cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Cyclophilin A-Independent Capsid Motif Renders HIV-1 Derived Vectors More Efficient at Transducing Human Cells.

Abstract We recently identified naturally occurring HIV-1 capsid (CA) motifs, which evade both cyclophilin A (CypA)-dependence in human cells and TRIM-5α-CypA (TRIM-Cyp) restriction in owl monkey kidney (OMK) cells (Chatterji, et al. JBC, In press). These HIV-1 capsid motifs contained either one (G89V) or four (V86P/H87Q/I91V/M96I) amino acid substitutions within the CypA binding site, but only the four amino acid mutant was able to bind CypA, yet does not require CypA incorporation to infect human cells. OMK cells are naturally resistant to HIV-1 infection due to TRIM-Cyp, a negative host factor, which efficiently targets incoming wild type HIV-1 capsid and thereby prevents the proper uncoating of the CA core. However, addition of cyclosporine A, which blocks the interaction of CypA and CA, or mutations within the CypA-CA binding site (G89V) yields OMK cells permissive to HIV-1. Interestingly, HIV-1 infection with the V86P/H87Q/I91V/M96I capsid mutant was able to achieve similar levels of infection in OMK cells as does wild type HIV-1 with the addition of cyclosporine A, emphasizing that this motif allows infection despite TRIM-Cyp-CA interactions. Alternatively, the interaction between HIV-1 CA and CypA, is considered as a positive host factor in human cells. It has been proposed that CypA either “protects” the virus from endogenous restriction factors or allows proper CA core uncoating. Human cells lacking CypA or treated with cyclosporine A are highly resistant to infection by wild type HIV-1. Virus is blocked during the early stage of infection, at the pre-reverse transcription step. An important goal of human gene therapy is to efficiently deliver genes to non-dividing or quiescent cells such as hematopoietic stem cells and T-cells, respectively. Improvements on vector design such as self-inactivating LTRs, VSV-G envelope pseudotyping, various viral capsids, and enhancer elements have improved both the safety and efficiency of gene delivery. To identify capsid motifs that enhance transduction, we assessed whether the G89V and V86P/H87Q/I91V/M96I capsid motifs increased transduction efficacy in primary human cells as compared to vectors packaged with wild type HIV-1 gag/pol. Preliminary studies, at low levels of transduction (2000 pg p24 input ~1 MOI) in 293T cells, showed a 3-fold increase in GFP expression using the V86P/H87Q/I91V/M96I-gag/pol packaged vectors as compared to wild type or G89V-gag/pol vectors. Studies with primary PBMC and CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells are underway and will address whether the V86P/H87Q/I91V/M96I capsid motif will allow for greater transduction efficiency for non-cycling, quiescent and/or partially activated cells. Providing a means to enhance uniform vector transduction efficacy should allow for lower levels of vector input during transduction, thereby reducing the probability for insertional mutagenesis.
Children's General, Product and Brand-Specific Attitudes Towards Television Commercials

Advertising directed towards children is a controversial topic which has stirred significant debate during the past two decades. The controversy is especially ferocious over the role of television commercials in influencing children's cognitive, attitudinal and behavioural tendencies. This article reports the results of a survey of 152 children's attitudes towards general, product and brand-specific television commercials. After discussing the implications of the findings, the authors suggest some future research directions.
Assessing biosynthetic potential of agricultural groundwater through metagenomic sequencing: A diverse anammox community dominates nitrate-rich groundwater.

© 2017 Ludington et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background: Climate change produces extremes in both temperature and precipitation causing increased drought severity and increased reliance on groundwater resources. Agricultural practices, which rely on groundwater, are sensitive to but also sources of contaminants, including nitrate. How agricultural contamination drives groundwater geochemistry through microbial metabolism is poorly understood. Methods: On an active cow dairy in the Central Valley of California, we sampled groundwater from three wells at depths of 4.3 m (two wells) and 100 m (one well) below ground surface (bgs) as well as an effluent surface water lagoon that fertilizes surrounding corn fields. We analyzed the samples for concentrations of solutes, heavy metals, and USDA pathogenic bacteria of the Escherichia coli and Enterococcus groups as part of a long term groundwater monitoring study. Whole metagenome shotgun sequencing and assembly revealed taxonomic composition and metabolic potential of the community. Results: Elevated nitrate and dissolved organic carbon occurred at 4.3m but not at 100m bgs. Metagenomics confirmed chemical observations and revealed several Planctomycete genomes, including a new Brocadiaceae lineage and a likely Planctomycetes OM190, as well novel diversity and high abundance of nano-prokaryotes from the Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR), the Diapherotrites, Parvarchaeota, Aenigmarchaeota, Nanoarchaeota, Nanohaloarchaea (DPANN) and the Thaumarchaeota, Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Korarchaeota (TACK) superphyla. Pathway analysis suggests community interactions based on complimentary primary metabolic pathways and abundant secondary metabolite operons encoding antimicrobials and quorum sensing systems. Conclusions: The metagenomes show strong resemblance to activated sludge communities from a nitrogen removal reactor at a wastewater treatment plant, suggesting that natural bioremediation occurs through microbial metabolism. Elevated nitrate and rich secondary metabolite biosynthetic capacity suggest incomplete remediation and the potential for novel pharmacologically active compounds.
Radiation instability of equal channel angular extruded T91 at ultra-high damage levels

Abstract Although several studies have shown that nano-grained alloys have higher radiation resistance than coarse-grained variants, with dense grain boundary structures acting as defect sinks to remove damage, the present study shows the failure of severe deformation to suppress void swelling in T91 alloy at ultra-high damage levels. Fe self-ion irradiation up to 1000 peak dpa produced significantly more swelling in extruded T91 than conventional T91 at 475 °C. Dramatic radiation-enhanced grain growth was observed in the extruded T91, manifested in two rapid grain growth stages. One stage occurs at a relatively low damage level, and the other at a higher damage level beyond 750 peak dpa. The second rapid growth stage is correlated with void swelling and starts at the end of the swelling incubation period. The study suggests that the defect sink properties of the growing grain boundaries under a coarsening process are different from that of stable boundary configurations. When void swelling becomes significant and voids act as a biased sink for vacancies, the growing grain boundaries act as a biased sink for interstitials, leading to rapid growth at higher damage levels.
Confidence at Work and Individualism-Collectivism: An Empirical Demonstration of the Distinctiveness of American Union Employees

Provided is an empirical demonstration of the distinctiveness of American union employees in regard to individualism-collectivism. Using confidence at work as an individual difference predictor and featuring willingness to equate success and failure with coworkers, and holistic thinking, as individualism-collectivism outcomes, relational differences between nonunion and union employees were shown. Specifically, inverse confidence at work-collectivism relationships were present for nonunion employees, but absent for union employees. Because such differences were hypothesized based on a view of union socialization as overlaid socialization—in which it is argued that internalized dominant culture individualism is not eradicated by union socialization but rather is situated within a work collective—the scholarly view that American union demise is inevitable due to dominant culture individualism is called into question. Suggestions to strengthen the empirical basis for the demonstrated distinctiveness of union employees are offered.
Microwave incubation improves lipolytic enzyme preservation for ultrastructural cytochemistry.

Standard methods for the ultrastructural detection of lipase and sphingomyelinase activities in the skin result in considerable loss of structural preservation, often interfering with accurate delineation of enzyme localization in association with specific organelles. Moreover, poor preservation occurs, even after extensive aldehyde prefixation, owing to the prolonged incubation times needed to detect residual enzyme activity, which often require non- physiological conditions. A modified incubation protocol is described here, which uses microwave irradiation in conjunction with drastically shortened incubation times, resulting in both superior ultrastructural preservation and excellent localization in mammalian epidermis. This method should be useful generally not only for the study of lipase localization in skin, but also in conjuction with the cytochemical detection of a variety of enzymes in various types of tissue.
Pain worsening with physical activity during migraine attacks in women with overweight/obesity: A prospective evaluation of frequency, consistency, and correlates.

BackgroundMigraine is a neurological disease involving recurrent attacks of moderate-to-severe and disabling head pain. Worsening of pain with routine physical activity during attacks is a principal migraine symptom; however, the frequency, individual consistency, and correlates of this symptom are unknown. Given the potential of this symptom to undermine participation in daily physical activity, an effective migraine prevention strategy, further research is warranted. This study is the first to prospectively evaluate (a) frequency and individual consistency of physical activity-related pain worsening during migraine attacks, and (b) potential correlates, including other migraine symptoms, anthropometric characteristics, psychological symptoms, and daily physical activity.MethodsParticipants were women (n = 132) aged 18–50 years with neurologist-confirmed migraine and overweight/obesity seeking weight loss treatment in the Women’s Health and Migraine trial. At baseline, participants used a smartphone diar...
Notch signaling represents an important checkpoint between follicular T-helper and canonical T-helper 2 cell fate

Type-2 immunity is regulated by two distinct CD4+ T-cell subsets. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are required for humoral hallmarks of type-2 inflammation. T-helper type-2 (Th2) cells orchestrate type-2 inflammation in peripheral tissues, such as the lung and intestine. Given the importance of Notch signaling in the establishment of other CD4+ T-helper cell subsets, we investigated whether canonical Notch activation could differentially impact Tfh and Th2 cell fate during the induction of type-2 immunity. These studies show that Tfh cell, but not Th2 cell, generation and function is reliant on Notch signaling. While early Tfh cell specification is influenced by functional Notch ligands on classical dendritic cells, functional Notch ligands on cells other than dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, and follicular dendritic cells are sufficient to achieve full Tfh cell commitment. These findings identify Notch signaling as an early lineage-determining factor between Tfh and Th2 cell fate.
Comparison of the Difco EZ Coli™ Rapid Detection System and Petrifilm™ Test Kit-HEC for Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Fresh and Frozen Ground Beef

The Difco EZ Coli Rapid Detection System was compared to the 3M Petrifilm method for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef. Raw meatballs (25 g) were inoculated with 10 to 15 cells of Escherichia coli O157:H7, stored for various times and at different temperatures, and then stomached for 2 min in 225 ml of EZ Coli enrichment broth, which was then incubated at 42 degrees C for 18 to 24 h. A 1-ml sample of the enrichment broth was loaded into the top of the detector tips and the remaining EZ Coli broth held at 35 degrees C before streaking onto MacConkey sorbitol agar and tryptic soy agar with yeast extract. A duplicate set of meatballs were tested using the 3M Petrifilm Test Kit-HEC for hemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. In this method raw meatballs (25 g) were enriched for 6 h in modified EC broth containing novobiocin at 37 degrees C prior to inoculation of the Petrifilm E. coli Count Plates, which were incubated at 42 degrees C for 18 h. The immunoblot ELISA was performed following this incubation. Presumptive positive isolates from both methods were confirmed using Oxoid E. coli Latex Agglutination and Difco Pasco ID Tripanels. Both methods permitted detection of 10 to 15 cells of E. coli O157:H7 per ml (i) immediately following inoculation, (ii) after 3 days of refrigerated storage at 8 degrees C, and (iii) after 30 days in frozen storage at -20 degrees C. The Difco EZ Coli Detection System proved to be a simpler and faster screening method with identification of negative and presumptive positive samples within 15 to 18 h.
Combinatorial Auction Bandwidth Trading: An Experimental Study

We study the interaction between internet service providers who lease bandwidth from owners of individual network links to form desired routes. Bandwidth markets were pioneered by Enron in the late 1990s by providing pooling points for switching and interconnecting. Williams Communications and RateExchange followed suit with their own markets [1]. Unfortunately, market dynamics, technical difficulties, and the collapse of Enron have brought these markets to an end. Two main factors hampered the implementation of these markets [2]. The first one has to do with the excessive time needed to disseminate new routing information, which is an artifact of the bilateral nature of contracting for routes. The second has to do with balance loading once carriers become multi-connected. These dynamic markets were setup to deal with the inefficient bilateral negotiations used in the industry. The inefficiency of bilateral contracting is due to the exposure effect from not being able to form attractive routes from individually leased links. This is a more general problem identified with markets of complementary goods/services. The combinatorial auction market mechanism has been proposed to alleviate the exposure effect [9]. Combinatorial auctions have been recently theoretically explored as a mechanism for bandwidth allocation [3, 7, 5]. Jain and Varaiya [5] propose a double-sided combinatorial auction mechanism for bandwidth trading whose implementation properties we explore using economic experiments in this paper.
Comparison of Coupling Procedures for Development of Affinity Membranes:Optimization of the CDI Method

Publisher Summary A reactive and efficient linking chemistry is essential in the development of affinity membrane technology. Two chemical processes are required to chemically immobilize a ligand onto an inert matrix. First, a reactive group of defined chemical functionality is introduced into the inert matrix. The reactive group can then function either as a leaving group or participate in the covalent attachment of the ligand to the matrix. The first step, matrix activation, is accomplished by introducing an electrophilic group into the matrix to make the membrane more reactive toward the nucleophiles of the ligand. This chapter discusses the utilization of three different activation chemistries to introduce reactive groups into polyamide and cellulosic membranes: carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), 2 fluoro-1-methyl pyridinium (FMP), and cyanuric chloride (CyCl3). Each leads to the formation of a different type of covalent linkage between the ligand and the matrix.
Intravenous Ketamine as an Adjunct to Procedural Sedation During Burn Wound Care and Dressing Changes

Little has been published regarding intravenous (IV) ketamine for burn wound care in adult patients. Ketamine may serve as a safe alternative to provide conscious sedation and limit opioid administration to patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize IV ketamine use during burn wound care and establish its potential role as a safe adjunct to opioid and benzodiazepine medications. This is a retrospective review of adult patients admitted to a regional burn center who received IV ketamine for burn wound care. Patient demographics, medications, and ketamine-related adverse effects including hypertension and dysphoric reactions were recorded. Cardiopulmonary complications were also tracked. Thirty-six patients met inclusion criteria; fifty total cases were performed. The median patient age was 37 (interquartile range [IQR]: 28-55] years with a median burn size of 9.5 (IQR: 4.0-52) %TBSA. The median ketamine dose administered was 1.2 (IQR: 0.8-2.1) mg/kg. IV midazolam was administered in almost all cases (98%) at a median dose of 3.0 (IQR: 2.0-5.0) mg. Opioids were administered in 13 of 50 cases (26%) at a median morphine equivalent dose of 10 (IQR: 5.0-18) mg. In 46 cases (92%), patients denied unpleasant recall of medication. Dysphoric reactions were observed in three cases (6%). Ketamine-induced hypertension occurred in three cases (6%) and all immediately responded to IV labetalol. There were no cardiopulmonary complications. These findings suggest that IV ketamine provides a safe analgesia and sedative option for burn wound care. Given these findings, IV ketamine for burn wound care warrants further study.
Fineleaf Fescue Species and Variety Tolerance to Glyphosate

Some fineleaf fescues have demonstrated tolerance to glyphosate, and this broad-spectrum, nonselective herbicide would be a valuable tool for controlling various weeds in low-input turf areas. A study was conducted to evaluate tolerance of 56 fineleaf fescue varieties to glyphosate applied at 0.0, 0.4, 0.6, and 1.0 kg ae ha−1. The defunct 2003 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program fineleaf fescue variety trial at the Turfgrass Research Center in Blacksburg, VA, provided main plots on which glyphosate treatments were randomized independently on May 16, 2011, and June 26, 2013. Hard (HF) and sheep fescues (SF) were the most tolerant to glyphosate, followed by strong creeping red fescues (STC) and slender creeping red fescues (SLC). The most sensitive species was Chewings fescue (CH), most varieties of which were injured 50% to 65% per kilogram of glyphosate at 2 wk after treatment (WAT). At 8 WAT, 12 of 14 CH varieties were injured over 30% per kilogram of glyphosate, but predicted injury and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of all varieties were acceptable at a more typical 0.5 to 0.7 kg ha−1 glyphosate rate. Nontreated seed head density of CH varieties ranged from 87 and 126 seed heads m−2 at 8 WAT compared with 2.8 to 42 seed heads m−2 from HF varieties. Glyphosate at 0.15 to 0.5 kg ha−1 eliminated 90% of seed heads regardless of fineleaf fescue variety. These data suggest that all fineleaf fescue varieties are inherently tolerant of glyphosate at rates at or below approximately 0.7 kg ha−1, but can be generally separated from most to least tolerant in the following order: HF, SF, STC, SLC, and CH.
Viren der Wirbellosen

Die meisten Viren in diesem Abschnitt sind Viren von Insekten. Diese sind sehr vielfaltig und bilden zweifellos eine grose Gruppe von eukaryotischen Viren, da auch die Vielfalt ihrer Wirtsinsekten sehr gros ist. Hier werden verschiedene Insektenviren behandelt. Das Spektrum reicht von Viren, die fur das Uberleben ihres Wirtes essenziell sind, uber solche Viren, die unter bestimmten Bedingungen von Vorteil sind, bis hin zu Viren, die gravierende Pathogene sind. Eine grose Virenfamilie sind die Polydnaviridae der parasitischen Wespen, bei denen sich die Viren in der Evo lution so entwickelt haben, dass sie ein Teil der Wirtswespe geworden und fur das Uberleben der Wespenlarven in den Schmetterlingsraupen notwendig sind, die als Wirte dienen. Andere positiv wirksame Viren finden sich bei Blattlausen und beim genetischen Modellorganismus, der Gemeinen Taufliege.
Urethral Polyembolokoilamania: An Unusual Manifestation of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have varied presentations and frequently occur throughout the trajectory of dementia. Hypersexuality and general disinhibition of societal and cultural norms are commonly documented in all types of dementia. However, sparse literature exists on polyembolokoilamania (insertion of foreign objects in bodily orifices) without a sexual component as a dementia-related symptom. We review an unusual case of a 94-year-old man who presented with urethral polyembolokoilamania without hypersexuality or other behavioral disinhibition. We highlight clinical considerations of managing urethral polyembolokoilamania in an elderly patient without a previous neurocognitive disorder diagnosis. A multidisciplinary team approach with input from Internal Medicine, Urology, Psychiatry, and Neurology lead to a comprehensive assessment of a patient that could have been managed solely as a surgical case. This spearheaded a formal diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder—guiding successful management, follow-up, caregiver education, and reduction of further harm.
Synthesis and evaluation of 2,5-diamino and 2,5-dianilinomethyl pyridine analogues as potential CXCR4 antagonists.

Abstract CXCR4 and its cognate ligand CXCL12 has been linked to various pathways such as cancer metastasis, inflammation, HIV-1 proliferation, and auto-immune diseases. Small molecules have shown potential as CXCR4 inhibitors and modulators, and therefore can mitigate diseases related to the CXCR4-CXCL12 pathway. We have designed and synthesized a series of 2,5-diamino and 2,5-dianilinomethyl pyridine derivatives as potential CXCR4 antagonists. Thirteen compounds have an effective concentration (EC) of 100 nM or less in a binding affinity assay and nine of these have at least 75% inhibition of invasion in Matrigel binding assay. Compounds 3l, 7f, 7j, and 7p show a minimal reduction in inflammation when carrageenan paw edema test is conducted. Overall, these compounds show potential as CXCR4 antagonist.
Predicting Student Depression With Measures of General and Academic Anxieties

Universities are increasingly cognizant of the importance of attending to the psychological and emotional needs of undergraduate learners, recognizing that anxiety and depression have significant negative impacts on student retention and success. The focus of the current study was to evaluate the connections among various forms of anxiety and examine the relationships these indicators of anxiety have with depression. The results demonstrated that a broad measure of neuroticism was a meaningful predictor for depression. However, precision in detecting depressive symptoms was improved when examining an additional measure specifically focused on academic anxiety. The results provide support for a nested model of anxiety, which suggests that broad neuroticism, then academic anxiety, and finally test anxiety are progressively more specific manifestations of anxious indicators in university students.
The Nature of the Low-redshift Ly-alpha Clouds

I discuss recent HST observations and interpretation of low-z Ly-alpha clouds toward nearby Seyferts and QSOs, including their frequency, space density, estimated mass, association with galaxies, and contribution to Omega_b. Our HST/GHRS detections of 73 Lya absorbers with N_HI > 10^12.6 cm^(-2) along 11 sightlines covering pathlength Delta(cz) = 86,000 km/s show f(>N_HI) proportional to N_HI^(-0.6 +/- 0.2). A group of strong absorbers toward PKS~2155-304 may be associated with gas (400-800)/h_75 kpc from 4 large galaxies with low metallicity (<0.004 solar) and D/H < 2 x 10^-4. At low-z, we derive a metagalactic ionizing radiation field and Lya-forest baryon density J_0 = (1.1 +/- 0.4) x 10^(-23) ergs/cm^2/s/Hz/sr and Omega_b = (0.008 +/- 0.004) h_75^(-1) [J_-23 N_14 b_100]^0.5 for clouds of characteristic size b = (100 kpc)b_100.
The Institute of Medicine and the Pursuit of Quality

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) was established as the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences in 1970. The IOM published two seminal reports that are largely credited with shining the spotlight on patient harm related to medical errors. The IOM’s report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, was released in 1999 and highlighted how tens of thousands of patients in the United States die each year from medical errors that could have been prevented. In the report, medical errors were defined as “the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.” This report was followed in 2001 by the IOM’s Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, which described broader quality issues and defined six aims for healthcare. These six aims include the goals for healthcare to be safe, effective, timely, patient-centered, efficient, and equitable. With these two reports, the IOM Committee on Quality of Health Care in America laid out a vision for how the healthcare system and related policy must be transformed in order to close the gap between what we know to be good quality care and the care that is actually delivered in practice.
Toward an Ethical Black Men's Feminism.

Rejecting the objectivity that is privileged in contemporary education and social science research, analyses of subjectivity and the self are central to Black feminist research. I take up this atte...
Smart Dispatching in Heterogeneous Systems

In multi-server systems, selecting to which server to dispatch an arriving job is a key factor influencing system response time. One of the most widely studied policies is Join-the-Shortest-Queue (JSQ), which is known to minimize mean response time in certain settings [7]. Many variants on JSQ have been proposed, including JSQ-d, under which a job is dispatched to the shortest queue among d servers selected uniformly at random [3, 5]; Join-Idle-Queue (JIQ), under which the dispatcher knows which servers are idle but not the queue lengths of non-idle servers [2]; and others. The vast majority of work analyzing JSQ and related policies makes a key assumption: that the system is homogeneous, meaning that all servers have the same speed. This assumption is inaccurate in most modern computer systems. Server heterogeneity can arise, e.g., when a server farm consists of several generations of hardware, or when many virtual machines contend for resources on the same physical machine. Unfortunately, the wealth of results about how best to dispatch in homogeneous systems does not translate well to heterogeneous systems. Policies like JSQ-d and JIQ, which can achieve near-optimal performance in homogeneous systems, can lead to unacceptably high response times and even instability in heterogeneous systems [4, 8].
Lightning Distance Estimation Using LF Lightning Radio Signals via Analytical and Machine-Learned Models

Lightning geolocation is useful in a variety of applications, ranging from weather nowcasting to a better understanding of thunderstorm evolution processes and remote sensing of the ionosphere. Lightning-generated radio signals can be used in range estimation of lightning return strokes, for which the most commonly employed technique is the time difference of arrival in lightning detection networks. Though these instrument networks provide the most reliability and best accuracy, users without access to them can instead benefit from lightning geolocation using a standalone instrument. In this article, we present the framework for training fast models capable of estimating negative cloud-to-ground lightning location from single-instrument observations of very low frequency/low frequency (VLF/LF, 3–300 kHz) radio pulses or “sferics,” without knowledge of the ionosphere’s D-region state. The models are generated using an analytical method, based on the delay between ground and skywave, and a machine learning method. The training framework is applied to three different data sets to assess model accuracy. Validation of the machine-learned models for these data sets, which include both simulated and observed sferics, confirms this technique as a promising solution for lightning distance estimation using a single receiver. Distance estimates using a machine-learned model for observed sferics in Kansas yield an RMSE of 53 km with 68% of them being within 9.8 km. Estimates using the analytical method are found to have an RMSE of 54 km with 68% of them being within 32 km. Limitations of our methodology and potential improvements to be investigated are also discussed.
A Pilot Study of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Outcomes During the First 6 Weeks of Trauma-Focused Treatment

The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between race/ethnicity, intervention type, and mental health outcomes at 6 weeks into treatment in a low-income, diverse community-based sample of adults seeking treatment for traumatic stress. Adult patients (N = 163) received either prolonged exposure (PE) or present centered therapy (PCT). Results suggest significant within group differences with moderate to large effect sizes after six sessions of PE or PCT by race/ethnicity. Logistic regression analyses indicated that after adjusting for significant sociodemographic covariates, at the 6-week time-point the White group had increased likelihood of: probable PTSD compared to the Latinx group; probable anxiety compared to the Black group, Latinx group, and Other group; and probable depression compared to the Other group. Covariate adjusted models also found that at 6 weeks individuals in the PCT group had significantly greater odds of probable PTSD compared to those in the PE group. Implications for behavioral healthcare in a community-based setting are discussed.
A Retrospective Review of 193 Cases of Severe Eosinophilia in the Northeast United States

Abstract Background This retrospective review evaluated the causes of severe eosinophilia (≥5000 eosinophils/L). Higher eosinophilia levels are more likely to cause tissue damage and may reflect disease severity. Methods We reviewed 193 cases of patients seen at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, between January 2015 to May 2020 who had a peak absolute eosinophil count of at least 5000/μL. Results Thirty-nine percent of cases were attributable to a hematologic or oncologic cause. These cases had the highest mean peak absolute eosinophil count at 11,698/μL. Twenty percent of cases were secondary to drug reactions, of which 90% took place in an inpatient setting. Three percent of cases were from helminthic infection, the majority of which were in returning travelers. Conclusions In our region of study, hematologic and oncologic cases are important causes of severe eosinophilia, drug reactions are a common etiology in the inpatient setting, and infections are a rare cause.
Impact of Independent Component Analysis Dimensionality on the Test-Retest Reliability of Resting-State Functional Connectivity.

Background: As resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) research moves toward the study of individual differences, test–retest reliability is increasingly important to understand. Previous lite...
Evaluation, Treatment, and Follow-Up Results of Post Polio Patients with Dysphagia

Twenty consecutive patients were evaluated for reports of dysphagia from post-polio clinics. Only half the patients reported a history of swallowing problems at the time of their acute poliomyelitis. Each patient received a videofluorographic evaluation of the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing, and then was provided with recommendations to improve swallowing skills. A follow-up questionnaire was sent to all patients. The respondents had an average interval of 12 months since the initial evaluation. Of the 18 patients responding to the questionnaire, 14 (77%) reported regular use of the swallowing suggestions. Comparison of pre-evaluation results to followup of the 18 respondents yielded a statistically significant decline in the frequency of choking (p = 0.0156) and food sticking in the throat (p = 0.0195). We conclude that a dysphagia program can result in significant improvement of the swallowing symptoms reported with the post-polio population.
Environmental Justice Risks in the Petroleum Industry

In practically all of its various forms, petroleum is potentially hazardous to the environment. As a result, virtually every activity engaged in by the petroleum industry can have profound environmental implications. For many years, environmental considerations have played a role in decisions regarding the siting of petroleum production, refining, or storage facilities. Recent case law and regulatory developments in "environmental justice," however, assure that environmental considerations that affect minority communities will play an increasingly critical economic role in both the permitting process and, perhaps most importantly, the permit renewal process. This article discusses the recent developments, suggests preventive management techniques to deal with the new challenges, and proposes a better process of environmental justice to order to benefit minority populations living near the sites. The article will accomplish this by addressing the legal and regulatory environmental barriers to the petroleum site permitting and renewal process, reviewing the Environmental Protection Agency's "environmental justice" compliance guidance, and suggesting pre-permit management techniques to educate citizens of the affected community so as to minimize the hidden contingent costs of "environmental justice" complaints.
SOI FinFET nFET-to-pFET Tracking Variability Compact Modeling and Impact on Latch Timing

In this paper, nFET-to-pFET (n-to-p) tracking characteristics in 14-nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) FinFET technology are studied by technology computer-aided design-based statistical modeling. Compared with planar SOI high- $k$ metal gate CMOS technologies, 14-nm SOI FinFET technology shows better n-to-p tracking mainly due to the strong influence of correlated Fin geometrical variation, as well as reduced uncorrelated variation from an innovative work function process. The impact of the n-to-p tracking characteristics on setup and hold (guard time) of latch circuits is evaluated by corner and Monte Carlo simulation using compact models. It is found that the guard time is significantly modulated by slow/fast and fast/slow corners in certain conditions and, therefore should be considered in guard time design.
Evolutionary methods for ant colony paintings

We investigate evolutionary methods for using an ant colony optimization model to evolve “ant paintings.” Our model is inspired by the recent work of Monmarche et al. The two critical differences between our model and that of Monmarche's are: (1) we do not use an interactive genetic algorithm, and (2) we allow the pheromone trail to serve as both a repelling and attracting force. Our results show how different fitness measures induce different artistic “styles” in the evolved paintings. Moreover, we explore the sensitivity of these styles to perturbations of the parameters required by the genetic algorithm. We also discuss the evolution and interaction of various castes within our artificial ant colonies.
Dimethyl fumarate-associated lymphopenia: Risk factors and clinical significance.

BackgroundDimethyl fumarate (DMF), a disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), causes lymphopenia in a fraction of patients. The clinical significance of this is unknown. Several cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in lymphopenic fumarate-treated patients have raised concerns about drug safety. Since lymphocytes contribute to MS pathology, lymphopenia may also be a biomarker for response to the drug.ObjectiveThe objective of this manuscript is to evaluate risk factors for DMF-induced lymphopenia and drug failure in a real-world population of MS patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 221 patients prescribed DMF at a single academic medical center between March 2013 and February 2015.ResultsGrade 2–3 lymphopenia developed in 17% of the total cohort and did not resolve during DMF treatment. Older age (>55), lower baseline absolute lymphocyte count and recent natalizumab exposure increased the risk of developing moderate to severe lymphopenia while on DMF. Ly...
Donor-Derived Second Hematologic Malignancies after Cord Blood Transplantation

Double umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) with a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen is an effective strategy for adult patients without a matched donor. The risk of second malignancies in these patients has not yet been established, however. In the present study, 98 adults with a hematologic malignancy underwent double UCBT. Seventy patients received a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen of fludarabine 30 mg/m2/day for 6 days, melphalan 100 mg/m2/day for 1 day, and rabbit antithymocyte globulin 1.5 mg/kg/day for 4 days, and 28 patients received a myeloablative total body radiation–containing conditioning regimen. Sixty-three patients received sirolimus-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, and 35 patients received non–sirolimus-based GVHD prophylaxis. The median patient age was 48 years (range, 19-67 years). Eighteen patients developed a second malignancy at a median of 134 days after transplantation. Sixteen patients had lymphoma, and 2 patients had myelodysplasic syndrome/myeloproliferative disorder (MDS/MPD). Sixteen of these second malignancies (both cases of MDS/MPD and 14 of the lymphomas) were donor-derived; the origins of the others were not determined. GVHD prophylaxis, HLA matching, primary disease, age, total nucleated cell dose, and CD34+ cell dose were not associated with a higher rate of second malignancy. Second myelogenous malignancies of donor origin occur after double UCBT, suggesting that a search for donor origin should be performed in all patients with suspected relapse.
X-ray exposure in the manufacture of sub-150-nm gate lines

X-ray exposures performed at IBM's Advanced Lithography Facility (ALF) in Hopewell Junction, New York has led to the ability to routinely print sub 250nm discrete devices in photoresist. When fully processed, the resulting electrical channel length for these devices is below 150nm leading to average switching delays of 35 picoseconds. Sub 150nm devices with resulting electrical channel lengths of 100nm have also been made producing switching delays of 20 picoseconds, which are among the fastest reported in CMOS technology. In addition to the discrete devices, fully functional 0.25um 64Kb SRAMs were fabricated with an approximate 40 percent chip yield on the best wafer. Recent improvements in the overall lithographic process have enabled the gate line to be printed at sub 125nm. The resulting electrical channel is below 100nm. Device performance is expected to be faster at these smaller dimensions. The results obtained are based on several lots of 200mm wafers processed with the use of mix and match (x-ray to optical) steppers. The results can be viewed as current x-ray lithography in ALF.
A Preliminary Investigation of Environmental and Social Practices Among Boulderers

The primary purpose of this research was to conduct a preliminary investigation of environmental and social practices of â€œboulderersâ€ (i.e., rock climbers without rope scaling rocks usually no more than 15 feet high). A self-administered survey was distributed in 2008 revealing that more involved boulderers (e.g., stay up to date on closures) tend to engage more frequently in environmentally and socially friendly practices than less involved boulderers. With the exception of boulderers letting dogs off leash, and those who climb in closed sites, more involved boulderers engaged more frequently in responsible practices (e.g., spot friends, don't place pads on vegetation). Although the findings from this study are limited, the information found may aid climbing advocacy groups and public land managers in their continued efforts to better understand boulderers while protecting the natural resources boulderers depend on.
EFFECT OF PETIOLE PHLOEM DISRUPTION ON STARCH AND MINERAL DISTRIBUTION IN SENESCING SOYBEAN LEAVES

Normally, starch (sugars) and minerals are redistributed from the leaves to the pods during monocarpic senescence in maturing soybean plants. Petiole phloem destruction (steam girdling), which blocked this redistribution by interrupting export through the petiole, altered the foliar senescence pattern producing a distinctive interveinal yellowing with green areas along the veins on pod-bearing plants. This suggests that blockage of the petiole phloem may cause nutrients to accumulate in the green zones along the leaf veins instead of being redistributed to the pods. In the leaves of untreated plants, starch showed the same distribution pattern as chlorophyll; however, starch was preserved in yellow areas as well as the green zones of the steam-girdled leaves. Mineral analyses of the veinal and interveinal zones of treated leaves and controls showed that the veinal green zones and interveinal yellowing in treated plants were not respectively enriched and depleted in minerals corresponding to a redistribution of minerals within the leaves. Depodding also blocked leaf yellowing, net mineral redistribution and starch breakdown. Thus, the pods are able to induce chlorophyll breakdown without net mineral redistribution or starch loss in leaves with petiole phloem destruction. This shows that chlorophyll breakdown is not obligatorily coupled with mineral redistribution or starch breakdown.
Cosmic noise absorption measurements

Abstract Results of cosmic noise absorption measurements at 27.5mc./s made at Stanford, California, and Pullman, Washington, during 1958 are presented. A method introduced by Mitra and Shain of extracting F layer absorption from total absorption, and an extension of this method to remove D layer absorption are described. Subtracting these two components from the total absorption leaves an extra component of absorption. The diurnal and annual variation of all these components is presented graphically and discussed. Errors in the cosmic noise curves are discovered and corrected. The cause of these errors and its relation to assumptions of the cosmic noise absorption method is discussed.
Transforming a circular laser beam into a square or trapezoid--almost

An aberrated laser beam will change shape as it propagates. We use this phenomenon to transform a collimated, uniform-intensity, round beam into a square beam with rounded corners and a fairly uniform intensity. The square beam can be recollimated because no rays cross each other. We found a similar transformation that turns a circular beam into a trapezoidal shape with rounded corners. These aberrating elements can be fabricated using binary optics technology.
A Call to Reduce Restrictions on Categorical Funding.

Unlike many schools and school systems, New York City cannot build on the expectation that its student body has been exposed to a systematic, sequential course of study from kindergarten through eighth or ninth grade. For example, Bureau of Census Statistics show that in 1984, 42.2 percent of the population of the Bronx spoke languages other than English at home. The figures for other boroughs are 35.2 percent in Brooklyn; 36.5 percent in Manhattan; 34.6 percent in Queens, and 15.5 percent in Staten Island. In addition, fully 19.4 percent of the total city population is living below poverty level. In the city's high schools the figures are more disturbing. Statistically, poverty is linked to minority populations, and the high schools serve a student body that is 75 percent minority. Many of these youngsters are newly arrived immigrants, both documented and undocumented. In the 1985-86 school year, one high school admitted more than 600 over-the-counter registrants-that is, youngsters who had arrived with no school records. The city's 141 high schools, including alternative programs, must cope with a population that is neither consistent nor constant. Meeting the needs of such a diverse population places a severe strain on the schools' resources, which are allocated in large measure to remedial programs that have achieved a degree of success, but which have failed to bring many youngsters who are in need of support to a level approaching excellence. It is imperative that categorical funding be available to support educational programs that have been proven to enable youngsters to succeed. From Pygmalion in the Classroom to the effective schools model, research indicates that students perceived as capable of meeting high expectations perform well. Conversely, students who are stigmatized as deficient do less well than youngsters of similar ability not so stigma-
Separation of oligonucleotides, nucleotides, and nucleosides on columns of polystyrene anion-exchangers with solvent systems containing ethanol.

A study of the absorption of oligonucleotides by polystyrene anion-exchangers has shown that a large component of the total binding forces consists of noionic interactions and that these interactions can be substantially reduced in the ion-exchange chromatography of these molecules by adding ethanol to the eluting solvents. This technique permits the separation of oligonucleotide species at pH values near neutrality and with solvent systems containing gradients of relatively low concentrations of chloride ion. Chromatography of oligonucleotides with solvents containing 40% ethanol yields reproducible retention volumes that are dependent on their chain lengths and, to some extent, on their base compositions and the presence of 3′-terminal or 5′-terminal phosphate groups in the molecules. The flexibility in the use of solvent systems with three variable factors: pH, ethanol concentration, and gradient of salt concentration, can also be exploited in the separation of mixtures of nucleosides and nucleotides, and this observation has permitted the development of simple procedures for the characterization of ribo- and deoxyribooligonucleotides with respect to their base compositions, their chain lengths, and the identity of their 3′- and 5′-terminal nucleosides.
New Isotope, Sulfur-38

A new isotope of sulfur, ${\mathrm{S}}^{38}$, has been produced by the ($\ensuremath{\alpha}, 3p$) reaction on ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{37}$. It was found to have a half-life of 172\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 minutes, and to decay by the emission of two beta groups with end-point energies of 1.1 and 3.0 Mev. The 1.1-Mev beta was found to be in coincidence with a 1.88-Mev gamma ray. No other gamma rays were observed. The 3.0-Mev beta occurs in 5% of the disintegrations, and leads to the ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{38}$ ground state. The $log (\mathrm{ft})$ values of the 1.1- and 3.0-Mev beta groups are 5.0 and 8.2, respectively. A comparison is made of the ($\ensuremath{\alpha}, 3p$) reactions on ${\mathrm{Al}}^{27}$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{37}$, and ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{65}$.