cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of welfare reform on methadone treatment: Policy lessons from service providers in New York City

This article explores the impact of recent changes in welfare policy on public assistance recipients who are in methadone maintenance treatment, from the perspective of methadone service providers. Data were collected between late 2000 and early 2002, and included in-depth interviews with 11 providers from three methadone treatment programs in New York city, contextual interviews with three welfare agency personnel and three patient advocates, and participant-observation in trainings and clinical meetings related to vocational services and public assistance for methadone patients. Because service providers are front-line implementers of new welfare regulations, their experiences, and insights should be consulted by policymakers as welfare policy continues to evolve.
Information architecture of a clinical decision support system

Recent healthcare legislation, the move to electronic health records, and the accelerating pace of medical knowledge discovery combine to create an environment in which clinical decision support systems are a necessary part of most medical processes. Based on a review of current best practices, we present the information architecture of a clinical decision support system comprised of four primary components: patient model, treatment library, intelligent agents, and an authenticated knowledge base. The patient model contains all patient information in the form of measurable parameters, treatment history, and health goals. Information regarding treatment procedures, dosages, and effects is stored in treatment library. Intelligent agents are used to optimize courses of treatments to best achieve desired health goals. Finally, an authenticated knowledge base containing the most recent medical research is used to keep the patient model and treatment library up to date.
A less laborious approach to the high-throughput production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli using 2-liter plastic bottles

Contemporary approaches to biology often call for the high-throughput production of large amounts of numerous proteins for structural or functional studies. Even with the highly efficient protein expression systems developed in Escherichia coli, production of these proteins is laborious and time-consuming. We have simplified established protocols by the use of disposable culture vessels: common 2-liter polyethylene terephthalate beverage bottles. The bottles are inexpensive, fit conveniently in commonly available flask holders, and, because they are notched, provide sufficient aeration to support the growth of high-density cultures. The use of antibiotics and freshly prepared media alleviates the need for sterilization of media and significantly reduces the labor involved. Uninoculated controls exhibited no growth during the time required for protein expression in experimental cultures. The yield, solubility, activity, and pattern of crystallization of proteins expressed in bottles were comparable to those obtained under conventional culture conditions. After use, the bottles are discarded, reducing the risk of cross-contamination of subsequent cultures. The approach appears to be suitable for high-throughput production of proteins for structural or functional studies.
ET-68ALTERNATING ELECTRIC FIELDS PERTURB THE LOCALIZATION OF CYTOKINETIC FURROW PROTEINS AND CAUSE ABERRANT MITOTIC EXIT

The NovoTTF-100A is an FDA approved device for the treatment of recurrent Glioblastoma. However, the precise nature of its effects on cells that support its clinical efficacy is poorly understood. We have found that the alternating electric fields generated by the NovoTTF-100A (TTFields) disrupt cells during the metaphase to anaphase transition. Cells exposed to TTFields during mitosis appear normal within metaphase, but exhibit prolonged anaphase accompanied by random and uncontrolled membrane contractions referred to as mitotic blebbing arising from dysregulation of contractile elements normally localized to the cytokinetic furrow. This phenomenon leads to aberrant mitotic exit, leading to decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis that is influenced by p53 mutational status. Further analysis demonstrates that treated cells exhibited features of so-called immunogenic cell death capable of stimulating immune responses deranged cells. The ability of alternating electric fields to thus affect cellular physiology is dependent on their ability to perturb the function of specific proteins that possess high dipole moments. The Septin heterotrimer is composed of Septins 2, 6 and 7 and has a high dipole moment of 2711 Debyes. This Septin complex is essential for the organization and the regulation of cytokinetic furrow contraction which results in daughter cell formation. Importantly, perturbation of Septins or their binding partners is reported to result in mitotic catastrophe similar to that observed during TTFields exposure. We report that TTFields perturb normal Septin localization during both mitosis and cell spreading demonstrating a direct effect of TTFields on a protein involved in mitosis. Together, these data strongly support a model that explains how TTFields interfere with normal mitotic progression by disrupting mitotic furrow regulation causing mitotic catastrophe and aberrant mitotic exit. This leads to a form of immunogenic cell death that may sufficiently reduce intratumoral immune privilege to allow for tumor elimination in some patients.
One nation under God: how corporate America invented Christian America

In this meticulously researched and compelling book, Kevin Kruse offers a convincing argument detailing how corporate titans united America around an agenda of Christian libertarianism (anti-New De...
Differential Activation of Glutamate Receptor Subtypes on a Single Class of Cells Enables a Neural Oscillator To Produce Distinct Behaviors

Spiro, John E. Differential activation of glutamate receptor subtypes on a single class of cells enables a neural oscillator to produce distinct behaviors. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 835–847, 1997. Elect...
Wave Carpet Optimization via Real Time Hybrid Modeling

Real time hybrid modeling as a structured approach of implementing a real time control system has been proven as an efficient strategy to assess and optimize wave energy converter. In this paper an existing real time hybrid modeling framework for wave energy converter is reviewed, in which the main problem is divided into multiple sub-domains. Each sub-domain uses a preferred method, e.g. experimentally and/or computationally, which contributes to solve the main initial problem as a whole. An interface including actuators and sensors enables the simultaneously running sub-domains to communicate in a closed control loop in “real time”. Specifically, the entire power takeoff of a novel WEC called the “Wave Carpet”, which is classified as a submerged pressure differential device, is shifted into the computational domain. The interaction of the WEC’s absorber unit with incident waves is left in the experiment due to its highly nonlinear characteristics. An extended setup allows to reveal further optimization potential of the novel converter design as a case study. Results of the converter behavior under variable wave states, and for different characteristics of the simulated PTO units are presented. In particular, the presented results show the expected broad band absorption capability of the Wave Carpet by closer examination of the influence of variable PTO unit resistance coefficients on the total, and also on the individual units’ performance.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
An Examination of Employment Outcomes for Graduate Education at the University of Hawaii

The University of Hawai‘i (UH) system is the single public, post-secondary education system for the State of Hawai‘i. It comprises one research-intensive university, two primarily baccalaureate campuses (one of which has 12 graduate-level programs), and seven community colleges (one of which has three 4-year programs). An important mission of UH is to prepare the workforce to serve Hawai‘i’s needs.
Sequence-specific chemical shift assignment of calcium-loaded murine S100A4.

S100A4, also known as Mts1, has been linked to metastasis through several lines of evidence (Ebralidze et al., 1989; Davies et al., 1993; Grigorian et al., 1993; for reviews see Barraclough, 1998; Sherbet and Lakshmi, 1998). Mts1 expression levels are higher in metastatic than in non-metastatic tumors, and are also high in cells with naturally high motility. Introduction of Mts1 can increase the metastatic character of cancer cells, while antisense ribozyme techniques targeted to Mts1 can reduce metastasis. Cross-breeding of mice engineered to express high levels of Mts1 with mice highly susceptible to non-metastatic tumors results in offspring with more aggressive tumors. Mts1 belongs to the S100 protein family, most members of which contain two calcium-coordinating EF hands. Calcium binding triggers a conformational rearrangement which can alter surfaces required for interaction with other proteins. Here, we present the sequential heteronuclear chemical shift assignments of Mts1 in its calcium-loaded form.
X-Ray Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry in Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopes

Recently developed aberration correctors have brought significant improvements in materials characterization. In aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), the incident probe dimensions can be refined significantly, and image resolution has already reached sub-angstrom levels in high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) STEM imaging (Batson et al. 2002, Nellist et al. 2004). In addition, materials characterization at the atomic level can routinely be performed by electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS) in aberration-corrected STEM (e.g. Varela et al. 2005). The aberration correction of the incident beam is also very useful for X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (XEDS) because the spatial resolution can be dramatically improved with the refined probe (Watanabe et al. 2006).
High-Rate Skew Estimation for Tape Systems

Abstract: In several recent magnetic tape drive designs, an actuator with two degrees of freedom has been adopted for joint skew- and track-following control. This enables the removal of flanges from guide rollers in the tape path, thus avoiding debris build-up, tape-edge damage, and high-frequency lateral tape motion. Skew compensation is needed to keep the head perpendicular to the direction of tape motion to enable read-while-write functionality in the presence of large lateral tape excursions originating from the removal of roller flanges. In this paper, we present a novel skew estimator that generates skew estimates at a high rate for an extended range of allowable tape-to-head skew values. A skew estimate is given by the sum of a fractional and an integer part, extracted from information provided by two parallel synchronous servo channels operating on timing-based servo patterns. The fractional part is obtained from the accurate measure of timing intervals between dibit correlation peaks, whereas the integer part is derived from longitudinal position information. The new method was implemented in an FPGA and verified experimentally using a commercial tape drive.
History of The Joint Commission’s Pain Standards: Lessons for Today’s Prescription Opioid Epidemic

In 2000, as part of a national effort to address the widespread problem of underassessment and undertreatment of pain, The Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations [JCAHO]) introduced standards for organizations to improve care for patients with pain (eAppendix in the Supplement). After initial positive responses and small studies showing the benefits of following the standards, reports emerged about adverse events from overly aggressive treatment of pain. A 2002 report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) asked, “[I]n our noble efforts to alleviate pain, has safety been compromised?”1 In response, the standards and related materials were changed to address the problems.
Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Cellular proteostasis is a highly dynamic process and is primarily carried out by the degradation tools of ubiquitinproteasome system (UPS). Abnormalities in UPS function result in the accumulation of damaged or misfolded proteins which can form intra- and extracellular aggregated proteinaceous deposits leading to cellular dysfunction and/or death. Deposition of abnormal protein aggregates and the cellular inability to clear them have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Contrary to the upregulation of proteasome function in oncogenesis and the use of proteasome inhibition as a therapeutic strategy, activation of proteasome function would serve therapeutic objectives of treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This review describes the current understanding of the role of the proteasome in neurodegenerative disorders and potential utility of proteasomal modulation therein.
Pediatric Trainees Managing a Difficult Airway: Comparison of Laryngeal Mask Airway, Direct, and Video-Assisted Laryngoscopy.

ObjectiveDifficult airway management is a key skill required by all pediatric physicians, yet training on multiple modalities is lacking. The objective of this study was to compare the rate of, and...
Quality-of-service: toward a standardized rating tool for pedestrian quality of urban streets

This paper presents research to develop a quality-of service rating system for assessing the pedestrian-oriented characteristics and functions of streets that can be used easily and quickly by practitioners. Most existing methods of assessing pedestrian quality fail to take into account micro-scale landscape and urban design elements that significantly enhance the pedestrian experience, and those few that do are difficult and time-consuming to use. The proposed rating system is (a) context-sensitive, (b) capacity-sensitive, (c) takes into account micro-scale design factors, (d) is feasible to use in a professional planning practice setting, and (e) has built-in flexibility.
Cardiac Pre-operative Evaluation as an Opportunity to Optimize Risk Factors in Kidney Transplant Candidates

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. A majority of patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) being considered for renal transplantation receive a pre-operative cardiac risk evaluation. While both cardiology and transplant societies have focused on pre-operative risk factor evaluation and management, little practical emphasis has been placed on long-term (i.e., nonoperative) risk factor control in this setting. Given the long waitlist time for cadaveric renal transplantation, extending the pre-operative cardiac risk evaluation visit to provide a value added service that also addresses comprehensive risk factor control for the long-term is imperative. In this chapter we will review both life style and medical interventions aimed at reducing adverse events in the patient awaiting renal transplantation.
Florid vascular proliferation associated with neural and neuroendocrine neoplasms: A diagnostic clue and potential pitfall

We report the light microscopic and immunohistochemical features of vascular proliferations associated with 26 extracranial neural and neuroendocrine neoplasms including esthesioneuroblastoma, neuroblastoma/ganglioneuroblastoma, the primitive neural component of immature teratoma, mediastinal teratoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, intra-abdominal desmoplastic small cell tumor, Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin, and thyroid medullary carcinoma. These vascular proliferations were similar to those associated with high-grade glial neoplasms and were characterized by tufts of vessels with a glomeruloid configuration or by long cords of vessels. Immunohistochemical evaluation documented the presence of endothelial cells, perithelial cells, and basement membrane components within the foci of proliferating vessels. We propose that these vascular proliferations represent a characteristic feature of the neuroendocrine/neural neoplastic phenotype and that they possibly arise as the result of angiogenic factors produced by the neoplastic cells. The presence of these distinctive vascular lesions in the stroma of a poorly differentiated neoplasm should alert the pathologist to the possibility of the neoplasm being of a neural or neuroendocrine nature.
Impact of Stokes Shift on the Performance of Near-Infrared Harvesting Transparent Luminescent Solar Concentrators.

Visibly transparent luminescent solar concentrators (TLSC) have the potential to turn existing infrastructures into net-zero-energy buildings. However, the reabsorption loss currently limits the device performance and scalability. This loss is typically defined by the Stokes shift between the absorption and emission spectra of luminophores. In this work, the Stokes shifts (SS) of near-infrared selective-harvesting cyanines are altered by substitution of the central methine carbon with dialkylamines. We demonstrate varying SS with values over 80 nm and ideal infrared-visible absorption cutoffs. The corresponding TLSC with such modification shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.4% for a >25 cm2 device area with excellent visible transparency >80% and up to 0.6% PCE over smaller areas. However, experiments and simulations show that it is not the Stokes shift that is critical, but the total degree of overlap that depends on the shape of the absorption tails. We show with a series of SS-modulated cyanine dyes that the SS is not necessarily correlated to improvements in performance or scalability. Accordingly, we define a new parameter, the overlap integral, to sensitively correlate reabsorption losses in any LSC. In deriving this parameter, new approaches to improve the scalability and performance are discussed to fully optimize TLSC designs to enhance commercialization efforts.
Bilinear Transform Approach for Wideband Digital Non-Foster Matching of Electrically-Small Antennas

A digital non-Foster design approach is presented for wideband matching of an electrically-small monopole antenna using the bilinear transform. A digital negative capacitance in a series/parallel-RLC digital non-Foster matching network is used to increase bandwidth by cancelling a large portion of the capacitive reactance of an electrically-short monopole. A digitally-implemented positive inductance tunes the center frequency, eliminating residual reactance. A second digital resistor in parallel enhances stability. Simulation results show wideband impedance match of a 0.75 m monopole, with better than 6 dB return loss from 19.0 to 23.8 MHz, compared to a conventional passively-matched bandwidth of 20.2 to 20.7 MHz and a Wheeler-Chu limit of 3.3 percent for ka=0.314.
Local population and housing changes associated with destination redevelopments in Detroit (1990-2010): a geographically weighted shift-share analysis

ABSTRACTThe aim of this research is to utilize a novel approach called geographically weighted shift-share (GWSSA) analysis to estimate the degree and manner to which recent destination redevelopme...
Understanding the Effects of Low-Temperature Passivation and Annealing on ZnO TFTs Test Structures

Back-gate ZnO TFTs - with and without top-side passivation - were fabricated and electrically characterized. Passivation layers consisting of HfO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and Parylene were introduced to study their impact on the TFT performance. Annealing was done to improve the electrical characteristics of passivated devices by neutralizing the initial charge introduced as a result of the low-temperature passivation. Low-temperature annealing combined with an Al 2 O 3 passivation layer demonstrates an I-V response comparable to ZnO TFTs without any passivation layer, indicating the viability of Al 2 O 3 as a good candidate for passivating ZnO TFTs.
DNA repair genes XPD and XRCC1 polymorphisms, p53 gene mutations and bladder cancer risk

2055 Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes have been postulated to increase the risk of certain cancers, including bladder and lung cancer in the presence of environmental exposure to carcinogens such as cigarette smoke. The XPD protein is an important component of the TFIIH transcription factor complex. XPD genetic polymorphisms resulting in amino acids substitutions may lead to alterations in TFIIH helicase activity, resulting in repair and transcription defects. Damaged bases and DNA single strand breaks are repaired through the base excision repair pathway, such as by the cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) protein which serves as a molecular scaffold interacting with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), DNA polymerase-? and DNA ligase IIIa. Previous studies have suggested that certain genetic polymorphisms, specifically the XPD codon 312 and 751 and the XRCC1 codon 399 polymorphisms, were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, and, in some studies, with a greater risk for mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene in lung tumors. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether these gene polymorphisms may be associated with an increased risk for bladder cancer, in association with p53 mutation status in bladder tumors. Genomic DNA isolated from blood samples from 194 bladder cancer patients and 269 healthy controls, were screened for polymorphisms at XPD codon 312 and 751 and XRCC1 codon 399, and bladder tumor tissue samples were analyzed for mutations in exons 4-8 of the p53 gene. There was a significantly higher prevalence of the XPD 751 Gln allele among the bladder cancer group, compared with the control group [67.0% vs. 43.1%, p = 0.001, OR = 2.5 (95%, CI 1.5-4.2)]. There was no difference in p53 mutation status among individuals with the XPD 751 Lys allele as compared to the Gln allele. No association was found between bladder cancer risk and either of the XPD 312 or the XRCC1 399 gene polymorphisms. These results suggest that individuals who have the XPD 751 Gln allele may be at an increased risk for bladder cancer, although this may not lead to an increased risk for mutations in the p53 gene. Supported in part by NIH 2RO1 CA59834 (Branch).
Evaluating DNA methylation age on the Illumina MethylationEPIC Bead Chip.

DNA methylation age (DNAm age) has become a widely utilized epigenetic biomarker for the aging process. The Horvath method for determining DNAm age is perhaps the most widely utilized and validated DNA methylation age assessment measure. Horvath DNAm age is calculated based on methylation measurements at 353 loci, present on Illumina’s 450k and 27k DNA methylation microarrays. With increasing use of the more recently developed Illumina MethylationEPIC (850k) microarray, it is worth revisiting this aging measure to evaluate estimation differences due to array design. Of the requisite 353 loci, 17 are missing from the 850k microarray. Similarly, an alternate, 71 loci DNA methylation age assessment measure created by Hannum et al. is missing 6 requisite loci. Using 17 datasets with 27k, 450k, and/or 850k methylation data, we compared each sample’s epigenetic age estimated from all 353 loci required by the Horvath DNAm age calculator, and using only the 336 loci available on the 850k array. In 450k/27k data, removing loci not on the 850k array resulted in underestimation of Horvath’s DNAm age. Underestimation of Horvath DNAm age increased from ages 0 to ~20, remaining stable thereafter (mean deviation = -3.46 y, SD = 1.13 for individuals ≥20 years). Underestimation of Horvath’s DNAm age by the reduced 450k/27k data was similar to the underestimation observed in the 850k data indicating it is driven by missing probes. In analogous examination of Hannum’s DNAm age, the magnitude and direction of epigenetic age misestimation varied with chronological age. In conclusion, inter-array deviations in DNAm age estimations may be largely driven by missing probes between arrays, despite default probe imputation procedures. Though correlations and associations based on Horvath’s DNAm age may be unaffected, researchers should exercise caution when interpreting results based on absolute differences in DNAm age or when mixing samples assayed on different arrays.
The Status of Thermodynamic Data and Models for CF 3 I and its Mixtures

There is a renewed interest in the use of the refrigerant CF3I for refrigeration and air-conditioning applications, driven by its low global warming potential (similar to that of CO2), low (but nonzero) ozone depletion potential, and its ability to suppress flammability. In this paper the existing thermodynamic data for this fluid are summarized. Furthermore, as CF3I has been proposed as a component in mixtures with other refrigerants, the emphasis of this paper is on the survey of existing mixture data and an assessment of the suitability of existing thermodynamic modeling approaches and estimation schemes to model the properties of these mixtures. For mixtures where sufficient data exist, interaction parameters have been optimized.
An Information Quality Framework for College and University Websites

Information Quality (IQ) of a university website plays a major role in the decision process for prospective students when selecting a university for their higher education. Furthermore, current students and others rely on university websites for many other purposes. In this paper we identify university website information quality dimensions relevant to prospective and current students and other site users. We discuss the rationales for identifying these IQ dimensions and propose a University Website Information Quality (UWebIQ) framework to quantify the individual IQ dimensions as well as a strategy for defining the composite IQ for such a website. The outcome of this research is expected to provide insight for universities that wish to maximize the fitness for use of their websites.
Laser-Air Ultrasonic Technique for the Inspection of Vertical Cracks in Rails

A hybrid ultrasonic technique was developed for the inspection of rails. Acoustic signals are generated with an IR pulse laser and detected with a micromachined capacitive air-coupled transducer. The experiments demonstrate the flexibility and capability of the Laser-Air Hybrid Ultrasonic Technique to detect critical cracks that are not easy, or impossible to detect, with current inspection techniques available to the railroad industry. The noncontact and remote nature of this technique renders it suitable for in-service applications.
“Biggie” Assessing a Deceptive Patient in a “Gated” Simulated Patient Interview

The simulated patient encounter represents a promising method of experiential learning with a unique capability to both assess and teach interviewing skills in an encounter with a deceptive patient. The format of a “gated” interview, containing a series of clinical challenges, facilitates the standardized assessment of interviewer performance. Detailed rating criteria facilitate the production of quantitative data regarding specific competencies, such as response to affect, identification of omissions and distortions in the patient narrative, and interpersonal warmth.
Distinguishing between dispersal and vicariance: A novel approach using anti‐tropical taxa across the fish Tree of Life

AIM: Anti‐tropical taxa are species split by the tropics into disjunct northern and southern populations. These distributions occur throughout the Tree of Life, but the mechanisms proposed to drive this pattern are debated and generally fit into two categories: dispersal and vicariance. Here, we quantitatively test the prevalence of dispersal and vicariance as plausible drivers of anti‐tropical marine distributions using intraspecific anti‐tropical marine fishes as a model system. LOCATION: Primarily Indo‐Pacific. TAXON: Marine fishes. METHODS: To test between dispersal and vicariance in latitudinally disjunct marine fishes, we used an ecological niche modelling framework to predict the spatio‐temporal suitability of tropical habitats during contemporary and glacial time periods. Three different model configurations were used per species to test: (a) presence of contemporary tropical suitable habitat for northern populations, (b) the same for southern populations and (c) presence of tropical suitable habitat during the last glacial maximum for the entire species. These models were examined in an evolutionary context to determine if there was any phylogenetic signal in biogeographic predictions. Additionally, we tested if life history traits could account for biogeographic predictions. RESULTS: Our analyses resulted in 87 strongly supported models for 29 anti‐tropical fishes across the fish Tree of Life (northern population model, southern population model, and full species model for each taxon). Model projections consistently matched predictions of vicariance in 13 fishes and 10 fishes matched predictions of dispersal regardless of thresholding approach. We failed to find any phylogenetic signal for anti‐tropicality in general, or for dispersal and vicariant species specifically. Furthermore, dispersal and vicariant tendencies were not found to be correlated with life history traits. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: These data quantitatively support both dispersal and vicariance as active mechanisms driving disjunct distributions in marine systems and suggest that they occur stochastically across the fish Tree of Life. This novel approach for examining dispersal and vicariance hypotheses supports the species‐specific nature of biogeographic mechanisms structuring distributions, and that a “one‐size‐fits‐all” prediction for current and future species’ responses to environmental change is unlikely to be informative.
The Impact of Obesity on Mortality and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Diverticulitis in the United States.

Background and Aims: Diverticular disease represents a leading cause of gastrointestinal-related hospitalizations. We sought to identify the adverse consequences of obesity on acute diverticulitis (AD) hospital admissions. By age 85, approximately two-thirds of individuals will develop diverticular disease and up to 25% will develop AD. Generally, obesity confers an increased risk of morbidity and mortality; however, its impact on hospitalized patients with AD are lacking. Methods: Utilizing ICD-9-CM codes from the National Inpatient Sample (January 2012 – October 2015) we identified patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of AD including 660,820 hospitalizations and 115,785 with obesity. Primary outcomes were mortality, length of stay, and hospitalization cost. Secondary outcomes were AD complications and the need for surgical interventions. Results: On multivariate analysis, obesity was not associated with an increased risk of mortality (OR=1.1, 95%CI: 0.87-1.41; p= 0.43). However, morbid obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2) showed a significant increased risk of mortality (OR=1.69, 95%CI: 1.23-2.31; p<0.001). Obesity was associated with prolonged hospitalizations length of stay by 0.61 days (0.55-0.68; p <10-6), higher hospital charges $6,320 ($ 5,500-7,140; p<10-6), increased complicated diverticulitis 1.05 (1.01-1.1; p < 0.010) and required more surgical interventions for diverticulitis (OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.15-1.23; p<10-6). Conclusion: Morbid obesity increases risk for mortality while obesity leads to longer hospitalization stays and greater healthcare cost as well as adverse clinical outcomes and more surgical interventions. Further interventions are required to address obesity and weight loss for patients with diverticulitis to improve clinical outcomes.
Expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal in veterans with PTSD: Results from the mind your heart study.

Abstract Objective This study examined whether expressive suppression (ES), a maladaptive regulation strategy, was more strongly associated with PTSD diagnosis and symptom clusters in veterans than cognitive reappraisal (CR), an adaptive regulation strategy. Method In a cohort study, 746 participants recruited from VHA facilities completed Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-IV, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire. Participants were categorized into groups: Current, Remitted/Lifetime, and Never PTSD. Results One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences between Current PTSD and both Remitted and Never PTSD for ES, but not CR. The Remitted and Never PTSD groups did not vary significantly from each other and were collapsed into one group for regressions. Adjusting for sex, race, employment, and comorbid depression, binary logistic regression showed ES, but not CR, was associated with increased likelihood of Current PTSD (p Limitations Cross-sectional design and use of self-report limit causality inferences that can be drawn. Conclusions ES is associated with increased odds of Current PTSD diagnosis and symptom clusters. Veterans in the Remitted and Never PTSD groups did not differ significantly. Greater suppression of emotional expression is more strongly linked with PTSD criteria in veterans than decreased cognitive reappraisal.
193 Sleep Variability and Affect Dynamics Among College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Sleep disturbance is a transdiagnostic risk factor that is so prevalent among emerging adults it is considered to be a public health epidemic. For emerging adults, who are already at greater risk for psychopathology, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily routines, potentially changing sleep patterns and heightening risk factors for the emergence of affective dysregulation, and consequently moodrelated disturbances. This study aimed to determine whether variability in sleep patterns across a 3-month period was associated with next-day positive and negative affect, and affective dynamics, proximal affective predictors of depressive symptoms among young adults during the pandemic. Methods: College student participants (N=20, 65% female, Mage=19.80, SDage=1.0) wore non-invasive wearable devices (the Oura ring https://ouraring.com/) continuously for a period of 3-months, measuring sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, total sleep, and time spent in different stages of sleep (light, deep and rapid eye movement). Participants reported daily PA and NA using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule on a 0-100 scale to report on their affective state. Results: Multilevel models specifying a within-subject process of the relation between sleep and affect revealed that participants with higher sleep onset latency (b= -2.98, p<.01) and sleep duration on the prior day (b= -.35, p=.01) had lower PA the next day. Participants with longer light sleep duration had lower PA (b= -.28, p=.02), whereas participants with longer deep sleep duration had higher PA (b= .36, p=.02) the next day. On days with higher total sleep, participants experienced lower NA compared to their own average (b= -.01, p=.04). Follow-up exploratory bivariate correlations revealed significant associations between light sleep duration instability and higher instability in both PA and NA, whereas higher deep sleep duration was linked with lower instability in both PA and NA (all ps< .05). In the full-length paper these analyses will be probed using linear regressions controlling for relevant covariates (main effects of sleep, sex/age/ethnicity). Conclusion: Sleep, an important transdiagnostic health outcome, may contribute to next-day PA and NA. Sleep patterns predict affect dynamics, which may be proximal predictors of mood disturbances. Affect dynamics may be one potential pathway through which sleep has implications for health disparities.
Supporting wellness at pantries (SWAP) nutrition stoplight system aids rural food pantry clients living with chronic disease in selecting nutritious options.

ObjectivesChronic disease accounts for 70% of U.S. deaths, with suboptimal nutrition an important, preventable risk factor. Food insecurity is a contributor to poor nutrition. Food pantries are a r...
Incidence of polyp formation following bariatric surgery.

Abstract Background Multiple studies have linked obesity to an increased risk of cancer. The correlation is so strong that the national cancer prevention guidelines recommend weight loss for patients with obesity to reduce their risk of cancer. Bariatric surgery has been shown to be very effective in sustained weight loss. However, there have been mixed findings about bariatric surgery and its effects on the risk of colorectal cancer. Objective This study sought to examine bariatric surgery patients and their risk of pre-cancerous or cancerous polyps to elucidate any risk factors or associations between bariatric surgery and colorectal cancer. Setting A retrospective review of the academic medical center’s bariatric surgery database was performed from January 2010 to January 2017. Patients who underwent medical or surgical weight loss and had a subsequent colonoscopy were included in the study. Positive colonoscopy findings were described as malignant or premalignant polyps. Methods A total of 1777 patients were included, with 1360 in the medical group and 417 in the surgical group. Data analysis included patient demographics, co-morbidities, procedure performed, surgical approach, weight loss, and colonoscopy findings. A multivariate analysis was used to determine whether an association exists between weight loss and incidence of colorectal polyps, and if so, whether the association different for medical versus surgical weight loss. Results A higher percentage of body mass index (BMI) reduction was seen in the surgical group. An overall comparison showed average reductions in BMI of 27.7% in the surgical group and 3.5% in the medical group (P Conclusion This study offers a unique approach in examining the incidence of colorectal polyps related to obesity. Patients with the greatest reduction in their BMI, more common in the surgical group, had a lower incidence of precancerous and cancerous polyps.
The Cost of Carbon Stored on Afforested Lands in the Southern United States

Abstract The Trillion Trees Campaign and Trillion Trees Initiative are part of the global climate change mitigation efforts to increase carbon storage on reforested and afforested lands. In this study, we estimated the cost of carbon stored on an acre of afforested loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) over a 100-years simulation period in the Lower Coastal Plain Region of the Southern United States. We varied site indices, interest rates, and carbon discount rates for ascertaining the impacts on the cost of the total carbon stored across three carbon pools (stand, finished wood products, and wood present in landfills). After accounting for the net profits from an acre of afforested loblolly pine plantation, the cost of stored carbon currently ranges between $0.76/ton and -$10.12/ton over a 100-years simulation period with zero carbon discount rate. The cost of stored carbon is lower for higher site indices. The cost of stored carbon decreases with a rise in the carbon discount rate. Afforestation is a cost-effective nature-based solution for mitigating climate change. It should be considered as a potential strategy for reducing the overall cost of mitigating climate change in the United States. The findings of the study are relevant for efforts promoting afforestation as a tool for mitigating climate change worldwide.
Advancement in Arthroscopic Superior Capsular Reconstruction for Irreparable Massive Rotator Cuff Tear.

Irreparable massive rotator cuff tear (IMRCT) was one of the causes of shoulder dysfunction, despite technical improvement, the failure rate of IMRCT was still demonstrated to be high. Traditional treatments like non‐surgical treatments, partial rotator cuff repair, and tendon transfers could only achieve a slight improvement. A potential cause for high failure rate was the fact that traditional treatments cannot restore the superior stability of glenohumeral joint, and thus restricted the movement of shoulder joint severely. Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) using a variety of grafts (autograft, allograft, xenograft, or synthetic grafts) provided a promising option for IMRCT. In surgery, graft was fixed medially to superior glenoid and laterally to the footprint of humeral greater tuberosity. SCR could increase the stability of the superior glenohumeral joint, decrease the subacromial pressure and acromiohumeral distance. This review summarized the relevant literature regarding the alternative grafts, surgery indications, operative techniques and clinical outcomes of SCR. we compared the different grafts, key surgical steps, the advantages and disadvantages of different surgical methods to provide clinicians with new surgical insights into the treatments of IMRCT. In conclusion, IMRCT without severe glenohumeral arthritis was the best suitable indication for SCR. The clinical outcomes were positive in the short‐term and middle‐term following‐up. More studies were necessary to determine long‐term results of this surgical procedure.
Two-port totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair: a 10-year experience.

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic two-port totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair. A 10-year retrospective analysis from 2004 to 2013 of patients undergoing two-port TEP performed by a single surgeon at three surgical centers. 336 consecutive patients underwent two-port TEP repairing 478 hernias. 315 (93.8 %) patients were male and 21 (6.2 %) were female. Mean age ± SD was 47 ± 14 years and mean body mass index ± SD was 28.0 ± 4.7 kg/m2. Indications for surgery included primary repair 303 (90.2 %), recurrence from open repair 28 (8.3 %), and incarcerated inguinal hernia 5 (1.5 %). 194 (57.7 %) cases were unilateral and 142 (42.3 %) were bilateral. Operative time ± SD was 38.7 ± 14.9 min for unilateral repair and 43.4 ± 17.6 min for bilateral repair. Two-port TEP was successful in 316 (94.0 %). 20 (6.0 %) cases required the addition of a third port. 2 (0.6 %) cases were converted to open repair. Mean follow-up time ± SD was 5.4 ± 2.7 years. Postoperative complications included urinary retention 5 (1.5 %), seroma 7 (2.1 %), hematoma 1 (0.3 %), surgical site infection 4 (1.2 %), and chronic inguinal pain 3 (0.9 %). 11 (2.3 %) hernias recurred. Two-port TEP appears to be a feasible, safe, and effective method for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair and should be considered a viable, less invasive alternative to conventional three-port techniques.
Predictive Factors Determining the Overall Outcome of Primary Spinal Glioblastoma Multiforme: An Integrative Survival Analysis

Objective Primary glioblastoma multiforme of the spinal cord is a rare entity. The aim of this study was to perform an integrative analysis of patients whose cases were selected from the published studies, and to examine the influence of various factors on overall outcomes. Methods A PubMed search was performed for literature published from 1938 to 2015 to select the articles containing information about the demographics, tumor location, critical event (death), time to events, and treatment characteristics. Results One hundred twenty-eight cases of spinal glioblastoma were selected for analysis. Patients between 18 and 65 years of age had a better overall survival rate (14 months) compared with those of "extreme" age outside that range ( 65 years, 2 months; log-rank P = 0.0005). Univariate analysis showed age between 18 and 65 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.121; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.04–0.37; P = 0.0005) and surgery with radiotherapy (HR = 3.71; 95% CI = 1.36–10.13; P = 0.01) had a significant correlation with overall survival. In multivariate analysis, thoracic spine (odds ratio [OR] = 0.154; 95% CI = 0.033–0.717; P = 0.017) and conus (OR = 0.091; 95% CI = 0.010–0.798; P =0.030) tumor had a lesser chance for mortality at 6 months. Patients who received adjuvant therapy had a better median survival than those who had surgery (log-rank P = 0.0005). Conclusion In this systemic analysis of primary spinal glioblastoma multiforme, we found that surgery followed by adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both) was significantly associated with improved survival. The additional finding was that overall median survival was better in the age group of 18–65 years (68 cases) compared with the extremes ( 65 years, 4 cases).
On the Computation of Value Correspondences for Dynamic Games

Recursive game theory provides theoretic procedures for computing the equilibrium payoff or value sets of repeated games and the equilibrium payoff or value correspondences of dynamic games. In this paper, we propose and implement outer and inner approximation methods for equilibrium value correspondences that naturally occur in the analysis of dynamic games. The procedure utilizes set-valued step functions. We provide an application to a bilateral insurance game with storage.
Asymmetric Michael additions of ester enolates to enantiomerically pure vinylic sulfoxides: synthesis of 3-substituted glutarate esters in high enantiomeric purity

Abstract Various ester enolate ions add as Michael donors to enantiomerically pure Michael acceptor cycloalkenone sulfoxides 1a and 1b and unsaturated lactone sulfoxides 3a and 3b. The level of asymmetric induction in some cases is extraordinarily high (95% e.e. of final 1,5-dicarbonyl products). Adduct ester lactones 5 and 6 can be converted easily into some synthetically versatile, trifunctional, 3-substituted glutarate esters of high enantiomeric purity. An efficient route to enantiomerically pure pentenolide sulfoxide (S)-(+)-3b is presented.
US fishing vessel powering and NOx emissions

This paper presents the results of SNAME Small Craft Panel SC-3 Fishing Systems investigation of trends in US fishing vessel (Fig. 1) (L > 22.9 m) powering and NOx emissions (1900–2000). The study estimates the 1,299 vessels in the US fishing fleet produce 306 tons/day of NOx. The largest powers are found in the decades of 1960–1980. The actual power kW is compared to a reference power kWo using the Powering Index Ratio PIR = kW/kWo. It was found that 50 to 80% of the power in seiners, trawlers, and crabber/ trapper/clam vessels have PIR > 2.5. The reduction of fishing vessel diesel engine NOx can be best achieved by adopting acceptable levels of vessel power/length for the basis of revenue and tax rather than using the vessel age as emissions reduction criteria.
A real-time version of SequenceL

SequenceL is a language intended for experimentation with declarative constructs for nonscalar processing. In SequenceL, a problem solver provides little in the way of iterative/recursive details in a problem solution. Instead, the problem solver describes the solution directly by specifying, via a metastructure, the data structures which will hold results useful in solving the problem. SequenceL is a small language (i.e., there are a small number of language constructs), and it is not domain dependent. This paper is meant to introduce the reader to SequenceL. This paper presents a realdtime version of SequenceL.
Sensory Profiles for Dried Fig (Ficus carica L.) Cultivars Commercially Grown and Processed in California

A trained sensory panel evaluated the 6 fig cultivars currently sold in the California dried fig market. The main flavor and aroma attributes determined by the sensory panel were "caramel," "honey," "raisin," and "fig," with additional aroma attributes: "common date," "dried plum," and "molasses." Sensory differences were observed between dried fig cultivars. All figs were processed by 2 commercial handlers. Processing included potassium sorbate as a preservative and SO2 application as an antibrowning agent for white cultivars. As a consequence of SO2 use during processing, high sulfite residues affected the sensory profiles of the white dried fig cultivars. Significant differences between dried fig cultivars and sources demonstrate perceived differences between processing and storage methods. The panel-determined sensory lexicon can help with California fig marketing.