Response to Kaepernick saga telling of America’s racial divides

The Sept. 6. 2016, edition of The Maine Campus included a degrading opinion piece rife with the perpetuation of crippling stereotypes that have had an enormous effect on the African-American community. Editor Jacob Posik’s piece “Kaepernick saga telling of America’s racial divides” not only included gross generalizations of the African-American community but also displayed an alarming apathy towards police brutality and the lives and valid concerns of his fellow Americans. This piece dangerously spews racial rhetoric that is offensive and has no place for a liberal school campus

Response to Kaepernick saga telling of America’s racial divides

The Sept. 6. 2016, edition of The Maine Campus included a degrading opinion piece rife with the perpetuation of crippling stereotypes that have had an enormous effect onthe African-American community. Editor Jacob Posik’s piece “Kaepernick saga telling of America’s racial divides” not only included gross generalizations of the African-American community but also displayed an alarming apathy towards police brutality and the lives and valid concerns of his fellow Americans. This piece dangerously spews racial rhetoric that is offensive and has no place for a liberal school campus.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/racial_justice/1168/thumbnail.jp

Desktop microforming and welding system powered by a flextensional Terfenol-D transducer

Magnetostrictive Terfenol-D was examined as a prime-mover for bulk motion in a microforming system. Careful design and analysis led to the creation of a Terfenol-D transducer capable of 3.8 kN of blocked force and 212 µm of displacement. A linear model of the Terfenol-D transducer to simulate its output as a function of displacement under saturation magnetic field was created that matched both force and displacement within 10%. Thermal drift occurred at a rate of 2 µm/ºC. A flextensional lever system was designed to amplify the displacement of the Terfenol-D transducer to levels sufficient for microforming. Sub-micron displacement resolution was observed, with no perceivable effects from friction or backlash. The full system provided 365 N of blocked force and 1.6 mm of displacement. A linear model of the full system was also created that used the linear model of the transducer\u27s output which matched experimental results for displacement with a 2% error and force with an 11% error, which was found to be useful for selection of design parameters. In ultrasonic-assisted punching, a circular punch of 3.2 mm diameter that vibrates transversely at 9.6 kHz was used to punch samples of 1100-O at several punching speeds and vibration intensities. Higher speed punching tests showed up to a 30% reduction in punching force accompanied by an apparent elimination of adiabatic strain rate effects. Lower speed punching showed a smaller degree of softening, but an increased burnished-to-fractured area ratio. A study on the effects of vibration waveform on a polymer vibration welding process on 0.25 and 0.5 mm ABS sheet was conducted using sine, square, and triangle waves at differing penetration depths. A preliminary study was first used to determine control levels of basic welding parameters that compared the effects of clamping load and penetration depth on the two sheet thicknesses. It was found that square waves provided slightly higher penetration rates than sine waves, and triangle waves significantly lower penetration rates than sine waves. Penetration rates and achievable penetration depths varied with sheet thickness. A minimum penetration rate threshold was found below which it was not possible to achieve adequate penetration; beyond this lower penetration rates generally resulted in higher strength

The comorbidity of anxiety disorders and physical diseases : an epidemiological approach

Abstract Background: Anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with other mental disorders. This has important implications for individuals’ burden, etiology of the comorbid diseases and treatment. Knowledge about the comorbidity with physical diseases in the community, however, is limited, especially for specific anxiety disorders. This dissertation evaluates the comorbidity of specific anxiety disorders and noncommunicable and communicable physical diseases in the general population. Further, it investigates the association of comorbidity with measures of burden, namely, quality of life and disability. Method: Data of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey (GHS), a representative general population survey from Germany with 4,181 subjects aged 18-65 years, were used. Anxiety disorders were diagnosed using the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (DIA-X/M-CIDI), noncommunicable physical diseases were assessed through a self-report questionnaire and a standardized medical interview, and communicable physical diseases through a self-report questionnaire. Results: Both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and specific phobia were associated with migraine and respiratory diseases. Additionally, subthreshold forms of OCD were associated with specific noncommunicable physical diseases. Agoraphobia, specific phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder were all associated with whooping cough. The documented comorbidity was associated with increased disability and decreased quality of life. Discussion: The detected comorbidity patterns may contribute to a better understanding of the psychobiological pathways of comorbidity. Further, increased burden of individuals affected underlines the need for studies evaluating the effect of treatment in comorbid cases. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Angststörungen weisen eine hohe Komorbidität mit anderen psychischen Störungen auf. Dies hat wichtige Implikationen für die Belastung der Betroffenen, sowie für die Ätiologie und Therapie der komorbiden Störungen. Die Datenlage zur Komorbidität mit körperlichen Erkrankungen in der Bevölkerung ist jedoch für spezifische Angststörungen eingeschränkt. Die vorliegende Dissertation untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen spezifischen Angststörungen und nichtübertragbaren und übertragbaren körperlichen Erkrankungen in der Bevölkerung. Weiter wird die Assoziation der Komorbidität mit Lebensqualität und Beeinträchtigung untersucht. Methode: Analysiert wurden die Daten des Bundesgesundheitssurvey, einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstichprobe Deutschlands mit 4’181 Probanden im Alter von 18-65 Jahren. Angststörungen wurden mit dem DIA-X/M-CIDI Interview erhoben, nichtübertragbare körperliche Erkrankungen mit einem ärztlichen Interview, sowie mit einem Fragebogen und übertragbare körperliche Erkrankungen mit einem Fragebogen. Resultate: Sowohl die Zwangsstörung als auch die Spezifische Phobie traten gehäuft mit Migräne und Atemwegserkrankungen auf. Auch subklinische Formen der Zwangsstörung waren mit spezifischen, nichtübertragbaren körperlichen Erkrankungen assoziiert. Agoraphobie, Spezifische Phobie und Generalisierte Angststörung gingen mit erhöhten Prävalenzraten von Keuchhusten einher. Komorbidität war mit erhöhter Beeinträchtigung und niedrigerer Lebensqualität assoziiert. Diskussion: Die Komorbidiätsmuster können zu einem besseren Verständnis der zugrundeliegenden Mechanismen beitragen. Die assoziierte Belastung unterstreicht die Bedeutung weiterer Forschung zur Wirksamkeit der Therapie bei komorbiden Erkrankungen.

Measurement of cross sections and polarisation observables in η photoproduction from neutrons and protons bound in light nuclei

The structure of matter, i.e. the binding of nucleons to nuclei and the formation of quarks to nucleons or other hadrons, is governed by the strong interaction. The underlying Gauge theory, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), is well established and has a characteristic property: the coupling constant is decreasing as a function of the momentum transfer (energy). In high-energy reactions, quarks and gluons behave as free particles and the coupling constant is small. This regime of QCD, where quarks and gluons interact only weakly, is called asymptotic freedom and pertubative calculations can be used to predict interactions. However, at small energies, the quarks interact strongly and virtual gluons can produce gluon-gluon pairs and confine quarks in colorless hadrons. Due to the large coupling constant, pertubative calculations of QCD are unreliable at low energies and cannot explain the confinement. In this low-energy range, only phenomenological models such as quark models or numerical calculations (lattice QCD) can be used to solve QCD. To verify QCD models at low energies, the excitation spectrum of the nucleon is of particular interest. Comparison of the model predictions and the experimentally observed states have shown a large discrepancy in number and ordering of the levels. Many more states are predicted than have been experimentally observed, which is known as the problem of missing resonances. This mismatch may either originate from the effective degrees of freedom of the models or from experimental bias. In the beginning of hadron spectroscopy, most results have been obtained from pion-nucleon scattering experiments. However, since the intermediate nucleon resonance depends on the production mechanism, only resonances that couple to π N have been observed. In the last decades, these results have been supplemented with data on unpolarised cross sections obtained from meson photoproduction at various acceleration facilities. These results could clarify the situation to some extent. Nevertheless, the problem of missing resonances persists, which is mainly caused by the fact that many resonances are broad and overlapping. Thus, current experiments focus on the measurement of single and double polarisation observables, which may improve the situation since observables are sensitive to interference terms and thus can enhance weak contributions from resonances. In this work, η photoproduction from quasi-free protons and neutrons has been studied. Photoproduction of η mesons is of particular interest since former results of different collaborations have shown an unusual narrow structure in the cross section on the neutron, which is not visible on the proton. Various theoretical models exist that try to explain this effect, but no conclusive solution has been found yet. Thus, to get a final interpretation of this effect, unpolarised cross sections, the double polarisation observable E and the helicity dependent cross sections σ1/2 and σ3/2 have been extracted in this work. Unpolarised total and differential cross sections have been determined for protons and neutrons bound in light nuclei, i.e. deuterium and 3He. Data have been measured with the CBELSA/TAPS experiment at the Electron Stretcher Accelerator (ELSA) in Bonn (deuterium, December 2008) and with the A2 experiment at the Mainzer Microtron (MAMI) in Mainz (3He, November 2008). Both setups used energy-tagged photon beams to produce η mesons from cryogenic liquid targets. The target was surrounded by an almost 4π covering detector setup. At CBELSA/TAPS the combined setup of Crystal Barrel (CBB) and MiniTAPS was used, at A2 the main detectors were Crystal Ball (CB), TAPS. Furthermore, experiments aiming at the extraction of the double polarisation observable E, have been run at both acceleration facilities. A circularly polarised photon beam and a longitudinally polarised deuterated butanol (dButanol) target have been used. The results obtained in this work give input to new partial wave analysis and help to straighten out the situation of η photoproduction from the neutron

Zelluläre und molekulare Charakterisierung maligner Pleuraergüsse und ex vivo Therapie mit dem bispezifischen Antikörper MT110.

Über die Hälfte aller malignen Pleuraergüsse sind durch solide Tumore des Mamma- und Bronchialkarzinoms bedingt und stellen eine Fernmetastasierung dar. Trotz therapeutischer Maßnahmen wie der Pleurodese mit Talkum ist die Prognose der Patienten schlecht und ihre mittlere Überlebenszeit beträgt nur wenige Monate. Deswegen sind innovative und effiziente Therapiestrategien für die Therapie der Pleurakarzinose dringend notwendig. In dieser Arbeit wurden maligne Pleuraergüsse (MPE) von Mamma- und Bronchialkarzinompatienten auf zellulärer und molekularer Ebene charakterisiert. Die zelluläre Zusammensetzung der malignen Pleuraergüsse und die Expression prognose-, therapie- und chemoresistenzassoziierter Antigene wurden mittels immunhistochemischer Methoden nachgewiesen. Die Charakterisierung der Ergüsse zeigte eine patienten- und tumorbedingte zelluläre und molekulare Heterogenität. Dabei unterschieden sich die malignen Pleuraergüsse bezüglich der Ergussmenge, der aus den Ergüssen isolierten Zellzahl, ihrer zellulären Zusammensetzung, der Beschaffenheit der Pleurakarzinomzellen (Einzelzellen, Aggregate) und ihrer Antigenexpression. Die Analyse des Hormonrezeptorstatus ergab einen signifikanten Verlust des Östrogen- (p=0,002) und Progesteronrezeptors (p=0,0005) auf den Pleurakarzinomzellen im Vergleich zum korrespondierenden Primärtumor. Therapierelevante Antigene aber wie z.B. das epitheliale Antigen EpCAM, das Glykoprotein MUC-1 und der Wachstumsfaktorrezeptor EGF-R waren auf mehr als 70 % der MPE beim Mamma- und Bronchialkarzinom vertreten. In dieser Arbeit wurde daraufhin in einer ex vivo Studie die Wirksamkeit des bispezifischen Antikörpers MT110 gegen das Antigen EpCAM und den T-Zellrezeptor CD3 als Therapiestrategie für die Behandlung maligner Pleuraergüsse gestestet. Der Anteil der antikörpervermittelnden spezifischen Lyse der EpCAM-positiven Pleurakarzinomzellen wurde mit Hilfe der Durchflußzytometrie (FACS) bestimmt. Die MT110 abhängige Aktivierung der CD4- und CD8-positiven T-Zellen wurde über die Antigene CD25, Granzym B und die Ausschüttung immunmodulierender Zytokine nachgewiesen (FACS). Die ex vivo Therapie der MPE beim Mammakarzinom ergab eine dosisabhängige signifikante spezifische Lyse der Targetzellen nach 48 h und 72 h mit 10 ng/ml und 1000 ng/ml MT110 (48 h, p = 0,03; 72 h, p = 0,016). Bei einer Behandlungsdauer von 72 h erzielte MT110 in einer Konzentration von 1000 ng/ml eine spezifische Lyse der EpCAM-positiven Zellen von 57 % ± 29.5 % (MW ± stabwn). Die ex vivo Therapie der MPE beim Bronchialkarzinom führte zu einer durchschnittlichen spezifischen Lyse von 30 ± 38 %, die nicht signifikant war (72h, 1000 ng/ml). Der späte Aktivierungsmarker CD25 war nach 48h und 72h mit 1000 ng/ml MT110 auf den CD4- und CD8-positiven Pleuraergusszellen der Mammakarzinompatienten (p=0,03; p=0,016) und Bronchialkarzinompatienten (nicht signifikant) verstärkt exprimiert. Der erhöhte Nachweis von TNF-α (p = 0,016) und IFN-γ (p = 0,03) in den Mediumüberständen der MPE beim Mammakarzinom deutete auf eine TH-1 vermittelte Immunantwort hin. Die ex vivo Therapie der MPE mit MT110 zeigte, dass das epitheliale Antigen EpCAM ein geeignetes Zielantigen für die molekulare Therapie der Pleurakarzinose darstellt. Der bispezifische Antikörper MT110 bewirkte eine zielgerichtete spezifische Lyse der Pleurakarzinomzellen durch die Stimulation der autologen Immunzellen im malignen Erguss. Mögliche Einflüsse auf die Höhe der antikörperspezifischen Lyse sind das Vorhandensein von Aggregaten im Erguss, das Verhältnis der Effektor- und Targetzellen, sowie die Stimulierbarkeit der T-Lymphozyten. Die Wirkungsweise des Antikörpers MT110 muss in Zukunft für ein größeres Patientenkollektiv getestet werden. Der Antikörper befindet sich seit April 2008 in einer klinischen Phase I und wird bei Patienten mit EpCAM-positiven, lokal fortgeschrittenen, rezidivierten oder metastasierten Karzinomen auf Verträglichkeit und Antitumoraktivität hin untersucht. Zukünftige klinische Studien sind nötig, um die Wirksamkeit von MT110 bei Patientinnen mit MPE beim Mamma- und Bronchialkarzinom zu bestätigen

Polarization Observables in eta and pi Production Using a Polarized Target with the Crystal Ball/TAPS at MAMI

Recent experiments using the Crystal Ball/TAPS setup at the MAMI accelerator in Mainz, Germany, continue to study the properties and the excitation spectrum of the nucleon with meson photoproduction. Electromagnetic excitations of the proton and neutron are essential for understanding their isospin decomposition. The electromagnetic coupling of photons to protons is different than that to neutrons in certain states. Hence, a complete partial wave analysis (PWA) can assist in yielding more information about any reaction, but requires the determination of polarization observables. Polarization observables play a crucial role as they are essential in disentangling the contributing resonant and non-resonant amplitudes, whereas cross section data alone is not sufficient for separating broad overlapping resonances. Preliminary results of polarization observables of η, single, and double π production off a polarized neutron (dButanol) target will be shown with comparison to predictions of recent multipole analyses. These results will greatly increase the world database on pseudoscalar meson production on neutrons

Quasi-free Photoproduction of η-Mesons off 2H and 3He

In this work, we are presenting a combination of two preliminary results for quasi-free photoproduction of η-mesons from the liquid deuterium and 3He targets for incident photon energies from threshold up to 1.4 GeV. The experiments were performed at the Mainz MAMI electron accelerator, using the Glasgow tagged photon facility. Decay photons of the η-mesons and the recoil nucleons were detected with an almost 4π covering electromagnetic calorimeter combining the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors. The data from both targets show a narrow structure in the excitation function of γ + n → n + η. The results from the two measurements are consistent within the expected effects from nuclear Fermi motion