Final Report for the Success of African American Students (SAAS) in Independent Schools project

The Success of African American Students (SAAS) in Independent Schools was a collaborative, longitudinal, mixed-method research project focused on investigating and understanding the variety of social, emotional, and institutional factors that were thought to influence how Black students navigate the independent school environment. SAAS involved researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) Graduate School of Education working with faculty and staff from several Philadelphia area independent schools. The SAAS project was supported by five years of funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Finally, SAAS utilized qualitative methods such as focus groups and semi-structured interviews as well as quantitative methods such as questionnaire surveys and behavioral observations

Effect of configuration modification on the hypersonic aerodynamic characteristics of a blended delta wing-body entry vehicle

The longitudinal, lateral, and directional aerodynamic characteristics of a delta-wing configuration were obtained experimentally at Mach 20 in helium with Reynolds numbers, based on model length, of 1.5 million and 2.9 million and at a Mach number of 6 in air with a Reynolds number, based on model length, of 4.8 million. The angles of attack varied from 0 deg to 55 deg for two sideslip angles. The effects of the addition of dorsal fins, the removal of wing tip fins, an increase in elevon span, and changes in elevon hinge-line sweep angle are discussed. The unmodified vehicle had a maximum lift-drag ratio of 2.1 at Mach 19 and of 2.4 at Mach 6 with about the same lateral and directional stability level at both Mach numbers. As the Mach number increased from 6 to 20, the longitudinal center of pressure moved forward and more positive elevon deflection was therefore required to maintain a given trim angle. The removal of wing tip fins increased the maximum lift-drag ratio and had a negligible effect on longitudinal stability, but caused directional instability that was not corrected by the dorsal fins examined. The shape of the wing and elevon hinge-line sweep had a large influence on the induced yawing moment due to roll control

A performance comparison of two small rocket nozzles

An experimental study was conducted on two small rockets (110 N thrust class) to directly compare a standard conical nozzle with a bell nozzle optimized for maximum thrust using the Rao method. In large rockets, with throat Reynolds numbers of greater than 1 x 10(exp 5), bell nozzles outperform conical nozzles. In rockets with throat Reynolds numbers below 1 x 10(exp 5), however, test results have been ambiguous. An experimental program was conducted to test two small nozzles at two different fuel film cooling percentages and three different chamber pressures. Test results showed that for the throat Reynolds number range from 2 x 10(exp 4) to 4 x 10(exp 4), the bell nozzle outperformed the conical nozzle. Thrust coefficients for the bell nozzle were approximately 4 to 12 percent higher than those obtained with the conical nozzle. As expected, testing showed that lowering the fuel film cooling increased performance for both nozzle types

Relativistic effects and two-body currents in 2H(e⃗,e′p)n^{2}H(\vec{e},e^{\prime}p)n using out-of-plane detection

Measurements of the ${^2}H(\vec{e},e^{\prime}p)n$ reaction were performed using an 800-MeV polarized electron beam at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator and with the out-of-plane magnetic spectrometers (OOPS). The longitudinal-transverse, $f_{LT}$ and $f_{LT}^{\prime}$, and the transverse-transverse, $f_{TT}$, interference responses at a missing momentum of 210 MeV/c were simultaneously extracted in the dip region at Q$^2$=0.15 (GeV/c)$^2$. On comparison to models of deuteron electrodisintegration, the data clearly reveal strong effects of relativity and final-state interactions, and the importance of the two-body meson-exchange currents and isobar configurations. We demonstrate that these effects can be disentangled and studied by extracting the interference response functions using the novel out-of-plane technique.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, and submitted to PRL for publicatio

Therapeutic DNA vaccine induces broad T cell responses in the gut and sustained protection from viral rebound and AIDS in SIV-infected rhesus macaques.

Immunotherapies that induce durable immune control of chronic HIV infection may eliminate the need for life-long dependence on drugs. We investigated a DNA vaccine formulated with a novel genetic adjuvant that stimulates immune responses in the blood and gut for the ability to improve therapy in rhesus macaques chronically infected with SIV. Using the SIV-macaque model for AIDS, we show that epidermal co-delivery of plasmids expressing SIV Gag, RT, Nef and Env, and the mucosal adjuvant, heat-labile E. coli enterotoxin (LT), during antiretroviral therapy (ART) induced a substantial 2-4-log fold reduction in mean virus burden in both the gut and blood when compared to unvaccinated controls and provided durable protection from viral rebound and disease progression after the drug was discontinued. This effect was associated with significant increases in IFN-γ T cell responses in both the blood and gut and SIV-specific CD8+ T cells with dual TNF-α and cytolytic effector functions in the blood. Importantly, a broader specificity in the T cell response seen in the gut, but not the blood, significantly correlated with a reduction in virus production in mucosal tissues and a lower virus burden in plasma. We conclude that immunizing with vaccines that induce immune responses in mucosal gut tissue could reduce residual viral reservoirs during drug therapy and improve long-term treatment of HIV infection in humans

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Prospective evaluation of chronic pain associated with posterior autologous iliac crest bone graft harvest and its effect on postoperative outcome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Autogenous Iliac Crest Bone Graft (ICBG) has been the "gold standard" for spinal fusion. However, bone graft harvest may lead to complications, such as chronic pain, numbness, and poor cosmesis. The long-term impact of these complications on patient function and well-being has not been established but is critical in determining the value of expensive bone graft substitutes such as recombinant bone morphogenic protein. We thus aimed to investigate the long-term complications of ICBG. Our second aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measure of ICBG morbidity that would be useful for appropriately gauging spinal surgery outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Prospective study of patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery with autologous ICBG. The SF-36v2, Oswestry Disability Index, and a new 14-item follow-up questionnaire addressing persistent pain, functional limitation, and cosmesis were administered with an 83% response rate. Multiple regression analyses examined the independent effect of ICBG complications on physical and mental health and disability.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study population included 170 patients with a mean age of 51.1 years (SD = 12.2) and balanced gender (48% male). Lumbar fusion patients predominated (lumbar = 148; cervical n = 22). At 3.5 years mean follow-up, 5% of patients reported being bothered by harvest site scar appearance, 24% reported harvest site numbness, and 13% reported the numbness as bothersome. Harvest site pain resulted in difficulty with household chores (19%), recreational activity (18%), walking (16%), sexual activity (16%), work activity (10%), and irritation from clothing (9%). Multivariate regression analyses revealed that persistent ICBG complications 3.5 years post-surgery were associated with significantly worse disability and showed a trend association with worse physical health, after adjusting for age, workers' compensation status, surgical site pain, and arm or leg pain. There was no association between ICBG complications and mental health in the multivariate model.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Chronic ICBG harvest site pain and discomfort is reported by a significant percentage of patients undergoing this procedure more than three years following surgery, and these complications are associated with worse patient-reported disability. Future studies should consider employing a control group that does not include autologous bone graft harvest, e.g., a group utilizing rhBMP, to determine whether eliminating harvest-site morbidity does indeed lead to observable improvement in clinical outcome sufficient to justify the increased cost of bone graft substitutes.</p

CHARGE syndrome

CHARGE syndrome was initially defined as a non-random association of anomalies (Coloboma, Heart defect, Atresia choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genital hypoplasia, Ear anomalies/deafness). In 1998, an expert group defined the major (the classical 4C's: Choanal atresia, Coloboma, Characteristic ears and Cranial nerve anomalies) and minor criteria of CHARGE syndrome. Individuals with all four major characteristics or three major and three minor characteristics are highly likely to have CHARGE syndrome. However, there have been individuals genetically identified with CHARGE syndrome without the classical choanal atresia and coloboma. The reported incidence of CHARGE syndrome ranges from 0.1–1.2/10,000 and depends on professional recognition. Coloboma mainly affects the retina. Major and minor congenital heart defects (the commonest cyanotic heart defect is tetralogy of Fallot) occur in 75–80% of patients. Choanal atresia may be membranous or bony; bilateral or unilateral. Mental retardation is variable with intelligence quotients (IQ) ranging from normal to profound retardation. Under-development of the external genitalia is a common finding in males but it is less apparent in females. Ear abnormalities include a classical finding of unusually shaped ears and hearing loss (conductive and/or nerve deafness that ranges from mild to severe deafness). Multiple cranial nerve dysfunctions are common. A behavioral phenotype for CHARGE syndrome is emerging. Mutations in the CHD7 gene (member of the chromodomain helicase DNA protein family) are detected in over 75% of patients with CHARGE syndrome. Children with CHARGE syndrome require intensive medical management as well as numerous surgical interventions. They also need multidisciplinary follow up. Some of the hidden issues of CHARGE syndrome are often forgotten, one being the feeding adaptation of these children, which needs an early aggressive approach from a feeding team. As the child develops, challenging behaviors become more common and require adaptation of educational and therapeutic services, including behavioral and pharmacological interventions