cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Know my radiotracer: Nuclear medicine prototype flash cards for physicians - Part two

1278 Learning Objectives Expand on the concept of nuclear medicine flash cards for physicians: 1. Present evidence based facts and images for each radiotracer in a syllabus format. 2. Serve as a study aid for in-training physicians. 3. Assist nuclear radiology physicians in everyday practice. Normal physiological distribution of radiotracers is important for the interpretation of nuclear medicine (NM) studies. We previously introduced the concept of NM Flashcards as a study aid for physicians, using 5 x 7 inch laminated paper, demonstrating the unique normal distribution of each radiotracer (J Nucl Med. 2013; 54 (Supplement 2):1254). Since that time, these flashcards have been used for self-teaching by our in-training physicians and educational benefits were evaluated. Since each radiotracer may demonstrate a wide range of abnormal findings, we concluded that presenting clinical NM study images as an adjunct to color based illustrations for both normal and abnormal distributions would improve learning techniques. NM study images facilitate easier correlation to daily clinical practice, enhance self-directed learning and retention of information in a syllabus format. Flashcards Part-Two are comprised of two laminated cards for each radiotracer: The first card has color illustrations and NM study images of normal tracer distribution. The second card presents abnormal tracer distribution in the same manner, also utilizing color illustrations and NM study images. The front of the card includes the tracer name and color illustrations, which are graphically reproduced on an outline of the human body. The back of the card displays de-identified NM clinical study images but omits the tracer name in order to facilitate self-quizzing. At the end of this presentation, readers will be able to recognize abnormal tracer distribution of commonly used radiotracers. Knowledge gained from NM flashcards may be useful for daily practice and scholastic examinations. Samples of hard copy prototype flashcards will be presented for the purpose of this exhibit.
Transformative Experience of Master of Occupational Therapy Students in a Non-traditional Fieldwork Setting

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this qualitative pilot study is to further understand the transformative experiences of Master of Occupational Therapy students who engaged in a role emerging fieldwork. Five students were interviewed and their reflective journals were analyzed following a fieldwork experience at an at-risk youth shelter. Four themes emerged through the coding process: fear and anxiety of the unknown, clinical reasoning and self-reflection, personal and professional growth, and further understanding of occupational therapy. Results indicate the powerful impact of role emerging fieldwork on the development of the student and provide a framework for meeting the standards of psychosocial fieldwork experiences.
Increasing Seismic Resolution by Post-stack Processing Procedures in Postle Field, Oklahoma

Summa ry The thickness of the producing sand layer in Postle field is below tuning thickness. In reflection seismology, tuning happens when the ratio of seismic wavelength to bed thickness is equal to or greater than four. When tuning happens, the amplitude of the overlying layer shows a linear relationship with the thickness of the underlying layer (in this case, reservoir layer). This relationship is used in studying thin reservoirs. However, to perform more sophisticated characterization of a thin reservoir such as time lapse, that linear relationship is not enough and it is required to measure reservoir characteristics directly. To see the reservoir layer, it is necessary to increase frequency content of seismic data while keeping the noise level low at high frequencies. The current methods of frequency enhancement in the industry cannot provide enough increase in the frequency content to make the reservoir layer visible. In this study, I have created a workflow to increase the frequency content of seismic data without introducing noise. The bandwidth extension procedure begins with a zero-phase spiking deconvolution. This procedure increases the frequency content, but it tends to decrease signal to noise ratio at high frequencies. To make sure that no incoherent noise is extrapolated, the original dataset is split into seven frequency subsets using band pass filter. A mild smoothing filter on each subset prepares them for extrapolation and removes incoherent noise. Then sparse-spike deconvolution is applied on each subset separately. When the subsets are stacked back, extrapolated noise is suppressed if any exist. Sparse-spike deconvolution can see very subtle changes in the waveform that are related to thin layers. Furthermore, frequency splitting method helps sparse-spike deconvolution detect spikes more effectively. Lastly, zero-phase spiking deconvolution increases the power of those subtle spikes and makes them visible in the seismic image. The workflow is linear, so the result is reversible. That is, if the high-frequency data are filtered back to the original bandwidth, the result is the same as the original product. The final product of my workflow has a flat spectrum while showing greater spatial and temporal resolution than the original data.
Sound Perception by Two Species of Wax Moths (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Both the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L., and the lesser wax moth, Achroia grisella (Fabricius), can detect sounds with their tympanic hearing organs over an exceptional frequency range of less than 20 kHz to over 300 kHz. Laser vibrometry studies showed that the tympana of both species vibrate in response to sound from 26 to 260 kHz with a peak between 55 and 80 kHz. Although the hearing range for both species is similar, behavioral responses are different. The tests also showed that both moths tilt the tympanum immediately in response to ultrasound; however, the angle and characteristics of tilting are distinctive for each species. The tympanum of the lesser wax moth tilts about 7 degrees and tends to remain somewhat tilted while continuous sound is applied. The tympanum of the greater wax moth tilts about 3 degrees, returns to the original position and tilts again repeatedly for several hours when continuous sound is applied. Tympanic vibration and tilting are important indicators that these moths respond to a wide range of ultrasonic frequencies.
Simulation, Fabrication and Measurement of Infrared Frequency Selective Surfaces

We show reflection and transmission measurements from frequency selective surfaces over a broad angular and wavelength range in the midwave infrared and compare to computational models using EIGERTM, a method-of-moments code.
Effect of dietary fructose on broiler chick performance.

The effect of feeding various levels of dietary fructose, furnished by high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), to broiler-type chicks housed in Petersime batteries was studied in two experiments. In experiment 1, HFCS was added to a corn-soybean meal basal diet at levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15%. In Experiment 2, HFCS was added to the diet at levels of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 15%. In both experiments diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. In Experiment 1, chicks fed HFCS consumed more feed (P less than or equal to .05) and grew more rapidly (P less than or equal to .05) than chicks fed the control diet. No differences in the feed to gain ratio were observed among treatments. Feeding HFCS resulted in non-significantly higher liver weight and percent liver lipid. Values for kidney weights and plasma uric acid were higher (P less than or equal to .05) in chicks fed 15% HFCS. In Experiment 2, adding 4, 6, and 15% HFCS resulted in more rapid growth (P less than or equal to .05). No significant differences were observed in feed intake and kidney weights. Chicks fed the 15% HFCS diet had heavier (P less than or equal to .05) livers.
Emerging targets in treating pain.

Purpose of reviewTo provide an overview on drug targets and emerging pharmacological treatment options for chronic pain.Recent findingsChronic pain poses an enormous socioeconomic burden for the more than 30% of people who suffer from it, costing over $600 billion per year in the USA. In recent year
Dynamic stress analysis for homocetric cavities under a range of semi-cylindrical homocentric hills impacted by SH-wave

Dynamic response of homocentric cavities under a range of semi-cylindrical homocentric hills impacted by SH-wave is studied by using a "conjunction",complex functions,and the multi-polar-coordinate method.The model is divided into two parts,and the scattering wave functions are constructed separately in each one.Then a conjunction is made at common boundaries of the two parts to find the solution of the problem,the displacement and stress continuity conditions on the interfaces are holded.Computational examples are presented,and the influence of wave number and wave incidence angle on dynamic stress concentration factor(DSCF) is discussed.
Insensitivity of Diverse and Temporally Variable Particle-Associated Microbial Communities to Bulk Seawater Environmental Parameters.

ABSTRACT There is a growing recognition of the roles of marine microenvironments as reservoirs of biodiversity and as sites of enhanced biological activity and in facilitating biological interactions. Here, we examine the bacterial community inhabiting free-living and particle-associated seawater microenvironments at the Pivers Island Coastal Observatory (PICO). 16S rRNA gene libraries from monthly samples (July 2013 to August 2014) were used to identify microbes in seawater in four size fractions: >63 μm (zooplankton and large particles), 63 to 5 μm (particles), 5 to 1 μm (small particles/dividing cells), and 63 μm), suggest that particle composition, including eukaryotes and their associated microbiomes, may be an important factor in selecting for specific particle-associated bacteria. IMPORTANCE By comparing levels of particle-associated and free-living bacterial diversity at a coastal location over the course of 14 months, we show that bacteria associated with particles are generally more diverse and appear to be less responsive to commonly measured environmental variables than free-living bacteria. These diverse and highly variable particle-associated communities are likely driven by differences in particle substrates both within the water column at a single time point and due to seasonal changes over the course of the year.
Critical Global Competence and the C3 in Social Studies Education

ABSTRACTResearch in global education has turned toward global citizenship education and the fostering of a more critical reading of the tenets of “soft” global education laid out over four decades ago in Hanvey's (1976) “An Attainable Global Perspective.” Interested in skill building and informed application of concepts forwarded within critical approaches to global education, this article brings the NCSS C3 inquiry arc together with standards for Global Competence Education within social studies education. Using food insecurity as an example, the conceptualization provided demonstrates how coupling the C3 with the Global Competence standards creates a framework that social studies educators can use to prepare students to participate as informed, responsible, and critically minded change agents within complex and unequal global systems.
Comparison of beam and shell theories for the vibrations of thin turbomachinery blades

Vibration analysis of turbomachinery blades has traditionally been carried out by means of beam theory. In recent years two-dimensional methods of blade vibration analysis have been developed, most of which utilize finite elements and tend to require considerable computation time. More recently a two-dimensional method of blade analysis has evolved which does not require finite elements and is based upon shell equations. The present investigation has the primary objective to demonstrate the accuracy and limitations of blade vibration analyses which utilize one-dimensional, beam theories. It is found that beam theory is generally inadequate to determine the free vibration frequencies and mode shapes of moderate to low aspect ratio turbomachinery blades. The shallow shell theory, by contrast, is capable of representing all the vibration modes accurately. However, the one-dimensional beam theory has an important advantage over the two-dimensional shell theory for blades and vibration modes. It uses fewer degrees of freedom, thus requiring less computer time.
Remapping Copyright Functionality: The Quixotic Search for a Unified Test of Separability for PGS Works

Intellectual property protection of design has been a vexing problem, perhaps more so in the United States than in Europe. Debates in the United States over design protection, whether conducted in the legislature or the courts, have centered on creating incentives for vexatious litigation among competitors and the adequacy of existing copyright, trademark, and patent laws in protecting the economic interests of designers. As the United States has not adopted a sui generis statute to protect designs, the debate continues within trademark, patent, and copyright laws as to the scope of protection for purely ornamental features of a work. This Article focuses on the debate within copyright, made particularly salient by the United States Supreme Court’s decision to review Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands in the 2016-2017 term.This Article explores the dilemmas confronting the Court in identifying the appropriate test for separability. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the intermediate appeals court whose decision in Star Athletica the Supreme Court is reviewing, identified nine distinct tests adopted by the intermediate appellate courts to separate copyrightable aesthetics from noncopyrightable function in a given work. The Sixth Circuit also announced its own hybrid test. These tests are the product of nearly forty years of jurisprudence, at least since the current Copyright Act of 1976. It is difficult to imagine how the Court will identify the one correct test from all these options. Most likely, it will distill some general principles to help guide the lower courts in reviewing cases, drawing on its foundational decision in Mazer v. Stein. Perhaps these principles will evolve into some clear rules and applicable standards. Most likely, litigation will continue and jurisprudence on separability will continue to proliferate. The case of maps and charts, although seemingly far removed from cheerleader outfits, fashion design, and accessorizing, provides a window into the dilemma of creating a coherent doctrine of copyright functionality. This Article casts attention maps and charts, in part, because they comprised, along with books, the original subject matter of copyright the first United States statute enacted in 1790.
Prognostic markers in smear preparations for pancreatic endocrine neoplasms: A cytomorphologic study and statistical analysis of 20 potential prognostic features.

Background: Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology guidelines place low- and intermediate-grade pancreatic endocrine tumors into the neoplastic, other category whereas high-grade pancreatic endocrine tumors are placed in the malignant category. No attempt was made to stratify pancreatic endocrine tumors in the neoplastic, other category by likelihood for metastases. Histologically, pancreatic endocrine tumors are divided into well, intermediate, and poorly differentiated examples based on mitotic count and Ki-67 proliferation index (PI). PI has been used in the evaluation of cytologic specimens utilizing cell block material. Unfortunately, cell block material may not always be available for analysis, and little data exists as to cytomorphologic features in smear preparations which might distinguish between low- and intermediate-grade endocrine neoplasms and predict metastases. Methods: We studied 36 cases of Diff-Quik stained smear preparations for 20 morphologic features to determine which best-classified cases into poor and not poor outcome categories. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between the morphologic features and outcomes. Results: Absolute agreement between raters ranged from 51% to 97% across the 20 morphologic features. About 12 of the 20 morphologic features showed statistically significant associations with poor outcome. Mitoses, irregular nuclear membranes, and 3-fold variation in nuclear size are the best discriminators between poor and not poor outcomes. Conclusions: A scoring system was developed utilizing mitoses, irregular nuclear membranes, and 3-fold variation in nuclear size to divide smears of pancreatic endocrine tumors into poor and not poor outcome groups. The scoring system achieved 84% accuracy in separating cases into poor and not poor outcomes.
Physics, metaphorically speaking

Scientists are of two minds about metaphors and analogies. Early last century, the physicist Pierre Duhem regarded metaphors and analogies as important psychological, explanatory and educational tools for scientists, but insisted that they played no role in the structure of science itself. Many still agree. "When thinking about nature," the zoologist Richard Lewontin wrote recently in Natural History (April 2000 p94), "beware of metaphors."
Migration and Community Resilience in Nicaraguan Afro-Caribbean Coastal Communities:

Bluefields, Nicaragua, is a diverse and complex city that has a panoply of cultures and languages. Youth face complex issues due to geographic, cultural, and linguistic differences from the broader...
Automated Adherence Reminders for High Risk Children With Asthma: A Research Protocol.

Background: The use of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) medications has been shown to improve asthma control and reduce asthma-related morbidity and mortality. Two recent randomized trials demonstrated dramatic improvements in ICS adherence by monitoring adherence with electronic sensors and providing automated reminders to participants to take their ICS medications. Given their lower levels of adherence and higher levels of asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and death, urban minority populations could potentially benefit greatly from these types of interventions. Objective: The principal objective of this study will be to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and limited efficacy of a text message (short message service, SMS) reminder intervention to enhance ICS adherence in an urban minority population of children with asthma. We will also assess trajectories of ICS adherence in the 2 months following asthma hospitalization. Methods: Participants will include 40 children aged 2-13 years, who are currently admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for asthma, and their parent or legal guardian. Participants will be assigned to intervention and control arms using a 1:1 randomization scheme. The intervention arm will receive daily text message reminders for a 30-day intervention phase following hospitalization. This will be followed by a 30-day follow-up phase, in which all participants may choose whether or not to receive the text messages. Feasibility will be assessed by measuring (1) retention of the participants through the study phases and (2) perceived usefulness, acceptability, and preferences regarding the intervention components. Limited efficacy outcomes will include percent adherence to prescribed ICS regimen measured using Propeller Health sensors and change in parent-reported asthma control. We will perform an exploratory analysis to assess for discrete trajectories of adherence using group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM). Results: Study enrollment began in December 2015 and the intervention and follow-up phases are ongoing. Results of the data analysis are expected to be available by December 2016. Conclusions: This study will add to the literature by providing foundational feasibility data on which elements of a mobile health text-message reminder intervention may need to be modified to suit the needs and constraints of high-risk urban minority populations. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02615743; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02615743 (Archived with WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ji59rAXN) [JMIR Res Protoc 2017;6(3):e48]
Closed-Form Solutions for the Transient and Steady-State Temperature of a Lumped Mass Coupled to Linear and Radiant Boundaries

Exact closed-form solutions describing the transient and steady-state temperature of a lumped mass, linearly coupled to a fixed-temperature boundary and radiatively coupled to a second fixed-temperature boundary, with a constant impressed heat load, are derived. The results are verified by evaluation of limiting cases and comparison with commercial finite-difference heat transfer software.
Datacenter optics: requirements, technologies, and trends (Invited Paper)

We review over a decade of technology evolution and advancement of intra-datacenter optical interconnect, mainly driven by the explosive bandwidth growth of web and cloud-based services. Emerging trends and technology options to scale interface bandwidth beyond 400 Gb/s will also be discussed.
The effects of IT-related attributional style on technology training.

Technology training is firmly established as a key factor that influences successful technology adoption and use. Certain variables may affect the intention to participate in technology training wh...
Some Judgements on Judgments: A View from America

(2008). Some Judgements on Judgments: A View from America. King's Law Journal: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 235-263.
Focal Nodular Hyperplasia

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign tumor of the liver. PET/MR imaging can accurately detect FNH by displaying characteristic MR imaging characteristics, especially with hepatocyte-specific contrast agents. FNH tends to show normal to decreased metabolic uptake on PET/MR.
Intimate Partner Violence and Uptake of Antenatal Care: A Scoping Review of Low- and Middle-Income Country Studies.

Context Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. Antenatal care can act as a link to IPV services, but experiencing IPV may be associated with reduced uptake of antenatal care, an issue that has received little attention from researchers. Methods A scoping review was conducted to synthesize quantitative research on IPV and uptake of antenatal care in low-resource settings. Keyword searches of PubMed and other databases and snowball searches of reference lists were conducted to identify articles published in 2005-2015 that measured one or more types of IPV (physical, sexual or emotional) or controlling behavior and assessed the relationship of such abuse with use of antenatal care. For each identified article, key characteristics and findings were abstracted, and study quality was assessed. Results Sixteen articles, representing 10 low- and middle-income countries, met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were of medium-to-high quality but low rigor, reflecting the abundance of cross-sectional studies in the literature. In all 16 studies, IPV was negatively associated with initiation of antenatal care, number of visits or use of a skilled provider. Analyses revealed reduced odds of antenatal care use among women who had experienced IPV (odds ratios, 0.5-0.8) and elevated odds of antenatal care use among women who had not experienced IPV or of nonuse among women who had experienced IPV (1.2-4.1). Conclusion Women in low-resource settings who experience IPV have a reduced likelihood of obtaining optimal antenatal care and may benefit from interventions to mitigate barriers to care.
Shapes and velocity relaxation of dislocation avalanches in Au and Nb microcrystals

Abstract We capture the spatiotemporal velocity dynamics of dislocation avalanches in face-centered cubic (FCC) gold and body-centered cubic (BCC) niobium crystals by compression testing of cylindrical microcrystals. In niobium, avalanche peak-velocities are over one order of magnitude lower, have distinctly rougher avalanche shapes, and relax more slowly to zero velocity than in gold. The avalanche dynamics (including averaged avalanche shapes) can be described reasonably well by mean-field predictions for avalanches near the depinning transition in the case of gold, but not for niobium. A detailed analysis shows consistent deviations (non-trivial exponents) from the predicted functional forms for both gold and niobium if the exponent that describes the velocity decay of the shape function is treated as a free parameter. While the avalanche size statistics and related scaling exponents are similar, these noticeable differences in the dislocation-avalanche dynamics demonstrate material-specific variations not predicted by “universal” behavior. The marked difference in avalanche shapes is discussed in terms of edge- and screw-dislocation mobility of an operating spiral arm source.
Toward continuous amperometric gas sensing in ionic liquids: rationalization of signal drift nature and calibration methods

Sensor signal drift is the key issue for the reliability of continuous gas sensors. In this paper, we characterized the sensing signal drift of an amperometric ionic liquid (IL)-based oxygen sensor to identify the key chemical parameters that contribute to the signal drift. The signal drifts due to the sensing reactions of the analyte oxygen at the electrode/electrolyte interface at a fixed potential and the mass transport of the reactant and product at the electrode/electrolyte interface were systematically studied. Results show that the analyte concentration variation and the platinum electrode surface activity are major factors contributing to sensing signal drift. An amperometric method with a double potential step incorporating a conditioning step was tested and demonstrated to be useful in reducing the sensing signal drift and extending the sensor operation lifetime. Also, a mathematic method was tested to calibrate the baseline drift and sensing signal sensitivity change for continuous sensing. This study provides the understanding of the chemical processes that contribute to the IL electrochemical gas (IL-EG) sensor signal stability and demonstrates some effective strategies for signal drift calibration that can increase the reliability of the continuous amperometric sensing.
Advances in laser-induced plastic deformation processes

Abstract: Although myriad laser processes take advantage of the ability to convert photon energy into thermal energy resulting in a local increase in temperature, e.g. laser cutting, drilling, welding, in a sense these processes represent a direct energy conversion from laser energy to task. However, when converting laser energy to desired, controllable mechanical deformation, there exist what may be thought of as intermediate steps that arise in the process. This chapter aims to give a brief background and review recent advances for three processes: laser forming, laser shock-peening and laser peen forming. All three of these processes utilize laser energy in order to induce plastic deformation resulting in either a desired final part geometry, desirable material properties/performance or both.
Cloning and Characterization of a Candidate Gene for A-T Complementation Group D

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) has been of interest to radiobiologists because A-T cells have two important responses to X-radiation: hypersensitivity to the killing effects of radiation (Taylor et al. 1975), and DNA synthesis that is not inhibited by exposure to ionizing radiation (i.e., radioresistant DNA synthesis) (Painter and Young, 1980). The exact defect in A-T cells is unknown; cloning of an A-T gene should lead to a new understanding of both human radiosensitivity and the regulation of DNA synthesis after radiation-induced DNA damage. One obvious method for cloning an A-T gene would be to introduce random normal human DNA segments into A-T cells in culture and then to screen these cells to find cell clones that had become at least partially radioresistant when compared with the original A-T cell line. This approach was begun in this Laboratory in 1983 and resulted in the isolation of a candidate A-T gene at the end of 1990. Currently, work is in progress to characterize this candidate gene and to determine whether it is the gene for A-T complementation group D.
Perspectives on Kinetic Theories of Polymer Solutions and their Use in Rheology

The purpose of this presentation is to summarize the present status of those molecular theories for polymer solutions that are relevant to rheological studies. We begin with a brief discussion of the equilibrium configurational distribution function in order to introduce notation and to discuss constraints in molecular models. This is followed by a summary of the results of efforts to get the nonequilibrium configurational distribution function which is needed for the calculation of flow properties. Finally a section is devoted to the development of the expression for the stress tensor and the rheological equation of state. Details of the developments are omitted, since they may be found in a recently published textbook on kinetic theory of polymeric liquids1 or in several recent research publications. In addition the recently published collection of classical papers on kinetic theory is very helpful2.
Identifying the relative importance of predictive variables in artificial neural networks based on data produced through a discrete event simulation of a manufacturing environment

This research used a discrete event simulation to create data on a shipment receiving process instead of using historical records on the process. The simulation was used to create records with diff...
A Perpetual American Model for Leveraged Firms

In this study, the structural reason of default is studied with fewer assumptions and external restrictions imposed. The liability structure is modeled as a perpetual and constant level. The equity value is solved in closed form and found to have embedded a perpetual American put option. The endogenous default level is found to rely on the liability level, firm’s volatility and risk-free interest rate. The implications on default probability and recovery rate are also discussed.
Frequency change detection and speech perception in cochlear implant users.

Abstract Dynamic frequency changes in sound provide critical cues for speech perception. Most previous studies examining frequency discrimination in cochlear implant (CI) users have employed behavioral tasks in which target and reference tones (differing in frequency) are presented statically in separate time intervals. Participants are required to identify the target frequency by comparing stimuli across these time intervals. However, perceiving dynamic frequency changes in speech requires detection of within-interval frequency change. This study explored the relationship between detection of within-interval frequency changes and speech perception performance of CI users. Frequency change detection thresholds (FCDTs) were measured in 20 adult CI users using a 3-alternative forced-choice (3AFC) procedure. Stimuli were 1-sec pure tones (base frequencies at 0.25, 1, 4 kHz) with frequency changes occurring 0.5 s after the tone onset. Speech tests were 1) Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) monosyllabic word recognition, 2) Arizona Biomedical Sentence Recognition (AzBio) in Quiet, 3) AzBio in Noise (AzBio-N, +10 dB signal-to-noise/SNR ratio), and 4) Digits-in-noise (DIN). Participants’ subjective satisfaction with the CI was obtained. Results showed that correlations between FCDTs and speech perception were all statistically significant. The satisfaction level of CI use was not related to FCDTs, after controlling for major demographic factors. DIN speech reception thresholds were significantly correlated to AzBio-N scores. The current findings suggest that the ability to detect within-interval frequency changes may play an important role in speech perception performance of CI users. FCDT and DIN can serve as simple and rapid tests that require no or minimal linguistic background for the prediction of CI speech outcomes.
The influence of health behaviors upon the association between stress and depression and cardiovascular disease

Abstract The ubiquity of stressors in the environment are associated with a range of changes in health behaviors that are in turn associated with the development and exacerbation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression. Tobacco and alcohol use, dietary habits, weight, physical activity, medication adherence and sleep all affect and are affected by stress and in turn are related to the development and exacerbation of CVD and depression. In this chapter we review the recent evidence regarding how these health behaviors are related to stress, CVD, and depression.
MiniMed 670G hybrid closed loop artificial pancreas system for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus: overview of its safety and efficacy.

Introduction: Automated insulin delivery for people with type 1 diabetes has been a major goal in the diabetes technology field for many years. While a fully automated system has not yet been accom...
Bendamustine Conditioning Alters Host Dendritic Cell Composition and Function

Abstract Background A largely understudied strategy for reducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is the modification of conditioning regimens. We have demonstrated that pre-transplant bendamustine (BEN) used in combination with total body irradiation (TBI) significantly reduces GvHD compared to the more commonly used cyclophosphamide (CY) + TBI. The short half-lives of BEN/CY ( Methods Using an MHC-mismatched murine model of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with C57BL/6 donors into BALB/c recipients (H2Kb into H2Kd), we evaluated the differential effects of BEN conditioning on host dendritic cells (DCs) early after transplant, as compared to CY conditioning. Transplant recipient mice were conditioned with BEN or CY on day -2 pre-BMT, and supplemented with 400cGy of total body irradiation on day -1. On days 1, 3, and 5 post-BMT, splenic pan-DCs were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry to evaluate host (H2Kb-) DC phenotype and activation state. Further, on day 0 (without BMT), circulating leukocytes and splenic pan-DCs were isolated from conditioned mice and analyzed by flow cytometry, qPCR and allogeneic mixed leukocyte reactions. Results We found that BEN-conditioned pan DCs are less stimulatory of allogeneic T-cells than CY-treated DCs. BEN conditioning significantly alters host DC composition compared to CY conditioning, resulting in a significantly higher frequency and number of host CD8α+ DCs on days 1 and 3 post-BMT. BEN-conditioned CD8α+ DCs also display a highly regulatory phenotype (CD80highCD86low) and have greater suppressive ability compared to CY-conditioned CD8α+ DCs. Analysis of host DCs on day 0 (without BMT) revealed a significantly greater percentage of BEN-conditioned DCs positively expressing the Flt3 receptor compared to CY. Conclusions These findings advocate a potential role of Flt3L-dependent DCs, particularly CD8α+ DCs, in the mechanism by which BEN alters GvHD pathogenesis to limit morbidity and mortality. Thus, BEN may have advantages as an alternative agent to CY for pre-transplant conditioning in allogeneic BMT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Some Neuro-Biologic Determinants of Intergroup Bias That Affect the Development of Anti-Semitism

The human brain has distinct areas of activity that correlate with behavior and function. They provide inherent mechanisms to protect the individual. They are often automatic and invisible to the conscious mind. Some of these mechanisms manifest in behaviors that we call bigotry and racism. Anti-Semitism is a form of bigotry. A great deal of effort and work, by way of secondary brain circuits, is required to overcome bigotry.
Network Structure Identification From Corrupt Data Streams

Complex networked systems can be modeled as graphs with nodes representing the agents and links describing the dynamic coupling between them. Previous work on network identification has shown that the network structure of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems can be reconstructed from the joint power spectrum of the data streams. These results assumed that data are perfectly measured. However, real-world data are subject to many corruptions, such as inaccurate time-stamps, noise, and data loss. We show that identifying the structure of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems using corrupt measurements results in the inference of erroneous links. We provide an exact characterization and prove that such erroneous links are restricted to the neighborhood of the perturbed node. We extend the analysis of LTI systems to the case of Markov random fields with corrupt measurements. We show that data corruption in Markov random fields results in spurious probabilistic relationships in precisely the locations, where spurious links arise in LTI systems.
Estimating the Impact of Design Standards on the Rigor of a Subset of Single-Case Research:

The implementation of research-based practices by teachers in public school classrooms is required under federal law as expressed in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2...
VELCRO-IP RNA-seq explores ribosome expansion segment function in translation genome-wide

Roles for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in gene regulation remain largely unexplored. With hundreds of rDNA units scattered across multiple chromosomal loci, it is not possible to genetically modify rRNA in mammalian cells, hindering understanding of ribosome function. Emerging evidence suggests that expansion segments (ESs), tentacle-like rRNA extensions that vary in sequence and size across eukaryotic evolution, may provide platforms for the binding of proteins and mRNAs. Here, we develop VELCRO-IP RNA-seq: a versatile methodology to generate species-adapted ESs and map specific mRNA regions across the transcriptome that preferentially associate with ESs. By applying VELCRO-IP RNA-seq to a mammalian ES, ES9S, we identified a large array of mRNAs that are selectively recruited to ribosomes via an ES. We further characterize a set of specific 5′ UTRs that facilitate cap-independent translation through ES9S-mediated ribosome recruitment. These data provide a novel technology for studying the enigmatic ESs of the ribosome in gene-specific translation.
Time from stereotactic radiosurgery to immunotherapy in patients with melanoma brain metastases and impact on outcome

The role of immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma has expanded over the past decade triggering questions regarding the combination and timing of immunotherapy and radiation for brain metastases. We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to see if the time from radiation to immunotherapy in patients with melanoma brain metastases had an impact on survival. We queried the NCDB from 2010 to 2015 for patients with melanoma brain metastases treated with immunotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was done to determine a timepoint associated with outcome. Cox regression was used to identify predictors of survival. Propensity matching was done to account for indication bias. We identified 247 patients meeting the above criteria. The median patient age was 62 years (27–90) and the vast majority were Caucasian (99%). The median SRS dose was 22 Gy (18–24 Gy).The median time to SRS was 39 days (0–344) and the median time to immunotherapy was 56 days (6–454). The ROC analysis revealed 8 days from SRS to immunotherapy as associated with outcome. Fifty-six patients had immunotherapy prior to SRS, 30 patients had immunotherapy within 0–7 days of SRS, and the remaining 161 had immunotherapy greater than 7 days from SRS. Three year survival rates were 21%, 55%, and 35% for those timeframes, respectively (p = 0.0153). Propensity matching of the 0–7 day and > 7 day groups yielded 28 pairs and Kaplan Meier analysis showed 3 year overall survival of 55% and 35%, in favor of immunotherapy within 7 days of SRS (p = 0.0357). Multivariable Cox regression identified lack of extracranial disease, more recent year of treatment, and time from SRS to immunotherapy of 0–7 days as predictors of improved survival. Immunotherapy within 7 days of SRS shows a possible association with improve outcomes in patients with brain metastases from melanoma.
I remember being nice: self-enhancement memory bias in middle childhood.

Adults tend to remember themselves in a positive way. For example, they are more likely to remember their past good deeds rather than their past bad deeds. We investigated whether children (N = 40)...
Serine catabolism generates NADPH to support hepatic lipogenesis

Summary Carbohydrate can be converted into fat by de novo lipogenesis1,2. This process is known to occur in adipose and liver, and its activity is upregulated in fatty liver disease3. Chemically, de novo lipogenesis involves polymerization and reduction of acetyl-CoA, using NADPH as the electron donor1. While regulation of the responsible enzymes has been extensively studied, the feedstocks used to generate acetyl-CoA and NADPH remain unclear. Here we show that, while de novo lipogenesis in adipose is supported by glucose and its catabolism via the pentose phosphate pathway to make NADPH, liver makes fat without relying on glucose. Instead, liver derives acetyl-CoA from acetate and lactate, and NADPH from folate-mediated serine catabolism. Such NADPH generation involves the cytosolic serine pathway running in liver in the opposite direction observed in most tissues and tumors4,5, with NADPH made by the SHMT1-MTHFD1-ALDH1L1 reaction sequence. Thus, specifically in liver, folate metabolism is wired to support cytosolic NADPH production for lipogenesis. More generally, while the same enzymes are involved in fat synthesis in liver and adipose, different substrates are utilized, opening the door to tissue-specific pharmacological interventions.
Population-scale patient safety data reveal inequalities in adverse events before and during COVID-19 pandemic

Adverse patient safety events were associated with 110 thousand deaths in the U.S. alone in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has further challenged the ability of healthcare systems to ensure medication safety, and its effects on patient safety remain unknown. Here, we investigate negative outcomes associated with medication use before and during the pandemic. Using a dataset of 10,443,476 reports involving 3,624 drugs and 19,193 adverse events, we develop an algorithmic approach to analyze the pandemic’s impact on incidence of drug safety events by evaluating disproportional reporting relative to the pre-pandemic time, quantifying unexpected trends in clinical outcomes, and adjusting for drug interference. Among 64 adverse events identified by our analyses, we find 54 have increased incidence rates during the pandemic, even though reporting of adverse events has decreased by 4.4% overall. We find clinically relevant differences in drug safety outcomes between demographic groups. Comparing to male patients, women report 47.0% more distinct adverse events whose occurrence significantly increased during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic levels. Out of 53 adverse events with the pre-pandemic gender gap, 33 have increased gap during the pandemic more than would have been expected had the pandemic not occurred. While musculoskeletal and metabolic side effects are disproportionately enriched in women during the pandemic, immune-related adverse events are enriched only in men. We also find the number of adverse events with a higher reporting ratio during the pandemic in adults is higher (16.8%) than in older patients (adjusted for population size). Our findings have implications for safe medication use and public health policy and highlight the role of variation in adverse events for improving patient safety during a public health emergency.
Estrus synchronization of beef cows with a palpable corpus luteum using PGF2α

There are many small herds of purebred beef cattle ranging from twenty to fifty cows. Breeders of these herds would like to produce calves by artificial insemination using semen from the well-known sires of their breeds. Most beef cattle breed associations now allow registration of calves born from artificial insemination. However, these herds are part-time endeavors, and the owners seldom have either the time or management experience necessary for artificial insemination unless the procedure can be simplified. To test under field conditions, an artificial insemination method that would require minimal labor and management.
Crisis, Faith, and Transformation in Transitional Justice

Transitional justice has been said to be in a state of crisis for over a decade now, giving rise to a number of alternative visions for justice-making thought to hold out the possibility of greater legitimacy and effectiveness going forward. One such alternative vision is that of transformative justice. While in many ways a welcome response to the blindspots of mainstream transitional justice, I argue that transformative justice is unlikely to resolve the crises and tensions at the heart of the field for several reasons. At its core, transformative justice does not so much transcend liberalism as it does take sides in a long-running contest between competing and irreconcilable liberal values. There is therefore a danger of simply displacing faith in one set of liberal values and political preferences for another without adequate examination of the tradeoffs involved. At a more operational level, the dilemmas that have stymied mainstream transitional justice arising out of the challenges of the law, of elites, and the global are likely to be re-encountered in another guise. Transformative justice will loosen old knots, only to succeed in tying new ones. Going forward, I call for a “both/and” stance to the complex realities of the post-conflict context, one that embraces the messy, hybrid, and essentially contested nature of peace and justice work.
Performance of Cementitious Containment Barriers

Cementitious grouts and soil cements were evaluated for use as subsurface barriers to contain buried stabilized hazardous wastes. The environment of focus was arid, although the results may also be relevant to other environments. Optimization of the physical and mechanical properties of grouts and soil cements such as permeability, leach resistance, strength and shrinkage cracking was studied through variation of mix proportions. Material costs were compared with permeabilities to evaluate the relative cost effectiveness of the different barriers. Field scale demonstration is required to confirm that acceptable performance can be achieved in practice.