of symptoms in public area including fever and cough distribution. Our preliminary study was conducted in the university library. Thermal imager and sound sensors based on smartphones were used to acquire the raw data. Image processing algorithms were used to calculate the temperature distribution in the certain population. For cough sound recognition, we take the Mel-frequency cepstral (MFC) as the feature of cough sound and kNN algorithm was performed for automatically recognizing the cough sound in a continuous recording.
Longitudinal Study of Pediatric Urticaria Pigmentosa

Background/Objectives Urticaria pigmentosa (UP) is the most common form of mastocytosis in children and is associated with systemic signs, symptoms, and triggers. To our knowledge, the effect of UP on children's quality of life has not been studied. The objective of the current study was to characterize the natural history, triggers, and complications of pediatric UP, identify prognostic indicators, and determine its effect on quality of life. Methods Between 2002 and 2007, children with three or more mastocytomas diagnosed by a pediatric dermatologist were recruited during visits at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Dermatology Clinic (Milwaukee, WI). Research visits were conducted every 3 years and telephone interviews yearly. The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index was administered to subjects 4 years of age and older at enrollment. Laboratory test results were collected for subjects younger than 4 years at enrollment. Subjects were followed until UP resolution or study end in August 2015. Results The final cohort size was 43 subjects followed for a median of 8.1 years. Twenty-six subjects were followed through study completion. At age 12 years, 6 patients had disease resolution and 14 remained active. Patients who had disease resolution before age 12 years were more likely to be male and had fewer years of age and smaller lesions, fewer affected areas, and earlier onset. Common medications and anesthetics resulted in no serious reactions. Hymenoptera stings occurred in 51%, with no reports of anaphylaxis. No patient reported a severe effect on quality of life, with most indicating mild to no effect. Conclusion Severe complications are not common with historically identified triggers. Disease does not resolve before adolescence in most children. UP has a minimal effect on quality of life for most children.
1991 Receiver Psychology

In studies of the evolution of animal signaling much emphasis was put on the signals, but not enough attention was paid to the receiving animal. That animal’s ability to detect signals, discriminate among signals, and remember signals play key roles the evolution of signals.
Using Atomic Force Microscopy to Predict Tumor Specificity of ICAM1 Antibody-Directed Nanomedicines

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful tool to detect in vitro antibody–antigen interactions. To date, however, AFM-measured antibody–antigen interactions have yet to be exploited to predict in vivo tumor specificity of antibody-directed nanomedicines. In this study, we have utilized AFM to directly measure the biomechanical interaction between live triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and an antibody against ICAM1, a recently identified TNBC target. For the first time, we provide proof-of-principle evidence that in vitro TNBC cell-ICAM1 antibody binding force measured by AFM on live cells more precisely correlates with in vivo tumor accumulation and therapeutic efficacy of ICAM1 antibody-directed liposomes than ICAM1 gene and surface protein overexpression levels. These studies demonstrate that live cell-antibody binding force measurements may be used as a novel in vitro metric for predicting the in vivo tumor recognition of antibody-directed nanomedicines.
The role of avoidant attachment on college persistence and completion among youth in foster care

Abstract Foster care youth graduate from college at rates far below their peers. Attention is now shifting to identifying modifiable risk factors that influence their chances of completing college. One explanation is that past traumatic experiences have an enduring impact on youths' psychosocial functioning, which in turn compromises their ability to succeed in college. This paper investigates avoidant attachment, which is characterized by emotional guardedness and reluctance to rely on others for support. Secondary analyses were conducted on data collected from a longitudinal study that followed several hundred foster youths in three Midwestern states for nearly 10 years. Information on college outcomes were obtained from National Student Clearinghouse records. Binary logistic regression analyses investigated whether avoidant attachment was associated with the odds that foster youth persisted in college and completed a degree. Results found that higher avoidant attachment decreased the odds of both college persistence and degree attainment after controlling for a wide range of potential confounders. The relationships between avoidant attachment and the college outcomes were mediated in part by the perceived amount of social support foster youth reported around the time they were in college. Addressing the psychosocial consequences of past maltreatment and relational instability may be an important component of interventions designed to increase college success for foster youth. This may require programs to develop strategies to recruit difficult-to-engage students, normalize help-seeking, address underlying trauma, and provide opportunities to develop connections to resourceful adults.
Measuring a detection sensitivity metric for non-shift invariant computational imaging systems (Conference Presentation)

In the modern tactical imaging environment, new computational imaging (CI) systems and algorithms are being used to improve speed and accuracy for detection tasks. Therefore, a measurement technique is needed to predict the performance of complex non-shift invariant EO/IR imaging systems, including CI systems. Detection performance of traditional imaging systems can be modeled using current system metrics and measurements such as Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), Signal to Noise (SNR), and instantaneous Field of View (iFOV). In this correspondence, we propose a technique to experimentally measure a detection sensitivity metric for non-traditional CI systems. The detection sensitivity metric predicts the upper bound of linear algorithm performance though evaluation of a matched filter. The experimental results are compared with theoretical expected values though the Night Vision Integrated Performance Model (NV-IPM). Additionally, we demonstrate the experimental results for a variety of imaging systems (IR, visible, and color), target sizes and orientations, as well as SNR values. Our results demonstrate how this detection sensitivity metric can be measured to provide additional insight into the final system performance.
Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, and Public Policy: Separate, Subset, or Intersectional Domains of Inquiry?1

We view public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management as intersectional domains of inquiry and argue that advances in each of these domains requires us to bring knowledge from othe...
Breast cancer diagnosis using fluorescence spectroscopy with dual-wavelength excitation and machine learning

Intrinsic fluorescence spectra of fresh normal and cancerous human breast tissues were measured using two selective excitation wavelengths including 290nm and 340nm. Dual-wavelength excitation may reveal more molecular information than single-wavelength excitation. In the meantime, it is significantly faster than the acquisition of excitation-emission (EEM) matrix. Unsupervised machine learning algorithms principal component analysis (PCA) and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) were used to reduce the dimensionality of the spectral data. The relative concentrations of the basis spectra retrieved by PCA and NMF were considered features of the samples and used to distinguish normal and malignant tissues. The performances of classification using support vector machine (SVM) based on PCA and NMF features were compared. The classification using spectral data with dual-wavelength excitation was compared with single-wavelength excitation. Classification based on NMF-retrieved components from spectral data with dual-wavelength excitation yielded the best performance.
Multi-scale soft porous lubrication

Abstract This paper reports a comprehensive study of soft lubrication in a porous layer whose thickness ranges from 3.1 mm to 19.0 mm, using two experimental setups for different scales of porous media. We demonstrate that the lubrication theory for soft porous media (Feng and Weinbaum, J. Fluid Mech. 422, 282, 2000) is valid in describing the fluid pressurization, while the theory by Toll (Polym Eng Sci 38, 1337, 1998) is appropriate in predicting the solid phase lifting force. A new model is then developed for estimating the contribution of the fluid pressure to the total lift, which, along with extensive dimensional analysis, provides critical insights for the application of soft porous lubrication in industrial applications.
The Relative Impact of Ice Fall Speeds and Microphysics Parameterization Complexity on Supercell Evolution

AbstractThe use of bin or bulk microphysics schemes in model simulations frequently produces large changes in the simulated storm and precipitation characteristics, but it is still unclear which as...
Lateral and Longitudinal Motion Control of Autonomous Vehicles using Deep Learning

The Current trend of the automotive industry combined with active research by the major tech companies has proven that self-driving vehicles are the future. The biggest challenge for self-driving cars is autonomous lateral and longitudinal control. An end-to-end model seems very promising in providing a complete software stack for autonomous driving. The work described in this paper focuses on how a deep learning technique is utilized for implementing both lateral and longitudinal control of vehicles. The open racing car simulator (TORCS) is used for developing and testing the implementation. Two separate neural networks were trained that can predict the vehicle speed and steering based on the road trajectory. Such an approach serves as a foundation towards building a system that utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze the environment and determine what the vehicle speed should be rather than following a set of predetermined rules.
Development of a real-time physician–patient communication data collection tool

Objectives To design a tool to assess and improve physician communication, provide physicians with personalised feedback in real time, and relate specific communication behaviours to patient experience measures. It was hypothesised that performance of fundamental communication behaviours would correlate with individual patient experience scores as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Single-centre study at a mid-sized academic tertiary medical centre. Participants Thirteen hospitalists across 305 patient interactions were assessed in this study. Participants were recruited from three geographically cohorted adult general medicine-teaching teams on two inpatient units. Participants with cognitive impairment or who were unable to speak English were excluded from the study. Main outcome measures Frequency of performance of 10 fundamental communication behaviours. Results The communication behaviours of 13 hospitalists were assessed by 305 surveys: 146 observations, 106 patient reports and 52 excluded interactions. During rounds, 50% of physicians introduced themselves, 40% explained their role, 44% introduced other members of the team, 59% addressed patients by name, 58% addressed friends/family, 59% attempted to be at eye level, 41% asked permission before performing a physical examination, 40% asked if patients had questions and 20% asked if patients understood the plan of care. Several variables correlated with higher HCAHPS scores; however, addressing patients by name (r=0.60482, p=0.0492) and introducing other members of the team (r=0.87239, p=0.0234) were statistically significant. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of effective physician–patient communication and presents a unique data collection tool to assess and improve physician communication in real time. This tool can provide physicians with personalised feedback and relate specific communication behaviours to patient experience measures to provide high-quality care and improve the patient experience.
Persistent Lack of Patient Treatment Outcome Information for Patients, Therapists, and Surgeons

Orthopedic surgery was the first surgical specialty to engage in a broad spread initiative to understand patient-oriented outcomes. In 1990, Clement Sledge, MD, in his role in the AAOS presidential line, established an outcomes committee. This effort was, in large part, informed by the seminal work of Dr. John Wennberg at Dartmouth. The research approach of small area analysis, developed by Dr. Wennberg, was fairly early on applied to the musculoskeletal system as one of the most common clinical scenarios requiring or resulting in invasive interventions. He established that residents of the postal codes around Boston were four times more likely to undergo hip replacement than residents of the area around New Haven, Connecticut, and residents of those postal codes were four times more likely to undergo a spinal procedure than residents of Boston. He identified that one major impact in these discrepancies, besides local surgeon culture and density, was the lack of information on what outcomes of importance patients could expect to experience. The AAOS embarked on a program called MODEMS with the goal of encouraging surgeons to measure their patient-oriented outcomes—functional outcomes rather than simply the clinical outcomes (infection, range of motion, and strength) that we typically measured. Several patient-oriented measures were developed and validated, but the program was abandoned after 3 years due to the high cost of investment with little promise of financial return from the program.
Tardigrades of North America: New Records of Occurrence for Three Species of Green Tardigrades (Heterotardigrada, Echiniscoidea, Echiniscidae, Viridiscus)

Three species of green tardigrades (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscoidea: Echiniscidae) Viridiscus perviridis, Viridiscus viridianus and Viridiscus viridissimus are reported from a dozen locations from Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is the first report of these species from these states and is the farthest north these species have been found in North America. Viridiscus viridianus is also reported from the island of Antigua, the first report of this genus from Antigua.
A Numerical and Experimental Study of a Low-Loss Wideband E-Shaped Meta-Atom for LHM Characteristics

A planar left-handed metamaterial (LHM) based on E-shaped resonator (ESR) configuration is demonstrated, which provides a methodology in designing loss wideband negative-refractive-index (NRI) materials. When a plane wave propagates perpendicularly toward the ESR metamaterial (MTM) layer, a left-handed (LH) transmission passband is realised from a frequency band of 4.31 GHz to 5.24 GHz, where both effective permittivity and effective permeability are negative. Numerical and experimental results predict a LH transmission band near 4.16-GHz resonance. The retrieval algorithm and dispersion characteristics confirm the double-negative (DNG) constitutive parameters and NRI passband. Simple expressions for the electric and magnetic resonance frequencies of an ESR MTM structure are also presented. CST Microwave Studio EM simulation was used to obtain the complex values of S-parameters data of the MTM unit cell and to examine E-field distribution. The implemented experimental results reveal that the proposed compact ESR MTM structure provides a wide left-handed transmission passband with small material losses and ease of fabrication, making the suggested ESR LHM a good candidate for radio-frequency (RF) and millimetre applications.
Exosome-mediated human norovirus infection

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. Outbreaks normally occur via the fecal-oral route. HuNoV infection is thought to occur by viral particle transmission, but increasing evidence suggests a function for exosomes in HuNoV infection. HuNoV is contained within stool-derived exosomes, and exosome-associated HuNoV has been shown to replicate in human intestinal enteroids. In this study, we examine exosome-associated HuNoV infection of Vero cells and show that exosomes containing HuNoV may attach, infect, and be passaged in Vero cells. These findings support earlier findings and have implications for developing HuNoV disease intervention strategies.
Critical Spatial Clusters for Vaccine Preventable Diseases

The standard public health intervention for controlling the spread of highly contagious diseases, such as measles, is to vaccinate a large fraction of the population. However, it has been shown that in some parts of the United States, even though the average vaccination rate is high, geographical clusters of undervaccinated populations are emerging. Given that public health resources for response are limited, identifying and rank-ordering critical clusters can help prioritize and allocate scarce resources for surveillance and quick intervention.
Impact of Non-guideline-directed Care on Quality of Life in Testicular Cancer Survivors.

Abstract Background Non–guideline-directed care (NGDC) is seen in ∼30% of testicular cancer patients and has been identified as a significant predictor of relapse. However, the potential impact of mismanagement on patient quality of life (QoL) is yet to be established. Objective To explore the impact of NGDC on long-term QoL in testicular cancer survivors (TCSs). Design, setting, and participants A retrospective review of TCSs, who completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) in person or via mail ≥6 mo after completion of treatment, was conducted. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The validated questionnaire evaluates global health status (GHS); cognitive, social, physical, emotional, and role functioning; financial burden; and treatment-specific side effects. Results and limitations A total of 120 men with a median age of 31.5 (interquartile range: 24–42) yr completed the questionnaire. Thirty-four (28%) men received NGDC: overtreatment (44%), improper imaging (32%), and undertreatment (29%). Men with NGDC presented with a more advanced clinical stage (≥IIA: 64% vs 32%, p = 0.007) and were less likely to undergo surveillance (19% vs 37%, p = 0.016). Patients receiving guideline-directed care reported higher GHS (84.1 vs 77.5, p = 0.015), higher physical function scores (98.5 vs 91.2, p = 0.013), and fewer financial difficulties (5.8 vs 18.6, p = 0.006) than those receiving NGDC. Multivariable linear regression showed a significant association between NGDC and poorer GHS (p = 0.002). Limitations of the study include its retrospective nature, modest sample size due to a 21% response rate, and quality-of-life assessment at a single time point rather than serially over time. Conclusions In addition to treatment delay, avoidable morbidity, and higher rates of relapse, NGDC leads to inferior global QoL, worse physical functioning, and more financial stress. Patient summary We have previously shown how mismanagement of testicular cancer results in a higher rate of disease relapse. In this study, we emphasize how the lack of adherence to standard treatment guidelines can lead to worse quality of life outcomes and financial stress in testicular cancer survivors.
The effect of photodegradation on effective properties of polymeric thin films: A micromechanical homogenization approach

Abstract An analytical model is developed to study the impact of photodegradation on the elastic properties of polymeric thin films. The multi-phase heterogeneous aged polymer material is considered as a two-phase functionally graded material with varying volume ratios as functions of both time and depth. The concentration gradations are obtained using a three-species chemical kinetic model with the kinetics being driven by light that is absorbed as it passes through the film. Concentration gradations are connected to the elastic stiffness through volume averaging and a micromechanics approach is employed to find effective properties of functionally graded composites. Concise matrix expressions of the effective properties are presented. The derived formulas are applied to study the effective responses of an aged simply-supported polymer film under surface loads. The obtained results are then compared with and validated by those from a multi-layer analytical model. The present formulas are also applied to predict the evolution of effective properties of a polymer thin film under photodegradation, and the variation of effective responses under surface loads. The present solution could be useful in studying the relation between polymer molecular structure and mechanical properties, and in the evaluation of long-term mechanical responses of polymeric structures.