The Relative Persuasiveness of Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Messages for Encouraging Disease Detection Behaviors: A Meta-Analytic Review

A meta-analytic review of 53 studies (N = 9,145) finds that in messages aimed at encouraging disease detection behaviors, loss-framed appeals (which emphasize the disadvantages of noncompliance with the communicator's recommendation) are only slightly, but statistically significantly, more persuasive than gain-framed appeals (which emphasize the advantages of compliance); the difference corresponds to a correlation of −.04. Loss-framed appeals enjoy a small statistically significant advantage for messages advocating breast cancer detection behaviors, but not for any other kind of detection behavior (detection of skin cancer, other cancers, dental problems, or miscellaneous other diseases) nor for all other kinds of detection behaviors combined. Thus, in advocacy of disease detection behaviors, using loss-framed rather than gain-framed appeals is unlikely to substantially improve persuasiveness.     

Biegeschubversuche an Stahlbetonbalken mit nachträglich eingemörtelter Querkraftbewehrung

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird über Querkraftversuche an insgesamt zehn Stahlbetonbalken berichtet, von denen acht mit nachträglich eingemörtelten Bewehrungsstäben verstärkt wurden. Anzahl und Abstand der geneigten Bewehrungsstäbe sowie die verwendeten Verbundmörtel wurden variiert. Während am oberen Ende der Stäbe eine Verankerung im Bauteilinneren durch Verbund erfolgte, wurden für die Verankerung an der Tragwerksunterseite eigene Ankerkörper entwickelt. Die Versuche bestätigen die Wirksamkeit der Maßnahme, die keine Änderungen der Bauteilabmessungen erfordert und von der Tragwerksunterseite her durchgeführt werden kann. Im Zuge der Untersuchungen wurden auch grundlegende phänomenologische Erkenntnisse zur Querkraftabtragung von Stahlbetonbalken gewonnen, insbesondere was die Rissverzahnung entlang des Schubrisses, den Anteil der Dübelwirkung der Längsbewehrung sowie die Mitwirkung der Biegedruckzone betrifft. Bending Shear Tests on R/C‐Beams with Post‐Installed Shear Reinforcement A research project has been started to investigate a new method of strengthening beams with insufficient shear resistance by applying post‐installed reinforcement. 10 reinforced concrete beams have been tested in shear, number and location of the inclined rebars as well as type of injection mortar have been varied. The rebars were installed in mortar‐injected boreholes and anchored with metal plates at the accessible bar end. The test results confirmed that post‐installed rebars can significantly increase the beam shear resistance provided they are situated properly and adequate injection mortars used. Above that the evaluation of the different contributions to shear resistance like truss action, dowel action and shear strength of compression chord provides new findings on the general shear failure mechanism in RC structures.     

Quantification and localization of contrast agents using delta relaxation enhanced magnetic resonance at 1.5?T

Object

Delta relaxation enhanced magnetic resonance (dreMR) is a new imaging technique based on the idea of cycling the magnetic field B ₀ during an imaging sequence. The method determines the field dependency of the relaxation rate (relaxation dispersion dR ₁/dB). This quantity is of particular interest in contrast agent imaging because the parameter can be used to determine contrast agent concentrations and increases the ability to localize the contrast agent.

Materials and methods

In this paper dreMR imaging was implemented on a clinical 1.5?T MR scanner combining conventional MR imaging with fast field-cycling. Two improvements to dreMR theory are presented describing the quantification of contrast agent concentrations from dreMR data and a correction for field-cycling with finite ramp times.

Results

Experiments demonstrate the use of the extended theory and show the measurement of contrast agent concentrations with the dreMR method. A second experiment performs localization of a contrast agent with a significant improvement in comparison to conventional imaging.

Conclusion

dreMR imaging has been extended by a method to quantify contrast agent concentrations and improved for field-cycling with finite ramp times. Robust localization of contrast agents using dreMR imaging has been performed in a sample where conventional imaging delivers inconclusive results.     

Automated effect-specific mammographic pattern measures

We investigate the possibility to develop methodologies for assessing effect specific structural changes of the breast tissue using a general statistical machine learning framework. We present an approach of obtaining objective mammographic pattern measures quantifying a specific biological effect, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We compare results using this approach to using standard density measures. We show that the proposed method can quantify both age related effects and effects caused by HRT. Age effects are significantly detected by our method where standard methodologies fail. The separation of HRT subpopulations using our approach is comparable to the best methodology, which is interactive.      

How to improve intrinsic and extrinsic reliability of vias by process optimization

A systematic study of various processes and their impact on intrinsic reliability has been performed on Cu dual damascene interconnects. The most significant improvement for intrinsic reliability is the ‘break-through’ liner. A strong impact on stressmigration (SM) was revealed using a HDP based SiN deposition on top of Cu lines. Early failures in electromigration (EM) studies are present with insufficient cleaning processes. No reliability impact was detected with different plating and slurry chemistries and liner thickness increase. Extrinsic via reliability is assessed with a special test chip comprising 3E9 via/wafer. High ohmic vias are identified before and after thermal stress. As an example, the failure rates in Cu dual damascene levels with relaxed pitch before and after cleaning optimization are discussed.     

Metabolic Glycoengineering in hMSC-TERT as a Model for Skeletal Precursors by Using Modified Azide/Alkyne Monosaccharides

Metabolic glycoengineering enables a directed modification of cell surfaces by introducing target molecules to surface proteins displaying new features. Biochemical pathways involving glycans differ in dependence on the cell type; therefore, this technique should be tailored for the best results. We characterized metabolic glycoengineering in telomerase-immortalized human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC-TERT) as a model for primary hMSC, to investigate its applicability in TERT-modified cell lines. The metabolic incorporation of N-azidoacetylmannosamine (Ac₄ManNAz) and N-alkyneacetylmannosamine (Ac₄ManNAl) into the glycocalyx as a first step in the glycoengineering process revealed no adverse effects on cell viability or gene expression, and the in vitro multipotency (osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential) was maintained under these adapted culture conditions. In the second step, glycoengineered cells were modified with fluorescent dyes using Cu-mediated click chemistry. In these analyses, the two mannose derivatives showed superior incorporation efficiencies compared to glucose and galactose isomers. In time-dependent experiments, the incorporation of Ac₄ManNAz was detectable for up to six days while Ac₄ManNAl-derived metabolites were absent after two days. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the successful metabolic glycoengineering of immortalized hMSC resulting in transient cell surface modifications, and thus present a useful model to address different scientific questions regarding glycosylation processes in skeletal precursors.