cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrence of stillbirth and second trimester pregnancy loss

The 3,003 women referred to the Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program following a stillbirth or second trimester fetal death reported a total of 4,563 previous pregnancies including 180 previous second or third trimester losses for a total precurrence rate of 3.95%. The 142 women with a history of at least one previous stillbirth and/or late miscarriage differed significantly from the entire cohort with respect to timing and cause of their losses. Women experiencing multiple losses frequently had both second trimester miscarriages and stillbirths >20 weeks but did not have an increased risk of first trimester miscarriage. Recurrences were more likely to be in the second trimester (52% vs. 37%) and to have a maternal (20% vs. 11%) or placental (27% vs. 19%) cause. While fetal causes overall were less common in the group with recurrence (18% vs. 27%), the difference was due mainly to fewer common aneuploidies and other low recurrence risk conditions. Not only known recessive conditions but also "idiopathic hydrops" and multiple congenital anomalies not fitting a known syndrome were more frequent than expected, suggesting that these groups should be investigated for underlying genetic causes that might have been overlooked. Women with second trimester losses and/or a maternal or placental cause of death face significantly higher empiric risks (7-8% vs. 4% for the entire cohort) and should be counseled accordingly. Study of recurrent fetal loss can help identify high risk women who may benefit from treatment and preventive strategies in the future.
The nature of coaching effectiveness with youth soccer players

An analysis was conducted over 2 successive years on tryout evaluations for 60 males under 8 years of age. Four teams were equated prior to the season. The win-loss-tie records for the season were examined along with the tryout evaluations for the players who advanced to the next age group. Results showed that coaches differed in ability both to train players in the fundamental skills of soccer and to produce a winning team. Coaching effectiveness is not unidimensional; the greatest individual gains in skill were made by players under the last-place coach.
AMP kinase regulates ligand-gated K-ATP channels in substantia nigra dopamine neurons.

Abstract AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master enzyme that regulates ATP-sensitive K+ (K-ATP) channels in pancreatic beta-cells and cardiac myocytes. We used patch pipettes to record currents and potentials to investigate effects of AMPK on K-ATP currents in substantia nigra compacta (SNC) dopamine neurons in slices of rat midbrain. When slices were superfused repeatedly with the K-ATP channel opener diazoxide, we were surprised to find that diazoxide currents gradually increased in magnitude, reaching 300% of the control value 60 min after starting whole-cell recording. However, diazoxide current increased significantly more, to 472% of control, when recorded in the presence of the AMPK activator A769662. Moreover, superfusing the slice with the AMPK blocking agent dorsomorphin significantly reduced diazoxide current to 38% of control. Control experiments showed that outward currents evoked by the K-ATP channel opener NN-414 also increased over time, but not currents evoked by the GABAB agonist baclofen. Delaying the application of diazoxide after starting whole-cell recording correlated with augmentation of current. Loose-patch recording showed that diazoxide produced a 34% slowing of spontaneous firing rate that did not intensify with repeated applications of diazoxide. However, superfusion with A769662 significantly augmented the inhibitory effect of diazoxide on firing rate. We conclude that K-ATP channel function is augmented by AMPK, which is activated during the process of making whole-cell recordings. Our results suggest that AMPK and K-ATP interactions may play an important role in regulating dopamine neuronal excitability.
Leveraging Trends in Student Interaction to Enhance the Effectiveness of Sketch-Based Educational Software

With the rapid adoption of software-based learning in classrooms, it is increasingly important to design more intelligent educational software, a goal of the emerging field of educational data mining. In this work, we analyze student activities from using a learning tool for engineers, Mechanix, in order to find trends that may be used to make the software a better tutor, combining its natural, sketch-based input with intelligent, experience-based feedback. We see a significant correlation between student performance and the amount of time they work on a problem before submitting; students who attempt to “game” the system by submitting their results too often perform worse than those who work longer (p< 0.05). We also found significance in the number of times a student attempted a problem before moving on, with a strong correlation between being willing to switch among problems and better performance (p< 0.05). Overall, we find that student trends like these could be paired with machine learning techniques to make more intelligent educational tools.
Dawes’ Contributions to Symposia and a Summing Up

In addition to his scientific contributions per se, and helping to inspire the small army of leaders to be that came of age under his tutelage, Geoffrey Dawes had a special and amazing gift for synthesizing information and ideas. Many of his overviews of various issues were given as invited lectures, keynote addresses, and introductions to various proceedings and conferences. For instance, in what was to be the first of several symposia devoted to the “baffling problem” of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), held in 1963 in Seattle, WA (Wedgwood and Benditt 1965), with his background in physiology and pharmacology, Dawes brought valuable insights to the discussion. In his presentation on cardiovascular pulmonary reflexes, he emphasized the relation of his studies with asphyxia in newborn and young lambs to the enigma of SIDS. Additionally, in terms of casual mechanisms, he stressed the necessity to consider alternative hypotheses (Dawes 1965). A decade later at a Bethesda, MD, symposium devoted to this topic (Bosma and Showacre 1975), Dawes participated in the discussion of almost half of the formal presentations. In concluding comments, he challenged the participants on their many assumptions and the supposed “facts” presented; “I would be careful about this evidence,” he cautioned (Dawes 1975, p. 266). Importantly, Dawes formulated a number of ideas relating to SIDS and outlined research questions that required exploration (Dawes 1975). Many of these remain unanswered to the present day (Kinney and Thach 2009). Along this line the hippocampus is a key component of the forebrain-limbic network that modulates respiratory regulation via interactions with brainstem neuronal centers. A provocative study has reported that a marker of hippocampus dentate gyrus abnormality, food granule cell bilamination, was present in 41% (47 of 114) of SIDS newborns whereas this abnormality was apparent in only 8% (3 of 39) controls (Kinney et al. 2015). This may serve as a morphologic marker for underlying brain vulnerability.
Mechanical anomaly observed in Ni-Mn-Ga alloys by nanoindentation

Abstract Reduced elastic modulus (E r ) and hardness (H) for NiMnGa alloys were investigated using nanoindentation over a large compositional range generated via diffusion couple annealing. Diffusion couples were assembled from selected starting alloys and annealed at 900 °C for 120 h. Compositions generated through diffusion couples, as examined by electron probe micro-analyzer, covered large part of the β phase region. Microstructural analyses by scanning electron microscopy revealed that, for each diffusion couple, an interface separating austenite and martensite was created due to variation of the martensitic transformation temperature at different compositions. Nanoindentation measurements were carried out across the interdiffusion zone for each diffusion couple, and a correspondence between E r or H and composition is established. The measured E r and H had larger scatter for the martensitic phase than for the austenitic phase. A decrease of E r and H was observed with Mn or Ni substituting for Ga, and Ni substituting for Mn in the austenitic phase. However, an opposite trend was found in the martensitic phase: an increase of E r and H was observed with Mn or Ni substituting for Ga, and Ni substituting for Mn. A minimum value of E r and H was always observed near the interface between austenite and martensite. The softening of the elastic constants due to pre-martensitic transformation contributed to the sharp decreases in E r and H near the interface region. The results demonstrate that the influence of lattice softening is significant over a large compositional range on the mechanical properties of NiMnGa alloys and potentially in other materials that have a martensitic transformation.
Agglomeration of Hematite Concentrate by Starches

ABSTRACTStarches of varying solubilities were investigated as a partial and full bentonite replacements. They were found to be suitable for the pelletization of iron ore concentrate. When utilizing starches of varying solubility as a direct bentonite replacement, dry compression strengths increased by nearly 300 N, as compared to bentonite alone, with the highest solubility starch. This implies that on an equivalent mass basis, starch is a far superior binder than bentonite prior to 500 °C. Above this temperature bentonite became the dominating binding factor as starch had combusted and the strengths due to starch were los(t. As a partial bentonite replacement, starch again shows increasing compression strength. The highest strengths were observed where the highest solubility starches were used. Further study has indicated that starch is comprised of insoluble starch granules and soluble starch chains, the latter being the only viable binding agent.
Variability in Clinical and Anatomical Manifestation of Velocardiofacial Syndrome Presents Diagnostic and Policy Uncertainty.

ABSTRACTObjective: This study examined the complexity and myriad clinical manifestations and expressions of velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS). It aimed to determine if VCFS invariably met the three disability criteria for the Compassionate Allowance List (CAL) program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Methods: A systematic evaluative review of the literature found in 10 academic databases was completed. Inclusion criteria of the search terms yielded 1,383 initial manuscripts. Only 77 of articles met higher-level inclusion criteria of explicit statements reporting observed severity of symptoms and disability that this study used as evidence. The three SSA CAL criteria include duration, severity, and impact of employment. The analysis systematically reviewed papers with the objective of determining if they met one, two, or all three of the SSA CAL criteria. Results The first criteria for the CAL require a condition to last beyond 12 months. From the 77 articles that met inclusion crit...
Quarks unleashed at low energy

Quarks – the tiny building blocks that make up protons, neutrons and other hadrons – are normally locked deep inside larger nuclear particles. But a new state of matter made up of freely moving quarks and gluons, known as the "quark-gluon plasma", is thought to have existed just moments after the big bang. Experiments at several accelerator laboratories around the world are attempting to recreate that moment by colliding large atomic nuclei with each other at velocities close to the speed of light. The nuclear matter that is created from the different types of collision and at different energies allows theorists to test their predictions against experimental data.
SERDES external loopback test using production parametric-test hardware

External loopback testing is an industry standard test for serializer-deserializer (SERDES) interfaces, and it is used to test for at-speed defects in the analog transmission (TX) and reception (RX) buffers. The specific test involves sending pseudorandom bit sequence (PRBS) at high speed from the TX side, looping on the load-board and receiving on the RX side where the sequence is checked to calculate bit error rate (BER). To achieve parametric coverage on the buffers, it is required to have tester access at the SERDES pins. However, the on-board component populated for this tester access may lead to poor channel insertion and return loss due to reflections from these additional components. This, in turn, may lead to unacceptable BER at higher data rates. Consequently, it is a common practice to use one type of load-board for parametric/DC testing and another type for AC/at-speed testing. This paper describes a dedicated production load-board that is designed to achieve tester access on the SERDES pins using a resistor network. Using this load-board, external loopback could be operated successfully up to 20Gbps without sacrificing parametric test capability.
City Comedy, Public Style

AbstractLondon's expansion altered the structure of social relations within the city by making anonymity, rather than familiarity, a normative precondition of day‐to‐day encounters. This new condit...
A convenient method for the estimation of ARDL parameters and test statistics: USA trade balance and real effective exchange rate relation

This paper suggests an alternative yet effective way of obtaining long-run parameters of ARDL estimators as well as their test statistics. We contribute by providing an approach that is simple to implement, user-friendly and portable in which we can simultaneously investigate not only the long-run relationship but also the short-run dynamics. Additionally, our approach can be used without the need to buy new software, and it may be indispensable in the face of tighter expenditure budgets and the increasing cost of education for students. Finally, we affirm our approach by demonstrating through bivariate and multivariate examples using the trade balance of the United States.
Legal Recognition of De Facto Parents: Victory for Same-Sex Parents or Threat to Parental Autonomy

The LGBT community is celebrating two recent decisions from the highest courts in Maryland and New York recognizing non-biological “de facto parents” as legal parents. Slate and other media outlets have described these decisions as “overwhelming” victories for gay parents. Commentators also see these cases as part of the “ripple effect” of recognizing of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges. After years of advocating for same-sex couples on a range of issues before both legislatures and courts, I am surprised at my reluctance to join the celebration. In questioning the wisdom of this trend, I tentatively and uncomfortably align myself with pro-marriage scholars and commentators who have long critiqued the recognition of de facto parenthood. I’m not pushing marriage but I think this new trend is unnecessary to protect same-sex families or other de facto parents and their children. I also worry that authorizing this kind of state intervention to overrule decisions of legal parents may have unintended consequences that should concern us all.
The association between an inflammatory diet and global cognitive function and incident dementia in older women: The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study

Abstract Introduction The Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diets have been associated with lower dementia risk. We evaluated dietary inflammatory potential in relation to mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/dementia risk. Methods Baseline food frequency questionnaires from n = 7085 women (aged 65–79 years) were used to calculate Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores that were categorized into four groups. Cognitive function was evaluated annually, and MCI and all-cause dementia cases were adjudicated centrally. Mixed effect models evaluated cognitive decline on over time; Cox models evaluated the risk of MCI or dementia across DII groups. Results Over an average of 9.7 years, there were 1081 incident cases of cognitive impairment. Higher DII scores were associated with greater cognitive decline and earlier onset of cognitive impairment. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) comparing lower (anti-inflammatory; group 1 referent) DII scores to the higher scores were group 2-HR: 1.01 (0.86–1.20); group 3-HR: 0.99 (0.82–1.18); and group 4-HR: 1.27 (1.06–1.52). Conclusions Diets with the highest pro-inflammatory potential were associated with higher risk of MCI or dementia.
E-Mail Like a Lawyer

As one of the most common--and commonly misused -- forms of business communication, e-mail can enhance or hinder your professional success as a lawyer. That's why it pays to evaluate your e-mail habits and make appropriate improvement. This article explains how.
Environmentally-Related International Displacement: Following in Graeme Hugo’s Footsteps

Since Graeme Hugo published his seminal paper on “Environmental concerns and international migration” in 1996, interest on the topic has been on the rise, accelerating sharply in the last decade amidst renewed concerns about the consequences of global environmental change for human well-being and population mobility, and the idea that environmental displacement has the potential for triggering governance and security challenges and conflicts. Using three of Hugo’s works for guidance, this chapter examines international environmentally-related displacement from a population perspective, addressing definitional issues, briefly reviewing recent trends and developments in conceptual frameworks and research, and offering selected examples of the inclusion of this highly conflictive topic in different policy forums.
AIS scores in spine and spinal cord trauma: Epidemiological considerations.

Background: The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) is an internationally accepted coding system created by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, utilized to code traumatic injurie...
Impact of positioning uncertainty on eco-approach and departure of connected and automated vehicles

Most CAV applications, especially those designed for environmental benefits, rely on the assumption that perfect positioning is continuously available. However, this is not the case in real-life situations, for example, when GNSS is used for positioning in urban canyons. Furthermore, very little research has been conducted to evaluate the impacts of positioning accuracy on CAV applications at the traffic level. The objective of our paper is therefore to examine the effect of varying levels of positioning error on an example environmentally-friendly CAV application, Eco Approach and Departure at Signalized Intersections (EAD). Our findings indicate that the energy consumption and travel time of vehicles traversing a road network can be negatively impacted by inaccurate position estimation of the EAD-equipped vehicles. In particular, when the maximum position error exceeds 20 m, the travel time penalty may begin to outweigh the energy savings of the application, especially when congestion is present and all vehicles are equipped with the application.
Differential-Delay Equations

Periodic motions in DDE (Differential-Delay Equations) are typically created in Hopf bifurcations. In this chapter we examine this process from several points of view. Firstly we use Lindstedt’s perturbation method to derive the Hopf Bifurcation Formula, which determines the stability of the periodic motion. Then we use the Two Variable Expansion Method (also known as Multiple Scales) to investigate the transient behavior involved in the approach to the periodic motion. Next we use Center Manifold Analysis to reduce the DDE from an infinite dimensional evolution equation on a function space to a two dimensional ODE (Ordinary Differential Equation) on the center manifold, the latter being a surface tangent to the eigenspace associated with the Hopf bifurcation. Finally we provide an application to gene copying in which the delay is due to an observed time lag in the transcription process.
Structure and Function of Tryptophan Synthase

Crystal structures of the tryptophan synthase α2β2complex show binding sites in the β subunit for pyridoxal phosphate, for substrates, and for a monovalent cation. Cations, including guanidine at low concentration, activate tryptophan synthase. Molecular modeling indicates that guanidine could bind to the cation site in the β subunit. Our results demonstrate that the conformational states of the tryptophan synthase α2β2 complex are regulated by monovalentcations, chaotropic agents, pH, α subunit ligands, and temperature.
Assessment scales for geriatric patients

Late-life depression causes suffering, family disruption, and disability, worsens the outcomes of many medical illnesses, and increases mortality [1]. Depression preferentially afflicts older adults with cognitive impairment and high medical burden [2]. Part of the reason is that vulnerability to late-life depression is principally caused by aging-related and disease-related processes, including arteriosclerosis, inflammatory, endocrine, and immune changes that compromise the integrity of frontolimbic pathways [1]. Heredity is an additional vulnerability factor. Chronic stress resulting from financial difficulties, disability, isolation, relocation, caregiving, and bereavement, causes physiological changes, which further increase vulnerability to depression or trigger depression in already vulnerable older adults.
DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF STRUCTURES TO TSUNAMI ATTACK

Present practice to analyze tsunami forces on coastal structures is generally based on static loading analysis. This compares maximum predicted forces with the resistance to overturning or sliding, but does not account for the fact that some structural motion could occur without failure. While applied forces at some threshold level will give incipient motion, actual motion will be determined by the force exceeding the threshold level and the related acceleration. Three different levels of forces must then be considered: a force that will not exceed the threshold causing incipient motion; a magnitude and duration which will cause motion but not failure; and a magnitude and duration which will cause structural failure. It is also necessary to investigate the axis of rotation for structural failure. Once motion is initiated there would be foundation failure under the toe, moving the axis of rotation inward under the structure. This increases the acceleration and causes increased motion.
Application of Thermography to Detection of Matrix Cracks in Transverse Layers and Yarns of Ceramic Matrix Composites

An approach to the estimate of the surface temperature in ceramic matrix composites tested for matrix cracks using thermography is presented. The solution deals with the case of damage in transverse layers or yarns where matrix cracks are parallel to the general fiber direction. The method used to correlate the surface temperature to the density of matrix cracks utilizes the energy balance and yields an explicit expression for the surface temperature.
Uncertainty in heart rate complexity metrics caused by R-peak perturbations

Heart rate complexity (HRC) is a proven metric for gaining insight into human stress and physiological deterioration. To calculate HRC, the detection of the exact instance of when the heart beats, the R-peak, is necessary. Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals can often be corrupted by environmental noise (e.g., from electromagnetic interference, movement artifacts), which can potentially alter the HRC measurement, producing erroneous inputs which feed into decision support models. Current literature has only investigated how HRC is affected by noise when R-peak detection errors occur (false positives and false negatives). However, the numerical methods used to calculate HRC are also sensitive to the specific location of the fiducial point of the R-peak. This raises many questions regarding how this fiducial point is altered by noise, the resulting impact on the measured HRC, and how we can account for noisy HRC measures as inputs into our decision models. This work uses Monte Carlo simulations to systematically add white and pink noise at different permutations of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), time segments, sampling rates, and HRC measurements to characterize the influence of noise on the HRC measure by altering the fiducial point of the R-peak. Using the generated information from these simulations provides improved decision processes for system design which address key concerns such as permutation entropy being a more precise, reliable, less biased, and more sensitive measurement for HRC than sample and approximate entropy.
Abdominal Wall Reconstruction

Patient selection and pre-habilitation play an important role prior to any abdominal wall reconstruction. Once a patient meets criteria for reconstruction, the hernia defect size can be used to help guide decision-making. Here we provide a clinical algorithm for the repair of small defects (8–10 cm), medium defects (10–20 cm), and large defects (>20 cm). These recommendations, when combined with surgeon training and preference, provide an evidence-based approach to abdominal wall reconstruction.
Transition Considerations for Transgender Patients

A relatively new but growing group of youth transferring from pediatric to adult endocrine care includes transgender and gender-expansive children and youth, particularly as related to gender-affirming hormonal treatments. This chapter identifies the developmental and psychosocial considerations, treatment and screening issues, health service practices designed to ensure sensitive medical care of this vulnerable population, and specific care considerations as these youth transition from pediatric to adult endocrine programs. It concludes with providing key additional resources to facilitate optimal transition in care for these young adults.
Predictive Models Using Decision Trees

Decision trees are an important predictive modeling tool, not because of their complexity but because of their simplicity. They are often used to be able to provide an easy method to determine which input variables have an important impact on a target variable. In this chapter, decision trees are defined and then demonstrated to show how they can be used as an important predictive modeling tool. Both classification and regression decision trees will be considered. Decision trees can be system generated or built interactively; both will be demonstrated. Focus will be given to interpreting the output of a decision tree. Decision trees are useful when it is important to understand and even control which variables impact a target.
Transition tensions: mapping conflicts in movements for a just and sustainable transition

The concept of a ‘just transition’ positions justice concerns of workers, front-line communities, and other marginalized groups at the center of sustainability efforts. However, related scholarship...
A comprehensive review of robotic surgery curriculum and training for residents, fellows, and postgraduate surgical education

In 2017, the utilization of robotic-assisted surgery had grown 10–40-fold relative to laparoscopic surgery in common general surgery procedures. The rapid rise in the utilization of robotic-assisted surgery has necessitated a standardized training curriculum. Many curricula are currently being developed and validated. Additionally, advancements in virtual reality simulators have facilitated their integration into robotic-assisted surgery training. This review aims to highlight and discuss the features of existing curricula and robotic-assisted surgery training simulators and to provide updates on their respective validation process. A literature review was conducted using PubMed from 2000–2019 and commercial websites. Information regarding availability, content, and status of validation was collected for each current robotic-assisted surgery curriculum. This review did not qualify as human subjects research, so institutional review board approval was not required. The daVinci Technology Training Pathway and Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery are purely web-based and self-paced robotic-assisted surgery training. The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeon Robotic Masters Series, Fundamental Skills of Robot-Assisted Surgery training program, and the Robotics Training Network curriculum require trainees to be on site in order to provide expert feedback on surgical techniques and robot maintenance. Currently, there are few virtual reality simulators for robotic-assisted surgical training available on the market. Didactic courses are available in all of these training programs, but their contents are inconsistent. Furthermore, the availability and nature of hands-on training offered by these curriculums are widely variable.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Delivery to Placental Basal Plate Promotes Uterine Artery Remodeling in the Primate

Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) uterine artery remodeling (UAR) promotes placental blood flow, but UAR regulation is unproven. Elevating estradiol (E2) in early baboon pregnancy suppressed UAR and EVT vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, but this did not prove that VEGF mediated this process. Therefore, our primate model of prematurely elevating E2 and contrast-enhanced ultrasound cavitation of microbubble (MB) carriers was used to deliver VEGF DNA to the placental basal plate (PBP) to establish the role of VEGF in UAR. Baboons were treated on days 25 to 59 of gestation (term, 184 days) with E2 alone or with E2 plus VEGF DNA-conjugated MBs briefly infused via a maternal peripheral vein on days 25, 35, 45, and 55. At each of these times an ultrasound beam was directed to the PBP to collapse the MBs and release VEGF DNA. VEGF DNA-labeled MBs per contrast agent was localized in the PBP but not the fetus. Remodeling of uterine arteries >25 µm in diameter on day 60 was 75% lower (P < 0.001) in E2-treated (7% ± 2%) than in untreated baboons (30% ± 4%) and was restored to normal by E2/VEGF. VEGF protein levels (signals/nuclear area) within the PBP were twofold lower (P < 0.01) in E2-treated (4.2 ± 0.9) than in untreated (9.8 ± 2.8) baboons and restored to normal by E2/VEGF (11.9 ± 1.6), substantiating VEGF transfection. Thus, VEGF gene delivery selectively to the PBP prevented the decrease in UAR elicited by prematurely elevating E2 levels, establishing the role of VEGF in regulating UAR in vivo during primate pregnancy.
Best Reporting Practices for Multipart CT Scans: A Pilot Evaluation and Construction of the Optimal Analysis Methodology.

Abstract Purpose Communication failure between radiologists and referring physicians contributes to a substantial portion of medical errors. With a rising number of complex imaging orders and subspecialization among radiologists, the best method of reporting those results has yet to be evaluated. The aim of this study was to create, validate, and pilot a survey to reveal best practices for communication of radiologic findings, specifically addressing multipart CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Methods A survey consisting of Likert-type and narrative response items was created, tested, and validated. It was then administered to physicians of five specialties (including radiology) at an urban quaternary care academic center and an affiliated community hospital. Results The pilot survey results revealed that there was a small preference among both radiologists and referring physicians to have a single radiologist read in a single report for a multipart CT scan, rather than multiple subspecialist radiologists and reports. The findings were supported by narrative response explanations as well and demonstrate the importance of a rapid, clear, and cohesive image interpretation, despite the growing trend of radiology subspecialization. The results of the survey also confirmed its validity through an assessment with Messick’s five sources of validity evidence. Conclusions The survey’s validity indicates its generalizability to a future national survey to physicians of multiple specialties to further identify the preference of physicians on reporting of complex radiologic studies, in the setting of increased radiologic subspecialization.
Risk Management and the Environment

Environmental and resource management issues have played a major role in agriculture. On the one hand, there is increased awareness of the environmental side effects resulting from agriculture and the problems associated with pollution, depletion of natural resources, and the effects on human and wildlife health caused by farming activities. On the other hand, it has also been realized that farmers are stewards of the land, and their actions contribute to the enhancement of environmental quality and also generate value that is not compensated directly by markets. Both the control of negative externalities as well as the compensation for positive ones are subject to public sector involvement through government policies, and therefore much of the research on the environment and agriculture is policy-driven and provides input for both regulatory action and farmers’ response (Lichtenberg, forthcoming).
Tracheal Bronchus: Anesthetic Implications and Importance of Early Recognition in the Context of Bronchial Blocker Use for Lung Isolation.

Abstract The right upper lobe (RUL) bronchus usually originates distal to the carina. A tracheal bronchus is a variant of this anatomy that (most often) describes a RUL originating from the trachea proximal to the carina. The preoperative (via chest computerized tomographic scan) or intraoperative (via fiberoptic bronchoscopy) recognition of a tracheal bronchus is important because its presence may complicate lung isolation strategies, especially when right lung isolation is planned with a bronchial blocker through a single-lumen endotracheal tube. We present three patients in whom unanticipated post-intubation discovery of this tracheobronchial variant led to a change in airway management and lung isolation strategy in two. We also review the anatomy and classification of the tracheal bronchus and detail the clinical implications of its presence in the context of lung isolation and bronchial blocker use.
Divine Determination or Dynamic Indeterminacy? Transcendence, Immanence, and the Problem of Personal Identity

This paper draws a distinction between two different ways of imagining the natural universe and the divine, if anything divine exists, as closed to one another. A ‘pure immanence’ perspective holds that the immanent frame of the universe is not affected by anything outside it, while a ‘pure transcendence’ perspective holds that divine activity towards the world is unilateral, without ontological responsiveness. It then discusses the obstacles that each of these perspectives raises for an account of meaningful personal identity. Pure immanence accounts tend to create a problematic disjunction between one’s experience of oneself as a ‘self’ and the systemic explanations for one’s behavior. Conversely, pure transcendence accounts tend to deny that individual identity really develops through a process that is actively creative, rather than being solely a function of obedience or disobedience towards a fully fleshed-out divine idea of who one is supposed to be. A theological account of personal identity should therefore begin by envisioning a more complex inter-relationship between divine transcendence and the processes immanent to the universe.
How 'Democratic' is the Democratic Peace? A Survey Experiment of Foreign Policy Preferences in Brazil and China

Recent research has shown that British and American respondents are less willing to advocate the use of force against fellow democracies than against non-democracies (TOMZ and WEEKS, 2013). These findings may contribute to understandings of the 'democratic bias'—unwillingness to attack democracies. A critical next step is assessing whether publics beyond the US and the UK have similar attitudes. To address the scope of popular preferences for peace with democracies, we conduct survey experiments using online panels in two emerging powers, one a democracy (Brazil) and one a non-democracy (China). Our survey randomly varies the hypothetical target's regime type and authorization by the United Nations for military action. We find that Brazilian respondents are significantly less likely to support the use of force against a democracy than a non-democracy. However, after controlling for UN approval, Chinese respondents do not appear to distinguish between democracies and non-democracies when considering whether force is justified. In addition, for both countries, UN approval has a larger effect than democracy on public support for the use of force.
Salvage Esophagectomy for Persistent or Recurrent Disease After Chemoradiation

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation is currently used by many cancer centers as the initial treatment for locoregionally-advanced esophageal cancer, with many patients achieving clinical complete response. The choice to operate in a planned fashion as a component of trimodality therapy is often weighed against the option of a salvage approach, risk-stratifying patients to either modality is a matter of important surgical consideration. In this chapter, we will discuss the recent literature evaluating salvage surgery for esophageal cancer, separated by studies which evaluated this question in only adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or both. We will discuss the patient population, mortality, and morbidity of planned versus salvage strategies in each of the selected studies. In a broad view, adenocarcinoma patients undergoing salvage surgery appear to have acceptable morbidity and mortality compared to those with a planned trimodality strategy. The same cannot be said for patients with squamous tumors, who suffer more frequent perioperative events, especially in those who received higher radiation dose, suggesting that planned surgery may be safer in this population. These retrospective studies are conducted in a highly selected group of patients, and invariably contain selection bias in the compared groups; thus, findings must be interpreted with caution. The results from the ongoing SANO trial may help to guide clinical decisions regarding the optimal treatment strategy for esophageal cancer patients.
Connecting Mayors: The Content and Formation of Twitter Information Networks:

Politicians interact with each other in polarized and partisan ways when they correspond on social media. Meanwhile, local governments share more substantive information about their service deliver...
Sporadic late onset nemaline myopathy with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: two cases with long term stability

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) associated to sporadic late onset nemaline myopathy (SLONM) is a rare and severely disabling condition of quickly progressive limb girdle acquired myopathy. It is believed by some authors to be due to myotoxicity of light chain deposits. Two female patients were diagnosed with MGUS associated SLONM. In the first case, diagnosis was delayed by 6 years thus giving time for a severe generalized myopathy and cardiomyopathy to develop. A single anti-myeloma chemotherapy with lenalidomide markedly improved and stabilized the patient's condition despite respiratory and cardiac insufficiency. In our second patient the condition was identified one year after onset of the first symptom and markedly improved after autologous bone marrow transplantation and lenalidomide. Clinicians should be aware of monoclonal gammopathy associated sporadic late onset nemaline myopathy as this acquired muscle disorder, although extremely rare, may be reversed by adequate management.
Is radical cystectomy an overtreatment for T1 high-grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder? Lesson learnt from case series

The introduction of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) made a breakthrough in the treatment of high-grade nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. Indeed, the intravesical immunotherapy helped many patients in preserving their bladder for a period of time. However, many studies revealed that <50% of the patient will be able to maintain their bladder in 5 years of follow-up. The shortage of BCG adds to the odds of cancer progression and patient suffering. We present a series of three cases of disease progression despite the confirmed pathologic local staging of the bladder cancer to be nonmuscle disease. The message we would like to address from this review is that radical cystectomy is not an overtreatment of this potentially lethal disease.
Molecular dynamics simulation studies on binding of activator and inhibitor to Munc13-1 C1 in the presence of membrane.

Munc13-1 is a presynaptic active zone protein that plays a critical role in priming the synaptic vesicle and releasing neurotransmitters in the brain. Munc13-1 acts as a scaffold and is activated w...
Preeclampsia Predicts Risk of Hospitalization for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Abstract Background Preeclampsia is associated with increased risk of future heart failure (HF), but the relationship between preeclampsia and HF subtypes are not well-established. Objectives The objective of this analysis was to identify the risk of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) following a delivery complicated by preeclampsia/eclampsia. Methods A retrospective cohort study using the New York and Florida state Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases identified delivery hospitalizations between 2006 and 2014 for women with and without preeclampsia/eclampsia. The authors identified women admitted for HF after discharge from index delivery hospitalization until September 30, 2015, using International Classification of Diseases-9th Revision-Clinical Modification diagnosis codes. Patients were followed from discharge to the first instance of primary outcome (HFpEF hospitalization), death, or end of study period. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization for any HF and HF with reduced ejection fraction, separately. The association between preeclampsia/eclampsia and HFpEF was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Results There were 2,532,515 women included in the study: 2,404,486 without and 128,029 with preeclampsia/eclampsia. HFpEF hospitalization was significantly more likely among women with preeclampsia/eclampsia, after adjusting for baseline hypertension and other covariates (aHR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.80-2.44). Median time to onset of HFpEF was 32.2 months (interquartile range: 0.3-65.0 months), and median age at HFpEF onset was 34.0 years (interquartile range: 29.0-39.0 years). Both traditional (hypertension, diabetes mellitus) and sociodemographic (Black race, rurality, low income) risk factors were also associated with HFpEF and secondary outcomes. Conclusions Preeclampsia/eclampsia is an independent risk factor for future hospitalizations for HFpEF.
Prove Me Wrong Cases and Consideration Theory

Courts describe a particular category of contract cases as "prove me wrong" cases. These cases involve a promisor promising to pay a specified sum of money to anyone who can disprove the promisor's factual claim. As the description suggests (prove me wrong), the promisor has a stake in the promisor's factual claim being true. In other words, in prove-me-wrong cases the promisor is not promising a sum of money as an incentive for someone to disprove a factual claim that the promisor disbelieves. Rather, the promisor is promising the money to demonstrate the promisor's confidence in the factual claim and to thus give the claim credence. Courts hold that these promises are enforceable unilateral contracts, provided that a reasonable person would believe the promisor was serious and provided that the promisee does, in fact, disprove the promisor's factual claim. This Article maintains, however, that prove-me-wrong promises are usually not supported by consideration and are therefore typically not enforceable as a unilateral contract, even if a reasonable person would believe that the promisor was serious, and even if the promisee disproves the promisor's factual claim. Courts have assumed that there is consideration simply because the promise to pay was conditioned on the performance of an act (disproving the factual claim), thereby making it an offer of a unilateral contract, and have likened the cases to those involving a reward offer (which are clearly supported by consideration). But the focus on the parties' manifestation of mutual assent (the promisee accepting by performance) and cases involving reward offers has caused courts to overlook the requirement that an agreement, to be a contract, must have consideration. And simply because a promise is conditioned on the performance of an act does not mean it has consideration. This Article maintains that prove-me-wrong promises typically lack consideration because the promisor does not desire the promisee to prove the promisor wrong. And because prove-me-wrong promises are usually not given for consideration, whether a prove-me-wrong promise is enforceable should typically depend on whether the requirements of promissory estoppel have been established.
Selective arterialization of the coronary venous system. Encouraging long-term flow evaluation utilizing radioactive microspheres.

The long-term effectiveness of a retrograde coronary venous bypass graft (CVBG) to an ischemic left ventricle was evaluated in 18 dogs. A saphenous vein was interposed between the aorta and left anterior descending (LAD) vein. The LAD vein was ligated cephalad to the CVBG to prevent an arteriovenous fistula. The LAD artery was ligated at its origin to create anterior wall ischemia. Operative graft flow averaged 53 ml. per minute. The 14 surviving dogs were catheterized 3 to 5 months later. Ten of the 14 CVBG's were patent angiographically. The chests were opened and graft flow now averaged 50 ml. per minute. 141Ce microspheres were injected into the left atrium to measure myocardial flow to the anterior wall. In the 10 dogs with patent grafts, transmural flow was 39 ± 1 (S.E.M.) ml. per 100 Gm. of tissue per minute. The endocardial/epicardial flow ratio was 1.4/1, indicating that retrograde venous perfusion effectively delivered blood to the subendocardium. After ligation of the CVBG, microsphere measured flow dropped to 15 ± 1 ml. per 100 Gm. per minute. In 15 control dogs, anterior wall flow was 100 ± 3 ml. per 100 Gm. per minute, decreasing to 13 ± 2 ml. 45 minutes after ligation of the LAD artery and vein. None of the eight control dogs with simple ligation of the LAD artery and vein survived more than 5 days. Histologic examination of the anterior wall of the left ventricle, the area served by the CVBG's for 3 to 5 months, disclosed no evidence of venous sclerosis or thrombosis and no evidence of interstitial edema or hemorrhage. Thus a CVBG permitted long-term survival in an otherwise nonviable anatomic preparation. Moreover, restoration of flow with a CVBG was effective because it perfused all layers of the myocardium, especially the subendocardium—the crucial layer of myocardial muscle.
Dynamical Systems, Philosophical Issues about

Dynamical systems theory provides an alternative to the dominant paradigm in cognitive science that claims human intelligence results from digital computation. The dynamical account of cognition avoids symbolic representation, and stresses the importance of modeling human interactions with the external environment through time. Keywords: dynamical systems hypothesis; chaos theory; connectionism; nonlinear systems; symbolic processing