cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of influenza virus hemagglutinin stalk-based immunity in ferrets

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies that target the conserved stalk domain of the influenza virus hemagglutinin as well as stalk-based universal influenza virus vaccine strategies are being developed as promising countermeasures for influenza virus infections. The pan-H1 reactive monoclonal antibody 6F12 has been extensively characterized and shows broad efficacy against divergent H1N1 strains in the mouse model. Here we demonstrate its efficacy against a pandemic H1N1 challenge virus in the ferret model of influenza disease. Furthermore, we recently developed a universal influenza virus vaccine strategy based on chimeric hemagglutinin constructs that focuses the immune response towards the conserved stalk domain of the hemagglutinin. Here we set out to test this vaccination strategy in the ferret model. Both strategies, pre-treatment of animals with stalk-reactive monoclonal antibody as well as vaccination with chimeric hemagglutinin based constructs were able to significantly reduce viral titers in nasal turbinates, lungs and olfactory bulbs. In addition, vaccinated animals also showed reduced nasal wash viral titers. In summary both strategies showed efficacy in reducing viral loads after influenza virus challenge in the ferret model.
A Modeling and Observational Framework for Diagnosing Local Land–Atmosphere Coupling on Diurnal Time Scales

Land-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture states. The degree of coupling between the land surface and PBL in numerical weather prediction and climate models remains largely unexplored and undiagnosed due to the complex interactions and feedbacks present across a range of scales. Further, uncoupled systems or experiments (e.g., the Project for Intercomparison of Land Parameterization Schemes, PILPS) may lead to inaccurate water and energy cycle process understanding by neglecting feedback processes such as PBL-top entrainment. In this study, a framework for diagnosing local land-atmosphere coupling is presented using a coupled mesoscale model with a suite of PBL and land surface model (LSM) options along with observations during field experiments in the U. S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to the Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. Within this framework, the coupling established by each pairing of the available PBL schemes in WRF with the LSMs in LIS is evaluated in terms of the diurnal temperature and humidity evolution in the mixed layer. The co-evolution of these variables and the convective PBL is sensitive to and, in fact, integrative of the dominant processes that govern the PBL budget, which are synthesized through the use of mixing diagrams. Results show how the sensitivity of land-atmosphere interactions to the specific choice of PBL scheme and LSM varies across surface moisture regimes and can be quantified and evaluated against observations. As such, this methodology provides a potential pathway to study factors controlling local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) using the LIS-WRF system, which will serve as a testbed for future experiments to evaluate coupling diagnostics within the community.
Kidney and Bladder Outcomes in Children with Hemorrhagic Cystitis and BK Virus Infection after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

BK virus (BKV) infection is associated with hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients and nephropathy after kidney transplantation. We assessed the association between BKV and kidney and bladder complications in children developing HC by retrospectively reviewing 221 consecutive pediatric allogeneic HSCT recipients at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from 2005 to 2011. We included all patients with BKV PCR testing performed for clinical indication from day 0 until 1 year post-HSCT (N = 68). We assessed the association of any BKV infection (urine and/or blood) or peak BK viremia ≥ 10,000 copies/mL (high viremia) with severe HC (defined as grade IV—bladder catheterization or surgical intervention); the need for dialysis; serum creatinine–estimated glomerular filtration rate at the time of BKV testing, day 100, and day 365; and death. Children with high viremia more likely developed severe HC compared with those with peak viremia
The hydrodynamic stability of a thin film of liquid in uniform shearing motion

The stability problem for a thin film of liquid having a linear mean-velocity profile and bounded by a fixed wall and free surface is solved asymptotically for large values of the Reynolds number R. The analysis is similar to that for plane Couette flow, but instability occurs for sufficiently large values of R in accordance with Heisenberg's criterion that neutral disturbances having finite wave numbers and phase velocities for R = ∞ are necessarily unstable as R → ∞. It is found that a sufficient condition for stability is W < 3, where W is the Weber number based on the mean speed at the free surface and the depth of the film. The minimum critical Reynolds number, also based on free surface speed and film depth, is found to be R = 203. This last figure is in order-of-magnitude agreement with observation, but there remains considerable uncertainty as to whether the observed instability corresponds to that considered here. Neutral stability curves are presented in an R vs α (= wave-number) plane with W as the family parameter. Brief consideration also is given to the time-rate-of-growth of unstable disturbances and to the lighter fluid that, in actual configurations, is responsible for the shear in the film. An appendix gives extended and more accurate results for the function (z), introduced and calculated previously by Tietjens (1925) and Lin (1955).
Additional nonperturbative contributions to pion-pion scattering

A cross-section for pion-pion scattering is calculated which includes contributions made by exact solutions of nonlinear equations. Results of this calculation are compared with cross-sections extrapolated from experimental data.
The Dynamic Vasa Vasorum

The function of vasa vasorum is both to deliver nutrients and oxygen to arterial and venous walls and to remove "waste" products, either produced by cells in the wall or introduced by diffusional transport through the endothelium of the artery or vein. Although the relationship between changes in vasa vasorum characteristics and the development of atheromatous plaques is well documented, the role of vasa vasorum, especially in terms of their appearance and disappearance in disease processes such as atherosclerosis, are still not clearly understood in terms of their being causative or merely reactive. However, even if their proliferation is merely reactive, these new microvessels may be a source of disease progression by virtue of endothelial impairment and as a pathway for monocytic cells to migrate to sites of early disease. As both these features are aspects of the vasa vasorum function, this Review focuses on the following issues: 1) acute modulation of vasa vasorum patency due to surrounding compressive forces within vessel wall and due to variable tone in the smooth muscle within proximal vasa vasorum and 2) chronic angiogenic responses due to local cytokine accumulations such as occur in the wall of arteries in the presence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, accumulation of lipids, extravasated blood products (e.g., red blood cells, macrophages, inflammatory products) which attract monocytes, and response of vasa vasorum to pharmacological stimuli.
Aging and Expenditures on Apparel

This research examines the spending patterns of elderly consumers (age 60 and above) on personal apparel. The Consumer Expenditure Survey provided the data. The sample of elderly consumers was limited to family units consisting of single consumers or husband-wife dyads. Analysis of variance was used to detect differences in expenditures associated with age and income class. Whenever a significant effect was noted, Tukey's Studentized Range Test was used to determine differences in means. The age of the Consumer Unit head was found not to affect expenditures for apparel, but income class was found to be significant (p < .001). These findings suggest that the elderly represent at least two, and perhaps three, distinct markets for apparel products. Those elderly characterized by high income and a propensity to spend may be an appropriate market to target for apparel.
Influence of growing location and cultivar on Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) infestation of rough rice

Long-grain rice cultivars Cocodrie, Wells, and XP 723 grown in three locations (Hazen, MO; Essex and Newport, AR, USA), and medium-grain rice cultivars Bengal and XP 713 grown in two locations (Jonesboro and Lodge Corner, AR, USA), were harvested and assayed for susceptibility to Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), the lesser grain borer, and Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the rice weevil, on rice held at 27 o C, 57% and 75% relative humidity (RH). Separate samples from the same harvest lots were also analyzed for the physical characteristics of brown rice yield, percentage whole kernels and kernel thickness. Progeny production and feeding damage of R. dominica were significantly different among long-grain cultivars within two of the three locations (P < 0.05), but not for location or RH (P ≥ 0.05), while progeny production of S. oryzae was different among cultivars, location, and RH (P < 0.05). On medium-grain rice, both cultivar and location were significant for progeny production of R. dominica, but not RH, while cultivar and RH were significant for progeny production of S. oryzae, but not location. On both rice types, feeding damage of R. dominica followed the same trends and was always strongly positively correlated with progeny production (P < 0.05), but for S. oryzae there were several instances in which progeny production was not correlated with feeding damage (P ≥ 0.05). Physical characteristics of both rice types were statistically significant (P < 0.01) but actual numerical differences were extremely small, and were generally not correlated with progeny production of either species. Results indicate that the location in which a particular rice cultivar is grown, along with its characteristics, could affect susceptibility of the rice to R. dominica and S. oryzae.
Visuo-tactile cross-modal associations in cortical somatosensory cells.

Recent studies show that cells in the somatosensory cortex are involved in the short-term retention of tactile information. In addition, some somatosensory cells appear to retain visual information that has been associated with the touch of an object. The presence of such cells suggests that nontactile stimuli associated with touch have access to cortical neuron networks engaged in the haptic sense. Thus, we inferred that somatosensory cells would respond to behaviorally associated visual and tactile stimuli. To test this assumption, single units were recorded from the anterior parietal cortex (Brodmann9s areas 3a, 3b, 1, and 2) of monkeys performing a visuo-haptic delay task, which required the memorization of a visual cue for a tactile choice. Most cells responding to that cue responded also to the corresponding object presented for tactile choice. Significant correlations were observed in some cells between their differential reactions to tactile objects and their differential reactions to the associated visual cues. Some cells were recorded in both the cross-modal task and a haptic unimodal task, where the animal had to retain a tactile cue for a tactile choice. In most of these cells, correlations were observed between stimulus-related firing in corresponding cue periods of the two tasks. These findings suggest that cells in somatosensory cortex are the components of neuronal networks representing tactile information. Associated visual stimuli may activate such networks through visuo-haptic associations established by behavioral training.
A Novel Pulse-Width Modulation Method for Reactive Power Generation on a CoolMOS- and SiC-Diode-Based Transformerless Inverter

For efficiency considerations in the photovoltaic (PV) power generation, high-efficiency CoolMOS- and SiC-diode-based transformerless inverters have been proposed and studied in the previous literatures, but the reactive power generation capability to meet the upcoming standards has never been discussed. By reviewing the high efficiency converters with CoolMOS and SiC-diodes, this paper improves a previous transformerless inverter circuit and presents related operating modes for reactive power generation. A novel pulse-width modulation (PWM) method for this improved inverter topology is then proposed for reactive power generation. The ground-loop voltage of this inverter under the proposed PWM method is also derived with common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) circuit analyses, which indicate that high-frequency voltage components can be minimized with symmetrical design of inductors. A 250-W inverter hardware prototype has been designed and fabricated. Steady-state and transient operating conditions are tested to demonstrate the validity of the improved inverter and proposed PWM method for reactive power generation, and the high-frequency-free ground loop voltage.
Consumption by Several Common Arthropod Predators of Eggs and Larvae of Two Heliothis Species That Attack Cotton

In laboratory experiments, several common arthropod predators consumed relatively large numbers of eggs and early-instar larvae of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.). Predators confined with the hosts in small containers consumed more eggs and/or larvae than those confined with hosts on 10-inch cotton tci initials. However, all species were effective in reducing host populations on the terminals. Also, larval green lacewings (a mixture of Chrysopa Carnea Stephens and ( C. rufilabris Burmeister) and adults of a lygaeid bug, Geocoris punctipes (Say), substantially reduced egg and larval populations of caged tobacco budworms. From the cage tests it was estimated that a release of about 420,000 Chrysopa larvae per acre had reduced the peak population of tobacco budworm eggs by 76% at 8 days after moth release. At 13 days, the larval population of the tobacco budworm had been reduced by 96%. A release of about 252,000 G. punctipes adults per acre was not so effective. However, a release of 630,000 G. punctipes adults and 420,000 Chrysopa larvae per acre reduced the egg and larval populations of the tobacco budworm by 88% and 99%, respectively.
Synthesis and crystal chemistry of Fe3+-bearing (Mg,Fe3+)(Si,Fe3+)O3 perovskite

We have synthesized magnesium-iron silicate perovskites with the general formula Mg1−xFe3+x+ySi1−y O3, in which the iron cation is exclusively trivalent. To investigate the crystal chemistry of Fe3+-bearing perovskite, six samples (both with and without Al) were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe, X-ray diffraction, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Results indicate that Fe3+ substitutes significantly into both the octahedral and dodecahedral sites in the orthorhombic perovskite structure, but prefers the octahedral site at Fe3+ concentrations between 0.04 and 0.05 Fe per formula unit, and the dodecahedral site at higher Fe3+ concentrations. We propose a model in which Fe3+ in the A/B site (in excess of that produced by charge coupled substitution) is accommodated by Mg/O vacancies. Hyperfine parameters refined from the Mossbauer spectra also indicate that a portion of dodecahedral sites undergo significant structural distortion. The presence of Fe3+ in the perovskite structure increases the unit-cell volume substantially compared to either the Mg end-member, or Fe2+-bearing perovskite, and the addition of Al did not significantly alter the volume. Implications for increased compressibility and a partially suppressed spin transition of Fe3+ in lower mantle perovskite are also discussed.
Investigating the Major Light Harvesting Complex of Photosystem II with 2D Electronic Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy experiments on the major light harvesting complex of photosystem II, the most abundant light harvester, monitor ultrafast dynamics and reveal the design principles behind the functionality of this pigment protein complex.
Surgical clipping of a basilar perforator artery aneurysm: a case of avoiding perforator sacrifice.

Background Aneurysms arising from basilar perforator arteries are very rare. A primary goal of surgery is always preservation of perforator flow. However, in most surgically managed cases in the literature, sacrifice of the perforator was reported. It is important for the literature to demonstrate that patency of the perforator is an achievable goal. Objective To present the second reported case of perforator flow preservation in the surgical management of basilar perforator artery aneurysms. Clinical Presentation A 45-year-old woman presented with World Federation of Neurologic Surgeons grade 1 subarachnoid hemorrhage. Digital subtraction angiography ultimately revealed a 2-mm aneurysm of the basilar artery arising from a perforator after an initially negative angiogram. Clipping was performed with perforator patency confirmed on direct inspection and intraoperative angiography. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no evidence of brainstem stroke. Conclusion Although patency of the perforator is a rather obvious goal of cerebrovascular surgery, the current literature does not reflect an ability to do so in the case of basilar perforator aneurysms. We present only the second reported case of maintenance of perforator flow after clipping of a basilar perforator artery aneurysm.
Pattern Separation: A Key Processing Deficit Associated with Aging?

Age-related memory impairment has been well documented in older adults and may serve as an early indicator of mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease in some individuals. The work of Dr. Raymond Kesner has shown that pattern separation is a critical mechanism, supported by the dentate gyrus and CA3 hippocampal subregions, for reducing potential interference among similar memory representations to enhance memory accuracy. A growing literature indicates that pattern separation becomes less efficient with normal aging as a result of age-related changes in the hippocampus and its perforant path input. Researchers have hypothesized that decreased pattern separation efficiency may be a key processing deficit that could contribute to memory impairment associated with aging. In this chapter, we will review studies that have examined age-related changes in pattern separation in humans and rodents. In addition, we will discuss the potential basic science, translational, and clinical implications from these studies to illustrate the need to further examine the relationship between the brain changes associated with aging and pattern separation. The innovative behavioral studies to examine pattern separation conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Raymond Kesner have contributed greatly to our understanding of this mnemonic process and have set the foundation for the behavioral investigation of age-related changes in pattern separation.
Essential C

C++ is rapidly becoming one of the most important programming languages in the world. Yet it is an extremely complex language and, therefore, one that is very difficult to learn. To provide a significant degree of simplification and, thereby, to help alleviate the difficulties of learning the language, a relatively small C++ subset, Essential C++, has been defined. It is proposed for use by the computer science academic community as a suitable first programming language for students as well as for use by other individuals who desire eventually to become software developers using the full C++ language.After supporting the case for the need of a C++ subset and discussing the reasons for developing one, this article presents Essential C++, provides the rationale for selecting its particular constituents from the full C++ language, and then examines the advantages and disadvantages of using Essential C++.
Reverse osmosis systems for long-term maintenance and technology

The reverse osmosis systems of a power plant in southern Hebei grid,using liquid for long-term maintenance,reverse osmosis system operating normally,after put into operation to ensure the reliability of reverse osmosis membrane;also avoid the low-pressure washing,due to the uncertainty of operating personnel to operate the equipment damage,and providing a viable approach for the power plant's long-term protection of reverse osmosis equipment.
Existing and Past Methods of Test and Rating Standards Related to Integrated Heat Pump Technologies

This report evaluates existing and past US methods of test and rating standards related to electrically operated air, water, and ground source air conditioners and heat pumps, 65,000 Btu/hr and under in capacity, that potentiality incorporate a potable water heating function. Two AHRI (formerly ARI) standards and three DOE waivers were identified as directly related. Six other AHRI standards related to the test and rating of base units were identified as of interest, as they would form the basis of any new comprehensive test procedure. Numerous other AHRI and ASHRAE component test standards were also identified as perhaps being of help in developing a comprehensive test procedure.
Justices on the Ballot: Continuity and Change in State Supreme Court Elections

Justices on the Ballot addresses two central questions in the study of judicial elections: how have state supreme court elections changed since World War II? And, what effects have those changes had on election outcomes, state supreme court decisions, and the public's view of the courts? To answer these questions, Herbert M. Kritzer takes the broadest scope of any study to date, investigating every state supreme court election between 1946 and 2013. Through an analysis of voting returns, campaign contributions and expenditures, television advertising, and illustrative case studies, he shows that elections have become less politicized than commonly believed. Rather, the changes that have occurred reflect broader trends in American politics, as well as increased involvement of state supreme courts in hot-button issues.
Compensation of hypercapnic acidosis in the aquatic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus: the predominance of external sea water over carapace carbonate as the proton sink

Radioactive labelling of the CaCO 3 in the crab9s carapace was employed as a tool to study the contribution of the carapace carbonates to acute buffering of acid-base disturbances. Since Ca 2+ uptake is extremely rapid during the post-moult period, crabs that moulted in the laboratory were incubated with 45 Ca for 5 days immediately following the moult in order thoroughly to load the carapace carbonate pool with radiolabel. After a subsequent 2-week interval for feeding and completion of the post-moult carapace mineralization phase, these 45 Ca-loaded crabs were subjected to a 24h control period and a 24h hypercapnic period (water equilibrated with 2 % CO 2 in air) to induce an internal acidosis. Compared with the control period, a compensatory increase in [HCO 3 − ] of 17 mequiv1 −1 was observed in the blood, along with an apparent H + excretion to the external sea water of 10.8 mequiv kg −1 . A statistically significant increase in circulating [Ca 2+ ] and in the specific radioactivity of the blood Ca 2+ reached a maximum during the first 3 h of the compensatory phase. By measuring the radioactivity appearing in the water and the blood, and the specific radioactivity of the carapace carbonates, the contribution of the carapace carbonates was calculated to be 7.5% of the total compensatory H + disposal. The rapid exchange of Ca 2+ with the external medium, coupled with physiological regulation of blood [Ca 2+ ] minimized changes in blood [Ca 2+ ]. The total dissolution of carapace CaCO 3 was approximately 0.9 mequiv kg −1 , less than 0.1% of the quantity contained in the shell. The carapace carbonates, therefore, do contribute to acute buffering of hypercapnic acidosis, but their quantitative importance is small, with the gills serving to conduct most of the compensatory exchanges with the environment.
Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes Is Not Increasing in a Population-Based Cohort in Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the recent incidence of T1D in a US Midwestern county to determine whether this increase has been sustained and compare it with the incidence of celiac disease (CD) and also investigate the prevalence of CD, an associated autoimmune disease, within the cohort. Patients and Methods A broad search strategy was used to identify all incident cases of T1D in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2010, using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Diagnosis and residency status were confirmed through the medical record. Incidence rates were directly standardized to the 2010 US population. Poisson regression was used to test for a change in incidence rate. Clinical charts were reviewed to confirm case status. Results There were 233 incident cases of T1D. Directly adjusting for age and sex with respect to the 2010 US white population, the overall annual incidence of T1D was 9.2 (95% CI, 8.0-10.4) per 100,000 people per year among all ages and 19.9 (95% CI, 16.6-23.2) per 100,000 people per year for those younger than 20 years. There was no significant increase in the incidence of T1D over time ( P =.45). Despite the overall stability in annual incidence, there was an initial increasing trend followed by a plateau. Of the 109 patients with T1D (47%) tested for CD, 12% (13) had biopsy-proven CD. Conclusion The incidence of T1D has stopped increasing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in the most recent decade. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding and explore reasons for this plateau.
Humiliation, Humility, and Humor

As mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, one can imagine how fulfilling it might be for someone like the narrator of Invisible Man to participate in an organization like Alcoholics Anonymous. In fact, that narrator seems to search for something as fulfilling as what Dr. Stewart found in science and Harriet found in slave liberation. Ellison’s narrator finally retreats to his underground life because everything to which he would be devoted betrays and uses him. He finds no other solution but withdrawal and invisibility. One way that we can see the abuse that he suffers is by paying close attention to the laughter that we find in the novel. Beginning with the “leading white citizens” and then with Dr. Bledsoe, laughter disparages and belittles the narrator. That laughter humiliates, allowing those who see themselves as superior to assert their dominance. The narrator’s response to such belittling and abusive laughter is, first, by attempting to laugh with those who laugh at him, but finally, by developing his own rebellious, ironic, and withdrawn laughter.
Post-1989 Shopping Tourism to Turkey as Prologue of Bulgaria’s Return to Europe

The shift to a market economy is a more complex story than the standard “transition” narrative implies. Shopping tourism is a socio-cultural phenomenon that illuminates the shifting relationship between the state, its citizenry, and the market. Its existence is predetermined by a weak state and incorporation into a global economy. Shopping tourism offers a link between the socialist economy of shortage and the post-socialist informal economy. It has opened a survival niche for the unemployed and constitutes a school of entrepreneurship and consumer practices. The discourses surrounding shopping tourism have reflected anxieties about incorporation, social reordering, and blatant consumerism; recreational tourism mirrors their normalization. The Bulgarian suitcase trade to Turkey also elucidates the interplay between new consumerism and old nationalism and their insertion into the debates about Bulgaria's ideological reorientation. Bulgarian Europeanness in the 1990s was constructed against two principal foils—the socialist past and the Ottoman legacy. Ironically, the stereotypical East was constructed as the stereotypical West in a way in which market and ideological categories intermingle and foreshadow a Bulgarian consumerist “Return to Europe.” To elaborate these arguments, the article draws on an analysis of newspaper ads, statistical data, travel guides, internet travelogues, and interviews.
Predictors of Cognitive and Motor Development

The relative effects of 4 major areas of adversity on early cognitive and motor development were examined in approximately 1,000 children at age 5 years in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Cervical spine pain related to the facet joints

Abstract Neck pain is a common diagnostic entity, with a lifetime prevalence of between 65% and 80%. Appreciation of the role of the cervical facet joints in the etiology of cervical spine pain is paramount to providing sustained pain relief for individuals suffering from degenerative and posttraumatic neck pain. Studies have demonstrated that approximately 60% of patients who sustain whiplash-type rear-end motor vehicle collisions would have pain that results from the facet joints alone, or in conjunction with the cervical intervertebral disks. An appreciation of the anatomical foundation for the development of these painful conditions includes knowledge of the dual, overlapping innervation of each cervical facet joint with contributions from levels at, and above the joint. Medial branch nerves invest the joints; are held closely adherent to the articular pillars by tendons of the semispinalis capitis muscles; and can be treated using local anesthetic nerve blocks followed by radiofrequency (RF) procedures for prolonged benefit. Nerves in facet joints contain modified nociceptors, including silent nociceptors, low-threshold mechanoreceptors, and mechanically sensitive nociceptors. Nerves within facet joints are both free and encapsulated and contain Substance P and calcitonin gene–related peptide. Treatment approaches must address these diverse anatomical and physiological phenomena to provide the highest level of interventional therapy. Large, well-conducted studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of providing short-term symptomatic pain relief using cervical facet medial branch nerve blocks. Continuous-energy thermal lesioning RF ablation techniques of the cervical medial branches may produce pain relief that persists for up to 12 months in two-thirds of patients so treated. A systematic review of well-conducted studies recently published confirmed that the evidence in favor of using RF ablation is level II for the long-term effectiveness of RF neurotomy and facet joint nerve blocks in managing cervical facet joint pain. Imaging for performing these procedures is mandatory to assure success and to minimize adverse events from occurring. Fluoroscopy is a standard imaging technique, but ultrasound and even computed tomography scan guidance have been documented to be satisfactory in properly trained interventionalists. The cervical facet joints with their medial branches represent a reliable target for directing interventional therapies aimed at addressing nociceptive type pain, albeit with a neurogenic component. Future studies would reflect our evolving appreciation of these intricate anatomical networks of innervation and their role in the etiology of chronic headache and neck pain.
Communication in virtual teams: a conceptual framework and research agenda

Abstract As virtual teams are becoming more frequently implemented within organizations, research examining the effect of virtual tool use on team functioning has correspondingly expanded. One primary focus of this literature is the impact of virtuality on team communication. However, findings remained mixed. Specifically, the impact of virtuality on the mechanisms between communication and performance as well as the simultaneous moderating effect of contextual factors on this relationship remains to be fully examined. One reason for this lack of clarity stems from ambiguity regarding the elements that constitute communication. To address this gap, this paper delineates which aspects of communication are most influential and should, consequently, be the primary focus of future research efforts. An overarching framework of the communication process with accompanying research propositions is also described to inform future research and the practice of virtual teams.
The 10-year Course of Adult Aggression toward Others in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Axis II Comparison Subjects

This study had two aims. The first was to assess and compare various types of aggressive behavior toward others reported by borderline patients and axis II comparison subjects over time. The second was to determine the best baseline and time-varying predictors of aggressive behavior in these borderline patients. At baseline, a series of interviews and self-report measures were administered to 290 borderline patients and 72 axis II comparison subjects. Measures assessing aggression toward others, axis I and II disorders as well as adult adversity were re-administered every two years over the course of ten years. It was found that borderline patients reported significantly higher rates of verbal, emotional, and physical aggression toward others than comparison subjects but the rates of these forms of aggression toward others declined significantly for those in both study groups. Multivariate analyses indicated that the strongest predictors of adult aggression towards others were severity of adult adversity and a substance use disorder. Taken together, these results suggest that borderline patients commonly report aggression toward others but that this aggression declines significantly over time. These results also suggest that this aggression toward others is most strongly associated with adult experiences of adversity and concurrent substance abuse.
Hepatocyte Growth Factor/c-Met Signaling in Head and Neck Cancer and Implications for Treatment

Aberrant signaling of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met pathway has been identified as a promoter of tumorigenesis in several tumor types including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite a relatively low c-Met mutation frequency, overexpression of HGF and its receptor c-Met has been observed in more than 80% of HNSCC tumors, with preclinical and clinical studies linking overexpression with cellular proliferation, invasion, migration, and poor prognosis. c-Met is activated by HGF through a paracrine mechanism to promote cellular morphogenesis enabling cells to acquire mesenchymal phenotypes in part through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, contributing to metastasis. The HGF/c-Met pathway may also act as a resistance mechanism against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition in advanced HNSCC. Furthermore, with the identification of a biologically distinct subset of HNSCC tumors acquired from human papillomavirus (HPV) infection that generally portends a good prognosis, high expression of HGF or c-Met in HPV-negative tumors has been associated with worse prognosis. Dysregulated HGF/c-Met signaling results in an aggressive HNSCC phenotype which has led to clinical investigations for targeted inhibition of this pathway. In this review, HGF/c-Met signaling, pathway alterations, associations with clinical outcomes, and preclinical and clinical therapeutic strategies for targeting HGF/c-Met signaling in HNSCC are discussed.
The Roots of El Salvador’s Alternative and Digital Media Environment

This chapter sets the scene by situating the four media projects under study within a framework of El Salvador’s mainstream and alternative media ecologies, contextualized by the country’s political, social, economic, and technological realities. This chapter also develops the theoretical framework necessary for understanding the role of technology in alternative media and social change, introducing the idea that El Salvador’s realities, including limited Internet access in this digital era, require a hybridized, or mestizaje (Martin Barbero 1993), approach to the understanding of alternative media. This chapter provides an overview of what other scholarly research shows about alternative media and its relationship to activism, participation, and technology.
Erectile Function after Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

Objective To elucidate the functional erection rate after prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and to develop a comprehensive prognostic model of outcomes after treatment. Patients and Methods Between 2008 and 2013, 373 consecutive men with localized prostate cancer were treated with SBRT at a single academic institution as part of a prospective clinical trial or prospective registry. Prospective longitudinal patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data was collected using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC)-26 instrument. Functional erections were strictly defined as ‘firm enough for intercourse’ according to EPIC-26. Detailed comorbidity data were also collected. Logistic regression models were used to predict 24- and 60-month functional erection rates. Observed erection rates after SBRT were compared with those after other radiation therapies (external beam radiation therapy [EBRT] and brachytherapy) using prospectively validated models. Results The median (interquartile range) follow-up was 56 (37–73) months and the response rate at 2 years was 84%. For those with functional erections at baseline, 57% and 45% retained function at 24 and 60 months, respectively. On multivariable analysis for 24-month erectile function, significant variables included higher baseline sexual HRQoL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.55 per 10 points, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37–1.74; P < 0.001) and older age (aOR 0.66 per 10 years, 95% CI 0.43–1.00; P = 0.05). At 60 months, baseline HRQoL and age remained associated with erectile function, along with body mass index (aOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26–0.78; P < 0.001). The 24- and 60-month models had excellent discrimination (c-index 0.81 and 0.84, respectively). Erection rates after SBRT were not statistically different from model-predicted rates after EBRT or brachytherapy for the whole cohort and the cohort with baseline erectile function. Conclusions Intermediate- to long-term post-SBRT erectile function results are promising and not significantly different from other radiotherapy techniques. Clinicians can use our prognostic model to counsel patients regarding expected erectile function after SBRT.
Learning to jump in granular media: Unifying optimal control synthesis with Gaussian process-based regression

The varied and complex dynamics of deformable terrain are significant impediments toward real-world viability of locomotive robotics, particularly for legged machines. We explore vertical jumping on granular media (GM) as a model task for legged locomotion on uncharacterized deformable terrain. By integrating (Gaussian process) GP-based regression and evaluation to estimate ground forcing as a function of state, a one-dimensional jumper acquires the ability to learn forcing profiles exerted by its environment in tandem to achieving its control objective. The GP-based dynamical model initially assumes a baseline rigid, non-compliant surface. As part of an iterative procedure, the optimizer employing this model generates an optimal control to achieve a target jump height while respecting known hardware limitations of the robot model. Trajectory and forcing data recovered from evaluation on the true GM surface model simulation is applied to train the GP, and in turn, provide the optimizer a more richly informed dynamical model of the environment. After three iterations, predicted optimal control trajectories coincide with execution results, within 1.2% jumping height error, as the GP-based approximation converges to the true GM model.
Building the Field: The Case for Community Service Learning:

In this study, the authors examine the impact of a community service learning course on undergraduate students’ decisions to pursue careers as special education teachers or related service provider...
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Computed Tomography Enhancement, But Not Histological Grade, Correlates With Tumor Aggression.

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to assess computed tomography enhancement of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), determine correlation with histological vascularity and fibrosis, and identify a biomarker for tumor aggression. METHODS The arterial and venous enhancement of NET was calculated on computed tomography for 56 patients. Tumor size and vascularity/fibrosis were assessed. Tumor aggression was grouped by World Health Organization and Hochwald grade and the presence of metastases. Variables were assessed for correlation. Groups were compared using t test/Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS Arterial enhancement and dynamic washout (r = 0.35, P = 0.02; r = 0.34, P = 0.02, respectively) correlate with vascularity. There is inverse correlation between vascularity and fibrosis (r = -0.62, P < 0.001), but no correlation between enhancement and fibrosis. Metastatic NET had less arterial (mean, -2 [standard deviationi {SD}, 27.1] Hounsfield unit [HU]; 35.7 [SD, 57.5] HU; P = 0.01) and venous (12.6 [SD, 14.4] HU; 29.2 [SD, 38.3] HU; P = 0.04) enhancement and less washout (8.5 [SD, 18.5] HU; 26.8 [SD, 30] HU, P = 0.02) compared with nonmetastatic NET. These differences were not present when comparing by tumor grade. Arterial hypoenhancement was the only significant predictor of metastases. CONCLUSIONS Aggressive tumors, as determined by metastases, but not histological grade, enhance less than nonmetastatic tumors.
Evaluation of an English Word Look-Up Tool for Web-Browsing with Sign Language Video for Deaf Readers

Research has shown that some people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) in the U.S. have lower levels of English language literacy than their hearing peers, which creates a barrier to access web content for these users. We have designed an interface to assist these users in reading English text on web pages; users can click on certain marked words to view an ASL sign video in a pop-up. A user study was conducted to evaluate this tool and compare it with web pages containing only text, as well as pages where users can click on words and see text-definitions using the Google Dictionary plug-in for browsers. The study assessed participants’ subjective preference for these conditions and compared their performance in completing reading comprehension tasks with each of these tools. We found that participants preferred having support tools in their interface as opposed to none, but we did not measure a significant difference in their preferences between the two support tools provided. This paper presents the details of design and development of this proposed tool, design guidelines applied to the prototype, factors influencing the results, and directions for future work.
Virtual Reality Based Assessment of Static Object Visual Search in Ocular Compared to Cerebral Visual Impairment

Virtual reality (VR) can provide robust assessment of cognitive spatial processing skills in individuals with visual impairment. VR combined with objective measures of behavioral performance, such as eye and hand tracking, affords a high degree of experimental control, task flexibility, participant engagement, and enhanced data capture. Individuals with visual impairment typically have difficulties identifying objects in a cluttered environment. Furthermore, these difficulties may differ depending on the type of visual impairment. Specifically, individuals with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI) may show a greater sensitivity to visual task complexity compared to those with ocular based visual impairment (OVI). We have developed a VR environment with integrated eye and hand tracking to simulate exploring a toy box to assess performance on a static object-based visual search task. A grid of toys was displayed for a brief duration while participants found and fixated on a specific toy hidden among others. For a given trial, we manipulated multiple factors: the number of unique distractor toys, a color/theme matched toy, and the background clutter. Results to date show that both visually impaired groups demonstrate increased variability in search patterns and reaction times as compared to controls. Additionally, performance of the CVI group fluctuates greatly as a function of task difficulty. Findings from the current work demonstrate a successful interaction between individuals with visual impairments and VR simulations in assessing high level visual function. Further studies will serve as theoretical foundation for the creation of new assessment and training paradigms for visually impaired individuals.
How common is hip pain among older adults? Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective To determine the incidence of self-reported significant hip pain using a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. Study design Subjects were interviewed to determine their leisure time physical activity levels and whether they experienced severe hip pain. Sampling weights were calculated to account for unequal selection probabilities. The impact of race, age, and physical activity status was examined as influential factors affecting hip pain. Population We interviewed 6596 adults aged 60 years and older as part of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Outcome measured We measured the prevalence of hip pain. Results A total of 14.3% of participants aged 60 years and older reported significant hip pain on most days over the past 6 weeks. Men reported hip pain less frequently than women. Age did not influence self-reported hip pain in men. The lowest prevalence of hip pain was found in women aged 60 to 70 years. Sixteen percent of non-Hispanic white women reported hip pain, compared with 14.8% of black women and 19.3% of Mexican American women. Among non-Hispanic white men, 12.4% reported hip pain, a proportion no different from that of their black and Mexican American male counterparts. Among older US adults, 18.4% of those who had not participated in leisure time physical activity during the previous month reported severe hip pain; 12.6% of those who did engage in physical activity reported hip pain. Conclusions Self-reported hip pain has increased since NHANES I (1971-1975). Further studies are needed to identify individuals at highest risk for severe hip pain and to identify optimal treatment of hip pain.
MEMS thrusters for nano- and pico-satellites

Abstract: Nano- and pico-satellites are extraordinarily small spacecraft with masses and volumes of about 1 kg and 1 liter, respectively. Their inexpensive nature and relative ease for deployment has made them popular for increasingly challenging missions. The full potential of these satellites will only come to fruition if they are equipped with high-performance subsystems. Of these, propulsion has been challenging to scale down, given the stringent physical constraints associated with space thrusters. The fundamental principles of chemical and electric propulsion and their miniaturization potential are described in the context of the suitability of MEMS techniques in their design and manufacturing.