cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy of percutaneous parathyroid ethanol ablation in patients with recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Context: The most common feature of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP), which occurs in approximately 95% of MEN1 patients. Approximately 40–60% of patients with MEN1 develop recurrent hypercalcemia within 10–12 years after their initial parathyroid surgery and the successful management of recurrent PHP is challenging. Objective: This study sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous ethanol ablation (PEA) for the treatment of recurrent PHP in patients with MEN1. Design, Setting, Patients, Intervention, Outcome Measured: We performed an electronic search to identify patients with a billing code for MEN1 who were seen at Mayo Clinic between 1977 and 2013. Patients with recurrent PHP who underwent PEA were identified and their clinical information was collected. We performed t test analyses to compare mean values. Results: Thirty-seven patients underwent 80 PEA treatments that included 123 sessions of ethanol administration. Twenty-one patients wer...
Configuration synthesis for a heterogeneous backbone cluster and a PC-interface network

The design is discussed of the Locus family of networks rendering PC interface (PCI) service. Given are the expected user workload, the hardware costs, and the performance constraints. The workload consists of three classes of users: interactive, highly-interactive, and communication-intensive. The number of PCs is given and is equal to the number of users. It is shown that the problem can be reduced to a discrete capacity and flow assignment (CFA) problem. The backbone capacity assignment is inspired by the Lagrangian decomposition approach. It starts from a backbone capacity assignment which matches the initial flow and chooses a backbone server upgrade that gives the greatest response-time reduction per dollar. At this point, the flow deviation method is applied and iteration is continuous until the constraints are met. Several computational examples of network configuration synthesis are presented that emphasize the significance and generality of the results obtained. >
Characterizing the tumor response to treatment with combretastatin A4 phosphate.

Purpose: To examine the pathophysiologic impact of treatment with combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P) in regions of tumors that ultimately either necrose or survive treatment with this agent. Methods and Materials: Proliferation, perfusion, vessel density, and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed in the KHT tumor model after treatment with CA4P. Analyses were conducted in the whole tumor and the tumor periphery. Results: Perfusion in the tumor periphery decreased 4 h after treatment, but returned to baseline 20 h later. Whole-tumor perfusion also decreased 4 h after treatment, but did not return to baseline. Vessel density decreased in the tumor as a whole, but not in the tumor periphery. No significant effect on the expression of VEGF was observed, but a decrease in proliferation in the whole tumor and the periphery was noted. Conclusions: The present study shows that those areas of a tumor that survive treatment with CA4P are affected by CA4P exposure, though only transiently. The decrease in perfusion could negatively affect therapies utilizing the combination of CA4P and conventional anticancer agents by decreasing drug delivery and tissue oxygenation. These findings suggest that the timing of CA4P treatments when used in conjunction with conventional anticancer therapies should be considered carefully.
Immunoaffinity chromatography of a cellular tumor antigen from mouse neuroblastoma cells

The cellular tumor antigen p53 was isolated from mouse neuroblastoma cells and was found in a form not complexed to another protein. The p53 in these cells was stable, turning over about every 10 h. Its methionine-labelled tryptic peptides were very similar to those of the p53 isolated from SV40-transformed mouse cells. The labelled protein was purified from neuroblastoma cells by immunoaffinity using specific monoclonal antibodies and was about 80% radiochemically pure. Furthermore, the purified p53 sedimented in sucrose gradients with a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 8S. This correlated with the sedimentation coefficient of p53 prior to purification, showing that the purified protein retained its native size.
Segmentation-Based Unsupervised Terrain Classification for Generation of Physiographic Maps

Developing an effective method for automatic mapping of physiography is of great interest because such maps have wide range of applications, but creating them manually is expensive and suffers from lack of standards. Many automapping methods have been proposed, but most yield pixel-based maps that do not quite match an appearance and usability of manually drawn maps. In this letter, we propose a method for autocreation of a physiographic map that has handmadelike appearance and functionality. The new method relies on the concept of stacked classification. First, the outcome of existing pixel-based classification is used to construct new features that contain contextual information around each pixel. Second, these new features are used by a segmentation/classification algorithm to create a final map showing generalized landform classes. We describe the design of our method and demonstrate its utility by mapping the physiography of Tharsis region on Mars. A framework of the new method is general enough to improve upon maps created by all previous pixel-based methods. Potential applications include the following: facilitating efficient geologic mapping, enabling computational comparative geomorphology, more effective visualization of topography, and fusion with other data layers within the Geographic Information System framework. The method can also be applied without modification to create segmentation-based maps of land covers.
Synchronized data distribution management in distributed simulations

Data distribution management (DDM) is concerned with the problem of efficiently distributing state information among the entities in a distributed simulation. While heavily studied in the DIS community for training applications using real time synchronization, this problem has received considerably less attention for logical time simulations, and little performance data has appeared in this regard. The paper is concerned with evaluating the performance of a logical time synchronized DDM mechanism. A DDM algorithm based on the services specified in the DoD High Level Architecture (HLA) using routing spaces is described, as well as its implementation on a network of workstations environment. Performance measurements indicate that the time overhead to provide correct logical time synchronization of the DDM mechanisms is small, relative to network communication overheads, suggesting that logical time synchronized DDM mechanisms can perform as efficiently as real time synchronized mechanisms in networked workstation environments.
Background culturable bacteria aerosol in two large public buildings using HVAC filters as long term, passive, high-volume air samplers

Background culturable bacteria aerosols were collected and identified in two large public buildings located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Seattle, Washington over a period of 5 months and 3 months, respectively. The installed particulate air filters in the ventilation systems were used as the aerosol sampling devices at each location. Both pre and final filters were collected from four air handing units at each site to determine the influence of location within the building, time of year, geographical location and difference between indoor and outdoor air. Sections of each loaded filter were eluted with 10 ml of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The resulting solutions were cultured on blood agar plates and incubated for 24 h at 36 °C. Various types of growth media were then used for subculturing, followed by categorization using a BioLog MicroStation (Biolog, Hayward, CA, USA) and manual observation. Environmental parameters were gathered near each filter by the embedded on-site environmental monitoring systems to determine the effect of temperature, humidity and air flow. Thirty nine different species of bacteria were identified, 17 found only in Minneapolis and 5 only in Seattle. The hardy spore-forming genus Bacillus was the most commonly identified and showed the highest concentrations. A significant decrease in the number of species and their concentration occurred in the Minneapolis air handling unit supplying 100% outdoor air in winter, however no significant correlations between bacteria concentration and environmental parameters were found.
Functional Inactivation of the Mouse Nucleolar Protein Bop1 Inhibits Multiple Steps in Pre-rRNA Processing and Blocks Cell Cycle Progression

Bop1 is a conserved nucleolar protein involved in rRNA processing and ribosome assembly in eukaryotes. Expression of its dominant-negative mutant Bop1Δ in mouse cells blocks rRNA maturation and synthesis of large ribosomal subunits and induces a reversible, p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. In this study, we have conducted a deletion analysis of Bop1 and identified a new mutant, Bop1N2, that also acts as a potent inhibitor of cell cycle progression. Bop1N2 and Bop1Δ are C-terminal and N-terminal deletion mutants, respectively, and share only 72 amino acid residues. Both mutant proteins are localized to the nucleolus and strongly inhibit rRNA processing, suggesting that activation of a cell cycle checkpoint by Bop1 mutants is linked to their inhibitory effects on rRNA and ribosome synthesis. By using these dominant-negative mutants as well as antisense oligonucleotides to interfere with endogenous Bop1, we identified specific rRNA processing steps that require Bop1 function in mammalian cells. Our data demonstrate that Bop1 is required for proper processing at four distinct sites located within the internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 and the 3′ external spacer. We propose a model in which Bop1 serves as an essential factor in ribosome formation that coordinates processing of the spacer regions in pre-rRNA.
Comparison of CO2 Dynamics and Air–Sea Gas Exchange in Differing Tropical Reef Environments

An array of MAPCO2 buoys, CRIMP-2, Ala Wai, and Kilo Nalu, deployed in the coastal waters of Hawaii, have produced multi-year high temporal resolution CO2 records in three different coral reef environments off the island of Oahu, Hawaii. This study, which includes data from June 2008 to December 2011, is part of an integrated effort to understand the factors that influence the dynamics of CO2–carbonic acid system parameters in waters surrounding Pacific high-island coral reef ecosystems and subject to differing natural and anthropogenic stresses. The MAPCO2 buoys are located on the Kaneohe Bay backreef, and fringing reef sites on the south shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The buoys measure CO2 and O2 in seawater and in the atmosphere at 3-h intervals, as well as other physical and biogeochemical parameters (conductivity, temperature, depth, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity). The buoy records, combined with data from synoptic spatial sampling, have allowed us to examine the interplay between biological cycles of productivity/respiration and calcification/dissolution and biogeochemical and physical forcings on hourly to inter-annual time scales. Air–sea CO2 gas exchange was also calculated to determine whether the locations were sources or sinks of CO2 over seasonal, annual, and interannual time periods. Net annualized fluxes for CRIMP-2, Ala Wai, and Kilo Nalu over the entire study period were 1.15, 0.045, and −0.0056 mol C m−2 year−1, respectively, where positive values indicate a source or a CO2 flux from the water to the atmosphere, and negative values indicate a sink or flux of CO2 from the atmosphere into the water. These values are of similar magnitude to previous estimates in Kaneohe Bay as well as those reported from other tropical reef environments. Total alkalinity (AT) was measured in conjunction with pCO2, and the carbonic acid system was calculated to compare with other reef systems and open ocean values around Hawaii. These findings emphasize the need for high-resolution data of multiple parameters when attempting to characterize the carbonic acid system in locations of highly variable physical, chemical, and biological parameters (e.g., coastal systems and reefs).
Nuclear Positioning: Dynein Needed for Microtubule Shrinkage-Coupled Movement

Nuclear movement often requires interactions between the cell cortex and microtubules. A new study has revealed a novel protein interaction linking microtubule plus-ends with the cortex and a role for dynein in microtubule shrinkage-coupled movement.
Parental Education on Asthma Severity in the Emergency Department and Primary Care Follow-up Rates

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic condition affecting children and a common chief complaint in emergency departments (EDs). We aimed to improve parents' understanding of their child's asthma severity on accessing our pediatric ED for an acute asthma exacerbation. A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine outpatient follow-up rates from our ED in 2010-2011. In an attempt to educate parents at ED discharge about their child's asthma severity at presentation, we included a visual severity scale on their discharge instructions. Postdischarge telephone interviews were completed to determine postintervention follow-up rates. Asthma follow-up rates at 1 week improved from 20.8% to 50% after intervention. This difference was statistically significant after controlling for age and clinical asthma score with logistic regression (P < .0001). Offering predischarge education about a child's initial asthma severity is a simple intervention that significantly improved follow-up rates for children seen in the ED for asthma exacerbation.
Sensitivity of Low-Level Winds Simulated by the WRF Model in California's Central Valley to Uncertainties in the Large-Scale Forcing and Soil Initialization

Abstract The sensitivity of the Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model-simulated low-level winds in the Central Valley (CV) of California to uncertainties in the atmospheric forcing and soil initialization is investigated using scatter diagrams for a 5-day period in which meteorological conditions are typical of those associated with poor-air-quality events during the summer in the CV. It is assumed that these uncertainties can be approximated by two independent operational analyses. First, the sensitivity is illustrated using scatter diagrams and is measured in terms of the linear regression of the output from two simulations that differ in either the atmospheric forcing or the soil initialization. The spatial variation of the sensitivity is then investigated and is linked to the dominant low-level flows within the CV. The results from this case study suggest that the WRF-simulated low-level winds in the northern CV [i.e., the Sacramento Valley (SV)] are more sensitive to the uncertainties in the a...
Informatics for improved algal taxonomic classification and research: A case study of UTEX 2341

Abstract Algal research has the potential to address numerous industrial and environmental challenges. Despite this potential, informatics data for algae are relatively modest limiting the development of algal biotechnology. This study reports on the re-classification of the green algae strain UTEX 2341 as a case study demonstrating the need for improved public informatics data for algae. Observations in the literature from lipid and pigment research led to uncertainty surrounding the identity of UTEX 2341, originally classified as Chlorella minutissima . In this study, lipid and conserved-gene sequencing data were combined to establish the identity of UTEX 2341 as Auxenochlorella protothecoides . Unambiguous identification of strains that are maintained over long periods of time will require sufficient allocation of resources to culture collections. Furthermore, development of repositories for biochemical and physiological data, along with DNA sequence information, are needed to facilitate sharing of strain data between research institutions and culture collections.
The Limits on Legislative Power to Withhold Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Confusion abounds over the term “jurisdiction” in Illinois trial courts. When issues involve only subject matter jurisdiction, that is, issues implicating the trial court’s power “to hear and determine cases of the general class to which the proceeding in question belongs,” Belleville Toyota, Inc. v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., 199 Ill.2d 325, 334 (2002), there is still confusion. Troubles surface, in part, because the Illinois constitutional landscape changed in 1964. Pre-1964 precedents are still occasionally employed in Illinois circuit courts. Troubles also arise because legislatures generally utilize varied meanings for the term “jurisdiction.” The Illinois Supreme Court, in In Re Luis R., 239 Ill.2d 295 (2010), sought to eliminate much of the confusion. Hopefully, confusion will continue to recede, as it has since Belleville.
An Artificial Ovipositional Site for Some Heteroptera That Insert Their Eggs into Plant Tissue

Nahidae, Anthocoridae, and Miridae are some. Heteroptera that oviposit into plant tissue. In an attempt to determine nutritional requirements for reproduction of some nabids and anthocorids, it was necessary to find an artificial site into which the bugs could oviposit. The use of plant material for an ovipositional site had to be eliminated since some feeding may occur on the plant material.
Back to the Future:: Understanding the Past and Predicting the Future of the Food Store

Changes in the nation's social climate, the proliferation of different consumer life styles, and changing the consumer needs and expectations explain a good deal about the evolution of store formats-but not all of it. Technological, economic, and competitive factors also play a role. Fortunately, marketing theory provides a number of useful analytical tools for tying these factors together, and this can lead to a better understanding of food retailing's past-as well as future.
Memristor crossbar based unsupervised training

Several big data applications are particularly focused on classification and clustering tasks. Robustness of such system depends on how well it can extract important features from the raw data. For big data processing we are interested for a generic feature extraction mechanism for different applications. Autoencoder is a popular unsupervised training algorithm for dimensionality reduction and feature extraction. In this work we have examined memristor crossbar based implementation of autoencoder which will consume very low power. We have designed on-chip training circuitry for the unsupervised training scheme.
The Origin of Mixed Broods in Polyembryonic Hymenoptera.

The opinion prevails generally among students of the polyembryonic Hymenoptera that an egg deposited by a fertilized female gives rise to a pure female brood of parasites, that one deposited by an unfertilized female develops a male brood, and that a mixed brood (male and female) is produced from eggs deposited by a fertilized and unfertilized female when they both happen to oviposit in the same egg. Among those who have advanced evidence in support of this general theory are Bugnion '92 and Marchal '04, in Ageniaspis fuscicollis; Silvestri '06, in Litomastix truncatellum; Leiby '22, in Copidosoma gelechiae ; and Leiby and Hill '23 and '24, in Platygaster hiemalis and P. vernalis .
A SiGe Multiplier Array With Output Power of 5–8 dBm at 200–230 GHz

This paper presents an integrated four-way power-combining multiplier for 200–230-GHz applications in an advanced 90-nm silicon germanium HBT technology. The active multiplier is implemented using balanced transistor pairs driven by pseudodifferential power amplifiers (PAs) at 100–120 GHz and the outputs at 200–240 GHz are power combined using reactive $\lambda $ /4 impedance transformation networks. A single multiplier breakout results in an output power of 1.8 dBm at 245 GHz with a peak conversion gain of −15.5 dB. The power-combining multiplier achieves an output power of 8 dBm at 215 GHz and >5 dBm at 200–230 GHz. A peak conversion gain of 1.6 dB is achieved at an output power of $\sim 0$ dBm at 215 GHz. The four-way combined multiplier occupies 3.63 mm2, including pads, and consumes 1.2 A from a 1.8 V supply mainly due to the differential 100–120-GHz PAs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power achieved in multipliers and amplifiers among all silicon-based technology to-date at frequencies above 200 GHz and with a record wide bandwidth.
Caenorhabditis Elegans Models of Parkinson's Disease. A Robust Genetic System to Identify and Characterize Endogenous and Environmental Components Involved in Dopamine Neuron Degeneration

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a robust genetic system to identify and characterize endogenous and environmental components involved in dopamine neuron degeneration for the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) models of Parkinson's disease (PD). C. elegans is a powerful genetic model system for exploring the molecular mechanisms of neuronal function and disease. One of the most signiﬁcant advantages of C. elegans is the ease of generating genetic knockdown or deletion mutants to identify gene function. C. elegans is sensitive to the mitochondria complex I inhibitor rotenone, the insecticide that has been weakly associated with the propensity to develop PD. It is found that of the genes identiﬁed to date that have been associated with PD, only α-synuclein does not have a clear ortholog in C. elegans. C. elegans overexpression of human α-synuclein may also increase overall ﬁtness. It is suggested in vertebrates α-synuclein may also function as a chaperone and to protect against proapoptotic stimuli, and C. elegans could be a useful genetic model to begin to identify the molecular components involved in the α-synuclein neuroprotection.
An efficient and accurate algorithm for computing RC current response with applications to EM reliability evaluation

In this paper, we propose a current waveform estimation algorithm for signal lines without the necessity of SPICE simulation. Unlike previous methods, we do not use function fitting or compute the effective capacitance. Instead, the proposed algorithm predicts the current waveform by using current responses of a driver for multiple fixed capacitances provided by the foundry. We demonstrate usefulness of the proposed method for evaluating electromigration reliability of signal lines. Experimental results indicate excellent accuracy and run times as compared to the golden results obtained from SPICE.
Four-quadrant permanent magnet synchronous machine drive with a tiny DC link capacitor

Three phase ac drives using a dc link typically feature a significant amount of dc energy storage to maintain a stiff dc bus. This paper examines the concept of reducing the size of the dc link capacitor dramatically, to store just enough energy to provide one high frequency switching cycle of output power. The dc bus is no longer stiff and hence the classical sinusoidal pulse width modulation cannot be used. But, the stored energy modulation (SEM) concept that is used here synthesizes high quality sinusoidal waveforms even with such tiny dc link capacitors. In SEM, the switching intervals of the interconnecting switches are carefully determined nonlinear functions of various operating parameters such as reactive component sizing, switching frequency, load levels, etc. The detailed operation of the SEM modulated converter for a field-oriented controlled (FOC) four-quadrant permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) electric drive application using space vector modulation (SVM) has been presented in the paper. The paper also includes circuit simulation results and preliminary design considerations of a SEM modulated drive.
Rare Congenital Aberrant Left Superior Pulmonary Vein Discovered with Central Line Placement in a Patient with Critical Cardiorespiratory Collapse

Background. Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection is a rare congenital vascular disorder that may be asymptomatic. Left-sided connections with the innominate vein are discovered infrequently and those without an atrial septal defect are extremely rare. Case. A 66-year-old male was found to have an anomalous left pulmonary vein when a central venous catheter was inserted for management of hypoxemia. In addition to the connection with the left innominate vein an echocardiogram revealed no atrial septal defect. Computed tomography arteriography was used to define the anomaly. Conclusion. Left superior vein partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection with the left innominate vein was discovered incidentally on insertion of central venous catheter. The otherwise innocuous anomaly can become a significant variable when treating critical cardiopulmonary collapse.
State Adoption of Incentives to Promote Evidence-Based Practices in Behavioral Health Systems

Objective:Despite the critical role behavioral health care payers can play in creating an incentive to use evidence-based practices (EBPs), little research has examined which incentives are used in...
Beyond the Matrix: The Many Non-ECM Ligands for Integrins

The traditional view of integrins portrays these highly conserved cell surface receptors as mediators of cellular attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM), and to a lesser degree, as coordinators of leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium. These canonical activities are indispensable; however, there is also a wide variety of integrin functions mediated by non-ECM ligands that transcend the traditional roles of integrins. Some of these unorthodox roles involve cell-cell interactions and are engaged to support immune functions such as leukocyte transmigration, recognition of opsonization factors, and stimulation of neutrophil extracellular traps. Other cell-cell interactions mediated by integrins include hematopoietic stem cell and tumor cell homing to target tissues. Integrins also serve as cell-surface receptors for various growth factors, hormones, and small molecules. Interestingly, integrins have also been exploited by a wide variety of organisms including viruses and bacteria to support infectious activities such as cellular adhesion and/or cellular internalization. Additionally, the disruption of integrin function through the use of soluble integrin ligands is a common strategy adopted by several parasites in order to inhibit blood clotting during hematophagy, or by venomous snakes to kill prey. In this review, we strive to go beyond the matrix and summarize non-ECM ligands that interact with integrins in order to highlight these non-traditional functions of integrins.
Effects of lag redundancy on array beam patterns and redundancy patterns for extended co-prime arrays

Lag redundancy describes the number of times a given spatial lag is measured by an array. For sparse arrays, the reduction of lag redundancies is generally desirable for lowering cost and processing overhead. However, as lag redundancies determine the natural weighting function of an array’s spectral estimates, the pattern of redundancies dictates the natural beam pattern of a given array. We consider the impact of array sparsity on sidelobe level and array gain in both weighted and unweighted conventional beamforming. This analysis is then applied to co-prime arrays, for which redundancy patterns can be determined based solely on the choice of array length and co-prime factors. It is also shown that the spatial positions of lag redundancies are semi-regular, a desirable feature for sampling some complex environments.
Presenting Signs and Symptoms do not Predict Aspiration Risk in Children

Objectives To determine if any presenting symptoms are associated with aspiration risk, and to evaluate the reliability of clinical feeding evaluation (CFE) in diagnosing aspiration compared with videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS). Study design We retrospectively reviewed records of children under 2 years of age who had evaluation for oropharyngeal dysphagia by CFE and VFSS at Boston Children's Hospital and compared presenting symptoms, symptom timing, and CFE and VFSS results. We investigated the relationship between symptom presence and aspiration using the Fisher exact test and stepwise logistic regression with adjustment for comorbidities. CFE and VFSS results were compared using the McNemar test. Intervals from CFE to VFSS were compared using the Student t test. Results A total of 412 subjects with mean (±SD) age 8.9 ± 6.9 months were evaluated. No symptom, including timing relative to meals, predicted aspiration on VFSS. This lack of association between symptoms and VFSS results persisted even in the adjusted multivariate model. The sensitivity of CFE for predicting aspiration by VFSS was 44%. Patients with a reassuring CFE waited 28.2 ± 8.5 days longer for confirmatory VFSS compared with those with a concerning CFE ( P Conclusions Presenting symptoms are varied in patients with aspiration and cannot be relied upon to determine which patients have aspiration on VFSS. The CFE does not have the sensitivity to consistently diagnose aspiration so a VFSS should be performed in persistently symptomatic patients.
Modeling Money (M2) Demand in Egypt - A Vector Equilibrium Correction Model

This paper empirically investigates the relationship between real money demand, real income, interest rates and real consumption. The paper provide a mixed strategy for estimating the money demand function that incorporates shifting from a system of equations vector auto regression (VAR) approach that maintains the information relating to the feedback between variables, followed by vector equilibrium correction model (VECM) in order to investigate the nature of short term and long term interaction and finaly an error correction model (ECM) and autoregressive distributed lag model (ADL). The paper concludes that real money demand in Egypt is stable and can be confidently considered by monetary authorities to adjust for long run growth in the real economy.
Taking the Temperature on Danish Software Quality

The question is: Can an ISO 9001 certificate lead to software improvement? The answer is: yes — based on 50 BOOTSTRAP maturity assessments carried out in Danish companies.
Relation of residency selection factors to subsequent orthopaedic in-training examination performance

Objectives: Orthopaedic surgery remains one of the most competitive specialties, with more than a 99% match fill rate in the past several years. An oversupply of qualified applicants leads to intense competition for these residency spots, allowing program directors to be more selective in choosing their future residents. Although many previous studies have documented factors important to program directors in the admission process, less is known about how preselection factors correlate with subsequent performance in a residency program. Methods: The relation of both demographic and academic factors with subsequent performance on the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) were studied. These factors include United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step I scores, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) status, research publications, age entering residency, marital status, and medical school affiliation. Results: In this study, the only statistically significant correlations to OITE scores were USMLE step I performance and marital status. Those residents who had previously scored above 220 on the USMLE step I had higher average OITE scores than those scoring below 220. Residents who were married also had higher average OITE scores. A trend with regard to AOA status also was found, with residents scoring slightly higher on the OITE if they were members of AOA. Conclusions: Few preresidency variables correlate to success during an orthopaedic residency.
Transdisciplinarity, Human-Nature Entanglements, and Transboundary Water Systems in the Anthropocene

This essay introduces some major ideas and concepts relating to transdisciplinary approaches to Anthropocene river systems. The first section is a historical case study of George Catlin, an artist who traveled throughout the Great Plains in the 1830s. The second section uses the example of the Cochabamba Guerra del Agua in 2000 to examine human-nature entanglements in transboundary river systems.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation for severe aortic stenosis - a new paradigm for multidisciplinary intervention: A prospective cohort study

Background Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative treatment option for patients with aortic stenosis deemed high risk or unsuitable for aortic valve replacement. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of TAVI in elderly patients, the delivery of this technology with a multidisciplinary approach, and the use of traditional surgical scoring systems. Methods One hundred fifty-one consecutive patients (mean age 82.6 ± 7.3 years) with severe aortic stenosis underwent TAVI with the Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, CA) Sapien bioprosthesis using the transapical (n = 84; 56%) or transfemoral (n = 67; 44%) approach from August 2007 to September 2009 at King's Health Partners, London, United Kingdom. We analyzed procedural outcome, complications, functional status, and midterm outcome of patients. Results The multidisciplinary team comprised interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, imaging specialists, cardiac anesthetists, and specialist nurses. Seventy percent of patients were in New York Heart Association class III/IV, and logistic EuroSCORE was 21.6 ± 11.9. Procedural success was achieved in 98%. Postoperative complications included stroke (6%), complete atrioventricular block (5.3%), renal failure requiring hemofiltration (9.3%), and vascular injury (8.6%). Overall 30-day mortality was 9.9% (n = 15). The logistic EuroSCORE was a predictor of short-term mortality (logistic regression model, P 40 was 5.4%, 13.2%, and 22.2%, respectively. Conclusions Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is a feasible treatment option in this patient group with promising short/medium-term results. Renal failure is the commonest short-term complication, and the incidence of vascular complications remains high. Risk prediction/case selection remains challenging, and a multidisciplinary team approach appears to be helpful in appropriate patient selection.
Power Management and Optimization for a Residential Smart Microgrid Using Stochastic Methods

In this paper, energy usage and its associated price for a residential smart microgrid are analyzed using three different forecasting methods: Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Polynomial Regression. Energy demand and its price are then forecast while taking into account the effect of demand response. The accuracy of the forecast values are evaluated using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Mean Squared Error (MSE) criteria. Numerical results, based on the data acquired for a residential microgrid from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE), are used for model validation purposes. Such data are employed to assess the performance, demonstrate the effectiveness and verify the reliability of the proposed optimization and forecasting methods. Our analyses show that the ARIMA method is more accurate in forecasting the demand as well as the price of energy for the smart migrogrid compared to other methods.
Modulation of Colonic Microbiota Populations by Polyphenolic Containing Sorghum Brans May Protect Against Development of Metabolic Disease

Polyphenols in diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may protect against metabolic disease states such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation by influencing the distribut...
Biocultural Homogenization: A Wicked Problem in the Anthropocene

Wicked problems are difficult or impossible to solve. To overcome this dilemma, I propose an approach to better understand and contribute to solve a wicked problem that is particularly pervasive in the Anthropocene: biocultural homogenization. This approach can also help to guide biocultural conservation processes. Toward this aim, I propose to use the “3Hs” conceptual framework of the biocultural ethic that values the vital links among unique life habits of co-inhabitants who share specific habitats. A first outcome is the identification of feedback processes entailing interwoven losses of biological and cultural diversity. Then, I organize these feedback processes in a hierarchical sequence of increasing structural complexity. Analysis of these processes offers a theoretical framework for understanding the interrelations between the homogenization of habits and habitats and the consequences of biocultural homogenization for the lives of diverse human and other-than-human co-inhabitants. Co-inhabitants are subjects (not objects). They co-constitute their identities and share habitats that they co-structure through co-inhabitation relationships of complementarity and reciprocity. Habitats are the condition of possibility for the existence and well-being of the co-inhabitants. I have introduced the notion of co-inhabitants as an ethical justification to oppose biocultural homogenization and to demand biocultural conservation in terms of socio-environmental justice.
Machine-Crowd-Expert Model for Increasing User Engagement and Annotation Quality

Crowdsourcing and active learning have been combined in the past with the goal of reducing annotation costs. However, two issues arise with using AL and crowdsourcing: quality of the labels and user engagement. In this work, we propose a novel machine -> crowd
Amputation-free Survival in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia Treated with Paclitaxel-eluting Stents and Paclitaxel-coated Balloons

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) on amputation free survival in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). Methods A retrospective review of all patients with Rutherford stage 5 and 6 limb ischemia undergoing endovascular revascularization with paclitaxel related technology, both PES and PCB was carried out over a 4-year period. Clinical grading was determined by Rutherford classification, and the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Wound, Ischemia and Foot Infection (WIFi) scoring system. Clinical and angiographic follow-up was reviewed based on intention-to-treat analysis. The primary endpoint of this study was amputation free survival at 12 months. Secondary endpoints included wound healing, freedom from target lesion revascularization and patency of target vessels at 12 months. Follow up occurred at 3, 6 and 12 months post-operatively. Target lesion patency was defined as Results A total of 88 limbs were revascularized in 88 patients. DES was used as the sole drug technology in 56 patients (60.7% male, median age 70.5 years), DCB was used as the sole drug technology in 32 patients (46.9% male, median age 66 years). Baseline demographics were well matched except for a higher prevalence of occluded target lesions in the DES group (41.1% vs. 12.5%; p=0.004). Limbs were treated for Rutherford stage 5 CLI in 71.6% and stage 6 CLI in 28.4%. Univariate analysis identified no dependent factors affecting limb salvage, except for the use of drug coated balloons. After 12 months of follow up, amputation free survival was significantly higher in the DES group compared to the DCB (88.5% vs. 71.1%; p=0.0443). Wound healing rates after 1 year were also higher in the DES group (83.9% vs. 59.4%; p=0.0198). Freedom from target lesion revascularization was no different between patients treated with DES compared to patients treated with DCB (90.6% vs. 85.7%; p=0.518. Primary patency at 12 months in patients treated with DES was significantly higher than patients treated with PCB (80.4% vs. 58.1%; p=0.0255). Conclusions Overall, drug technology represents a viable option for patients with CLI; a cohort not represented in major randomized trials. In our experience, femoropopliteal lesions treated with DES have higher primary patency rates than those treated with DCB. This was found to support higher amputation free survival rates in patients treated with paclitaxel DES compared to paclitaxel DCB. The use of paclitaxel DES for CLI was also associated with significantly improved wound healing compared to DCB. Our data suggests improved outcomes with DES compared to DCB, however, these patients represent a non-randomized, heterogenous group that were treated with the operator’s best judgement.
Comparison of Synchronization Techniques Under Distorted Grid Conditions

In grid-connected power converter applications, the phase-locked loop (PLL) is probably the most widely used grid synchronization technique, owing to its simple implementation. However, in power grids some very common problems, such as voltage distortion, voltage unbalance, and frequency instability make synchronization a challenging task. The performance of the conventional synchronous reference frame PLL (SRF-PLL) is greatly reduced in the presence of distorted grid conditions. For a polluted grid some advance PLL techniques have been proposed, such as moving average filter PLL (MAF-PLL) and cascaded delayed signal cancellation PLL (CDSC-PLL). These techniques have been mostly evaluated in the presence of odd and even harmonics but the effects of interharmonics on these synchronization techniques still needs to be investigated. In this paper, a detailed performance comparison has been made between SRF-PLL, MAF-PLL, and CDSC-PLL for grid voltages contaminated with interharmonics in the presence of different grid disturbances, such as frequency jump, phase angle jump, and dc offset. The techniques are simulated using Matlab/Simulink. The CDSC-PLL shows excellent performance as compared with other techniques in terms of dynamic response as it settles to frequency step change in a half cycle but the presence of interharmonics greatly reduces its filtering capability. On the other hand, MAF-PLL gives a ripple free behavior in frequency estimation but with a much slower dynamic response as it settles to a frequency step change in more than three cycles. SRF-PLL only performs well under harmonics free grid voltages.
Funneled Through or Filtered Out: An Examination of Police and Prosecutorial Decision-Making in Adult Sexual Assault Cases:

To improve criminal justice responses to sexual assault, it is vital to understand the factors that influence decisions made by police and prosecutors and how these decisions overlap. Although deci...
Sexual Violence among LGBQ Community College Students: A Comparison with their Heterosexual Peers

Although community colleges enroll nearly half of the undergraduate population in the U.S., scarce research exists on the sexual violence perpetrated against their student body, especially those st...
Effects of Alcohol Cue Reactivity on Subsequent Treatment Outcomes Among Treatment-Seeking Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder: A Multisite Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Varenicline.

BACKGROUND The alcohol cue reactivity paradigm is increasingly used to screen medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders. Yet, its prospective association with craving and naturalistic drinking outcomes in clinical trials remains unknown. This study embedded repeated human laboratory assessments of alcohol cue reactivity within the context of a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of varenicline tartrate (Chantix® ), a partial agonist of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, on alcohol craving among treatment-seeking heavy drinkers with AUD. Our main objectives were to test whether varenicline, as compared to placebo, blunts alcohol cue-elicited craving and test whether alcohol cue reactivity observed in the human laboratory predicts subsequent alcohol craving and use during the remainder of the trial. DESIGN AND METHODS This double-blind, randomized, 2-site study compared the effects of varenicline (up to 2 mg/d) and placebo on responses to in vivo alcohol cue and affective picture cue exposure in the human laboratory. Forty-seven volunteers (18 females, 29 males), ages 23 to 67 years (M = 43.7, SD = 11.5), were recruited from the community via advertisements to participate in a clinical trial designed to study the effects of varenicline on alcohol use. Participants were randomized to either varenicline or placebo for 6 weeks. RESULTS Varenicline did not attenuate cue-induced alcohol craving relative to placebo, but craving captured during the cue reactivity paradigm significantly predicted subsequent alcohol use in real-world settings during the clinical trial. Higher craving predicted heavier alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS Our results are among the first to show alcohol cue-induced craving captured during a human laboratory paradigm predicts drinking outcomes in the context of a clinical trial.
Motivations for Diverted Buprenorphine Use in a Multisite Qualitative Study

Drawing on a multisite sample of 40 persons who sell, share, or use diverted buprenorphine to manage opioid use disorder, in this study we describe why individuals seek to obtain buprenorphine outs...
Tactical partnerships for strategic effects: recent experiences of US forces working by, with, and through surrogates in Syria and Libya

The Islamic State (IS) ruled over 11 million people at the height of its power. It also orchestrated over 250 terrorist attacks against the West. Thus, by any measure, IS surpassed the ambitions he...
A Systematic Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Microneedling in the Treatment of Melasma.

Background Melasma is an acquired disorder of hyperpigmentation that is often recalcitrant to current therapies. Microneedling is used to treat scars, striae, and rhytides and has a relatively low risk of post-treatment dyspigmentation. Several studies have examined its use in melasma. Objective To review the published evidence on the efficacy and safety of microneedling in the treatment of melasma. Methods A systematic review was performed. A meta-analysis could not be performed because of methodological differences across studies and data heterogeneity. Results Eight studies were included for analysis. Most studies assessed the utility of microneedling in combination with other topical therapies and detected some success. However, microneedling-mediated transdermal delivery of medications is not superior to microinjections of medications. There is less evidence supporting the use of microneedling as monotherapy. Microneedling, when used with a 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, may provide additional benefit, although with a risk of post-treatment dyspigmentation. Conclusion Based on low-quality evidence, microneedling may play a role in the treatment of melasma, with the mechanism of action likely being the facilitation of delivery of topical therapies to the epidermis and dermis, and one ancillary benefit of this approach being the very low risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.