cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Profiling stress genes regulated by the oncoprotein LEDGFp75 in prostate cancer cells using real time PCR arrays

PR-9 Increased inflammation and oxidative stress induced by environmental factors such as infections or poor dietary habits have been associated with the development of prostate cancer (PCa). In response to increased oxidative stress, prostate cells activate stress response genes that promote resistance to cell death, and hence to therapy. These genes are being increasingly implicated in the development of advanced PCa, a therapy-resistant stage of the disease that cause a disproportionately high mortality rate among African American (AA) men in the United States. A comprehensive molecular approach to understand the biological basis of the increased PCa mortality in AA men is critically needed to eliminate these disparities. Our laboratory seeks to understand the biological basis of these disparities by studying oxidative stress-dependent cellular survival pathways operating in advanced prostate tumors. We hypothesize that the lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75), an emerging oncoprotein regulated by oxidative stress and overexpressed in high stage prostate tumors, promotes PCa cell resistance to stress-induced cell death by transcriptionally regulating genes controlling the cellular redox environment. As a first step in the identification of these genes we have initiated a stress-focused gene expression analysis in PCa cell lines using the Real Time Profiler PCR Array System (SuperArray Bioscience Corp.). This array contains 84 genes involved in the cellular stress response and in redox control, and was used to determine quantitatively changes in stress gene expression in PCa cell lines that were either depleted of LEDGF/p75 by RNA interference, or were overexpressing this protein. The experiments were conducted in the presence and absence of sublethal doses of the strong oxidant tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). Our results revealed a set of stress genes that appear to be differentially regulated by LEDGF/p75, including phosphoinositide-binding protein E, cytoglobulin, superoxide dismutase 3, thyroid peroxidase, selenoprotein P, aldehyde oxidase 1, and apolipoprotein E. These studies set the stage for assessing, using immunohistochemistry, differences in the expression of LEDGF/p75 and its target genes in prostate tumors from diverse ethnic populations. Initial studies will be conducted using ethnicity prostate tissue microarrays that include tissue from healthy donors, as well as from Caucasian and African American donors with PCa. The therapeutic targeting of LEDGF/p75 and the stress genes it regulates might attenuate tumor resistance to therapy in advanced PCa, potentially reducing the racial disparities associated with the mortality from this disease.
Behavioral effects of Splenda, Equal and sucrose: Clues from planarians on sweeteners

Sweetened diets share commonalities with drugs of abuse, but studies comparing behavioral effects of different sweeteners are lacking. Common table sugar produces rewarding and withdrawal effects in planarians. We postulated that Splenda and Equal would produce similar responses and used a tetrad of behavioral assays to test this hypothesis. Acute exposure to a relatively high concentration (10%) of each sweetener produced stereotyped responses (C-shapes) and reduced motility, with Equal producing greater motor effects than sucrose or Splenda. In experiments testing for anxiogenic-like effects, planarians withdrawn from Splenda (1, 3%) or sucrose (1, 3%), but not Equal, and placed into a petri dish with dark and light compartments spent more time in the dark compared to water controls. In place conditioning experiments, both Splenda (0.01%) and sucrose (0.01%) produced an environmental preference shift. Maltodextrin (0.1%), a principal ingredient of Splenda and Equal, produced a significant preference shift. In contrast, sucralose, an indigestible polysaccharide contained in Splenda and Equal, was ineffective. Our data reveal that Splenda produces sucrose-like rewarding and withdrawal effects in planarians that may be dependent on maltodextrin and dextrose. The ineffectiveness of Equal may be due to the presence of aspartame, which is too water insoluble to test in our planarian assay, or to its bitter aftertaste that could mask any rewarding effects produce by maltodextrin or dextrose.
Relaxation dynamics and coherent energy exchange in coupled vibration-cavity polaritons(Conference Presentation)

Coherent coupling between an optical transition and confined optical mode have been investigated for electronic-state transitions, however, only very recently have vibrational transitions been considered. Here, we demonstrate both static and dynamic results for vibrational bands strongly coupled to optical cavities. We experimentally and numerically describe strong coupling between a Fabry-Perot cavity and carbonyl stretch (~1730 cm 1) in poly-methylmethacrylate and provide evidence that the mixed-states are immune to inhomogeneous broadening. We investigate strong and weak coupling regimes through examination of cavities loaded with varying concentrations of a urethane monomer. Rabi splittings are in excellent agreement with an analytical description using no fitting parameters. Ultrafast pump-probe measurements reveal transient absorption signals over a frequency range well-separated from the vibrational band, as well as drastically modified relaxation rates. We speculate these modified kinetics are a consequence of the energy proximity between the vibration-cavity polariton modes and excited state transitions and that polaritons offer an alternative relaxation path for vibrational excitations. Varying the polariton energies by angle-tuning yields transient results consistent with this hypothesis. Furthermore, Rabi oscillations, or quantum beats, are observed at early times and we see evidence that these coherent vibration-cavity polariton excitations impact excited state population through cavity losses. Together, these results indicate that cavity coupling may be used to influence both excitation and relaxation rates of vibrations. Opening the field of polaritonic coupling to vibrational species promises to be a rich arena amenable to a wide variety of infrared-active bonds that can be studied in steady state and dynamically.
Axial and torsional stiffness of pediatric prosthetic feet

Abstract Background Prosthetic stiffness likely affects the walking biomechanics of toddlers and children with leg amputations, but the actual stiffness values for prostheses are not reported by manufacturers or in standardized testing procedures. Aim We measured axial (kA) and torsional (kT) stiffness from four brands of pediatric prosthetic feet (Trulife, Kingsley Mfg. Co., TRS Incorporated, and College Park Industries) over a range of foot sizes. Methods We applied forces and torques onto prostheses with a materials testing machine that replicated those exhibited in vivo by using the kinetics measured from four non-amputee toddlers (2–3 years) during walking. Findings Across brands, kA averaged 35.2 kN/m during heel loading, was more stiff during midfoot loading (121.8 kN/m, P Interpretation The axial and torsional stiffness testing methods are reproducible and should be adopted by prosthetic foot manufacturers. Axial and torsional stiffness values of commercially available prosthetic feet should be publically reported to health practitioners to ensure evidence-based decisions and meet the specific needs of each patient with a leg amputation.
Regulation of Caspase-Mediated Apoptosis by the Tumor Suppressor Par-4

The Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 gene Par-4 encodes a tumor suppressor protein, which can act through a number of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Extracellularly, Par-4 can interact with cell-surface GRP-78 and trigger apoptosis through membrane-bound GRP-78. Intracellularly, Par-4 can downgrade the activities of pro-survival pathways like NF-κB, promote translocation of Fas and FasL to the plasma membrane or inhibit topoisomerase activity.
The coming of cyber espionage norms

The proposition that cyber espionage is acceptable state behavior, even as cyber attack is unacceptable, is in question. The United States has raised objections to certain types of cyber espionage activity, notably: (1) Chinese economically-motivated cyber espionage; (2) the (feared) transfer of data taken from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and provided to criminals; and (3) Russian doxing attacks, particularly against the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In effect, the United States has been edging towards advocating a new class of norms for cyber espionage — countries may carry it out, but not use the results for other than traditional intelligence purposes, that is for informing national security decisionmaking. Other forms of cyber espionage may come to be viewed as unacceptable, notably the uses of cyber espionage to enable cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. Establishing a norm that holds some forms of cyber espionage to be acceptable and others not would raise issues. First, can the United States and its friends define such norms in ways that render unacceptable (many of) those practices it finds objectionable, but do not prevent its own practices from being deemed unacceptable? In particular, can there be norms expressed in ways that allow all targets and methods to be used but restrict only what can be done with the information collected? Second, can monitoring regimes be developed to distinguish acceptable from unacceptable cyber espionage and attribute such actions — not only correctly, but in ways that are accepted widely enough to dissuade further such activity?
Spatial patterns of tree and shrub biomass in a deciduous forest using leaf-off and leaf-on lidar.

Understanding patterns of aboveground carbon storage across forest types is increasingly important as managers adapt to threats of global change. We combined field measures of aboveground biomass w...
The Use of Rock Mechanics in Petroleum Engineering: General Overview

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the use of rock mechanics in petroleum engineering. Rock mechanics is a science that deals with poorly defined properties and poorly defined loading conditions, both of which must be expected to vary considerably from one reservoir to another or even within the same reservoir from one geological unit to another. The process of breaking the rock and making hole perturbs the existing stress trajectories, leading to stress concentrations around the opening. Unexpected fluid losses jeopardize the stability of the hole by removing its support and cause dangerous gas kicks. From a mechanistic point-of-view, perforations are similar to dynamic cratering. Drilling and completion procedures lead to near-wellbore damage, which can hinder the well production. Acidizing, which removes this damage by dissolving some of these invading particles, re-establishes this inherent permeability loss. The pressurization of a cased, cemented, and perforated borehole can lead to the initiation of a fracture along the cement boundaries, depending on the compliance of the system. The oil and gas industry has definite challenges that can benefit from the rock mechanics input.
Commentary on D. Basu’s Papers on Sufficiency and Related Topics

It is an honour and a pleasure to be able to offer this commentary on some of D. Basu’s papers on sufficiency and related topics. In the early 1970s, we thought that we might write a book together on sufficiency. We had many discussions and exchanged a fair amount of material. In particular, we prepared a bibliography on sufficiency which was reasonably comprehensive at the time (Basu and Speed (1975)). But the planned book never came to fruition. I have not worked on this topic since the late 1970s. So the experience of writing this commentary has been a pleasant walk down the memory lane. However, it also means that I may be unaware of some relevant later developments. Accordingly, I begin with an apology in advance to the readers for any such oversight or errors. Caveat lector!
Book Review of Terryl L. Givens, By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion

Terryl L. Givens, professor of English at the University of Richmond, Virginia, enters the stormy field of Book of Mormon studies with an examination of why generations of believers and skeptics have taken the Book of Mormon seriously. His refreshing intent is not to argue for or against the truth of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith's account of it. Rather, he offers the wider public an overview of the "tempestuous career" of an American scripture as a sign of young man's prophetic calling. Despite some gross errors produced by his occasional failure to investigate claims made by LDS scholars, Givens's book is not a simple repetition of the general failings of Book of Mormon studies. His willingness to discuss the nineteenth-century context as well as peculiarity of prayer in the Book of Mormon helps to keep the delicate balance he seeks and mostly maintains. As an English professor, he is at his best when dealing with linguistic and rhetorical analysis in the Book of Mormon. His forays into anthropology lack a similar rigor. He identifies the historical root of Mormon struggles with their central scripture in the mundane rhetoric of a prophet with a divine message. Givens's summary of the Book of Mormon wars in the United States make this book necessary reading for any serious student of the Book of Mormon.
First CAR to Pass the Road Test: Tisagenlecleucel's Drive to FDA Approval

In August 2017, the FDA took historic action in granting the first approval of gene therapy to tisagenlecleucel. This landmark step brought CAR T-cell therapy to the commercial space and heralded a new era in managing refractory B-cell malignancies and FDA oversight of gene-modified therapies. See related article by O9Leary et al., p. 1142
Examining Science Teacher Reflections on Argument-Based Inquiry Through a Critical Discourse Lens

Developing the future scientists of tomorrow requires that the science teachers of today be well versed in the languages and practices of science. This may require in-service teachers to shift the way they think about learning and the role they play in their classrooms. One approach to helping teachers gain a sense of comfort with current science practices, including the process of argumentation, known as Argument-based Strategies for STEM Infused Science Teaching (ASSIST), has recently been designed as a means of providing professional development opportunities for K-12 science teachers. As part of the ASSIST program, participating teachers provided written feedback in the form of self-reflections that focus on the challenges they have faced when attempting to implement the ASSIST approach with their students. These self-reflections were examined using the tools of critical discourse analysis (CDA) to uncover themes in the language used by participants as they express difficulties in implementing a new approach to science teaching. Our analysis reveals struggles for power at the instructional, institutional, and interpersonal levels that can stand in the way of progressive approaches to teaching and learning. Fundamental to the power struggles reported on in this research are competing educational ideologies that can be discovered and explored using CDA. Implications for the planning and design of science teacher professional development programs will be discussed.
Stable isotope comparison between mantle and foot tissues of two freshwater unionids: Implications for food web studies

Unionid mussels are a key taxon for stable isotope studies of aquatic food webs, often serving as the primary integrator of the pelagic baseline. Past isotope studies with mussels have commonly used either foot tissue or mantle tissue, but no study has yet to quantify the relation of both carbon and nitrogen isotopes between these two tissue sources. This makes it difficult to justify cross-study comparisons when different tissue compartments and different species were used as the basis of food web models. Therefore, we collected foot and mantle tissues from two common mussel species, Amblema plicata and Fusconaia flava, from lotic and lentic sites in the Upper Mississippi and St. Croix rivers (Minnesota/Wisconsin). Paired tissue samples from each individual were analyzed for stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon. There were strong relations between tissue types for both isotopes between species (r2 > 0.93). Paired t-tests indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the tissue sources in some instances, but the difference (0.04–0.21‰) was less than the analytical precision of the mass spectrometer (circa 0.2–0.3‰). We conclude that the isotopic values from these two tissue sources are biologically comparable and recommend that researchers use the tissue source and extraction technique that minimizes stress to the mussels. We also tested for significant differences between species within a site for either isotope or tissue type and found no statistically significant difference between species with the exception of carbon in foot tissue at two sites. The highly correlated isotopic response supports the interchangeable use of both tissue compartments and both species. These findings support comparisons between studies whether the results were based on either of these tissues or the two species studied. Comparability will also simplify sampling designs, save time, and save money for processing samples without diminishing the usefulness of the data.
Money Talks, But Will Consumers Listen? Referral Reward Programs and the Likelihood of Recommendation Acceptance

This article studies the impact of firm instituted referral reward programs on consumers’ acceptance of word of mouth recommendations. Across a series of three experiments, we show that recommendat...
Sildenafil's impact on male infertility: what has changed in 20 years?

Sildenafil has had a dramatic influence on the field of sexual medicine over the past 20 years. Not only have phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors improved the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), they have indirectly contributed to the treatment of male factor infertility. A review of the literature between 1998 - 2018 was performed using PubMed with regards to sildenafil and male infertility. Numerous studies have demonstrated sildenafil’s safety and efficacy for treating ED. Sildenafil does not alter semen parameters, and, in fact, may positively affect semen parameters. Sildenafil is helpful for treating ED caused by the psychological stress of infertility treatments. Sildenafil has improved the treatment of ED and may have a benefit on semen parameters. This has aided in the management of male factor infertility, and has contributed to hundreds of thousands of pregnancies that would have been more difficult, as it was before its advent.
Prevalence and Distribution of Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus Strains in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is the causal agent of rhizomania, a disease of global importance to the sugar beet industry. The most widely implemented resistance gene to rhizomania to da...
Examination of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) validity and substantive scales in patients with electrical injury

Objective: Electrical injury (EI) is a distinct subtype of traumatic injury that often results in a unique constellation of cognitive sequelae and unusual sensory experiences due to peripheral nerv...
A novel method for prediction of postoperative global sagittal alignment based on full-body musculoskeletal modeling and posture optimization

Abstract Associations between spinal sagittal balance and pain and disability are well documented. Reciprocal changes after spinal surgery might be critical for the outcomes, but assessing their extent remains a challenge. This paper proposes a method for predicting full-body sagittal alignment including reciprocal changes in response to spinal fusion, based on musculoskeletal modeling and inverse-inverse dynamics approach. An established body model (AnyBody) was used, with fused segments modeled as rigid. Posture was optimized based on muscle expenditure minimization, following the concept of the cone of economy. The data of adult spinal fusion patients were obtained retrospectively from an ongoing clinical study. Patient spino-pelvic alignment, body weight and height, age- and pathology-related muscle deterioration, and underwent treatment details were represented in the model. Predicted postural changes were compared to follow-up radiographs to evaluate method validity. Twenty-one cases were analyzed in this preliminary study (age range = 48–74; number of fused segments 1–14). The model predictions correlated well with the radiographic measures at follow-up: TPA, r = 0.83; ΔPILL, r = 0.90; LL, r = 0.90; TK, r = 0.77. The model demonstrated high accuracy in predicting sagittal imbalance (positive predictive value = 1.00, negative predictive value = 0.75). The presented method for patient- and treatment-specific postoperative posture prediction can be used to guide preoperative planning of spinal fusion, but more extensive validation is needed.
A Mashup Returns

On 2 January 2019, “some anonymous dummy,” per New York magazine reporting, shared a 30-second clip of then-U.S. Rep-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dancing barefoot on a rooftop.[1][1] “Here is America’s favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is,” the account
Design of an External Compensatory Breathing Bladder for the BioSuit

Mechanical counterpressure (MCP) spacesuits offer several advantages over traditional gas-pressurized suits including lower energy cost of transport, greater mobility and range of motion, reduced risk of decompression due to suit tear or puncture, and increased astronaut comfort. The BioSuit™ is an MCP concept being developed at MIT primarily for Martian extravehicular activity (EVA). A key part of this design is an external breathing compensation bladder on the chest of the astronaut. This bladder acts as a counter-lung to ease the burden of breathing while wearing a constrictive garment and adapts to the changing volume of the chest to provide equalized pressure application. This paper details the engineering analysis, prototype design and fabrication, and benchtop component and system testing plan of a compensatory breathing bladder for the BioSuit™. Additionally, concepts for a helmet neck seal and integrated airflow system between a portable life support system (PLSS) backpack, helmet, and bladder are presented. The BioSuit™ breathing bladder advances the development of life support systems for a full MCP spacesuit and lessons learned will be applied for future engineering prototypes.
Seeing It Is Like Touching It: Unraveling the Effective Product Presentations on Online Apparel Purchase Decisions and Brain Activity (An fMRI Study)

Abstract Unlike brick-and-mortar stores where consumers can use all of their senses to examine a product, online retailers must properly present products to shoppers via a computer-mediated interface. In this exploratory study, we investigate how the brain makes purchase decisions when it encounters different types of visual presentation strategies. Specifically, we use event-related fMRI to study brain activation preceding purchase decisions under three visual presentation strategies: (1) static picture, (2) image zooming, and (3) rotation video. Twenty-four (24) participants made 60 apparel purchase decisions. Utilizing machine learning, we study whether and how various neural circuits are engaged in purchase decision-making in regard to different types of visual sensory information. The functional neuroimaging results suggest high accuracy (highest: 95%, Rotation condition) in predicting purchase decisions using brain activity in the product evaluation process. Furthermore, cross-category validation reveals the activation patterns under the Rotation condition most successfully predict choices across the other two presentation conditions: this suggests a potential universal brain activity pattern in these apparel purchase decisions. Finally, we found some brain regions (such as the cerebellum) that are less likely to be associated with purchase decisions but are considered influential in predicting online apparel purchase decisions in the context of watching a rotation product video. The cerebellar activation may suggest association with spatial cognition and virtual navigation in addition to motor control. This study contributes to the research field of NeuroIS and online shopper study. The results provide empirical evidence to support the refined S-O-R theoretical model Jacoby (2002) and heuristic information process and inform the practical implications of sensory-engaging presentations in helping consumers to make online purchase decisions.
A Role for N6-Methyladenine in DNA Damage Repair

The leading cause of mutation due to oxidative damage is 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) mispairing with adenine (Ade), which can occur in two ways. First, guanine of a G:C DNA base pair can be oxidized. If not repaired in time, DNA polymerases can mispair Ade with 8-oxoG in the template. This 8-oxoG:A can be repaired by enzymes that remove Ade opposite to template 8-oxoG, or 8-oxoG opposite to Cyt. Second, free 8-oxo-dGTP can be misincorporated by DNA polymerases into DNA opposite template Ade. However, there is no known repair activity that removes 8-oxoG opposite to template Ade. We suggest that a major role of N6-methyladenine in mammalian DNA is minimizing incorporation of 8-oxoG opposite to Ade by DNA polymerases following adduct formation.
Out of (queer/disabled) time: temporal experiences of disability and LGBTQ+ identities in US higher education

A qualitative study using situational analysis (Clarke, 2005) explored the temporal experiences of 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ+] students with disabilities at a U.S. research university. Drawing upon queer and critical examinations of time, this manuscript details students' experiences navigating and transgressing normative temporalities in higher education. Students in the study described processes of (a) calculating time to graduation; (b) resisting and accommodating temporal expectations; and (c) lacking energy, lacking time. Failure to align with the campus tempo was dismissed as an individual failure of motivation and of time management, thus absolving the institution. Ultimately, however, a focus on students experiencing acute institutional pressures related to temporality might offer insight into broader trends embedded in dominant neoliberal discourses of higher education. This paper suggests interconnections among time, power, and identity that could inform new paradigms for higher education practitioners and researchers.
User experience delight from the designer’s perspective

UX designers acknowledge delight as a relevant element of the user experience. This paper investigates how these professionals talk about delight and demonstrates the existence of two viewpoints of delight used in professional practice. The paper introduces a third, unified perspective to serve as the basis of an HCI research agenda that can support UX design practice concerning the notion of delight.
Ocean Literacy: From a Ripple to a Wave

This chapter provides a brief history of ocean literacy and the Ocean Literacy Framework, beginning in the United States and expanding around the world. With connections to the “big ideas” in science, geography, and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, the authors illustrate how the one world ocean transcends both disciplinary and geographical boundaries. Simultaneously, a global campaign reaching beyond such limits has many inherent challenges including communication, cultural relevance, evaluation, education, and funding. The authors acknowledge these limitations but also suggest opportunities and recommendations for a more unified transdisciplinary approach culminating in improved communication and ocean-literate citizens across the globe.
Epidemiologic Study of the Discoid Meniscus: Investigating Demographic-Based Predictors in Large-Scale Claims Database:

Background:Discoid meniscus epidemiology remains poorly defined for race and sex, in part, due to limitations of retrospective studies and small case series. A better understanding of epidemiology ...
Chapter 12 Reactivation of Sperm Flagella: Properties of Microtubule-Mediated Motility

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the microtubule-mediated motility for the reactivation of sperm flagella. The development of procedures for reactivation of cilia and sperm flagella in which the membrane has been rendered permeable by treatment with 50% glycerol is presented. Healthy sea urchins are induced to shed their sperm by injecting 0.5 M KCl through the lantern mantle into the test of the animal. The thick semen is collected under a layer of EDTA-seawater and stored undiluted. The maximum time that the semen may be stored without loss of quality vanes in different species of sea urchin, with good reactivation being obtained after as long as 3–4 days at 4°C in some cases. The motility of demembranated cells is extremely sensitive to contamination by heavy-metal ions, and the quality of reactivated preparations. The presence of 2% polyethylene glycol in the reactivating solution seems to improve the longevity of reactivated-sperm preparations by delaying the appearance of this stiffness, as well as influencing the initial waveforms so that they more closely resemble those of the live sperm. Potentially symmetrical sperm of Tripneustes and Strongylocentrotus can be induced to swim with moderately asymmetric waveforms by adding Ca 2+ to the reactivating solution at concentrations in excess of the EGTA concentration.
Are there Laws of Consumption

As most of you will recognize, the title of this address is second-hand. It is a variation of one used nearly two decades ago by one of the leaders of our profession, whom the Econometric Society is proud to count among its earliest Fellows. When Paul Douglas gave his Presidential Address to the American Economic Association, he was able to point to a large body of evidence in support of the production function that has made his name a household word among us. And twenty years later it appears that subsequent experience with this function has amply justified the faith of its originatiors in the possibility of establishing simple quantitative laws in economics.
Portable virtual reality: Inertial measurements and biomechanics

This paper presents a portable virtual reality (VR) system that affords full-body tracking by using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and several aspects of human biomechanics. The current implementation uses a commercial IMU-based full-body tracking system that only reports the orientations of body segments. We have developed an anthropometry-based method that uses this orientation data to derive accurate body-segment positions. In turn, we use kinematics and heel-based translations to provide a theoretically infinite tracking space. A head-mounted display (HMD) is used to provide visual feedback of the user’s full-body avatar and to convey physical locomotion through the virtual environment. We discuss key challenges to making this system usable in everyday environments, including calibration, ergonomics, drift, and collision avoidance.
Using Queueing Theory to Alleviate Emergency Department Overcrowding

Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding is a growing problem in the United States and many other countries. Though sometimes dismissed as a minor issue caused by an increase in those who use the ED for routine medical care, this masks the potentially fatal consequences for seriously ill patients who do not receive timely care. This article will illustrate how problems in emergency responsiveness are often due to capacity management policies used by hospital managers and government officials which are based on an erroneous understanding of service system dynamics. Examples will show how the use of queueing models can help identify root causes of ED overcrowding and identify better policies for resource allocation and management that will result in significant improvements, often with little or no additional capacity. Keywords: queueing; emergency departments; hospitals; capacity management; overcrowding
Catalysis at Experimentally Designed Surfaces: n-Butane Hydrogenolysis at Sn/Group VIII Surface Alloys

Bimetallic {radical}3x{radical}3R30{degrees}-Sn/M(111) [M=Ni, Pt] surface alloys have been prepared in an ultrahigh vacuum system and used in model moderate pressure (1--200 Torr) catalytic reactions. Hydrogenolysis of n-butane (H{sub 2}/n-C4=20) has been used to characterize the effects of ordered bimetallic ensembles relative to those available at the respective (111) surfaces. The effect of alloying Sn into the Ni(111) surface produced an overall lowering of the catalytic reactivity nearly equal to the number of Ni surface sites lost upon producing the {radical}3x{radical}3R30{degrees} surface alloy. In addition, the overall rate of hydrogenolysis of n-butane at the {radical}3x{radical}R30{degrees}-Sn/Pt(111) surface alloy was also found to have decreased (although not in proportion to the loss of total Pt atoms). Catalytic deactivation due to carbon buildup was observed to decrease significantly at both of the ordered {radical}3x{radical}3R30{degrees}-Sn/M(111) surface alloys under reaction conditions.
Certain biological effects of thermocline shifts

Under the influence of variable climatic conditions in the spring and due to the peculiar shape of its basin, Lake West Okoboji, Iowa, showed considerable variations in mid-summer temperatures from year to year. The lake either became stratified early in June or stayed mixed until some time in August. When the thermocline formed early between 10–12 m., as usual, it left a deep hypolimnion of relatively small volume. In such years, yellow perch and other fish had weak diel movements from 12 to 5 m. and back. When, in other years, the epilimnion was deep and ample oxygen extended to 20 m, the same fish showed more pronounced on- and off-shore migrations and spent part of the day at the 20 m. contour where they foraged on the tendipedid larvae which reached greatest abundance there. In years of early stratification, however, when the midge larvae were fewer and showed some concentration between 10 and 12 m., they were not a preferred item in the diet of the perch. The behavior of the fish is discussed with physiological limitations in mind and their ability to contract an oxygen debt as well as the adjustment of swim bladder volume are considered as critical factors. Some speculation is made about the possible role of density-dependent water movements on the distribution of midge larvae; the concentration zones of Tendipes larvae coincided closely with the depth to which the wind-driven circulation extended and where water density shifted most pronouncedly.
Cooperative Learning in Social Work Research Courses

In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups to discuss material and solve problems. In social work research courses, cooperative learning help students overcome their resistance to understanding and using research concepts and skills. This article describes the features, benefits, and challenges of cooperative small group learning and how it can be implemented in social work research courses. The author discusses preparing students for cooperative learning, making appropriate assignments, and evaluating effectiveness.
Modulation of headcut soil erosion in rills due to upstream sediment loads

[1] Headcut erosion can severely accelerate soil loss in upland concentrated flows and lead to significant soil degradation in agricultural areas. Previous experimental work has demonstrated that actively migrating headcuts display systematic morphodynamic behavior and that impinging jet theory can provide an excellent analytic foundation for predicting these erosional phenomena. This research sought to examine systematically the effect of an upstream sediment load on the morphodynamics of actively migrating headcuts in upland concentrated flows. Using a specially designed experimental facility, actively migrating headcuts in packed soil beds were allowed to develop freely when subjected to concentrated, clear-water flows similar to rills, crop furrows, and ephemeral gullies. After such headcut development and without altering the boundary conditions of the experiment, a sediment load composed of relatively coarser grained sand was introduced into the flow well upstream of the erosional feature. At relatively low upstream sediment loadings, the morphodynamics and sediment discharge of the actively migrating headcuts remained unchanged in time and space. As upstream sediment loadings increased, the size and migration rate of the headcuts decreased markedly, yet sediment discharge was not strongly affected as its sediment texture shifted from headcut-controlled flux to sediment-feed flux. The headcut erosion process was completely arrested when the upstream sediment feed rate exceeded a specific magnitude. Analytic arguments are used to explain the reaction time and morphodynamic response of an actively migrating headcut to this upstream sediment loading. This research shows that headcut erosion can be strongly modulated by an upstream sediment load, further complicating the prediction of soil erosion on upland areas dissected by sediment-laden concentrated flows.
Cauchy Kernels for some Conformally Flat Manifolds

Here we will consider examples of conformally flat manifolds that are conformally equivalent to open subsets of the sphere S n . For such manifolds we shall introduce a Cauchy kernel, Cauchy integral formula for sections taking values in a spinor bundle and annihilated by a Dirac operator, or generalized Cauchy-Riemann operator. Basic properties of this kernel are examined. We also introduce a Green’s kernel and a Green’s formula for harmonic sections in this context.
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Use in Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES To describe patterns of use, care practices, and outcomes related to peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) use in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Acute Pain Medicine in the United States: A Status Report.

Background Consensus indicates that a comprehensive, multimodal, holistic approach is foundational to the practice of acute pain medicine (APM), but lack of uniform, evidence-based clinical pathways leads to undesirable variability throughout U. S. healthcare systems. Acute pain studies are inconsistently synthesized to guide educational programs. Advanced practice techniques involving regional anesthesia assume the presence of a physician-led, multidisciplinary acute pain service, which is often unavailable or inconsistently applied. This heterogeneity of educational and organizational standards may result in unnecessary patient pain and escalation of healthcare costs. Methods A multidisciplinary panel was nominated through the APM Shared Interest Group of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. The panel met in Chicago, IL, in July 2014, to identify gaps and set priorities in APM research and education. Results The panel identified three areas of critical need: 1) an open-source acute pain data registry and clinical support tool to inform clinical decision making and resource allocation and to enhance research efforts; 2) a strong professional APM identity as an accredited subspecialty; and 3) educational goals targeted toward third-party payers, hospital administrators, and other key stakeholders to convey the importance of APM. Conclusion This report is the first step in a 3-year initiative aimed at creating conditions and incentives for the optimal provision of APM services to facilitate and enhance the quality of patient recovery after surgery, illness, or trauma. The ultimate goal is to reduce the conversion of acute pain to the debilitating disease of chronic pain.
The Effect of Planar Defects on the Optical Properties of Silver Nanostructures

We present a computational, atomistic electrodynamics investigation of the effects of planar defects on the optical properties of silver nanocubes, where the planar defects we considered are different surface orientations, twins, partial dislocations, and full dislocations. We find that for nanocubes smaller than about 3 nm, the optical response is very sensitive to the specific surface structure resulting from the defects. However, the sensitivity, as measured by shifts in the plasmon resonance wavelength, is strongly reduced at larger sizes because of the decreasing importance of surface effects even when the majority of the atomic deformation due to the crystal defects is contained within the interior of the nanocube. Overall, this study suggests that the effects of individual crystalline defects on the optical properties of nanostructures can be safely ignored for nanostructure sizes larger than about 5 nm.
Electronic Structural Contributions to g Values and Molybdenum Hyperfine Coupling Constants in Oxyhalide Anions of Molybdenum(V)

The EPR spectroscopic parameters of a series of Mo(V) oxyhalide anions, [MoOX5-n(H2O)n](2-n)- (X = F, Br, n = 0; X = Cl, n = 1), were obtained in fluid solutions and frozen glasses or (X = Cl, Br) ...
The effect of plastic strain on the evolution of crystallographic texture in Zircaloy-2

Abstract The evolution of crystallographic texture during plastic deformation was investigated in Zircaloy-2 using X-ray and metallographic techniques. Inverse pole figures, the resolved fraction of basal poles, and the volume fraction of twinned material, were determined as a function of plastic strain for several strain paths and initial textures at 298 K and 623 K. Incremental transverse platic strain ratios ( R ) were mesured as a function of plastic strain. Texture rotation occurs early in the deformation process, after as little as 1.5% plastic strain. For compressive plastic strains, the resolved fraction of basal poles increases in the direction parallel to the strain axis. For tensile plastic strains, the resolved fraction of basal poles decreases in the direction parallel to the strain axis. The rate of change of the resolved fraction of basal poles with plastic strain is a function of the initial resolved fraction of basal poles. The texture rotation can be explained by considering the operation of the principal tensile twinning systems, {1012}〈1011〉.
Conservative Theology and Same-Sex Desire:

chapters on property, information, and thought we get to the heart of the matter. Sof sky is interested in defending private prop erty from its supposed attackers. Conflicts emerge, however, when he outlines a system of just property, implying (but never stating) the need for institutions to keep track of and enforce such justice. Furthermore, it appears that contrary to what we have been led to think, he is not against social intercourse alto gether. In fact "property gives rise to social intercourse," but ideally it is the free market kind and not the "stifling warmth of the com munity" (p.85). One of the strengths of Sofsky's work is that, in addition to attention to the motiva tions of the state and corporations, he acknowledges the role that citizens have played and continue to play in the diminish ing of their own privacy. This is an essential piece of the privacy puzzle. In general, this book is a call for greater protection of privacy and a tirade against abstract forces of power that would strip it away for their coordinated end of ever greater control. An analysis of the formation of his opinions, though, would be more sociologically satisfying than are the opinions themselves.
Beyond the F test: Effect size confidence intervals and tests of close fit in the analysis of variance and contrast analysis.

This article presents confidence interval methods for improving on the standard F tests in the balanced, completely between-subjects, fixed-effects analysis of variance. Exact confidence intervals for omnibus effect size measures, such as ω 2 and the root-mean-square standardized effect, provide all the information in the traditional hypothesis test and more. They allow one to test simultaneously whether overall effects are (a) zero (the traditional test), (b) trivial (do not exceed some small value), or (c) nontrivial (definitely exceed some minimal level). For situations in which single-degree-of-freedom contrasts are of primary interest, exact confidence interval methods for contrast effect size measures such as the contrast correlation are also provided.
Models for residual time to AIDS.

The distributions of the time from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection to the onset of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and of the residual time to AIDS diagnosis are important for modeling the growth of the AIDS epidemic and for predicting onset of the disease in an individual. Markers such as CD4 counts carry valuable information about disease progression and therefore about the two survival distributions. Building on the framework set out by Jewell and Kalbfleisch (1992), we study these two survival distributions based on stochastic models for the marker process (X(t)) and a marker-dependent hazard (h(⋅)). We examine various plausible CD4 marker processes and marker-dependent hazard functions for AIDS proposed in recent literature. For a random effects plus Brownian motion marker process X(t)=(a+bt+BM(t))4, where a has a normal distribution, b<0 is an unknown parameter and BM(t) is Brownian motion, and marker-dependent hazard h(X(t)), we prove that, given CD4 cell count X(t), the residual time to AIDS distribution does not depend on the time since infection t. Using simulation and numerical integration, we find the marginal incubation period distribution, the marginal hazard and the residual time distribution for several combinations of marker processes and marker-dependent hazards. An example using data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study is given. A simple regression model relating the cube root of residual time to AIDS to CD4 count is suggested.
From Consumption to Production: Labor Participation in Grass-Roots Movements in Pittsburgh and Hartford

The authors examine the response of labor-community organizations in local economic development policy decisions. Case studies of labor-community organizations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Hartford, Connecticut, are presented to support the authors' conclusion that grass-roots participation can lead to development policies that reflect working-class interests. Further, the organization in Pittsburgh has been active in creating a national-level organization to assist other places in developing similar responses. Accordingly, the authors suggest that such movements cannot be judged exclusively in terms of their immediate gains but must also be evaluated in terms of the extent to which the strategies developed promote conditions for future progressive social change.
Translational studies of pulsed HIFU enhanced tissue permeability: Mechanisms in mouse and rabbit models

Enhanced tissue permeability resulting from pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) has been studied for over a decade now. Most of these studies have been in mouse models. To proceed to the clinic, two questions remain to be answered, first, what is the mechanism of action, and second, can it be scaled to humans. The goal of our ongoing research is to provide clear answers to these questions. An Insightec ExAblate 2000 3T MR guided focused ultrasound device was used to sonicate the thigh muscle of rabbits. The sonication parameters were similar to those successfully used in the many earlier mouse studies. Experimental work was supplemented with theoretical modeling to test earlier assumptions regarding tissue heating and radiation force induced strains in computer models of mouse and bulk muscle. Our results suggest that the thermal dose, rather than peak acoustic or half-harmonics power, appears as the best indicator of improved transport. These studies indicate that the parameters and assumptions from earlier studies in mouse models must be re-evaluated for larger animals and humans.