Public Safety and Online Privacy—Myth Versus Reality

Public Safety and Online Privacy—Myth Versus Realit

Public Safety and Online Privacy—Myth Versus Reality

Public Safety and Online Privacy—Myth Versus Realit

Hydrodynamic skin-friction reduction

A process for reducing skin friction, inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence, and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas, e.g., air, immediately adjacent to the surface of the body; a marine vehicle, which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid; water, with the surface of the body; and the hull of the marine vehicle

Community Benefits and Lessons for Local Engagement in a California Open Streets Event: A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Viva CalleSJ 2018

This report presents the findings from an evaluation of the September 2018 Viva CalleSJ open streets event in San José,CA. The research was designed to assess the success of the event, guide planning for future open streets events, and inform potential funders and community partners about the benefits of such events. To gather the impressions of participants, local residents, and workers at businesses along the event route, the mixed-methods study analyzed results from a survey of 1,571participants, 114 interviews with community members and businesses, and participant observations. Researchers also examined social media presence and a related augmented reality gaming component. The study found that Viva CalleSJ 2018 participants were resoundingly positive about their experience. Many said that the event brought people together from across the city and inspired a sense of community and civic pride, and the majority of participants benefited from at least one hour of physical activity. Most local businesses and residents viewed the event positively as well, and many food and beverage outlets appeared to benefit from increased patronage during the event. However, some shop keepers along the event route and residents in surrounding neighborhoods were not aware of Viva CalleSJ in the weeks prior to it happening or did not have a clear understanding of how it might impact them. Some were wary of the road closures and in some cases were ultimately frustrated by what they perceived to be negative impacts on their businesses

Superoperator Analysis of Entanglement in a Four-Qubit Cluster State

In this paper we utilize superoperator formalism to explore the entanglement evolution of four-qubit cluster states in a number of decohering environments. A four-qubit cluster state is a resource for the performance of an arbitrary single logical qubit rotation via measurement based cluster state quantum computation. We are specifically interested in the relationship between entanglement evolution and the fidelity with which the arbitrary single logical qubit rotation can be implemented in the presence of decoherence as this will have important experimental ramifications. We also note the exhibition of entanglement sudden death (ESD) and ask how severely its onset affects the utilization of the cluster state as a means of implementing an arbitrary single logical qubit rotation.Comment: 9 pages, 9 composite figures, presentation of results completely rewritte

Hydrodynamic skin-friction reduction

A process for reducing skin friction, inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence, and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas, e.g., air, immediately adjacent to the surface of the body, e.g., a marine vehicle, which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid, e.g., water, with the surface of the body, e.g., the hull of the marine vehicle

Ground Motion Study on Dumbarton Toll Bridge

The existing Dumbarton Toll Bridge was built in 1982, connecting the cities of Newark and East Palo Alto in the San Francisco Bay Area. The initial vulnerability studies conducted by California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in 2004 indicated that the performance of the bridge during a maximum credible earthquake was uncertain. Earth Mechanics, Inc. (EMI) has carried out the necessary study for the seismic evaluation of the bridge. An extensive field investigation was undertaken both on-land and over-water at the site to develop the idealized subsurface profile along the bridge alignment. According to the probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses incorporated with new seismic source model and Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) models, a 1,000-year return period spectrum was adopted for the Safety Evaluation Earthquake (SEE) event and a 100-year return period spectrum for the Function Evaluation Earthquake (FEE) event. SHAKE and KIPS programs were used to conduct the seismic response analysis and kinematic soil-pile interaction analysis were carried out at selected piers. From this study, two sets of Acceleration Response Spectrum (ARS) curves were generated for the seismic retrofit of this bridge: one for the Main Channel piers and another for the West and East Approach structures. Other seismic retrofit-related issues are also addressed

Teaching advocacy communication to pediatric residents: the efficacy of applied improvisational theater (AIT) as an instructional tool

In today’s communication landscape, the public often turn to the Internet and social media instead of their physician for health information. To remain relevant and respected amidst the wealth of health information available online, physicians need to offer something the Internet cannot fully emulate: empathetic imagination and an ability to instantaneously tailor messages to reach and teach worried and often confused audiences effectively. We developed an instructional communication module for pediatric residents that used applied improvisational theater to help residents develop complex and dynamic communication skills. The module included opportunities to develop empathy, practice audience analysis, distill messages to key points, and apply these skills in media and community contexts. Attendees completed surveys regarding their perceptions of curricular structure, efficacy, and utility. Preliminary results indicate gains in communication confidence and skills. This type of instructional communication and training module encourages healthcare practitioners to position themselves as trusted experts and partners in helping clients make meaning of health information, thus empowering a new generation of pediatricians to bridge communication gaps created by new technologies and increased access to multiple information sources

Social epidemiology of the Mediterranean-dietary approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet among early adolescents: the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

BackgroundThe purpose of our study was to understand the relationship between sociodemographic factors and adherence to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension] Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet in a demographically diverse national population-based sample of 9-12-year-olds in the US.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Year 1, N = 8333). Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to identify associations between MIND diet score and sociodemographic factors, including race/ethnicity, household income, parent education level, age, sex, and sexual minority status.ResultsCompared to White adolescents, Latino adolescents showed the greatest adherence to the MIND diet. Boys had lower adherence to the MIND diet than girls. Lower household income was associated with lower adherence to the MIND diet. Older age was associated with lower adherence to the MIND diet. Sexual minorities had a lower adherence to the MIND diet when compared to their heterosexual counterparts.DiscussionFemale sex, Latino ethnicity, Asian and Black race, high household income, heterosexual sexual orientation, and younger age were associated with higher adherence to the MIND diet. These sociodemographic differences can inform targeted screening and counseling for clinicians and public health organizations among diverse adolescent populations.Impact statementSociodemographic disparities in diet quality have been documented, but none have explored adherence to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension] Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet in early adolescence. In this demographically diverse sample of 9-12-year-old early adolescents in the U.S., we found notable and nuanced sociodemographic disparities in adherence to the MIND diet. Sociodemographic factors associated with higher adherence to the MIND diet included female sex, Latino ethnicity, high household income, heterosexual sexual orientation, and younger age

Assessment of Fractionated Exhaled Nitric Oxide as a Biomarker for the Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and determination of response to therapy is based on histological assessment of the esophagus, which requires upper endoscopy. In children, in whom a dietary approach is commonly used, multiple endoscopies are needed, because foods are eliminated and then gradually reintroduced. Ideally, noninvasive methods could supplement or replace upper endoscopy to facilitate management. Fractionated exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been proposed as a useful measure for monitoring disease activity in studies of patients with eosinophil-predominant asthma and in other atopic disorders. Thus, we evaluated whether FeNO levels could be a useful biomarker to assess the response to therapy in EoE patients. This study was designed to determine whether there is a change in FeNO levels during treatment with topical corticosteroids and whether changes correlated with clinical response. This was a prospective, multicenter study that enrolled nonasthmatic patients with established EoE. FeNO levels and symptom scores were measured at baseline, biweekly during 6-week swallowed fluticasone treatment, and 4 weeks posttreatment. Twelve patients completed the trial. We found a statistically significant difference between median pre- and posttreatment FeNO levels [20.3 ppb (16.0–29.0 ppb) vs 17.6 ppb (11.7–27.3 ppb), p=0.009]. However, neither the pretreatment FeNO level, a change of FeNO level after 2 weeks of treatment, nor the FeNO level at the end of treatment confidently predicted a clinical or histological response. Although our findings suggest nitric oxide possibly has a physiological role in EoE, our observations do not support a role of FeNo determination for management of EoE