cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating a training intervention to prepare geriatric case managers to assess for suicide and firearm safety

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to report on the implementation and initial evaluation of a 1-day training intervention targeting direct care providers in the Ohio aging services network. A primary objective is to describe the training intervention that consisted of two parts: (a) a gatekeeper training for assessing suicide risk among older adults, and (b) CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means)—a brief training that teaches effective strategies to talk with clients about reducing access to lethal means. A second objective of this study is to report on changes in providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices immediately posttraining related to suicide and firearm assessment and safety counseling with community dwelling older adults. Sixty-six employees in one regional office participated in the study. Results indicated that training increased participants’ perceived knowledge, preparedness, and efficacy regarding suicide assessment. Training also positively impacted knowledge and attitudes of ...
British Capital Exports: An Overview

Between 1865 and 1914, £4.1 billion was raised in Great Britain for investment overseas in joint-stock companies and the obligations of foreign and colonial governments. British capital exports were characterized by concentration with regard to recipients, industries and time.
Robot-assisted parathyroidectomy

Various methods of minimally invasive parathyroid surgery have been introduced over the last 2 decades. Recently, robotic approaches for thyroid and parathyroid surgery had gained increased interest in Asia as well as in the Western countries. These novel approaches did overcome the limitations of the prior described endoscopic approaches through several dexterities of the robotic system such as magnified, high-resolution vision, and precise movement of the instruments. Furthermore, robotic approaches facilitated complete remote extracervical approaches to target these organs with safety. Remote access approaches provides higher cosmetic satisfaction compared with the traditional cervical approach, especially in young women with history of healing with keloids or hypertrophic scars, which would have a significant influence on their quality of life. In this article, we discuss different approaches using remote access robot-assisted parathyroid surgery.
Hydrothermal synthesis of hydroxy sodalite from fly ash for the removal of lead ions from water

Zeolites are known to possess valuable physiochemical properties such as adsorption, cation exchange, molecular sieving, and catalysis. In addition, zeolites are highly selective scavengers of a variety of heavy metals from liquid effluents through the process of ion exchange. The present study was performed to hydrothermally synthesize Na8[AlSiO4]6(OH)2·2H2O (also known as hydroxy sodalite hydrate). Due to its small aperture size, this material can be an ideal candidate for the separation of small molecules and ions from aquatic and gas mixtures. Synthetic zeolites offer many advantages over natural zeolites, such as higher ion affinity and adsorption capacity. Batch adsorption isotherm studies were conducted to evaluate the obtained adsorbent for the lead ion removal from aqueous media. Modeling lead ion adsorption using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm expressions determined the capacity of the adsorbent. A removal efficiency of 98.1 % in a 3.0 g/l adsorbent/solution mixture with a maximum adsorption capacity of 153.8 mg/g was obtained. One potential application of the synthesized zeolite is for the lead removal in point-of-use treatment devices.
Advanced packaging technologies-an overview

The advanced packaging technologies that can be expected in high-performance systems in the 1990s are discussed in terms of chip connection, power distribution, heat removal, thick- and thin-film wiring, and package interconnections. Some logical trends in each of the major packaging technologies are projected, including chip-level connection providing the required connections between the chip and the package; power distribution to the chip and heat removal from the chip; first-level packages providing all the necessary wiring, interconnections, and power distribution; first-to-second-level interconnections; and second-level packages providing all the necessary wiring, connections, power distribution, and power supply connection. Optical interconnections are also discussed. >
Actual utility, the mismatch problem, and the move to expected utility

The mismatch problem for consequentialism arises whenever the theory delivers mismatched verdicts between a group act and the individual acts that compose it. A natural thought is that moving to expected utility versions of consequentialism will solve this problem. I explain why the move to expected utility is not successful.
Marketing of milk in Pune district of Maharashtra.

Data pertained to the year 2009-2010 in order to study marketing of milk in Pune district Maharashtra. Tabular analysis was used to work out marketing cost, marketing margin and price spread. Dairy unit owner find that it was more profitable to sale milk directly to consumer. It was observed that producer's share in consumer's rupee was highest in channel I was 97.66 per cent and lowest in channel III it was 70.00 per cent.The result revealed that price paid by consumer was the highest as Rs. 20.00 in channel III followed by Rs. 19.00 in channel II and Rs. 18.40 in channel I. It was observed that the producer's share in consumer's rupee was highest when they sold their milk direct to consumer. Hence, it was concluded that as intermediaries goes on increasing the producer's share in consumer's rupee decreased.
Complications of Bariatric Surgery: What You Can Expect to See in Your GI Practice

Obesity is one of the most significant health problems worldwide. Bariatric surgery has become one of the fastest growing operative procedures and has gained acceptance as the leading option for weight-loss. Despite improvement in the performance of bariatric surgical procedures, complications are not uncommon. There are a number of unique complications that arise in this patient population and require specific knowledge for proper management. Furthermore, conditions unrelated to the altered anatomy typically require a different management strategy. As such, a basic understanding of surgical anatomy, potential complications, and endoscopic tools and techniques for optimal management is essential for the practicing gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists should be familiar with these procedures and complication management strategies. This review will cover these topics and focus on major complications that gastroenterologists will be most likely to see in their practice.
‘Build That Wall!’: manufacturing the enemy, yet again

The 2016 presidential campaign and the election of Donald Trump has amplified divisive anti-immigrant sentiment and has further positioned ‘Mexicans as enemy.’ Trump’s ‘Build That Wall!’ declarativ...
Der seltene Fall eines „Neuro-Behçet“

Der M. Behcet ist eine in unseren Breiten seltene, immunmediierte, systemische Vaskulitis, die sich typischerweise mit dermatologischen und/ oder ophthalmologischen Symptomen prasentiert. Fur den Neurologen ist wichtig zu bedenken, dass bei dieser Erkrankung jedoch auch neurologische Symptome als Erstmanifestation auftreten konnen, beziehungsweise ein Auftreten der Erkrankung, zumindest zu Beginn, auch ohne die charakteristischen orogenitalen Ulzera moglich ist. Die folgende Kasuistik bietet ein Beispiel eines Patienten mit sogenanntem,,Neuro-Behcet“.
Reducing Transmission of Salmonella From Reptiles to Zoo Patrons: A Cross-Sectional Study of Zoos and Aquariums in the United States

ABSTRACT Purpose: An estimated 70,000 cases of human salmonellosis are attributed to contact with reptiles each year in the United States. In response to a reptile-associated outbreak of salmonellosis at a large metropolitan zoo in 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a survey of American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) institutional members to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of zoo and aquarium personnel regarding Salmonella and reptiles. Research design: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 1996 via a 31-item, closed-ended questionnaire faxed to all AZA institutions. Results: Of the 176 institutions listed in the AZA directory, 123 (70%) responded. Of the 109 responding AZA institutions that met the survey inclusion criteria, 78 (72%) allowed direct contact between exhibit reptiles and patrons. While 62 (78%) of the institutions instructed patrons to wash their hands after reptile contact, 57 (52%) of the institutions did not have hand-washing ...
Hydrogen Uptake (HUP) Plasmids: Characterization of Mutants and Regulation of the Expression of Hydrogenase

The supply of energy may often be a rate-limiting step in symbiotic N2 fixation and plant productivity (Hardy and Havelka, 1975). The efficient use of metabolic energy during N2 fixation should involve recovery and utilization of the hydrogen that is generated by nitrogenase. It has been demonstrated that several agronomically important Rhizobium spp. do not have an active H2 uptake system (Schubert and Evans, 1976; Lim, 1978), suggesting that a significant portion of the energy supplied by the host plant may be lost via nitrogenase-catalyzed H2 evolution. One method of enhancing the N2 fixation of legumes would be to introduce hydrogen uptake (hup) genes into Rhizobium strains that lack hup activity.
Management of Perioperative Stroke

Stroke is currently recognized as the third most common cause of death and the leading cause of adult morbidity in the United States, affecting nearly 795,000 people annually (Circulation 2009). Perioperative ischemic stroke is an important concern when cardiac surgeries are undertaken. Approximately one million patients worldwide undergo cardiac surgeries annually and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most frequent major cardiovascular operation performed. Cardiac surgery is associated with higher perioperative stroke risk compared with general, noncardiac procedures (Arch Neurol 66:1062–64, 2009; Cerebrovasc Dis 18:37–46, 2004; Ann Thorac Surg 75:472–8, 2003; Stroke 37:562–71, 2006; Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 23:283–94, 2002; Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 102:717–23, 1993). Perioperative ischemic stroke occurs in an estimated 2–6% of CABG surgeries and is often related to the complexity and type of surgery being performed. In patients older than 75 years of age, incidence approaches 9% and is more than twice that of patients 65–74 years old and more than nine times that of patients less than 65 years old (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 104:1510–7, 1992). When combined cardiac surgeries (e.g., CABG and valve surgery) are pursued, the incidence of perioperative ischemic stroke tends to be even higher (Stroke 37:562–71, 2006; Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 23:283–94, 2002).
A novel codebook search technique for estimating the open quotient.

The open quotient (OQ), loosely defined as the proportion of time the glottis is open during phonation, is an important parameter in many source models. Accurate estimation of OQ from acoustic signals is a non-trivial process as it involves the separation of the source signal from the vocal-tract transfer function. Often this process is hampered by the lack of direct physiological data with which to calibrate algorithms. In this paper, an analysis-by-synthesis method using a codebook of harmonically-based Liljencrants-Fant (LF) source models in conjunction with a constrained optimizer was used to obtain estimates of OQ from four subjects. The estimates were compared with physiological measurements from high-speed imaging. Results showed relatively high correlations between the estimated and measured values for only two of the speakers, suggesting that existing source models may be unable to accurately represent some source signals.
Predeployment predictors of psychiatric disorder‐symptoms and interpersonal violence during combat deployment

BACKGROUND Preventing suicides, mental disorders, and noncombat-related interpersonal violence during deployment are priorities of the US Army. We used predeployment survey and administrative data to develop actuarial models to identify soldiers at high risk of these outcomes during combat deployment. METHODS The models were developed in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) Pre-Post Deployment Study, a panel study of soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in 2012-2013. Soldiers completed self-administered questionnaires before deployment and one (T1), three (T2), and nine months (T3) after deployment, and consented to administrative data linkage. Seven during-deployment outcomes were operationalized using the postdeployment surveys. Two overlapping samples were used because some outcomes were assessed at T1 (n = 7,048) and others at T2-T3 (n = 7,081). Ensemble machine learning was used to develop a model for each outcome from 273 predeployment predictors, which were compared to simple logistic regression models. RESULTS The relative improvement in area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) obtained by machine learning compared to the logistic models ranged from 1.11 (major depression) to 1.83 (suicidality).The best-performing machine learning models were for major depression (AUC = 0.88), suicidality (0.86), and generalized anxiety disorder (0.85). Roughly 40% of these outcomes occurred among the 5% of soldiers with highest predicted risk. CONCLUSIONS Actuarial models could be used to identify high risk soldiers either for exclusion from deployment or preventive interventions. However, the ultimate value of this approach depends on the associated costs, competing risks (e.g. stigma), and the effectiveness to-be-determined interventions.
Risk of colon cancer recurrence in relation to diabetes

To describe the association between diabetes and colon cancer recurrence. We conducted a cohort study at two integrated health care delivery systems in the United States. Using tumor registry data, we identified patients aged ≥ 18 years when diagnosed with stage I–IIIA adenocarcinomas of the colon during 1995–2014. Pre-existing diabetes was ascertained via diagnosis codes. Medical records were reviewed for eligibility and to abstract recurrence and covariate information. Recurrence was ascertained beginning 90 days after the end of colon cancer treatment (i.e., cohort entry). Recurrence of any cancer or a new primary cancer at any site was a secondary outcome. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between diabetes at cohort entry and study outcomes. Among the 1,923 eligible patients, 393 (16.7%) had diabetes at cohort entry. Diabetes was not associated with recurrence (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.56–1.33) or with any subsequent cancer (HR 1.09; 95% CI 0.85–1.40). When the definition of recurrence included second primary colorectal cancer, risk was non-significantly higher in patients with diabetes than without diabetes. The risk of colon cancer recurrence appears to be similar in patients with and without diabetes at diagnosis. Future studies should evaluate the association between diabetes and colorectal cancer outcomes, especially second primary colon cancers, in larger populations.
Theoretical underpinnings of research in strategic marketing: a commentary

Morgan et al. (Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 47(1), 2019) propose a new conceptualization of the domain and sub-domains of marketing strategy and employ them as a framework to assess the current state of research in marketing strategy. Based on an analysis of articles addressing marketing strategy related issues published in six leading marketing journals during the period 1999 to 2016, they highlight challenges and opportunities for creating new marketing strategy knowledge grounded in scholarly research, and propose an agenda for future research in marketing strategy. This commentary focuses on some of the findings relating to the theoretical underpinnings of research in marketing strategy that Morgan et al. report and discuss. They include (1) the dearth of indigenous marketing theories and reliance on theories developed in other disciplines, (2) research grounded in single versus multiple theories, and (3) the shift away from theory-based research to data-driven research. The commentary concludes with a brief discussion on the merits of organizing the accumulated body of knowledge on strategic marketing by distinguishing between research focusing on substantive issues in the domains of market strategy and marketing strategy.
Data on chromatographic isolation of cysteine mixed-disulfide conjugates of Allium thiosulfinates and their role in cellular thiol redox modulation.

Abstract This data article contains experimental data on the preparation and semi-preparative isolation of S -Alk(en)ylmercaptocysteine (CySSRs, R = allyl, “A”, 1-propenyl, “Pe” or methyl, “Me”) generated through conjugation reactions between allyl and 1-propenyl enriched thiosulfinates (TS) and cysteine. The data presented are related to the research article “ S- Alk(en)ylmercaptocysteine suppresses LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses in murine macrophages through inhibition of NF-κB pathway and modulation of thiol redox status” (Tocmo and Parkin, in press). In this data article, we included a detailed procedure for CySSR preparation, their purification through semi-preparative chromatography and their toxicity profiles in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Data included also highlight, the ability of CySSRs to modulate intracellular thiol redox status.
Futures Research Methods and Applications in Natural Resources

Futures research is a transdisciplinary field of inquiry that uses a variety of methods to explore possible, plausible, and preferable futures. The goal is to develop foresight—insight into how and why the future could be different than today—to improve policy, planning, and decision making. Scores of futures research methods have been developed or adapted from other disciplines, beginning with pioneering work in the US military and RAND Corporation in the 1950s and 1960s. But many social scientists and natural resource professionals are unaware of these methods and most have never heard of futures research as a distinct field of study. This paper presents a framework for categorizing futures research methods, reviews selected methods, and provides examples of their application to natural resource and environmental issues.
Anaphylaxis after vaccination reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, 1990-2016.

Background Anaphylaxis, a rare and potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction, can occur after vaccination. Objective We sought to describe reports of anaphylaxis after vaccination made to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) during 1990-2016. Methods We identified domestic reports of anaphylaxis within VAERS using a combination of Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activity queries and Preferred Terms. We performed a descriptive analysis, including history of hypersensitivity (anaphylaxis, respiratory allergies, and drug allergies) and vaccines given. We reviewed all serious reports and all nonserious reports with available medical records to determine if they met the Brighton Collaboration case definition for anaphylaxis or received a physician's diagnosis. Results During the analytic period, VAERS received 467,960 total reports; 828 met the Brighton Collaboration case definition or received a physician's diagnosis of anaphylaxis: 654 (79%) were classified as serious, and 669 (81%) had medical records available. Of 478 reports in children aged less than 19 years, 65% were male; childhood vaccines were most commonly reported. Of 350 reports in persons aged 19 years or greater, 80% were female, and influenza vaccines were most frequently reported. Overall, 41% of reports described persons with no history of hypersensitivity. We identified 8 deaths, 4 among persons with no history of hypersensitivity. Conclusion Anaphylaxis after vaccination is rare in the United States and can occur among persons with no history of hypersensitivity. Most persons recover fully with treatment, but serious complications, including death, can occur.
Reconciling Color Vision Models With Midget Ganglion Cell Receptive Fields.

Midget retinal ganglion cells make up the majority of foveal ganglion cells in the primate retina. The receptive fields of midget ganglion cells exhibit both spectral and spatial opponency and are implicated in both color and achromatic form vision, yet the exact mechanisms linking their responses to visual perception remain unclear. Efforts to develop color vision models that accurately predict all the features of human color and form vision based on midget ganglion cells provide a case study connecting experimental and theoretical neuroscience, drawing on diverse research areas such as anatomy, physiology, psychophysics, and computer vision. Recent technological advances have allowed researchers to test some predictions of color vision models in new and precise ways, producing results that challenge traditional views. Here, we review the progress in developing models of color-coding receptive fields that are consistent with human psychophysics, the biology of the primate visual system and the response properties of midget retinal ganglion cells.
Communication and Citizenship: Reflections on Classroom Practice

This essay reflects on a semester-length classroom activity designed to give students an opportunity to practice their citizenship skills. We approach the problem of lack of citizen participation as a communication challenge and present our adaptation of Deliberative Polling to provide students with opportunities to: 1) research alternatives on an issue related to citizenship, 2) hone their research and critical thinking skills, and 3) participate in communication on issues related to citizenship with focused reflection on the communication processes involved. Because the topic is citizenship, students discuss issues related to political participation (e.g. voting) and are asked to reflect on their own practice of citizenship throughout the process. The activity allowed students to experience an alternative to the “either/or debate” perception of politics and gave them tools to participate in politics differently, and in more satisfying ways.
GUIbuilder: GUI program development in MATLAB

GUIbuilder, a new graphical user interface (GUI) design and development tool, is presented as a replacement for MATLAB's GUIDE tool. GUIbuilder facilitates the visual development of GUI programs but hides nothing from the developer. The code generated by GUIbuilder is cleaner, simpler, and easier to manipulate. This paper describes the design principles that guided and motivated the development of GUIbuilder.
Establishing the content validity of PROMIS Pediatric pain interference, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and sleep-related impairment measures in children with chronic kidney disease and Crohn's disease.

PROMIS Pediatric patient-reported outcome measures were developed with children from the general population, and their content validity has not been established in children with chronic disease. This study was done to evaluate the content validity of the PROMIS Pediatric Pain Interference and Fatigue measures in children 8–17 years-old with Crohn’s disease and the PROMIS Pediatric Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, and Sleep-related Impairment measures for children 8–17 years-old with chronic kidney disease. We conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals affected by Crohn’s disease and chronic kidney disease. The interviews were done to elicit children’s lived experiences of the PROMIS outcomes of interest. We used deductive content analysis to contrast the participants’ reports of their symptoms and impacts on daily life with existing conceptual frameworks for the PROMIS measures, each of which was developed with input from children in the general population. On average, we elicited an average of 7 pain interference and 7 fatigue concepts from Crohn’s disease participants (n = 37), while chronic kidney disease participants (n = 26) provided 9 concepts for fatigue, 4 for sleep disturbance, and 7 for sleep-related impairment. Concept saturation was achieved after 16–19 interviews across the four PROMIS measures. Children with these two chronic health conditions reported the same breadth and types of lived experiences as children from the development samples drawn from the general population. The study supports the content validity of several PROMIS Pediatric measures for children with Crohn’s disease and chronic kidney disease. These findings provide evidence that PROMIS Pediatric measures, developed as universally relevant patient-reported outcomes, may be more broadly applicable to children with chronic disease.
Evaluating Consumer Perceptions of Government Services Quality

Finding effective measures of service quality has been a marketing research priority. This investigation proposes that consumers may evaluate government services quality on dimensions not previousl...
SUV Analysis for the Nepenthe Trial: An Evaluation of 123I-mIBG Semi-Quantitative Analysis as a Predictor of Biopsy Yield and Genetic Biomarkers in Relapsed Neuroblastoma

119 Introduction: Neuroblastoma (NBL) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children and accounts for nearly 15% of pediatric cancer fatalities. Nepenthe is a clinical trial for high risk NBL patients who are unresponsive to standard treatment. The trial matches genomic aberrations in NBL cells to targeted inhibitor therapy. 123I-methyliodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) has high sensitivity for NBL and can be used to identify a biopsy site. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of using a quantitative 123I-mIBG SPECT/CT standardized uptake value (SUV) to determine an SUV ratio cutoff value above which a successful biopsy with actionable genetic data can be predicted. Methods: This study includes 14 patients with refractory NBL who underwent 123I-mIBG SPECT/CT scans from 2/2018 to 6/2019 within a month of biopsy. Data was obtained via review of patient medical and pathology records (EPIC EMR) as well as Foundation Medicine Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) genetic reports from Nepenthe records. 123I-mIBG scans with SPECT/CT were performed on Siemens Symbia Intevo scanners. All biospies were performed by interventional radiology. The reports were used to identify the biopsy site to be measured. The lesion morphology was recorded as soft tissue or marrow infiltration confirmed on MRI. Using the Siemens syngovia processing package, standardized uptake values (SUV) were measured using a region of interest (ROI) drawn on the lesion (SUVmax) and background ROIs drawn on the right lobe of the liver and the psoas muscle (SUVmean). Results: In this research, max lesion to mean psoas SUV ratio was used due to lower variability within and between participants than max lesion to mean liver SUV ratio (SD = 0.23 vs SD = 0.99). Psoas to liver SUV ratios can be interchanged as the ratios are highly correlated (R = 0.91, p<0.01). There is a correlation between increasing ratio of lesion SUVmax to psoas SUVmean and increasing tumor cell percentage (%) within the specimen (R2=0.355, p=0.0246). A higher tumor cell % was found to correlate with actionable genetic findings (Pearson’s R = 0.602, p<0.05). This data shows that an SUV ratio of at least 5.0 increases the chance of having a biopsy with a successful high tumor cell %. Conclusions: 1. Quantitation of 123I-mIBG uptake can predict biopsy yield for increased chance of successful NGS testing in order to personalize treatment for children with relapsed or refractory NBL. 2. Background activity using psoas 123I-mIBG SUVmean is a reliable alternative to liver 123I-mIBG SUVmean. 3. An SUV ratio minimum would help clinicians determine the best site for biopsy. If a lesion does not reach the 123I-mIBG SUV minimum for biopsy, a PET scan may be a useful alternative in localizing biopsy sites and predicting biopsy yield.
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)’s Experience in Building a Culture of Entrepreneurship in Its Engineering Curricula

Competing in the modern world will not look like it did when the major manufacturing industries were shipbuilding, steel mills, oil refineries, and automobile manufacturers. What will the oil-exporting countries do when their wells go dry? What happens when your new industries must compete against the American, German, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese companies long established with strong balance sheets, global customers, and attractive income statements? It is not too late to begin a major cultural change in your universities. While this chapter addresses engineering applications, similar issues must be faced in law schools, medical schools, and business schools.
Emergency department utilization of case-managed patients following benign gynecologic surgery

Case management has been shown to reduce the amount of unnecessary emergency department visits among Medicaid or uninsured patients. This study aims to determine whether case management is associated with decreased unnecessary emergency department visits among benign gynecology surgical patients in the first 30 days following surgery. Out of 875 patients, there were a total of 58 return visits to the emergency department within 30 days and only 6 readmissions. Twenty-four emergency department visits occurred in the case-managed group, and thirty-eight emergency department visits occurred in the non-case-managed group. The two factors that were statistically significant for increase odds of return to the emergency department were the type of surgery (inpatient versus outpatient) and case management. The odds for returning to the emergency department for those not receiving case management was found to be 4.53 to that of the case-managed group when controlling for BMI, age, marital status, and type of surgery. In an effort to reduce healthcare costs, case management is a promising intervention to help postoperative patients manage their care while minimizing emergency department visits.
When did gastro-esophageal reflux become a disease? A historical perspective on GER(D) nomenclature.

Abstract Background Within the span of a few decades, gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) evolved from a rare entity to the most commonly diagnosed upper gastro-intestinal disease, i.e. gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The boundaries of GERD remain matter of controversy and appear to be ever expanding in both children and adults. Our aim is to answer the questions: when did GER become a disease? And when did it become specifically a pediatric disease? Methods We performed a comprehensive historical review of the original medical literature using Medline and Google, along with a compilation of original and secondary texts in English, French and German. Results Our finding is that those actively involved in treating the reflux, first surgeons in the 1960s and then gastroenterologists in the 1970s, initiated naming it a disease. In pediatrics, the possible correlation between reflux events and sudden infant death syndrome accelerated the management of reflux associated with respiratory symptoms with surgery in the 1970s. Surgeons were also the first specialists to formulate the term pediatric GERD in 1982. Conclusion Understanding the genesis of GERD may shed light upon its expansion as a disease category and its persistent controversial nature in pediatrics.
Quantifying the Response of Diverse Nanoparticles Towards Laser-Induced Thermoelectric Field to Enhance Applications in Nanorobotics

Thermoelectric field around colloidal nanoparticles in laser-induced, spatially varying thermal gradients is theoretically derived. Experimental validation is also presented for diverse scenarios of laser-induced trapping, rotation and pulling of polystyrene, Janus and silicon nanoparticles, respectively.
A trend towards an early increase in ketoacidosis at presentation of paediatric type 1 diabetes during the coronavirus-2019 pandemic.

Increasing severity of ketoacidosis in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been reported during the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Germany[1] and cases of delayed presentation of children with T1D have also been reported in Italy[2] and the United States[3]. There are significant differences in healthcare delivery systems and socioeconomic status (SES) between the United States and Europe, prompting us to evaluate if delayed presentation can be documented in a large pediatric diabetes center in the United States.
Comparing tooth enamel disturbances in a pediatric population that had received prior chemotherapy treatment to age-matched controls from the Virginia Commonwealth University Pediatric Dentistry Clinic.

COMPARING TOOTH ENAMEL DISTURBANCES IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION THAT HAD RECEIVED PRIOR CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT TO AGE-MATCHED CONTROLS FROM THE VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY CLINIC. By Marcela R. Mujica, DMD A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Director: Patrice B. Wunsch, D.D.S., M.S. Department of Pediatric Dentistry Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test whether children who have undergone cancer chemotherapy have a higher prevalence of enamel abnormalities of the second mandibular premolars than age matched controls. Methods: This study was a case-control design where the case group involved 26 subjects that had received chemotherapy treatment between the ages of 2 to 6 and at the time of the study were between the ages of 9 to 18. The control group consisted of 26 subjects matched for age and sex to the case group that had not received chemotherapy. The second mandibular premolars were assessed based on the types of defects, their number and location according to a modified DDE index. A secondary examiner, blinded to the results of the primary, analyzed photographs taken at examination and provided their own assessment in order to calibrate results. Result: Nominally there were more normal surfaces in the case group than in the control group (81% vs 70%) and fewer hypoplasias in the case group (5% vs 13%). There was no statistical difference between the buccal and occlusal surfaces. For the buccal surfaces, the cases were nominally lower but not statistically significant (P=0.0680) and there is no evidence for a casecontrol difference on the lingual surfaces (P>0.9). Conclusions: In this study developmental defects of the enamel organ were not observed to be statistically different between the case and control groups, although previous studies have shown otherwise.
Judicial Practice Makes Perfect: Explaining Asylum Recognition in the European Union

Vast disparities in asylum recognition rates have persisted in the European Union despite legislative efforts to standardize the asylum determination process. National judiciaries play an important role in this process and scholars mostly agree that differences in judicial practice pose a challenge to the harmonization of recognition rates. However, no study has specifically analyzed the relationship between these two variables. The aim of this research is to determine whether differences in judicial practice account for the variation in asylum recognition rates in the EU. To observe these differences, precedent relating to three areas of the refugee determination process is identified in selected EU states. Application of this precedent is then analyzed in order to identify restrictive judicial practices. Analyses reveal that differences in judicial practice impact the outcomes of asylum cases, and therefore recognition rates. This article is available in Res Publica Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol20/iss1/8
Hidden abnormalities and novel disease-related genomic changes during development of esophageal adenocarcinomas

907 Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a metaplastic condition caused by chronic gastro-esophageal reflux and believed to represent an early step in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP-chip) analysis is a novel approach to examining genomic changes, including copy-number gains or losses, as well as, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) with normal copy number (uniparental disomy or UPD). Using 250K SNP-chips, we examined the neoplastic progression of BE to EAC, initially by studying 6 matched sample sets ( i.e., including normal esophagus [NE], BE and EAC). Three sets revealed no detectable genetic changes in BE or EAC vs. NE. In contrast, the remaining 3 sets showed striking abnormalities. Two EACs exhibited several amplifications involving the ERBB2, CSF3, RARA and TOP2A genes, while 1 EAC manifested amplification of CTGF and c-Myb. None of these amplifications were detected in BE. Next, we expanded our analysis to include 5 additional matched NE-BE pairs and 1 additional matched NE-EAC pair (in total, 11 BE and 7 EAC samples). Seven (64%) of 11 BE samples and 4 (57%) of 7 EAC samples exhibited one or more genomic abnormalities, including deletions, duplications, amplifications and UPD. Several abnormalities common to more than one tissue sample were identified, including chromosome 9p UPD (32.7 Mb, 2 BE samples [18%]), 9p deletion (31.7 Mb, 2 BE samples [18%]), deletion of CDKN2A (3 BE samples [27%]), and amplification of 17q12-q21.1 (3.5 Mb, 2 EAC samples [29%]). Interestingly, one BE sample contained a homozygous deletion at 9p22.3-22.2 (1.2 Mb): this region harbors only one known gene, basonuclin 2 (BNC2). Real-time PCR analysis confirmed decreased expression of BNC2 mRNA in the BE sample, but not in the matched NE control. Furthermore, BNC2 was found to be methylated in the EAC-derived cell line OE33, and transfection and stable expression of BNC2 caused growth arrest of OE33 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that BNC2 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in the esophagus, and that silencing of this gene occurs during the development of EAC. Moreover, to our knowledge, this work reveals for the first time exciting hidden abnormalities and novel cancer-related genomic regions in BE and EAC.
The Envelope of Variation in Multidimensional Register and Genre Analyses

While multidimensional analysis of register and genre variation is a very promising field, a number of problems with it have been identified. Of particular importance are the problems of eliminating grammatical sources of covariation, while still maintaining a set of variables that are faithful to earlier discussions in the literature. One potential solution to both problems is to use the notion of the envelope of variation, as established by variationist sociolinguistics, where grammatical features are counted not as a proportion of the total number of words, but as a proportion of the opportunities for these features to be produced. This technique is also valuable because it allows variables to be targeted with more precise algorithms.This paper describes a pilot study that integrates the envelope of variation into multidimensional analysis. It focuses on two variables (third-person pronouns and demonstrative adjectives) that we would not expect to covary according to Biber’s (1988) descriptions, but for which Biber himself found a significant correlation (-0.282). Using twelve texts from the MICASE corpus (96,000 words), the two variables were corrected based on definitions in the original literature and then restated as testable hypotheses with envelopes of variation. The correlation was -0.685 when using Biber’s original methods, - 0.505 when using corrected algorithms, and -.511 when using corrected algorithms with an envelope of variation. The first correlation was statistically significant, while the second and third were not. However, all three were higher than Biber’s original correlation, and would be significant if they were replicated with a corpus as big as Biber’s. The study emphasizes how complex the counting of any given variable is in corpus analysis, and how much work is necessary to properly identify each one.
IS NATURAL KINDNESS A NATURAL KIND

Soulevant la question de la nature de la propriete etre une espece naturelle, l'A. etudie la definissabilite non a priori du terme dans le cadre de la semantique de Kripke et Putnam, d'une part, ainsi que sa definissabilite a priori en termes d'artifice dans le cadre de la these deflationniste, d'autre part. Examinant la definition de l'espece naturelle qua espece naturelle la plus pertinente pour les philosophes, l'A. montre que celle-ci a des consequences epistemiques inacceptables: si la propriete d'etre une especes naturelle est l'espece naturelle elle-meme, alors il est impossible de savoir quels individus sont membres de quelles especes
Experimental Evolution of an RNA Virus in Wild Birds: Evidence for Host-Dependent Impacts on Population Structure and Competitive Fitness

Within hosts, RNA viruses form populations that are genetically and phenotypically complex. Heterogeneity in RNA virus genomes arises due to error-prone replication and is reduced by stochastic and selective mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Defining how natural selection shapes RNA virus populations is critical because it can inform treatment paradigms and enhance control efforts. We allowed West Nile virus (WNV) to replicate in wild-caught American crows, house sparrows and American robins to assess how natural selection shapes RNA virus populations in ecologically relevant hosts that differ in susceptibility to virus-induced mortality. After five sequential passages in each bird species, we examined the phenotype and population diversity of WNV through fitness competition assays and next generation sequencing. We demonstrate that fitness gains occur in a species-specific manner, with the greatest replicative fitness gains in robin-passaged WNV and the least in WNV passaged in crows. Sequencing data revealed that intrahost WNV populations were strongly influenced by purifying selection and the overall complexity of the viral populations was similar among passaged hosts. However, the selective pressures that control WNV populations seem to be bird species-dependent. Specifically, crow-passaged WNV populations contained the most unique mutations (~1.7× more than sparrows, ~3.4× more than robins) and defective genomes (~1.4× greater than sparrows, ~2.7× greater than robins), but the lowest average mutation frequency (about equal to sparrows, ~2.6× lower than robins). Therefore, our data suggest that WNV replication in the most disease-susceptible bird species is positively associated with virus mutational tolerance, likely via complementation, and negatively associated with the strength of selection. These differences in genetic composition most likely have distinct phenotypic consequences for the virus populations. Taken together, these results reveal important insights into how different hosts may contribute to the emergence of RNA viruses.
Clean synthesis of adipic acid by direct oxidation of cyclohexene in the absence of phase transfer agents

In the absence of phase-transfer agents, the ligand effects are studied for the clean synthesis of adipic acid by direct oxidation of cyclohexene catalyzed by Na2WO4·2H2O with 30% hydrogen peroxide. In most cases, the isolated yield of the target product adipic acid is high if the ligand acidity is strong. Although the acidity of some phenolic ligands, L(+)ascorbic acid and 8-quinolinol is weak, the isolated yield of adipic acid is still high. It is demonstrated that the acid and coordination effect of the ligand play the same important role in the Na2WO4·2H2O catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexene to adipic acid with 30% hydrogen peroxide. Kinetic investigations show that the hydrolysis of cyclohexene oxide to 1,2-cyclohexandiol is the critical step and the acidity of reaction system is important.
Precipitating Institutional Change: Drought Sinks In

How important are windows of opportunity for institutional change? This paper focuses on groundwater-related regulation and assistance in Texas since 1949. Communities adopted a common framework to form local government organizations. These groundwater conservation districts modified the prevailing open-access regime and helped water users coordinate. Droughts focus attention on water-related issues and provided excellent opportunities for change: district formation is found to have been 4.8 times more likely immediately following droughts than following non-drought years. Other factors also supported collective action for district creation: rising groundwater pumping costs, more variable precipitation, and lower farm size inequality.
Shape-based tracking of left ventricular wall motion

A new approach for tracking and quantifying the nonrigid, nonuniform motion of the left ventricular (LV) endocardial wall from cardiac image sequences, on a point-by-point basis over the entire cardiac cycle, is presented. The first step in the algorithm uses one of two approaches to estimate the LV boundary from each image in the sequence. Motion computation involves first matching local segments on one contour to segments on the next contour in the sequence using a shape-based strategy based on bending energy. Results from the match process are incorporated into an optimization functional, along with a smoothness term. The nearest local minimum of the functional to the initial match is found, resulting in a smooth flow field that is consistent with the match data. The computation is performed for all pairs of frames in the temporal sequence and equally sampled points on one contour are tracked throughout the sequence, resulting in a composite flow field over the entire sequence. The method provides a more accurate estimate of perceived motion than previous techniques. >
High resolution two-dimensional shear band computations: imperfections and mesh dependence

Abstract Very fine meshes, up to 64 000 elements with 5 to 10 elements across a shear band, are used to study dynamic shear band formation in viscoplastic plane-strain specimens under compression. Imperfections are shown to have a crucial effect on shear band structure; they determine the size and location of the shear band. A transition to a pattern of parallel shear bands is observed when the imperfection is reduced in size. It is also shown that the results are independent of element type or stabilization for early stages of localization but as the band narrows in the latter stages, element size and type have marked effects; this element and mesh dependence is attributed to insufficient resolution.
A Systematic Investigation of Listening Activities in the Elementary General Music Classroom

This study systematically investigated how and to what extent music listening was initiated by elementary school general music teachers. The specific problems of the study were (a) identification o...
An on-line microcomputer-based respiratory monitor for manual materials handling

Abstract The main objective of the present study is to develop a low cost microcomputer-based respiratory system that is capable of computing the oxygen consumption and minute ventilation of individuals engaged in manual materials handling on an on-line basis. The design, specifications, and merits of the system are given. The software package developed was written in assembly language for the IBM AT personal computer.