cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TU-AB-209-03: Identifying Useful Features for Visual-Search Model Observers

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), a limited-angle tomographic technique by its nature has multiple optimal system configurations, which can lead to many potential changes to the existing and new DBT systems entering the US market. With the availability of computational tools such as for modeling imaging physics, it is becoming increasingly important to conduct virtual trials for a rigorous, preclinical and task-based assessment of DBT. For such virtual assessment to be successful, it is critical to: (1) develop model-observer approaches that can account for patient data statistics stemming from realistic or real breast backgrounds as well as lesion characteristics, thereby performing given tasks effectively and (2) validate the model-observer approaches and their performance trends/levels with physical measurements from a prototype or real DBT system and a physical phantom ensemble. It is also important to understand trade-offs between patient (phantom) sample/effect size and observer performance reliability for gaining knowledge on how to choose appropriate model observers for the given tasks. In this session, a variety of model-observer approaches associated with currently available breast phantoms (either physical or virtual) and their sample size will be discussed. The presenters in this session will also discuss the limitations of each model observer approach to provide an understanding of the circumstances where each of these approaches can be more suitable than the others. The session is organized as follows: First, the development of virtual and physical phantoms that mimic breast anatomy will be presented. This will be followed by two presentations on model observers for DBT, one on the designing of model observers for signal-known-exactly (SKE) tasks and another on the development of visual search based model observers with the intent of identifying useful image features. Finally, this will be followed by practical examples where such model observers are applied to digital breast tomosynthesis.
An Introduction to Understanding and Teaching Within-Cluster Correlation in Complex Surveys

This econometrics pedagogy note points to online material that demonstrates the importance of using cluster standard errors (SEs) with data generated from complex surveys. Simulation is used to show that both classic ordinary least squares and robust SEs perform poorly in the presence of within-cluster correlated errors, while cluster SEs perform much better. We take advantage of Excel’s spreadsheet interface to produce clear and intuitive visuals of the data generation process and explain key results. Customizable Stata and R implementations, which help in further analysis by taking advantage of the unique different capabilities of Stata and R, are also provided. We conclude with suggestions for how to use these files in the classroom.
The Useful Economist

John Kenneth Galbraith, a leading scholar of the American institutionalist school, is the world’s most famous economist in the second half of the twentieth century. Among American economists of any era, he is rivalled only by Thorstein Veblen for the introduction of phrases that take on a life of their own in the literate idiom. Countervailing power, the conventional wisdom, the affluent society, the new industrial state, and the technostructure have become familiar even beyond Galbraith’s remarkably very wide readership. In the present century no other economist, excepting perhaps John Maynard Keynes, can claim so secure a place in the belles-lettres of the English-speaking world. This introductory chapter provides a brief biographical sketch of the man and his times, including an overview of his major works. It also offers a few tidbits to exemplify his fabled wit.
Development of a defect model for renal pediatric SPECT imaging research

Children generally are at greater risk from radiation exposure due to their greater sensitivity to radiation and the longer time frame after exposure during which effects can manifest themselves. Thus, reducing radiation exposure is a major concern in pediatric nuclear medicine imaging. Lower administered activities (AA) can reduce patient radiation exposure, but also result in reduced diagnostic accuracy. Typically, the administered activity for diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging of children is based on patient weight, but our previous studies have shown that weight alone may not be sufficient to accurately determine an optimal patient-specific AA. The ultimate goal of this work is to investigate the tradeoff between image quality and radiation risk as a function of AA, patient age, gender and body habitus that can be used to guide dosing of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) SPECT, a common pediatric nuclear medicine procedure for assessing renal function. In this work we created a model of kidney function defects and used it to generate defects for a population of anthropomorphic reference phantoms with realistic age-dependent variations in anatomy and pharmacokinetic model based organ uptakes. The population includes 90 phantoms modeling both genders, variations in height and weight, and ages from newborn to 15 years. The defects generated were projected using an analytic projection code that models physical image degrading effects and were scaled with variations in organ uptake based on a new kinetic model fit to published data and parameters extracted from pediatric SPECT images. Combined with a previously-generated database of projections, the defect database will be used in image quality studies to determine the relationship between image quality, administered activity, and patient height and weight. In conjunction with already-calculated risk estimates, these will provide data to inform guidelines for pediatric dosing of DMSA.
The Hispanic and Latino dentist workforce in the United States.

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, their general practice patterns, and their contributions to oral health care for H/L and underserved patients. Methods A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 35.4 percent response rate for self-reported H/L dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. A workforce profile of H/L dentists was created using descriptive and multivariable statistics and published data. Results Among all H/L dentists (weighted n = 5,748), 31.9 percent self-identify their origin as Mexican, 13.4 percent as Puerto Rican, 13.0 percent as Cuban, and 41.7 percent as another H/L group. The largest share of H/L dentists are male, married, and have children under age 18. Fifty percent of H/L dentists are foreign-born and 25 percent are foreign-trained. H/L dentists report higher than average educational debt, with those completing International Dentist Programs reporting the highest debt load. Sixty-nine percent of clinically active H/L dentists own their own practices, and 85 percent speak Spanish in their practice. Among clinical H/L dentists, 7 percent work in safety-net settings, 40 percent primarily treat underserved populations, and, on average, 42 percent of their patient population is H/L. Conclusions H/L dental providers are underrepresented in the dentist population, and those that are in practice shoulder a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. Improving the workforce diversity of dental providers is a critical part of strategy to address the high burden of dental disease in the H/L population.
A new 7Be AMS capability established at CAMS and the potential for large datasets

Abstract We have developed a 7Be measurement capability at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. This capability is tested with dilutions of a commercial 7Be tracer, a new 7Be reference material produced at CAMS (which we verify to be free of 10Be), and with experimental targets from a variety of sample matrices. Our results indicate that 7Be can be measured at high precision for low activities (∼1% for 0.1 Bq; ∼10% for 0.001 Bq), with an estimated detection limit of ∼0.0001 Bq (7Be/9Be of ∼7 × 10−17; equivalent to ∼103 atoms)—more than two orders of magnitude lower than that typical of counting techniques. Furthermore, because 10Be and 7Be sample preparation are identical, both isotopes can be measured on the same target with no additional laboratory preparation.
HIV Infection/AIDS*

As human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection becomes a much more chronic disease, a variety of stresses have become more apparent in the health-care team. The difficulties of dealing with a generally young population that is losing weight and becoming physically impaired and dependent have been severe. As the disease becomes chronic, health practitioners, particularly volunteers and people who themselves may be at risk for HIV, have become increasingly frustrated with their inability to deal with HIV over the long term.
LATR: Lazy Translation Coherence

We propose LATR-lazy TLB coherence-a software-based TLB shootdown mechanism that can alleviate the overhead of the synchronous TLB shootdown mechanism in existing operating systems. By handling the TLB coherence in a lazy fashion, LATR can avoid expensive IPIs which are required for delivering a shootdown signal to remote cores, and the performance overhead of associated interrupt handlers. Therefore, virtual memory operations, such as free and page migration operations, can benefit significantly from LATR's mechanism. For example, LATR improves the latency of munmap() by 70.8% on a 2-socket machine, a widely used configuration in modern data centers. Real-world, performance-critical applications such as web servers can also benefit from LATR: without any application-level changes, LATR improves Apache by 59.9% compared to Linux, and by 37.9% compared to ABIS, a highly optimized, state-of-the-art TLB coherence technique.
Use of secondary contraception following vasectomy: insights from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2007-2011.

Background: To assess postpartum use of secondary contraception with vasectomy within Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Methods: Secondary contraception and type of method used were assessed among married women reporting partner vasectomy 4 months after a recent live birth in female residents of 15 US states and New York City who participated in the 2007–2011 PRAMS. Results: Between 2007 and 2011, 1,004 married women who had a recent live birth participating in PRAMS reported they and their partners relied on vasectomy for postpartum contraception. Among these couples, 57.8% reported not using additional forms of contraception postpartum. Of those reporting additional contraception, condoms were most commonly used (50.0%), followed by oral contraceptive pills (26.5%), and withdrawal (9.5%). Multivariable modeling showed that use of secondary contraception was twice as high among women reporting a second birth versus women reporting a fourth or higher birth [adjusted prevalence odds ratio (POR) =2.0 (1.1–3.2)]. No other sociodemographic characteristics (maternal age, maternal race, parental education, household income) were significantly associated with use of secondary contraception with vasectomy. Conclusions: Most couples within PRAMS reporting partner vasectomy as postpartum contraception did not use secondary contraception in the months immediately after vasectomy, and, of those who did, most relied on less effective methods. Clinicians need to better understand reasons for limited use of secondary contraception with vasectomy to improve counseling strategies for reducing unintended pregnancy.
DEVELOPMENT OF SYMPATHETIC NERVE SUPPLIES TO HEART AND ADRENAL MEDULLA OF NEONATAL RAT

Development of functional innervation of heart and adrenal medulla was evaluated in neonatal rats by administration of insulin to elicit reflex sympathetic discharge. Insulin-evoked adrenal catecholamine release first appeared at 6 days of age and matured by 10 days. Stimulation of cardiac ornithine decarboxylase (linked to β-receptor activation) by insulin developed over a similar time course. Neonatal administration of thyroid hormone or methadone accelerated this neuronal development but eventually retarded development of the end-organs.
Mechanisms of Activity-Dependent Motoneuron Development and Survival in the Chick Embryo

Neurons in the central and peripheral neurons system become capable of generating axon potentials, neurotransmitter release and synaptic transmission prior to their complete differentiation and in some cases this functional activity begins at remarkably early stages of embryogenesis (Provine, 1973; O’Donovan, 1999; Milner and Landmesser, 1999). Overtly this neuronal function is manifested as embryonic and fetal movements and reflexes that have been the focus of considerable research over the past century (Hamburger, 1963; Oppenheim, 1982; Gotttlieb, 1973; Michel and Moore, 1995). The developmentally early appearance of neuronal activity and behavior raises the obvious question of what adaptive role, if any, is served by prenatal neurobehavioral function. Early neural activity may be an epiphenomenon, in that it merely indicates that neuronal differentiation is proceeding normally. Alternatively, this early function may be a necessary feature of early nervous system organization acting to prepare the nervous system for its later role in mediating complex behavioral patterns (Crair, 1999). Finally, early neurobehavioral function may serve some immediate developmental function, a role I have previously called ontogenetic adaptations (Oppenheim, 1981; Hall and Oppenheim, 1986). For example, neuromuscular function and embryonic movements are known to play a role in the normal differentiation of skeletal muscles, synovial joints, lung differentiation and synapse formation between motorneurons and muscle. In the course of attempting to examine what role neuromuscular activity plays in the chick embryo, we discovered another apparent ontogenetic adaptation-like role for early neural function.
Blue Emitting Single Crystalline Assembly of Metal Halide Clusters

The rich chemistry of organic–inorganic metal halide hybrids has enabled the development of a variety of crystalline structures with controlled morphological and molecular dimensionalities. Here we report for the first time a single crystalline assembly of metal halide clusters, (C9NH20)7(PbCl4)Pb3Cl11, in which lead chloride tetrahedrons (PbCl42–) and face-sharing lead chloride trimer clusters (Pb3Cl115–) cocrystallize with organic cations (C9NH20+) to form a periodical zero-dimensional (0D) structure at the molecular level. Blue light emission peaked at 470 nm with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE) of around 83% was realized for this single crystalline hybrid material, which is attributed to the individual lead chloride clusters. Our discovery of single crystalline assembly of metal halide clusters paves a new path to functional cluster assemblies with highly tunable structures and remarkable properties.
Strategies for Reducing Particle Defects in Ti and TiN Thin-Film Deposition Processes

Generation of particle defects in semiconductor manufacturing is inevitable, but it has to be minimized to enhance IC yield. There are various causes for the generation of particle defects in different semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as diffusion, thin-film deposition, lithography, etch, and clean. In this paper, primary defect generation mechanisms in thin-film deposition processes, such as atomic layer deposition TiN, radio frequency physical vapor deposition Ti, and physical vapor deposition TiN, are discussed. Various strategies, such as periodic clean optimization, on-load clean, idle pasting, periodic pasting optimization, kit life optimization, target burning optimization, and kit hardware selection that reduce the generation of defects in the thin-film deposition processes are presented. This paper also discusses hardware-induced surface defect and solutions to reduce them.
Therapist Values: Assessing and Treating Traditional and Nontraditional Relationships:

A common mental health assumption exists that all clinicians should be able to treat all problems and all clients. An unspoken belief among many clinicians is that nontraditional sexual preferences...
Abstract TP59: Experience With Endovascular Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Presenting With Low National Institute of Health Stroke Scale Scores

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (ET) is indicated for select patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (ACLVO) with NIHSS > 6. Safety and efficacy of ET in patients with NIHSS...
Dysfunctional Beliefs and Personality Traits

This study examined the pattern of associations between dimensions of personality dysfunction, dysfunctional beliefs, and adverse emotional outcomes. We recruited two samples of undergraduates (n = 167; n = 104). Dysfunctional beliefs showed positive correlations with pathological personality dimensions Negative Emotionality, Introversion, and Psychoticism, and negative correlations with Big Five dimensions of Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Conscientiousness. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that dysfunctional beliefs are predictive of adverse emotional outcomes above and beyond dimensions of personality dysfunction. Dysfunctional beliefs also mediated the relationship between personality traits (Negative Emotionality, Emotional Stability) and important emotional outcomes like depression, anxiety, anger, demoralization and cynicism. The implication of the mediation analyses is that dimensions of personality (i.e., Negative Emotionality, Emotional Stability) have their effect on a variety of affective outcomes by operating through the mechanism of dysfunctional beliefs.
STATUS OF THE CANARIAS INFRARED CAMERA EXPERIMENT (CIRCE) FOR THE GRAN TELESCOPIO CANARIAS

CIRCE is a near-infrared (1–2.5 μm) imager, polarimeter and low-resolution spectrograph intended as a visitor instrument for the Gran Telescopio Canarias. It is being built largely by graduate students and postdocs, with help from the UF astronomy engineering group, and is funded by the University of Florida and the U.S. National Science Foundation. CIRCE is intended to help fill the gap in time between GTC first light and the arrival of EMIR, and will also provide the following scientific capabilities to complement EMIR after its arrival: high-resolution imaging, narrowband imaging, hightime-resolution photometry, imagingand spectropolarimetry, low-resolution spectroscopy (Figure 1). We review the status of CIRCE and future prospects. The CIRCE vacuum jacket and handling cart are complete and tested in the laboratory. The CIRCE optical system has been fabricated, aligned, and tested, resulting in seeing-limited image quality down to seeing of <0.3-arcseconds FWHM. The main cryogenic mechanisms have been built and successfully tested under cryogenic conditions. We anticipate final integration of the system in early 2012, followed by system level testing. We expect CIRCE to be ready to ship to GTC in 2012.
Social Ecology of Feeding in an Open Ocean

Odontocetes typically live in groups, and strengths of associations among individuals likely affect coordination of behaviors while avoiding predators, having sex, rearing young, and locating, containing, and capturing prey. In this chapter, I concentrate on food. In determining “good” locations to search for prey, odontocetes likely use prior knowledge about their environment, either newly acquired or shared by others. To locate prey, odontocetes use a combination of echolocation, hearing, and sight, and these sensory as well as other potential modalities are likely combined in subtle ways to facilitate searching for prey as a group. After locating prey, toothed dolphins and whales at times work together to contain prey. Social prey containment occurs if the costs of containing prey increase feeding efficiency sufficiently to make it worthwhile to expend the energy. Benefits of coordinating behaviors to capture prey include increasing capture efficiency by working together to briefly disorganize a fish school, trap prey between dolphins, or debilitate prey. While much of this chapter focuses on epipelagic and mesopelagic odontocetes, we are learning more about how deep-diving dolphins and whales forage, and coordination there seems likely as well.
Evaluating a novel sign's impact on whether park visitors enter a dangerous river.

Between 1972 and 2015, 56 visitors to the two national parks that border the Potomac River Gorge experienced fatal drowning. In 2016, the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), and the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park (CHOH) partnered with a researcher to see if enhancement of their risk communication strategies could reduce behaviors that contribute to these deaths. An experimental sign, which informed visitors that water entry was illegal and could result in a fine exceeding $200 was developed, and displayed on alternating weekend days from July 30 to September 11, 2016. Those signs were displayed at each park’s entrance, on restroom doors, at trailheads, and at both shorelines of the Potomac. At other times the experimental signs were covered, but a standard safety sign was always present. Cameras were used to record water entries. Cameras captured 1441 images. Approximately 2% of the images in CHOH and 1% of the images in GWMP showed a visitor in the water. Our multivariate analysis revealed that air temperature, beach count, and sign condition were significantly associated with water entry. When our experimental sign was displayed, the odds of an image showing someone in the water was reduced by 63%. A sign alerting park visitors to the fact that water entry is illegal, and could potentially result in a considerable fine, was associated with significantly reduced risk-taking. While intuitive, this finding is a reminder to consider whether warnings that focus on non-health consequences might be more salient to at-risk populations.
A survey of syphilis knowledge among medical providers and students in Rhode Island.

Background:In the United States, syphilis cases have increased dramatically over the last decade. Recognition and timely diagnosis by medical providers are essential to treating syphilis and preven...
FPGA Bitstream Security: A Day in the Life

Security concerns for field-programmable gate array (FPGA) applications and hardware are evolving as FPGA designs grow in complexity, involve sophisticated intellectual properties (IPs), and pass through more entities in the design and implementation flow. FPGAs are now routinely found integrated into system-on-chip (SoC) platforms, cloud-based shared computing resources, and in commercial and government systems. The IPs included in FPGAs are sourced from multiple origins and passed through numerous entities (such as design house, system integrator, and users) through the lifecycle. This paper thoroughly examines the interaction of these entities from the perspective of the bitstream file responsible for the actual hardware configuration of the FPGA. Five stages of the bitstream lifecycle are introduced to analyze this interaction: 1) bitstream-generation, 2) bitstream-at-rest, 3) bitstream-loading, 4) bitstream-running, and 5) bitstream-end-of-life. Potential threats and vulnerabilities are discussed at each stage, and both vendor-offered and academic countermeasures are highlighted for a robust and comprehensive security assurance.
A masked initiation region in retinoblastoma protein regulates its proteasomal degradation

Retinoblastoma protein (Rb) is a tumor suppressor that binds and represses E2F transcription factors. In cervical cancer cells, human papilloma virus (HPV) protein E7 binds to Rb, releasing it from E2F to promote cell cycle progression, and inducing ubiquitination of Rb. E7-mediated proteasomal degradation of Rb requires action by another protease, calpain, which cleaves Rb after Lys 810. However, it is not clear why cleavage is required for Rb degradation. Here, we report that the proteasome cannot initiate degradation efficiently on full-length Rb. Calpain cleavage exposes a region that is recognized by the proteasome, leading to rapid proteolysis of Rb. These findings identify a mechanism for regulating protein stability by controlling initiation and provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying transformation by HPV. Human papilloma virus (HPV) E7 protein destabilizes the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) by inducing its ubiquitination in cervical cancer cells, however proteasomal degradation requires cleavage of Rb after Lys 810 and so far it has been unclear how Rb cleavage contributes to its degradation. Here, the authors combine cell based and in vitro assays and show that calpain cleavage exposes a region in Rb that is recognized by the proteasome, leading to rapid proteolysis of Rb, whereas the proteasome cannot initiate degradation efficiently on full-length Rb.
P521 Increases in the estimated number of reported gonorrhea cases among men who have sex with men (MSM): the role of testing

Background Interpreting trends in rates of reported cases of gonorrhea is difficult because infections, particularly extra-genital infections, are often asymptomatic and increased screening coverage will result in increased case detection. In the absence of national data on screening coverage among men who have sex with men (MSM), we estimated trends in MSM testing in the United States given a range of positivity estimates. Methods We estimated the number of tests that would have had to occur to identify the estimated number of reported gonorrhea cases among MSM in a given year. The number of tests was calculated by dividing the annual number of estimated cases among MSM (based on sentinel surveillance) by estimated test positivity among MSM (based on published literature). We calculated the estimated number of tests under both low positivity (3.5%) and high positivity (10%), as well as the effect of stable and changing positivity during 2016–2017. Results The estimated number of reported gonorrhea cases among MSM increased by 17.9% during 2016–2017 (from 163,537 to 192,740). We estimated that 1.9 million (assuming 10% positivity) to 5.5 million (assuming 3.5% positivity) tests performed among MSM would be needed to detect the estimated number of gonorrhea cases among MSM in 2017. This represents an increase of approximately 290,000 to 830,000 tests over the estimated number of tests conducted in 2016. Alternatively, if the number of tests was stable over time, a 0.6 to 1.8 percentage point increase in positivity from 2016 to 2017 would be consistent with the increase in observed cases. Conclusion We provide a framework to inform trends in case rates by analyzing the impact of changes in positivity and testing over time. Our analysis implies that estimated increases in reported gonorrhea cases among MSM likely resulted from both increased screening and increased incidence. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Chapter 40 – Thyroid Hormone and Bone

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the relationship of the in vitro effects of thyroid hormone on bone cells to the observed effects of the hormone on the skeleton in vivo in both experimental animals and clinical studies. Thyroid hormone has profound effects on skeletal development and differentiation, and also modulates the activities of mature bone. Thyroid hormone receptors are encoded by two genes, one found on chromosome 17 encoding TRα and one on chromosome 3 encoding TRβ. Thyroid hormones interact with both nuclear receptors and membrane-binding sites in bone and influence many of the phenotypic responses of bone cells. In intact organisms, deficiency or excess thyroid hormone can alter skeletal development and maintenance, indicating the importance of physiological concentrations of the hormones for normal skeletal physiology. The role of thyroid hormones in amplifying bone turnover are evident from clinical studies, in vivo investigations in animals, and in vitro models. There is dose dependence to the effects, with anabolic effects declining and catabolic effects becoming more prominent with the higher concentrations of thyroid hormone present in hyperthyroidism and with the higher doses that are used for suppressive therapy. Determination of TSH to guide thyroid hormone dosage can decrease the occurrence of bone loss resulting from the therapeutic use of thyroid hormone. The anabolic effects of thyroid hormone on bone are more apparent in younger animals and children, consistent with the possibility that growth factors can have significant mediating or modulating effects. Thyroid hormones increase IGF-I in osteoblasts and experimental animals and elevated circulating thyroid hormones are associated with increases in IGF-I and IGFBPs in patients.
Recommendations for the Conduct and Reporting of Research Involving Flexible Electronic Health Record–Based Interventions

In the past 2 decades, the United States has seen widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and a transition from mostly locally developed EHRs to commercial systems. However, most research on quality improvement and safety interventions in EHRs is still conducted at a single site, in a single EHR. Although single-site studies are important early in the innovation lifecycle, multisite studies of EHR interventions are critical for generalizability. Because EHR software, configuration, and local context differ considerably across health care organizations, it can be difficult to implement a single, standardized intervention across multiple sites in a study. This article outlines key strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities for standardization of EHR interventions in multisite studies and describes flexible trial designs suitable for studying complex interventions, including EHR interventions. It also outlines key considerations for reporting on flexible trials of EHR interventions, including sharing details of the process for designing interventions and their content, details of outcomes being studied and approaches for pooling, and the importance of sharing code and configuration whenever possible.
Acceptability of Routine Point-of-Care Early Infant Diagnosis in Eight African Countries: Findings From a Qualitative Assessment of Clinical and Laboratory Personnel.

Background The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation introduced point-of-care (POC) testing for early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV in 8 African countries. Understanding experiences and opinions of users can help facilitate introduction and sustainability. Setting Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. Methods Structured interviews with health care workers (HCWs) providing EID services and semistructured interviews with national and regional laboratory managers or EID program managers were conducted before and after the implementation of POC EID. Survey responses were analyzed and compared; open-ended responses were analyzed by theme. Results In total, 234 and 175 interviews with HCWs and 28 and 14 interviews with laboratory or program managers were conducted before and after the introduction of POC EID, respectively. In preintervention interviews, challenges identified with laboratory-based EID testing included distance from patients' residence to the health facility, time-consuming sample transportation to central laboratories, stockout of testing kits, and long wait times for results. Postintervention data revealed that HCWs found POC EID easy to use and were very satisfied with the fast turnaround time and ability to initiate treatment for HIV-infected infants sooner. Laboratory managers were also supportive of scaling-up POC testing although cautious of the need for reliable infrastructure to operate platforms. The recommendation was that POC EID be integrated within the national diagnostic testing network. Conclusions Support for POC EID from key stakeholders is essential for sustainability. Overall, participants supported the rollout of POC testing for EID, noting challenges and opportunities for scaling-up POC EID and recommending integration into the overall EID system.
State Legislative Redistricting: The Effectiveness of Traditional Districting Principles in the 2010 Wave

Advocates of redistricting reform believe that traditional districting principles (TDPs) were ineffective in constraining partisan gerrymanders during the 2010 redistricting wave. Yet in the wake o...
G544(P) What do young people think can be improved with the transition to adult services

Aims Local audit showed NICE Guidance regarding the transition of young people (YP) to adult services is not well implemented. This qualitative service improvement project investigated the perspectives of YP transitioning from a tertiary paediatric nephrology service to adult services. The aim was to identify key factors underpinning positive and negative experiences of transition and provide suggestions for change in practice to better support transition for YP. Methods Institutional ethics approval was sought but deemed unnecessary and informed written consent gained. Young people attending a renal patient summer camp were questioned through critical incident technique via both written questionnaire and semi-structured focus group discussion overseen by two researchers. Transcribed responses were thematically analysed by two investigators independently, then agreed upon jointly. Results Of 11 participants (13–30 y, average 21 y, 36% female), only 30% knew what ReadySteadyGo was, the locally employed transition tool. 15 themes were identified, organised into 5 key factors underpinning positive experiences of transition: 1) Preparation for adult services; 2) Approach adopted by staff; 3) Chances to talk; 4) Peer support; and 5) Environmental improvement. Conclusion Young people generated recommendations to improve the experience of transition. These included improving preparation through familiarisation with staff and places by being introduced to the new team sooner with more opportunities to interact, trips to the new unit and more information about the practicalities within adult services. YP wanted staff to be more like friends, ideally with some familiar faces on both sides of transition. They wanted staff to ease YP into transition gradually and tailor the process to each YP’s individual needs, to be honest about pros and cons and provide truthful experiences from other patients, acknowledge YP’s concerns by listening to how they feel and empower YP to take more involvement with learning to promote self-efficacy. Additionally, YP wanted the opportunity to talk about their life experiences, and particularly valued the support of peers. Through socialising with others their age with similar chronic conditions, YP were able to share experiences and feel normal. Finally, YP wanted adult services to invest in comfort and entertainment as provided in paediatric services.
Changes in Matrix Components in the Developing Human Meniscus.

Background:Treatment of meniscal tears is necessary to maintain the long-term health of the knee joint. Morphological elements, particularly vascularity, that play an important role in meniscal hea...
Modulation of crystal growth and structure within cerium-based metal–organic frameworks

The intriguing catalytic properties of cerium-based materials have motivated the development of Ce-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). However, the controlled crystallization of Ce MOFs remains nascent due to complications with the high reduction potential of Ce4+ species. Modulators offer a route in other well-studied coordination networks to slow down crystallization processes to allow for corrective, uniform crystal growth. Herein, we report an investigation of modulator identity and concentration on the synthesis of a Ce-UiO-type MOF with 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDC) as a linker. At low concentrations using both benzoic acid and trifluoroacetic acid, we observed a mononuclear Ce3+ MOF (NU-350) through single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Higher modulator concentrations yielded pure-phase Ce-UiO-NDC, with uniform particle sizes observed with utilizing benzoic acid as a modulator. Moreover, we demonstrated the transferability of this synthesis through the pure-phase synthesis of Ce-UiO-66 with benzoic acid as a modulator. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed a single crystalline domain within Ce-UiO-NDC.
Shortest non-separating st-path on chordal graphs.

Many NP-Hard problems on general graphs, such as maximum independence set, maximal cliques and graph coloring can be solved efficiently on chordal graphs. In this paper, we explore the problem of non-separating st-paths defined on edges: for a connected undirected graph and two vertices, a non-separating path is a path between the two vertices such that if we remove all the edges on the path, the graph remains connected. We show that on general graphs, checking the existence of non-separating st-paths is NP-Hard, but the same problem can be solved in linear time on chordal graphs. In the case that such path exists, we introduce an algorithm that finds the shortest non-separating st-path on a connected chordal graph of $n$ vertices and $m$ edges with positive edge lengths that runs in $O(n\log{n} + m)$ time.
Access to Lung Cancer Screening in the Veterans Health Administration: Does Geographic Distribution Match Need in the Population?

Background Studies show uneven access to Medicare-approved lung cancer screening (LCS) programs across the United States. The Veterans Health Administration (VA), the largest national US integrated health system, is potentially well positioned to coordinate LCS services across regional units to ensure that access matches distribution of need nationally. Research Question To what extent does LCS access (considering both VA and partner sites) and use match the distribution of eligible Veterans at state and regional levels? Methods In this retrospective analysis, we identified LCS examinations in VA facilities between 2013 and 2019 from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse and plotted VA facilities with LCS geographically. We compared estimated LCS rates (unique Veterans screened per LCS-eligible population) across states and VA regional units. Finally, we assessed whether the VA’s new partnership with the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer (which includes more than 750 LCS centers) closes geographic gaps in LCS access. Results We identified 71,898 LCS examinations in 96 of 139 (69.1%) VA facilities in 44 states between 2013 and 2019, with substantial variation across states (0-8 VA LCS facilities per state). Screening rates among eligible Veterans in the population varied more than 30-fold across regional networks (rate ratio, 33.6; 95% CI, 30.8-36.7 for VA New England vs Veterans Integrated Service Network 4), with weak correlation between eligible populations and LCS rates (coefficient, –0.30). Partnering with the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer expands capacity and access (eg, all states now have ≥ 1 VA or partner LCS site), but 9 of the 12 states with the highest proportions of rural Veterans still have ≤ 3 total LCS facilities. Interpretation Disparities in LCS access exist based on where Veterans live, particularly for rural Veterans, even after partnering with the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer. The nationally integrated VA system has an opportunity to leverage regional resources to distribute and coordinate LCS services better to ensure equitable access.
Refactoring Cost Estimation for Architectural Technical Debt

Paying-off the Architectural Technical Debt by refactoring the flawed code is important to control the debt and to keep it as low as possible. Project Managers tend to delay paying off this debt be...
Conceptualization of switching costs in fitness centers: a higher-order reflective-formative model

HIGHLIGHTSWe identify switching costs dimensions associated with fitness centres.We propose a higher-order reflective-formative fitness switching costs model.We provide conceptual definitions of sw...
Daily indoor-to-outdoor temperature and humidity relationships: a sample across seasons and diverse climatic regions

The health consequences of heat and cold are usually evaluated based on associations with outdoor measurements collected at a nearby weather reporting station. However, people in the developed world spend little time outdoors, especially during extreme temperature events. We examined the association between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity in a range of climates. We measured indoor temperature, apparent temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and specific humidity (a measure of moisture content in air) for one calendar year (2012) in a convenience sample of eight diverse locations ranging from the equatorial region (10 °N) to the Arctic (64 °N). We then compared the indoor conditions to outdoor values recorded at the nearest airport weather station. We found that the shape of the indoor-to-outdoor temperature and humidity relationships varied across seasons and locations. Indoor temperatures showed little variation across season and location. There was large variation in indoor relative humidity between seasons and between locations which was independent of outdoor airport measurements. On the other hand, indoor specific humidity, and to a lesser extent dew point, tracked with outdoor, airport measurements both seasonally and between climates, across a wide range of outdoor temperatures. These results suggest that, in general, outdoor measures of actual moisture content in air better capture indoor conditions than outdoor temperature and relative humidity. Therefore, in studies where water vapor is among the parameters of interest for examining weather-related health effects, outdoor measurements of actual moisture content can be more reliably used as a proxy for indoor exposure than the more commonly examined variables of temperature and relative humidity.
Regulation of Actin Interacting Protein Drebrin by Mutations in HSPB1

Heat shock protein B1 (HspB1) is an ATP-independent molecular chaperone with a conserved α-crystalline domain in the C-termini region. A number of mutations in HspB1 have been identified in familie...
SU‐D‐210‐04: Using Radiotherapy Biomaterials to Brand and Track Deadly Cancer Cells

Purpose: Metastasis accounts for over 90% of all cancer associated suffering and death and arguably presents the most formidable challenges in cancer management. The detection of metastatic or rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood or lymph nodes remains a formidable technological challenge. In this study, we investigated the time needed to label each cancer cell in-situ (right at the source tumor) with sufficient number of GNPs that will allow enhanced non-invasive detection via photoacoustic imaging in the lymph nodes. Such in-situ labeling can be achieved via sustained release of the GNPs from Radiotherapy (RT) biomaterials (e.g. fiducials, spacers) coated/loaded with the GNP. Methods: The minimum concentration (1000 GNPs/cell for 50nm GNPs) to detect GNPs with photoacoustic imaging method was experimentally measured by Mallidi et al. and fixed at the tumor sub-volume periphery. In this work, the GNPs were assumed to diffuse from a point source, placed in the middle of a 2–3cm tumor, with an initial concentration of 7–30 mg/g. The time required to label the cells with GNPs was calculated by solving the three dimensional diffusion-reaction equation analytically. The diffusion coefficient of 10nm GNPs was experimentally determined previously. Stokes-Einstein equation was used to calculate the diffusion coefficients formore » other sizes (2–50nm) of GNPs. The cellular uptake rate constants for several sizes of GNPs were experimentally measured by Jin et al. Results: The time required to label the cells was found 0.635–15.91 days for 2–50nm GNPs with an initial concentration of 7 mg/g GNPs in a 2 cm tumor; 1.379–34.633 days for 2–50nm GNPs with an initial concentration of 30 mg/g GNPs in a 3cm tumor. Conclusion: Our results highlight new potential for labeling CTCs with GNPs released from smart RT biomaterials (i.e. fiducials or spacers loaded with the GNP) towards enhanced non-invasive imaging/detection via photoacoustic imaging.« less
Promoter Sequences of the Human Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Gene Responsive to Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Autoinduction

Two distinct regions of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 promoter are responsive to autoregulation. Sequences located between nucleotides -454 to -323 and between the two major transcriptional start sites have positive regulatory activities and are induced by TGF-beta 1 in A-549 cells. The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity of the upstream human TGF-beta 1 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene is increased 8- to 10-fold by treatment of cells with TGF-beta 1, whereas that of the second promoter is increased approximately 3- to 4-fold. Using an S1 nuclease protection assay of chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase mRNA, we found that the steady-state expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase mRNA also is markedly increased. Seven distinct factors present in nuclear extracts from A-549 cells interact with the sequences between -454 and -323, strongly supporting the involvement of sequence-specific transcription factors in the transcriptional autoactivation of the human TGF-beta 1 gene.
From robot dreams to reality

Can evolutionary principles be used to automate machine design? A new study evolves robot body parts and nervous systems inside a computer, and then physically builds them, so giving birth to real machines created by virtual evolution.
Women Veterans' Preferences for Intimate Partner Violence Screening and Response Procedures Within the Veterans Health Administration

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant health issue faced by women veterans, but little is known about their preferences for IPV-related care. Five focus groups were conducted with 24 women Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with and without a lifetime history of IPV to understand their attitudes and preferences regarding IPV screening and responses within VHA. Women veterans wanted disclosure options, follow-up support, transparency in documentation, and VHA and community resources. They supported routine screening for IPV and articulated preferences for procedural aspects of screening. Women suggested that these procedures could be provided most effectively when delivered with sensitivity and connectedness. Findings can inform the development of IPV screening and response programs within VHA and other healthcare settings.
Development of Interests at the Transitional Age

The key to the whole problem of the psychological development of the adolescent is the problem of interests during the transitional age. All human psychological functions at each stage of development function not without a system, not automatically and not accidentally but within a certain system, directed by certain tendencies, trends, and interests established in the personality.
Understanding Icy Worlds to Maximize Science Return on Future Missions

Missions to the outer planets are challenging. Far beyond the asteroid belt, the Sun is a weak source of energy—radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) tend to be the power system of choice over solar panels. The radiation environments can be extreme. Yet these icy worlds call to us. Some have icy plumes erupting into space; some are laden with organic material. All of the ingredients for life are there—water, chemistry, and energy—meaning that these planets could be livable environments.
Chlorophyll stain penetration of a tooth: report of a case.

Abstract A case of green-black staining of an upper central incisor tooth apparently caused by the slight penetration of chlorophyll through clinically intact enamel is reported in a patient treated for chronic gingivitis coincident with the wearing of orthodontic appliances.