cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iatrogenic Pseudoaneurysms of the Extrahepatic Arterial Vasculature: Management and Outcome

Background. Pseudoaneurysms of the extrahepatic arterial vasculature are relatively uncommon lesions following surgery and trauma. In this report we analyze the presentation, management and outcomes of these vascular lesions. Of the related surgical procedures, the reported incidence is highest following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We hereby analyze the literature on this subject and report our experience, specifically with extrahepatic pseudoaneurysms, drawing an important distinction from intrahepatic pseudoaneurysms. Methods. From September 1995 until July 2004, six patients, including three males and three females with a mean age of 67 years, were treated for seven extrahepatic arterial pseudoaneurysms. Patients were evaluated by endoscopy, ultrasound, computerized tomography, and angiography. Management included coil embolization or arterial ligation and/or hepatic resection. Results. The mean pseudoaneurysm size was 4.9-cm (range 1.0–11.0-cm) and the locations included the right hepatic artery (n = 5), inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (n = 1), and gastroduodenal artery (n = 1). All six patients had prior surgical or percutaneous procedures. Median latency period between the original procedure and treatment of pseudoaneurysm was 17 weeks (range one month–16 years). Clinical features ranged from the dramatic presentation of hypotension secondary to intraperitoneal aneurysmal rupture to the subtle presentation of obstructive jaundice secondary to pseudoaneurysm mass effect. The range of patient presentations created diagnostic challenges, proving that accurate diagnosis is made only by early consideration of pseudoaneurysm. Management was ligation of the right hepatic artery (n = 4) and embolization of the pseudoaneurysms (n = 2). Post-treatment sequelae included liver failure requiring liver transplant (n = 1), intrahepatic biloma requiring percutaneous drainage (n = 1) and cholangitis with right hepatic duct strictures requiring right lobectomy and biliary reconstruction (n = 1). These complications followed arterial ligation, with no complications resulting from embolization. All six patients are alive and well after a mean follow-up of 53 months. Conclusions. Our six patients demonstrate the diversity and unpredictability with which a pseudoaneurysm of the extrahepatic arterial vasculature may present in terms of initial symptoms, prior procedures, and the latency period between presentation and prior procedure. Through our experience and an analysis of the literature, we recommend a diagnostic and management approach for these patients.
Fetal lung and diaphragm development in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a congenital disorder with an incidence of 1 in 2500 live births. Respiratory distress of newborns with CDH is the result of pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. Hypoplastic lungs are characterized by a decreased number of airways with smaller airspaces, whereas the combination of a decreased number of vascular branches and an increased adventitia and medial thickness of the pulmonary arterial walls result in pulmonary hypertension. The appearance of the CDH lungs suggests that its complete formation is stalled during development. Understanding the basic mechanisms of lung development is mandatory to unravel the origin of CDH. Although the histological abnormalities in CDH lungs have been well described, less is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this review we will discuss the current molecular and genetic background of lung formation, as well as a reflection of this knowledge towards CDH.
Efficient channel shortening equalizer design

Time-domain equalization is crucial in reducing channel state dimension in maximum likelihood sequence estimation and inter-carrier and intersymbol interference in multicarrier systems. A time-domain equalizer (TEQ) placed in cascade with the channel produces an effective impulse response that is shorter than the channel impulse response. This paper analyzes two TEQ design methods amenable to cost-effective real-time implementation: minimum mean square error (MMSE) and maximum shortening SNR (MSSNR) methods. We reduce the complexity of computing the matrices in the MSSNR and MMSE designs by a factor of 140 and a factor of 16 (respectively) relative to existing approaches, without degrading performance. We prove that an infinite-length MSSNR TEQ with unit norm TEQ constraint is symmetric. A symmetric TEQ halves FIR implementation complexity, enables parallel training of the frequency-domain equalizer and TEQ, reduces TEQ training complexity by a factor of 4, and doubles the length of the TEQ that can be designed using fixed-point arithmetic, with only a small loss in bit rate. Simulations are presented for designs with a symmetric TEQ or target impulse response.
PERFUSION IMAGING OF THE HUMAN LUNG USING FLOW-SENSITIVE ALTERNATING INVERSION RECOVERY WITH AN EXTRA RADIOFREQUENCY PULSE (FAIRER)

Pulmonary perfusion is an important parameter in the evaluation of lung diseases such as pulmonary embolism. A noninvasive MR perfusion imaging technique of the lung is presented in which magnetically labeled blood water is used as an endogenous, freely diffusible tracer. The perfusion imaging technique is an arterial spin tagging method called Flow sensitive Alternating Inversion Recovery with an Extra Radiofrequency pulse (FAIRER). Seven healthy human volunteers were studied. High-resolution perfusion-weighted images with negligible artifacts were acquired within a single breathhold. Different patterns of signal enhancement were observed between the pulmonary vessels and parenchyma, which persists up to TI = 1400 ms. The T1s of blood and lung parenchyma were determined to be 1.46s and 1.35 s, respectively.
Protein Kinase C Inhibitors Prevent Cultured Human Endothelial Cell Stress Fiber Formation, but not Heightened Endocytosis

In order to study the signal transduction mechanism of endothelial perturbation, the effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), both protein kinase C (PKC) activators, on cultured human endothelial cell (EC) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation, endocytotic activity, and cytoskeletal structure have been investigated. EC were incubated with 1-100 nM PMA, or PDBu, and cellular H2O2 generation and endocytotic activity measured. PMA and PDBu exposure caused dose-dependent rises in EC H2O2 production. Likewise, EC incubated with PMA and PDBu had dose-related endocytosis increases. Cytoskeletal inspection of 10 nM PMA-perturbed EC revealed structural remodeling with stress fiber formation. Similar cellular functional changes occur in EC exposed to high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition with 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7) prevented cytoskeletal remodeling in PMA-stimulated EC. In differenc...
Intraspecific Interaction and Mechanisms of Population Regulation in Experimentally Limited Habitat

Many populations of organisms deplete their resources, causing population growth rates to decline as population density increases. I used the sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), as a model to gain insight into the mechanisms of population regulation. Eight experiments differentiated the effects of crowding and food depletion on dispersal, mortality, and reproduction. Generally, food depletion caused increased mortality of immature beetles, sharply reduced oviposition, and increased adult dispersal. Rates of birth and death were both negative exponential functions of increasing density. The experiments quantify the trade-off between food and area in population regulation. These trade-offs varied with initial abundance of larvae and adults and show the risk of ignoring abundances of any life stages when characterizing vital rates. I contrast population regulation of O. surinamensis with Tribolium sp., and suggest O. surinamensis is a good alternative for experiments on population dynamics because of better mobility and shorter development time.
Remediation of Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Learners may present with deficits in communication and interpersonal skills because of lack of knowledge, unfavorable attitudes, low skill level, or a combination of these factors. Overemphasis on the biomedical interviewing model, learners’ psychological and psychiatric factors or issues of cultural or language diversity may also contribute to communication difficulties. For learners who need remediation in communication and interpersonal skills, the authors describe how they have achieved success by modeling their approach on seven principles of relationship-centered care, coaching, and effective feedback. They also present cases that illustrate these principles.
Relay Power Savings through Independent Coding

We present a link-state based composite decode-forward (DF) scheme for the relay channel comprised of independent coding and coherent block Markov coding. Although it is believed that block Markov coding is the optimal DF technique whenever the source- to-relay link is stronger than the direct link, we show that under some link-state conditions, independent coding achieves the same rate but also results in power savings at the relay. We then apply this composite scheme in fading under a practical channel state information (CSI) assumption in which nodes have perfect receive CSI and long-term transmit CSI. Through simulation, we demonstrate that the throughput with practical CSI achieves a rate comparable to that of block Markov coding, but with less required relay power. Further, we expose a novel trade-off between consumed relay power and rate gain for relay placement. Specifically, the relay conserves the most power when closer to the destination but achieves the most rate gain when closer to the source.
192 Pt(α,α') reaction at E=24 MeV

Angular distributions for excitation of the ${0}^{+}$, ${2}^{+}$, ${2}^{+'}$, ${4}^{+}$, ${4}^{+'}$, and ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states in $^{192}\mathrm{Pt}$ by 24 MeV $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles have been measured. Coupled-channels analysis of the ground-state band yields negative ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{4}$ deformations. Analysis of the "$\ensuremath{\gamma}$ band" yields a negative $E2$ interference term ${P}_{3}$ and a surprising large direct $E4$ excitation of the ${4}^{+'}$ state.
The Genus Haplopogon in the New World, with the Description of Erinus N. SP. (Diptera: Asilidae)

The genus Haplopogon Engel, which was proposed in 1930, was based upon a single species, nudus Engel. No subsequent mention of the genus has appeared in the literature. H. nudus is represented only by the type material, two males and two females, from Turkestan. Three additional species from the southwestern United States are here recognized as belonging to this genus, namely, Holopogon lautus Coquillett and Holcocephala bullata Bromley from Texas and one new species from Arizona.
Bouncing to conclusions: clear evidence for the metabolic cost of generating muscular force

to try and understand the biomechanical basis for the metabolic demand of locomotion, scientists have gone to extreme measures. Exercise physiologists have studied Olympic athletes. Comparative physiologists have studied mice running on treadmills with tiny backpacks ([12][1]) and even trained
The Limits of Social Justice as an Aspect of Medical Professionalism

Contemporary accounts of medical ethics and professionalism emphasize the importance of social justice as an ideal for physicians. This ideal is often specified as a commitment to attaining the universal availability of some level of health care, if not of other elements of a "decent minimum" standard of living. I observe that physicians, in general, have not accepted the importance of social justice for professional ethics, and I further argue that social justice does not belong among professional norms. Social justice is a norm of civic rather than professional life; professional groups may demand that their members conform to the requirements of citizenship but ought not to require civic virtues such as social justice. Nor should any such requirements foreclose reasonable disagreement as to the content of civic norms, as requiring adherence to common specifications of social justice would do. Demands for any given form of social justice among physicians are unlikely to bear fruit as medical education is powerless to produce this virtue.
Assessing the Effects of Herbivory

Plant biologists long dismissed the importance of herbivorous insects in plant communities on the assumption that the amount of tissue they consume in non-outbreak years is inconsequential. In the last 15 years, the role of insects in driving the evolution of plant chemical and physical defenses has become appreciated. Other roles that insects may play are less well established: some feel that the impact of herbivores is small enough to ignore while others consider their affects on physiology, population and community dynamics as too important to dismiss.
Pluripotent stem cells as a model for embryonic patterning: From signaling dynamics to spatial organization in a dish

In vivo studies have identified the signaling pathways and transcription factors involved in patterning the vertebrate embryo, but much remains unknown about how these are organized in space and time to orchestrate embryogenesis. Recently, embryonic stem cells have been established as a platform for studying spatial pattern formation and differentiation dynamics in the early mammalian embryo. The ease of observing and manipulating stem cell systems promises to fill gaps in our understanding of developmental dynamics and identify aspects that are uniquely human. Developmental Dynamics 245:976-990, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An investigation of the relationships between quality of life and residential environments among rural families

This dissertation is comprised of two manuscripts prepared for submission to academic journals. The articles relate broadly to quality of life and residential environments among rural families. The first manuscript is a quantitative study using rural household data from the Life in Iowa project. The second manuscript is a qualitative study using the data drawn from the 13 family interviews from the Family Well-being and Welfare Reform in Iowa Project. The general purpose of this research was to investigate the community and housing of rural families and the associated effects on quality of life. The first article discusses the complex mechanisms involved in predicting community satisfaction among rural residents. The role of housing satisfaction and community attachment in predicting community satisfaction was of particular interest. A structural equation model (SEM) of community satisfaction was tested with mail survey data drawn from a randomly selected rural sample of 974 households. The results of this study confirmed the influences and mediating role of community attachment and housing satisfaction in predicting community satisfaction. Spillover effects were found on "lower levels of concerns" (e.g., satisfaction with local services, assessment of current housing condition) in perceived community satisfaction. The second article focused on the strategies employed and the difficulties faced in the provision of safe, affordable and stable homes. This investigation depicts several dimensions of the circumstances of poor children that have not had much previous attention in the literature: serial housing inadequacy and chronic mobility. It employs mothers' voices to convey the housing needs of children and suggests that families exchange one chronic
Design of an Optical See-through Multi-Focal-Plane Stereoscopic 3D Display With Eye-tracking Ability

We presented the design of an optical see-through multi-focal-plane 3D display with eye-tracking ability, which benefits to both research and emerging display applications. The proposed design is able to render near-accurate focus cues with high image quality and large, undistorted see-through view
Preconditioned total field inversion (TFI) method for quantitative susceptibility mapping.

Purpose To investigate systematic errors in traditional quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) where background field removal and local field inversion (LFI) are performed sequentially, to develop a total field inversion (TFI) QSM method to reduce these errors, and to improve QSM quality in the presence of large susceptibility differences. Theory and Methods The proposed TFI is a single optimization problem which simultaneously estimates the background and local fields, preventing error propagation from background field removal to QSM. To increase the computational speed, a new preconditioner is introduced and analyzed. TFI is compared with the traditional combination of background field removal and LFI in a numerical simulation and in phantom, 5 healthy subjects, and 18 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Results Compared with the traditional method projection onto dipole fields+LFI, preconditioned TFI substantially reduced error in QSM along the air–tissue boundaries in simulation, generated high-quality in vivo QSM within similar processing time, and suppressed streaking artifacts in intracerebral hemorrhage QSM. Moreover, preconditioned TFI was capable of generating QSM for the entire head including the brain, air-filled sinus, skull, and fat. Conclusion Preconditioned total field inversion improves the accuracy of QSM over the traditional method where background and local fields are separately estimated. Magn Reson Med 78:303–315, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
News about her: The effects of media freedom and internet access on women's rights

ABSTRACTHuman rights organizations have long heralded media freedom as critical to holding government accountable and thereby improving a wide range of human rights. Similarly the Internet and social media are assumed to empower citizens by enabling them to document repression and thereby discourage future abuse. So what does this mean for women's rights? I propose that, when it comes to women's rights, the combination of media freedom and Internet access will make a difference and that the effect of media freedom will depend on Internet access. I test my hypotheses across countries and over time and find that the interaction of Internet access and media freedom has positive effects on women's rights regardless of regime type.
EEG Maturational Changes in Partial Epilepsies

Changes and migration of EEG foci with age in 208 patients with childhood partial epilepsy followed for more than 3 years are reported from the Department of Pediatrics, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama City, Japan.
Characterization and Correction of Errors in Computing Contact Location Between Curved Articular Surfaces: Application to Total Knee Arthroplasty

In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), one common metric used to evaluate innovations in component designs, methods of component alignment, and surgical techniques aimed at decreasing the high rate of patient-reported dissatisfaction is tibiofemoral contact kinematics. Tibiofemoral contact kinematics are determined based on the movement of the contact locations in the medial and lateral compartments of the tibia during knee flexion. A tibial force sensor is a useful instrument to determine the contact locations, because it can simultaneously determine contact forces and contact locations. Previous reports of tibial force sensors have neither characterized nor corrected errors in the computed contact location (i.e., center of pressure) between the femoral and tibial components in TKA that, based on a static analysis, are caused by the curved articular surface of the tibial component. The objectives were to experimentally characterize these errors and to develop and validate an error correction algorithm. The errors were characterized by calculating the difference between the errors in the computed contact locations when forces were applied normal to the tibial articular surface and those when forces were applied normal to the tibial baseplate. The algorithm generated error correction functions to minimize these errors and was validated by determining how much the error correction functions reduced the errors in the computed contact location caused by the curved articular surface. The curved articular surface primarily caused bias (i.e., average or systematic error) which ranged from 1.0 to 2.7 mm in regions of high curvature. The error correction functions reduced the bias in these regions to negligible levels ranging from 0.0 to 0.6 mm (p < 0.001). Bias in the computed contact locations caused by the curved articular surface of the tibial component as small as 1 mm needs to be accounted for, because it might inflate the computed internal-external rotation and anterior-posterior translation of femur on the tibia leading to false identifications of clinically undesirable contact kinematics (e.g., internal rotation and anterior translation during flexion). Our novel error correction algorithm is an effective method to account for this bias to more accurately compute contact kinematics.
State of the Art and Future Predictions: “By the Way… I’m Pregnant”

There are multiple concerns women have about becoming or being pregnant when they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBD). Fertility can be impaired in those who have had previous pelvic surgery, and impaired sexuality been reported as well. The majority of pregnancies result in healthy children, as there is no apparent increased risk for birth defects, childhood infections, or cancers. However, women with active IBD during pregnancy can have babies that are small for gestational age, low birth weight, and premature. The data for the safety of medications during pregnancy is favorable, and women are encouraged to stay on therapy to control the disease while pregnant.
Preparation in Physical Education

(1964). Preparation in Physical Education. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 35-73.
The influence of students’ participation in STEM competitions on their interest in STEM careers

Pre-college student participation in science fairs, robotics competitions, computing contests and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competitions increases every year in...
A caffeine containing weight loss supplement augments hemodynamic responses after exercise

Abstract Background Since the effects of supplements can be potentially harmful and/or ineffective to obtain desired positive benefits, there is a need to investigate supplementation to understand the responses of physiological systems, to educate consumers, and to provide feedback for businesses creating these supplements. The purpose of the current study was to test hemodynamic responses of a weight loss supplement and determine its effects on hemodynamic variables. Methods 31 participants underwent a randomized, double-blind, crossover study design and received a placebo or supplement on two separate days. Baseline measures of all variables were assessed prior to exercise. During exercise, each participant performed treadmill running at 80% VO2PEAK until volitional fatigue. Immediately post-exercise, hemodynamic measures were recorded at multiple time points. Results There was a significant condition ∗ time interaction with the supplement having a higher PWV for the carotid to femoral segment (p = 0.004). There were also significant condition ∗ time interactions for heart rate (p = 0.001). Large arterial elasticity was significantly lower for the supplement (p = 0.005). Systolic blood pressure was conditionally higher (p = 0.001), as was diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.003) and mean arterial pressure (p = 0.003). Vascular resistance was conditionally higher for the supplement (p = 0.044). Conclusions Ingredients in the supplement caused multiple negative effects within hemodynamics and were ineffective at increasing running time.
Organizations Appear More Unethical than Individuals

Both individuals and organizations can (and do) engage in unethical behaviors. Across six experiments, we examine how people’s ethical judgments are affected by whether the agent engaging in unethical action is a person or an organization. People believe organizations are more unethical than individuals, even when both agents engage in identical behaviors (Experiments 1–2). Using both mediation (Experiments 3a–3b) and moderation (Experiment 4) analytical approaches, we find that this effect is explained by people’s beliefs that organizations produce more harm when behaving unethically, even when they do not, as well as people’s perceptions that organizations are relatively more blameworthy agents. We then explore how these judgments manifest across different kinds of organizations (Experiment 5) as well as how they produce discrepant punishments following ethically questionable business activities (Experiment 6). Although society and the law often treat individuals and organizations as equivalent, people believe for-profit organizations’ behaviors are less ethical than identical individual behaviors. We discuss the ethical implications of this discrepancy, as well as additional implications concerning reputation management, punishment, and signaling in organizational contexts.
Ethical issues in states of impaired communication with intact consciousness and language.

Abstract Acute and chronic peripheral and/or central disorders of the voluntary motor system can produce profound paresis or paralysis, at times with ophthalmoplegia, while preserving consciousness and language function. Although at times appearing to be unconscious, these patients are awake and alert but unable to communicate, manipulate their environment, or participate in medical decision-making. Clinicians caring for these patients are ethically tasked with recognizing this clinical reality, enacting measures to facilitate communication, and abiding by ethical and legal principles that support autonomous patient-centered decision-making. This chapter reviews the various disorders that may cause this state while using three exemplary disorders – locked-in syndrome, caused by an anterior pontine lesion; high cervical spinal cord lesion; and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – to discuss the management of these patients.
A deficit vanished

In 1995, the authors of an influential report concluded that southern California had an ‘earthquake deficit’ —that is, a model of seismicity predicted that twice the number of earthquakes of magnitude 6 to 7 should have occurred than was evident from a catalogue going back to 1850. That deficit now disappears with a re-evaluation of both the model and the catalogue.
The Initial Stages of Reaction Between Quartz and Calcium Carbonate

A study was made of the low-temperature (700–850°C) reaction between calcium carbonate and quartz using a thermogravimetric technique. The samples prepared for reaction were pressed disks composed of large quartz particles (10%) in a matrix of fine calcium carbonate particles (90%). The reaction occurred in two steps: (1) a rapid initial reaction, markedly influenced by water vapor present either in the atmosphere or adsorbed on the surfaces of the calcium carbonate particles, and (2) a final stage in which the rate was controlled by diffusion through a protective product layer around the quartz particles. On the basis of optical microscope, electron microprobe, and X-ray lattice parameter studies, the mechanism of the initial reaction was postulated as a rapid diffusion of calcium into the quartz structure promoted by the presence of water vapor. As the water vapor was removed during the reaction, a dense protective layer of product formed and coated the quartz particles, thereby accounting for the observed parabolic kinetics in the final stages of reaction.
Is the Medial Sural Artery Perforator Flap a New Workhorse Flap? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background The medial sural artery perforator flap offers thin, pliable tissue with a relatively long pedicle and low donor-site morbidity. This study explores the characteristics and uses of the medial sural artery perforator flap along with postoperative outcomes and complications. Methods A systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify all cases of medial sural artery perforator flap reconstruction. Descriptive and meta-analyses were performed on pooled outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with increased complication rates. Results Thirty-five studies encompassing 526 medial sural artery perforator flaps were included for analysis. The most common reasons for surgery were oncologic (47.6 percent) and traumatic injuries (31.8 percent). The oral cavity was the most common recipient location (45.5 percent). Average flap dimensions were 6.0 ± 2.3 cm × 9.8 ± 3.6 cm, with an average pedicle length of 10.1 ± 6.6 cm. Meta-analysis revealed an overall complication rate of 14.3 percent (Q value = 22.16; p = 0.877; I(2)= -39.9). Use of chimeric medial sural artery perforator flaps was associated with significantly higher rates of complications (OR, 3.92; p = 0.039; 95 percent CI, 1.10 to 13.89). The majority of flap donor sites were closed primarily (68 percent) versus 32 percent that were covered with split-thickness skin grafts. A flap width greater than 5.75 cm had an odds ratio of 5.3 (95 percent CI, 1.3 to 21.8; p = 0.014) of having a donor-site complication if closed primarily. Conclusions The medial sural artery perforator flap offers thin, pliable tissue with a relatively long pedicle and has minimal donor-site morbidity when the donor site is managed appropriately. As such, it should be considered a workhorse flap for both head and neck and extremity reconstruction.
A national-scale vegetation multimetric index (VMMI) as an indicator of wetland condition across the conterminous United States

In 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency and its partners conducted the first National Wetland Condition Assessment at the continental-scale of the conterminous United States. A probability design for site selection was used to allow an unbiased assessment of wetland condition. We developed a vegetation multimetric index (VMMI) as a parsimonious biological indicator of ecological condition applicable to diverse wetland types at national and regional scales. Vegetation data (species presence and cover) were collected from 1138 sites that represented seven broad estuarine intertidal and inland wetland types. Using field collected data and plant species trait information, we developed 405 candidate metrics with potential for distinguishing least disturbed (reference) from most disturbed sites. Thirty-five of the metrics passed range, repeatability, and responsiveness screens and were considered as potential component metrics for the VMMI. A permutation approach was used to calculate thousands of randomly constructed potential national-scale VMMIs with 4, 6, 8, or 10 metrics. The best performing VMMI was identified based on limited redundancy among constituent metrics, sensitivity, repeatability, and precision. This final VMMI had four broadly applicable metrics (floristic quality index, relative importance of native species, richness of disturbance-tolerant species, and relative cover of native monocots). VMMI values and weights from the survey design for probability sites (n = 967) were used to estimate wetland area in good, fair, and poor condition, nationally and for each of 10 ecoregion by wetland type reporting groups. Strengths and limitations of the national VMMI for describing ecological condition are highlighted.
THU0085 RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ALLERGIC DISEASES

Background: Historically, RA was considered a TH1 disease while asthma and allergy were considered TH2 diseases (1). However, several studies show an association between RA and asthma (2), and more recently, allergic disease (3). Objectives: We first aimed to determine the association between RA and asthma after controlling for important confounders including allergic disease, urban environment, and passive smoke exposure. Second, we aimed to determine the association between RA and various allergy types. Methods: This case-control study identified 1,023 cases of RA (175 incident) within a single-center biobank population using a rules-based algorithm that combined self-report with two diagnosis codes. Exposures were self-reported on biobank questionnaires. Logistic regression models calculated the association of exposures with RA, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Asthma was associated with RA after adjusting for allergies, urban environment, and passive smoke exposure (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.58). History of allergic disease was also associated with RA (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.51), especially food allergy (OR 1.38, OR 1.08 to 1.75, see Figure 1). Results from the incident RA cohort mirrored these findings, though the association with asthma was not significant (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.66 to 2.06). Conclusion: Asthma and allergies may be associated with increased risk of RA. It is possible a broader problem with immune dysregulation underlies both RA and allergic diseases, and having one predisposes to the other. References: [1] Singh VK, Mehrotra S, Agarwal SS. The paradigm of Th1 and Th2 cytokines: its relevance to autoimmunity and allergy. Immunol Res. 1999;20(2):147-61. [2] Sheen YH, Rolfes MC, Wi CI, Crowson CS, Pendegraft RS, King KS, et al. Association of Asthma with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Case-Control Study. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018;6(1):219-26. [3] Lai NS, Tsai TY, Koo M, Lu MC. Association of rheumatoid arthritis with allergic diseases: A nationwide population-based cohort study. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2015;36(5):99-103. Acknowledgement: Funding for this project was provided by the Rheumatology Research Foundation Resident Research Preceptorship. We would also like to acknowledge the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Disclosure of Interests: Vanessa Kronzer: None declared, Cynthia S. Crowson: None declared, Jeffrey Sparks Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Consultant for: Optum, Robert Vassallo: None declared, John Davis Grant/research support from: Pfizer
Cash Transfers, Microentrepreneurial Activity, and Child Work: Evidence from Malawi and Zambia

Cash transfer programs are rapidly becoming a key component of the social safety net of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The primary aim of these programs is to help households improve their f...
Dairy Manure Wastewater Remediation Using Non-airtight Digestion Pretreatment Followed by Microalgae Cultivation.

The non-airtight digestion technology is emerging to be applied in the acidogenic phase for two-stage methane production. However, in this study, it was used to pretreat screened dairy manure (SDM) in order to provide microalgae cultivation with a substrate that might be more suitable for nutrient reduction, especially phosphorus. SDM was firstly underwent non-airtight digestion applying different dilution folds, i.e., blank (no dilution), 5-fold, 10-fold, and 15-fold. Total solids (TS), total dissolved solids (TDS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the SDM were mostly reduced when there was no dilution applied. Five-fold dilution is the most beneficial one for ammonia reduction. Total phosphorus (TP) was reduced the most efficiently in the blank SDM. After the non-airtight digestion, 5-fold diluted original SDM, 5-fold diluted digested original SDM, and digested 5-fold diluted SDM were used to grow microalgae for 8 days. Microalgae grown in 5-fold diluted digested original SDM and digested 5-fold diluted SDM had better removal efficiencies in COD and NH4-N. From the monitoring of pH and TP during the 8-day culture period, it is found that pHs were peaked on the 4th day for microalgae grown in 5-fold diluted digested original SDM and digested 5-fold diluted SDM, corresponding to the maximal TP removal. Non-airtight digestion of SDM could help achieve better nutrient removal by microalgal cultivation in a shorter time span.
Effect of trauma-related stress after alcohol consumption on perceived likelihood of negative consequences and willingness to drive.

Abstract Background Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes are a major preventable cause of death in the United States. One potential factor that may modulate the influence of alcohol on driving-related cognitions and decision-making is trauma-related stress. Indeed, in addition to compelling research indicating that both acute trauma-related stress and acute alcohol consumption may independently affect driving-related risky decision-making, there is reason to believe that the combination of these antecedents may have an exacerbating effect. Methods The current study evaluated the influence of induction of acute trauma-related stress (via script-driven imagery) after alcohol consumption (0.06% Breath Alcohol Concentration [BrAC]) on driving-related cognitions – perceived likelihood of negative consequences and willingness to drive – among 25 trauma-exposed (currently symptomatic) adult drinkers from the community (M = 24.08; 36.0% female). Results Participants who were acutely exposed to trauma-related stress after alcohol consumption evidenced lower perceived likelihood of being pulled over by a police officer (ηp2 = 0.38, large effect size) and lower perceived likelihood of getting in an accident (ηp2 = 0.17, medium-to-large effect size) relative to participants exposed to a neutral cue; conversely, participants exposed to trauma-related stress after alcohol consumption evidenced greater willingness to drive (d = 1.16, large effect size) than participants exposed to a neutral cue. Conclusions Generally, findings suggest that individuals with a trauma history that are acutely exposed to trauma-related stressors (e.g., reminders of their traumatic experience) may be particularly vulnerable to poorer driving-related decision-making after alcohol consumption. Results provide a meaningful target for the development of intoxicated driving prevention and intervention efforts geared specifically for individuals with trauma history.
Actions Taken by US Hospitals to Prepare for Increased Demand for Intensive Care During the First Wave of COVID-19: A National Survey.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic placed considerable strain on critical care resources. How US hospitals responded to this crisis is unknown. Research Question What actions did US hospitals take to prepare for a potential surge in demand for critical care services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic? Study Design and Methods From September to November 2020, the chief nursing officers of a representative sample of US hospitals were surveyed regarding organizational actions taken to increase or maintain critical care capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weighted proportions of hospitals for each potential action were calculated to create estimates across the entire population of US hospitals, accounting for both the sampling strategy and nonresponse. Also examined was whether the types of actions taken varied according to the cumulative regional incidence of COVID-19 cases. Results Responses were received from 169 of 540 surveyed US hospitals (response rate, 31.3%). Almost all hospitals canceled or postponed elective surgeries (96.7%) and nonsurgical procedures (94.8%). Few hospitals created new medical units in areas not typically dedicated to health care (12.9%), and almost none adopted triage protocols (5.6%) or protocols to connect multiple patients to a single ventilator (4.8%). Actions to increase or preserve ICU staff, including use of ICU telemedicine, were highly variable, without any single dominant strategy. Hospitals experiencing a higher incidence of COVID-19 did not consistently take different actions compared with hospitals facing lower incidence. Interpretation Responses of hospitals to the mass need for critical care services due to the COVID-19 pandemic were highly variable. Most hospitals canceled procedures to preserve ICU capacity and scaled up ICU capacity using existing clinical space and staffing. Future research linking hospital response to patient outcomes can inform planning for additional surges of this pandemic or other events in the future.
The Impacts of Credit on Village Economies

This paper evaluates the short-term impact of Thailand's 'Million Baht Village Fund' program, among the largest scale government microfinance initiatives in the world, using pre-and post-program panel data and quasi-experimental cross-village variation in credit-per-household. We find that the village funds have increased total short-term credit, consumption, agricultural investment, income growth (from business and labor), but decreased overall asset growth. We also find a positive impact on wages, an important general equilibrium effect. The findings are broadly consistent qualitatively with models of credit-constrained household behavior and models of intermediation and growth.
On Ensembling vs Merging: Least Squares and Random Forests under Covariate Shift

It has been postulated and observed in practice that for prediction problems in which covariate data can be naturally partitioned into clusters, ensembling algorithms based on suitably aggregating models trained on individual clusters often perform substantially better than methods that ignore the clustering structure in the data. In this paper, we provide theoretical support to these empirical observations by asymptotically analyzing linear least squares and random forest regressions under a linear model. Our main results demonstrate that the benefit of ensembling compared to training a single model on the entire data, often termed 'merging', might depend on the underlying bias and variance interplay of the individual predictors to be aggregated. In particular, under both fixed and high dimensional linear models, we show that merging is asymptotically superior to optimal ensembling techniques for linear least squares regression due to the unbiased nature of least squares prediction. In contrast, for random forest regression under fixed dimensional linear models, our bounds imply a strict benefit of ensembling over merging. Finally, we also present numerical experiments to verify the validity of our asymptotic results across different situations.
Detecting and Analyzing Hydrolytic Enzymes of Industrial Significance in two Streptomyces Strains Isolated from the Soil

Two Streptomyces strain were isolated from a soil sample in Louisiana. They were identified via 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogeny. To detect the presence of hydrolytic enzymes, starch, carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC), lipase reagent, and Milk (casein) were used as substrate to detect the production of amylase, cellulose, lipase and casease respectively. Both strains showed the ability to hydrolyze starch, and cellulose, while only strain SWHR10 displayed lipase activity. In addition, strain SWHR10 showed better amylase and cellulase activity. Hemolysis, gelatinase and catalase tests were also conducted. This study further validates that Streptomyces remain a powerhouse of hydrolytic enzymes with industrial and economic importance.
Efficacy of Targeted ECO/miR-200c Nanoparticles for Modulating Tumor Microenvironment and Treating Triple Negative Breast Cancer as Non-invasively Monitored by MR Molecular Imaging

To investigate the effectiveness of targeted ECO/miR-200c in modulating tumor microenvironment and treating triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) using non-invasive magnetic resonance molecular imaging (MRMI) of extradomain B fibronectin (EDB-FN) with a targeted MRI contrast agent. MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T TNBC cells were transfected with RGD-PEG-ECO/miR-200c. Invasive and migratory potential was evaluated using transwell, scratch wound, and spheroid formation assays. Athymic nude mice bearing orthotopic MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T xenografts were treated with weekly i.v. injection of RGD-PEG-ECO/miR-200c nanoparticles at 1.0 mg/kg/week RNA for 6 weeks. MRMI of EDB-FN was performed using a targeted contrast agent MT218 [ZD2-N3-Gd(DO3A)] on a 3 T MRS 3000 scanner. T1-weighted images were acquired following intravenous injection of MT218 at dose of 0.1 mmol/kg using a fast spin echo axial sequence with respiratory gating. Systemic administration of RGD-PEG-ECO/miR-200c nanoparticles in mice bearing orthotopic TNBC xenografts significantly suppressed tumor progression without toxic side-effects. MRMI with MT218 revealed that the treatment significantly suppressed tumor proliferation as compared to the control. MRMI also showed that the miR-200c treatment altered tumor microenvironment by reducing EDB-FN expression, as evidenced by decreased contrast enhancement in both MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T tumors. The reduction of EDB-FN was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Targeted delivery of miR-200c with RGD-PEG-ECO/miR-200c nanoparticles effectively modulates tumor microenvironment and suppresses TNBC proliferation in animal models. MRMI of tumor EDB-FN expression is effective to non-invasively monitor tumor response and therapeutic efficacy of RGD-PEG-ECO/miR-200c nanoparticles in TNBC.
Galactosylsphingosine Galactosyl Hydrolase PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE ENZYME IN RAT BRAIN

Abstract Utilizing galactosylsphingosine (psychosine), specifically labeled with tritium at carbon 6 of galactose, as the substrate, activities of galactosylsphingosine galactosyl hydrolase were demonstrated in young adult rat brain. The radioactive reaction product was characterized as galactose. The pH optimum was 4.2 to 4.5. The reaction was linear for at least 5 hours and was proportional to the amount of the enzyme. The enzyme had a Km of 1.1 x 10-5 m. Oleic acid, sodium taurocholate, deoxycholate, and cholate were stimulatory for the activity of galactosylsphingosine galactosyl hydrolase. Tween 20 and Triton X-100 were inhibitory, while Myrj 59 (polyoxyethylene stearate) had no effect. Galactosylceramide was a competitive inhibitor with an inhibitor constant (Ki) of 2.0 x 10-5 m, a finding suggestive of the identity of galactosylsphingosine and galactosylceramide galactosyl hydrolases. These observations suggest that an alternate degradative pathway of brain galactosyl-ceramide through galactosylsphingosine might exist, in addition to the well established major degradative pathway through ceramide.
Students' problem solving approaches for developing geologic models in the field

Understanding how geologists conduct fieldwork through analysis of problem solving has significant potential impact on field instruction methods within geology and other science fields. Recent work has highlighted many aspects of fieldwork, but the problem solving behaviors displayed by geologists during fieldwork and the associated cognitive processes remain poorly understood. We present research showing how geology students initiate and develop geologic models as part of the problem solving process. We qualitatively analyzed field notes and interview data from 36 undergraduate geoscientists engaged in field exams during a 6-week advanced field camp. Eight cognitive approaches grouped in two broad categories emerged from the data that show how students develop geologic models. Students employ both single and multiple model approaches with varying degrees of success and frequency. The success of any given approach appears to be dependent on the level of students' geologic situation awareness. The development of multiple geologic models leads to a higher rate of success in general, because of the inherent flexibility to accommodate newly collected data. Instructors should continue to teach a multiple model approach until students have the proper geologic skills to ensure a high level of situation awareness and exhibit expert characteristics in the field. Furthermore, students should be instructed to eliminate weaker models as they progress throughout each mapping assignment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 1109–1131, 2015.