cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-management support for chronic disease in primary care: frequency of patient self-management problems and patient reported priorities, and alignment with ultimate behavior goal selection.

To enable delivery of high quality patient-centered care, as well as to allow primary care health systems to allocate appropriate resources that align with patients’ identified self-management problems (SM-Problems) and priorities (SM-Priorities), a practical, systematic method for assessing self-management needs and priorities is needed. In the current report, we present patient reported data generated from Connection to Health (CTH), to identify the frequency of patients’ reported SM-Problems and SM-Priorities; and examine the degree of alignment between patient SM-Priorities and the ultimate Patient-Healthcare team member selected Behavioral Goal. CTH, an electronic self-management support system, was embedded into the flow of existing primary care visits in 25 primary care clinics and was used to assess patient-reported SM-Problems across 12 areas, patient identified SM-Priorities, and guide the selection of a Patient-Healthcare team member selected Behavioral Goal. SM-Problems included: BMI, diet (fruits and vegetables, salt, fat, sugar sweetened beverages), physical activity, missed medications, tobacco and alcohol use, health-related distress, general life stress, and depression symptoms. Descriptive analyses documented SM-Problems and SM-Priorities, and alignment between SM-Priorities and Goal Selection, followed by mixed models adjusting for clinic. 446 participants with ≥ one chronic diseases (mean age 55.4 ± 12.6; 58.5% female) participated. On average, participants reported experiencing challenges in 7 out of the 12 SM-Problems areas; with the most frequent problems including: BMI, aspects of diet, and physical activity. Patient SM-Priorities were variable across the self-management areas. Patient- Healthcare team member Goal selection aligned well with patient SM-Priorities when patients prioritized weight loss or physical activity, but not in other self-management areas. Participants reported experiencing multiple SM-Problems. While patients show great variability in their SM-Priorities, the resulting action plan goals that patients create with their healthcare team member show a lack of diversity, with a disproportionate focus on weight loss and physical activity with missed opportunities for using goal setting to create targeted patient-centered plans focused in other SM-Priority areas. Aggregated results can assist with the identification of high frequency patient SM-Problems and SM-Priority areas, and in turn inform resource allocation to meet patient needs. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01945918 .
Undergraduate teaching assistants can provide support for reformed practices to raise student learning

Graduate students who serve as teaching assistants are a critical part of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education and research at large universities in the U.S. Yet just like...
Transnational Fandom: Creating Alternative Values and New Identities through Digital Labor:

This article examines the collaboration of audiences with a commercial enterprise to translate non-English TV shows. The aim is to explore the ways in which people engage in the circulation of inte...
Inflammation in Cystic Fibrosis

Inflammation is a key component in the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis. Its etiology is multifactorial, driven by both persistent infections and dysregulation of inflammatory mediators. The inflammatory component of cystic fibrosis begins early in life and is sustained and intense. This inflammation leads to airway damage in the form of bronchiectasis which is the main cause of morbidity and mortality for the cystic fibrosis patient. There are a few proven treatments to address inflammation in cystic fibrosis. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Guidelines endorse both azithromycin and ibuprofen in specific patient populations. It is important that these drugs be used properly to avoid complications. Appropriate treatment of acute exacerbations and good mucus clearance also play a role. Both hypertonic saline treatment and exercise appear to help mitigate inflammation. Inflammation and its treatment are very active areas in cystic fibrosis research.
Machines, Monsters, and Coffin Corners: Broadcast Meteorologists’ Use of Figurative and Intense Language during Hurricane Harvey

CapsuleAnalysis of live television broadcasts during Hurricane Harvey demonstrates how broadcast meteorologists use figurative and intense language to communicate risk and science during a catastro...
Cross-Cultural Comparison of Ethical Reasoning of Students in China and the United States.

As China advances, attitudes about ethical reasoning will continue to evolve from norms rooted in Confucianism, guanxi, and collectivism toward attitudes consistent with developed countries. With t...
Abstract 6278: Glutaminase inhibition in combination with ionizing radiation improves treatment response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models

Head and neck cancer is the 6th most common cancer worldwide. Ionizing radiation (IR) is an important aspect of cancer treatment. However, its efficacy is limited by radioresistance, resulting in locoregional failure rates as high as 50%. The pathways used by cells to evade the cellular damage caused by IR are poorly understood. Initial Reverse Phase Protein Array analyses in our laboratory demonstrated that IR induced metabolic pathways, including those involving the Krebs cycle. Glutamate is a key substrate of the Krebs cycle, and essential for the production of biomolecules necessary for tumor proliferation. Glutaminase is the enzyme that converts glutamine to glutamate. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas9s transcriptome database revealed that glutaminase overexpression (upper 25%) in patients with HNSCC was associated with significantly reduced patient survival (p In this study, we aimed to identify whether glutaminase inhibition with CB-839 could enhance cellular response to IR. To do this, we used three representative human-derived HNSCC cell lines: CAL-27, FaDu, and HN5. We first established that proliferation of all 3 HNSCC cell lines was glutamine dependent (20-50% increase, n=3 per line, p 3). Combination of CB-839 with IR significantly inhibited tumor growth in Cal-27 xenograft mice relative to vehicle (p In summary, adaptive resistance to IR and locoregional failure is a major hurdle in the successful treatment of HNSCC. Overall, these data suggest that combinatorial treatment with IR and the glutaminase inhibitor, CB-839, lead to an enhanced response over either treatment alone and provide pre-clinical data to justify further investigation for clinical use in patients with HNSCC. Citation Format: Christina A. Wicker, Brian G. Hunt, Sarah Palackdharry, William R. Elaban, Gordon B. Mills, Trisha Wise-Draper, Susan Waltz, Vinita Takiar. Glutaminase inhibition in combination with ionizing radiation improves treatment response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6278.
Population-based analysis on the effect of nodal and distant metastases in sinonasal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Minimal information has been reported on the effect of distant and nodal metastases at the time of diagnosis on survival in patients with sinonasal adenocarcinoma (SNAC). METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was utilized to compare overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). RESULTS: Of the 325 patients with SNAC identified, 5-year and 10-year OS for all included patients was 64% and 58%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the presence of distant metastases (P < .0001), maxillary and frontal sinus primary tumors (P = .0042, P = .0006), and increasing age (P = .007) were risk factors for worsened DSS. The presence of regional spread to multiple cervical nodal basins (OS RR 3.26, P = .002; DSS RR 2.51, P = .013) and a single nodal basin (DSS RR 2.19, P = .046) was associated with worsened survival compared to no regional spread. CONCLUSION: Survival in SNAC was significantly worsened with increasing age, tumor site of origin, and distant metastatic disease.
Research Relevance and Research Productivity

Research in accounting education has evolved to include, among other areas, research relevance, faculty research productivity, and the use of journal lists. These topics offer new areas for research including investigating the benefits and risks of relevant/irrelevant research, how effectively faculty research is evaluated, the potential consequences of using journal lists, and much more. Although these areas have significant and wide‐ranging effects on faculty, much more empirical data is needed to inform decision making. This paper highlights these issues and makes suggestions for additional research to help the academy make better decisions by using data‐driven research findings.
Models, Pixels, and Rewards: Evaluating Design Trade-offs in Visual Model-Based Reinforcement Learning

Model-based reinforcement learning (MBRL) methods have shown strong sample efficiency and performance across a variety of tasks, including when faced with high-dimensional visual observations. These methods learn to predict the environment dynamics and expected reward from interaction and use this predictive model to plan and perform the task. However, MBRL methods vary in their fundamental design choices, and there is no strong consensus in the literature on how these design decisions affect performance. In this paper, we study a number of design decisions for the predictive model in visual MBRL algorithms, focusing specifically on methods that use a predictive model for planning. We find that a range of design decisions that are often considered crucial, such as the use of latent spaces, have little effect on task performance. A big exception to this finding is that predicting future observations (i.e., images) leads to significant task performance improvement compared to only predicting rewards. We also empirically find that image prediction accuracy, somewhat surprisingly, correlates more strongly with downstream task performance than reward prediction accuracy. We show how this phenomenon is related to exploration and how some of the lower-scoring models on standard benchmarks (that require exploration) will perform the same as the best-performing models when trained on the same training data. Simultaneously, in the absence of exploration, models that fit the data better usually perform better on the downstream task as well, but surprisingly, these are often not the same models that perform the best when learning and exploring from scratch. These findings suggest that performance and exploration place important and potentially contradictory requirements on the model.
The Implications of the Triumph of Neoclassical Economics over Marxist Economics in China

This paper explores the implications of one of the great intellectual revolutions of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the replacement of Marxist economics by neoclassical econom...
A response to Justen et al. 2020: Estimating hybridization rates in the wild: Easier said than done?

We consider four key challenges related to estimating per-individual rates of hybridization in wild birds: (1) what is the meaning of the term "hybrid"?, (2) the importance of distinguishing between shared DNA sequences and on-going hybridization between populations, (3) the perils of focusing exclusively on known hybrid zones, and (4) the implications of very low rates of per individual hybridization. Because our focus is on using phenotype to recognize hybrids, we define a hybrid as an individual with a phenotype that is intermediate between two parental species. We emphasize the value of quantifying the rate of between-species mating that is ongoing in current populations and distinguish this endeavor from estimates of gene flow between populations based on genomic analysis, which can reflect both current and ancient hybridization. We restate the importance of quantifying per individual rates of hybridization among all birds without prejudging which birds are presumed to engage in hybridization. And finally, we emphasize that evidence for strong prezygotic sorting is not necessarily evidence that mate choice is a driver of speciation.
Receptor Switching in Newly Evolved Adeno-associated Viruses.

Adeno-associated viruses utilize different glycans and the AAV receptor (AAVR) for cellular attachment and entry. Directed evolution has yielded new AAV variants; however, structure-function correlates underlying their improved transduction are generally overlooked. Here, we report that infectious cycling of structurally diverse AAV surface loop libraries yields functionally distinct variants. Newly evolved variants show enhanced cellular binding, uptake and transduction; but through distinct mechanisms. Using glycan-based and genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens, we discover that one AAV variant acquires the ability to recognize sulfated glycosaminoglycans, while another displays receptor switching from AAVR to Integrin β1 (ITGB1). A previously evolved variant, AAVhum.8, preferentially utilizes the ITGB1 receptor over AAVR. Visualization of the AAVhum.8 capsid by cryo-EM at 2.49A resolution localizes the newly acquired integrin recognition motif adjacent to the AAVR footprint. These observations underscore the new finding that distinct AAV surface epitopes can be evolved to exploit different cellular receptors for enhanced transduction. Importance Understanding how viruses interact with host cells through cell surface receptors is central to discovery and development of antiviral therapeutics, vaccines and gene transfer vectors. Here, we demonstrate that distinct epitopes on the surface of adeno-associated viruses can be evolved by infectious cycling to recognize different cell surface carbohydrates and glycoprotein receptors and solve the 3D structure of one such newly evolved AAV capsid, which provides a roadmap for designing viruses with improved attributes for gene therapy applications.
Low and steady: Evidence for target blood pressure 24 hrs post-thrombectomy (P5.3-003)

Objective: Current practice is to use the post-tPA blood pressure control parameters for patients undergoing Endovascular Thrombectomy (ET). However, optimal blood pressure control following ET is not well defined. Background: The DAWN trial used a target of Design/Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent ET was conducted from January-2017 to April-2018 yielding 51 patients (excluding those with unsuccessful recanalization or incomplete data). Patients were dichotomized based on good (mRS ≤ 2) and bad (mRS ≥3) outcomes. ROC analysis was performed. Results: ROC analysis found that when 45% of SBP readings exceeded 140mmHg, there was a poor outcome at 90 days with sensitivity and specificity of 61 and 82%, respectively. The AUC of this analysis was 0.71 with a p-value of Conclusions: The percentage of time that SBP exceeds the target of 140mmHg in the first 24 hours appears to have an independent correlation with outcome in patients after successful ET. Those patients with uncontrolled SBP, defined as SBP >140mmHg 45% of the time or more experienced a poor outcome in 80% of cases. Those patients with controlled SBP, defined as Disclosure: Dr. Elangovan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Niazi has nothing to disclose. Dr. DeTurk has nothing to disclose. Dr. Velasco has nothing to disclose. Dr. Richardson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ermak has nothing to disclose.
Cross-protective immunity following coronavirus vaccination and coronavirus infection.

Although Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines have shown efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, it is unknown if coronavirus vaccines can also protect against other coronaviruses that may infect humans in the future. Here, we show that coronavirus vaccines elicit cross-protective immune responses against heterologous coronaviruses. In particular, we show that a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1) vaccine developed in 2004 and known to protect against SARS-CoV-1, confers robust heterologous protection against SARS-CoV-2 in mice. Similarly, prior coronavirus infections conferred heterologous protection against distinct coronaviruses. Cross-reactive immunity was also reported in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and humans who received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and transfer of plasma from these individuals into mice improved protection against coronavirus challenges. These findings provide the first demonstration that coronavirus vaccines (and prior coronavirus infections) can confer broad protection against heterologous coronaviruses, providing a rationale for universal coronavirus vaccines.
Erregbares Gewebe: Muskel

Muskelzellen konnen — wie Neurone — chemisch, elektrisch und mechanisch in Erregung versetzt werden; dabei entsteht ein Aktions-potential, das sich entlang der Zellmembran fortpflanzt. Vom Neuron unterscheidet sie jedoch der muskulare Kontraktionsmechanismus, der durch das Aktionspotential aktiviert wird.
Psychosocial Predictors of Nicotine Dependence among Women during Their Mid‐Sixties

Although there is considerable research demonstrating the prospective association between earlier maladaptive personal attributes and later nicotine dependence, there is less work on the psychosocial mediators of this relationship. Maladaptive personal attributes appear in the form of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity. This study was designed to assess the prospective relationship between earlier maladaptive personal attributes (mean age = 40) and later nicotine dependence ( age = 65.2) within an understudied female community sample. The participants were given self-administered questionnaires. The results supported a model by which earlier maladaptive personal attributes predicted later nicotine dependence through several indirect pathways. In addition to cigarette smoking, several domains mediated the relation of earlier maladaptive personal attributes and later nicotine dependence. These domains included internal factors (ie, later maladaptive personal attributes), interpersonal factors (ie, marital/partner conflict), later contextual factors (ie, family financial difficulty). Our multidimensional longitudinal findings have important implications for the prevention and treatment of nicotine dependence. The results identify earlier and later significant psychosocial risk factors to be targeted, and suggest the timing of interventions to reduce or eliminate nicotine dependence. (Am J Addict 2012;00:1–11)
Failure Detection And Isolation Experiments With The Langley Mini-Mast

One of the technologies essential for control of large space structures is fault tolerance. A feature of control systems designed to tolerate failures of some of their components is a monitor which detects the event of a component failure and isolates the failed device. This paper reports on experiments to demonstrate failure detection and isolation (FDI) using the flexible truss facility Mini-Mast at the NASA Langley Research Center. A number of techniques for performing the FDI function have been reported in the literature. Of these, two are selected for study because they are applicable both to sensor and actuator failures, and they do not depend on hypotheses about the forms of posible failures. These two are the method of generalised parity relations and the failure detection filter. These methods utilize the concept of analytical redundancy and therefore their performance depends on the fidelity of the model of the dynamics of the system being monitored. In this paper, results are given for sensor FDI using generalized parity relations and input-output data collected during operation of the Mini-Mast. Component failures are simulated in the data. The dependence of their performance on choices of the parameters in their implementation is explored.
God and objects: Beginning with existence

Comparaison entre la certitude de l'existence de Dieu chez les croyants et la certitude de l'existence des objets exterieurs chez Wittgenstein. Defendant la these selon laquelle Dieu et les choses materielles ont une realite fixee dans le langage, l'A. montre que leur existence s'impose a la vie ordinaire et religieuse de l'individu, sans etre demontree par des preuves
Diagnostic utility of glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations in the cat

Changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb) concentrations, K values (% disappearance of glucose/min after an intravenous injection of 1 g/kg dextrose), and blood glucose concentrations were examined in eight cats before and during the induction of diabetes, and in four of these cats after they were placed on insulin treatment. There was a statistically significant separation of GHb, K values, and fasting blood glucose concentrations between healthy and diabetic cats. Changes in GHb correlated best with the K value and single weekly fasting glucose concentrations averaged over eight periods for each cat while diabetes was induced (R = 0.80 and 0.78, respectively); however, fasting blood glucose concentrations obtained on the day of the GHb measurement were also highly correlated (R = 0.69; P < 0.001). The correlation between GHb and single weekly glucose concentrations obtained in insulin-treated cats at the time of insulin peak action and averaged over an 8-wk time period for each cat was less but still significant (R = 0.53; P < 0.001). It is concluded that GHb measurements are a simple and reliable way to monitor changes in glucose control in the diabetic cat over a prolonged period.
SUDEP: overview of definitions and review of incidence data.

The classification, occurrence, and predictors of sudden unexpected and unexplained death in individuals with epilepsy (SUDEP) have received considerable attention over the last few years. Specific criteria for the classification of definite, probable, possible, and not SUDEP implemented in United States epidemiologic studies are presented. The incidence of SUDEP in different epilepsy populations is presented. SUDEP is a real phenomenon, because the occurrence of such deaths, especially at relatively young ages, among individuals with epilepsy is far greater (perhaps 40-fold) than among those without epilepsy. SUDEP incidence rates are lower in population-based studies, higher in referral populations and clinical trials of adjunct drugs for complex partial epilepsy, and highest for surgical series. Seizure severity appears to be the strongest risk factor for SUDEP because higher rates are reported from studies of individuals with intractable epilepsy. Other potential risk factors, including sex, seizure etiology, younger age at onset, and partial-onset seizures, are unresolved.
The effects of reinforcement delay and hippocampal lesions on the acquisition of a choice response.

This study examined the effect of lesions of the hippocampus in rats and delay of reinforcement (0 or 10 sec) on the acquisition of a spatial response in a Y-maze. The results indicated that the acquisition of the response is markedly retarded in animals with lesions of the hippocampus when a 10-sec reinforcement delay is used. The results are taken to support the notion of increased distractibility in the lesioned animals.
External Control of Ion Transport in Nanoporous Membranes with Surfaces Modified with Self-Assembled Monolayers

We investigated the effect of external pH, ionic strength, and applied voltage to control the transport of ions through porous PCTE/Au/acid thiol membranes with pore radii of 4.0−5.9 nm. Electroless gold was deposited on the inside surfaces of the nanopores of the membrane. The thiols 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (HSC10H20COOH) and 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (HSC3H6SO3H) were used to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the gold surfaces of the pores. The ionic permeant through the pores of the membranes was the organic ion benzene sulfonate (BS). The transport of benzene sulfonate in porous membranes modified with SAMs of the HSC10H20COOH weak acid thiol was highly affected by external variation of the pH; the BS flux could be changed by a factor of 100. However, transport of benzene sulfonate in membranes modified with SAMs of the HSC3H6SO3H strong acid thiol was influenced less by external pH than transport in membranes modified with SAMs of the HSC10H20COOH weak acid thiol. Increasing the ion...
Intracellular stimulation of sensory cells elicits swimming activity in the medicinal leech.

Intracellular stimulation of each of three different types of mechanoreceptors, the T, P and N cells, evokes swimming behavior in leech preparations. Stimulation of an individual N cell or P cell evoked swimming in 75% and 53% respectively, of the preparations tested. Stimulation of an individual T cell was ineffective in eliciting swimming; however, simultaneous stimulation of two T cells evoked swimming in 59% of our preparations. Stimulation of mechanosensory neurons elicited swimming activity for a limited number of trials; i.e. the response habituated. The number of swim episodes evoked before habituation to criterion did not differ significantly for the different types of mechanoreceptors. The duration of swim episodes declined significantly over the course of N cell stimulation. The tendency for swim length to decline with repeated stimulation was present as well for swim episodes elicited by P or T cell stimulation. Swim initiation recovered spontaneously following habituation resulting from T cell stimulation. Spontaneous recovery following N cell stimulation was not demonstrated. However, N cell stimulation evoked swimming again after DP nerve shock or to a limited extent, after cell 204 stimulation. Spontaneous recovery of swim initiation to P cell stimulation was not investigated. A previous study detailed habituation of swimming activity to mechanical stimulation of the body wall (Debski and Friesen 1985). Only the T cells are activated significantly by this stimulus. Stimulation of sensory receptors other than mechanoreceptors was not effective in eliciting swimming in our preparation. We conclude that T cells mediate swim initiation elicited by stroking of the body wall and that the cessation of swimming to this stimulus is not due to sensory adaptation.
Immunogenicity of protein therapeutics

Protein therapeutics, such as monoclonal antibodies, enzymes and toxins, hold significant promise for improving human health. However, repeated administration of protein therapeutics, whether natural or recombinant, often leads to the induction of undesirable anti-drug antibodies (ADAs), which interfere with or neutralize the effect of the drug. Although an immune response to foreign proteins can be expected and is well understood, the basis for the development of responses to therapeutic autologous proteins is the subject of some debate. Inflammatory components of the drug delivery vehicle, T cell responses, T and B cell epitopes in the protein drug, and the associated B cell response are all targets for interventions aimed at reducing ADA responses. Here, we review some theories put forward to explain the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins and describe some emerging protein-engineering approaches that might prevent the development of anti-drug antibodies.
Blood group antigens and bladder carcinoma: a perspective.

A review of the current literature relative to the measurement of blood group antigens on bladder epithelium is presented. The determination of the presence or absence of such antigens on bladder tumors has enabled us to separate patients into two predictive groups at a time when their routine histologic patterns are identical. Group I consists of those patients with detectable blood group antigens by specific red cell adherence testing (SRCA). Regardless of the grade of their lesion, these patients have a low incidence (0-19%) of the ultimate development of invasive disease. Group II consists of those patients without demonstrable blood group antigens on their bladder carcinomas. These patients have a 60 to 93 per cent change of invasive disease developing within five years. Treatment thus can be predicated not only on the grade and stage, but also on a prediction of future behavior. Studies mapping cystectomy specimens, as well as those studying random mucosal biopsies, have shown that when the primary tumor lacks demonstrable blood group antigens, other areas of the bladder are also SRCA negative. These findings may help explain the frequent recurrences and ultimate development of invasive lesions in some of these patients. The role of the measurments of blood group antigens in urine cytology is reviewed, as well as those situations in which red cell adherence may be less definitive, i.e., those patients with carcinoma in situ, after radiotherapy, or thiotepa, and in those patients with blood group O. Future areas of usefulness of blood group antigens are discussed including other organs, i.e., kidney, renal pelvis, testes, and prostate.
Streamlining the development of complex systems through model-based systems engineering

Delivering complex systems requires the development of optimal designs on time, within budget and with the right level of quality. But even the best detailed design cannot compensate for poor system architecture. Systems engineering is not just a technical activity in the lifecycle — it determines the commercial viability of the entire project. The state-of the art answer to these challenges is Model-based Systems Engineering. This article introduces IBM Rational® Best Practices for Model-based Systems Engineering. Using the UML/SysML as a paradigm-independent modeling language, these practices support the elaboration and verification/validation of system requirements as well as design synthesis through model execution. But modeling is not the solution alone. The key for a successful application of the MbSE paradigm is the up-front defining of the underlying workflow; that is where systems engineering stops and where artifacts are handed off to the hardware, software and test engineers. From these pre- and post-conditions the necessary intermediate artifacts and supporting best practices — that are needed to elaborate the agreed upon hand-off — are derived. This article describes an exemplary systems engineering workflow covering the requirements analysis, system functional analysis, and design synthesis phases plus the essential tasks, associated work products and supporting best practices. Collaborative aspects of the systems engineering lifecycle: requirements engineering and change management, will also be addressed.
Population Age Structure of Nematodes in the Antarctic Dry Valleys: Perspectives on Time, Space, and Habitat Suitability

Patterns of nematode population dynamics in an extreme environment were studies in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Nematode populations are sensitive to soil disturbance and are useful indicators of environmental change. We hypothesized that the pristine soil environments of Antarctica that are suitable for life would support stable both spatially and temporally nematode populations. We established three sampling sites across an elevation gradient in Taylor Valley and sampled each site at larger and smaller spatial scales three-times over a 6-yr period (1993, 1995, and 1999). Nematode variables and soil moisture were significantly different among years. Soil moisture, nematode abundance, and life cycle parameters varied also with elevation, but not spatial scale at the grid size over the 6 yr. Generally, soil moisture declined during the time of the study and was greatest at the lowest elevation. Throughout the 6 yr, Scottnema lindsayae was most abundant at the highest elevation and dominated all sites, while Eudorylaimus antarcticus was most abundant at the lowest elevation. Plectus antarcticus was present only at the lowest elevation. While Scottnema was negatively correlated with soil moisture, Eudorylaimus and Plectus showed a positive relationship. Similarities among nematode species in life cycle characteristics (e.g., long life cycles and low reproductive rates) may indicate adaptive strategy for survival in the Dry Valleys soil environments. The differences, however, may indicate species specific sensitivity to changes in the soil characteristics such as moisture. Temporal variation of variables describing nematode populations in Antarctic soil suggests the nematode species respond to short-term climate variation and, thus, may be affected by long-term climate change.
Caroli's disease and outcomes after liver transplantation

Caroli's disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by intrahepatic cystic dilatation of the bile ducts that, when progressive, leads to intrahepatic stones, recurrent cholangitis, portal hypertension, cholangiocarcinoma, and liver failure. Liver transplantation is a promising curative option for advanced Caroli's disease. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of liver transplantation in unselected patients with Caroli's disease and recommend an evidence-based therapeutic algorithm for the management of Caroli's disease. Of the 78,124 patients transplanted in the United States between 1987 and 2006, 104 had Caroli's disease; 96 of these underwent liver alone, and 8 underwent combined liver/kidney transplantation. The patient survival and graft survival were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and risk of death and risk of graft loss were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression. The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year graft (79.9%, 72.4%, and 72.4%) and patient (86.3%, 78.4%, and 77%) survival rates were excellent for patients after liver transplantation. For combined liver/kidney transplantation (n = 8), the 1-year patient survival and graft survival were 100%. Proportional hazards analysis identified Asian ethnicity, elevated bilirubin, requirement of life support or hospitalization prior to transplantation, and a cold ischemia time greater than 12 hours as associated with increased risk of both graft loss and death. A history of prior transplant or prior abdominal surgery was also associated with increased risk of graft loss. In conclusion, liver transplantation is an excellent treatment option for patients with advanced Caroli's disease and should be considered in a timely fashion to prevent worsening complications including refractory cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma.
A Fast, Experimentally validated, Particle Augmented Mixed Lubrication Framework to Predict CMP

Fabrication of integrated circuits is a multi-step process that involves chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) for planarizing the deposited layers. Although dependent on the consumables and machine operating conditions, most CMP researchers assume that the polishing occurs in the mixedlubrication regime, where the applied load on the wafer is supported by the hydrodynamic slurry pressure and the contact stress generated during the pad-wafer contact. The particle augmented mixed lubrication (PAML) approach has been employed by Terrell and Higgs (2009) as a high-fidelity asperity-scale mixed-lubrication CMP model. The current work introduces a more computationally efficient wafer-scale PAML model, called PAML-lite, which employs a two-dimensional average flow Reynold's Equation incorporating spatial dependence of entrainment velocities to model the hydrodynamic pressure. The contact mechanics are modeled using a Winkler elastic foundation in cylindrical polar coordinates. The resulting slurry hydrodynamic pressure distribution and contact stress are used to determine the equilibrium configuration of the system in the form of a nominal clearance and rolling and pitch angles. Local and wafer scale material removal rate (MRR) is predicted by assuming a uniform distribution of particle sizes. The prediction of PAML-lite were then benchmarked against experimental results. Upon verification, parametric studies were conducted to understand the effect of some unexplored CMP parameters.
Phylogenetic Relationships Among American Species of Sesarma (Subgenus Armases) (Brachyura, Grapsidae)

The phylogeny of Armases, a subgenus of Sesarma, is analysed on the basis of morphological data. Polarity of character states was determined by means of outgroup comparisons. For the reconstruction of the proposed phylogenetic tree, nine out of the eleven known American Armases species were examined. The presence of shared synapomorphies suggests a monophyletic origin of the subgenus with Aratus pisonii, Sesarma (= "Metasesarma") rubripes and the East Atlantic Sesarma elegans. Sesarma benedicti has a basal position in the phylogenetic tree. All other species are subdivided into three groups, called Aratus-, roberti- and cinereum-group. A new comparison with Sesarma haematocheir, species of Chiromantes, confirms that the species examined do not belong to this subgenus of Sesarma and supports the establishment of the new taxon Armases by Abele (1992).
Transport Phenomena and Droplet Formation During Pulsed Laser Interaction With Thin Films

This work investigates transport phenomena and mechanisms of droplet formation during a pulsed laser interaction with thin films. The surface of the target material is altered through material flow in the molten phase induced by a tightly focused laser energy flux. Such a process is useful for developing a laser-based micromachining technique. Experimental and numerical investigations of the laser-induced fluid flow and topography variations are carried out for a better understanding of the physical phenomena involved in the process. As with many machining techniques, debris is often generated during laser-material interaction. Experimental parametric studies are carried out to correlate the laser parameters with the topography and droplet formations. It is found that a narrow range of operation parameters and target conditions exists for clean structures to be fabricated. The stop action photography technique is employed to capture the surface topography variation and the melting development with a nanosecond time resolution and a micrometer spatial resolution. Numerical simulations of the laser-induced surface deformation are also performed to obtain the transient field variables and to track the deforming surface. The comparison between the numerical and experimental work shows that, within the energy intensity range investigated in this work, the surface deformation and droplet formation are attributed to the surface-tension-driven flow, and the recoil pressure effect plays an insignificant role in the surface topography development.
The pulmonary manifestations of fibrocystic disease of the pancreas.

Cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, despite its name, is a generalized hereditary disease of children in which the pancreas, the lungs, the sweat glands, and frequently the liver are affected. The basic nature of this widespread disturbances is not known, but it is probable that all exocrine glands are affected in this condition. A variable degree of bronchial and pulmonary involvement is a virtually constant feature of the disease, usually dominates the clinical picture and determines the fate of the patient. Cystic fibrosis of the pancreas is the commonest cause of chronic non-tuberculous lung disease in the pediatric age group. Cystic fibrosis of the pancreas differs from other diseases of the lungs in that the basic phenomenon leading to respiratory involvement is a mechanical one: Failure to remove bronchial mucus, (perhaps abnormal in its physico-chemical characteristics), which results in widespread obstruction and predisposes the patients to secondary infection. Bronchial obstruction may thus be looked upon as the primary and cardinal manifestation of the pulmonary component of fibrcystic disease of the pancreas. The infecting organism is usually Staphylococcus aureus hemolyticus. Early diagnosis and administration of antibiotics before the respiratory infection causes permanent damage to the bronchi, in addition to appropriate dietary measures, offer the best hope for such patients.
Solving Inductive Reasoning Problems in Mathematics: Not-so-Trivial Pursuit

This study investigated the cognitive processes involved in inductive reasoning. Sixteen undergraduates solved quadratic function–finding problems and provided concurrent verbal protocols. Three fundamental areas of inductive activity were identified: Data Gathering, Pattern Finding, and Hypothesis Generation. These activities are evident in three different strategies that they used to successfully find functions. In all three strategies, Pattern Finding played a critical role not previously identified in the literature. In the most common strategy, called the Pursuit strategy, participants created new quantities from x and y, detected patterns in these quantities, and expressed these patterns in terms of x. These expressions were then built into full hypotheses. The processes involved in this strategy are instantiated in an ACT-based model that simulates both successful and unsuccessful performance. The protocols and the model suggest that numerical knowledge is essential to the detection of patterns and, therefore, to higher-order problem solving.
Gas and vapor permeability: Surface flow through porous media☆☆☆★

Abstract The flow of gases and vapors through porous media is represented by a model based upon a bundle of parallel uniform capillaries giving additive contributions from Knudsen free molecular flow, Poiseuille viscous flow and surface flow. Independent measurements with gases and vapors by independent methods are in agreement with theoretical predictions. A method of analyzing the surface flow is given and used to demonstrate a linear relation between the logarithm of the surface flow and the logarithm of the mean pressure. The relationship between pore-radii distribution and inhomogeneity considered in earlier theory is illustrated.
Plantar fasciitis in runners. Treatment and prevention.

Plantar fasciitis is a common overuse injury found in runners. The plantar fascia, which is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the longitudinal arch, becomes irritated, inflamed or torn by repetitive stresses placed upon it. Commonly cited predisposers of plantar fasciitis are excessive pronation, a flat or cavus foot, tight Achilles tendon, type of training shoes worn, and errors in the training routine. Once the plantar fascia becomes irritated a myriad of conservative measures may be used, including everything from rest, ice and elevation to steroid injections and, if all else fails, surgery. In most cases conservative treatment of one kind or another will alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. However, it is essential to determine and correct the cause of the problem in order for the runner to resume normal activity levels. Controlling anatomical/biomechanical inefficiencies of the feet, stretching and strengthening exercises for the lower extremity, proper training shoes, and reasonable training routines will alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis in a large percentage of sufferers. To prevent this injury, runners should be aware of the potential overuse injury and take precautionary measures, e.g. seek a biomechanical/anatomical evaluation from a qualified practitioner. The practitioner can then offer suggestions as to the specific steps the runner should follow to prevent the injury condition.
Structural relaxation and viscous flow in amorphous ZrAlCu

The ternary metallic glass Zr65Al7.5Cu27.5 offers a wide temperature range between glass transition temperature and crystallization temperature and is therefore well suited for investigation of the glass transition and the state of the super cooled liquid. The non-linear viscosity change caused by structural relaxation has been measured caused by structural relaxation has been measured using tensile creep experiments on as quenched samples. The increase of viscosity can be described by bimolecular annihilation kinetics of flow defects. The Arrhenius plot of equilibrium viscosity shows a kink at a temperature which seems to be the glass transition temperature. The activation energies of viscous flow below and above that glass transition temperature differ by nearly a factor two. Different microscopic processes responsible for viscous flow in the two regimes of temperature are therefore conceivable. This view is also encouraged by Dynamic-Mechanical-Analysis on relaxed samples, a method to examine the viscoelastic behaviour of glassy materials on different time scales and by recent diffusion measurements on a different system.
SPHERES tethered formation flight testbed: application to NASA's SPECS mission

This paper elaborates on theory and experiment of the formation flight control for the future space-borne tethered interferometers. The nonlinear equations of multi-vehicle tethered spacecraft system are derived by Lagrange equations and decoupling method. The preliminary analysis predicts unstable dynamics depending on the direction of the tether motor. The controllability analysis indicates that both array resizing and spin-up are fully controllable only by the reaction wheels and the tether motor, thereby eliminating the need for thrusters. Linear and nonlinear decentralized control techniques have been implemented into the tethered SPHERES testbed, and tested at the NASA MSFC's flat floor facility using two and three SPHERES configurations. The nonlinear control using feedback linearization technique performed successfully in both two SPHERES in-line configuration and three triangular configuration while varying the tether length. The relative metrology system, using the ultra sound metrology system and the inertial sensors as well as the decentralized nonlinear estimator, is developed to provide necessary state information.
Measuring Sequence-Dependent DNA Looping Kinetics

Looping of double-stranded DNA occurs in many important biological processes. The best illustrated example of this is nucleosome formation where DNA loops almost twice around the histone octamer core. At short length scales around or below ∼200-bp, looping efficiency of DNA is known to depend strongly on its sequence, but the physical basis of this dependence is not completely understood. Although looping equilibrium of double-stranded DNA has been extensively studied by the ligation-based cyclization assay, experimental studies on its looping kinetics are rare. Thus, to study how DNA sequence affects its looping kinetics, we developed an assay based on single-molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), which allows us to observe reversible looping of ∼190-bp long double-stranded DNA in real time. Initially, we measured looping kinetics of two different DNA molecules that are known to exhibit opposite propensities to form a nucleosome in vitro, referred to as the nucleosome DNA (high nucleosome occupancy) and the anti-nucleosome DNA (low nucleosome occupancy). Under all salt conditions tested, the nucleosome DNA was observed to loop faster than the anti-nucleosome DNA. Surprisingly, the looping rate of anti-nucleosome DNA decreased with increasing salt concentration in contrast to the nucleosome DNA. Our findings support a model where looping kinetics of double-stranded DNA is accelerated by formation of local defects in the secondary structure. We are further testing a series of DNA molecules that vary in nucleosome preference to study the correlation between physical properties of DNA and the chromatin code.