cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Heuristic Framework for Understanding the Role of Participatory Decision Making in Community-Based Non-Profits

This paper explores the role of member participation in decision-making (PDM) from an organizational learning (OL) perspective. Community-based organizations (CBOs) serve as mediators between the individual and the local community, often providing the means for community member participation and benefiting organizationally from members’ input. Community psychologists have recognized these benefits; however, the field has paid less attention to the role participation plays in increasing CBOs’ capacity to meet community needs. We present a framework for exploring how CBO contextual factors influence the use of participatory decision-making structures and practices, and how these affect OL. We then use the framework to examine PDM in qualitative case study analysis of four CBOs: a youth development organization, a faith-based social action coalition, a low-income neighborhood organization, and a large human service agency. We found that organizational form, energy, and culture each had a differential impact on participation in decision making within CBOs. We highlight how OL is constrained in CBOs and document how civic aims and voluntary membership enhanced participation and learning.
Physiological Insights from Cellular and Network Models of the Stomatogastric Nervous System of Lobsters and Crabs

Synopsis. The stomatogastric nervous system of decapod crustaceans is an ideal system for the study of the processes underlying the generation of rhythmic movements by the nervous system. In this chapter we review recent work that uses mathematical analyses and computer simulations to understand: 1) the role of individual currents in controlling the activity of neurons, and 2) the effects of electrical coupling on the activity of neuronal oscillators. The aim of this review is to highlight, for the physiologist, what these studies have taught us about the organization and function of single cell and multicellular neuronal oscillators.
Restoration of Bridge Networks after an Earthquake: Multicriteria Intervention Optimization

Abstract This paper presents an optimization procedure for the restoration activities associated with the bridges of a transportation network severely damaged by an earthquake. The design variables are (i) the time intervals between the occurrence of the distress and the start of the interventions on each bridge of the network; and (ii) the restoration pace of the interventions, which represents a measure of the funding allocated to each bridge. The objectives of the optimization are the maximization of the network resilience, the minimization of the time required to reach a target functionality level, and the minimization of the total cost of the restoration activities. Because the first two objectives clearly conflict with the last one, the optimization procedure does not provide a unique solution, but an entire set of Pareto solutions. A numerical example involving a complex, existing transportation network in Santa Barbara, California, illustrates the capabilities of the proposed methodology.
Hybrid Bundle Divertor Design

A hybrid bundle divertor design is presented that produces <0.3% magnetic ripple at the center of the plasma while providing adequate space for the coil shielding and structure for a tokamak fusion test reactor similar to the International Tokamak Reactor and the Engineering Test Facility (with R = 5 m, B = 5 T, and a /SUB wall/ = 1.5 m, in particular). This hybrid divertor consists of a set of quadrupole ''wing'' coils running tangent to the tokamak plasma on either side of a bundle divertor. The wing coils by themselves pull the edge of the plasma out 1.5 m and spread the thickness of the scrape-off layer from 0.1 to 0.7 m at the midplane. The clear aperture of the bundle divertor throat is 1.0 m high and 1.8 m wide. For maintenance or replacement, the hybrid divertor can be disassembled into three parts, with the bundle divertor part pulling straight out between toroidal field coils and the wing coils then sliding out through the same opening.
Multiattribute Dyadic Choice: Models and Tests

Three models for resolving a cooperative, dyadic choice problem are formulated and solved. Solutions are presented in n-dimensional attribute space (versus the utility plane) to focus on cognitive ...
Evaluation of Determinants by Congruencies

Figure 1 V1 and V2. The numbered sections enclosed by the heavy lines show the cuts that are necessary to form the new rectangles and parallelogram from the original parallelogram. There are nine sections in all. The intersections of the perpendiculars dropped from the points (a 1 1, a 12) and (a2,1a22) produce a large and small rectangle. The small rectangle is taken from the left corner to minimize the number of cuts necessary in the original parallelogram. The numbered sections are shown in Figure 2 in their new arrangement. This demonstrates that the area of the original parallelogram of Figure 1 is equal to the area of the large rectangle minus the area of the small rectangle. Expressed algebraically, the area of the
Abstract 1967: UvrABC excision of interstrand crosslink mitomycin C-DNA lesion induces double-stranded DNA breaks

Mitomycin C (MC) forms at least nine different covalent DNA adducts including an N2-2’-deoxyguanosine monoadduct (MC-mono-dG) and inter- and intrastrand bis-adducts with 2’-deoxyguanosine (dG) in vivo. Inter-strand cross-linked (ICL) dG-MC-dG-DNA adducts can prevent strand separation, and therefore, the MC antitumor activity is most likely derived from formation of ICL-MC adducts. In Escherichia coli cells, UvrABC, the nucleotide excision repair (NER) enzyme complex can repair ICL psoralen lesions that cause DNA bending. The mechanism and the consequence of NER of ICL dG-MC-dG lesions that do not induce DNA bending remain unclear. In order to compare the NER of MC-mono-dG with an ICL dG-MC-dG adduct, we constructed DNA fragments containing the adducts in the same DNA sequence context. We determined that UvrABC incises only at the strand containing MC-mono-dG adduct. In contrast, UvrABC makes three types of incisions on a site specific ICL dG-MC-dG adduct: type 1 (40 %), a single 5’ incision on one strand and 3’ incision on the other; type 2 (21 %), dual incisions on one strand and a single incision on the other strand; and type 3 (39%), dual incisions on both strand of both 5’ and 3’ sides of the ICL dG-MC-dG adduct. These three types of incisions occur with similar kinetics. An important consequence of these incisions is formation of DNA double-stranded breaks (DSB). Contrary to conventional model, we also found that UvrA, UvrA+UvrB and UvrA+UvrB+UvrC bind to MC-modified DNA specifically and form complexes that include UvrA. No UvrB- and UvrB+UvrCDNA complexes were observed. Our findings challenge the current UvrABC incision model of ICLs. We propose that NER of ICL dG-MC-dG adduct produces DSB, a lethal event that contributes to MC antitumor activity, and causes a non-homologous end-to-end joining that leads to DNA translocation and deletion mutations. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1967.
Risks of developing breast and colorectal cancer in association with incomes and geographic locations in Texas: a retrospective cohort study.

No study has been conducted to investigate the spatial pattern and association of socioeconomic status (such as income) with breast and colorectal cancer incidence in Texas, United States. This study aimed to determine whether median household income was associated with the risk of developing breast and colorectal cancer in Texas and to identify higher cancer risks by race/ethnicity and geographic areas. This was a retrospective cohort study with an ecological component in using aggregated measures at the county level. We identified 243,677 women with breast cancer and 155,534 men and women with colorectal cancer residing in 254 counties in Texas in 1995–2011 from the public-use dataset of Texas Cancer Registry. The denominator population and median household income at the county level was obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Cancer incidence rates were calculated as number of cases per 100,000 persons and age-adjusted using the 2000 US population data. We used the ArcGIS v10.1 (geographic information system software) to identify multiple clustered counties with high and low cancer incidences in Texas. Age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate in the highest median income quintile group was 151.51 cases per 100,000 in 2008–2011 as compared to 98.95 cases per 100,000 in the lowest median income quintile group. The risk of colorectal cancer appeared to decrease with increasing median income in racial/ethnic population. Spatial analysis revealed the significant low breast cancer incidence cluster regions located in southwest US-Mexico border counties in Texas. This study demonstrated that higher income was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in Texas. There were geographic variations with cancer incidence clustered in high risk areas in Texas. Future studies may need to explore more factors that might explain income and cancer risk associations and their geographic variations.
Seismicity on Basement Faults Induced by Simultaneous Fluid Injection–Extraction

Large-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) injection into geological formations increases pore pressure, potentially inducing seismicity on critically stressed faults by reducing the effective normal stress. In addition, poroelastic expansion of the reservoir alters stresses, both within and around the formation, which may trigger earthquakes without direct pore-pressure diffusion. One possible solution to mitigate injection-induced earthquakes is to simultaneously extract pre-existing pore fluids from the target reservoir. To examine the feasibility of the injection–extraction strategy, we compute the spatiotemporal change in Coulomb stress on basement normal faults, including: (1) the change in poroelastic stresses $$\Delta \tau _s+f\Delta \sigma _n$$ , where $$\Delta \tau _s$$ and $$\Delta \sigma _n$$ are changes in shear and normal stress. respectively, and (2) the change in pore-pressure $$f\Delta p$$ . Using the model of (J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth 99(B2):2601–2618, 1994), we estimate the seismicity rate on basement fault zones. Fluid extraction reduces direct pore-pressure diffusion into conductive faults, generally reducing the risk of induced seismicity. Limited diffusion into/from sealing faults results in negligible pore pressure changes within them. However, fluid extraction can cause enhanced seismicity rates on deep normal faults near the injector as well as shallow normal faults near the producer by poroelastic stressing. Changes in seismicity rate driven by poroelastic response to fluid injection–extraction depends on fault geometry, well operations, and the background stressing rate.
Comparing the learning outcomes of lecture and self-instruction methods in a senior clinical laboratory science course.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the relative effectiveness of lecture and self-instruction methods of instruction in a senior clinical laboratory science course. DESIGN: Posttest repeated measures design or within subject design. SETTING: The Department of Medical Technology in the School of Allied Health Professions, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans. PARTICIPANTS: Clinical laboratory science students (27) enrolled in clinical parasitology agreed to participate, which was a sample of convenience. There were 16 females and 11 males; 70% Caucasian, 23% Asian, and 7% African-American. The 2 students who did not sign a consent form were excluded from the study. INTERVENTION: Subjects were taught clinical parasitology course material by 2 different methods of instruction, lecture and self-instruction. All subjects received both treatments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Examination scores from each half of the course were compared using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test to determine the effectiveness of each instructional format. RESULTS: Results showed no statistically significant difference in learning outcomes between the 2 instructional formats (a = 0.05, p = 0.13). CONCLUSION: The results of the study generally support the hypothesis that the self-instruction method is as effective as the lecture method in teaching clinical parasitology. By incorporating self-instruction into a clinical laboratory science curriculum, many hours of lecture can be eliminated, and students can learn the material at their own pace. Students comprehend the material effectively, and are relieved from some of the intensity of the didactic approach to instruction that dominates clinical laboratory science curricula.
SU-F-J-22: Lung VolumeVariability Assessed by Bh-CBCT in 3D Surface Image Guided Deep InspirationBreath Hold (DIBH) Radiotherapy for Left-Sided Breast Cancer

Purpose: With the increasing use of DIBH techniques for left-sided breast cancer, 3D surface-image guided DIBH techniques have improved patient setup and facilitated DIBH radiation delivery. However, quantification of the daily separation between the heart and left breast still presents a challenge. One method of assuring separation is to ensure consistent left lung filling. With this in mind, the aim of this study is to retrospectively quantify left lung volume from weekly breath hold-CBCTs (bh-CBCT) of left-sided breast patients treated using a 3D surface imaging system. Methods: Ten patients (n=10) previously treated to the left breast using the C-Rad CatalystHD system (C-RAD AG, Uppsala Sweden) were evaluated. Patients were positioned with CatalystHD and with bh-CBCT. bh-CBCTs were acquired at the validation date, first day of treatment and at subsequent weekly intervals. Total treatment courses spanned from 3 to 5 weeks. bh-CBCT images were exported to VelocityAI and the left lung volume was segmented. Volumes were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 41 bh-CBCTs were contoured in VelocityAI for the 10 patients. The mean left lung volume for all patients was 1657±295cc based on validation bh-CBCT. With the subsequent lung volumes normalized to the validation lung volume, the mean relative ratios for all patients were 1.02±0.11, 0.97±0.14, 0.98±0.11, 1.02±0.01, and 0.96±0.02 for week 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Overall, the mean left lung volume change was ≤4.0% over a 5-week course; however left lung volume variations of up to 28% were noted in a select patient. Conclusion: With the use of the C-RAD CatalystHD system, the mean lung volume variability over a 5-week course of DIBH treatments was ≤4.0%. By minimizing left lung volume variability, heart to left breast separation maybe more consistently maintained. AN Gutierrez has a research grant from C-RAD AG.
Computerization of Manual Echocardiograms

Knowledge of the function of cardiac chambers and related structures is essential in the study of patients with ischemic and valvular heart disease. Furthermore, serial determination of cardiac dimensions from patients in the coronary care unit has become increasingly important in clinical research. Echocardiography is a useful non-invasive tool, but manual reduction of data from a large number of studies is prohibitive. This paper describes a computer system that provides a variety of quantitative measurements from manual echocardiograms.
Safety of antimalarial medications for use while scuba diving in malaria Endemic Regions

Recreational diving occurs annually in areas of the world where malaria is endemic. The safety and efficacy of antimalarials for travelers in a hyperbaric environment is unknown. Of particular concern would be medications with adverse effects that could either mimic diving related illnesses such as barotrauma, decompression sickness (DCS) and gas toxicities, or increase the risk for such illnesses. We conducted a review of PubMed and Cochrane databases to determine rates of neurologic adverse effects or other effects from antimalarials that may be a problem in the diving environment. One case report was found on diving and mefloquine. Multiple case reports and clinical trials were found describing neurologic adverse effects of the major chemoprophylactic medications atovaquone/proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, and primaquine. Of the available literature, atovaquone/proguanil and doxycycline are most likely the safest agents and should be preferred; atovaquone/proguanil is superior due to reduced rates of sunburn in the marine environment. Primaquine also appears to be safe, but has reduced efficacy against P. falciparum; mefloquine possesses the highest rate of neurologic side effects and therefore these agents should be limited to extreme cases of patients intolerant to other agents. Chloroquine appears unsafe in the hyperbaric environment and should be avoided. More studies are required to include database reviews of returned divers traveling to malaria endemic areas and randomized controlled trials in the hyperbaric environments.
Some Remarks on Product Approximations

Recently there has been considerable interest in various aspects, extensions, and variations of uniform product approximations (see [2,3,6,7] and the references of [3]), This paper concerns convergence and error bounds for polynomial product approximation and a variation similar to appolation considered in [6].
Pathophysiology of Acquired Bone Marrow Failure

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is the prototypical bone marrow (BM) failure syndrome. AA is characterized by pancytopenia of peripheral blood and BM hypoplasia. The success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation implied that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and immune cells replacement is adequate to cure the disease. Success of immunosuppressive therapy (IST) and in vitro experiments supports immune mechanism in most AA cases. The presence of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria or acquired copy number-neutral loss of heterozygosity of the 6p arms (6pLOH) clones supports clonal escape from immune-mediated BM destruction. Immune destruction of marrow can be modeled in animals. Clonal evolution implies genomic instability in setting of inflammatory environment. Short telomere and detection of candidate gene mutation clones provide mechanisms of instability for evolution to MDS/AML. The protection and/or stimulation of residual HSCs by eltrombopag seem a successful clinical strategy which, once combined with IST, has implications for the residual stem cell compartment and the capacity of limited HSCs to maintain hematologic function.
George Walker Bush and the International Outreach

Henriksen narrates Bush junior’s robust policy of interventionism. He led an invasion and occupation in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorism. Bush preceded his attacks with the Authorization to Use Military Force from the US Congress and a series of diplomatic approaches to countries surrounding Afghanistan for airbases as well as for NATO allies. He befriended Iran, Pakistan, and Russia, despite having scrapped the 1972 ABM treaty which angered Moscow. The unconventional Afghan invasion won a quick victory but left the Bush administration unprepared for nation-building efforts. Bush’s approach to terrorism also encompassed a planetary-wide Global War on Terrorism with hubs in the Philippines and the Horn of Africa, plus the Middle East. Bush started the drone assassination campaign against terrorists.
It's Time to Redefine Moore's Law Again

The familiar story of Moore's law is actually inaccurate. This article corrects the story, leading to different projections for the future. Moore's law is a fluid idea whose definition changes over time. It thus doesn't have the ability to "end," as is popularly reported, but merely takes different forms as the semiconductor and computer industries evolve.
Entrainment of visual steady-state responses is modulated by global spatial statistics.

Rhythmically modulated visual stimuli entrain the activity of neuronal populations, but the effect of global stimulus statistics on this entrainment is unknown. We assessed entrainment evoked by 1)...
Universal coding with point type classes

With a customized characterization of types, every universal one-to-one coding algorithm can be described as follows: assign sequences to binary strings based on their type class sizes from smallest to largest. With this view, the universal coding problem is to optimally characterize types. In this paper, this Type Size approach is studied for universal source coding of an exponential family of distributions, using the most natural type class definition: two sequences are in the same type class if and only if they are indistinguishable in the sense that they have the same probability for every distribution in the family. This characterization is called the point type class. Exact third-order coding rate is derived for the resulting compression algorithm, revealing that the point type approach, while natural, is sub-optimal compared to the quantized type method, which was previously proposed by the authors.
Experimental and Analytical Investigation of Displacement Flows in Microchannels

Abstract A study of the transient displacement of gas and liquid phases in microchannels is conducted. A fluid dynamics model for bulk fluid displacement in 200 μm channels is developed and validated with the data from an air-water flow visualization study performed on glass microchannel test sections of 200 μm diameter using high speed videos. Interface velocities, void fractions and film thicknesses are determined by performing image analysis on the videos obtained. The bulk fluid displacement models for fluid velocity are found to be in good agreement with the data for the displacement of gas by liquid, with a mean error of 11%. During the displacement of gas by liquid, a single liquid slug cleanly displaces the gas in the channel with little interaction at the liquid-gas interface. For the displacement of liquid by gas, the mean model error is 20% and the flow patterns observed are dry-wall, thin-film, ring-film, intermittent, and rivulet flows.
Chemistry relevant to the biological effects of nitric oxide and metallonitrosyls

Nitric oxide has recently been found to be important messenger molecule mediating critical physiological functions such as neurotransmission and muscle relaxation. The nitroprusside ion, which is clinically used as a vasodilator, functions by releasing NO in vivo. The reactivities of these molecules are surveyed with a view toward the development of metallonitrosyls as pharmaceutical agents.
Competing perspectives on frames of reference in language and thought.

Abstract A study found that Dutch-speaking children who prefer an egocentric (left/right) reference frame when describing spatial relationships, and Hai||om-speaking children who use a geocentric (north/south) frame had difficulty recreating small-scale spatial arrays using their language-incongruent system ( Haun, Rapold, Janzen, & Levinson, 2011 ). In five experiments, we reconciled these results with another study showing that English (egocentric) and Tseltal Mayan (geocentric) speakers can flexibly use both systems ( Abarbanell, 2010 , Li et al., 2011 ). In replicating and extending Haun et al. (Experiment 1), English- but not Tseltal-speaking children could use their language-incongruent system when the instructions used their non-preferred frame of reference. Perseveration due to task order may explain the discrepancies between present English- and previous Dutch-speaking children, while not understanding task instructions using left/right language may explain why present Tseltal- and previous Hai||om-speaking children had difficulty with their language-incongruent systems. In support, Tseltal-speaking children could use an egocentric system when the instructions were conveyed without left/right language (Experiments 2–4), and many did not know left/right language (Experiment 5). These findings help reconcile seemingly conflicting sets of results and suggest that task constraints, rather than language, determine which system is easier to use (Experiment 2 vs. 3).
Aged interleukin-10tm1Cgn chronically inflamed mice have substantially reduced fat mass, metabolic rate, and adipokines

Interleukin 10tm1Cgn (IL 10tm) mice have been utilized as a model of chronic inflammation and declining health span because of their propensity to develop chronic activation in NFkB pathways, skeletal muscle and cardiac changes, and mitochondrial dysfunction. We hypothesized that older IL 10tm frail mice would have alterations similar to frail, older humans in measured parameters of glucose metabolism, oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory quotient (RQ), spontaneous locomotor activity, body composition and plasma adipokine levels. To test this hypothesis, we investigated these metabolic parameters in cohorts of 3, 10, and 20 month old IL 10tm female mice and age and gender matched C57Bl/6 mice. Insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, locomotor activity and RQ were not significantly altered between the two strains of mice. Interestingly, old IL 10tm mice had significantly decreased VO2 when normalized by lean mass, but not when normalized by fat mass or the lean/fat mass ratio. NMR based body composition analysis and dissection weights show that fat mass is decreased with age in IL 10tm mice compared to controls. Further, plasma adiponectin and leptin were also decreased in IL 10tm.These findings suggest that frailty observed in this mouse model of chronic inflammation may in part be driven by alterations in fat mass, hormone secretion and energy metabolism.
Functional trait shifts after disturbance reveal broad‐scale variability in temperate forest regional recruitment processes

Question Decreased aboveground biomass and subsequent changes in resource availability exert strong influence on seedling recruitment in post-disturbance forests. Ecological tradeoffs underlie recruitment processes, as species vary in resource allocation, dispersal, and stress tolerance strategies. Functional traits that indicate resource acquisition-conservation tradeoffs include leaf nitrogen content, wood density, maximum height, shade tolerance, and drought tolerance, while seed mass can indicate species’ dispersal strategies. This study looks for generality in post-disturbance trait responses, and asks whether these responses are additionally constrained or amplified by disturbance characteristics, climate, and ecological provinces. Location Eastern US temperate forests. Methods I leveraged a longitudinal, continental-scale database of post-disturbance forests to examine recruitment dynamics. Using multivariate, hierarchical Bayesian models, I examined how disturbance affects the traits of seedling layer communities where recruitment dynamics should be most evident, and compared this to undisturbed communities. I also examined how the traits underlying tradeoff axes varied across disturbance properties, ecological provinces, and climatic gradients. Results All traits except for leaf nitrogen showed significant, study-wide shifts in disturbed communities consistent with expectations of post-disturbance stands. In undisturbed plots, all traits had significant shifts in the opposite direction as those observed in disturbed plots, except leaf nitrogen and drought tolerance where no change was observed. Disturbance severity increased the magnitude of response of several, but not all, trait responses in disturbed plots. The traits that had significant shifts were idiosyncratic across ecological provinces, indicating unique processes influencing disturbance responses across the system. Moreover, while climate strongly correlated with all traits prior to disturbance in the initial sampling periods, it was uncorrelated with disturbance responses. Conclusions This study demonstrates general, biome-wide trait shifts towards resource acquisition and bet-hedging dispersal strategies in post-disturbance forest seedling communities. At finer spatial scales, the traits underlying these tradeoffs varied, indicating that disturbance-dependent species differ in life-history strategies across the system. This variation across ecological provinces appears independent of temperature and precipitation, suggesting that unmeasured abiotic or biotic variables influence recruitment. Seedling recruitment is critical in shaping future adult tree communities, and this study reveals large-scale contingencies in trait patterns associated with this process. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Beyond the Ballot: Immigrant Integration Through Civic Engagement and Advocacy

This conceptual article outlines the current literature on immigrant integration, immigrant civic engagement practices, opportunities to include other civic engagement activities into existing concepts of immigrant integration, and suggestions for future research and practice. The authors support a framework of civic and political integration of immigrants that goes beyond voting, and purposefully delineates categories that are commonly used to distinguish immigrants based on their eligibility for citizenship and participation in elections. Civic community organizing activities for all immigrants, regardless of citizenship status, can help build individual and community identity and empowerment as well as help mitigate stressors associated with immigrant feelings of social isolation. Implications for theory and practice on the role noncitizen immigrants play in the policy-making process and how they are received (or systematically left out) of this civic engagement process are also discussed.
Packaging of Biomolecular and Chemical Microsensors

Packaging of microsensors is not standardized and highly customized depending upon the requirements for a specific application. This chapter reviews selected illustrative examples for chemical and biosensors for a range of applications. Approaches range from modified semiconductor device packages, fully customized packages to packages produced by rapid prototyping stereolithography. Packaging for room temperature operation of sensors, such as ion selective FETs, microelectrochemical sensors, microcantilever sensors, in addition to sensors which operate at higher temperatures including microhotplate sensors and electrochemical gas sensors is discussed. Also biomedical sensors and microfluidic devices including microneedles, soft lithography for microchannel fabrication, bonding, and packaging materials are discussed.
Multiscale analysis of T cell activation: correlating in vitro and in vivo analysis of the immunological synapse.

Recently implemented fluorescence imaging techniques, such as total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and two-photon laser scanning micro-scopy, have made possible multiscale analysis of the immune response from single molecules in an interface to cells moving in lymphoid tissues and tumors. In this review, we consider components of T cell sensitivity: the immunological synapse, the coordination of migration, and antigen recognition in vivo. Potency, dose, and detection threshold for peptide-MHC determine T cell sensitivity. The immunological synapse incorporates T cell receptor microclusters that initiate and sustain signaling, and it also determines the positional stability of the T cells through symmetry and symmetry breaking. In vivo decisions by T cells on stopping or migration are based of antigen stop signals and environmental go signals that can sometimes prevent arrest of T cells altogether, and thus can change the outcome of antigen encounters.
Dry Eye Syndrome in the Elderly: Challenges and Treatment Options

The term dry eye was initially introduced by Roetth in 1953, who described dry eye as low flow of tears measured with the Schirmer test (de Roetth 1953). Now in the twenty-first century, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and multiple possible etiologies underlying this form of ocular surface disease is more complex and nuanced, but the term “dry eye” is still prevalently used worldwide (Morube 2004).
A Direct Approach to Holistic Boolean-Twig Pattern Evaluation

XML has emerged as a popular formatting and exchanging language for nearly all kinds of data, including scientific data. Efficient query processing in XML databases is of great importance for numerous applications. Trees or twigs are the core structural elements in XML data and queries. Recently, a holistic computing approach has been proposed for extended XML twig patterns, i.e., B-Twigs (Boolean Twigs), which allows presence of AND, OR, and NOT logical predicates. This holistic approach, however, resorts to pre-normalization on input B-Twig queries, and therefore causes extra processing time and possible expansion on input queries. In this paper, we propose a direct, holistic approach to B-Twig query evaluation without using any preprocessing or normalization, and present our algorithm and experimental results.
Outcome of Psychotherapy for Unipolar Depression

Clinical depression is a significant mental health and social problem. One in eight individuals is expected to require treatment for depression during his or her lifetime (Secunda, Katz, Friedman, & Schuyler, 1973). Seventy-five percent of psychiatric hospitalizations are due to depression (Secunda et al., 1973). Depressed individuals have poorer health, poorer social functioning (Wells et al., 1989), and higher mortality (Murphy, Monson, Olivier, Sobol, & Leighton, 1987) than nondepressed individuals. Increased mortality is apparently due to higher rates of suicide and accidents for young people and higher rates of chronic medical illness for older ones (Murphy et al., 1987). Depression is a recurrent disorder; participants in a National Institute of Mental Health/National Institutes of Health (NIMH/NIH) conference estimated that 50% of depressed patients relapse within 2 years of recovery from their initial episode (NIMH/NIH, 1985).
EMG-based Real Time Facial Gesture Recognition for Stress Monitoring

An electromyogram (EMG) signal acquisition system capable of real time classification of several facial gestures is presented. The training data consist of the facial EMG collected from 10 individuals (5 female/5 male). A custom-designed sensor interface integrated circuit (IC) consisting of an amplifier and an ADC, implemented in 65nm CMOS technology, has been used for signal acquisition [1]. It consumes 3.8nW power from a 0.3V battery. Feature extraction and classification is performed in software every 300ms to give real-time feedback to the user. Discrete wavelet transforms (DWT) are used for feature extraction in the time-frequency domain. The dimensionality of the feature vector is reduced by selecting specific wavelet decomposition levels without compromising the accuracy, which reduces the computation cost of feature extraction in embedded implementations. A support vector machine (SVM) is used for the classification. Overall, the system is capable of identifying several jaw movements such as clenching, opening the jaw and resting in real-time from a single channel EMG data, which makes the system suitable for providing biofeedback during sleeping and awake states for stress monitoring, bruxism, and several orthodontic applications such as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD).
When are explicit real options acquired? An empirical exploration of aircraft leases.

This paper examines how different kinds of uncertainty influence a firm’s decision to purchase an explicit real option. We discuss different theoretical perspectives on uncertainty and develop asso...
The microRNA miR-7a-5p ameliorates ischemic brain damage by repressing α-synuclein

Ischemic stroke, which is caused by a clot that blocks blood flow to the brain, can be severely disabling and sometimes fatal. We previously showed that transient focal ischemia in a rat model induces extensive temporal changes in the expression of cerebral microRNAs, with a sustained decrease in the abundance of miR-7a-5p (miR-7). Here, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of a miR-7 mimic oligonucleotide after cerebral ischemia in rodents according to the Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) criteria. Rodents were injected locally or systemically with miR-7 mimic before or after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Decreased miR-7 expression was observed in both young and aged rats of both sexes after cerebral ischemia. Pre- or postischemic treatment with miR-7 mimic decreased the lesion volume in both sexes and ages studied. Furthermore, systemic injection of miR-7 mimic into mice at 30 min (but not 2 hours) after cerebral ischemia substantially decreased the lesion volume and improved motor and cognitive functional recovery with minimal peripheral toxicity. The miR-7 mimic treatment substantially reduced the postischemic induction of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a protein that induces mitochondrial fragmentation, oxidative stress, and autophagy that promote neuronal cell death. Deletion of the gene encoding α-Syn abolished miR-7 mimic-dependent neuroprotection and functional recovery in young male mice. Further analysis confirmed that the transcript encoding α-Syn was bound and repressed by miR-7. Our findings suggest that miR-7 mimics may therapeutically minimize stroke-induced brain damage and disability.
Design of a Low Profile, Unpowered Ankle Exoskeleton That Fits Under Clothes: Overcoming Practical Barriers to Widespread Societal Adoption

Here, we present the design of a novel unpowered ankle exoskeleton that is low profile, lightweight, quiet, and low cost to manufacture, intrinsically adapts to different walking speeds, and does not restrict non-sagittal joint motion; while still providing assistive ankle torque that can reduce demands on the biological calf musculature. This paper is an extension of the previously-successful ankle exoskeleton concept by Collins, Wiggin, and Sawicki. We created a device that blends the torque assistance of the prior exoskeleton with the form-factor benefits of clothing. Our design integrates a low profile under-the-foot clutch and a soft conformal shank interface, coupled by an ankle assistance spring that operates in parallel with the user’s calf muscles. We fabricated and characterized technical performance of a prototype through benchtop testing and then validated device functionality in two gait analysis case studies. To our knowledge, this is the first ankle plantarflexion assistance exoskeleton that could be feasibly worn under typical daily clothing, without restricting ankle motion, and without components protruding substantially from the shoe, leg, waist, or back. Our new design highlights the potential for performance-enhancing exoskeletons that are inexpensive, unobtrusive, and can be used on a wide scale to benefit a broad range of individuals throughout society, such as the elderly, individuals with impaired plantarflexor muscle strength, or recreational users. In summary, this paper demonstrates how an unpowered ankle exoskeleton could be redesigned to more seamlessly integrate into daily life, while still providing performance benefits for common locomotion tasks.
Evaluating a Set-Based Design Tradespace Exploration Process

Abstract In early system design, Model-Based Engineering techniques with an integrated framework provide the means to better identify and explore the tradespace. Several researchers have proposed frameworks to explore the tradespace for single and multiple attribute exploration. This paper 1) describes one approach used in the literature, the Integrated Trade-off Analysis Framework, 2) proposes a validation technique to assess the adequacy of a tradespace exploration technique, and 3) applies the validation technique on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) case study. The research hypothesis was that optimization could be used to validate the tradespace exploration technique by determining if the exploration method found the efficient frontier. However, the integrated framework with set-based design found better solutions than the optimization technique. The UAV case study contained 189 design points that dominated the points found in the validation process. Additionally, a better tradespace was produced when more design points were explored by using the Integrated Trade-off Analysis Framework.
373 Outcomes of obese patients undergoing gynecologic surgery on an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program

Objectives To compare perioperative outcomes of obese vs. non-obese patients undergoing gynecologic surgery on an ERAS program. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing open surgery 11/2014–11/2018. Patients were classified into three categories based on body mass index (BMI) and obesity class:: normal/overweight [BMI 18.0–29.9 kg/m2], class I [BMI 30.0–34.9 kg/m2], class II [BMI 35.0–39.9 kg/m2], and class III or greater [BMI ≥40.0 kg/m2]. Obese patients were matched to non-obese patients by age, procedure date, and surgical indication. Standard statistical methods were utilized. Primary outcome was postoperative length of stay [LOS]. Results After matching, 696 patients were included in the analysis [normal/overweight, n=348; class I, n=163 class II, n=88; class III or greater, n=97]. All groups had a median postoperative LOS of 3 days. Obese patients had longer procedure times [median OR time: 218 min vs. 192.5 min, p Conclusions Even after longer operative time and greater blood loss, obese ERAS patients had comparable compliance, perioperative complications, and length of stay to non-obese patients.
K-Characters and n-Homomorphisms

This chapter discusses two situations where the combinatorics behind k-characters appears with no apparent connection to group representation theory. In geometry a Frobenius n-homomorphism is defined essentially in terms of the combinatorics of k-characters. Buchstaber and Rees generalized the result of Gelfand and Kolmogorov which reconstructs a geometric space from the algebra of functions on the space and used Frobenius n-homomorphisms which arise naturally from k-characters. Incidentally they show that given commutative algebras A and B, with certain obvious restrictions on B, a homomorphism from the symmetric product Sn(A) to B arises from a Frobenius n-homomorphism.
Leadership political action committee donations and party status: A technical and theoretical extension:

A recent study by Aldrich, Ballard, Lerner, and Rohde (2017) examines whether a specific type of money—donations from leadership political action committees—is systematically related to party goals...
Analysis of Internal Knee Forces Allows for the Prediction of Rupture Events in a Clinically Relevant Model of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries.

Background:A recently developed mechanical impact simulator induced an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture via the application of a combination of inverse dynamics–based knee abduction moment ...
Genitourinary oncology referral patterns to the cancer associated thrombosis clinic: The Cleveland Clinic experience.

583Background: Cancer related thrombosis affects ~20% of all cancer patients. It is our standard practice to refer cancer patients with suspected venous thromboembolism (VTE) to our Cancer Associat...
Defending Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policy Implementation in Nepal From Tobacco Industry Interference (2011-2018).

INTRODUCTION Nepal passed a comprehensive tobacco control law in 2011. Tobacco control advocates successfully countered tobacco industry (TI) interference to force implementation of law. AIMS AND METHODS Policy documents, news stories, and key informant interviews were triangulated and interpreted using the Policy Dystopia Model (PDM). RESULTS The TI tried to block and weaken the law after Parliament passed it. Tobacco control advocates used litigation to force implementation of the law while the TI used litigation in an effort to block implementation. The TI argued that tobacco was socially and economically important, and used front groups to weaken the law. Tobacco control advocates mobilized the media, launched public awareness campaigns, educated the legislature, utilized lawsuits, and monitored TI activities to successfully counter TI opposition. CONCLUSIONS Both tobacco control advocates and the industry used the discursive and instrumental strategies described in the PDM. The model was helpful for understanding TI activities in Nepal and could be applied to other low- and middle-income countries. Civil society, with the help of international health groups, should continue to track TI interference and learn the lessons from other countries to proactively to counter it. IMPLICATIONS The PDM provides an effective framework to understand battles over implementation of a strong tobacco control law in Nepal, a low- and middle-income country. The TI applied discursive and instrumental strategies in Nepal in its efforts to weaken and delay the implementation of the law at every stage of implementation. It is important to continuously monitor TI activities and learn lessons from other countries, as the industry often employ the same strategies globally. Tobacco control advocates utilized domestic litigation, media advocacy, and engaged with legislators, politicians, and other stakeholders to implement a strong tobacco control law. Other low- and middle-income countries can adapt these lessons from Nepal to achieve effective implementation of their laws.
Does resilience yield dividends? Co-benefits of investing in increased resilience in Cedar Rapids.

Cedar Rapids, IA, offers a unique case study in planning for increased resilience. In 2008, Cedar Rapids experienced severe flooding. Rather than simply rebuilding, the city of Cedar Rapids began t...
Genome wide functional screen for calcium transients in E. coli identifies decreased membrane potential adaptation to persistent DNA damage

Calcium plays numerous critical roles in signaling and homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. Unlike eukaryotic cells, far less is known about calcium signaling in bacteria, and few genes controlling influx and efflux have been identified. Previous work in Escherichia coli showed calcium influx is induced by voltage depolarization, which were enhanced by mechanical stimulation, suggesting a role in bacterial mechanosensation. To identify proteins and pathways affecting calcium handling in bacteria, we designed a live cell screen to monitor calcium dynamics in single cells across a genome wide knockout panel in E. coli. The screen measured cells from the Keio collection of knockouts and quantified calcium transients across the population. Overall, we found 143 gene knockouts that decreased calcium transients, and 32 genes knockouts that increased transients. Knockouts involved in energy production and regulation appeared, as expected, as well as knockouts of the voltage sink, the F1Fo-ATPase. Knockouts in exopolysaccharide and outer membrane synthesis showed reduced transients and refined our model of electrophysiology mediated mechanosensation in E. coli. Additionally, knockouts annotated in DNA repair had reduced calcium transients and voltage. However, acute DNA damage did not affect voltage, and suggested that only long term adaptation to DNA damage decreased membrane potential and calcium transients. Our work showed a distinct separation between the acute and long term DNA damage responses in bacteria, which has implications for mitochondrial DNA damage in eukaryotes.
Synthesis, characterization and gas adsorption analysis of solvent dependent Zn-BTC metal organic frameworks

Multidentate 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid copolymerizes with Zinc to form framework with rigid porosity for gas adsorption application. One of the barriers in commercialization of these MOFs fo...