cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capability of Multiplication of Viruses in Host Tissues [Abstract Only]

The ability of viruses to replicate depends on a variety of cellular functions. Approaches to identifying specific determinants of host range or tissue tropism require closely related viruses with different host ranges, and cells that differ in their ability to support replication. With several viruses, such approaches have identified structures and processes that determine tropism and the susceptibility of cells to infection. With some viruses, e.g. picornaviruses and retroviruses, susceptibility to infection may be determined by the presence of structures on the cell surface that serve as receptors in attachment and penetration. With other viruses, the ubiquitous presence of receptors on cell surfaces precludes determination of susceptibility at this level. With myxoviruses and paramyxoviruses, the ability to multiply in a tissue depends on a host cell protease that is required to activate the virus protein responsible for penetration, i.e. the F protein of parainfluenza viruses and the HA protein of influenza virus, and the presence of a suitable host protease is a determinant of host range, tissue tropism, and virulence of these viruses.
Sexual abuse prevention programs for preschool children: what do parents prefer?

Using structured interviews, 21 parents of preschool children at a suburban day-care center were introduced to the problem of child sexual abuse and to three different techniques currently used in preventing it. Parental support for teaching preschool children personal safety skills was unanimous and the school-based videotaped role-play program, which explicitly demonstrates personal safety skills, was the first choice of 57% of the parents. Language: en
Exploring Bicultural Identities of Asian High School Students Through the Analytic Window of a Literature Club

The process of forming a sense of identity is a crucial developmental task for all high school students, but it can be particularly challenging for those students who find themselves at the intersection of ethnically and socially diverse cultures. Literacy activities can serve as a means through which we can learn more about such bicultural students' identity experiences. This article explores the role of literacy activities in supporting bicultural identity-making processes within the context of an after-school Asian literature club at a suburban U.S. high school. The study participants were seven high school students of varying Asian backgrounds. Qualitative data from club meetings, semistructured interviews, and written reflections reveal that literacy activities serve as an analytic window through which we can learn more about bicultural high school students' interpretations and beliefs, and, subsequently, their personal choices and decisions. This research holds important implications for both educators and researchers invested in learning more about the identity experiences of all students who are seeking guidance and support for their participation in multiple worlds.
RDoC and translational perspectives on the genetics of trauma‐related psychiatric disorders

Individuals with a history of child abuse are at high risk for depression, anxiety disorders, aggressive behavior, and substance use problems. The goal of this paper is to review studies of the genetics of these stress-related psychiatric disorders. An informative subset of studies that examined candidate gene by environment (GxE) predictors of these psychiatric problems in individuals maltreated as children is reviewed, together with extant genome wide association studies (GWAS). Emerging findings on epigenetic changes associated with adverse early experiences are also reviewed. Meta-analytic support and replicated findings are evident for several genetic risk factors; however, extant research suggests the effects are pleiotropic. Genetic factors are not associated with distinct psychiatric disorders, but rather diverse clinical phenotypes. Research also suggests adverse early life experiences are associated with changes in gene expression of multiple known candidate genes, genes involved in DNA transcription and translation, and genes necessary for brain circuitry development, with changes in gene expression reported in key brain structures implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric and substance use disorders. The finding of pleiotropy highlights the value of using the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework in future studies of the genetics of stress-related psychiatric disorders, and not trying simply to link genes to multifaceted clinical syndromes, but to more limited phenotypes that map onto distinct neural circuits. Emerging work in the field of epigenetics also suggests that translational studies that integrate numerous unbiased genome-wide approaches will help to further unravel the genetics of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Beyond Grades: Using Incentives to Motivate Students

Economists study how incentives motivate human behavior. However, besides grades, professors do not frequently employ incentives to motivate students in the classroom. Possibly because expenses associated with classroom incentives often remain unreimbursed or because other implementation costs are high. In this paper, we demonstrate methods educators can use to motivate student behavior while minimizing costs. We identify a range of options that include: incentives appropriate for large sections, an effective monetary incentive system suitable for smaller classes, tips for using an assortment of non-monetary incentives, and methods for leveraging social capital to motivate student learning and engagement.
Cheering American Casualties? Avatar and the Global War on Terror

This essay explains the surprising ways in which Avatar (the top-grossing film of all time in the U.S. and worldwide) shows the pervasive influence of the so-called Global War on Terror; rearranges prevailing American assumptions about good guys and bad guys; positions an American military-industrial complex as the film’s source of malefactors; uses post-9/11 visual rhetoric to indicate that the film’s American military personnel are themselves effectively terrorists; and prompts audience members to cheer when American military personnel are killed in the film (a remarkable feat for a major American film released and re-released while real U.S. military personnel were dying in real wars). Although Avatar features private military contractors rather than active-duty U.S. military personnel, the film’s use of military jargon, rank structure, uniforms, and materiel encourages audiences to disregard the distinction, as do frequent references to protagonist Jake Sully as a U.S. Marine when in fact he is a paraplegic former Marine. This essay also analyzes important shots in Avatar to explain their powerful post-9/11 visual rhetoric; explains how such images relate directly to famous images from the real 9/11 terrorist attacks; and thus situates Avatar within a larger field of action films that employ post-9/11 visual rhetoric.
Buildings of the Future Scoping Study: A Framework for Vision Development

The Buildings of the Future Scoping Study, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office, seeks to develop a vision for what U.S. mainstream commercial and residential buildings could become in 100 years. This effort is not intended to predict the future or develop a specific building design solution. Rather, it will explore future building attributes and offer possible pathways of future development. Whether we achieve a more sustainable built environment depends not just on technologies themselves, but on how effectively we envision the future and integrate these technologies in a balanced way that generates economic, social, and environmental value. A clear, compelling vision of future buildings will attract the right strategies, inspire innovation, and motivate action. This project will create a cross-disciplinary forum of thought leaders to share their views. The collective views will be integrated into a future building vision and published in September 2015. This report presents a research framework for the vision development effort based on a literature survey and gap analysis. This document has four objectives. First, it defines the project scope. Next, it identifies gaps in the existing visions and goals for buildings and discusses the possible reasons why some visionsmore » did not work out as hoped. Third, it proposes a framework to address those gaps in the vision development. Finally, it presents a plan for a series of panel discussions and interviews to explore a vision that mitigates problems with past building paradigms while addressing key areas that will affect buildings going forward.« less
Dictating Photoreactivity through Restricted Bond Rotations: Cross-Photoaddition of Atropisomeric Acrylimide Derivatives under UV/Visible-Light Irradiation

Nonbiaryl atropisomeric acrylimides underwent facile [2 + 2] photocycloaddition leading to cross-cyclobutane adducts with very high stereospecificity (enantiomeric excess (ee): 99% and diastereomeric excess (de): 99%). The photoreactions proceeded smoothly in isotropic media for both direct and triplet sensitized irradiations. The reactions were also found to be very efficient in the solid state where the same cross-cyclobutane adduct was observed. Photophysical studies enabled us to understand the excited-state photochemistry of acrylimides. The triplet energy was found to be ∼63 kcal/mol. The reactions proceeded predominantly via a singlet excited state upon direct irradiation with very poor intersystem crossing that was ascertained by quantification of the generated singlet oxygen. The reactions progressed smoothly with triplet sensitization with UV or visible-light irradiations. Laser flash photolysis experiments established the triplet transient of atropisomeric acrylimides with a triplet lifetime at...
A Hybrid Method For Modeling SH Wave Scattering From Fractures In 2D Heterogeneous Medium: Coupling of Boundary Element And Finite Difference Methods

We present a hybrid method to model the SH wave scattering from 2D fractures embedded in a heterogeneous medium by coupling Boundary Element Method (BEM) and Finite Different Method (FDM) in the frequency domain. We use FDM to propagate SH wave from a source through heterogeneities to localized homogeneous domains where fractures are embedded within artificial boundaries. According to Huygens’ Principle, the boundary points can be regarded as “secondary” point sources and their values are determined by FDM. Given the incident fields from these point sources, we apply BEM to model the scattering from fractures and propagate them back to the artificial boundaries. FDM then takes the boundaries as secondary sources and continues propagating the scattered field into the heterogeneous medium. We also present a numerical iterative scheme that can account for the multiple scattering between different sets of fractures or between fractures and heterogeneities. We first compare the results calculated from this hybrid method with pure BEM method to show the accuracy of the hybrid approach and the iterative scheme. This method is then applied to calculate the wave scattered from fractures embedded in a horizontally layered medium and a more complicated Marmousi model.
Cooling Rates and Fine Microstructures of RSR and Argon Atomized Superalloy Powders

Superalloy powders of an IN 792 plus Hf type alloy produced from Rapid Solidification (RSR) and Argon Atomized process (AA) techniques are analyzed and compared according to particle size. Characterization of powders include surface and interior morphology, particle size and void distribution, cooling microstructures, microcrystallinity, microsegretation and especially dendrite arm spacing and cooling rates. It is found that, for the alloy studied, RSR cooling rates are a factor of only two to four greater than those for AA, regardless of particle size.
Surgical therapy and radiotherapy for carcinoma of the esophagus. Treatment results in 195 patients.

Between 1963 and 1986, 195 patients with carcinoma of the esophagus were seen in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. Of these 195 patients, 137 had unresectable or inoperable tumors and received radiotherapy. A combination of radiotherapy and surgical therapy was used in 46 patients, 9 patients were treated with surgery alone, and three with chemotherapy alone. Among the nonsurgical patients, 13 scored less than 50 on the Karnofsky scale, 25 had distant metastases, and 69 lost more than 10% of their body weight. The majority (94%) had squamous cell carcinoma and a few (6%) had adenocarcinoma. Fifty percent had middle esophageal lesions, 30% had lower lesions, and 20% had upper esophageal lesions. Stage I was diagnosed in 13%, II in 27%, III in 29%, and IV in 27%; the disease was not staged in 5%. The 5-year actuarial survival rate for all patients was 4% (median 32 weeks). The 5-year survival rate of the 46 patients with combination therapy was 18%, and it was 2% for the remaining 149 patients (p
Which veterans enroll in a VA health information exchange program

Objective To characterize patients who voluntarily enrolled in an electronic health information exchange (HIE) program designed to share data between Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and non-VHA institutions. Materials and Methods Patients who agreed to participate in the HIE program were compared to those who did not. Patient characteristics associated with HIE enrollment were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model. Variables selected for inclusion were guided by a health care utilization model adapted to explain HIE enrollment. Data about patients’ sociodemographics (age, gender), comorbidity (Charlson index score), utilization (primary and specialty care visits), and access (distance to VHA medical center, insurance, VHA benefits) were obtained from VHA and HIE electronic health records. Results Among 57 072 patients, 6627 (12%) enrolled in the HIE program during its first year. The likelihood of HIE enrollment increased among patients ages 50–64, of female gender, with higher comorbidity, and with increasing utilization. Living in a rural area and being unmarried were associated with decreased likelihood of enrollment. Discussion and Conclusion Enrollment in HIE is complex, with several factors involved in a patient’s decision to enroll. To broaden HIE participation, populations less likely to enroll should be targeted with tailored recruitment and educational strategies. Moreover, inclusion of special populations, such as patients with higher comorbidity or high utilizers, may help refine the definition of success with respect to HIE implementation.
Musculocutaneous free flaps.

Many clinical situations remain in which free flaps, in combination with microsurgical technique, can obtain better reconstructive results than island mvocutaneous flaps. The efficacy of using various flaps as free flaps is evaluated.
Abdominal MRI without Enteral Contrast Accurately Detects Intestinal Fibrostenosis in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presenting for surgical evaluation require thorough small bowel surveillance as it improves accuracy of diagnosis (ulcerative colitis versus Crohn's) and differentiates those who may respond to nonoperative therapy, preserving bowel length. MRI has not been validated conclusively against histopathology in IBD. Most protocols require enteral contrast. This study aimed to 1) evaluate the accuracy of MRI for inflammation, fibrosis, and extraluminal complications and 2) compare MRI without enteral contrast to standard magnetic resonance enterography. Adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who underwent abdominal MRI and surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Of 65 patients evaluated, 55 met inclusion criteria. Overall sensitivity and specificity of MRI for disease involvement localized by segment were 93 per cent (95% confidence interval = 89.4-95.0) and 95 per cent (95% confidence interval = 92.3-97.0), respectively (positive predictive value was 86%, negative predictive value was 98%). Sensitivity and specificity between MRI with and without oral and rectal contrast were similar (96% vs 91% and 99% vs 94%, P > 0.10). As were positive predictive value and negative predictive value (85% vs 96%, P = 0.16; 97% vs 99%, P = 0.42). Magnetic resonance is highly sensitive and specific for localized disease involvement and extraluminal abdominal sequelae of IBD. It accurately differentiates patients who have chronic transmural (fibrotic) disease and thus may require an operation from those with acute inflammation, whose symptoms may improve with aggressive medical therapy alone. MRI without contrast had comparable diagnostic yield to standard magnetic resonance enterography.
What are the acceptance tools of lean management

This chapter discusses the role of acceptance tools in Lean management. The hardest part of a change is the acceptance of the change in the Lean management. Acceptance tools are the tools that a facilitator can utilize to get the team members to integrate themselves into the change process and to take ownership of the process. To achieve this acceptance, the facilitator starts with a model for change. Using the model, the facilitator works through the steps that are necessary to make an organization receptive to the changes that occur. The next step for the facilitator is to achieve credibility. This requires the facilitator to get a cursory understanding of the process he or she is working on. To accomplish this, the facilitator needs to perform a scan of the existing operation to develop a basic understanding of the process aspects of an organization that exist among the various levels of the organization. This can, and often should, include interviews and surveys with customers and suppliers so that their perceptions of the current process can be recorded. The chapter reviews some examples of the acceptance tools, such as the Change Acceleration Process Model, Breakthrough Thinking, and the Kotter Change Model.
Proteomics of Bone Cancer

Publisher Summary Ongoing advances in proteomic technology offer great promise and have begun to contribute to the increased understanding of the molecular basis of cancer. Clearly genomic, proteomic and other ‘omics' are the primary discovery research tool for biomarker and target discovery. Innovations in the application of high-throughput proteomic profiling, particularly using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) MS, have become best practice for biomarker discovery. As such, the identified protein profiles are powerful diagnostic markers that can predict treatment efficacy, disease progression and possibly even cancer risk. From a proteomics perspective, the bone cancer field seems to be amongst the most understudied diseases. The proclivity of many tumors (e.g., breast and prostate) for bone is frequently associated with intractable bone pain, pathological fractures, nerve compression, and hypercalcemia due to osteolysis and is a feature often distinct from locoregional and visceral spread. In addition, for primary skeletal tumors such as multiple myeloma, or osteosarcoma, the associated extensive bone destruction denotes a dramatic change in the prognosis for the patient that significantly increases morbidity. As a result, the pattern of disease progression, response to therapy and ultimately patient survival following diagnosis is subject to extremely wide variation.
A 12b-ENOB 61µW noise-shaping SAR ADC with a passive integrator

This paper presents a novel noise shaping SAR architecture that is simple, robust and low power. It is fully passive and only needs minor modification to a conventional SAR ADC. Through a passive integrator, quantization noise, comparator noise and DAC noise are shaped with a noise transfer function of (1 − 0.75z−1). Unlike conventional multi-bit delta-sigma ADCs, both the noise transfer function and the error transfer function of DAC mismatches are immune to process-voltage-temperature variations. A prototype chip is fabricated in a 0.13µm CMOS process. At 1.2V and 2MS/s, the chip consumes 61µW power. SNDR increases by 6dB and the Schreier FoM increases by 3dB with OSR doubled. At an OSR of 8, SNDR is 74dB and the Schreier FoM is 167dB.
Conventional Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Carcinoma of the pancreas is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the Western world [1]. Diabetes mellitus, high-fat diets, and tobacco smoking have been implicated as predisposing factors [2]. Ethanol consumption and pancreatitis may also be risk factors [2]. The 1-year overall survival rate in patients with pancreatic cancer is only 12% [3]. Three observations suggest that this malignancy will be an even more serious problem in the industrialized countries than it is today: (a) the incidence of pancreatic cancer increases dramatically after the fifth decade of life, and the general population in these countries is aging; (b) the incidence of diabetes in this population is increasing, and advances in the care of diabetic patients have led to an increase in their longevity; (c) the consumption of fat, alcohol, and tobacco is not abating. In view of the high mortality rate in patients with pancreatic cancer, there is an urgent need to improve the therapeutic options that are available for treating this disorder.
Factor XIII and Red Blood Cells in Venous Thrombosis

Blood coagulation culminates in the thrombin-mediated conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin and production of a fibrin network that stabilizes the clot. The transglutaminase factor XIII(a) [FXIII(a)] crosslinks fibrin and increases the clot9s resistance to fibrinolysis and mechanical disruption. Consequently, fibrin formation and crosslinking are essential for hemostasis. However, the formation of clots with abnormal fibrin network structure and/or stability (resistance to mechanical disruption or pharmacological dissolution) is a risk factor for both arterial and venous thrombosis. Improved understanding of fibrin formation and crosslinking during coagulation is essential for understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms that promote thrombotic disease. We have shown that elevated levels of fibrinogen accelerate vessel occlusion and enhance thrombus stability in mice, demonstrating etiologic contributions of fibrin(ogen) to thrombosis. Recently, we discovered that FXIIIa transglutaminase activity also mediates venous thrombosis via its ability to promote red blood cell retention during clot contraction in whole blood. Genetic deletion of FXIII or pharmacologic inhibition of FXIIIa activity reduces red blood cell retention in clots and consequently, reduces thrombus size in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, FXIII zymogen binding to soluble, circulating fibrinogen is necessary for normal FXIII activation and activity. The fibrinogen motif that mediates FXIII binding involves C-terminal residues in the fibrinogen gamma chain (gamma 390-396); mice that express a variant fibrinogen that has mutations within these residues show reduced binding of FXIII zymogen to fibrinogen, and delayed activation of FXIII. In venous thrombosis models, these mice phenocopy FXIII-deficient mice, producing smaller venous thrombi with reduced red blood cell content compared to thrombi from wild-type mice. Intriguingly, these mice do not exhibit bleeding or poor wound healing normally associated with FXIII deficiency. Collectively, these findings provide new insight into the pathophysiology of venous thrombosis, and expose the fibrin(ogen)-FXIII axis as a central determinant of venous thrombus formation and composition. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Nuclear PKCι-ECT2-Rac1 and Ribosome Biogenesis: A Novel Axis in Lung Tumorigenesis.

The RhoGEF Ect2 controls cell division and exerts oncogenic functions in multiple cancers. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Justilien et al. report that Ect2 is required for lung tumorigenesis and identified a role for this GEF in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis that is mediated by Rac1 and PKCι-dependent phosphorylation.
Implementation of Evidence-Based Care in the Sickle Cell and Hemophilia Patient Population

Practice guidelines have been developed for pediatric patients with hematologic disorders, and similar to guidelines for other diseases, adherence is variable. Quality improvement initiatives can move implementation of the guidelines from variable to frequent. For children with sickle cell disease (SCD), quality improvement interventions have significantly improved outcomes related to the effective and timely management of acute vaso-occlusive crises (VOC), reducing the frequency of VOC necessitating hospitalization by administration of hydroxyurea, prevention of stroke, and reducing infections such as influenza. Although there are guidelines for the care and treatment of children with hemophilia, quality improvement initiatives are in the early stages.
The Internet of Postal Things: Making the Postal Infrastructure Smarter1

Sensor technologies could be applied to the vast and rich postal infrastructure to create an Internet of Postal Things (IoPT). An IoPT could increase efficiency, lower costs, generate revenue, and improve customer service. It would benefit both the Postal Service and its customers.This chapter discusses applications and implementation challenges in four key categories: Transportation and logistics – sensors on postal vehicles to increase efficiency through predictive maintenance, fuel management, and real‐time dynamic routing Smart postal buildings – sensors to not only increase security and reduce energy consumption but also improve customer convenience Neighborhood services – sensors on postal vehicles, carrier devices, and mailboxes that could perform tasks useful to local authorities Enhanced mail and parcel services – applications such as the connected mailbox, providing greater customer convenience, and increased postal efficiency.
Controlling Ocean One

Using robots to explore venues that are beyond human reach has been a longstanding aspiration of scientists and expeditionists alike. The deep sea exemplifies such an unchartered environment that is currently inaccessible to humans. Ocean One (O\({_2}\)) is an anthropomorphic underwater robot, designed to operate in deep aquatic conditions and equipped with an array of sensor modalities. Central to the O\({_2}\) concept is a human interface that connects the robot and human operator through haptics and vision. In this paper, we focus on O\({_2}\)’s control architecture and show how it enables an avatar-like synergy between the robot and human pilot. We establish functional autonomy by resolving kinematic and actuation redundancy, allowing the pilot to control O\({_2}\) in a lower-dimensional space. We illustrate O\({_2}\)’s hierarchical whole-body control tasks including manipulation and posture tasks, feed-forward compensation as well as constraint handling. We also describe how to coordinate the dynamics of body and arms to achieve superior performance in contact and demonstrate O\({_2}\)’s capabilities in simulation, experiments in the pool as well as deployment to its archeological maiden mission to the ‘Lune’, a French naval vessel that sunk to 91 m depth in 1664 in the mediterranean sea.
Supporting task-level fault-tolerance in HPC workflows by launching MPI jobs inside MPI jobs

While the use of workflows for HPC is growing, MPI interoperability remains a challenge for workflow management systems. The MPI standard and/or its implementations provide a number of ways to build multiple-programs-multiple-data (MPMD) applications. These methods present limitations related to fault tolerance, and are not easy to use. In this paper, we advocate for a novel MPI_Comm_launch function acting as the parallel counterpart of a system(3) call. MPI_Comm_launch allows a child MPI application to be launched inside the resources originally held by processes of a parent MPI application. Two important aspects of MPI_Comm_launch is that it pauses the calling process, and runs the child processes on the parent's CPU cores, but in an isolated manner with respect to memory. This function makes it easier to build MPMD applications with well-decoupled subtasks. We show how this feature can provide better flexibility and better fault tolerance in ensemble simulations and HPC workflows. We report results showing 2x throughput improvement for application workflows with faults, and scaling results for challenging workloads up to 256 nodes.
Latent Class Symptom Profiles of Selective Mutism: Identification and Linkage to Temperamental and Social Constructs.

Selective mutism (SM) is a stable, debilitating psychiatric disorder in which a child fails to speak in most public situations. Considerable debate exists as to the typology of this population, with empirically-based studies pointing to possible dimensions of anxiety, oppositionality, and communication problems, among other aspects. Little work has juxtaposed identified symptom profiles with key temperamental and social constructs often implicated in SM. The present study examined a large, diverse, non-clinical, international sample of children aged 6-10 years with SM to empirically identify symptom profiles and to link these profiles to key aspects of temperament (i.e., emotionality, shyness, sociability, activity) and social functioning (i.e., social problems, social competence). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed anxiety/distress, oppositionality, and inattention domains. In addition, latent class analysis revealed nuanced profiles labeled as (1) moderately anxious, oppositional, and inattentive, (2) highly anxious, and moderately oppositional and inattentive, and (3) mildly to moderately anxious, and mildly oppositional and inattentive. Class 2 was the most impaired group and was associated with greater emotionality, shyness, and social problems. Class 3 was the least impaired group and was associated with better sociability and social competence and activity. Class 1 was largely between the other classes, demonstrating less shyness and social problems than Class 2. The results help confirm previous findings of anxiety and oppositional profiles among children with SM but that nuanced classes may indicate subtle variations in impairment. The results have implications not only for subtyping this population but also for refining assessment and case conceptualization strategies and pursuing personalized and perhaps less lengthy treatment.
Diabetes Mellitus Management Among Patients with Limited English Proficiency: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have several health disparities, including suboptimal patient-provider interactions, poorer glycemic control, and T2DM complications. Understanding existing interventions for improving T2DM outcomes in this population is critical for reducing disparities. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies examining the effectiveness of interventions in improving T2DM outcomes among patients with LEP in North America. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for non-RCT studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effects model. Fifty-four studies, 39 of which reported sufficient data for meta-analysis of glycemic control, were included. The interventions were associated with a statistically significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (weighted difference in means, −0.84% [95% CI, −0.97 to −0.71]) that was, however, very heterogeneous across studies (I2 = 95.9%). Heterogeneity was explained by study design (lower efficacy in RCTs than non-RCTs) and by intervention length and delivery mode (greater reduction in interventions lasting <6 months or delivered face-to-face); P < 0.05 for all three covariates. The interventions were also associated in most studies with improvement in knowledge, self-efficacy in diabetes management, quality of life, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Multiple types of interventions are available for T2DM management in patients with LEP. Multicomponent interventions delivered face-to-face seem most effective for glycemic control. More research is needed to better understand other aspects of multicomponent interventions that are critical for improving important outcomes among patients with T2DM and LEP.
Religious Context Matters: Exploring the Relationship Between Religious Context and Underage Alcohol Consumption

Previous research has demonstrated that individual religious beliefs and practices may reduce the likelihood of underage alcohol consumption, but less is known about how the overall religious cultural influence of a religion may influence individual alcohol consumption behaviors. Using multilevel analyses on two waves of the National Study of Youth and Religion merged with county-level variables from the U.S. Census and the Religious Congregations and Membership Study, we find that a county’s higher Catholic population share leads to more frequent underage drunkenness even after controlling for a wide range of individual and county-level variables. Contrary to other studies’ findings discovered at individual level, a greater population share of conservative Protestants is also linked with higher level of underage drunkenness. This study highlights the importance of viewing religious influence on health behaviors as a contextual, cultural force.
Single crystal Er 3+ : YAG fibers with tailored refractive index profiles

Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er3+:YAG) rods were inserted inside undoped tubes and grown into single-crystal fibers of a diameter of 300 μm using the laser-heated pedestal growth technique. Growth at various rates resulted in radially graded distributions of Er3+ dopant ions, as observed using laser-induced fluorescence imaging. Profiles of the refractive index were measured using cross-sectional reflectometry in a microscope. Dopant distributions and the corresponding index profiles were compared with thermal diffusion theory to determine the inter-diffusion coefficient of Y3+ and Er3+ ions at 2000°C, yielding an estimated value of D=(9.10±0.8)×10-11 m2/s. This work constitutes a step toward controlled growth of fibers with high thermal conductivities, low Brillouin gain, and waveguiding properties required for high-power optical amplifier and laser applications.
Coping Skills Training and Cognitive Behavior Therapy

The coping skills group described in this volume is a form of brief, structured group psychotherapy in which clients are taught a variety of cognitive behavior techniques to be used for reducing both anxiety and depression and for coping more effectively with the problems and stresses of everyday life. The cognitive behavior techniques incorporated into the program (cognitive restructuring, problem solving, relaxation, and assertiveness training) have been carefully chosen to provide clients with a complementary set of coping strategies on which they can draw in dealing with current problems and with a broad range of potential future problems. The program is therefore in a very real sense preventive as well as remedial.
Applying Periodic Retraining to Survival Analysis-Based Dynamic Spectrum Access Algorithms

In situations of spectrum scarcity, tactical networks must use available spectrum efficiently while still maintaining hierarchical access and minimal interference between users. We present simulation results for survival analysis-based dynamic spectrum access algorithms that were previously described in literature. We demonstrate the efficacy of using much shorter training sequences to build the non-parametric estimate of the cumulative hazard function, which is then used to predict remaining idle time. The algorithms are tested on simulated spectrum occupancy data that features time-varying mean occupied and vacant period lengths. We also introduce periodic retraining in order to adapt to changing channel conditions. Our results clearly demonstrate the benefits of periodically rebuilding the estimate of the cumulative hazard function, which requires data that is already gathered in the course of normal operation.
Resilience through Regeneration: The economics of repurposing vacant land with green infrastructure

Many urban areas affected by flood disasters are also becoming increasingly ecologically and socially fragmented due to the accumulation of vacant properties. While redevelopment is often viewed as the primary objective in regenerating vacant properties, they can also potentially provide ecological and hydrological land uses. Rather than chasing development- based incentives for regenerating vacant lots in high flood-risk communities, a balance should be sought between new developmental land uses and green infrastructure to help counteract stormwater runoff and flood effects, or "Resilience through Regeneration." This paper uses landscape performance measures to evaluate the economic and hydrologic performance of green infrastructure regeneration projects for three marginalized neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, USA. Each project site is characterized by excessive vacant lots and flood issues. Results suggest that, when using green infrastructure to regenerate vacant properties, 1) flood risk continually decreases, 2) upfront economic costs increase in the short term (when compared to conventional development), and 3) the long-term economic return on investment is much higher.
Improved Water and Economic Sustainability with Low-Input Compact Bed Plasticulture and Precision Irrigation

AbstractRaised-bed plasticulture is used globally to produce fresh market vegetables, fruits, and other crops. A novel compact bed geometry, designed to improve the system efficiency of plasticultu...
Positional effects of premature termination codons on the biochemical and biophysical properties of CFTR.

Key points Biochemical and biophysical characterizations of three nonsense mutations of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) associated with a severe form of cystic fibrosis (CF) reveal the importance and heterogenous effects of the position of the premature termination codon (PTC) on the CFTR protein function. Electrophysiological studies of W1282X-CFTR, whose PTC is closer to the C-terminus of CFTR, suggest the presence of both C-terminus truncated CFTR proteins that are poorly functional and read-through, full-length products. For G542X- and E60X-CFTR, the only mechanism capable of generating functional proteins is the read-through, but the outcome of read-through products is highly variable depending on the interplay between the missense mutation caused by the read-through and the structural context of the protein. Pharmacological studies of these three PTCs with various CFTR modulators suggest position-dependent therapeutic strategies for these disease-inflicting mutations. Abstract About one-third of genetic diseases and cancers are caused by the introduction of premature termination codons (PTCs). In theory, the location of the PTC in a gene determines the alternative mechanisms of translation, including premature cessation or reinitiation of translation, and read-through, resulting in differential effects on protein integrity. In this study, we used CFTR as a model system to investigate the positional effect of the PTC because of its well-understood structure-function relationship and pathophysiology. The characterization of three PTC mutations, E60X-, G542X- and W1282X-CFTR revealed heterogenous effects of these PTCs on CFTR function. The W1282X mutation results in both C-terminus truncated and read-through proteins that are partially or fully functional. In contrast, only the read-through protein is functional with E60X- and G542X-CFTR, although abundant N-terminus truncated proteins due to reinitiation of translation were detected in E60X-CFTR. Single-channel studies of the read-through proteins of E60X- and G542X-CFTR demonstrated that both mutations have a single-channel amplitude similar to wild type (WT), and good responses to high-affinity ATP analogues, suggesting intact ion permeation pathways and nucleotide binding domains (NBDs), albeit with reduced open probability (Po ). The comparison of the Po of these mutations with the proposed missense mutations revealed potential identities of the read-through products. Importantly, a majority of the functional protein studied responds to CFTR modulators like GLPG1837 and Lumacaftor. These results not only expand current understanding of the molecular (patho)physiology of CFTR, but also infer therapeutic strategies for different PTC mutations at large.
Incidence, Mechanisms, and Predictors of Mean Systolic Gradients ≥20 mm Hg after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

There is a significant increase in transvalvular gradients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in some patients; however, mechanisms underlying the greater than expected gradients are unknown. We sought to determine the incidence and mechanisms of greater than expected gradients post-TAVI. A total of 424 patients who underwent TAVI at our institution between November 2008 and August 2015 and had at least 1 follow-up echocardiogram were included in the study. Greater than expected gradients were defined as mean systolic Doppler gradients ≥20 mm Hg. The primary end-point was incidence and mechanisms of mean systolic Doppler gradients ≥20 mm Hg. A total of 36 (8%) patients had mean systolic Doppler gradients ≥20 mm Hg. The mechanisms of mean systolic Doppler gradients ≥20 mm Hg were: patient prosthesis mismatch in 15 (42%) patients, high cardiac output in 13 (36%), prosthetic and periprosthetic regurgitation in 11 (31%), stenosis in 5 (14%), and multiple mechanisms in 8 (22%). Patients with mean systolic Doppler gradients ≥20 mm Hg had higher cardiac re-hospitalization rate, but no difference in mortality or major cardiovascular events when compared with the normal gradient group. Smaller prosthetic valve size (p
Investigation on knowledge of patient-controlled epidural analgesia in pregnant women

Objective To investigate the knowledge of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) in pregnant women. Methods Totals of 148 pregnant women in pregnant school were surveyed in June 2014, the contents included whether know PCEA or not, the opportunity of using PCEA and influence on pregnant or infant. Results Totals of 8.1% of pregnant women understood PCEA clearly, 39.9% of pregnant women did not know the opportunity of using PCEA, about 17.6% thought PCEA could prolong the stage of labor; there were 49.2% pregnant women thought PCEA would cause back pain or headache after labor, meanwhile about half of investigation objects suspected it could cause adverse health effects on infants. Conclusions It is necessary to prompt propaganda and education on the knowledge about PCEA, meanwhile the pertinency of population selection and content should be improved. Key words: Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA); Pregnant women; Newborn; Questionnaire
Two-injection single-scan rest/stress imaging with 13N-ammonia: First human studies

1515 Objectives: Our group has previously validated a single-scan, two injection, rest/stress method capable of absolute quantification of regional myocardial blood flow in pigs (Alpert et al 2012; Guehl et al, 2017a and 2017b). The single-scan method does not require blood sampling and the entire rest/stress acquisition takes less than 15 min, resulting in bull’s eye maps and parametric images of MBF as well as standard perfusion images for qualitative evaluation. We report the first studies in human using the single-scan, two-injection method with 13N-NH3. Methods: Three healthy subjects were imaged using 13N-NH3 on a Siemens Biograph PET/CT. Imaging included two separate scans: (1) a single-scan rest/stress acquisition followed 1 hour later by (2) a standard stress alone acquisition. This experimental design allows direct comparison of the new single-scan method and standard rest-stress imaging with the subject as his own control. For the single-scan rest/stress acquisition, a first injection at rest (330 MBq) is given. Four minutes later, an adenosine infusion (140 mcg/kg/min) is started. Then, a second 13N-NH3 injection (500 MBq) is administered at peak stress. The stress alone acquisition is performed with an adenosine infusion (140 mcg/kg/min) and 13N-NH3 injection (600 MBq) at peak stress. Single-scan rest and stress MBF were calculated simultaneously using the MGH2 model. Standard MBF were computed using a stationary one-compartment model (Hutchins, 1990) at rest, using the first 4.5 min of the rest/stress acquisition, and at stress using the stress alone acquisition. Separate rest and stress myocardial perfusion images were generated from the single-scan rest/stress acquisition. Results: Mean global rest and stress MBF were 1.0 mL/min/cc (range 0.8 to 1.2) and 3.5 mL/min/cc (range 2.2 to 5.0) respectively. There was excellent agreement in 17 segments MBF between the single-scan rest/stress method and the standard method for both rest and stress measurements (mean difference: -0.1±0.4 mL/min/cc; slope= 0.95±0.03; intercept= 0.01±0.08; R2= 0.92, Figure). There was excellent agreement between global rest MBF measured with the standard technique and using the single-scan method with differences averaging 0.04 mL/min/cc (range 0.01 to 0.08 mL/min/cc). There was very good agreement between global stress MBF obtained with the standard technique and using the single-scan method with differences averaging 0.2 m /min/cc (range -0.6 to 0.5 mL/min/cc). Conclusion: These preliminary results support the accuracy of a single-scan rest-stress myocardial perfusion protocol. When fully validated, this method can reduce imaging time to less than 15 min, thus allowing imaging with a single cyclotron production of 13N-NH3. This could therefore translate in significant cost reduction for 13N-NH3 MPI. Further studies in healthy volunteers and subjects with documented coronary artery disease are ongoing to confirm the accuracy of the single-scan Methods: Support: T32EB13180 and R01HL137230
Understanding Adaptive Bioterrorism Methods: Counter Terrorism Medicine implications of Bongkrekic Acid Poisoning

Terrorist attacks fall under a unique category within the disaster medicine (DM) spectrum. Unlike accidental man-made disasters where there is an inherent pre-disaster objective to reduce risk and mitigate potential hazards, terrorist events have the aim of intentionally inflicting maximum casualties and disrupting the day to day functioning of society.
Herpes zoster reactivation during head and neck cancer therapy: interpreting post-treatment positron emission tomography/CT imaging

The risk of herpes zoster reactivation in patients undergoing cancer treatment is significant, though this phenomenon has rarely been reported in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) population. We aim to report the potential for infection to lead to false-positive findings on positron emission tomography/CT in these patients. This case highlights the potential for herpes zoster reactivation to result in false-positive findings on post-treatment imaging following chemoradiation for HNSCC. It is therefore imperative for providers to be aware of this when evaluating patients during and after treatment for HNSCC.