Small-Cell Installation in Transportation Infrastructure—A Literature Review

The purpose of this report is to provide information to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) on small-cell deployment on infrastructure such as light poles and traffic signals. A literature review was conducted on the technical specifications and impacts of small-cell deployment. The report explores the use of small-cell systems and potential hazards of small-cell deployment from an electromagnetic field perspective. A survey was conducted to gather information at a state and local level on current and future trends of small-cell deployment. The information gathered from the survey was combined from a standpoint of current best practices. The report provides recommendations for contractual obligations for both the department of transportation (DOT) and the small-cell provider. The report also provides guidelines on the best locations for small cells from a functional, structural, and aesthetic standpoint. The conclusion is that small-cell deployment is in our near future and the benefits of this technology are broad and mostly unexplored. While challenges exist, with proper contractual risk mitigation, both DOT entities and small-cell providers can reap benefits from the expansion of technology.IDOT-R27-SP41Ope

Adhesive bonding of poly aryl phosphine-oxide polyimide polymers to surface treated aluminum : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

The durability of adhesively bonded aluminum using poly aryl phosphine-oxide polyimide polymers as adhesives has been investigated. The aluminum surface was prepared for bonding via reaction in acid and base solutions and by a neutralization process. The wedge geometry test was adopted for the durability studies. Crack propagation was followed for the bonded samples in order to determine the timeto- failure of the bond. The failure rate as a function of surface treatment varied in the manner: acid > base > neutral. The failure mode was determined by surface analytical spectroscopic methods including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy/energy despersive x-ray analysis (SEM/EDX), and the mode of failure was found to be independent of the surface treatment. The mode of failure for all samples was found to be primarily cohesive with some adhesive failure near the edges of the samples. Overall, the poly aryl phosphine-oxide polyimide polymer was found to make a good bond with aluminum.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?.

Telephone delivered health coaching improves anxiety outcomes after myocardial infarction : the \u27ProActive Heart\u27 trial

Background: Recently, we found a telephone-delivered secondary prevention programme using health coaching (&lsquo;ProActive Heart&rsquo;) to be effective in improving a range of key behavioural outcomes for myocardial infarction (MI) patients. What remains unclear, however, is the extent to which these treatment effects translate to important psychological outcomes such as depression and anxiety outcomes, an issue of clinical significance due to the substantial proportion of MI patients who experience depression and anxiety. The objective of the study was to investigate, as a secondary hypothesis of a larger trial, the effects of a telephone-delivered health coaching programme on depression and anxiety outcomes of MI patients.Design: Two-arm, parallel-group, randomized, controlled design with six-months outcomes.Methods: Patients admitted to one of two tertiary hospitals in Brisbane, Australia following MI were assessed for eligibility. Four hundred and thirty patients were recruited and randomly assigned to usual care or an intervention group comprising up to 10 telephone-delivered &lsquo;health coaching&rsquo; sessions (ProActive Heart). Regression analysis compared Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores of completing participants at six months (intervention: n = 141 versus usual care: n = 156).Results: The intervention yielded reductions in anxiety at follow-up (mean difference = -0.7, 95% confidence interval=-1.4,-0.02) compared with usual care. A similar pattern was observed in mean depression scores but was not statistically significant.Conclusions: The ProActive Heart programme effectively improves anxiety outcomes of patients following myocardial infarction. If combined with psychological-specific treatment, this programme could impact anxiety of greater intensity in a clinically meaningful way.<br /

Post-operative complications following feminizing genitoplasty in moderate to severe genital atypia: Results from a multicenter, observational prospective cohort study

Disorders/differences of sex development (DSD) are congenital conditions in which there is atypical chromosomal, gonadal and/or phenotypic sex. While there remains controversy around the traditionally binary concept of sex, most patients with DSD are reared either male or female depending on their genetic sex, gonadal sex, genital phenotype and status of their internal genital tract. This study uses prospective data from 12 institutions across the United States that specialize in DSD care. We focused on patients raised female. Eligible patients had moderate to severe genital atypia (defined as Prader score &gt;2), were ≤2 years of age at entry, and had no prior genitoplasty. The aim of this study is to describe early post operative complications for young patients undergoing modern approaches to feminizing genitoplasty. Of the 91 participants in the cohort, 57 (62%) were reared female. The majority had congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;52), 1 had ovo-testicular syndrome, 2 had mixed gonadal dysgenesis and 2 had partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS). Of the 50 participants who received early genitoplasty, 43 (86%) had follow-up at 6-12 months post-surgery. Thirty-two participants (64%) received a clitoroplasty, 31 (62%) partial urogenital mobilization and 4 (8%) total urogenital sinus mobilization. Eighteen percent (9/50) experienced post-surgical complications with 7 (14%) being rated as Clavien-Dindo grade III. Both parents and surgeons reported improved satisfaction with genital appearance of participants following surgery compared to baseline. This information on post-operative complications associated with contemporary approaches to feminizing genitoplasty performed in young children will help guide families when making decisions about whether or not to proceed with surgery for female patients with moderate to severe genital atypia

Unlabeled Oligonucleotides as Internal Temperature Controls for Genotyping by Amplicon Melting

Amplicon melting is a closed-tube method for genotyping that does not require probes, real-time analysis, or allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. However, correct differentiation of homozygous mutant and wild-type samples by melting temperature (Tm) requires high-resolution melting and closely controlled reaction conditions. When three different DNA extraction methods were used to isolate DNA from whole blood, amplicon Tm differences of 0.03 to 0.39°C attributable to the extractions were observed. To correct for solution chemistry differences between samples, complementary unlabeled oligonucleotides were included as internal temperature controls to shift and scale the temperature axis of derivative melting plots. This adjustment was applied to a duplex amplicon melting assay for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase variants 1298A>C and 677C>T. High- and low-temperature controls bracketing the amplicon melting region decreased the Tm SD within homozygous genotypes by 47 to 82%. The amplicon melting assay was 100% concordant to an adjacent hybridization probe (HybProbe) melting assay when temperature controls were included, whereas a 3% error rate was observed without temperature correction. In conclusion, internal temperature controls increase the accuracy of genotyping by high-resolution amplicon melting and should also improve results on lower resolution instruments

Risky remote purchasing and identity theft victimization among older Internet users

The low self-control/risky lifestyles perspective posits that people deficient in self-control engage in certain risky behaviors that increase their exposure to motivated offenders in the absence of capable guardianship, which in turn elevates their risk of victimization. Using survey data from telephone interviews conducted in Florida and Arizona with individuals aged 60 and over, the current study tests whether this theoretical framework partially explains risky remote purchasing and identity theft victimization among older Internet users. Results from the two-stage probit models conform to expectations: Individuals with lower levels of self-control have a significantly higher probability of making a purchase after receiving an unsolicited email from a vendor with whom they have not previously done business. What is more, making a risky remote purchase significantly increases the probability of identity theft victimization. The findings not only speak to the generality of the low self-control/risky lifestyles perspective, but also indicate that older Internet users can reduce their victimization risk by taking specific precautions