cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A meta-analysis of brief alcohol interventions for adolescents and young adults: variability in effects across alcohol measures.

ABSTRACTBackground: Brief alcohol interventions are one approach for reducing drinking among youth, but may vary in effectiveness depending on the type of alcohol assessments used to measure effects. Objectives: To conduct a meta-analysis that examined the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions for adolescents and young adults, with particular emphasis on exploring variability in effects across outcome measurement characteristics. Method: Eligible studies were those using an experimental or quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of a brief alcohol intervention on a post-intervention alcohol use measure for youth aged 11–30. A comprehensive literature review identified 190 unique samples that were included in the meta-analysis. Taking a Bayesian approach, we used random-effects multilevel models to estimate the average effect and model variability across outcome measurement types. Results: Brief alcohol interventions led to significant reductions in self-reported alcohol use among adolescen...
A peptide-linked recombinant glucocerebrosidase for targeted neuronal delivery: Design, production, and assessment

Although recombinant glucocerebrosidase (GCase) is the standard therapy for the inherited lysosomal storage disease Gaucher's disease (GD), enzyme replacement is not effective when the central nervous system is affected. We created a series of recombinant genes/proteins where GCase was linked to different membrane binding peptides including the Tat peptide, the rabies glycoprotein derived peptide (RDP), the binding domain from tetanus toxin (TTC), and a tetanus like peptide (Tet1). The majority of these proteins were well-expressed in a mammalian producer cell line (HEK 293F). Purified recombinant Tat-GCase and RDP-GCase showed similar GCase protein delivery to a neuronal cell line that genetically lacks the functional enzyme, and greater delivery than control GCase, Cerezyme (Genzyme). This initial result was unexpected based on observations of superior protein delivery to neurons with RDP as a vector. A recombinant protein where a fragment of the flexible hinge region from IgA (IgAh) was introduced between RDP and GCase showed substantially enhanced GCase neuronal delivery (2.5 times over Tat-GCase), suggesting that the original construct resulted in interference with the capacity of RDP to bind neuronal membranes. Extended treatment of these knockout neuronal cells with either Tat-GCase or RDP-IgAh-GCase resulted in an >90% reduction in the lipid substrate glucosylsphingosine, approaching normal levels. Further in vivo studies of RDP-IgAh-GCase as well as Tat-GCase are warranted to assess their potential as treatments for neuronopathic forms of GD. These peptide vectors are especially attractive as they have the potential to carry a protein across the blood-brain barrier, avoiding invasive direct brain delivery.
Action of three ectopeptidases on corticotropin-releasing factor: metabolism and functional aspects.

Using purified enzyme preparations, we investigated the actions of angiotensin-converting enzyme, aminopeptidase N, and endopeptidase 24.11 on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The effects of inhibition of these enzymes on CRF action in rat anterior pituitary cultures were also determined. Finally, specific inhibitors were used to evaluate ectopeptidase action on the regional brain metabolism of CRF. Km values for CRF were 165, 90, and 42 μM for angiotensin-converting enzyme, aminopeptidase N, and endopeptidase 24.11, respectively. A CRF metabolite profile for each enzyme was determined. In pituitary cultures, inhibition of endopeptidase 24.11 and aminopeptidase N potentiated CRF-stimulated release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). In rat pituitary and hypothalamus membrane preparations, specific inhibitor experiments indicated that CRF hydrolysis involved members of the neutral endopeptidase and aminopeptidase enzyme families. In cortex membranes, similar peptidase inhibition was without effect. These data support the hypothesis that ectopeptidases play a major role in CRF metabolism and biological function.
Reactivity of Bis(2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-disila-1-azacyclopent-1-yl)tin with CO2, OCS, and CS2 and Comparison to That of Bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amido]tin

The heterocumulenes carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonyl sulfide (OCS), and carbon disulfide (CS2) were treated with bis(2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-disila-1-azacyclopent-1-yl)tin {[(CH2)Me2Si]2N}2Sn, an ana...
Growth of graphene from food, insects, and waste.

In its monolayer form, graphene is a one-atom-thick two-dimensional material with excellent electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Large-scale production of high-quality graphene is attracting an increasing amount of attention. Chemical vapor and solid deposition methods have been developed to grow graphene from organic gases or solid carbon sources. Most of the carbon sources used were purified chemicals that could be expensive for mass production. In this work, we have developed a less expensive approach using six easily obtained, low or negatively valued raw carbon-containing materials used without prepurification (cookies, chocolate, grass, plastics, roaches, and dog feces) to grow graphene directly on the backside of a Cu foil at 1050 °C under H2/Ar flow. The nonvolatile pyrolyzed species were easily removed by etching away the frontside of the Cu. Analysis by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy indicate...
A New Fiber-optical Voltage Measurement System

There are two fiber-optical methods to measure voltage,i.e.optical sensor and spherical sensor.The author studies a new measurement system which can measure the surface electric field strength by using capacitive sensor.The system has the character of simple structure,excellent performanee and stability,and can be used for the measurement of different transient voltage in power system.
Epidemiologic Analysis on Syphilis in Heyuan from the Year of 1992 to 2002

Objective:To investigate epidemic tendency and epidemiological character of syphilis from the year of 1992 to 2002. Methods:Syphilitic epidemic situation and case report information was collected. Results:It was still a high incidence rate of syphilis in Heyuan. The major population was those who were between 20 and 49 years old (85.89%), the major education was under high school education(89.51%), and the unmarried cases accounted for 28.28%. Infected from out of marriage sex was the main means(85.47%). Conclusion:The prevention of syphilis should be improved and the synthetical measures including proper diagnosis and treatment, general healthy education and behavor intervation should be adopted.
Co-segmentation of multiple images through random walk on graphs

We present a new image co-segmentation framework to simultaneously segment multiple images by formulating the co-segmentation problem as a multiple graph clustering problem. For each image, we first construct a corresponding segment graph by extracting superpixels as vertices and assigning edge weights between superpixels according to their feature and spatial proximity. To integrate the related information across images, we further compose a similarity graph across all constructed segment graphs, in which edges capture the similarity among superpixels across images. We propose to solve the co-segmentation problem by applying an alternating random walk strategy on both the segment graphs and the similarity graph to borrow strengths across images for better segmentation. The common objects shared in images can be identified by finding low conductance sets based on the transition probability matrix of the alternating random walk on these graphs. Experiments on iCoseg and a sequence of echocardiac images demonstrate that our novel formulation yields promising results and performs better than image segmentation on individual images separately.
Abstract B92: HPV and Pap test results among low-income, underserved women: Providing insights into management strategies

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing combined with cytology (co-testing) has been recommended as a primary cervical cancer screening strategy and will be covered as a preventive service by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Women with discordant results (HPV positive/cytology negative) present significant management challenges and result in additional costs due to follow-up visits and testing required. The frequency of discordant results in insured populations is at a level that does not negate the benefit of co-testing. However, it is unknown if the frequency of discordant results would be the same for underserved women, who may have more risk factors for HPV infection and cancer precursors. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention9s Cervical Cancer (Cx3) Study was conducted at 15 clinics in 6 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across Illinois. Providers at these clinics were given the option of co-testing for routine cervical cancer screening. Clinical high-risk HPV testing was performed using the FDA approved Hybrid Capture 2 assay (HC2: Qiagen). An additional research test to determine type-specific HPV results was performed on residual extracts. Results: Testing was completed on 2246 underserved women, mean age 45.1 years. The HPV test was positive in 7.2% and cytology abnormalities were detected in 6.0% with discordant results in 4.9% of women. The percentage of HPV positive tests decreased with age, from 10.3% among 30-39 year olds to 4.5% among 50-60 year olds. Among women with negative normal Pap test results who where high risk positive, 14% of the women were positive for HPV 16/18 while the remaining were positive for other high risk types. Conclusion: The rate of discordant co-testing in this study of underserved women was similar to those reported throughout the U.S. in different populations, including those who are insured. Similarly, the lower percentage of discordant results and those positive for HPV 16/18 may favor a more conservative management strategy than an aggressive strategy of immediate colposcopy. Citation Format: Mona Saraiya, Vicki Benard, April Greek, Martin Steinau, Sonya Patel, Diane Manninen, George Sawaya, Stuart Massad, Elizabeth Unger. HPV and Pap test results among low-income, underserved women: Providing insights into management strategies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B92. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-B92
Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Menstruating Women Has High Recurrence

Background Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is treated on the basis of studies that have predominantly consisted of tall male subjects. Here, we determined recurrence of PSP in average-statured menstruating women and studied prevalence of catamenial pneumothorax (CP) in this population. Methods Men and menstruating women, aged 18 to 55 years, without underlying lung disease or substance abuse were retrospectively studied between 2009 and 2015. A chest pathologist reviewed all specimens for thoracic endometriosis. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to determine recurrence. Results The median age of women (n = 33) and men (n = 183) was 33.4 and 31.6 years, respectively. In women, 9 (27%) had left-sided and 24 (73%) had right-sided PSP, treated with tube thoracostomy. Recurrence occurred in 21 women (64%) with median follow-up of 14 months, and they were treated with thoracoscopic pleurodesis. Right PSP had higher recurrence (70%) than left PSP (56%, p = 0.02). Four women (12%) presented with recurrent tension pneumothorax within 6 months. Eight patients (24%) had PSP within 72 hours of menses, meeting clinical criteria of CP. All these were placed on hormonal suppression after initial episode but went on to experience recurrence that was treated with pleurodesis. Classical endometrial glands were not found in any biopsy specimens obtained during the thoracoscopy. In contrast to female subjects, only 8 average-statured men (4.4%) had recurrence ( p Conclusions PSP in healthy average-statured menstruating women has high recurrence compared with male counterparts. CP is a clinical diagnosis and often recurs despite hormonal suppression therapy.
Comment on “Multiple repressive mechanisms in the hippocampus during memory formation”

Cho et al. (Reports, 2 October 2015, p. 82) report that gene repression after contextual fear conditioning regulates hippocampal memory formation. We observe low levels of expression for many of the top candidate genes in the hippocampus and robust expression in the choroid plexus, as well as repression at 4 hours after contextual fear conditioning, suggesting the inclusion of choroid plexus messenger RNAs in Cho et al. hippocampal samples.
Survival and Mortality in Alzheimer’s Disease

Death certificates in most countries including the United States are poor sources of information to assess the contribution of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to mortality. Even with the increased attention on AD, this diagnosis is frequently omitted as an underlying or contributing cause of death. In 2010, AD was listed as the sixth cause of death in the United States with 83,494 deaths. It is important to note that this refers to AD as an underlying cause of death, not a contributing cause. Estimates from cohort studies suggest that AD may contribute to the mortality of 600,000 Americans annually. AD has been shown to be associated with increased mortality in several studies, reducing life expectancy among both men and women by 1–20 years depending on age. Earlier onset AD is associated with much larger decreases in life expectancy compared to later-onset disease. Given the reduction in mortality from competing causes, such as heart disease and stroke, AD can be expected to account for a growing percentage of deaths in the next several decades.
Models for Evaluating Effective Throughputs for File Transfers in Mobile Computing

The importance of optimizing data transfers between mobile computing devices and the cloud is increasing with an exponential growth of mobile data traffic. Lossless data compression can be essential in increasing communication throughput, reducing communication latency, achieving energy-efficient communication, and making effective use of available storage. In this paper we introduce analytical models for estimating effective through-put of uncompressed data transfers and compressed data transfers that utilize common compression utilities. The proposed analytical models are experimentally verified using state-of-the-art smartphones as mobile devices. These models are instrumental in developing a framework for seamless optimization of file transfers in mobile computing.
High Strain Rate Compression of Martensitic NiTi Shape Memory Alloy at Different Temperatures

The compressive response of martensitic NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) rods has been investigated using a modified Kolsky compression bar at various strain rates (400, 800, and 1200 s−1) and temperatures [room temperature and 373 K (100 °C)], i.e., in the martensitic state and in the austenitic state. SEM, DSC, and XRD were performed on NiTi SMA rod samples after high strain rate compression in order to reveal the influence of strain rate and temperature on the microstructural evolution, phase transformation, and crystal structure. It is found that at room temperature, the critical stress increases slightly as strain rate increases, whereas the strain-hardening rate decreases. However, the critical stress under high strain rate compression at 373 K (100 °C) increase first and then decrease due to competing strain hardening and thermal softening effects. After high rate compression, the microstructure of both martensitic and austenitic NiTi SMAs changes as a function of increasing strain rate, while the phase transformation after deformation is independent of the strain rate at room temperature and 373 K (100 °C). The preferred crystal plane of the martensitic NiTi SMA changes from ( $$ 1\bar{1}1 $$ )M before compression to (111)M after compression, while the preferred plane remains the same for austenitic NiTi SMA before and after compression. Additionally, dynamic recovery and recrystallization are also observed to occur after deformation of the austenitic NiTi SMA at 373 K (100 °C). The findings presented here extend the basic understanding of the deformation behavior of NiTi SMAs and its relation to microstructure, phase transformation, and crystal structure, especially at high strain rates.
Stage-Restricted Non-Metabolic Function for Aconitase Enzymes in Erythropoietin Programming of Erythroid Growth and Differentiation in Vivo

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the main cytokine responsible for red blood cell production in the human marrow. Signal transduction through the EPO receptor consists of multiple limbs that promote the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of erythroid progenitors. Regulatory loops that modulate EPO signaling are not fully understood, but could prove critical in providing new therapeutic approaches to EPO-refractory anemias. One such poorly understood loop is the regulation of EPO-driven erythropoiesis by iron. Previously presented work has established that iron deprivation acts in a lineage specific manner to block erythroid development and inhibit the activity of aconitase, a Krebs cycle enzyme that interconverts citrate and isocitrate. In the current studies, the causal relationship between aconitase inhibition and erythroid blockade was characterized in normal donor-derived mobilized human primary hematopoietic CD34+ cells and in adult wild type C57BL/6 mice. We hypothesized that critical thresholds of aconitase activity are required for specific facets of EPO signaling during discrete phases of erythroid development. CD34+ cells in erythroid-promoting culture conditions (EPO and iron) were strongly growth inhibited in a dose-dependent manner when treated with fluoroacetate, a reversible aconitase inhibitor. Interestingly, there was no increase in overall cell death in the growth impaired cultures, providing the first evidence that growth and survival signals in primary erythroid precursors can be dissociated. Aconitase blockade also inhibited EPO-dependent erythroid maturation, with decreased glycophorin A upregulation, diminished CD34 downregulation, and a sharp decrease in globin chain protein levels after 5 days of culture. Biochemical analysis of known EPO targets showed no alterations in the phosphorylation status of STAT5, Akt and PKCalpha, effectively ruling out a role for the corresponding pathways in the impaired growth and differentiation. Moreover, intracellular ATP levels were unaffected by aconitase inhibition, and alterations in AMPK activation, an intracellular sensor of the ATP:AMP ratio, could not be detected. These results argue against energy starvation as the cause of the observed developmental defects. Cell cycle analysis using propidium iodide showed no evidence for phase-specific arrest, excluding standard checkpoint mechanisms. Delayed addition or washout of fluoroacetate at various time points during cultures identified the existence of aconitase-dependent and subsequent aconitase-independent phases of human erythroid development. To extend these studies to in vivo erythropoiesis, C57BL/6 mice underwent fluoroacetate (n=10) or saline (n=10) treatment with continuous infusion pumps at a drug dose of 4 mg/kg/day. In vivo blockade of aconitase over a two-week period resulted in an anemia characterized by a significant decrease in mean hemoglobin (11.6 vs. 14.7 g/dL, P
The creation of performance funding in Michigan: Partnership, promotion and points

While accountability in higher education has been a topic of debate for decades, in recent years the discussions have shifted to emphasize efficiency and economic measures of success. A prominent example of this accountability movement is the increase in popularity of performance funding policies. One of the most recent states to implement performance funding is Michigan, which began their performance funding policy in 2012. This study explored the creation and implementation of the state of Michigan’s performance funding policy. In particular, the decision making processes institutional administrators and state leaders engaged in while designing, promoting, and implementing the policy. Using a case study design and interviewing both higher education administrators and state leaders who were involved in the creation of the performance funding policy in Michigan yielded five large trends: 1) The importance of advocacy coalitions; 2) Securing support through a focus on higher education affordability; 3) Concerns with how to measure data and compare institutions; 4) Insufficient financial incentives; and 5) Limited impact on institutional decision making.
Abstract 1283: Mutations in theDuffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines (DARC/ACKR1)gene result in population-private variants

By studying the breast cancer microenvironment, we can specifically address novel aspects of cancer development and progression at the molecular level. Chemokines are small signaling molecules that are an important component of this microenvironment, as they shape cellular composition of this space through recruitment of immune cells, among other functions. DARC, the Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines, is an atypical chemokine receptor (ACKR1) that can bind different classes of chemokines. It is a non-signaling receptor that mainly acts as a regulator of chemokine homeostasis by removing them from circulation to recruit appropriate immune cell types. The purpose of this study is to determine how population-private variants of the DARC/ACKR1 gene across global population render distinct function and define aspects of human diversity in immune responses. A well-studied example of this would be the Duffy-null allele. This allele carries a mutation that is population-specific to recent decedents of Sub-Saharan Africans, and removes expression of DARC on red blood cells. Loss of expression on red blood cells presumably causes these “Duffy-Null” individuals to lose the ability to sequester chemokines, therefore losing homeostatic balance of these molecules in circulation. To identify additional mutations, we completed in silico analysis of minor allele frequencies across the gene in the 1000 Genomes Project data, and identified several other putative functional mutations that likely result in additional gene variants, specific to geographic ancestry groups and likely under similar selection as the Duffy null allele. We have prioritized our initial functional study to include mutations in the regulatory regions of the gene, as these mutations can change how and where the gene is expressed. Future work is focused on investigating these functional variants in situ, using human tissue and human breast cell lines, by isolating and re-engineering ancestry-specific variants in these cell lines. By identifying and determining functional outcomes of these population-specific mutation, we can observe differences in immune responses across these global populations, further defining the role that DARC/ACKR1 plays in the breast tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Rachel Martini, Brittany Jenkins, Melissa Davis. Mutations in the Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines (DARC/ACKR1) gene result in population-private variants [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1283. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1283
Subcutaneous sumatriptan reduced pain and functional disability in migraine

Source Citation The Subcutaneous Sumatriptan International Study Group. Treatment of migraine attacks with sumatriptan. N Engl J Med. 1991 Aug 1;325:316-21.1647495
A compact 29% PAE at 6 dB power back-off E-mode GaAs pHEMT MMIC Doherty power amplifier at Ka-band

In this paper, we present a compact Doherty power amplifier (DPA) in a 0.15-μm enhancement mode (E-mode) Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) process at Ka-band. The 2-stage DPA uses an integrated input broadside coupler to miniaturize the die size to 2.86 mm2. The monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC) DPA exhibits a measured output power of 26 dBm and a measured average gain of 12 dB. The gain bandwidth covers from 25.5 to 33 GHz. The measured peak power added efficiency (PAE) is 40% and the PAE at 6 dB output power back-off is 29%. Moreover, an adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of −45 dBc has been measured using a 20 MHz digitally modulated signal and digital predistortion (DPD).
The effect of in-plane and out-of-plane fiber waviness on guided waves

In-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) fiber waviness (sometimes referred to as marcelling and wrinkling, respectively) can occur in composite parts as a result of uneven thermal loading during curing, challenges in manufacturing complex geometry parts or other manufacturing variabilities. The changes in fiber orientations due to waviness can have an impact on the intended strength of the composite part and can create stress concentrations that reduce the overall life of the part. These defects can be difficult to detect in cured parts using traditional ultrasonic approaches.
“CAIXAS PRETAS”: AS CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA TEORIA DAVILIANA PARA A SEMIÓTICA DE GREIMAS “BLACK BOXES”: THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DAVILIAN THEORY FOR THE GREIMAS’S SEMIOTICS

RESUMO: Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre a obra “Semiotica Sincretica Aplicada. Novas Tendencias (2007) de Nicia Ribas D’Avila no sentido de se verificar se sua proposta, de fato, preenche uma pressuposta “caixa preta” deixada por Algirdas Julien Greimas em sua semiotica. Quanto a metodologia, partiu-se de pesquisas preliminares de ordem descritiva de iniciacao cientifica assumindo um carater teorico (2014), desde as leituras que dizem respeito a metodologia de pesquisa (GIL, 2002) as leituras mais especificas quanto a teoria em questao, com um relato detalhado das atividades que se estenderao ate 2018. Com a participacao de alunos da graduacao e pos-graduacao de um grupo de pesquisas em Ensino e Aprendizado de Linguas e Leituras Semioticas, os resultados parciais, uma vez que esta e uma parte de uma pesquisa maior, indicam que D’Avila tem contribuido de forma decisiva para se nao o desvelamento, a ampliacao do legado deixado por Greimas no tocante a figuralidade que precede a figuratividade vastamente explorada e aplicada por varios semioticistas greimasianos. PALAVRAS-CHAVES : Semiotica, Greimas, “Caixas Pretas”, Figuratividade Visual. ABSTRACT: This work presents a study on the work “Semiotica Sincretica Aplicada. Novas Tendencias (2007)" by Nicia Ribas D'Avila in order to verify if her proposal, in fact, fills a supposed "black box" left by Algirdas Julien Greimas in his semiotics. As for the methodology, it was based on preliminary researches of descriptive order of scientific initiation assuming a theoretical character (2014), from the readings that refer to the research methodology (GIL, 2002) to the more specific readings regarding the theory in question, with a detailed account of the activities that will extend until 2018. With the participation of undergraduate and graduate students of a research group in Teaching and Learning of Languages and Semiotic Readings, the partial results, since this is a part of a bigger research, indicates that D'Avila has contributed decisively if not to the unveiling, but at least for the enlargement of the legacy left by Greimas in the figurality mode that precedes the figurativity mode vastly exploited and applied by several greimasian semioticists. KEY-WORDS: Semiotics, Greimas, “Black Boxes”, Visual Figurativity.
Case 96: A Patient in the Prone Position – Watch Out

Today you are anesthetizing a 38-year-old woman (200 lb, 5′4″, BMI 33, ASA 2) for stereotactic craniotomy in a prone position without neuro-monitoring. The patient has a class 1 airway.
Can Light Dark Matter Solve the Core-Cusp Problem?

Recently, there has been much interest in light dark matter, especially ultralight axions, as they may provide a solution to the core-cusp problem at the center of galaxies. Since very light bosons can have a de Broglie wavelength that is of astrophysical size, they can smooth out the centers of galaxies to produce a core, as opposed to vanilla dark matter models, and so it has been suggested that this solves the core-cusp problem. In this work, we critically examine this claim. While an ultralight particle will indeed lead to a core, we examine whether the relationship between the density of the core and its radius matches the data over a range of galaxies. We first review data that show the core density of a galaxy ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}$ varies as a function of the core radius ${R}_{c}$ as ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}\ensuremath{\propto}1/{R}_{c}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}$ with $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\approx}1$. We then compare this to theoretical models. We examine a large class of light scalar dark matter models, governed by some potential $V$. For simplicity, we take the scalar to be complex with a global $U(1)$ symmetry in order to readily organize solutions by a conserved particle number. However, we expect our central conclusions to persist even for a real scalar, and furthermore, a complex scalar matches the behavior of a real scalar in the nonrelativistic limit which is the standard regime of interest. For any potential $V$, we find the relationship between ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}$ and ${R}_{c}$ for ground state solutions is always in one of the following regimes: (i) $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\gg}1$, or (ii) $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\ll}1$, or (iii) unstable, and so it never matches the data. We also find similar conclusions for virialized dark matter, more general scalar field theories, degenerate fermion dark matter, superfluid dark matter, and general polytropes. We conclude that the solution to the core-cusp problem is more likely due to either complicated baryonic effects or some other type of dark matter interactions.
DIPG-09. HDAC INHIBITION IN THALAMIC AND SPINAL CORD H3K27M+ DIFFUSE MIDLINE GLIOMA

BACKGROUND Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG), are the leading cause of brain tumor-related deaths in children. There are no effective treatments and median survival remains dismal. Genomics identified a mutation in the majority of DMGs, a lysine to methionine substitution (K27M) in histones 3.1 and 3.3, which causes changes in gene expression that promote gliomagenesis. Panobinostat, a multiple histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, was one of the most effective agents against patient-derived DIPG cell cultures and xenograft models in previous studies and is presently in clinical trial for DIPG. HDAC inhibition with panobinostat may also exhibit activity against H3K27M+ DMG of the thalamus and spinal cord.
Optical properties of γ- and α-Ce by spectroscopic ellipsometry

A rotating analyzer type ellipsometer with an ultra high vacuum sample chamber was built. The dielectric functions of {gamma}- and {alpha}-Ce were measured in the energy range from 1.5 to 5.4 eV to investigate the role of the 4f electron in the isostructural phase transition. {gamma}- and {alpha}-Ce were made by evaporation of Ce on sapphire substrates at room temperature and 25 K. All measurements were performed inside a UHV chamber at pressures lower than l {times} 10{sup {minus}10}Torr. The measured dielectric functions showed a thickness dependence. The thicker sample has the smaller optical conductivities. Both overlayer thickness and void fraction increase as sample thickness increases. Repeating cooling-heating-cooling or heating-cooling-heating cycles causes the sample surface to become rougher but the relative volume fractions of both phases and the void fraction in the bulk remain unchanged. The optical conductivity increases upon entering the a-phase but the number of electrons per atom, N{sub eff}/N{sub A}, contributing to the optical conductivity does not change. The valence electrons lose oscillator strength in the above energy range due to volume collapse. This reduces N{sub eff}/NA but the increased 4f-sd valence band hybridization exactly compensates the reduced oscillator strength. Therefore the net effects of the {gamma}{yields}{alpha}more » isostructural phase transition are an increase of optical conductivity and constancy of N{sub eff}/N{sub A}.« less
Identification of cis-acting regulatory sequences by P element-mediated germline transformation of Drosophila embryos

We have used P element-mediated transformation of Drosophila embryos as an assay system to determine the role of different DNA sequences located in the 5′ region of the Drosophila hsp28 gene on its ability to be induced by heat shock and by the steroid hormone ecdysone. Flies that contain the transformed gene with 1.1 kb of 5′ information express normal levels of RNA after developmental induction by ecdysone but they accumulate lower than wildtype amounts of RNA after heat shock. Transformants which contain 227 by of 5′ information show ecdysone and temperature-induced expression of the foreign gene, but the RNA accumulates at lower than wildtype levels. Finally, deletion of the sequences located between −227 and −124 results in abolishment of transcription induction by heat shock but not by ecdysone. These results suggest that the sequences necessary for heat shock and hormone regulation of transcription are located in different regions of the hsp28 gene.
The primary sequence and antigenic structure of gonococcal pilin: approaches towards a gonococcal vaccine

The complete amino acid sequence of pilin from strain MS11 and the partial sequence of R10 pilin are reported. The protein consists of 159 amino acids and appears to be divided into constant and variable domains. The region of conserved sequence appears to be involved in the polymerization of the molecule and composing the ligand binding site. The carboxyl terminal portion of the molecule contains a thirty amino acid disulfide loop that significantly varies in sequence between the two strains and is postulated to be site of the serological variation in the molecule. The antigenic structure of the molecule was investigated by assaying the binding of antisera engendered by intact pili from strains MS11 and R10 and their two major cyanogen bromide generated fragments, CNBr-2 (residues 9–92) and CNBr-3 (residues 93–159), to synthetic peptides corresponding to the amino acid sequence of MS11 pilin. Two independent, strain specific determinants were found within the disulfide loop. A weakly immunogenic, common determinant was located between residues 48–60. Antisera raised against either MS11 or R10 CNBr-2 bind a separate peptide, residues 69–84. This region is only immunogenic as a fragment, not in the pilus filament. Antisera generated to each of the peptides were assayed for their ability to crossreact with intact pili from both homologous and heterologous strains.
A therapeutic update of superficial skin infections.

The most common skin infection found in children is simple superficial impetigo. It occurs so commonly that it is usually treated on clinical grounds. It is generally considered that there are two basic forms of the disease which may be distinguished clinically, bacteriologically, and histologically. The first is considered to be primarily of streptococcal origin and is characterized by thick, crusted lesions; the second is of staphylococcal origin and is associated with fluid- filled bullae.
Thermo: Heat Transfer

Heat transfer is a great example to show how a fundamental monolithic physical phenomenon can be mathematically formulated. In this chapter, the fundamentals of heat transfer for continua and mixtures including porous materials will be described consecutively. We will start with the concept of the representative elementary volume (REV) and conservation laws. Based on that, the general governing equation of conservation problems will be derived. Following that, we will derive the governing equation of the heat transfer in continuous materials. The validity of the REV assumption and conservation laws will help us extend the basics of continuum mechanics to the theories in porous materials. Emphasis will be placed on the heat transfer in porous materials which represents a much more complicated and general framework for heat transfer. Boundary conditions for heat transfer will be discussed from both a mathematical and a physical perspective. Finally, a practice problem will be solved using the MATLAB PDE Toolbox and compared against the analytical solution.
Microbial transmission in an outpatient clinic and impact of an intervention with an ethanol-based disinfectant.

Background Halting the spread of harmful microbes requires an understanding of their transmission via hands and fomites. Previous studies explored acute and long-term care environments but not outpatient clinics. Objectives of this study were to track microbial movement throughout an outpatient clinic and evaluate the impact of a disinfectant spray intervention targeting high-touch point surfaces. Methods At the start of the clinic day, a harmless viral tracer was placed onto 2 fomites: a patient room door handle and front desk pen. Patient care, cleaning, and hand hygiene practices continued as usual. Facility fomites (n = 19), staff hands (n = 4), and patient hands (n = 3-4) were sampled after 2, 3.5, and 6 hours. Tracer concentrations at baseline (before intervention) were evaluated 6 hours after seeding. For the intervention trials, high-touch surfaces were cleaned 4 hours after seeding with an ethanol-based disinfectant and sampled 2 hours after cleaning. Results At 2, 3.5, and 6 hours after seeding, virus was detected on all surfaces and hands sampled, with examination room door handles and nurses’ station chair arms yielding the highest concentrations. Virus concentrations decreased by 94.1% after the disinfectant spray intervention (P = .001). Conclusions Microbes spread quickly in an outpatient clinic, reaching maximum contamination levels 2 hours after inoculation, with the highest contamination on examination room door handles and nurses’ station chairs. This study emphasizes the importance of targeted disinfection of high-touch surfaces.
Thermoelectric polymer-matrix structural and nonstructural composite materials

Abstract This paper reviews thermoelectric polymer-matrix composites, including nonstructural and structural materials. The structural materials are continuous fiber composites; the nonstructural materials are discontinuously reinforced composites and polymer-polymer composites. A thermoelectric structural composite uses the reinforcing continuous fibers to enhance the electrical conductivity. The directionality of the continuous fibers allows tailoring of the thermoelectric behavior in various directions, particularly the through-thickness direction and the fiber direction. The use of laminae with dissimilar fibers (with opposite signs of the thermoelectric power) that are in different directions provides an array of unmodified and ordinarily made interlaminar interfaces, which serve as an array of thermocouple junctions that are based on the fiber-dominated thermoelectric behavior in the fiber direction of each lamina. By modification through positioning fillers at the interlaminar interface, the filler-dominated through-thickness thermoelectric behavior can be tailored. By using dissimilar fillers at the interlaminar interface, dissimilar composites that exhibit opposite signs of the thermoelectric power are obtained. Nonstructural thermoelectric composites exhibit a large range of ZT values, depending on the composition, structure and method of preparation.
Part I: Doctoral Education in Athletic Training. The Post-Professional Education Committee Doctoral Education Workgroup Report

Context: The academic environment for athletic training is changing following the degree recommendations for professional education programs. Objective: To provide historical context by presenting ...
Proceedings of the 4th ACM international workshop on Storage security and survivability

This proceedings contains the papers presented at the 4th ACM International Workshop on Storage Security and Survivability (StorageSS 2008) which was held October 31st , 2008 at George Mason University in conjunction with the Fifteenth ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS). This workshop solicited papers from both research and industry presenting novel ideas on all theoretical and practical aspects of protecting data in storage and file systems and brought together researchers in storage systems, computer and network security, and cryptography. The StorageSS'08 call-for-papers attracted 13 paper submissions. After peer review from at least three reviewers per paper, eight papers were accepted.
Achromatization method for multichannel fluorescence imaging systems

An achromatization method optimized for dual-channel imaging is developed. Dichroic mirrors are employed to split and recombine narrowband signals, and separation between catoptric components is used to minimize the longitudinal chromatic shift. An achromatic system based on this principle could be built from singlet lenses, since refractive element properties such as dispersion and power are not utilized to optimize wavelength-dependent performance. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed solution, a prototype miniature fluorescence microscope optimized for two emission lines of acridine orange (525 and 650 nm) is built. To reduce the cost and accelerate assembly, the system is built from commercially available optical components. The optical train consisted of two plastic singlet lenses combined with a pair of dichroic mirrors. Optical performance of the prototype is evaluated by imaging a bar line target at both design wavelengths. To demonstrate the potential of the proposed design strategy, the achromatic system prototype is used to measure a two-part white blood cells differential count on a venous blood sample. Data from the prototype fluorescence microscope are compared against results from a commercially available blood analyzer, and the difference between both instruments is within 20%.
Energy Dissipation Characteristics in Pre-strained Silicone Foam Transitioning to Silicone Rubber

Silicone foam is used as a shock mitigation material in a variety of systems to protect internal components from being damaged during external shock or impact loading. Characterizing the shock mitigation response of silicone foam under a variety of scenarios is a critical step in designing and/or evaluating new shock mitigation systems. In this study, a Kolsky bar with pre-compression capability was used with a passive radial confinement tube to subject the sample to various levels of pre-strain followed by impact loading. The effects of both pre-strain and impact velocity on impact energy dissipation behavior were investigated for silicone foam. The energy dissipation response of silicone foam is compared to a silicone rubber manufactured using the same processing methods to understand the energy dissipation characteristics of silicone foams transitioning to a silicone rubber. The final density of the foam or rubber plays a key role in both the total energy dissipation ratio in the time domain and the energy dissipation ratio as a function of frequency in the frequency domain.
Multisensor IoT interface with Bluetooth Low Energy

The article detailed the challenges in implementing a multisensor Android BLE application and a new methodology - SASC - was proposed to address these challenges. Benchmarking tests and free-living tests were conducted to validate the SASC implementation schemes. The benchmarking tests gave quantified results on metrics such as throughput, CPU loading on the smartphone and power consumption by the Android application for various number of sensors and varying connection intervals. The results of Android application throughput evaluation suggest that the maximum achievable throughput is ~20 kbps for a single sensor connection and ~70 kbps for a seven -sensor connection under SASC methodology. The results of the CPU loading and power consumption tests suggest that CPU loading and power consumption figures can be kept low by using a connection interval of 13.75 ms or greater. The proposed SASC methodology was also used in a real-life use case for gait data collection using SmartStep sensors, and a total of 19 days of human subject tests resulted in 100% data retrieval. These results suggest that the proposed methodology can serve as a foundation for applications that require managing multiple BLE connections in the world of IoT.
Characterization of human female breast and abdominal skin elasticity using a bulge test.

Abstract Characterization of material properties of human skin is required to develop a physics-based biomechanical model that can predict deformation of female breast after cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. In this paper, we have adopted an experimental approach to characterize the biaxial response of human skin using bulge tests. Skin specimens were harvested from breast and abdominal skin of female subjects who underwent mastectomy and/or reconstruction at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and who provided informed consent. The specimens were tested within 2 h of harvest, and after freezing for different time periods but not exceeding 6 months. Our experimental results show that storage in a freezer at −20 °C for up to about 40 days does not lead to changes in the mechanical response of the skin beyond statistical variation. Moreover, displacement at the apex of the bulged specimen versus applied pressure varies significantly between different specimens from the same subject and from different subjects. The bulge test results were used in an inverse optimization procedure in order to calibrate two different constitutive material models – the angular integration model proposed by Lanir (1983) and the generalized structure tensor formulation of Gasser et al. (2006). The material parameters were estimated through a cost function that penalized deviations of the displacement and principal curvatures at the apex. Generally, acceptable fits were obtained with both models, although the angular integration model was able to fit the curvatures slightly better than the Gasser et al. model. The range of the model parameters has been extracted for use in physics-based biomechanical models of the breast.
A Wearable Ultrasound Methodology for Creating a Real Time Near 3D Model of the Heart

Cardiovascular health is among one of the most important areas of the medical field today. Approximately 2,303 Americans die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) daily. By 2035, approximately 130 million Americans will be affected by CVD leading to an estimated $1.1 trillion in medical cost. The medical industry is steadily moving toward individual medicine. To provide assistance in the cardiovascular field, this paper presents a methodology for creating a real time near 3D model of the heart while accounting for the thoracic cage obstruction. That is, creating a partial 3D heart consisting of the apical and parasternal views that are viewable in real time on a monitor. We discuss a wearable vest consisting of eight ultrasound transducers in a 4x2 arrangement covering the parasternal and apical views of the human heart. The calculations for the overlap of each view and between both views are provided. Also, generalized formulas for the sequential activation of multiple ultrasound transducers with no overlap are given. The presented methodology is capable of real time near 3D modeling without constant attention from a medical professional where the final goal will be abnormality detection.