Benchmarking Technology-Based Entrepreneurship in the Charleston Region

A study of resources and opportunities for technology-based economic development in Charleston, South Carolina. The study draws on interviews and a survey of managers of technology-intensive enterprises and public-sector institutions in the Charleston area conducted in June 1996.IC2 Institut

Constructing a WISE High Resolution Galaxy Atlas

After eight months of continuous observations, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mapped the entire sky at 3.4 {\mu}m, 4.6 {\mu}m, 12 {\mu}m and 22 {\mu}m. We have begun a dedicated WISE High Resolution Galaxy Atlas (WHRGA) project to fully characterize large, nearby galaxies and produce a legacy image atlas and source catalogue. Here we summarize the deconvolution technique used to significantly improve the spatial resolution of WISE imaging, specifically designed to study the internal anatomy of nearby galaxies. As a case study, we present results for the galaxy NGC 1566, comparing the WISE super-resolution image processing to that of Spitzer, GALEX and ground-based imaging. The is the first paper in a two part series; results for a much larger sample of nearby galaxies is presented in the second paper.Comment: Published in the AJ (2012, AJ, 144, 68

Physically Interactive Games Increase VO2 Above Resting Metabolic Rate

The purpose of this study was to determine the energy cost, beyond resting metabolic rate (RMR), of playing select games on the Nintendo Wii for 30 contiguous minutes. Physically interactive games (i.e. Basic Run and Basic Step) increase energy expenditure above resting values compared to a sedentary game (Tanks!) and therefore may help individual’s become more active. Furthermore, Basic Run and Basic Step elicited MET values of 3.9 and 3.2, respectively, which is considered moderate-intensity exercise and could be used to meet daily recommendations for physical activity

Interactive Video Gaming: Do We Feel Like We Are Exercising?

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and hedonics (liking or enjoyment) changed during 30 contiguous minutes of playing select, interactive video games on the Nintendo Wii system. A secondary purpose was to determine if RPE and liking differed among games.These data suggest that individuals do perceive difference in the amount of work they are performing during extended play of the same game or among sedentary and physically interactive games. Additionally, liking was similar during extended game play and among games suggesting that the physical interaction with the game may be superseded by interest in the game. Promoting the use of physically interactive gaming may be useful in helping individuals meet their daily recommendations for physical activity owing to their enjoyment which minimizes the perception of being physically demanding

Protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial of STeroid Administration Routes For Idiopathic Sudden sensorineural Hearing loss:The STARFISH trial

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is the rapid onset of reduced hearing due to loss of function of the inner ear or hearing nerve of unknown aetiology. Evidence supports improved hearing recovery with early steroid treatment, via oral, intravenous, intratympanic or a combination of routes. The STARFISH trial aims to identify the most clinically and cost-effective route of administration of steroids as first-line treatment for ISSNHL. STARFISH is a pragmatic, multicentre, assessor-blinded, three-arm intervention, superiority randomised controlled trial (1:1:1) with an internal pilot (ISRCTN10535105, IRAS 1004878). 525 participants with ISSNHL will be recruited from approximately 75 UK Ear, Nose and Throat units. STARFISH will recruit adults with sensorineural hearing loss averaging 30dBHL or greater across three contiguous frequencies (confirmed via pure tone audiogram), with onset over a ≤3-day period, within four weeks of randomisation. Participants will be randomised to 1) oral prednisolone 1mg/Kg/day up to 60mg/day for 7 days; 2) intratympanic dexamethasone: three intratympanic injections 3.3mg/ml or 3.8mg/ml spaced 7±2 days apart; or 3) combined oral and intratympanic steroids. The primary outcome will be absolute improvement in pure tone audiogram average at 12-weeks following randomisation (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0kHz). Secondary outcomes at 6 and 12 weeks will include: Speech, Spatial and Qualities of hearing scale, high frequency pure tone average thresholds (4.0, 6.0 and 8.0kHz), Arthur Boothroyd speech test, Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefit Questionnaire, Tinnitus Functional Index, adverse events and optional weekly online speech and pure tone hearing tests. A health economic assessment will be performed, and presented in terms of incremental cost effectiveness ratios, and cost per quality-adjusted life-year. Primary analyses will be by intention-to-treat. Oral prednisolone will be the reference. For the primary outcome, the difference between group means and 97.5% confidence intervals at each time-point will be estimated via a repeated measures mixed-effects linear regression model

The propagation of uncertainties in stellar population synthesis modeling I: The relevance of uncertain aspects of stellar evolution and the IMF to the derived physical properties of galaxies

The stellar masses, mean ages, metallicities, and star formation histories of galaxies are now commonly estimated via stellar population synthesis (SPS) techniques. SPS relies on stellar evolution calculations from the main sequence to stellar death, stellar spectral libraries, phenomenological dust models, and stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). The present work is the first in a series that explores the impact of uncertainties in key phases of stellar evolution and the IMF on the derived physical properties of galaxies and the expected luminosity evolution for a passively evolving set of stars. A Monte-Carlo Markov-Chain approach is taken to fit near-UV through near-IR photometry of a representative sample of low- and high-redshift galaxies with this new SPS model. Significant results include the following: 1) including uncertainties in stellar evolution, stellar masses at z~0 carry errors of ~0.3 dex at 95% CL with little dependence on luminosity or color, while at z~2, the masses of bright red galaxies are uncertain at the ~0.6 dex level; 2) either current stellar evolution models, current observational stellar libraries, or both, do not adequately characterize the metallicity-dependence of the thermally-pulsating asymptotic giant branch phase; 3) conservative estimates on the uncertainty of the slope of the IMF in the solar neighborhood imply that luminosity evolution per unit redshift is uncertain at the ~0.4 mag level in the K-band, which is a substantial source of uncertainty for interpreting the evolution of galaxy populations across time; 4) The more plausible assumption of a distribution of stellar metallicities, rather than a fixed value as is usually assumed, can have significant effects on the interpretation of colors blueward of the V-band. (ABRIDGED)Comment: 21 pages, 17 figures, ApJ in pres

Extending the Nearby Galaxy Heritage with WISE: First Results from the WISE Enhanced Resolution Galaxy Atlas

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mapped the entire sky at mid-infrared wavelengths 3.4 μm, 4.6 μm, 12 μm, and 22 μm. The mission was primarily designed to extract point sources, leaving resolved and extended sources, for the most part, unexplored. Accordingly, we have begun a dedicated WISE Enhanced Resolution Galaxy Atlas (WERGA) project to fully characterize large, nearby galaxies and produce a legacy image atlas and source catalog. Here we demonstrate the first results of the WERGA project for a sample of 17 galaxies, chosen to be of large angular size, diverse morphology, and covering a range in color, stellar mass, and star formation. It includes many well-studied galaxies, such as M 51, M 81, M 87, M 83, M 101, and IC 342. Photometry and surface brightness decomposition is carried out after special super-resolution processing, achieving spatial resolutions similar to that of Spitzer Infrared Array Camera. The enhanced resolution method is summarized in the first paper of this two-part series. In this second work, we present WISE, Spitzer, and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) photometric and characterization measurements for the sample galaxies, combining the measurements to study the global properties. We derive star formation rates using the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sensitive 12 μm (W3) fluxes, warm-dust sensitive 22 μm (W4) fluxes, and young massive-star sensitive ultraviolet (UV) fluxes. Stellar masses are estimated using the 3.4 μm (W1) and 4.6 μm (W2) measurements that trace the dominant stellar mass content. We highlight and showcase the detailed results of M 83, comparing the WISE/Spitzer results with the Australia Telescope Compact Array H I gas distribution and GALEX UV emission, tracing the evolution from gas to stars. In addition to the enhanced images, WISE's all-sky coverage provides a tremendous advantage over Spitzer for building a complete nearby galaxy catalog, tracing both stellar mass and star formation histories. We discuss the construction of a complete mid-infrared catalog of galaxies and its complementary role of studying the assembly and evolution of galaxies in the local universe

Physical Examination Variables Predict Response to Conservative Treatment of Nonchronic Plantar Fasciitis: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized, Placeboâ Controlled Footwear Study

BackgroundPlantar fasciitis is a common, disabling condition, and the prognosis of conservative treatment is difficult to predict.ObjectiveTo determine whether initial clinical findings could help predict patient response to conservative treatment that primarily consisted of supportive footwear and stretching.SettingPatients were recruited and seen at 2 outpatient podiatric clinics in the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area.PatientsSeventyâ seven patients with nonchronic plantar fasciitis were recruited. Patients were excluded if they had a heel injection in the previous 6 months or were currently using custom foot orthoses at the time of screening. Sixtyâ nine patients completed the final followâ up visit 3 months after receiving the footwear intervention.MethodsTreatment failure was considered a <50% reduction in heel pain at 3 month followâ up. Logistic regression models evaluated the possible association between more than 30 clinical and physical examination findings prospectively assessed at enrollment, and treatment response.ResultsInability to dorsiflex the ankle past â 5° (odds ratio [OR] 3.9, P = .024), nonsevere (â ¤7 on ordinal scale) firstâ step pain (OR 3.8, P = .021), and heel valgus in relaxed stance (OR 4.0, P = .014) each predicted treatment failure in multivariable analysis (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve = .769). Limited ankle dorsiflexion also correlated with greater heel pain severity at initial presentation (r = â 0.312, P = .006).ConclusionsPatients with severe ankle equinus were nearly 4 times more likely to experience a favorable response to treatment centered on home Achilles tendon stretching and supportive therapy. Thus, earlier use of more advanced therapies may be most appropriate in those presenting without severe ankle equinus or without severe first step pain. The findings from our study may not be clinically intuitive because patients with less severe equinus and less severe pain at presentation did worse with conservative care.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146867/1/pmrj436.pd

Somatic genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 generates and corrects a metabolic disease

Germline manipulation using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has dramatically accelerated the generation of new mouse models. Nonetheless, many metabolic disease models still depend upon laborious germline targeting, and are further complicated by the need to avoid developmental phenotypes. We sought to address these experimental limitations by generating somatic mutations in the adult liver using CRISPR/Cas9, as a new strategy to model metabolic disorders. As proof-of-principle, we targeted the low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr), which when deleted, leads to severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Here we show that hepatic disruption of Ldlr with AAV-CRISPR results in severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. We further demonstrate that co-disruption of Apob, whose germline loss is embryonically lethal, completely prevented disease through compensatory inhibition of hepatic LDL production. This new concept of metabolic disease modeling by somatic genome editing could be applied to many other systemic as well as liver-restricted disorders which are difficult to study by germline manipulation

Interactive Video Gaming Maintains VO2 & HR at Current Recommended Exercise Intensities for Cardiovascular Fitness

The purpose of this study was to determine the energy cost of playing select games on the Nintendo Wii for 30 contiguous minutes and whether or not the physical interaction of the participant with the gaming system and subsequent physiologic intensity diminishes with playing time