Active damping application to the shuttle RMS

Control Structure Interaction (CSI) is a relatively new technology developed over the last 10 to 15 years for application to large flexible space vehicles. The central issue is recognition that high performance control systems necessary for good spacecraft performance may adversely interact with the dynamics of the spacecraft structures, a problem increasingly aggravated by the large size and reduced stiffness of modern spacecraft structural designs. The CSI analysis and design methods were developed to avoid interactions while maintaining spacecraft performance without exceeding structural capabilities, but they remain largely unvalidated by hardware experiments or demonstrations, particularly in-space flight demonstrations. One recent proposal for a low cost flight validation of CSI technology is to demonstrate active damping augmentation of the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (RMS). An analytical effort to define the potential for such an active damping augmentation demonstration to improve the structural dynamic response of the RMS following payload maneuvers is described. It is hoped that this study will lead to an actual inflight CSI test with the RMS using existing shuttle hardware to the maximum extent possible. By using the existing hardware, the flight demonstration results may eventually be of direct benefit to actual Space Shuttle RMS operations, especially during the construction of the Space Station Freedom

A Tale of Three Cities: Crime and Displacement after Hurricane Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, it greatly disrupted both the physical and social structures of that community. One consequence of the hurricane was the displacement of large numbers of New Orleans residents to other cities, including Houston, San Antonio, and Phoenix. There has been media speculation that such a grand-scale population displacement led to increased crime in communities that were recipient of large numbers of displaced New Orleans residents. This study was a case study of three cities with somewhat different experiences with Katrina\u27s diaspora. Time series analysis was used to examine the pre- and post-Katrina trends in six Part I offenses (murder, robbery, aggravated assault, rape, burglary, and auto theft) to assess any impact of such large-scale population shifts on crime in host communities. Contrary to much popular speculation, only modest effects were found on crime. Social disorganization theory was used to frame both the analysis and the interpretation of these result

Structured feedback training for timeout: Efficacy and efficiency in comparison to a didactic model

Although time-out has been demonstrated to be effective across multiple settings, little research exists on effective methods for training others to implement time-out. The present set of studies is an exploratory analysis of a structured feedback method for training time-out using repeated role-plays. The three studies examined (a) a between-subjects comparison to more a traditional didactic/video modeling method of time-out training, (b) a within-subjects comparison to traditional didactic/video modeling training for another skill, and (c) the impact of structured feedback training on in-home time-out implementation. Though findings are only preliminary and more research is needed, the structured feedback method appears across studies to be an efficient, effective method that demonstrates good maintenance of skill up to 3 months post training. Findings suggest, though do not confirm, a benefit of the structured feedback method over a more traditional didactic/video training model. Implications and further research on the method are discussed

Identification and cost of adverse events in metastatic breast cancer in taxane and capecitabine based regimens.

PurposeWe sought to compare the economic impact of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) using taxane- or capecitabine-based treatment regimens as either first- or second-line (FL or SL) therapy in the US.MethodsWe used healthcare claims data from the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan® Commercial Databases to conduct a retrospective cohort study comparing the economic impact of AEs amongst taxane- and capecitabine-treated mBC patients in the US. We selected women diagnosed with mBC between 2008-2010 who received a taxane or capecitabine as first- or second-line (FL or SL) chemotherapy. Costs related to hospitalization, outpatient services, emergency department visits, chemotherapy and other medications were tabulated and combined to determine total healthcare costs. The incremental monthly costs associated with the presence of AEs compared to no AEs were estimated using generalized linear models, controlling for age and Charlson Comorbidity Index.ResultsWe identified 15,443 mBC patients meeting inclusion criteria. Adjusted total monthly costs were significantly higher in those who experienced AEs than in those without AEs in both lines of treatment (FL incremental cost: taxanes $1,142, capecitabine$1,817; SL incremental cost: taxanes $1,448, capecitabine$4,437). Total costs increased with the number of AEs and were primarily driven by increased hospitalization amongst those with AEs.ConclusionsAdverse events in taxane- or capecitabine-treated mBC patients are associated with significant increases in costs. Selecting treatment options associated with fewer AEs may reduce costs and improve outcomes in these patients

Nanoliposomal Nitroglycerin Exerts Potent Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

Nitroglycerin (NTG) markedly enhances nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. However, its ability to mimic the anti-inflammatory properties of NO remains unknown. Here, we examined whether NTG can suppress endothelial cell (EC) activation during inflammation and developed NTG nanoformulation to simultaneously amplify its anti-inflammatory effects and ameliorate adverse effects associated with high-dose NTG administration. Our findings reveal that NTG significantly inhibits human U937 cell adhesion to NO-deficient human microvascular ECs in vitro through an increase in endothelial NO and decrease in endothelial ICAM-1 clustering, as determined by NO analyzer, microfluorimetry, and immunofluorescence staining. Nanoliposomal NTG (NTG-NL) was formulated by encapsulating NTG within unilamellar lipid vesicles (DPhPC, POPC, Cholesterol, DHPE-Texas Red at molar ratio of 6:2:2:0.2) that were ~155 nm in diameter and readily uptaken by ECs, as determined by dynamic light scattering and quantitative fluorescence microscopy, respectively. More importantly, NTG-NL produced a 70-fold increase in NTG therapeutic efficacy when compared with free NTG while preventing excessive mitochondrial superoxide production associated with high NTG doses. Thus, these findings, which are the first to reveal the superior therapeutic effects of an NTG nanoformulation, provide the rationale for their detailed investigation for potentially superior vascular normalization therapies

Vowel System Sandbox: Complex System Modelling of Language Change

Vowel System Sandbox is a complex agent-based modelling tool which is intended for linguists and speech researchers to test hypotheses about how vowel sounds are transmitted and used through the generations in a language community, and thus how vowel systems may change over generational time. Written in Python 3, the code repository is on Github and can be run in Linux, Windows 7+ and MacOS. This is the first software that provides a computational model of sound change in language by implementing first principles of speech perception and production.   Funding statement: This project was partially funded by Provost awards for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity at Fresno State University

Tales from the crypt: a parasitoid manipulates the behaviour of its parasite host

There are many examples of apparent manipulation of host phenotype by parasites, yet few examples of hypermanipulation—where a phenotype-manipulating parasite is itself manipulated by a parasite. Moreover, few studies confirm manipulation is occurring by quantifying whether the host's changed phenotype increases parasite fitness. Here we describe a novel case of hypermanipulation, in which the crypt gall wasp Bassettia pallida (a phenotypic manipulator of its tree host) is manipulated by the parasitoid crypt-keeper wasp Euderus set, and show that the host's changed behaviour increases parasitoid fitness. Bassettia pallida parasitizes sand live oaks and induces the formation of a ‘crypt’ within developing stems. When parasitized by E. set, B. pallida adults excavate an emergence hole in the crypt wall, plug the hole with their head and die. We show experimentally that this phenomenon benefits E. set, as E. set that need to excavate an emergence hole themselves are about three times more likely to die trapped in the crypt. In addition, we discuss museum and field data to explore the distribution of the crypt-keeping phenomena

Loss of Wdfy3 in mice alters cerebral cortical neurogenesis reflecting aspects of the autism pathology.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex and heterogeneous developmental disabilities affecting an ever-increasing number of children worldwide. The diverse manifestations and complex, largely genetic aetiology of ASDs pose a major challenge to the identification of unifying neuropathological features. Here we describe the neurodevelopmental defects in mice that carry deleterious alleles of the Wdfy3 gene, recently recognized as causative in ASDs. Loss of Wdfy3 leads to a regionally enlarged cerebral cortex resembling early brain overgrowth described in many children on the autism spectrum. In addition, affected mouse mutants display migration defects of cortical projection neurons, a recognized cause of epilepsy, which is significantly comorbid with autism. Our analysis of affected mouse mutants defines an important role for Wdfy3 in regulating neural progenitor divisions and neural migration in the developing brain. Furthermore, Wdfy3 is essential for cerebral expansion and functional organization while its loss-of-function results in pathological changes characteristic of ASDs