cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The entropic and enthalpic contributions to force-dependent dissociation kinetics of the pyrophosphate bond.

We report quantum-chemical calculations of the activation free energy of solvolysis of the pyrophosphate bond in a conformationally flexible reactant coupled to a constraining potential. The results reveal a significant contribution of conformational entropy to the force-dependent kinetics of even a fairly small reactant, suggesting that accurate predictions or molecular interpretation of localized reaction kinetics in stretched polymers may require explicit consideration of their force-dependent conformational heterogeneity. We further show that modeling the conformational space of the reactant and the transition state as collections of overlapping harmonic wells accurately predicts the force-dependent activation free energy up to 2 nN without detailed quantum-chemical computations. An estimate of the activation energies is obtained from the minimal (Eyring–Bell–Evans) model using the local coordinate common to all nucleophilic displacement reactions.
Signature of the microcavity exciton polariton relaxation mechanism in the polarization of emitted light

We have performed real and momentum space spin-dependent spectroscopy of spontaneously formed exciton polariton condensates in a GaAs quantum well microcavity. The polarization of the final state reflects the spin-dependent polariton-polariton interactions.
Estrogen receptors: selective ligands, partners, and distinctive pharmacology.

The action of nuclear hormone receptors is tripartite, involving the receptor, its ligands, and its co-regulator proteins. The estrogen receptor (ER), a member of this superfamily, is a hormone-regulated transcription factor that mediates the effects of estrogens and anti-estrogens (e.g., tamoxifen) in breast cancer and other estrogen target cells. This chapter presents our recent work on several aspects of estrogen action and the function of the ER: 1) elucidation of ER structure-function relationships and development of ligands that are selective for one of the two ER subtypes, ERalpha or ERbeta; 2) identification of ER-selective co-regulators that potentiate the inhibitory effectiveness of anti-estrogens and dominant-negative ERs and modulate the activity of estrogens; 3) characterization of genes that are regulated by the anti-estrogen-ER versus the estrogen-ER complex; and 4) elucidation of the intriguing pharmacology of these ER complexes at different gene regulatory sites. These findings indicate that different residues of the ER hormone-binding domain are involved in the recognition of structurally distinct estrogens and anti-estrogens and highlight the exquisite precision of the regulation of ER activities by ligands, with small changes in ligand structure resulting in major changes in receptor character. Studies also explore the biology and distinct pharmacology mediated by ERalpha and ERbeta complexed with different ligands through different target genes. The upregulation of the anti-oxidant detoxifying phase II enzyme, quinone reductase, by the anti-estrogen-occupied ER, mediated via the electrophile response element in the QR gene, may contribute to the beneficial antioxidant effects of anti-estrogens in breast cancer and illustrates the activation of some genes by ER via non-estrogen response element sequences. The intriguing biology of estrogen in its diverse target cells is thus determined by the structure of the ligand, the ER subtype involved, the nature of the hormone-responsive gene promoter, and the character and balance of co-activators and co-repressors that modulate the cellular response to the ER-ligand complex. The continuing development of novel ligands and the study of how they function as selective agonists or antagonists through ERalpha or ERbeta should allow optimized tissue selectivity of these agents for hormone replacement therapy and treatment and prevention of breast cancer.
IMMUNOTHERAPY OF HUMAN SOLID TUMORS: PROLONGATION OF DISEASE-FREE INTERVAL AND SURVIVAL IN MALIGNANT MELANOMA, BREAST AND COLORECTAL CANCER

SUMMARY Results of immunotherapy with BCG in patients with malignant melanoma, colorectal carcinoma, and breast cancer are described. The first study demonstrated that high doses of living BCG organisms (6 × 108) viable units delivered by scarification in the upper arms and legs prolonged the disease-free interval and survival of 52 malignant melanoma patients with regional lymph node metastases compared to 218 surgical control patients. Patients with trunk and extremity, but not head and neck melanoma, benefited from BCG, suggesting the importance of the delivery of BCG into the tumor involved lymphatics. The second study demonstrated that lyophilized Pasteur BCG given by scarification or 5-FU plus BCG prolonged the postoperative disease-free interval and survival of 73 patients with colorectal carcinoma of the Duke's C classification (positive mesenteric lymph nodes) compared to 58 surgical control patients. The principles of intermittent chemotherapy combined with BCG immunotherapy first developed in patients with disseminated melanoma and acute myelogenous leukemia have been confirmed in a series of patients with disseminated breast cancer: 45 patients treated with a combination of 5-FU, Adriamycin, and Cyclophosphamide (FAC) plus BCG by scarification showed prolongation of remission, as well as overall survival compared to a group of 44 consecutive patients treated with FAC chemotherapy without immunotherapy. The limitations of BCG immunotherapy as well as speculations for future developments of immunotherapy are discussed.
Understanding the Reading Process: One Path to Strengthening Classroom Instruction.

Knowing how to provide effective literacy instruction is important for all educators, but it is critically important for urban educators. This article is built on the assumption that deepening urban educators’ understanding of the reading process will better equip them to facilitate students’ reading development, and to diagnose and intervene if reading difficulties are discovered. Based on that belief, a discussion of a highly regarded reading model, the Parallel Distributed Processing Model (PDPM), is presented. Classroom implications of the reading model are also discussed. Overall, it is hoped that understanding the reading process through the lens of PDPM will help urban educators promote reading success for all students.
Core Temperature in Service Members With and Without Traumatic Amputations During a Prolonged Endurance Event.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Service members with traumatic amputations may be at an increased risk of elevated core body temperature, since their ability to dissipate heat may decrease with the reduction in body surface area (BSA) after injury. Elevated core temperature can impair physical performance during combat operations potentially putting the service members and their teams at risk. The purpose of this study was to compare core temperature between individuals with and without amputations during a prolonged endurance event. Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy male military service members (10 with amputations, 10 without) participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March 26.2-mile event on March 27, 2011. Data collected include BSA, body mass index, body composition, body weight before and after the event, core temperature during the event, and postevent hydration status. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Body weight was measured by digital scale. Core temperature was mea...
Relations among race/ethnicity, gender, and mental health status in primary care use.

OBJECTIVE Many working-age individuals with a serious mental health disability go without primary care. Gender and racial/ethnic disparities have been found in primary care utilization. This article examines whether the interaction of gender and race/ethnicity with serious mental health disability is associated with primary care use among working-age individuals. METHOD We pooled data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component (MEPS-HC) panels for the years 2001 to 2007 creating a sample of 34,199 individuals, 1,605 of whom had serious mental health disability. MEPS-HC is a nationally representative survey of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. We defined serious mental health disability as having scored less than 30 on the Mental Health Composite Score of the Short Form 12. Primary care visits were defined as nonspecialty, nonemergency visits to a physician's office or clinic. Zero-inflated Poisson regression models and bootstrapped predictive margins of visits were estimated using weights to account for survey design. RESULTS Relative to women, men with serious mental health disability had significantly more primary care visits and lower log odds of "zero" visits-the opposite pattern was found for people without serious mental health disability. We did not find a significant interaction between race/ethnicity and serious mental health disability. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Serious mental health disability appears to have differing impacts on men and women's use of primary care. There is a continued need to understand what differentiates users from nonusers among adults with serious mental health disability and the relative contribution of patient, provider, and system factors. (PsycINFO Database Record
Neuronal Networks and Continuous Spikes and Waves During Slow Sleep

Haemodynamic changes associated with epileptic activity were investigated at Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany, using simultaneous acquisitions of EEG and functional MRI in 12 children with symptomatic and cryptogenic continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWSS).
The first integrated optical driver chip for fiber optic gyroscopes

We have designed and fabricated the first “integrated optical driver” chip for fiber gyroscopes on Si/III–V heterogeneous integration platform. The chip was successfully interrogated with a fiber coil to realize an open-loop IFOG.
Substrate removal for ultra efficient silicon heater-modulators

We present our experimental results of ultra efficient (up to 2.16 nm/mW) thermally tunable modulators with n-type heaters and the Si substrate removed. To our knowledge, this is the most efficient thermally tunable modulator demonstrated at 1550nm to date. We include results of externally heated modulators with commensurate performance enhancements through substrate removal.
Chopin's Ghosts

Abstract Chopin9s Stuttgart diary, written in a state of fear for his loved ones after the defeat of the anti-Russian insurrection in fall 1831, reveals the exiled composer9s emotional distress and morbid alienation. Chopin9s intense feelings of mourning lent his imagination a peculiar fascination with the morbid. References to corpses and allusions to ghosts in the diary reflect a profound trauma caused by the uncertainty of his personal situation and his awareness of the political crisis. The Stuttgart crisis is only one of numerous instances in which Chopin mapped his personal losses onto the broader fate of those Poles forced into exile after the failure of the uprising. This identification with the estranged community was capable of producing a deeply subjective experience of haunting. Chopin9s music carries a poignant relationship to loss and melancholia, exemplified in this article by the Etude, op. 10, no. 12 (“Revolutionary”), the Nocturne, op. 15, no. 3, and the Funeral March from the Piano Sonata, op. 35. These traits have prompted recent films by Andrzej Zulawski and Zbig Rybczynski to adopt Chopin9s music as a means of collective mourning in post-Communist Poland.
Retinoic acid in silicone and silicone-fluorosilicone copolymer oils in a rabbit model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy

PURPOSE The authors evaluated the effect of retinoic acid (RA) in silicone oil (SiO) and in silicone-fluorosilicone (SiFO) copolymer oil in a new rabbit model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). METHODS To create the PVR model, three groups of rabbits were administered vitreous injections of approximately 100,000 homologous fibroblasts, 75,000 platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and fibroblasts + PRP, respectively. These rabbits were followed up ophthalmoscopically and histopathologically for as long as 2 months. Five additional groups of rabbits underwent gas-compression vitrectomy in one eye. Four days later, group 1 was administered intravitreous RA in SiFO (9 micrograms/ml) with approximately 150,000 fibroblasts and 70,000 PRP. Group 3 was administered the same amount of fibroblasts and PRP as group 1 with RA in SiO (9 micrograms/ml). Groups 2, 4, and 5 were administered the same amount of fibroblasts and PRP as groups 1 and 3 with 1 ml of SiFO, SiO, or balanced salt solution only, respectively. To evaluate RA toxicity, RA was injected in SiO (15 and 20 micrograms/ml) and RA in SiFO (10 micrograms/ml). RESULTS All eyes that were administered fibroblasts or PRP developed vitreous membranes, but those with PRP alone did not develop proliferative changes or retinal detachment; fibroblasts alone produced proliferative changes and retinal detachment after 2 to 3 weeks; fibroblasts + PRP produced similar changes within 3 days of injection. Retinoic acid (15 micrograms/ml) in SiO and RA (10 micrograms/ml) in SiFO was well tolerated. Retinal atrophic changes were found in eyes with 20 micrograms/ml RA in SiO. The retinal detachment rate was lower (P < 0.05) in the eyes that were administered fibroblasts + PRP and RA than in the controls. Significant differences were found in the degrees of PVR among the groups. CONCLUSIONS RA could be useful in PVR treated with SiO or for eyes treated intraoperatively with heavier-than-water SiFO when it is used as a short-term retinal tamponade.
Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging hepatic proton density fat fraction in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Author(s): Middleton, Michael S; Van Natta, Mark L; Heba, Elhamy R; Alazraki, Adina; Trout, Andrew T; Masand, Prakash; Brunt, Elizabeth M; Kleiner, David E; Doo, Edward; Tonascia, James; Lavine, Joel E; Shen, Wei; Hamilton, Gavin; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B; Sirlin, Claude B; NASH Clinical Research Network | Abstract: We assessed the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in children to stratify hepatic steatosis grade before and after treatment in the Cysteamine Bitartrate Delayed-Release for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children (CyNCh) trial, using centrally scored histology as reference. Participants had multiecho 1.5 Tesla (T) or 3T MRI on scanners from three manufacturers. Of 169 enrolled children, 110 (65%) and 83 (49%) had MRI and liver biopsy at baseline and at end of treatment (EOT; 52 weeks), respectively. At baseline, 17% (19 of 110), 28% (31 of 110), and 55% (60 of 110) of liver biopsies showed grades 1, 2, and 3 histological steatosis; corresponding PDFF (meann±nSD) values were 10.9n±n4.1%, 18.4n±n6.2%, and 25.7n±n9.7%, respectively. PDFF classified grade 1 versus 2-3 and 1-2 versus 3 steatosis with areas under receiving operator characteristic curves (AUROCs) of 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80, 0.94) and 0.79 (0.70, 0.87), respectively. PDFF cutoffs at 90% specificity were 17.5% for grades 2-3 steatosis and 23.3% for grade 3 steatosis. At EOT, 47% (39 of 83), 41% (34 of 83), and 12% (10 of 83) of biopsies showed improved, unchanged, and worsened steatosis grade, respectively, with corresponding PDFF (meann±nSD) changes of -7.8n±n6.3%, -1.2n±n7.8%, and 4.9n±n5.0%, respectively. PDFF change classified steatosis grade improvement and worsening with AUROCs (95% CIs) of 0.76 (0.66, 0.87) and 0.83 (0.73, 0.92), respectively. PDFF change cut-off values at 90% specificity were -11.0% and +5.5% for improvement and worsening.ConclusionMRI-estimated PDFF has high diagnostic accuracy to both classify and predict histological steatosis grade and change in histological steatosis grade in children with NAFLD. (Hepatology 2018;67:858-872).
Brain Tumor Segmentation in MRI Scans Using Deeply-Supervised Neural Networks

Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumors in adults. Improved quantification of the various aspects of a glioma requires accurate segmentation of the tumor in magnetic resonance images (MRI). Since the manual segmentation is time-consuming and subject to human error and irreproducibility, automatic segmentation has received a lot of attention in recent years. This paper presents a fully automated segmentation method which is capable of automatic segmentation of brain tumor from multi-modal MRI scans. The proposed method is comprised of a deeply-supervised neural network based on Holistically-Nested Edge Detection (HED) network. The HED method, which is originally developed for the binary classification task of image edge detection, is extended for multiple-class segmentation. The classes of interest include the whole tumor, tumor core, and enhancing tumor. The dataset provided by 2017 Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (BraTS) challenge is used in this work for training the neural network and performance evaluations. Experiments on BraTS 2017 challenge datasets demonstrate that the method performs well compared to the existing works. The assessments revealed the Dice scores of 0.86, 0.60, and 0.69 for whole tumor, tumor core, and enhancing tumor classes, respectively.
Complementary assessments of prospective teachers’ skill with eliciting student thinking

As teacher education shifts to focus on teaching beginners to do the work of teaching, assessments need to shift to focus on assessing practice. We focus on one teaching practice, eliciting student thinking, in the context of elementary mathematics. We describe assessments in two contexts (field and simulation). For each assessment, we describe the eliciting of three prospective teachers what could be seen about the skills of group of prospective teachers (N = 44). We report on how three prospective teachers had differing opportunities to demonstrate their skills in the context of the field assessment, but similar opportunities in the context of the simulation assessment. Although both contexts make important contributions, in each case, contributions are counterbalanced are by significant challenges. Although the authors do not argue for one assessment context over the other, they offer insights into the affordances and challenges of each so that teacher educators can make responsible decisions.
Separation of small targets in multi-wavelength mixtures based on statistical independence

Small target detection is a problem common to a diverse number of ﬁelds such as radar, remote sensing, and infrared imaging. In this paper, we consider the application of feature extraction for detection of small hazardous materials in multiwavelength imaging. Since various materials may exist in the area of study each with varying degrees of reﬂectivity and absortion at diﬀerent wavelengths of light, ﬂexible, data-driven methods are needed for feature extraction of relevant sources. We propose the use of independent component analysis (ICA), a widely-used blind source separation method based on the statistical independence of the underlying sources. We compare 3 diﬀerent prominent ﬂavors of ICA on simulated data in a variety of environments. Then, we apply ICA to 2 multi-wavelength imaging datasets with results that suggest that features extracted are useful.
A Deprotonation Approach to the Unprecedented Amino-Trimethylenemethane Chemistry: Regio-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective Synthesis of Complex Amino Cycles.

The first realization of the amino-trimethylenemethane chemistry is reported using a deprotonation strategy to simplify the synthesis of the amino-trimethylenemethane donor in two steps from commercial and inexpensive materials. A broad scope of cycloaddition acceptors (seven different classes) participated in the chemistry, chemo-, regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectively generating various types of highly valuable complex amino cycles. Multiple derivatization reactions that further elaborated the initial amino cycles were performed without isolation of the crude product. Ultimately, we applied the amino-trimethylenemethane chemistry to synthesize a potential pharmaceutical in 8 linear steps and 7.5 % overall yield, which previously was achieved in 18 linear steps and 0.6 % overall yield.
Greenery versus Aquatic: Cognitive Restoration of Different Components of Nature for Improvement in Environmental Design

Prior research has indicated that aquatic components (e.g., lakes, rivers) of a nature environment have been perceived to be more restorative than nature environments containing greenery components...
The Renal Sequelae of Alagille Syndrome as a Product of Altered Notch Signaling During Kidney Development

The renal manifestations of Alagille syndrome (ALGS) are an under-recognized, but clinically important component of the syndrome. Abnormalities in the Notch signaling pathway as a consequence of JAG1 and NOTCH2 mutations result in the diverse manifestations of ALGS. Notch signaling plays a central role in the development of multiple tissues and organs but particularly of the kidneys. Understanding the role of Notch signaling in renal development helps inform clinicians as to the more common renal findings in ALGS and the expectation of renal disease in these patients. Additionally, the Notch signal pathway plays a role in the evolution of chronic renal injury. How that response to renal injury is altered in ALGS and its impact on the clinical sequelae in ALGS is not known. Given the frequency of renal findings in ALGS, kidney specialists should form part of the multidisciplinary care team for these patients.
Effects of immune suppression in murine models of disseminated Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis infection and utility of a synthetic peptide vaccine

Candida species are the second most frequent cause of fungal infections worldwide. Current knowledge of immunity to Candida has been gleaned almost exclusively from studies on Candida albicans, the most common disease-causing species. Knowledge of immunity to non-albicans Candida (NAC) species is still at an early stage due to the lack of tractable animal models with which to study these important pathogens. This is partly because many NAC species are not usually pathogenic in mouse models of candidiasis. In this study, we established an immunosuppressed mouse model of disseminated candidiasis by the two clinically important NAC species, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. The inbred mouse strains, A/J and BALB/c, show distinct susceptibilities to disseminated Candida infection. A/J mice, deficient for complement C5, are more susceptible to disseminated infection with both C. glabrata and C. tropicalis compared to BALB/c mice, the latter having functional C5. Here we show that peptide-pulsed dendritic cell (DC) vaccination with a peptide derived from a C. tropicalis cell surface protein, significantly improved survival and reduced the fungal burdens of disseminated candidiasis in these immunocompromised mice. Importantly, this study is the first report of protective efficacy conferred by a peptide vaccine against medically important NAC species in immunosuppressed hosts. Establishing this experimental mouse model provides an important tool to further understand pathogenesis and host resistance in Candida infection. Significantly, our findings also demonstrate how this model can be used to evaluate new control strategies against candidiasis, such as vaccines.
New Dimensions of Postpurchase Behavior in the Service Environment: Consumer Behavior Toward Uber after Consumer Ratings: An Abstract

Analyzing consumer postpurchase behavior is a common and ongoing practice. Advanced technology utilized by consumers has facilitated more convenient methods to input feedback and to provide feedback that is immediate in nature. Postpurchase behavior has been studied extensively in the packaged goods industry and in particular the service industry where service quality gaps identify potential explanations for postpurchase behavior. This study argues that the service quality evaluation model does not adequately address the new dimension of provider ratings of the consumer. Specifically, the impact of the provider’s rating of the consumer on the consumer’s perceived service quality is not understood, nor is the impact of the provider rating of the consumer on consumer postpurchase usage behavior and consumer attitude toward the provider. Expected expansion of formal systems within the service environment for providers to rate consumers supports the need for further study and empirical analysis to advance understanding of service quality evaluation.
Shortening Buruli Ulcer Treatment with Combination Therapy Targeting the Respiratory Chain and Exploiting Mycobacterium ulcerans Gene Decay.

ABSTRACT Buruli ulcer is treatable with antibiotics. An 8-week course of rifampin (RIF) and either streptomycin (STR) or clarithromycin (CLR) cures over 90% of patients. However, STR requires injections and may be toxic, and CLR shares an adverse drug-drug interaction with RIF and may be poorly tolerated. Studies in a mouse footpad infection model showed that increasing the dose of RIF or using the long-acting rifamycin rifapentine (RPT), in combination with clofazimine (CFZ), a relatively well-tolerated antibiotic, can shorten treatment to 4 weeks. CFZ is reduced by a component of the electron transport chain (ETC) to produce reactive oxygen species toxic to bacteria. Synergistic activity of CFZ with other ETC-targeting drugs, the ATP synthase inhibitor bedaquiline (BDQ) and the bc1:aa3 oxidase inhibitor Q203 (now named telacebec), was recently described against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Recognizing that M. tuberculosis mutants lacking the alternative bd oxidase are hypersusceptible to Q203 and that Mycobacterium ulcerans is a natural bd oxidase-deficient mutant, we tested the in vitro susceptibility of M. ulcerans to Q203 and evaluated the treatment-shortening potential of novel 3- and 4-drug regimens combining RPT, CFZ, Q203, and/or BDQ in a mouse footpad model. The MIC of Q203 was extremely low (0.000075 to 0.00015 μg/ml). Footpad swelling decreased more rapidly in mice treated with Q203-containing regimens than in mice treated with RIF and STR (RIF+STR) and RPT and CFZ (RPT+CFZ). Nearly all footpads were culture negative after only 2 weeks of treatment with regimens containing RPT, CFZ, and Q203. No relapse was detected after only 2 weeks of treatment in mice treated with any of the Q203-containing regimens. In contrast, 15% of mice receiving RIF+STR for 4 weeks relapsed. We conclude that it may be possible to cure patients with Buruli ulcer in 14 days or less using Q203-containing regimens rather than currently recommended 56-day regimens.
Susceptibility of North Dakota Hessian Fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) to 31 H Genes Mediating Wheat Resistance

The agricultural landscape of North Dakota is changing. Corn and soybean are now commonplace, but once were rare. Spring sown wheat Triticum aestivum L. and durum wheat Triticum turgidum spp. durum continue to be dominant, but more winter-sown wheat is expected in the future. The presence of wheat in the landscape throughout much of the year will benefit populations of the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), which occurs throughout the state, sometimes in large numbers. Hessian fly is unusual among crop pests for which resources for plant resistance are well developed. On wheat genotypes expressing a single effective H resistance gene, 100% of larvae die before exhibiting any growth. Over 35 H genes in the public domain are available for crossing into elite cultivars. We explored the effectiveness of 31 Hessian fly resistance genes for a North Dakota Hessian fly population. Six genes-H4, H15, H21, H23, H26, and H29-caused 100% larval mortality. Seven others caused at least 80% mortality. Experimental data were used to address three additional questions. Do adult females avoid laying eggs on plants that will kill their offspring: Are neonate larvae able to detect resistance that will end up killing them? Do all 31 genes confer equal protection against larval-induced growth deficits? North Dakota wheat breeders have the necessary tools to create highly resistant wheat cultivars. So far, H genes have been deployed singly in cultivars. Advances in plant breeding will enable gene stacking, a more durable strategy over time.
Is There a Role for MRI in the Management of Placenta Accreta Spectrum

The diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is based on evaluation of risk factors and imaging findings. Ultrasound (US) is widely available and relatively cheap; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is expensive and not universally available. We review performance, interpretation, accuracy, and pitfalls of MRI, and whether it has a role in the management of PAS. Recent meta-analyses showed excellent diagnostic accuracy in depth of placental invasion. Specific MRI features (intraplacental T2 dark bands, myometrial disruption, uterine bulge, and uteroplacental or parametrial hypervascularity) were shown to have significant association with clinical outcomes. The presence of at least three MRI signs was associated with complicated delivery; the presence of six or more MRI signs was associated with massive bleeding, hysterectomy, or extensive bladder repair. MRI is performed on patients with high suspicion for PAS based on risk factors and abnormal US findings. Thus, the pretest probability is very high, artificially inflating sensitivity and specificity. The FIGO consensus recommendation states that MRI is not essential for diagnosis of PAS. When selectively performed, and interpreted by experts, it may be useful in evaluation of areas difficult to see on US and in determining the full extent of placenta percreta. Imaging findings should be reviewed together with clinical information, an attempt made to reconcile any differences in interpretation, and if findings remain discordant, management should err on the side of the most severe assessment of this highly morbid condition which can lead to maternal mortality if unrecognized.
Reduced effectiveness of repellents in a pyrethroid-resistant strain of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: culicidae) and its correlation with olfactory sensitivity.

Background The mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), is a vector of dengue fever, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses, and in many areas possesses significant levels of resistance to pyrethroids. Behavioral performance was assessed in 15, 30, and 60 min exposures in a high throughput vapor phase spatial repellency assay to three contact repellent standards: N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), ethyl 3-[acetyl(butyl)amino] propanoate (IR3535), and 2-undecanone, as well as pyrethrum extract, transfluthrin, and metofluthrin in susceptible (Orlando) and a pyrethroid-resistant Puerto Rico strain of Aedes aegypti. Additionally, electroantennographic studies were used to investigate the antennal sensitivities to these compounds in both strains. Results Resistance was found to all tested insect repellents in the Puerto Rico strain of Ae. aegypti. Resistance ratios at the different time points were about 2 for DEET, 3 for 2-undecanone, and 12 for IR3535. Resistance was also observed to pyrethrum extract (∼9-fold), transfluthrin (∼5-fold), and metofluthrin (∼48-fold) in repellent behavioral response. Electrophysiological analysis found decreased antennal sensitivity to all repellents tested, consistent with their behavioral effects. Conclusion The reduced sensitivity to these repellents may represent a fitness cost arising from the kdr mutation present in Puerto Rico Aedes aegypti. This work highlights the need for understanding collateral effects from the evolution of pesticide resistance in mosquitoes, and the importance of finding alternative strategies to control resistance development. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
Accelerated X-Ray Diffraction (Tensor) Tomography Simulation Using OptiX GPU Ray-Tracing Engine

X-ray diffraction tomography (XDT) is used to probe the material composition of objects providing improved contrast between materials compared with conventional transmission-based computed tomography (CT). Current challenges presented with XDT include long image acquisition and simulation time. To accelerate the simulation speed, our approach is to adopt NVIDIA’s OptiX ray-tracing engine, a parallelized pipeline for graphics processing units (GPUs), to perform XDT simulations on objects by making use of the innovative transformation from conventional 3-D physical space into a 2-D quasi-reciprocal space. The advantage is that ray tracing in this domain requires only 3-D mesh objects, yielding calculations without the need for voxels. The simulated XDT projections demonstrate high consistency with voxel models, with a normalized mean square difference less than 0.66%, and the ray-tracing time is two orders of magnitude less than the previously reported voxel-based GPU ray-tracing results. Due to an accelerated simulation time, XDT projections of objects with three spatial dimensions (4-D tensor) have also been reported, demonstrating the feasibility for large-scale high-dimensional tensor tomography simulations.
HIV Testing Among Black and Hispanic/Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men in New York City: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Black and Latino men who have sex with men (BLMSM) accounted for 53% of males newly diagnosed with HIV in New York City (NYC) in 2015. Despite increased HIV testing efforts with BLMSM in the U.S. and specifically in areas like NYC with high rates of HIV, data show suboptimal testing among BLMSM in some high-prevalence areas of the country. Few reports describe the HIV testing perspectives of BLMSM at risk of HIV acquisition. We sought to obtain information from BLMSM at possible risk of HIV infection to learn about their HIV testing perspectives. During 2011–2012, we obtained baseline and 3-month follow-up computer questionnaire data and in-depth interview data from self-identified BLMSM in the NYC area who had not been recently tested for HIV. Quantitative demographic data were analyzed using SAS. Qualitative interview responses regarding personal experiences and thoughts about HIV testing were analyzed using applied thematic analysis. Overall, 109 BLMSM participated; 51 (46.85%) had never been tested for HIV; 43 (39.4%) were aged 18–29 years; 51 (46.8%) reported condomless sex at last sex. Qualitative analyses revealed three major themes: (1) perceptions on the NY State HIV opt-out HIV testing law; (2) HIV testing experiences; and (3) HIV testing and its role in the MSM community. These findings provide insight into HIV testing approaches and can be used to help strengthen HIV testing strategies for BLMSM in NYC.
Ends and Means: A Conversation with Geeta Kapur

This interview with New Delhi–based critic and curator Geeta Kapur was conducted by Saloni Mathur, a professor of art history at UCLA. In their dialogue, Kapur reflects on her five-decade long care...
Chapter 23 – Degradation of spacecraft materials

Publisher Summary This chapter provides descriptions of specific space environmental threats to exterior spacecraft materials. It summarizes space exposure studies and laboratory simulations of individual and combined space environmental threats. A significant emphasis is placed on effects of Earth orbit environments because the majority of space missions have been flown in Earth orbits, which have provided a significant amount of data on materials effects. Issues associated with interpreting materials degradation results are discussed and deficiencies of ground testing are identified. Recommendations are provided on reducing or preventing space environmental degradation through appropriate materials selection. The chapter concludes that spacecraft materials exposed to low Earth orbit environments have been found to undergo degradation or damage due to environmental threats including atomic oxygen, contamination, radiation, temperature effects and temperature cycling, and micrometeoroids and orbital debris. The degree to which the space environment degrades or damages materials depends upon the unique conditions of an individual spacecraft environment and the susceptibility of the material to being altered by these environmental exposures.
Single women’s sexualities across the life course: The role of major events, transitions, and turning points:

Most research on women’s sexualities focuses on a single event or developmental period, often failing to document romantic and sexual trajectories over time. Moreover, life course studies of sexual...
Disparities in PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center.

TO THE EDITOR: We read with interest the article by Bucknor et al. titled, “Disparities in PET Imaging for Prostate Cancer at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center” ([1][1]). The authors compare enrollment data between 2 cohorts: one having standard-of-care (SOC) 18F-fluciclovine PET and a second
Building nurse resilience in the workplace.

AIMS The aims of the study were 1) to replicate the research based on the pilot study; 2) to increase resilience in nurses working on all units at four hospitals and 3) to determine which interventions were preferred and most effective. BACKGROUND Work stress mediates resilience and resilience moderates work stress. Resilience building activities in the literature are often time consuming, complex and done outside work hours. This study investigated use of portable, accessible and brief interventions by nurses to decrease stress and increase resilience during work hours. METHODS This study used a cross sectional, longitudinal, repeated measures survey design. The study took place in October 2018 to January 2019. Toolkits included written instructions for completing the study protocol, and six activities. Nurses completed surveys at baseline, at 10 time points over a four- to six-week period, and at study conclusion. RESULTS Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 instrument scores showed resilience increased significantly at four weeks and the effect continued at three months (p < .02). Self-reported stress levels decreased over the study period and nurses self-selected to continue use of the interventions. CONCLUSION The interventions used during work hours decreased self-reported stress and increased resilience. Nurse leaders may easily adopt these options to promote a less stressed workforce. Resilience can increase the ability of nurses to tolerate high stress in the workplace, which may decrease burnout and turnover. In the pandemic, resilience is even more important as hospitals struggle to retain nurses.
Obesity and Aging

The obesity epidemic continues to grow, disproportionately affecting non-Hispanic Black women and those with lower levels of educational attainment. Approximately half of non-Hispanic Black women and one-third of non-Hispanic White women aged 65 and older are obese. Sarcopenia, the progressive loss of skeletal mass with increasing age, illness, and inactivity, predisposes older adults to sarcopenic obesity, which is associated with functional decline, frailty, and higher morbidity and mortality. Waist circumference may be a more reliable indicator of obesity than body mass index (BMI) in older women. It is important to use nonjudgmental and inclusive language when discussing obesity, focusing on positive and encouraging strategies to improve health. The goals of treatment are to reduce associated chronic conditions and improve function and quality of life. Weight loss should be carefully supervised in older adults because of their unique vulnerabilities to nutritional deficiency, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia. A combination of behavior modification, caloric reduction, and increasing physical activity should be recommended first, making sure that older women know how to maintain adequate protein intake while attempting gradual weight loss. Accountability is important for sustained behavior change, and intensive lifestyle interventions are available in the community, commercially, and online. Additional treatment options for obesity when lifestyle modifications are ineffective include pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery.
Pre-Employment Transition Services: What Secondary Special Education Teachers Need to Know:

In July 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law, amending the Rehabilitation Act of 1998 and establishing new workforce initiatives for state vocational rehabi...
Mapping the Energy Landscape of PROTAC-Mediated Protein-protein Interactions

Abstract One of the principal difficulties in computational modeling of macromolecules is the vast conformational space that arises out of large numbers of atomic degrees of freedom. This problem is a familiar issue in the area of protein-protein docking, where models of protein complexes are generated from the monomeric subunits. Although restriction of molecular flexibility is a commonly used approximation that decreases the dimensionality of the problem, the seemingly endless number of possible ways two binding partners can interact generally necessitates the use of further approximations to explore the search space. Recently, growing interest in using computational tools to build predictive models of PROTAC-mediated complexes has led to the application of state-of-the-art protein-protein docking techniques to tackle this problem. Additionally, the atomic degrees of freedom introduced by flexibility of linkers used in the construction of PROTACs further expands the configurational search space, a problem that can be tackled with conformational sampling tools. However, repurposing existing tools to carry out protein-protein docking and linker conformer generation independently results in extensive sampling of structures incompatible with PROTAC-mediated complex formation. Here we show that it is possible to restrict the search to the space of protein-protein conformations that can be bridged by a PROTAC molecule with a given linker composition by using a cyclic coordinate descent algorithm to position PROTACs into complex-bound configurations. We use this methodology to construct a picture of the energy landscape of PROTAC-mediated interactions in a model test case, and show that the global minimum lies in the space of native-like conformations.
Application of a Longitudinal IRTree Model: Response Style Changes Over Time.

Traditional psychometric models focus on studying observed categorical item responses, but these models often oversimplify the respondent cognitive response process, assuming responses are driven b...
Changing aspects of abortion law

Abstract This summary of current law on abortion is intended to serve as a convenient reference for state legislatures which are now considering change in their laws. A brief history of the evolution of abortion law throughout the world is presented. The legal provisions, political background, and early use of each of the five new state laws are summarized. Ten additional provisions, not defined in the Model Penal Code, but included in the new state laws, are examined. A plea is made against a law for “abortion on demand.”
Hypothalamic Neuroanatomy: Steroid Hormone Binding and Patterns of Axonal Projections

Publisher Summary Over a period of several years a technique for the production of steroid hormone autoradiograms has been used, which has proven reliable and has been verified by biochemical results from cell fractionation procedures. This procedure also allows quantiative analysis of the finished autoradiograms. The impact of estrogenic and androgenic hormones on nerve cells must be registered eventually on behavioral and endocrine processes via the axonal distribution of hormone-sensitive cells. This chapter discusses the efferent projections of hypothalamic and basal forebrain cell groups, which include estrogen- and androgen-binding neurons. The hypothalamus participates in the control of essential behavioral, endocrine, and autonomic functions. Interference with this small region of the diencephalon can disrupt food intake, drinking, temperature regulation, aggressive and emotional responses, maternal functions, sleep, arousal, pituitary hormone secretion, and mating behavior. Because of its great functional importance, the hypothalamus has been the subject of many endocrine and behavioral studies. Yet relatively little was known about its anatomical connections with other brain regions through which behavior patterns must be affected.
Higher order E-unification

In this extended abstract we report on an investigation of Higher-Order E-Unification, which consists of unifying typed lambda terms in the context of a first-order set of equations E. This problem subsumes both higher-order unification and general E-unification, and provides a theoretical background for reasoning systems which incorporate both algebraic and higher-order logic. The problem and its properties are discussed, a set of transformations (inference rules) extending those of Martelli-Montanari for standard unification is given, and then we prove the completeness of this non-deterministic algorithm. The completeness of restrictions of these rules for higher-order pre-E-unification and higher-order narrowing are corollaries of these results. Finally, we connect these results with previous work, and conclude with future directions and open problems. The major result is a set of inference rules for higher-order E-unification and a proof of its soundness and completeness (wrt complete sets of unifiers).
Reliability and validity of the SF-36 in HIV-infected homeless and marginally housed individuals.

Objective: To assess the reliability and validity of the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey as a health status indicator among HIV-infected homeless and marginally housed (HMH) individuals. Methods: Between July 1996 and May 2000, a sample of HMH individuals completed interviews that included the SF-36. Responses to the SF-36 were analyzed for missing data, range, internal consistency, and construct validity. Results: Among 330 individuals interviewed, 83% were male, 43% were African-American, and the median age was 39 years. All internal consistency reliability coefficients exceeded 0.70, all item–scale correlations exceeded 0.40, all items were more strongly correlated with their hypothesized scale than any other scale, and all reliability coefficients exceeded inter-scale correlations for the same scale. Three of four physical health scales were significantly associated with CD4 cell count and HIV viral load. All scales were significantly associated with depression. Discussion: We found that scales were internally consistent, items correlated to an acceptable degree with their hypothesized scales, items were distinct from other scales, physical scales were associated with CD4 cell count and viral load, and all scales were associated with depression. These analyses provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the SF-36 as a measure of health status in HIV-positive HMH individuals.
Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods, 19th ed. J.B. Henry, ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1996, 1556 pp., $79.00. ISBN 0-7216-6030-4.

According to the preface, the new edition of this comprehensive textbook of clinical pathology is intended for an extremely broad audience—all clinicians, undergraduate medical students, medical technology students, and residents in pathology. For the clinical chemist, the main competition would be comprehensive textbooks such as those by Tietz or Kaplan and Pesce. Henry includes significant material that is becoming part of the practice of many clinical chemists, including hematology, molecular pathology, physician office laboratories, and immunology, but places much less emphasis on the basic principles of analysis, quality control, and methodology than do these other two texts. The differing emphasis suggests that Henry would be a good complement to one of the other textbooks. Unfortunately, Henry suffers from weaknesses that limit its utility. Numerous grammatical and factual errors were missed during the editing process. For example, testing for …