cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Asymmetric Nanostructures for Plasmonic Force Propulsion

The objective of this research is to manufacture and investigate the characteristics and use of asymmetric, metallic, nanostructures for plasmonic force propulsion, a developing method of nano-/picosatellite thrust generation. Visible to near-infrared light is focused onto sub-wavelength nanostructures to generate polarized oscillations of electrons on the surface of the metallic nanostructures (surface plasmon polaritons). The surface plasmon polaritons accelerate nanoparticle propellant away from the nanostructure, creating thrust. Previous numerical simulations have shown that asymmetric nanostructures can resonate strongly within the visible spectrum. This is the first experiment ever attempted and first to successfully demonstrate this resonance where the resonance peak is λ = 830 nm. The resonance peak of the experimental optical characterization agrees well with our computed model, showing an 11.2% difference. However, the off resonance behavior exhibits peak broadening where the variation of intensity with wavelength, off resonance, has an experimental slope that is 3.7 times less steep than the computed model. Furthermore, the optical transmittance of the sample is 2.1 times higher than computationally modeled. It is shown that the nanostructures are thermodynamically stable in the projected environmental conditions and have an equilibrium temperature of 746.4 K. Upon review of the experimental optical setup, we conclude that thrust generation is not possible with continuous irradiation of light and propose a method of synchronous dynamic acceleration of nanoparticle propellant by use of a pulsed light beam.
Correlations for Gaseous Emissions of Aero-Propulsion Engines from Sea-Level to Cruise Operation

In an accompanying 2010 ASM paper, we showed that gaseous emissions of the seven modern aeropropulsion engines operating from sea-level idle to maximum power can be correlated in terms of NOxEI versus 1000/stoichiometric flame temperature, COEI versus NOxEI and HCEI versus NOxEI. For example, the root-mean-square errors (RMSE) for the single-engine 3-run emissions data on four engines for NOx, CO and HC emissions indices were 2%, 1.0EI and 0.2EI, respectively. This paper extends the same engineering correlation for the NOxEI, COEI and HCEI emissions data from minimum to maximum thrust range for the TFE731-2 engine operating at simulated altitude from 640 m to 13200 m. The root-mean-square errors for NOx, CO and HC are 3.8%, 1.43EI and 1.04EI, respectively.
Media effects: Do terrorist organizations launch foreign attacks in response to levels of press freedom or press attention?:

Terrorists are supposed to be influenced by opportunities for news coverage, but does this mean that groups initiate foreign attacks in response to the absence of press freedom in their country or inattention to that state by foreign media organizations? Using Asal and Rethmeyer’s BAAD1 data on terrorist organizations, we find that increasing levels of attention by the international press reduce the odds of groups launching cross-border attacks. The propensity of groups to launch foreign attacks appears unrelated to press freedom. These results suggest that the protections that states provide for the press motivate foreign terrorism less than the way the media determines newsworthiness.
Large saddle embolus during cancer therapy.

A 67-year-old non-smoking man with stage IV (T2N2cM0) p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, undergoing curative-intent hypofractionated radiation as part of a clinical trial, uneventfully received his fourth dose of weekly cisplatin 30 mg/m2. Later, he developed sudden onset of diaphoresis and experienced a near-syncope while waiting in his car outside the University Hospital. He spontaneously recovered and decided to drive home. On arriving home, he collapsed inside his doorway. …
“Friendly” Initiatives: An Emerging Approach to Improve Communities for Vulnerable Populations

ABSTRACTA growing number of cities and towns are implementing “friendly” initiatives to change the community’s social and physical infrastructure to address the needs of a particular vulnerable segment of their population. Three prominent examples are aging-friendly, child-friendly, and immigrant-friendly initiatives. Although the limited but growing literature describes these initiatives as promising strategies to improve the quality of life of the targeted population, to date there has been little written about the underlying goals, values, and assumptions of these efforts. Using the value-critical approach, this article aims to better understand these aspects of population-friendly initiatives by examining the scholarly and grey literature. Social workers engaged in community and policy practice can play a key role in these efforts and call attention to the ways they may alleviate or exacerbate inequities. Future research is needed to assess the effects of these initiatives on their targeted population...
On the structure of the inverse-feasible region of a linear program

Abstract Given a set of feasible solutions X to a linear program, we study the set of objectives that make X optimal, known as the inverse-feasible region. We show the relationship between the dimension of a face of a polyhedron and the dimension of the corresponding inverse-feasible region, which leads to necessary and sufficient conditions of the extreme, boundary, and inner points of a linear program. We also characterize the set of objectives that render a given solution uniquely optimal.
Assessment of myocardial perfusion and metabolism for assessment of myocardial viability.

Identifying preserved myocardial viability in the presence of severe regional left ventricular dysfunction is becoming increasingly more important for clinical decision-making to better select those patients with coronary artery disease who will benefit most from revascularization. 201Tl remains the most commonly employed radionuclide for detecting both ischemia and viability. A post-exercise defect showing complete or partial redistribution on delayed images implies transient ischemia and preserved viability with a 90% chance of exhibiting improved 201Tl uptake with repeat testing after coronary revascularization. Mild persistent defects with 50% uptake of the tracer implies viability and predicts improved regional function after revascularization. Finally, positron emission tomography with 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is perhaps the most sensitive noninvasive imaging technique for detection of viability in stunned or hibernating myocardium. A mismatch pattern between regional flow and FDG uptake has approximately an 80-85% positive predicted value for predicting improved function in asynergic myocardial regions after revascularization. A match pattern where flow and FDG uptake are both reduced has an 80% negative predicted value for lack of functional recovery after revascularization.
Elementary Mathematical and Computational Tools for Electrical and Computer Engineers Using MATLAB

INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB AND ITS GRAPHICS CAPABILITIES Getting Started Basic Algebraic Operations and Functions Plotting Points M-files MATLAB Simple Programming Array Operations Curve and Surface Plotting Polar Plots Animation Histograms Printing and Saving Work in MATLAB MATLAB Commands Review DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS Simple Linear Form Amortization An Iterative Geometric Construct: The Koch Curve Solution of Linear Constant Coefficients Difference Equations Convolution-Summation of First-Order System with Constant Coefficients General First Order Linear Difference Equations Nonlinear Difference Equations Fractals and Computer Art Generation of Special Functions from their Recursion Relations ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS AND SOME OF THEIR USES Function Files Examples with Affine Functions Examples with Quadratic Functions Examples with Polynomial Functions Examples with Trigonometric Functions Examples with the Logarithmic Function Examples with the Exponential Function Examples with Hyperbolic Functions and their Inverses Commonly Used Signal Processing Functions Animation of a Moving Rectangular Pulse MATLAB Commands Review NUMERICAL DIFFERENTIATION, INTEGRATION, AND SOLUTIONS OF ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS Limits of Indeterminate Forms Derivative of a Function Infinite Sums Numerical Integration A Better Numerical Differentiator A Better Numerical Integrator: Simpson's Rule Numerical Solution of ODE MATLAB Commands Review ROOT SOLVING AND OPTIMIZATION METHODS Finding the Real Roots of a Function Roots of a Polynomial Optimization Methods MATLAB Commands Review COMPLEX NUMBERS Introduction The Basics Complex Conjugation and Division Polar Form of Complex Numbers Analytical Solutions of Constant Coefficients ODE Phasors Interference and Diffraction of Electromagnetic Waves Solving ac Circuits with Phasors
Primary Constrained Condylar Total Knee Arthroplasty Without Stem Extensions-Early Results

Introduction: Non-hinged constrained condylar components (CCK) may be used for primary TKA in presence of severe deformity, fixed contractures and ligamentous laxity. Several authors have recommended use of stem extensions to accompany CCK type of components. However, use of stem extensions in primary TKA, not only invades the medullary canal, but may also be associated with increased surgical time, implant cost, and thigh or leg pain. The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term outcomes of primary CCK knees without stem extensions and to compare this to a control group of standard posterior stabilized (PS) knees, otherwise using the same implant design. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiographic data on 503 consecutive TKA9s performed by 2 arthroplasty surgeons at the same institution between 2008–2010. Surgical technique, implant type, bone-cement and cementation technique was similar. The only difference between groups was the use of CCK polyethylene insert in one group and a PS insert in the other. Knee society scores (KSS) were used to determine pain, function and ROM. Radiographic evaluation was done using the knee society9s criteria to determine implant fixation. Failure was defined as revision for any reason. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software. Results: There were 250 primary CCK (2–3 degrees of varus-valgus and rotational constraint) and 253 PS knees (7–8 degrees of varus-valgus and rotational constraint) with a mean follow-up of 3.1 years in the study cohort. Both groups had similar patient demographics, preoperative tibio-femoral alignment and KSS. Postoperative component alignment, tibio-femoral alignment, poly thickness, ROM, KSS, prevalence of radiolucent lines and revision rates were similar. No difference was found specifically for aseptic loosening between groups. Discussion: Use of stem extensions may not be needed despite use of CCK in primary cemented TKA.
Spatially explicit modeling in ecology: A review

The use of spatially explicit models (SEMs) in ecology has grown enormously in the past two decades. One major advancement has been that fine-scale details of landscapes, and of spatially dependent biological processes, such as dispersal and invasion, can now be simulated with great precision, due to improvements in computer technology. Many areas of modeling have shifted toward a focus on capturing these fine-scale details, to improve mechanistic understanding of ecosystems. However, spatially implicit models (SIMs) have played a dominant role in ecology, and arguments have been made that SIMs, which account for the effects of space without specifying spatial positions, have an advantage of being simpler and more broadly applicable, perhaps contributing more to understanding. We address this debate by comparing SEMs and SIMs in examples from the past few decades of modeling research. We argue that, although SIMs have been the dominant approach in the incorporation of space in theoretical ecology, SEMs have unique advantages for addressing pragmatic questions concerning species populations or communities in specific places, because local conditions, such as spatial heterogeneities, organism behaviors, and other contingencies, produce dynamics and patterns that usually cannot be incorporated into simpler SIMs. SEMs are also able to describe mechanisms at the local scale that can create amplifying positive feedbacks at that scale, creating emergent patterns at larger scales, and therefore are important to basic ecological theory. We review the use of SEMs at the level of populations, interacting populations, food webs, and ecosystems and argue that SEMs are not only essential in pragmatic issues, but must play a role in the understanding of causal relationships on landscapes.
Concepts of Genetic Epidemiology

The major aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the field of genetic epidemiology and its relevance to the identification of the causes and risk factors for human diseases. The most important goal of the methods of genetic epidemiology is to elucidate the joint contribution of genes and environmental exposures to the etiology of complex diseases. The key study designs used to achieve this goal including family, twin, adoption, and migration studies are summarized. The field of genetic epidemiology is expected to have increasing importance with advances in molecular genetics.
Industry cost efficiency in data envelopment analysis

Abstract In data envelopment analysis (DEA) and with a variable returns-to-scale (VRS) technology, we implement Baumol et al.’s [1] concept of “cost minimizing industry structure”, which features reallocation of outputs and a variable number of firms. The characterization of this type of optimal allocation adds to the literature on structural efficiency, which so far has not dealt with it in such a general framework. At the theoretical level, we both determine a decomposition of the industry measure, which establishes the relationship between group and individual measures, and provide its rigorous economic interpretation based on the ray average cost. Moreover, our framework allows to highlight the relationship between the industry measure and different returns-to-scale characterizations of the technology. At the applicative level we devise an algorithm to solve the related non-linear programming problem, thus providing the decision maker with a method to compute the optimal industry structure and the corresponding efficiency components. Empirical illustration is given with reference to the Italian local-public-transit sector employing a multiple input and output technology.
CMOS hall sensor with reduced sensitivity drift by synchronous excitation calibration for wearable biomagnetic sensor in system-on-chip

A novel system-on-chip (SOC) biomagnetic wearable sensor is presented in this paper. Wearable magnetic sensors have been developed for detecting tilt or geographic orientation. However, none of them can be applied for detecting the magnetic fields of the human body. To produce a low-cost, highly-reliable, wearable biomagnetic sensor, a CMOS Hall effect sensor with synchronous excitation sensitivity calibration is presented to reduce the inherent non-ideal drift of a Hall probe. Synchronous excitation utilizes an on-chip coil to generate a DC reference magnetic voltage at the output of the Hall probe by modulating the frequency of the coil to the frequency of the Hall spin current bias. With the proposed calibration method, the experimental results showed a sensitivity drift of 73 ppm per degree Celsius and required approximately 66 percent of the silicon area required by previous works. This work may open the gate to wearable biomagnetic sensors.
Subcellular Localization of Beta Hemoglobin Using pSNAPf fusion Protein

Abstract: Much of what is known about hemoglobin relates to its structure and function. However, there is a great deal to learn about its assembly. The application of new technologies has allowed us to investigate the process of hemoglobin synthesis extensively. It has been shown that heme, synthesized in the mitochondria, is exported into the cytoplasm where it rapidly binds with apoglobin synthesized by polyribosomes. In this study,subcellular localization of newly synthesized alpha and beta subunits of human hemoglobin were examined using fluorescence microscopic imaging of cultured human erythroleukemic cells (cell line HEL 92.1.7). Experiments were used to determine the location of newly synthesized protein subunits. This paper will highlight the current knowledge of hemoglobin assembly, function and cellular interactions; and illustrate how cellular labels can be used to investigate this protein. It is hoped that future experiments will help to determine more details of the mechanism of globin assembly, which will be useful in the investigation of hemoglobinopathies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Using stable isotopes to explore root-microbe-mineral interactions in soil

Abstract The few millimeters of soil surrounding a plant's roots, the 'rhizosphere', are a nexus of biological activity, and inhabited by microorganisms that are critically important to both plant health and soil carbon (C) transformation and stabilization. Advancing our understanding of plant-microbe interactions and the soil carbon cycle requires disentangling the complex relationships among roots, soil microbes, mycorrhizae, and soil mineral surfaces. Yet in wildland systems, many important mechanistic rhizosphere questions remain unanswered. For example, most root C is decomposed to CO2, but of the remainder, what microbial transformations lead to the opportunity to become stabilized? How do plant species and microbial functionality regulate flows of C and nutrients, and how much do these vary over space and time? Transfer of root carbon to bacterial and fungal cell biomass may be a particularly important activity that precedes C stabilization on mineral surfaces, but the steps involved in this process remain ambiguous. In the past decade, multiple 'isotope-enabled' approaches have been developed that allow us to see and measure these complex rhizosphere interactions with high spatial, chemical, and molecular resolution. Here we present illustrative examples of these approaches as applied in non-cultivated soil systems.
A Mature Kind of Fun? Exploring Silver Gamers’ Motivation to Play Casual Games – Results from a Large-Scale Online Survey

Playing video games has become an increasingly popular activity among elderly people. In the present contribution, differences in the motivational profile of these “silver gamers” and younger player segments are investigated. Based on the socio-emotional selectivity theory and age identity theory, it was hypothesized that silver games and younger cohorts differ with respect to the importance of six motivational factors (i.e., challenge, escapism, relaxation, competition, friendship, and collecting/completism). Moreover, it was examined whether these potential age effects interact with gender dynamics in gaming motivations. A large online survey of German players of the casual online game “Farmerama”© (N = 26,109) was conducted. Data analysis revealed that the motivational profile of silver gamers did not differ markedly from the profiles of younger gamer cohorts. Substantial differences between older and younger players were only found for one of the analyzed motivational factors (relaxation). Moreover, no gender-by-age dynamics were identified. Hence, age identity theory and socio-emotional selectivity theory only displayed limited empirical explanatory power to predict specific motivational patterns among silver gamers. Rather, the findings of the present study suggest that older gamers’ motivations to play games are mostly congruent with the reasons why younger people turn to gaming.
Accurate jitter decomposition in high-speed links

Jitter performance plays a crucial role in bit-error-rate of a high-speed digital communication system. Jitter decomposition is a key tool to accurately derive each type of jitter as well as total jitter in a system and identify the root causes of jitter. In this paper, we propose a jitter decomposition algorithm using least squares (LS) which simultaneously separates inter-symbol interference (ISI), random Jitter (RJ) and periodic Jitter (PJ). The algorithm includes a new time domain ISI model based on channel pulse response which is more effective than a conventional cursor convolution technique. The proposed jitter decomposition method is able to obtain the estimated individual jitter component value with great accuracy by using fewer samples of total jitter data compared with conventional methods. The simulation and hardware experiment demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.
Recent advances on heat and mass transfer in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems

This special edition of the Science and Technology for the Built Environment (STBE) presents 10 selected articles that were also presented at the 16th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioni...
Light and temperature effects on miR156 transgenic switchgrass flowering: A simulated latitudinal study

The control of flowering in perennial grasses is an important trait, especially among biofuel feedstocks. Lignocellulosic biomass may be increased commensurate with decreased or delayed flowering as the plant allocates energy for stems and leaves harvested for bioenergy at the end of the growing season. For transgenic feedstocks, such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) grown in its geographic center of distribution, it is foreseeable that regulators may require greatly decreased gene flow frequencies to enable commercialization. Transgenic switchgrass with various overexpression levels of a rice microRNA gene, miR156, when grown in field conditions, holds promise for decreased flowering, yielding high biomass, and altered cell wall traits, which renders it as a potential crossing partner for further breeding with switchgrass lines for decreased recalcitrance. In the current research, we simulated a latitudinal cline in controlled growth chamber experiments for various individual sites from the tropics to cool-temperate conditions which included weekly average high and low temperatures and day lengths over the switchgrass growing season for each simulated site: Guayaquil, Ecuador; Laredo, Texas, USA; and Brattleboro, Vermont, USA. Flowering and reproduction among transgenic lines with low (T-14 and T-35)-to-moderate (T-27 and T-37) overexpression of miR156 were assessed. Lower simulated latitudes (higher temperatures with low-variant day length) and long growing seasons promoted flowering of the miR156 transgenic switchgrass lines. Tropical conditions rescued the flowering phenotype in all transgenic lines except T-27. Higher numbers of plants in lines T-35 and T-37 and the controls produced panicles, which also occurred earlier in the study as temperatures increased and day length decreased. Line T-14 was the exception as more clonal replicates flowered in the cool-temperate (Vermont) conditions. Increased biomass was found in transgenic lines T-35 and T-37 in tropical conditions. No difference in biomass was found in subtropical (Texas) chambers, and two lines (T-14 and T-35) produced less biomass than the control in cool-temperate conditions. Our findings suggest that switchgrass plants engineered to overexpress miR156 for delayed flowering to promote bioconfinement and biomass production may be used for plant breeding at tropical sites.
Tomato ACC Synthase: Regulation of Gene Expression and Importance of the C-Terminal Region in Enzyme Activity

We have isolated and sequenced a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. PikRed) ACC synthase gene and expressed it in Escherichia coli. This gene encodes a wound-inducible, 1.8 kb transcript; the degree of transcript induction in red-ripe fruit was much greater than that observed in early-red fruit. Inhibitors of ethylene perception (2,5norbornadiene) or biosynthesis (salicylic acid) inhibited accumulation of the transcript, suggesting its positive regulation by ethylene. This may be a part of the molecular basis of autocatalytic ethylene production. Polyamines, which are antisenescence growth regulators, inhibited the induction of the transcript. The ACC synthase expressed in E. coli was not a fusion protein and was enzymatically active. Transformation of E. coli with an ACC synthase gene construct in which 57 amino acids from the C-terminus of the coding region were deleted, produced a truncated protein without enzymatic activity. This suggess that all or some of the C-terminal 57 amino acids are necessary for ACC synthase activity. The E. coli expression system used here seems to be valuable for investigating the structure-function relationships of this important plant protein.
Legal Considerations of Patient Refusals of Treatment Against Medical Advice

Patients who refuse medical treatment that appears to be necessary and in their best interests pose a vexing medical, ethical, and legal challenge. Adults in the USA have the legal right to refuse treatment, including life-sustaining medical treatment. Central to the ability to exercise that right is their possession of the capacity to make the decision to accept or refuse medical treatment which may require careful assessment. A written form that documents the patient’s refusal of treatment against medical advice (“AMA” form) may be useful for evidentiary reasons, though the forms by themselves may not confer legal protection from liability. Parents who refuse treatment that is in their child’s best interest may be overridden by state and federal laws. The rights of adolescents to refuse life-sustaining medical treatment vary depending upon the maturity of the adolescent and state law.
EgoClustering: Overlapping Community Detection via Merged Friendship-Groups

There has been considerable interest in identifying communities within large collections of social networking data. Existing algorithms will classify an actor (node) into a single group, ignoring the fact that in real-world situations people tend to belong concurrently to multiple (overlapping) groups. Our work focuses on the ability to find overlapping communities. We use egonets to form friendship-groups. A friendship-group is a localized community as seen from an individual’s perspective that allows an actor to belong to multiple communities. Our algorithm finds overlapping communities and identifies key members that bind communities together. Additionally, we will highlight the parallel feature of the algorithm as a means of improving runtime performance, and the ability of the algorithm to run within a database and not be constrained by system memory.
Numerical Integration: Multiple-File Programs

A factory receives an order for corrugated steel sheets. Each sheet is to be 5 meters wide by 10 meters long and is to be corrugated in a sinusoidal pattern. When viewed in cross section along either of its long ends, each sheet should appear as illustrated in Figure 15.1. There are to be 100 ridges along the length of each sheet. Every ridge is to have a height and width of 10 centimeters, and every pair of ridges is to be the square of a complete cycle of a sine wave.
Biochemistry: Niacin/NAD(P)

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) and its phosphorylated form, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP + ), are hydride-accepting coenzymes that play essential roles in substrate oxidation reactions in metabolism. The reduced forms, NADH and NADPH, are hydride-donating coenzymes in substrate reducing reactions. Structurally, the NAD + coenzyme can be viewed as a nicotinamide base in a β-glycosidic linkage with adenosine diphosphate (ADP)ribose. Hydride is transferred to and from the nicotinamide ring, such that the plus sign indicates a positive charge on the nitrogen ring. In contrast to flavin adenine dinucleotide co-enzymes, which are usually tightly bound to flavoproteins, NAD + and its equivalents are either dissociable from oxidoreductases or tightly bound to nicotinoprotein oxidoreductases. NAD + is also a substrate of enzymes unrelated to oxidoreductases. These NAD + -consuming enzymes, including poly(ADPribose) polymerases and sirtuins, produce an ADPribosyl product plus nicotinamide, thereby coupling signaling functions to NAD + turnover and necessitating regulated biosynthesis via salvage and de novo pathways. Because of the broad cellular and system functions of NAD + -dependent enzymes, NAD + and its equivalents have important roles in metabolism, regulation of gene expression, DNA repair, inflammation, intracellular trafficking, aging, and cell death.
Sequence features governing aggregation or degradation of prion-like proteins

Enhanced protein aggregation and/or impaired clearance of aggregates can lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Huntington's Disease, and prion diseases. Therefore, many protein quality control factors specialize in recognizing and degrading aggregation-prone proteins. Prions, which generally result from self-propagating protein aggregates, must therefore evade or outcompete these quality control systems in order to form and propagate in a cellular context. We developed a genetic screen in yeast that allowed us to explore the sequence features that promote degradation versus aggregation of a model glutamine/asparagine (Q/N)-rich prion domain from the yeast prion protein, Sup35, and two model glycine (G)-rich prion-like domains from the human proteins hnRNPA1 and hnRNPA2. Unexpectedly, we found that aggregation propensity and degradation propensity could be uncoupled in multiple ways. First, only a subset of classically aggregation-promoting amino acids elicited a strong degradation response in the G-rich prion-like domains. Specifically, large aliphatic residues enhanced degradation of the prion-like domains, whereas aromatic residues promoted prion aggregation without enhancing degradation. Second, the degradation-promoting effect of aliphatic residues was suppressed in the context of the Q/N-rich prion domain, and instead led to a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of spontaneous prion formation. Degradation suppression correlated with Q/N content of the surrounding prion domain, potentially indicating an underappreciated activity for these residues in yeast prion domains. Collectively, these results provide key insights into how certain aggregation-prone proteins may evade protein quality control degradation systems.
Program Evaluation Methods for PK-12 Education

This chapter introduces program evaluation, a process particularly useful to school leaders who want to know how a program is working, whether it is implemented with fidelity, and what specific components of the program should be targeted to improve the program going forward. The first part of the chapter will define evaluation and compare it with research. The next section describes logic models as a visual representation of a program’s theory of action. Types of program evaluation are then presented with illustrative examples from the field of PK-12 education. The chapter concludes with recommendations for novice evaluators.
Toward Objective, Multifaceted Characterization of Psychotic Disorders: Lexical, Structural, and Disfluency Markers of Spoken Language

Psychotic disorders are forms of severe mental illness characterized by abnormal social function and a general sense of disconnect with reality. The evaluation of such disorders is often complex, as their multifaceted nature is often difficult to quantify. Multimodal behavior analysis technologies have the potential to help address this need and supply timelier and more objective decision support tools in clinical settings. While written language and nonverbal behaviors have been previously studied, the present analysis takes the novel approach of examining the rarely-studied modality of spoken language of individuals with psychosis as naturally used in social, face-to-face interactions. Our analyses expose a series of language markers associated with psychotic symptom severity, as well as interesting interactions between them. In particular, we examine three facets of spoken language: (1) lexical markers, through a study of the function of words; (2) structural markers, through a study of grammatical fluency; and (3) disfluency markers, through a study of dialogue self-repair. Additionally, we develop predictive models of psychotic symptom severity, which achieve significant predictive power on both positive and negative psychotic symptom scales. These results constitute a significant step toward the design of future multimodal clinical decision support tools for computational phenotyping of mental illness.
Antibodies produced by dogs successfully challenged with live Leptospira spp. did not cross-react to Brucella antigen in a commercial rapid slide agglutination test that detects antibodies to Brucella canis.

Brucella canis is a cause of canine infertility and abortion. Veterinarians and veterinary laboratorians screen for antibodies to B. canis with serologic tests including a rapid slide agglutination...
Consumer Evaluations of Price and Promotional Restrictions—A Public Policy Perspective:

The authors investigate the effect of price and promotional restrictions on consumer perceptions of deal value and show empirically how such evaluations can be affected adversely when deal qualific...
Teaching Nursing Students How to Decrease the Stigma Against People Who Use Drugs.

Background People who use drugs (PWUD) experience bias and stigmatization from their health care providers at higher rates than do people with other health conditions. Problem Nursing students are ill-prepared to care for PWUD. Approach Nursing students received 2 educational sessions targeted at caring for PWUD. One hour focused on identifying and intervening in the case of an opioid overdose. The other was about stigmatization experienced by PWUD, harm reduction, nonstigmatizing language, and ways in which nurses can improve care for PWUD. Outcomes Students demonstrated the use of destigmatizing language, applied learned harm reduction concepts, and incorporated referral to area resources for counseling or treatment during care of PWUD. Conclusions By using the reflective learning taught in the classroom, nursing students were able to establish the human connection needed to improve care for this vulnerable population.
Effect of rate and timing of indaziflam on ‘Sunbelt’ and muscadine grape

Studies were conducted at six locations across North Carolina to determine tolerance of ‘Sunbelt’ grape (bunch grape) and muscadine grape (‘Carlos’, ‘Triumph’, ‘Summit’) to indaziflam herbicide. Treatments included indaziflam (0, 50, 73 g ai ha–1) or flumioxazin (213 g ai ha–1) applied alone in April, and sequential applications of indaziflam (36, 50, 73 g ai ha–1) or flumioxazin (213 g ai ha–1) applied in April followed by the same rate applied in June. No crop injury was observed across locations. Muscadine yield was not affected by herbicide treatments. Yield of ‘Sunbelt’ grape increased with sequential applications of indaziflam at 73 g ha–1 when compared to a single application of indaziflam at 50 g ha–1 or flumioxazin at 213 g ha–1 in 2015. Sequential applications of flumioxazin at 213 g ha–1 reduced ‘Sunbelt’ yield compared to a single application of indaziflam at 73 g ha–1 in 2016. Trunk cross-sectional area was unaffected by herbicide treatments. Fruit quality (soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and pH) for muscadine and bunch grape was not affected by herbicide treatments. Indaziflam was safe to use at registered rates and could be integrated into weed management programs for southern US vineyards.
Longitudinal Assessment of Pain, Coping, and Daily Functioning in Children with Sickle Cell Disease Receiving Pain Management Skills Training

Objective. To conduct intensive pain management skills training (IST) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and their parents and to comprehensively evaluate pain, coping, and daily functioning in children pre, immediately post, and 3 months following treatment. Methods. Three children who received IST in nonpharmacological and pharmacological pain management strategies completed a Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) at pre, post, and follow-up assessments, and daily pain and activity diaries for 18 weeks, spanning from 1 week pretreatment to 11 weeks posttreatment. Results. From pre- to posttreatment, 1 child receiving IST indicated increased report of active coping attempts and all 3 children indicated decreased report of negative thinking on the CSQ. Participants in IST used coping skills on 90% of days with pain and reported the skills to be moderately helpful on the daily diaries. For daily activities such as eating dinner, playing with friends, and hours slept, children participated similarly on days with pain and days without pain during the posttreatment period. Given the small number of participants in this study, individual cases are discussed to highlight similarities and differences in how participants responded to the treatment and during the 3-month follow-up period. Conclusions. In this pilot study, each participant showed improvement in coping and daily functioning after completing the IST program. Individual differences in response to treatment indicate the need for more targeted intervention programs that incorporate pharmacological and nonpharmacological components. The results of this study highlight both the promise and the complications of conducting comprehensive pain intervention and functional outcome studies in children with SCD.
Thomas Young and the Rosetta Stone

Thomas Young (1773–1829) is best known in the physics community for his double-slit experiment demonstrating the wave property of light and for his work on the tensile properties of solids (Young’s modulus). His reputation as a physicist was built almost entirely upon a short, three-year period (1801–1803) of intense work as an instructor in physics and philosophy at the Royal Institution. The culmination of his work at the Royal Institution is described in A Course in Lectures on Natural Philosophy and Mechanical Arts (1807), a two-volume set containing a wide diversity of topics, including his double-slit experiments. Physics teachers and their students should be aware that Thomas Young’s contributions went far beyond these two accomplishments. Little known is that, despite having a reputation as a physicist, Young never took degrees in natural philosophy (physics). He studied to become a physician by attending prestigious medical schools in London, Edinburgh, and Gottingen. To become certified as a physician, he completed a bachelor’s and doctorate degrees at Cambridge University in physic (medicine).
Short-Term Effects of Sublethal Doses of Nematicides on Meloidogyne incognita

Meloidogyne species are one of the most important groups of plant-parasitic nematodes globally because of their ability to damage most cultivated plants. Although they are widespread and economically important, there are limited control measures to combat these nematodes. New nonfumigant nematicides have been discovered that have the potential to be widely utilized for the management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Because of the longer half-lives in soil and lower toxicity of new nematicides compared with traditional fumigant and nonfumigant nematicides, understanding how nematodes respond to sublethal doses of nematicides is imperative to understanding whether nematicide resistance has the potential to develop. Characterizing responses of nematodes to sublethal doses will provide the foundation for future work, such as gene expression studies. In this study, the nematicides oxamyl (Vydate), fluazaindolizine (Salibro), fluensulfone (Nimitz), and fluopyram (Velum), were evaluated to understand how sublethal doses affect the fecundity and mobility of Meloidogyne incognita second-stage juveniles (J2). Using a microwell assay system, dose-response curves for each nematicide were established for M. incognita J2. Fluopyram was the most toxic nematicide, with effective doses up to 230 times lower than that of other nematicides. The other nematicides had predicted ED50 values (effective doses that resulted in 50% of the population becoming inactive) of 89.4, 131.7, and 180.6 ppm for oxamyl, fluensulfone, and fluazaindolizine, respectively. The 24-h ED50 of each nematicide was then used in both motility and infectivity assays. The motility and activity of M. incognita J2 exposed to ED50 doses of fluazaindolizine and fluensulfone was significantly reduced, with nematodes initially being motile but eventually becoming inactive. However, the motility of M. incognita J2 exposed to ED50 doses of fluopyram and oxamyl was not different from a water control. In a pot assay, M. incognita J2 exposed to ED50 doses of fluazaindolizine, oxamyl, and fluensulfone were unable to reproduce on tomato, with reproduction factors (RF = final population density/initial population density) of 0 to 0.03. Fluopyram did not reduce reproduction of M. incognita, with a mean RF of 38.7 ± 4.5, which was similar to the RF of 46.3 ± 4.6 for the water control. This study is the first comprehensive evaluation of M. incognita activity, motility, and fecundity after exposure to the traditional nematicide, oxamyl, as well as three new nematicides, fluazaindolizine, fluopyram, and fluensulfone.
Adaptive Video Encoding and Dynamic Channel Access for Real-time Streaming over SDRs

In this paper we study and implement real-time adaptation schemes for video encoding and channel selection that work in tandem to facilitate HD video streaming for secondary users in a dynamic spectrum access network. Out-of-band feedbacks on instantaneous pathloss of the signal between the transmitter and the receiver, the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) at the receiver and the quality of the reconstructed video are used to continuously determine the most apt encoding parameters. At the same time, the radio transmitter continuously adjusts the channel parameters (i.e., center frequency and channel bandwidth) based on the transmission activities of the primary users who have prioritized rights on these channels. We consider the physical limitations of the encoder along with the channel statistics to determine when to change the encoder parameters and when to switch to a new channel. We propose a multi-level threshold based mechanism to find the optimal number of encoding bit rates. We also propose a threshold based algorithm to find the best available channel between the transmitter-receiver pair. We validate our theoretical propositions on an indoor testbed using software defined radios (SDRs) and the GNU Radio suite. Live video was captured, encoded using open source H.264 software libraries, streamed using GStreamer and transmitted over the 915 MHz ISM bands with omnidirectional antennas. For the SDRs, we chose the universal software radio peripheral (USRP) B210s from Ettus Research and use them as the transmitter and the receiver. A third B210 was used to sense the energy levels on all the channels to detect the presence of primary transmissions. GNU Radio was used to build the signal processing pipeline, both for the transmitter and the receiver. We use PSNR and SSIM to measure the video quality and report experimental results that show that: (i) the video encoder and the USRP transmitter-receiver pair are able to adapt to the changing RF conditions, (ii) the adaptation schemes yield better video quality than non-adaptive schemes, and (iii) the USRPs can switch the channels fast enough allowing uninterrupted HD video streaming even when primary users preempt the secondary user's transmission.
Automated laboratory artifact production

Well-designed laboratory experiments in computer science take experience and hard work. Unfortunately, deploying these labs is also a lot of work. Web pages or hard copies of instructions must be set up, grading guidelines and scoring sheets need to be created, etc. Later, if the lab changes or is redeployed in another course, many of these artifacts must be individually edited. This paper presents one approach to simplifying laboratory artifact production. The approach is based on the idea that all files, configurations, scripts, etc. should be generated from a small set of non-redundant documents that can easily be modified.
Teacher efficacy and attributes on the implementation of tiered instructional frameworks

United States federal mandates and reforms to address the needs of at-risk students have resulted in many states being required to implement evidence-based practices (EBP) and tiered systems of support (TSS). We examined the relationships between successful implementation of EBP and tiered frameworks, specifically Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) and the constructs of teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and teacher attributions. Data were collected using the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET), Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), the Collective Efficacy Scale (CES), and Teachers’ Attributions for Student Behavior Measure (TASBM). Significant correlations were found between PBIS implementation level and 1) Instructional Strategies subscale of the TSES; 2) Collective Efficacy Scale and both of its subscales; and 3) TASBM and its Stable and Blame subscales. Significant differences in mean ratings were found between high implementing schools and low implementing schools on the Instructional Strategies subscale of the TSES, on the CES, and both of its subscale. Results showed a decrease in mean ratings on the Blame subscale of the TASBM in schools that had higher implementation scores on the SET.
Clinical outcomes in T‐cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia: prognostic factors and treatment response

T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia (T-LGLL) is an incurable leukaemia characterised by clonal proliferation of abnormal cytotoxic T cells that can result in severe neutropenia, transfusion-dependent anaemia and pancytopenia requiring treatment. The most commonly used agents, methotrexate (MTX), cyclophosphamide (Cy) and cyclosporine primarily produce partial remissions (PRs), with few complete responses (CRs). We evaluated the clinical course and treatment response of 60 consecutive patients with T-LGLL to evaluate clinical outcomes and future potential treatment directions. Impaired overall survival was noted among male patients, patients with elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and those without rheumatoid arthritis. Cy was the most efficacious second-line agent, with a 70% overall response rate (ORR; three CR, four PR). All patients who failed frontline MTX responded to second-line Cy. In the relapsed or Cy-refractory setting, alemtuzumab (n = 4) and pentostatin (n = 3) had an ORR of 50% and 66%, respectively, while duvelisib induced a long-term response in one patient. In this large, retrospective analysis, our results suggest Cy is a highly effective therapy for second-line treatment in T-LGLL and should be considered a strong candidate for up-front therapy in select high-risk patients. Prospective studies evaluating pentostatin, alemtuzumab and novel agents, such as duvelisib, are needed for patients with relapsed/refractory T-LGLL.