cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Characterization of Tetraethylene Glycolpoly(Ethylene Oxide) Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering Applications

A new poly(ethylene oxide) based biomaterial has been synthesized by co-crosslinking linear poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with tetraethylene glycol (TEG) in aqueous solution using electron beam radiation. This process results in hydrogels with variable concentrations of hydroxyl groups, tunable by adjusting the concentration of TEG in solution. FTIR analysis of these gels shows no changes in chemical composition on crosslinking.
Reply: Regarding Dynamic Bone Imaging with 99mTc-Labeled Diphosphonates and 18F-NaF: Mechanisms and Applications

REPLY: We thank Dr. Freesmeyer for his interest in our review article on dynamic bone imaging using 99mTc-labeled diphosphonates and 18F-NaF in which we postulated that it would technically be possible to perform early soft-tissue phase imaging with 18F-NaF PET ([1][1]), although this technique has
Confinement in the production of human neuroses: The barber's chair syndrome

Abstract This paper attempts to indicate that confinement as a result of physical restriction of motor activity or prior conditioning experiences is usually necessary but not sufficient for the production of human neurotic behaviour. Support for this assertion comes from experiments producing neurotic behaviour in lower animals which at the same time lend further importance to the relationship between induced disordered animal behaviour and pathological behavioural states in humans. Evidence is presented to indicate that one of the important reasons why conditioned anxiety responses develop in neurotic male patients to the barber's chair (and in the opposite sex to the beauty parlour chair) is because of the physical and conditioned confinement characterizing such a situation in addition to whatever individual noxious stimuli may be impinging upon the individual organism.
A Semi-automatic System for Ground Truth Generation of Soccer Video Sequences

The problem of ground truth generation is fundamental for many approaches of computer vision and image processing. In order to test algorithms for object segmentation, object tracking, object interactions, it is necessary to have image sequences in which the ground truth is determined in an objective way. In the context of visual surveillance where many people moves in the scene occluding each other, it could be very complex and hard the work of generating for each image the position of all the moving objects and maintain this information for all the period in which they remain in the scene. In this paper we propose a semi-automatic system that generates an initial ground truth estimation, and then provides a user-friendly interface to manually validate or correct the track results. The proposed system has been tested on some soccer video sequences that have been published on-line for being available to the scientific community, but it can be used also in other surveillance contexts.
Converting Bearings-OnlyMeasurements to Cartesian Coordinates

The lack of range information for passive measurements complicates sensor registration, requires one to address the arctangent function's singularities, and prevents one from applying existing polar to Cartesian conversion mappings. Consequently, a coordinate conversion method is developed for passive measurements using an integral representation. In addition, the existing coordinate conversion methods are shown to differ only by a constant multiplying each converted measurement and in the eigenvalues of the corresponding covariance matrix.
Activation of Papillomavirus Late Gene Transcription and Genome Amplification upon Differentiation in Semisolid Medium Is Coincident with Expression of Involucrin and Transglutaminase but Not Keratin-10

The life cycle of the papillomaviruses is closely linked to host cell differentiation, as demonstrated by the fact that amplification of viral DNA and transcription of late genes occur only in the suprabasal cells of a differentiated epithelium. Previous studies examining the pathogenesis of papillomavirus infections have relied on the use of organotypic raft cultures or lesions from patients to examine these differentiation-dependent viral activities. In this study, we used a simple system for epithelial differentiation to study human papillomavirus (HPV) late functions. We demonstrate that the suspension of HPV-infected keratinocytes in semisolid medium containing 1.6% methylcellulose for 24 h was sufficient for the activation of the late promoter, transcription of late genes, and amplification of viral DNA. These activities were shown to be linked to and coincide with cellular differentiation. Expression of the late protein E1(wedge)E4 and amplification of viral DNA were detected in the identical set of cells after suspension in methylcellulose. This technique was also used to analyze the differentiation properties of the cells which expressed the late protein E1(wedge)E4. While induction of the spinous layer markers involucrin and transglutaminase was compatible with late promoter induction, expression of the differentiation-specific keratin-10 was shown not to be required for HPV late functions. Interestingly, while the majority of normal human keratinocytes induced filaggrin expression by 24 h, this marker of the granular layer was induced in a smaller subset of HPV type 31 (HPV-31)-positive cells at this time point. The HPV-31-positive cells which expressed filaggrin did not induce the late protein E1(wedge)E4. Use of the methylcellulose system to induce epithelial differentiation coupled with the ability to perform a genetic analysis of HPV functions by using transfection of cloned viral DNA will facilitate the study of the regulation of the papillomavirus life cycle.
Broadband array processing using subband techniques

In this paper, we consider array processing techniques for broadband signals. The optimisation techniques and associated performance results correspond to steerable but fixed beam microphone arrays, to be used in a variety of applications, both in free-space and in reverberant conditions. The proposed arrays maximize the energy concentration around the desired look directions, minimize reverberant disturbance, cancel individual interferers, and control the amount of signal distortion. Optimization criteria for array subband processing are also given. The uniformly spaced subband and the non-uniformly spaced subband using quadrature mirror filter approaches are treated. Finally, various simulation results for free-space and reverberant conditions are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of this class of microphone array, as well as the feasibility of quadrature mirror filter-based subband processing.
Environmental Effects on Durability of Aggregates Stabilized with Cementitious Materials

The present study focuses on investigating the effect of freeze–thaw (FT) cycles, referred to as environmental effect in this paper, on aggregates stabilized with various stabilizing agents, namely, cement kiln dust (CKD), Class C fly ash (CFA), and fluidized bed ash (FBA). Cylindrical specimens were compacted and cured for 28 days in a moist room with a constant temperature and controlled humidity. After curing, specimens were subjected to 0, 8, 16, and 30 FT cycles, and then tested for resilient modulus ( Mr ) . Results showed that Mr values of stabilized specimens decreased with increasing FT cycles up to 30. The reasons for such changes are explained by the increase in moisture content during thawing and the formation of ice lenses within the pores during freezing, causing distortion of the matrix of particles. It was also found that the decrease in Mr values varied with the type of stabilizing agents. The CKD-stabilized Meridian and Richard Spur aggregates exhibited a higher reduction in Mr values th...
Staff perceptions of end-of-life care in long-term care.

Objective Although residential care/assisted living facilities and nursing homes have increasingly become a significant site of death for older Americans, little is known about staff perceptions of end-of-life care, perceived need for improvement in care, and differences by type of setting. Design, Setting, and Participants Ninety-nine staff provided their perceptions of end-of-life care for 99 decedents from 74 residential care/assisted living facilities and nursing homes in four states as part of a larger cohort study. Staff were interviewed retrospectively regarding care provided during residents’ last month of life. Measurements Staff reported on 11 areas of end-of-life care, describing the importance of each area and the level of improvement they felt was indicated. Weighted “need for change” scores were calculated as the product of perceived importance and need for improvement. Results Both residential care/assisted living and nursing home staff reported a need for more staff education and nursing assistant time, as well as more use of volunteers. The two lowest ranked items for both facility types were involvement of hospice and encouragement for staff to attend funeral services. Nursing home staff perceived a greater need for improvement than residential care/assisted living staff in all 11 areas. Conclusion Results underscore the staffing demands of end-of-life care across facility types, and staff desires to be able to provide quality care throughout the dying process.
Fourier Series and Integrals with Applications to Signal Analysis

Perhaps the most important orthogonal functions in engineering applications are trigonometric functions. These were briefly discussed in 1.5.2 as one example of LMS approximation by finite orthogonal function sets. In this chapter we reexamine the LMS approximation problem in terms of infinite trigonometric function sets. When the approximating sum converges to the given function we obtain a Fourier Series; in case of a continuous summation index (i.e., an integral as in (1.92) the converging approximating integral is referred to as a Fourier Integral.
Including the effects of terrain reflections and postboom noise in sonic booms

The research described in this paper pertains to two improvements to the synthesized sonic boom signatures to be reproduced in sonic boom simulators. Both improvements are aimed at increasing the realism of the signatures that would be reproduced for subjective testing as compared to those which are purely the result of computational fluid dynamics and propagation predictions. The first of these improvements is including the effects of terrain, specifically the presence of buildings and topographical features. The second but related improvement is the analysis and inclusion of post boom noise. Nomenclature Z = specific acoustic impedance MSM = mirror source method ˆ p = complex pressure amplitude ˆ v n = complex normal velocity amplitude p = acoustic pressure v n = normal component of particle velocity vector N ms = number of mirror sources n w = number of planes defining the boundary O max = maximum order of reflections represented R = reflection coefficient ￻ = frequency in radians
Aliphatic Halogenase Enables Late-Stage C−H Functionalization: Selective Synthesis of a Brominated Fischerindole Alkaloid with Enhanced Antibacterial Activity

The anion promiscuity of a newly discovered standalone aliphatic halogenase WelO5 was probed and enabled the selective synthesis of 13R-bromo-12-epi-fischerindole U via late-stage enzymatic functionalization of an unactivated sp3 C−H bond. Pre-saturating the WelO5 active site with a non-native bromide anion was found to be critical to the highly selective in vitro transfer of bromine, instead of chlorine, to the target carbon center and also allowed the relative binding affinity of bromide and chloride towards the WelO5 enzyme to be assessed. This study further revealed the critical importance of halogen substitution on modulating the antibiotic activity of fischerindole alkaloids and highlights the promise of WelO5-type aliphatic halogenases as enzymatic tools to fine-tune the bioactivity of complex natural products.
Design of Dynamic Pathways

Abstract Microbial production of chemicals has provided an attractive alternative to chemical synthesis. A key to make this technology economically viable is to improve titers, productivities, and strain robustness, all of which are often limited by metabolic imbalances. To overcome this problem, dynamic regulation is desired to adjust gene expression and metabolite concentrations to desirable levels, thus reducing cellular stress and avoiding waste of carbon and energy. This chapter will focus on current technologies used to design and build dynamic regulatory systems. This chapter starts from the basics of dynamic regulation to provide a general introduction and rationale of the technologies being used. Next, we will discuss current progress in experimental design of dynamic pathways using various design principles at transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational levels. Besides the experimental approaches, recent progress on mathematical models will also be covered. In addition, we will summarize available tools for the construction and fine-tuning of dynamic pathways, and available models for simulation, with the aim to provide a general guide to design dynamic pathways. Finally, we will discuss future directions in the field of dynamic regulation. With the development of more sophisticated synthetic biology tools and deeper understanding of metabolic dynamics, we expect dynamic regulated pathways to become mainstream in future metabolic engineering, improving productivities, yields, and robustness of the engineered microbial cell factories.
Value-Based Reimbursement: Impact of Curtailing Physician Autonomy in Medical Decision Making

OBJECTIVE. In this article, we define value in the context of reimbursement and explore the effect of shifting reimbursement paradigms on the decision-making autonomy of a women's imaging radiologist. CONCLUSION. The current metrics used for value-based reimbursement such as report turnaround time are surrogate measures that do not measure value directly. The true measure of a physician's value in medicine is accomplishment of better health outcomes, which, in breast imaging, are best achieved with a physician-patient relationship. Complying with evidence-based medicine, which includes data-driven best clinical practices, a physician's clinical expertise, and the patient's values, will improve our science and preserve the art of medicine.
Polarization Instability of Vector Raman Solitons in Supercontinuum Generation

We numerically investigate polarization instability of Raman solitons in supercontinuum generation as a function of input polarization and fiber birefringence. Polarization dynamics and separtrix are observed on the Poincare sphere and depend on fiber birefringence.
LEARNING STYLE AND INTELLIGENCE OF READING DISABLED STUDENTS

This study examined the relationship between elements of the Learning Style Inventory and various scales of the WISC-R for reading disabled students. Previous research generally suggests that reading disabled students have preferences that tap the visual-spatial domain and have higher WISC-R Performance Scale and subtest scores than Verbal Scale and subtest scores. Subjects with IQs of 90 or better on either the Verbal or Performance Scales of the WISC-R and a consistency score of 75 or better on the inventory were selected. Contrary to what might be expected, data generally showed a nonmeaningful pattern of correlations between scales of the Learning Style Inventory and WISC-R Performance-type functioning. However, as an important part of the validation of the inventory, lack of association between the two can be interpreted as support for its construct validity.
Can Less Be More? Leftist Deliberative Democrats' Critique of Participatory Democracy

Many contemporary democratic theorists now base their conceptions of democracy not on the value of citizen participation but on deliberation instead. This apparently slight shift in emphasis marks an important change in the critical project of democratic theory. Although participatory and deliberative democratic theory are in some ways similar, close readings of the recent work of a number of leftist deliberative democrats reveal not only fundamental criticisms of their participatory predecessors but a strikingly different assessment of the political world as well. Deliberative democrats strive to avoid the charge of utopianism so often leveled against participatory theorists; in doing so, however, they lose the power to distinguish critically between the potential for democracy and its realization. Deliberative democratic theory, therefore, should not be understood as a revision of the participatory project, but rather as an independent and, for now, underdeveloped theory of democracy.
Mössbauer Spectrometer Calibration Using TiFe.

The splitting of the 57Fe Mossbauer spectrum in TiFe has been carefully measured in a magnetic field and compared with the zero-field quadrupolar splitting of sodium nitroprusside. The comparison gives a value of 1.699 mm/s at 295 K for the sodium nitroprusside splitting. This determination makes use of the known Knight shift of Fe in TiFe and is independent of any velocity measurement. Comparison is made with the splitting of the inner two lines of a pure Fe spectrum.
Abstract P3-07-07: The updated ASCO/CAP guidelines for HER2 testing create more uncertainty for clinicians

Background: Accurate assessment of the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) status has been an integral part of clinical decision making in treatments of breast cancer. In 2007, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/College of American Pathologists (CAP) published a series of guidelines on how to determine the status of HER2. The guidelines were updated in 2013 with the goal of reducing the numbers of false negative cases. The new guidelines are based on a combination of HER2:CEP17 ratio and average HER2 copy number. We sought to assess the overall effect of the new guidelines. Methods: We retrospectively identified all cases of invasive breast cancer with HER2 testing done in 2014 from the pathology database of Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke9s and Roosevelt Hospitals. Our pathology department guideline is to perform initial testing for HER2 with immunohistochemistry (IHC) by the HercepTest (Dako) method. Those with IHC of 2+ would be followed by reflex HER2 dual probe FISH. The HER2:CEP 17 ratio and average HER2 copy number were then reviewed for each IHC 2+ case using the 2013 guidelines. These cases were then rescored using the 2007 guidelines. All equivocal cases as determined by the new 2013 guidelines (HER2:CEP17 ratio Results: Among 853 cases identified in the database, 337 were IHC 2+. Using 2007 guidelines, 27/337 cases (8.0%) were amplified (HER2:CEP 17 ratio >2.2), 6 (1.8%) were equivocal (HER2:CEP 17 ratio 1.8-2.2), and 305 cases (90.2%) were non-amplified (HER2:CEP 17 ratio Conclusion: The 2013 ASCO/CAP guidelines for HER2 assessment identified a slightly increased number of patients eligible for HER2 directed therapy, but also resulted in a significant increase in the number of equivocal cases. The new guidelines appear to have generated more uncertainty for the clinician due to the rise in equivocal cases. Further studies are needed to determine whether patients with equivocal HER2 status would benefit from HER2 directed therapy. Citation Format: Chen J, Klein P, Shao T. The updated ASCO/CAP guidelines for HER2 testing create more uncertainty for clinicians. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-07-07.
Processes of Teaching, Learning, and Transfer in Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) for Teachers: A Contemplative Educational Perspective

The purpose of this chapter is to challenge researchers interested in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in education to look inside the “black box” of these interventions in order to understand how the skills and dispositions of mindfulness are taught and learned. I argue that process studies, focused on the implementation of MBIs in education, are needed to (a) elucidate the pedagogical practices and uses of language and silence that may characterize highly effective mindfulness instructors as they teach educators mindfulness-based skills and dispositions; as well as (b) explain the specific means by which expert mindfulness instructors scaffold teachers’ transfer of these skills and dispositions beyond the training context to their classrooms. I argue that these basic questions regarding teaching, learning, and transfer are at the heart of contemplative education, and are important to address in future research if MBIs are to be successfully introduced, implemented, scaled, and sustained in public school settings.
Bone Mineral Metabolism in Children with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteopenia has emerged as a major determinant of the outcome of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Although vertebral compression fractures and fractures of long bones were recognized historically as important clinical developments in the course of disease, a decrease in skeletal mass could only be quantitated and documented early in disease by the recent introduction of bone absorptiometry. This article is limited to recent data from studies on osteopenia in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and suggests directions of future research that have relevance to current unanswered questions in prevention or management.
Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith

Taking Rites Seriously is about how religious beliefs and religious believers are assessed by judges and legal scholars and are sometimes mischaracterized and misunderstood by those who are critical of the influence of religion in politics or in the formation of law. Covering three general topics - reason and motive, dignity and personhood, nature and sex - philosopher and legal theorist Francis J. Beckwith carefully addresses several contentious legal and cultural questions over which religious and non-religious citizens often disagree: the rationality of religious belief, religiously motivated legislation, human dignity in bioethics, abortion and embryonic stem cell research, reproductive rights and religious liberty, evolutionary theory, and the nature of marriage. In the process, he responds to some well-known critics of public faith - including Brian Leiter, Steven Pinker, Suzanna Sherry, Ronald Dworkin, John Rawls, and Richard Dawkins - as well as to some religiously conservative critics of secularism, such as the advocates for intelligent design.
News Media Use in Adolescence: Implications for Political Cognitions

(1982). News Media Use in Adolescence: Implications for Political Cognitions. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 6, Communication Yearbook 6, pp. 736-758.
4 – Diagnostics of Plasmas for Materials Processing

This title has been withdrawn: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This Book/Chapter has been withdrawn as Elsevier no longer has the publishing rights.
Powder bed binder jet 3D printing of Inconel 718: Densification, microstructural evolution and challenges☆

Abstract Traditional manufacturing of Inconel 718 components from castings and thermomechanical processing routes involve extensive post processing and machining to attain the desired geometry. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies including direct energy deposition (DED), selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM) and binder jet 3D printing (BJ3DP) can minimize scrap generation and reduce lead times. While there is extensive literature on the use of melting and solidification based AM technologies, there has been limited research on the use of binder jet 3D printing. In this paper, a brief review on binder jet additive manufacturing of Inconel 718 is presented. In addition, existing knowledge on sintering of Inconel 718 has been extended to binder jet 3D printing. We found that supersolidus liquid phase sintering (SLPS) is necessary to achieve full densification of Inconel 718. SLPS is sensitive to the feedstock chemistry that has a strong influence on the liquid volume fraction at the processing temperature. Based on these results, we discuss an empirical framework to determine the role of powder particle size and liquid volume fraction on sintering kinetics. The role of powder packing factor and binder saturation on microstructural evolution is discussed. The current challenges in the use of BJ3DP for fabrication of Inconel 718, as well as, extension to other metal systems, are presented.
Enhanced dynamic range x-ray imaging

X-ray images can suffer from excess contrast. Often, image exposure is chosen to visually optimize the region of interest, but at the expense of over- and underexposed regions elsewhere in the image. When image values are interpreted quantitatively as projected absorption, both over- and underexposure leads to the loss of quantitative information. We propose to combine multiple exposures into a composite that uses only pixels from those exposures in which they are neither under- nor overexposed. The composite image is created in analogy to visible-light high dynamic range photography. We present the mathematical framework for the recovery of absorbance from such composite images and demonstrate the method with biological and non-biological samples. We also show with an aluminum step-wedge that accurate recovery of step thickness from the absorbance values is possible, thereby highlighting the quantitative nature of the presented method. Due to the higher amount of detail encoded in an enhanced dynamic range x-ray image, we expect that the number of retaken images can be reduced, and patient exposure overall reduced. We also envision that the method can improve dual energy absorptiometry and even computed tomography by reducing the number of low-exposure (photon-starved) projections. HighlightsCompositing of an x-ray image from images with multiple exposures is proposed.A similar method exists for visible-light photography, but not for x-rays.Our method reveals fine contrast detail in the presence of large contrast gradients.Quantitative absorbance reconstruction is possible over a large range of absorbances.With more detail information encoded with our method, repeat imaging can be avoided.
Geotechnical and Structural Failures Due to Heavy Rainfall of Mindulle Typhoon in Taiwan

On July 2, 2004, a 2000-kilometer southwest air current, following the Mindulle Typhoon, caused serious harms to Taiwan. Though this event did not trigger off the most serious damages, the disaster resulted in extensive geological and structural failures. Some of the observations and causes of failures were identified. This case history showed significant implications to future disaster prevention and management works with the hope that it will attract new challenges for geotechnical engineering in solving rainfall-induced failures.
Intracranial Cholinergic Drug Infusion in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Improved understanding of the chemical aspects of brain function during the last two decades has changed our concepts of a number of neurologic diseases (Snyder, 1984; Harbough, 1985a). Unfortunately, clinical application of this information has been plagued by longstanding problems with drug delivery to the brain. Neurosurgery may have a role to play in previously non-surgical neurologic disease by the ability of neurosurgeons to overcome problems with drug delivery to the brain. Neurotransmitter augmentation by regional infusion of drugs into the central nervous system may open a whole new field of neurosurgical endeavor.
Flux-Adjoint Weighted Few-Group Cross Sections Used for Reactor Transient Analysis

Equations for a few-group model applicable to transient analysis are derived from a variational principle made stationary by the continuous-energy P{sub 1} equations. Flux-adjoint (bilinearly) weighted few-group parameters result. These can be reduced to the regular flux-spectrum weighted parameters by taking the adjoint spectrum to be constant in energy. Numerical comparisons with multigroup results show that both regular and bilinearly weighted two-group models provide acceptably accurate predictions of transient behavior when realistic pressurized water reactor cases are examined. Although there are still some theoretical questions to be examined there appears at present to be no reason to employ bilinearly weighted parameters for either static or transient analysis.
Women's Perceived Likelihood to Engage in Sexual Risk Taking: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Poor Behavioral Regulation

Sexual abuse prior to age 18 may put some women at risk for engaging in sexual risk taking. This association could exist, in part, as a result of the impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms on behavioral regulation. The current study utilized a path analysis to investigate the association between severity of sexual abuse before age 18, posttraumatic stress symptoms, poor behavioral regulation, and expected engagement in sexual risk taking among college women. The sample consisted of 88 college women with experiences of sexual abuse prior to the age of 18. Severity of sexual abuse predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms. In addition, posttraumatic stress symptoms predicted poor behavioral regulation, which in turn predicted expected engagement in sexual risk taking. These findings indicate functional mechanisms involved in sexual decision making of women who have had past sexual abuse and experience posttraumatic stress symptoms.
HIV-1 escape from small-molecule antagonism of Vif

The HIV-1 accessory protein Vif, which counteracts the antiviral action of the DNA-editing cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G (A3G), is an attractive and yet unexploited therapeutic target. Vif reduces the virion incorporation of A3G by targeting the restriction factor for proteasomal degradation in the virus-producing cell. Compounds that inhibit Vif-mediated degradation of A3G in cells targeted by HIV-1 would represent a novel antiviral therapeutic. We previously described small molecules with activity consistent with Vif antagonism. In this study, we derived inhibitor escape HIV-1 variants to characterize the mechanism by which these novel agents inhibit virus replication. Here we show that resistance to these agents is dependent on an amino acid substitution in Vif (V142I) and on a point mutation that likely upregulates transcription by modifying the lymphocyte enhancing factor 1 (LEF-1) binding site. Molecular modeling demonstrated a docking site in the Vif-Elongin C complex that is disrupted by these inhibitors. This docking site is lost when Vif acquires the V142I mutation that leads to inhibitor resistance. Competitive fitness experiments indicated that the V142I Vif and LEF-1 binding site mutations created a virus that is better adapted to growing in the presence of A3G than the wild-type virus.IMPORTANCE Although antiretroviral therapy can suppress HIV-1 replication effectively, virus reservoirs persist in infected individuals and virus replication rapidly rebounds if therapy is interrupted. Currently, there is a need for therapeutic approaches that eliminate, reduce, or control persistent viral reservoirs if a cure is to be realized. This work focuses on the preclinical development of novel, small-molecule inhibitors of the HIV-1 Vif protein. Vif inhibitors represent a new class of antiretroviral drugs that may expand treatment options to more effectively suppress virus replication or to drive HIV-1 reservoirs to a nonfunctional state by harnessing the activity of the DNA-editing cytidine deaminase A3G, a potent, intrinsic restriction factor expressed in macrophage and CD4+ T cells. In this study, we derived inhibitor escape variants to characterize the mechanism by which these novel agents inhibit virus replication and to provide evidence for target validation.
Criminological Research and the Death Penalty: Has Research by Criminologists Impacted Capital Punishment Practices?

At the request of the SCJA president this paper addresses five questions. Does criminological research make a difference relative to the death penalty? - If criminological research does make a difference, what is the nature of that difference? - What specific instances can one cite of research findings influencing death penalty policy decisions? Why hasn’t our research made more of a difference? What can we do, either in terms of directing our research or in terms of disseminating it, to facilitate it making a difference? Specific examples of research directly impacting policy are examined. The evidence presented suggests that research on capital punishment has had some impact on policy, but not nearly enough. There is still a high level of ignorance that has limited the impact of criminological research on death penalty policy. The proposed solution is to improve the education of the general public and decision makers in order to increase the impact of criminological research on capital punishment policy.
Sustained improvement in hospital cleaning associated with a novel education and culture change program for environmental services workers

Objective To sustainably improve cleaning of high-touch surfaces (HTSs) in acute-care hospitals using a multimodal approach to education, reduction of barriers to cleaning, and culture change for environmental services workers. Design Prospective, quasi-experimental, before-and-after intervention study. Setting The study was conducted in 2 academic acute-care hospitals, 2 community hospitals, and an academic pediatric and women's hospital. Participants Frontline environmental services workers. Intervention A 5-module educational program, using principles of adult learning theory, was developed and presented to environmental services workers. Audience response system (ARS), videos, demonstrations, role playing, and graphics were used to illustrate concepts of and the rationale for infection prevention strategies. Topics included hand hygiene, isolation precautions, personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning protocols, and strategies to overcome barriers. Program evaluation included ARS questions, written evaluations, and objective assessments of occupied patient room cleaning. Changes in hospital-onset C. difficile infection (CDI) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteremia were evaluated. Results On average, 357 environmental service workers participated in each module. Most (93%) rated the presentations as 'excellent' or 'very good' and agreed that they were useful (95%), reported that they were more comfortable donning/doffing PPE (91%) and performing hand hygiene (96%) and better understood the importance of disinfecting HTSs (96%) after the program. The frequency of cleaning individual HTSs in occupied rooms increased from 26% to 62% (P l .001) following the intervention. Improvement was sustained 1-year post intervention (P l .001). A significant decrease in CDI was associated with the program. Conclusion A novel program that addressed environmental services workers' knowledge gaps, challenges, and barriers was well received and appeared to result in learning, behavior change, and sustained improvements in cleaning.
Stage 1 acute kidney injury is independently associated with infection following cardiac surgery.

Abstract Objectives Severe acute kidney injury (AKI) is a known risk factor for infection and mortality. However, whether stage 1 AKI is a risk factor for infection has not been evaluated in adults. We hypothesized that stage 1 AKI following cardiac surgery would independently associate with infection and mortality. Methods In this retrospective propensity score–matched study, we evaluated 1620 adult patients who underwent nonemergent cardiac surgery at the University of Colorado Hospital from 2011 to 2017. Patients who developed stage 1 AKI by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes creatinine criteria within 72 hours of surgery were matched to patients who did not develop AKI. The primary outcome was an infection, defined as a new surgical-site infection, positive blood or urine culture, or development of pneumonia. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, stroke, and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results Stage 1 AKI occurred in 293 patients (18.3%). Infection occurred in 20.9% of patients with stage 1 AKI compared with 8.1% in the no-AKI group (P Conclusions Stage 1 AKI is independently associated with postoperative infection, ICU LOS, and hospital LOS. Treatment strategies focused on prevention, early recognition, and optimal medical management of AKI may decrease significant postoperative morbidity.
Prevalence of Tinnitus and Associated Factors Among Asian Americans: Results From a National Sample

Objectives A previous study demonstrated low rates of high-frequency hearing loss and noise exposure among Asian Americans (AAs). This study examined the prevalence of tinnitus and associated factors among AAs using the first nationally representative sample of AAs. Study design Cross-sectional analysis of a national health survey. Methods We analyzed data from the 2011 to 2012 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, during which 3,669 participants aged 20 to 69 years completed questionnaires on tinnitus (AA participants, n = 530). Tinnitus was defined as bothersome ringing lasting 5 minutes or more in the past 12 months. Prevalence of any tinnitus in the past 12 months was calculated incorporating sampling weights. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations with relevant factors. Results The prevalence of any tinnitus was 6.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.5-8.6) among AAs, significantly lower than the prevalence among the overall population at 16.5% (95% CI: 14.3-18.8]. After adjusting for audiometric hearing loss and demographics, AAs were less likely to report any tinnitus than whites (odds ratio [OR] = 0.43 [95% CI: 0.24-0.75]), blacks (OR = 0.60 [95% CI: 0.37-0.95]), and Hispanics (OR = 0.60 [95% CI: 0.45-0.78]). Rates of tinnitus were not different from whites or blacks once comorbidities, noise exposure, and depression were taken into account. Among AAs, reporting exposure to work-related noise (OR = 2.92 [95% CI: 1.15-7.41]) and having a major depressive disorder (OR = 6.45 [95% CI: 1.15-36.12]) were significant factors associated with tinnitus in a multivariate model. Conclusions The prevalence of tinnitus is significantly lower among AAs in comparison to other racial groups. Noise exposure and depression were significant factors associated with tinnitus among AAs. Level of evidence 2b Laryngoscope, 2020.
The Waiting Game: How Long Are Breast Cancer Patients Waiting for Definitive Diagnosis?

Receiving a new breast cancer (BC) diagnosis can cause significant patient anxiety, which is amplified by delays in diagnosis. There is a lack of defined time periods for delays in the workup of BC. This study aims to evaluate national variations in timing from first abnormal mammogram to first biopsy and to determine independent predictors of delay in diagnosis. Data were derived from SEER–Medicare linked claims database from 2007 to 2013. Time intervals from abnormal mammogram, either screening or diagnostic, to biopsy were assessed. The fourth quartile for timing from first mammogram to first biopsy was utilized to define delay in diagnosis. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the association between clinicopathologic variables and delays in diagnosis. We analyzed 53,758 patients with stage 0–II BC who underwent upfront surgery. Significant variations in timing of care were identified, with mean times from mammogram to biopsy, surgeon visit, and breast surgery of 23.3, 31.6, and 52.6 days, respectively. Over the study period, there was a decrease in delays from mammogram to biopsy. Non-White race, Northeast location, and earlier stage disease were found to be independent predictors of delays in the diagnosis of BC (p < 0.0001). The study demonstrates significant variations in time to diagnostic biopsy. More efficient processes of care to address these delays should be implemented, and further studies are needed to determine whether improved efficiency decreases patient anxiety. The large variations in time to diagnosis speak to the need for consensus guidelines to establish a standard of care.
The Effect of Perceived Test Importance and Examinee Emotions on Expended Effort during a Low-Stakes Test: A Longitudinal Panel Model.

Test-taking effort relates to performance on low-stakes tests; thus, researchers and assessment practitioners have investigated what influences students to put forth effort when completing these te...
Chapter 9 – Nuclear Weapons

Publisher Summary The testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere has been responsible for the largest quantities of man-made radionuclides released into the environment. The radioactive debris from nuclear explosions divides into three fractions, depending on the height of burst and explosive yield. The first of these fractions consists of the larger particles that fall out within a few hours and that are intensely radioactive. The second fraction is dispersed into the troposphere, but it may not produce fallout during the first day, because the particles are sufficiently small to behave somewhat like aerosols and are subject to the laws of dispersion and rainout that govern small particles. The third fraction penetrates the stratosphere and will deposit worldwide over a period of many months. The tropospheric fallout tends to be distributed in bands at the latitude of detonation, whereas the stratosphere debris distributes itself globally. The physical and chemical characteristics of the particles have been observed to be highly variable in several respects. Depending on the temperature-time history of the particle, the radioactivity can be coated on the surface or distributed throughout. The extent to which a given explosion produces radioactive fallout in its immediate vicinity depends on the size of the explosion and its height above ground. The first U.S. tests of nuclear weapons after World War II took place in the Marshall Islands in 1946. The Soviet Union conducted its first explosion in 1949, following which the United States accelerated its rate of testing and constructed second proving grounds near Las Vegas, Nevada. This chapter deals with the U.S. experience during the 193 test explosions in the open atmosphere and many more tests conducted underground. Information about the USSR experience is beginning to emerge as a result of the dissolution of the USSR and associated changes in public information policies.
Preferential Hyperacuity Home Testing for Monitoring Intermediate Age-related Macular Degeneration in Routine Clinical Practice

Objectives: A home monitoring device (ForeseeHome; Notal Vision, Tel Aviv, Israel) detected choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) earlier than home and office monitoring. This study describes device usage in routine clinical practice. Materials and Methods: An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective chart review of intermediate AMD patients who used the device at a single tertiary care center. Primary outcomes were duration and frequency of usage and outcomes of alerts generated. Results: Sixty-two patients (106 eyes) completed monitoring 4.2 ± 2.1 times per week (avg ± std dev) from February 2015 to February 2019. Forty-five eyes discontinued monitoring after an average of 65 days (range 13–237 days), due to poor quality tests (62%), and false-positive alerts (16%). Eyes that discontinued device monitoring were older and had poorer visual acuity than eyes that continued monitoring (P < 0.01). Fourteen alerts were generated, of which one represented conversion to exudative AMD. Two additional converted eyes were identified by routine office visit and Amsler grid monitoring. Conclusions: Home monitoring has the potential to improve the detection of exudative AMD. Identifying barriers to device utilization are necessary in the AMD population.
Treatment of medullary thyroid cancer with bone metastases with denosumab: A review and case illustration

Abstract Bone Metastases are frequently reported in neuroendocrine tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma. The optimal management of these lesions, which can lead to serious skeletal-related events, including hypercalcemia, bone pain, fractures, and spinal cord compression, is unknown. A young patient with indolent medullary thyroid carcinoma with bone metastases who is treated with denosumab and who demonstrates stable disease over a two year period is presented. The pathophysiology of bone metastasis in solid tumors and neuroendocrine tumors, including medullary thyroid cancer, along with mechanism of action of antiresorptive therapies on both bone and tumors are discussed. Potential side effects of long term antiresoprtive therapy as well as other treatment options for bone metastases are reviewed.
Visualization of hidden damage from scattered wavefield reconstructed using an integrated high-speed camera system:

In this article, a feasibility study for the visualization of hidden damage using an integrated high-speed camera system was carried out. A thin, planar, and low-modulus high-density polyethylene p...
Activity-dependent refinement of nasal retinal projections drives topographic map sharpening in the teleost visual system

Topographic maps in the brain are essential for processing information. Yet, our understanding of topographic mapping has remained limited by our inability to observe maps forming and refining directly in vivo. Here, we used Cre-mediated recombination of a new colorswitch reporter in zebrafish to generate the first transgenic model allowing the dynamic analysis of retinotopic mapping in vivo. We found that the antero-posterior retinotopic map forms early but remains dynamic, with nasal and temporal retinal axons expanding their projection domains over time. Nasal projections initially arborize in the anterior tectum but progressively refine their projection domain to the posterior tectum in an activity-dependent manner. This activity-dependent refinement drives retinotopic map sharpening along the antero-posterior axis. Altogether, our study provides the first analysis of a topographic map maturing in real-time in a live animal and opens new strategies for dissecting the intricate mechanisms of precise topographic mapping in vertebrates.
Community health workers providing asthma education.

Objectives: Children living in urban areas experience disproportionate rates of asthma. Substandard housing conditions in some urban areas contribute to greater exposure to household asthma trigger...