cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deterioration of autoimmune condition associated with repeated injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer: A case report

Abstract A 6-year-old girl underwent ureterocystoneostomy (UCN) because of left flank pain due to delayed onset of ureteral stenosis one and a half years after endoscopic dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (Deflux) injection for the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Histopathological examination indicated chronic inflammation with abundant eosinophils characteristic of a reaction to Deflux. Several autoimmune diseases developed during the treatment for ureteral stenosis. First, 2 weeks prior to the onset of left flank pain, she was diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus. Finally, she died of pulmonary hemorrhage due to thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura 4 months after UCN. The fatal outcome in this case was suspected to be caused by autoimmune syndrome induced by adjuvants, which in this case was the hyaluronic acid polymer injected into the ureteric orifice for the treatment of VUR.
Abstract 149: Distance From an Academic Medical Center: Implications on Medicare Penalties

Background: Medicare’s Readmission Reduction program fines hospitals with readmission rates that exceed the national average; however, standardized risk adjustment models do not take into account how far people live from an institution. Larger academic medical centers may be disadvantaged by this oversight. The purpose of this study was to determine if distance travelled could be predicted by length of stay (LOS) and comorbidity. Methods: The Bridging the Discharge Gap Effectively (BRIDGE) was accessed to obtain ZIP code, LOS and to calculate the Charlson Comorbidity Index for patients referred in 2012. Mean LOS was compared to national data from the HCUP database for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF). Distance from the medical center (MC) to the center of each ZIP code was evaluated for correlation with LOS and comorbidity. Local and Distant patients were defined as patients who lived within or outside a 40 mile radius of the MC. Results: A total of 785 were included in this analysis; mean age was 66.0 + 14.3 years and 60.9% were male. Overall, ACS patients had an average LOS 1 day less than the national average, whereas HF and AF patients stayed respectively 1.6 and 1.3 days longer than the national average. There was a significant difference in mean LOS for both ACS and HF patients who lived greater than 40 miles from the MC, (p=0.014, p=0.046). Although insignificant, Distant AF patients also had a mean LOS longer than that of local patients (p=0.12). For all patients who participated in the study, and for ACS patients in particular, there was a weak, but significant, relationship between LOS and distance from the MC (All: r=.18, n=785, p< .001; ACS: r=0.25, n=217, p<0.001), Conclusions: In this sample, LOS is positively correlated with distance from the MC. Because our institution is a large referral center, those referred from a distance are those who likely cannot be managed near their homes. As seen here, more complex HF and AF patients travel greater than 40 miles to receive treatment. Programs designed to decrease readmissions, like BRIDGE, may be less effective in these referral populations who may be less likely to travel for follow-up appointments. Further study is warranted to ascertain if distance should be part of standardized risk adjusting calculations. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Physical and Chemical Signals That Promote Vascularization of Capillary-Scale Channels

Proper vascularization remains critical to the clinical application of engineered tissues. To engineer microvessels in vitro, we and others have delivered endothelial cells through preformed channels into patterned extracellular matrix-based gels. This approach has been limited by the size of endothelial cells in suspension, and results in plugging of channels below ~30 μm in diameter. Here, we examine physical and chemical signals that can augment direct seeding, with the aim of rapidly vascularizing capillary-scale channels. By studying tapered microchannels in type I collagen gels under various conditions, we establish that stiff scaffolds, forward pressure, and elevated cyclic AMP levels promote endothelial stability and that reverse pressure promotes endothelial migration. We applied these results to uniform 20-μm-diameter channels and optimized the magnitudes of pressure, flow, and shear stress to best support endothelial migration and vascular stability. This vascularization strategy is able to form millimeter-long perfusable capillaries within three days. Our results indicate how to manipulate the physical and chemical environment to promote rapid vascularization of capillary-scale channels within type I collagen gels.
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Studies of Organic-Solvent-Induced Permeability Changes in Nanoporous Films Derived from a Cylinder-Forming Diblock Copolymer

In this paper we report electrochemical investigations of the influence of organic solvents dissolved in aqueous solution on the permeability of nanoporous films derived from a cylinder-forming polystyrene–poly(methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer (CF-PS-b-PMMA). The nanoporous films (ca. 30 nm in pore diameter) were prepared on planar gold electrodes via UV-based degradation of the cylindrical PMMA domains of annealed CF-PS-b-PMMA films (30–45 nm thick). The permeability of the electrode-supported nanoporous films was assessed using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The faradic current of Fe(CN)63–/4– decreased upon immersion in aqueous solutions saturated with toluene or methylene chloride (5.8 mM and 0.20 M, respectively). EIS data indicated that the decrease in faradic current mainly reflected an increase in the pore resistance (Rpore). In contrast, Rpore did not change in a saturated n-heptane solution, 0.17 M ethanol, or 5.8 mM aqueous solutions of methylene chlo...
Ethnographic Mapmaking: Part 2—Practical Concerns and Triangulation

The authors introduced the importance and principles of ethnographic mapmaking in Part 1 of this series. Here, they discuss practical matters when making maps in ethnographic situations, including ethics, measurement, and scale. They also provide an example of the triangulation method.
Concurrence of mass and energy density for conservative and dissipative systems

The falling body velocity is 00000 when mass and energy are interdependent. The overestimated 00000 prevails when mass and energy are separately independent. The falling time is found to be greater by a factor of 00000. A consistent account of the laws of motion from Galileo to Newton is made possible by using E = mv2 for conservative and dissipative systems. By the same token, the equivalence of energy and mass can be used for the mathematical assessment of gravitational waves at any velocities and not just at the speed of light. The personalized units should be replaced by the “energy density unit” to avoid ambiguities. The key step is the application of the Hookean “force” in conjunction with the work done as energy. The equivalence of mass and energy at any velocity were derived by using Ideomechanics, which is a mathematized verion of I-Ching. Gravitational waves are intimately related to the entanglement of multi-atom space-time.
Dopaminergic Circuitry Underlying Mating Drive

We develop a new system for studying how innate drives are tuned to reflect current physiological needs and capacities, and how they affect sensory-motor processing. We demonstrate the existence of male mating drive in Drosophila, which is transiently and cumulatively reduced as reproductive capacity is depleted by copulations. Dopaminergic activity in the anterior of the superior medial protocerebrum (SMPa) is also transiently and cumulatively reduced in response to matings and serves as a functional neuronal correlate of mating drive. The dopamine signal is transmitted through the D1-like DopR2 receptor to P1 neurons, which also integrate sensory information relevant to the perception of females, and which project to courtship motor centers that initiate and maintain courtship behavior. Mating drive therefore converges with sensory information from the female at the point of transition to motor output, controlling the propensity of a sensory percept to trigger goal-directed behavior.
Dacron stabilization of the distal ulna.

SUMMARY The pronator lock procedure offers an alternative to the treatment of chronic, symptomatic dorsal translation of the distal ulna in pronation. The porous Dacron tendon has been a useful adjunct and has obviated the need for free tendon grafts, intact tendon slips, or fascia lata in the construction of the radioulnar tether. Careful clinical and biomechanical evaluation of the technique and material is required and is currently under investigation.
Secondary Leukemia or Myelodysplasia Treated by Bone Marrow Transplantation

Patients who develop secondary leukemia face a poor prognosis for survival. Chemotherapy to induce a remission has been complicated by prolonged leukopenia, infection, and a low likelihood of achieving a complete remission. Once achieved, the remissions are of short duration [1]. Combination chemotherapy with cytosine arabinoside and fludarabine, or treatment with topotecan show promise to increase the remission rate and duration of remission [2,3]. However, longterm survival is not likely for patients with secondary leukemia. Treatment of secondary acute leukemia by bone marrow transplantation from a family member or unrelated donor suitably matched for HLA has resulted in long term disease free survival for less than 30 % of patients due to a high relapse rate and significant non-relapse mortality [4,5,6]. We previously reported no statistically significant improvement in outcome whether patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were transplanted as initial therapy or following induction chemotherapy
Research Training, Fellowship, and Career Grants

These categories of grants represent a special group of opportunities that are generally (although not universally) geared to providing junior researchers a prospect to get their foot in the door and obtain their first funding for a project. They are somewhat different than the standard project grant applications since the evaluation of the grant also includes a detailed evaluation of the person applying for the grant and her likelihood of success long term. These grants come in many shapes and sizes and we will focus on some of the more common ones here.
Improving precision medicine using individual patient data from trials.

Our first commitment as clinicians is to our patients as individuals. This understanding lies at the heart of the precision medicine initiative, which aims to customize treatments based not only on a patient’s clinical picture but also on their genetic, demographic and environmental profile.[1][1
Determination of trace elements in human urine by ICP-MS using sodium chloride as a matrix-matching component in calibration

An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of the following thirteen trace elements in human urine: Cr, Mn, Co, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Hg, Tl, Pb, and U. An Agilent 7700x ICP-MS fitted with a helium mode collision cell was used, along with an integrated sample introduction system for flow injection analysis. An optimal helium flow rate of 5.5 mL min−1 through the collision cell was determined based on background levels, analyte-to-background signal ratios, and analytical precisions. The sample diluent was added with n-butanol as a carbon source to enhance analytical sensitivity, which yielded higher signal intensities than methanol or ethanol. The basic diluent prepared with 4% (v/v) n-butanol, 1% (w/v) ammonium hydroxide, 0.1% (w/v) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (H4EDTA), and 0.05% Triton X-100, also demonstrated excellent washout efficiency, requiring only <60 s of rinse time to minimize the Hg memory effect. Sodium chloride (0.95%, w/v) was added to intermediate calibration standards as a matrix-matching component in order to equalize analyte signal suppression caused by inorganic urine components. When both calibration standards and urine specimens were diluted 1 : 10 with the diluent, no considerable variability was observed in internal standard signals throughout the analyses, in spite of a wide range of Na content in urine specimens. Potential Mo oxide interferences on Cd signals were taken into account and minimized with empirically estimated correction factors. Analysis of standard reference materials as well as proficiency testing specimens yielded accuracies of 100 ± 10% for most certified/reference values. Long-term precision of the method was also routinely monitored with internal quality control urine specimens, and after a period of 60 days, the relative standard deviations were <8% for all the analytes.
Convergence acceleration of molecular dynamics methods for shocked materials using velocity scaling

ABSTRACTIn this work, a convergence acceleration method applicable to extended system molecular dynamics techniques for shock simulations of materials is presented. The method uses velocity scaling to reduce the instantaneous value of the Rankine–Hugoniot conservation of energy constraint used in extended system molecular dynamics methods to more rapidly drive the system towards a converged Hugoniot state. When used in conjunction with the constant stress Hugoniostat method, the velocity scaled trajectories show faster convergence to the final Hugoniot state with little difference observed in the converged Hugoniot energy, pressure, volume and temperature. A derivation of the scale factor is presented and the performance of the technique is demonstrated using the boron carbide armour ceramic as a test material. It is shown that simulation of boron carbide Hugoniot states, from 5 to 20 GPa, using both a classical Tersoff potential and an ab initio density functional, are more rapidly convergent when the ve...
GCMF: an efficient end-to-end spatial join system over large polygonal datasets on GPGPU platform

Given two layers of large polygonal datasets, detecting those pairs of cross-layer polygons which satisfy a join predicate, such as intersection or contain, is one of the most computationally intensive primitive operations in the spatial domain applications. In this work, we introduce GCMF, an end-to-end software system, that is able to handle spatial join (with ST_Intersect operation) over non-indexed polygonal datasets with over 3 GB file size comprising more than 600, 000 polygons on a single GPU within less than 8 sec by applying innovative filter and refinement techniques. GCMF performs a two-step filtering phase. 1) A sort-based Minimum Bounding Rectangle (MBR) filtering step detects potentially overlapping polygon pairs up to 20 times faster than the optimized GEOS library routine. 2) A linear time Common MBR filtering step (based on the overlapping area of two given MBRs) that not only eliminates two-third of the candidate polygon pairs but also reduces the number of edges to be considered in the refinement phase by 40-fold on an average based on our experimental results with real datasets. Furthermore, for the refinement phase, GCMF implements a load-balanced parallel point-in-polygon and edge-intersection tests over GPU. Our experimental results with three different real datasets show up to 39-fold end-to- end speedup versus optimized sequential routines of GEOS C++ library as well as PostgreSQL spatial database with PostGIS.
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors for respiratory diseases

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) impose a large financial burden on health services worldwide and it is predicted that this will continue to grow well into the 21st century. Recent epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence and severity of allergic asthma is increasing [1] together with the number of reported cases of fatal asthma [2, 3]. These statistics are of concern given the marked increase in the prescribing of various anti-asthma therapies [4, 5]. Similarly, it is projected that by the year 2020 the world ranking of COPD relative to the most important causes of death will rise to three, below ischaemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, with an associated increase in mortality [6].
The Relationship Between Length and Number of Homeless Episodes and Engagement in Survival Sex

Survival sex is associated with many health problems, including increased substance use and HIV risk. Current research on survival sex among homeless individuals has given little attention to the u...
Charge-Induced Saffman-Taylor Instabilities in Toroidal Droplets

We show that charged toroidal droplets can develop fingerlike structures as they expand due to Saffman-Taylor instabilities. While these are commonly observed in quasi-two-dimensional geometries when a fluid displaces another fluid of higher viscosity, we show that the toroidal confinement breaks the symmetry of the problem, effectively making it quasi-two-dimensional and enabling the instability to develop in this three-dimensional situation. We control the expansion speed of the torus with the imposed electric stress and show that fingers are observed provided the characteristic time scale associated with this instability is smaller than the characteristic time scale associated with Rayleigh-Plateau break-up. We confirm our interpretation of the results by showing that the number of fingers is consistent with expectations from linear stability analysis in radial Hele-Shaw cells.
Identification and Structure–Activity Relationships of Novel Compounds that Potentiate the Activities of Antibiotics in Escherichia coli

In Gram-negative bacteria, efflux pumps are able to prevent effective cellular concentrations from being achieved for a number of antibiotics. Small molecule adjuvants that act as efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) have the potential to reinvigorate existing antibiotics that are currently ineffective due to efflux mechanisms. Through a combination of rigorous experimental screening and in silico virtual screening, we recently identified novel classes of EPIs that interact with the membrane fusion protein AcrA, a critical component of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump in Escherichia coli. Herein, we present initial optimization efforts and structure–activity relationships around one of those previously described hits, NSC 60339 (1). From these efforts we identified two compounds, SLUPP-225 (17h) and SLUPP-417 (17o), which demonstrate favorable properties as potential EPIs in E. coli cells including the ability to penetrate the outer membrane, improved inhibition of efflux relative to 1, and potentiation of the activit...
Misuse or misdesign? Yik Yak on college campuses and the moral dimensions of technology design

Yik Yak, a location-based, anonymous social media app, has been gaining negative attention as a platform that often gives voice to bullying, racism and sexism on college campuses across the country. Integrating research on digital anonymity and cyberbullying, this paper analyzes the key features of Yik Yak and discusses the ethical dimensions of technology design, as illustrated by the Yik Yak case study. Based on this analysis and integrating previous research findings on interaction in digital spaces, we conclude by providing a set of guidelines for integrating ethical considerations into the process of designing social apps, and offer a few directions for further research in this area.
Psychology Without the Brain

This paper presents a critique of the currently dominant neurological reductionism that pervades contemporary psychology. The argument is made that while the brain is certainly involved in behavior it is not the source of it. Rather, a more parsimonious approach to understanding the behavior of organisms can be found in an epigenetic orientation. It is suggested that the concept of evolution holds much promise for theoretical advance within psychology.
Liquid Sucrose Consumption Promotes Obesity and Impairs Glucose Tolerance Without Altering Circulating Insulin Levels.

Objective Multiple factors contribute to the rising rates of obesity and to difficulties in weight reduction that exist in the worldwide population. Caloric intake via sugar-sweetened beverages may be influential. This study tested the hypothesis that liquid sucrose intake promotes obesity by increasing serum insulin levels and tissue lipid accumulation. Methods C57BL/6J mice were given 30% sucrose in liquid form. Changes in weight gain, body composition, energy expenditure (EE), and tissue lipid content were measured. Results Mice drinking sucrose gained more total body mass (TBM), had greater fat mass, and displayed impaired glucose tolerance relative to control mice. These metabolic changes occurred without alterations in circulating insulin levels and despite increases in whole body EE. Lipid accrued in liver, but not skeletal muscle, of sucrose-consuming mice. Oxygen consumption (VO2 ) correlated with fat-free mass and moderately with TBM, but not with fat mass. ANCOVA for treatment effects on EE, with TBM, VO2 , lean body mass, and fat-free mass taken as potential covariates for EE, revealed VO2 as the most significant correlation. Conclusions Weight gain induced by intake of liquid sucrose in mice is associated with lipid accrual in liver, but not skeletal muscle, and occurs without an increase in circulating insulin.
Illegal Immigration: Discrimination or Matter of National Security?

Illegal immigration has become a grave concern for the United States. The wave of the influx into the United States has been like a tsunami with cities struggling with how to deal with this issue. The poor certainly are welcome; however, it is not just about guest workers, but terrorist, human slavers, anarchists and those who have hidden agendas to overthrow the US government if their needs are not met. This paper will examine these issues.
SKIN GRAFTING: From Here to There

Free skin grafts for soft tissue reconstruction can be classified into four types: full-thickness skin grafts, split-thickness skin grafts, composite grafts, and free cartilage grafts. The indications, techniques, donor site considerations, and postoperative complications of each type of skin graft are reviewed.
PURIFIED DROSOPHILA α-AMYLASE ISOZYMES: GENETICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION

ABSTRACT . The genetic control of α-amylase in D. melanogaster and D. hydei is compared. Electrophoretic variants from Zurich (Amy 7 ) and Chile (Amy 8 ) strains of hydei were used in recombination experiments. The linkage group for Amy in hydei is V, the homologue of the amy -containing 2R element in melanogaster; Amy lies 6 map units right of cn in hydei. Evidence for a tightly linked duplication of Amy , as found in melanogaster , is wanting in hydei. However, a newly described male-specific enzyme, probably an α-amylase but under independent genetic control and suggestive of a duplication, has been identified as limited to mature accessory glands in adult males. α-Amylase-7 was purified from adults of the Zurich strain of hydei. The MW of its polypeptide chain, determined by SDS gel electrophoresis, is 54,500. A purified sample of α-amylase-8 from the Chile strain gave similar results, as did a partially purified α-amylase-2 extract from larvae of melanogaster . An amino acid analysis was performed on amylase- 7 from hydei , and rabbit antibodies were prepared against it. The antisera cross-reacted readily with the amylase-7 and -8 antigens from hydei but gave little or no reaction with amylase-2 from melanogaster . No precipitation could be detected between antisera to the Drosophila amylase and amylase in human saliva; neither could a crossreaction be gotten between antibodies against human salivary amylase isozymes and our Drosophila antigens. The ease with which amylase may be purified provides an excellent opportunity to do amino acid sequencing of its genetic variants in Drosophila . It also adds to the many advantages of using the amylase system to analyze genetic regulatory mechanisms in this eukaryote.
Spatial Characteristics of Social Networks

An increasing amount of literature has suggested that a lack of social networks partly explains the disadvantaged groups’ inferior socioeconomic outcomes. Although the hypothesis sounds plausible, the indicators of social networks vary in the empirical research, and thus the real world implications are unclear. This chapter reviews relevant literature, aiming to assess different social network indicators in the empirical studies and suggest additional appropriate indicators. To do so, this chapter reviews theoretical literature on social networks as well as empirical studies that use social networks to explain employment outcomes. It then evaluates the validity of the social network indicators in the empirical studies. And finally, it suggests additional indicators that are feasible and conceptually sound. The findings illuminate future empirical research by clarifying theoretical concepts of social networks, supporting the usage of household or neighborhood characteristics as social network indicators, and suggesting addition indicators that have been overlooked.
Throwing Bottles at God: Predictive Text as a Game Mechanic in an AI-Based Narrative Game

We present Throwing Bottles at God, an experimental interactive narrative game that makes use of a predictive text writing interface as both a game mechanic and a means by which to deliver narrative content. The player steps into the role of @dril, a well-known pseudonymous social media personality with a distinctive writing style, and authors short snippets of text while receiving suggestions from the game as to which word @dril might use next – suggestions supported by word pair frequency data extracted from the corpus of all existing tweets by the actual @dril. The game represents a first attempt to use AI-based game design to heighten the player’s awareness of AI algorithms, specifically predictive text algorithms, as they play a role in the player’s day-to-day life. It also blurs the line between player-authored and developer-authored narrative content by inviting players to freely mix snippets of developer-authored text into their own in-game social media posts as they compose them, resulting in player-assembled messages that embed sequences of words drawn both from an external corpus (the @dril corpus) and from developer-authored narrative content.
Can You Spot the Semantic Predicate in this Video

We propose a method to improve human activity recognition in video by leveraging semantic information about the target activities from an expert-defined linguistic resource, VerbNet. Our hypothesis is that activities that share similar event semantics, as defined by the semantic predicates of VerbNet, will be more likely to share some visual components. We use a deep convolutional neural network approach as a baseline and incorporate linguistic information from VerbNet through multi-task learning. We present results of experiments showing the added information has negligible impact on recognition performance. We discuss how this may be because the lexical semantic information defined by VerbNet is generally not visually salient given the video processing approach used here, and how we may handle this in future approaches.
Lessons learned from exceptional responders

Introduction: Since the advent of anti-cancer therapies, physicians have observed that certain patients experience deep, durable responses to these agents (exceptional responders). The application ...
Optimal control policies in service systems with limited information on the downstream stage

Existing models in multistage service systems assume full information on the state of downstream stages. In this paper, we investigate how much the lack of such information impacts jobs' waiting time in a two‐stage system with two types of jobs at the first stage. The goal is to find the optimal control policy for the server at the first stage to switch between type‐1 and type‐2 jobs, while minimizing the long‐run average number of jobs in the system. We identify control policies and corresponding conditions under which having no or partial information, the system can still capture the most benefit of having full information.
Preoperative high respiratory quotient correlates with lower weight loss after bariatric surgery

The respiratory coefficient (RQ), as determined by indirect calorimetry (IC), classifies diet as being carbohydrate rich (RQ = 0.7–0.8), fat rich (RQ = 0.9–1.0), or overfeeding (RQ > 1). We hypothesized that preoperative RQ may be associated with weight-loss outcomes after bariatric surgery. From 2016 to 2018, 137 obese patients were enrolled in a Bariatric Registry and underwent dietary and behavioral counseling, followed by preoperative IC. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and RQ of all patients was measured. Patients were classified as over-feeders (OF; 42, 31%) with RQ > 1 or non-over-feeders (NOF; 95, 69%) with RQ < 1. At baseline, there was no difference between groups in gender [female: 105 (76.6%), male: 32 (23.4%)], body mass index (BMI; OF: 46.8 ± 7.8 vs. NOF: 44.8 ± 7.4 kg/m2, p = 0.40), or baseline REE (OF: 1897 ± 622 vs. NOF: 1874 ± 579, p = 0.74), although OF were younger [mean age (OF: 47.1 ± 13.0 years vs. NOF: 43.1 ± 13.4; p = 0.009). At 6-month follow-up 94 patients [53.28%; OF: 35 (83%) vs. NOF: 59 (62%), p = 0.016] were seen and 48 [35.03%; OF: 23 (55%) vs. NOF: 25 (59%), p = 0.001] at 12-month follow-up. On preoperative psychological assessment, OF had a significantly higher rate of childhood neglect (OF: 28 (47.46%) vs. NOF: 40 (28.99%); p = 0.01). At 1 year postoperatively, the OF had a significantly higher BMI (OF: 34.3 ± 6.5 vs. NOF: 29.3 ± 5.1 kg/m2, p = 0.009). Differences in weight were not significant at 6-month (OF: 36.0 ± 6.5 vs. NOF: 33.5 ± 5.9 kg/m2, p = 0.07). There was no difference between type of operation and RQ group (RYGB; OF: 55 (75%) vs. NOF: 18 (25%) and SG; OF: 40 (62%) vs. NOF: 24 (38%), p = 0.14), nor in BMI loss after operation. Evidence of overfeeding in the preoperative period prior to bariatric surgery is associated with higher resultant BMI at 1 year. Calculation of the RQ with IC has prognostic significance in bariatric surgery, and calculation of REE based on assumed normal RQ potentiates error. It is unclear if overfeeding is purely behavioral or secondary to potentially reversible metabolic etiology.
Isolation, characterization, and regional mapping of microclones from a human chromosome 21 microdissection library.

Thirty-four unique-sequence microclones were isolated from a previously described microdissection library of human chromosome 21 and were regionally mapped using a cell hybrid mapping panel which consists of six cell hybrids and divides chromosome 21 into eight regions. The mapping results showed that the microclones were unevenly distributed along chromosome 21, with the majority of microclones located in the distal half portion of the long arm, between 21q21.3 and 21qter. The number of unique-sequence clones began to decrease significantly from 21q21.2 to centromere and extending to the short arm. This finding is consistent with those reported in other chromosome 21 libraries. Thus, it may be inferred that the proximal portion of the long arm of chromosome 21 contains higher proportions of repetitive sequences, rather than unique sequences of genes. The microclones were also characterized for insert size and were used to identify the corresponding genomic fragments generated by HindIII. In addition, the authors demonstrated that the microclones with short inserts can be efficiently used to identify YAC (yeast artificial chromosome) clones with large inserts, for increased genomic coverage for high-resolution physical mapping. They also used 200 unique-sequence microclones to screen a human liver cDNA library and identified two cDNA clonesmore » which were regionally assigned to the 21q21.3-q22.1 region. Thus, generation of unique-sequence microclones from chromosome 21 appears to be useful to isolate and regionally map many cDNA clones, among which will be candidate genes for important diseases on chromosome 21, including Down syndrome, Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and one form of epilepsy.« less
A Poincaré–Bendixson theorem for hybrid dynamical systems on directed graphs

The purpose of this work is to obtain restrictions on the asymptotic structure of two-dimensional hybrid dynamical systems. Previous results have been achieved by the authors concerning hybrid dynamical systems with a single impact surface and a single state space. Here, this work is extended to hybrid dynamical systems defined on a directed graph; each vertex corresponds to a state space and each directed edge corresponds to an impact.
Parents’ Perceptions of Access to Services for Their Adult Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder:

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate parents’ perceptions of service access for their adult children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Access includes accommodation, acc...
An NKX2-1/ERK/WNT feedback loop modulates gastric identity and response to targeted therapy in lung adenocarcinoma

ABSTRACT Cancer cells often undergo lineage switching during their natural progression and in response to therapy. Lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) exhibit a variety of differentiation states accompanied by dysregulation of lineage-specific transcription factors such as NKX2-1. Loss of NKX2-1 in human and murine LUAD leads to invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA), a subtype of lung cancer that exhibits pulmonary to gastric transdifferentiation. Human IMAs harbor a distinct spectrum of mutationally activated driver oncogenes compared to LUAD overall, suggesting that the transdifferentiation induced by NKX2-1 loss plays a context-dependent role in LUAD progression. Using genetically engineered mouse models, we find that NKX2-1 is required for optimal BRAFV600E driven lung tumor initiation but is dispensable for growth of established lung tumors. NKX2-1-deficient, BRAFV600E driven tumors morphologically resemble human IMA, have high levels of ERK phosphorylation and exhibit a distinct response to treatment with combined BRAF/MEK inhibitors. Whereas NKX2-1-positive tumor cells enter quiescence when treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors, residual NKX2-1-negative cells fail to exit the cell cycle in response to the same therapy. Additionally, BRAF/MEK inhibitors induce canonical WNT signaling in NKX2-1-negative lung tumor cells, which is accompanied by cell identity switching within the gastric lineage. Co-inhibition of MAPK and WNT pathways blocked elements of this lineage switch in vitro and interfered with cell cycle changes imposed by MAPK inhibition in vivo. Our data show that there is a complex and reciprocal relationship between lineage specifiers and oncogenic signaling pathways in the regulation of LUAD identity and suggest that lineage switching induced by targeted therapies may confer new therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Knowledge, Awareness and Acceptance among Dental Students and Post-Graduate Dental Residents

Introduction: The recent development of a vaccine that is highly effective against the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been met with widespread clinical and public health professional acceptance. However, social and societal barriers to vaccination may hamper public health efforts to prevent HPV-mediated diseases. Although a few studies have evaluated knowledge or awareness of HPV vaccination among dentists or dental educators, few studies have evaluated the acceptance, knowledge and awareness of HPV vaccination among dental students and post-graduate dental residents. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate survey responses regarding acceptance, knowledge and awareness of HPV vaccination among dental students and post-graduate dental residents. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of a previously administered and collected questionnaire. The original protocol was reviewed by the UNLV Biomedical Institutional Research Board (IRB) and was deemed excluded from IRB review (OPRS#0811-2911). Results: Two hundred and ninety-three (N = 293) dental student and forty-one (N = 41) post-graduate dental resident questionnaires were available for a total sample size of N = 334. In brief, although the majority of dental students and residents agreed that vaccines are safe and effective, less than half of dental students (37.5%) or dental residents (48.7%) had discussed the HPV vaccine with a physician or had received the vaccine themselves. In addition, a significant percentage of dental students and residents felt they did not have enough information regarding the HPV vaccine (25.6% and 26.8%, respectively) or had significant concerns about the side effects (17.1%). Conclusions: The data suggest more specific information in dental school microbiology and immunology courses might be needed to increase awareness and knowledge of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, including the HPV vaccine. This enhanced education might also serve as a curricular focal point to answer questions regarding vaccine-related side effects and provide a mechanism for answering important questions regarding this vaccine.
Unconventional use of ablative fractional photothermolysis in arm contouring

Brachioplasty, in addition to several nonsurgical interventions (e.g. cryolipolysis, noninvasive radiofrequency, and intense-focused ultrasound) have been described as efficacious in the elimination of excess skin laxity from the upper arms. Recently, fractional CO2 ablation has gained attention for its ability to reduce rhytids and improve skin texture on the face, neck, and hands. In this article, we report the first successful case of fractional CO2 ablation for upper arm contouring.
Toward a deeper discussion: a survey analysis of podcasts and personalized politics

Using online survey data from a large southeastern university (N = 762) this study examined young adult’s interest in podcasts, podcast use, and personalized politics. The results of this study sho...
What is so wrong with using child soldiers

My paper examines moral claims made by two international legal scholars, Margaret deGuzman and William Schabas, that support the view that the crime of using child soldiers is closer to a malum pro...
Viral Sequencing to Investigate Sources of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in US Healthcare Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at increased risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We posit current infection control guidelines generally protect HCP from SARS-CoV-2 infection in a healthcare setting. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, we use viral genomics to investigate the likely source of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCP at a major academic medical institution in the Upper Midwest of the United States between 25 March - 27 December, 2020. We obtain limited epidemiological data through informal interviews and review of the electronic health record. We combine epidemiological information with healthcare-associated viral sequences and with viral sequences collected in the broader community to infer the most likely source of infection in HCP. RESULTS: We investigated SARS-CoV-2 infection clusters involving 95 HCP and 137 possible patient contact sequences. The majority of HCP infections could not be linked to a patient or co-worker (55/95; 57.9%) and were genetically similar to viruses circulating concurrently in the community. We found 10.5% of infections could be traced to a coworker (10/95). Strikingly, only 4.2% of HCP infections could be traced to a patient source (4/95). CONCLUSIONS: Infections among HCP add further strain to the healthcare system and put patients, HCP, and communities at risk. We found no evidence for healthcare-associated transmission in the majority of HCP infections evaluated here. Though we cannot rule out the possibility of cryptic healthcare-associated transmission, it appears that HCP most commonly becomes infected with SARS-CoV-2 via community exposure. This emphasizes the ongoing importance of mask-wearing, physical distancing, robust testing programs, and rapid distribution of vaccines.
Microscale investigation of DNAPL displacement by engineered graphene quantum dots in heterogeneous porous media

Abstract This x-ray microtomography study investigates the dynamic pore-scale displacement of a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) such as heavy crude oil in a heterogeneous aquifer rock using carbonaceous nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized from Wyoming coal and consisted of a mixture of graphene quantum dots (GQD) and engineered graphene quantum dots (E-GQD) in equal proportions. Synergistic interactions between GQD and E-GQD at the oil/water interface reduced the DNAPL/brine interfacial tension (IFT) from 13.4 mN/m to 5.4 mN/m. In addition, the nanofluid mixture altered the wettability of the minerals found in the rock (quartz, carbonate, and feldspar) from oil-wet to water-wet with average contact angles of 66°, 51°, and 60°, respectively. The wettability alteration was more pronounced in carbonates due to the tendency of GQD to adsorb on these surfaces. Analyses of the saturation profiles and pore-scale fluid occupancy maps revealed that the wettability alteration was not instantaneous and required a short soaking time for the fluid-rock interactions to take place. IFT reduction alone was not enough to displace the DNAPL at the early stages of nanofluid flooding because of the high density and viscosity of the oil. As a result, the nanofluid did not outperform brine after 1 pore volume (PV) of injection. On the other hand, the nanofluid was able to invade small pores that were not accessible to brine after 3 PV of injection due to both IFT and contact angle reduction, which lowered the threshold capillary pressure of these pores. Subsequently, more medium and large pores were invaded by the nanofluid as the injection continued, leading to an 11% increase in DNAPL recovery after 20 PV of nanofluid injection, as compared to waterflooding. This incremental recovery is significant considering that the experiments were performed with a heavy oil at ambient temperature, which is more representative of aquifer conditions. Thus, the GQD-based nanofluid has the potential to achieve much larger recoveries in deeper heavy oil reservoirs provided enough soaking time is allowed. The insights provided by this study could be used to validate pore-scale network models or guide in the design and selection of more effective nanomaterials for aquifer remediation or enhanced oil recovery applications.
Vertical integration to mitigate internal capital market inefficiencies

Abstract We argue that vertical integration creates operational links between divisions in a conglomerate, which aligns divisional interests, thereby reducing internal competition between divisions. As a result, vertical integration improves the capital allocation efficiency of the internal capital market (ICM). We measure ICM efficiency by innovation output and capital expenditure (CAPX) deviation, and present evidence that higher levels of vertical integration are associated with higher ICM efficiency. Our results are robust to a number of endogeneity tests and the use of alternative measures of vertical integration and ICM efficiency.
Emergency medical care utilization, romantic attachment, and psychological distress in pregnant adolescent and young adult couples.

Purpose: The present study investigated the association of one's own and one'spartner's emergency medical care utilization during pregnancy with psychological distress in adolescent and young adult couples. Effect modification by sex and romantic attachment style was also explored. Method: Participants were pregnant adolescent and young adult couples recruited from 4 university-affiliated hospitals in Connecticut. Participants self-reported demographics, emergency medical care utilization (emergency room or overnight hospitalization), romantic attachment style, and psychological distress at baseline during the second or third trimester. Multilevel models were estimated to account for interdependence within couples. Results: One's own and one's partner's emergency medical care was associated with higher levels of psychological distress only at low levels of avoidant attachment (-1 SD), B = 2.20, p .12). No significant interactions emerged for medical care utilization with sex or attachment anxiety. Conclusions: Emergency medical care utilization during pregnancy was associated with higher psychological distress only for individuals reporting lower avoidant attachment. These individuals may have more resources to deal with distress (e.g., coping, social support), and may therefore also be more capable of experiencing it. Tailoring interventions to bolster healthy romantic attachment and relational wellbeing could improve mental health outcomes in at-risk pregnant adolescent and young adult couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Changes in Sick Visits at an Academic Pediatric Primary Care Practice due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic decreased pediatric patient volumes;however, details regarding patterns of use within primary care sick visits are not well understood. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of sick visits in an academic primary care clinic from March-August 2019 and 2020 and recorded demographics and visit diagnoses. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare the two time periods. RESULTS: Patient age, gender, and insurance type were similar across years. In 2020, there were 1,868 sick visits (247 telehealth, 4%-36% of monthly visits) compared to 4,007 (0 telehealth) in 2019. The proportion of infectious diagnoses decreased (35% vs 48%);non-infectious diagnoses increased, including dermatological (25% vs 19%) and genitourinary/reproductive (9% vs. 6%) diagnoses. Conclusion: Similar to pediatric emergency departments, we found decreased primary care sick visits. Telehealth increased in 2020 and varied with COVID-19 community prevalence. Visits for contagious illnesses decreased in 2020, likely related to mitigation measures.
A preliminary evaluation of the relationships between patterns of drinking initiation and driving simulation vehicle control among sober young adults

Among adolescent and young adult drivers, alcohol-impaired driving is prevalent and a frequently reported high-risk behavior associated with motor vehicle crashes and crash injury and death (Nation...
How Do Geriatric Scores Predict 1-Year Mortality in Elderly Patients with Suspected Pneumonia?

Background: Pneumonia has an impact on long-term mortality in elderly patients. The risk factors associated with poor long-term outcomes are understated. We aimed to assess the ability of scores that evaluate patients’ comorbidities (cumulative illness rating scale—geriatric, CIRS-G), malnutrition (mini nutritional assessment, MNA) and functionality (functional independence measure, FIM) to predict 1-year mortality in a cohort of older patients having a suspicion of pneumonia. Methods: Our prospective study included consecutive patients over 65 years old and hospitalized with a suspicion of pneumonia enrolled in a monocentric cohort from May 2015 to April 2016. Each score was analysed in univariate and multivariate models and logistic regressions were used to identify contributors to 1-year mortality. Results: 200 patients were included (51% male, mean age 83.8 ± 7.7). Their 1-year mortality rate was 30%. FIM (p < 0.01), CIRS-G (p < 0.001) and MNA (p < 0.001) were strongly associated with poorer long-term outcomes in univariate analysis. CIRS-G (p < 0.05) and MNA (p < 0.05) were significant predictors of 1-year mortality in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Long-term prognosis of patients hospitalized for pneumonia was poor and we identified that scores assessing comorbidities and malnutrition seem to be important predictors of 1-year mortality. This should be taken into account for evaluating elderly patients’ prognosis, levels and goals of care.