cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-Fluid Modeling of Condensation in the Presence of Noncondensables in Two-Phase Channel Flows

Condensing two-phase channel flow occurs in many industrial applications, including heating and refrigeration systems. It can also occur in certain nuclear reactor accidents. For example, during a small-break loss-of-coolant accident in a pressurized water reactor, following the partial depletion of the primary coolant, condensation of steam on the primary side of the steam generator tubes can provide a heat sink for disposal of the decay heat generated in the reactor core. Condensing two-phase flow can also play an important role in the operation of the passive emergency cooling system in the advanced simplified boiling water reactor. Here, steady-state condensation in the presence of a noncondensable in a concurrent two-phase channel flow is analyzed using a two-fluid model. The effect of noncondensables on the combined heat transfer at the liquid-gas mixture interphase is accounted for by using the stagnant film model, and closure relations relevant to the annular-dispersed two-phase flow regime are applied. The conservation equations are cast into a system of coupled ordinary differential equations, which are numerically integrated. Model predictions are compared with published experimental data, with satisfactory results. It is shown that the two-fluid model can correctly predict all major data trends and is preferable to empirical methods.
Resilient information infrastructures: Mobilizing adaptive capacities under extreme events

In recent decades, the frequency of large-scale catastrophic disasters or extreme events has dramatically increased. Extreme events overwhelm entire regions and communities to the extent that traditional disaster preparedness and response planning prove insufficient during and after an event. The devastation from an unfolding extreme event can be so grand that response efforts are severely hampered, and the recovery process aimed to restore former levels of performance and wellness might take years or even decades. Reliable, accurate, complete, and timely information has been touted the key resource when coping with an extreme event. However, the complex and not merely technical information infrastructure necessary for providing and transferring the high-quality information to and from responders has been little studied and is not well understood. This paper attempts to develop a conceptual understanding of dimensions and interacting elements in a resilient information infrastructure under the duress of an extreme event.
G Protein Gsα and GNAS Imprinting

Many hormones, neurotransmitters, and autocrine/paracrine factors exert their actions via the heterotrimeric stimulatory G protein, Gs. This protein mediates receptor-activated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, which catalyzes the generation of the ubiquitous second messenger cyclic AMP. The α-subunit (Gsα) is critical for the function of the stimulatory G protein and its complete loss leads to embryonic lethality. Moreover, mutations of the gene encoding Gsα, GNAS, lead to several different human diseases. GNAS is a complex imprinted gene. In addition to Gsα, it gives rise to several gene products that show monoallelic expression, including the maternally expressed neuroendocrine secretory protein NESP55 and the paternally expressed extra-large Gsα variant XLαs. Also derived from the paternal GNAS allele are the so-called A/B (also referred to as 1A or 1′) transcript and an antisense transcript (GNAS-AS1), which play regulatory roles in the expression of different GNAS transcripts. In contrast to these monoallelic gene products, Gsα is expressed biallelically in most tissues. The paternal Gsα allele, however, is silenced in a tissue-specific manner, thus limiting Gsα expression levels and, thereby, the actions of certain hormones. The allelic Gsα silencing also plays a role in the development of the phenotypes resulting from GNAS mutations. The mechanisms governing the imprinting of GNAS are incompletely understood, but genetic findings from patients with certain forms of pseudohypoparathyroidism and the study of mouse models point to different cis-acting elements within or nearby GNAS as critical factors.
Against the odds: politicians, institutions and the struggle against poverty

This book shines much needed light on political leaders and the political strategies they adopted to achieve poverty alleviation. The three leaders that are the subject of this study – Chief Minist...
Unpacking Institutional Distance: Addressing Human Capital Development and Emerging-Market Firms’ Ownership Strategy in an Advanced Economy

As latecomers to global business competition, emerging-market multinational companies (EMNCs) utilize cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) to quickly acquire strategic assets, resulting in an improved competitive position. Advanced markets with well-established firms and well-developed market-supporting institutions become particularly important destinations for EMNCs’ foreign operations. Institutional distance, which represents conflicting legitimacy requirements between the host and home institutional environments, is expected to be negatively associated with the foreign acquirer's ownership position. The current study examines a sample of EMNCs’ cross-border M&As in the United States between 2005 and 2011 and reveals the unique nature of EMNCs’ ownership strategies. Taking both formal and informal institutions into consideration, our findings suggest that EMNCs originating in countries with lower levels of human capital development may have more urgency in seeking ownership control in advanced markets and are less influenced by the negative association of institutional distance in their ownership strategy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hermann Paul’s View of the Nature of Language

The subject matter of Hermann Paul’s Prinzipien der Sprachgeschichte (1880) seems straightforward enough: the general methodological principles to be observed in the historical study of language. However, Paul wrote with an underlying polemical intent, and it is perhaps not too easy for the modern reader to appreciate this fact. His criticisms were directed at the theory and operating practice of his immediate predecessors, and reflected the views of a group of scholars, all born in the 1840s, who were jocularly referred to as Junggrammatiker, a term which has generally been rendered in English by the word neogrammarians. The most famous members of this group were August Leskien [1840–1916], Berthold Delbruck [1842–1922], Herman Osthoff [1846–1909], Karl Brugmann [1848–1919], and Hermann Paul himself [1846–1921].
Two-Staged Radiosurgical Treatment of Large Arteriovenous Malformations

When the size of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in any one direction is more than 4 cm, an attempt is made to treat it in two stages, separated by 6 months. The first stage treats one-half of the AVM and the remainder is treated in the second stage, thus giving rise to a higher prescription dose for each stage. Therefore, the AVM, as a whole, could be given a higher dose than if the entire AVM were treated in a single fraction. In order to reproduce, in each stage, the isocenter coordinates determined from a pair of orthogonal films, two techniques are applied. One is the use of BrainLAB's mask system, which maintains the isocenter accuracy within ± 1 mm between the two stages. The other is the use of four 3-mm long titanium screws (fiducial markers) embedded in the patient's skull. The coordinate transformation matrix established for the fiducial markers between the first- and second-treatment stages can be applied to the respective isocenter coordinates. Thus, the original isocenter can be reestablished in the coordinate system of the second-treatment stage. Application of this method was first tested with four 5-mm diameter aluminum balls (BBs) attached as fiducial markers to the external surface of the Rando head phantom and three 3-mm tungsten balls embedded as isocenters inside the skull. One patient case was also studied in terms of predicted accuracy, since the isocenters cannot be pinpointed in terms of anatomical structure (like the three tungsten balls). The two-staged radiosurgical approach with small screws embedded in the skull maintains the accuracy required for stereotactic radiosurgery, thereby facilitating the treatment of large AVMs. Since rigid fixation of the head, as is used with traditional stereotactic radiosurgery, is not used with this two-staged approach, treatment does not have to be delivered shortly after diagnostic images are acquired for treatment planning. This gives the physicist, radiation oncologist, and neurosurgeon additional time to optimize the treatment plan, if necessary. By dividing the treatment into two stages, it is hoped that a higher dose of radiation can be safely delivered to large AVMs, thereby increasing the likelihood of cure.
Analysis of crack and dislocation of direct wafer bonded silicon diaphragm

Crack and dislocation of direct wafer bonded silicon diaphragm on silicon dioxide layer of silicon substrate containing cavity were analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and focused ion beam (FIB) were conducted on cracked silicon diaphragm to understand the mechanisms of crack initiation and propagation. SEM analysis results show that the crack initiated at the bottom of the silicon diaphragm and subsequently propagated toward to the top surface of the silicon diaphragm. Further FIB (focused ion beam) and TEM (transmission electron microscope) analyses show the presence of dislocations at silicon diaphragm and the bonding interface (i.e. silicon/silicon dioxide interface). Crack initiation and propagation mechanisms were discussed based on the SEM, FIB/SEM, EDX and TEM analysis results.
Increasing educational attainment and mortality reduction: A systematic review and taxonomy

Understanding the relationship between increasing educational attainment and mortality reduction has important policy and public health implications. This systematic review of the literature establishes a taxonomy to facilitate evaluation of the association between educational attainment and early mortality. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched Ovid Medline, Embase, PubMed and hand searches of references for English-language primary data analyses using education as an independent variable and mortality as a dependent variable. Initial searches were undertaken in February 2015 and updated in April 2016. One thousand, seven hundred and eleven unique articles were identified, 418 manuscripts were screened and 262 eligible studies were included in the review. After an iterative review process, the literature was divided into four study domains: (1) all-cause mortality (n = 68, 26.0%), (2) outcome-specific mortality (n = 89, 34.0%), (3) explanatory pathways (n = 51, 19.5%), and (4) trends over time (n = 54, 20.6%). These four domains comprise a novel taxonomy that can be implemented to better quantify the relationship between education and mortality. We propose an organizational taxonomy for the education-mortality literature based upon study characteristics that will allow for a more in-depth understanding of this association. Our review suggests that studies that include mediators or subgroups can explain part, but not all, of the relationship between education and early mortality. PROSPERO registration # CRD42015017182 .
Plasmons in graphene nanoribbons

We calculate the dielectric function and plasmonic response of armchair (aGNRs) and zigzag (zGNRs) graphene nanoribbons using the self-consistent-field approach within the Markovian master equation formalism (SCF-MMEF). We accurately account for electron scattering with phonons, ionized impurities, and line-edge roughness and show that electron scattering with surface optical phonons is much more prominent in GNRs than in graphene. We calculate the loss function, plasmon dispersion, and the plasmon propagation length in supported GNRs. Midinfrared plasmons in supported (3N+2)-aGNRs can propagate as far as several microns at room temperature, with 4--5-nm-wide ribbons having the longest propagation length. In other types of aGNRs and in zGNRs, the plasmon propagation length seldom exceeds 100 nm. Plasmon propagation lengths are much longer on nonpolar (e.g., diamondlike carbon) than on polar substrates (e.g., ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ or hBN), where electrons scatter strongly with surface optical phonons. We also show that the aGNR plasmon density is nearly uniform across the ribbon, while in zGNRs, because of the highly localized edge states, plasmons of different spin polarization are accumulated near the opposite edges.
Intraoperative non-technical skills: a critical target for improving surgical outcomes

Surgical performance is a function of technical and non-technical skills, the latter of which encompasses both cognitive and interpersonal skills.1 The important role of intraoperative non-technical skills in determining surgical safety and outcomes has been increasingly recognised in recent years. To that end, in this issue, Sexton et al 2 evaluate the non-technical skills of teamwork and situation awareness. Specifically, they examine the effect of team anticipation on operative time and cognitive load in the environment of robotic surgery. Through analysis of video and audio from 12 robot-assisted radical prostatectomies, they were able to calculate anticipation ratios (per cent of requests that were non-verbal) and investigate the impact on surgical performance. While increased anticipation led to decreased operating room time, it also increased the assistant surgeon’s cognitive workload.2 Prior work has shown that increased cognitive load is associated with errors and poorer performance, which demonstrates the complexity of this important domain of intraoperative performance.3 While increased anticipation may improve overall efficiency, these data suggest it may also increase system and team vulnerability to adverse events if not carefully managed. It is postulated that the ability to anticipate a team member’s needs reflects a shared mental model. Shared mental models are common or overlapping cognitive representations of task requirements, procedures and role responsibilities.4 Mental models help team members describe, explain and predict …
Host and bacterial proteases influence biofilm formation and virulence in a murine model of enterococcal catheter-associated urinary tract infection

Enterococcus faecalis is a leading causative agent of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), the most common hospital-acquired infection. Its ability to grow and form catheter biofilm is dependent upon host fibrinogen (Fg). Examined here are how bacterial and host proteases interact with Fg and contribute to virulence. Analysis of mutants affecting the two major secreted proteases of E. faecalis OG1RF (GelE, SprE) revealed that while the loss of either had no effect on virulence in a murine CAUTI model or for formation of Fg-dependent biofilm in urine, the loss of both resulted in CAUTI attenuation and defective biofilm formation. GelE-, but not SprE- mutants, lost the ability to degrade Fg in medium, while paradoxically, both could degrade Fg in urine. The finding that SprE was activated independently of GelE in urine by a host trypsin-like protease resolved this paradox. Treatment of catheter-implanted mice with inhibitors of both host-derived and bacterial-derived proteases dramatically reduced catheter-induced inflammation, significantly inhibited dissemination from bladder to kidney and revealed an essential role for a host cysteine protease in promoting pathogenesis. These data show that both bacterial and host proteases contribute to CAUTI, that host proteases promote dissemination and suggest new strategies for therapeutic intervention.
A hierarchical LSTM model with attention for modeling EEG non-stationarity for human decision prediction

Recent progress in using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Network in sequence-to-sequence learning of video, text, image has motivated us to explore its use Electroencephalogram (EEG) sequence signals. However, modeling an EEG sequence is a challenging task due to its high dimensionality and non-stationarity. The goal of this work is to predict the human decision from continuous EEG signals. An application was designed to guard a restricted area, a decision of allow or deny is made based on the physical appearance and identification card. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical long short-term memory (H-LSTM) model with attention, where the first layer encodes local-temporal correlations between EEG time-samples in local epochs and the second layer encodes the temporal correlations between epochs in a sequence. Thus, this novel model can address non-stationarities in EEG data. The proposed model highlights the time points contributing to classification of human decision made at an epoch level. Classification results of guard's decision (Allow/Deny) is reported from 18 participants. Our results indicate that H-LSTM model outperforms an LSTM model by 12.4% and a shallow Support Vector Machine model by 17.4% Our results suggest that the H-LSTM model can be utilized effectively to predict human decision or other similar applications.
Interventional Management in Patients with Paravalvular Leaks

Paravalvular leak (PVL) closure is an increasingly frequently used procedure in structural intervention programs. Historical reviews suggest an incidence of PVL in the range of 1–2% after surgical valve replacement, and 2–20% after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Heart failure and hemolysis may result from these leaks, and are the main indications for intervention. Reoperation is high risk since in all of these patients re-thoracotomies and redo operations would be needed; in addition, many of these patients have multiple co-morbidities. Percutaneous closure has developed as a therapy for this clinical condition. The use of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography has greatly facilitated the use of catheter methods to assess and treat PVL. Most PVL closure procedures are performed with both fluoroscopic and transesophageal echocardiographic imaging. It is usually difficult or even impossible to determine the site of a leak by angiography alone. Several different plug devices are used for these procedures. Most of these plugs are designed for general vascular use, with only a few designed especially for PVL closure. Catheter delivery is accomplished using trans-septal, retrograde aortic, and transapical approaches. Percutaneous closure of PVL improves both leak severity and symptoms. The technical challenges associated with PVL closure are numerous. Basic skills for crossing leaks with wires are substantial and often require a great deal of patience, flexibility, and a wide array of equipment. Percutaneous closure should be considered as an important alternative to repeat surgery associated with a high early mortality. Earlier leak closure prior to the onset of symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure or the development of hemolysis may ultimately achieve better outcomes of PVL closure.
Conformal Differential Geodesy

The use of conformal transformations has a long history in the geodetic sciences. Apparently, the topic was initially taken up in 1768 by Euler in a study of transformations of orthogonal trajectories. In the next decade it was successively applied to cartography by Lambert, Euler, Lagrange, and Schubert. Indeed, in 1788, Schubert in an analysis of the stereographic projection of a spheroid (an ellipsoid of revolution) onto a plane used the term projection conformis, however, the use of the terminology conformal transformation or mapping, viz. conforme Abbildung, dates back to Gauss in 1822.
Characteristics of Afro-Descendants in Mexico: A Survey of the Costa Chica Area of the Oaxaca and Guerrero States

More than in most countries, the passage of time has been a factor in the Mexican ­experience. Continuities from the past in Mexico leave an indelible imprint on the present. Like the living splendors of Greece and Rome, the artifacts of classical antiquity that engulf Mexico assault one’s historical consciousness and conjure up powerful images of times gone by. Like Egypt, Mexico has its ancient pyramids; like Spain, its ancient aqueducts; like Persia, its ancient hieroglyphics; like China, its collections of ancient art. Public murals, frescoes, and statuary, all attentive to history and all with unmistakable messages, as well as cultural programming on radio, television, and film, reinforce these powerful legacies of Mexico’ ancestry. The collective memory strongly reflects the heritage bequeathed by the centuries. Moreover, it permits a wonderfully personal engagement with the nation’s past.
Confidence in the Prediction of Unmeasured System Output Using Roll-Up Methodology

This research is concerned with how to use available experimental data from tests of lower complexity to inform the prediction regarding a complicated system where no test data is available. Typically, simpler test configurations are used to infer the unknown parameters of an engineering system. Then the calibration results are propagated through the system model to predict the uncertainty in the system response. However, it is important to note that parameter estimation results are affected by the quality of the model used to represent the test configuration. Therefore, it is necessary that the model of the test configuration be also subjected to rigorous validation testing. Then the calibration and validation results for the test configurations need to be integrated to produce the distributions of the parameters to be used in the system-level prediction. Such a systematic roll-up methodology that integrates calibration and validation results at multiple levels of test configurations has been previously established (Sankararaman and Mahadevan, Reliab Eng Syst Saf 138:194–209, 2015).
Abstract 207: A Systematic Literature Review of Patients with Carotid Web and Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Carotid Web (CW) is a rare form of focal fibromuscular dysplasia that results in an abnormal shelf-like projection of intimal fibrous tissue into the carotid bulb. It is theorized tha...
The Critical Role of Workplace Inclusion in Fostering Innovation, Job Satisfaction, and Quality of Care in a Diverse Human Service Organization

With increases in workforce diversity, human service leaders are recognizing the need to create inclusive workplaces. Yet little research exists about the influence of inclusion on innovation, job ...
Managing the Mayo Clinic brand: a case study in staff-developed service performance standards

One goal of healthcare reform in the USA is to increase the availability of quality and patient satisfaction data to help consumers choose their hospitals and doctors. This increased transparency is meant to encourage consumers to shop for health care by researching reputation, quality, price, and patient satisfaction. A strong healthcare brand, combined with a superior patient experience provided by skilled frontline service performers, can influence consumers’ healthcare choices in this highly competitive market. Through qualitative inquiry, this case study explores the reasons for service quality variation on the front line. Facilitated roundtable discussions were used to help staff define their own role-specific service performance standards and positively influence brand perception and value through improved frontline staff service performance. These methods for engaging frontline staff improved their understanding of service performance expectations, their awareness of important internal customer groups, and their self-reported willingness to serve. This case study approach to improve the patient experience may be useful to other healthcare organizations navigating an increasingly value- and consumer-driven healthcare market.
Legal Authority in Premodern Islam: Yahya B Sharaf Al-Nawawi in the Shafi'i School of Law

Offering a detailed analysis of the structure of authority in Islamic law, this book focuses on the figure of Yahyā b. Sharaf al-Nawawī, who is regarded as the chief contributor to the legal tradition known as the Shāfi'ī madhhab in traditional Muslim sources, named after Muhammad b. Idrīs al-Shāfi'ī (d. 204/820), the supposed founder of the school of law. Al-Nawawī’s legal authority is situated in a context where Muslims demanded to stabilize legal disposition that is consistent with the authority of the madhhab, since in premodern Islamic society, the ruling powers did not produce or promulgate law, as was the case in other, monarchic civilizations. Al-Nawawī’s place in the long-term formation of the madhhab is significant for many reasons but for one in particular: his effort in reconciling the two major interpretive communities among the Shāfi'ites, i.e., the tarīqas of the Iraqians and Khurasanians. This book revisits the history of the Shāfi'ī school in the pre-Nawawic era and explores its later development in the post-Nawawic period. Presenting a comprehensive picture of the structure of authority in Islamic law, specifically within the Shafi’ite legal tradition, this book is an essential resource for students and scholars of Islamic Studies, History and Law.
Pulmonary Vascular Disease in the Single-Ventricle Patient: Is it Really Pulmonary Hypertension and if So, How and When Should We Treat it?

Despite significant improvements in the surgical and postoperative care for patients with single-ventricle physiology culminating in the Fontan circulation, significant late morbidity and mortality...
Address of the President-elect at the 2018 AACP Annual Meeting: Establishing a Culture of Leadership Across the Entire Academy.

I am deeply honored and privileged to serve the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy as president in the coming year. AACP has been very important to me since the beginning of my academic career. In my very first year as a faculty member, I was fortunate to attend the AACP Annual Meeting as
Contribution of Aldose Reductase-Mediated Oxidative Stress Signaling in Inflammatory Lung Diseases

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the major lung inflammatory diseases that are characterized by expiratory airflow limitation, chronic inflammation, and structural and functional changes of airways. Although steroids are most commonly used to treat asthma and COPD, their compliance in adults and more often in children is poor, and a number of patients do not respond to steroids. We have recently demonstrated that inhibition of polyol pathway enzyme, aldose reductase (AR), is effective in the prevention of airway inflammation in rodent models of asthma and COPD. Specifically, our studies indicate that AR inhibitors prevent increase in NF-κB-dependent expression of inflammatory cytokines, eosinophil accumulation in airways and bronchial subepithelium, mucus production, airway epithelial cell death, and goblet cell metaplasia in cultured cell lines as well as in vivo acute and chronic mouse models of lung diseases. The AR inhibitors have already undergone phase-II and phase-III clinical trials in diabetic neuropathy and found to be safe in humans with no major irreversible side effects. In this chapter, we discuss the role of AR in oxidative stress-mediated lung inflammatory complications and potential significance of developing AR inhibitors to treat various lung inflammatory diseases.
Restrictions on Nursing Students' Electronic Health Information Access.

Background Restrictions on students' use of electronic health information have been anecdotally reported as a threat to clinical learning, development of informatics competency, and adherence to personal health information privacy laws. However, evidence on which informatics education and policy strategies can be designed is lacking. Purpose This study describes the scope of nursing students' access to and use of electronic health information systems as reported by clinical instructors. Methods Clinical faculty (n = 193) in prelicensure programs from 25 states completed the online survey. Results Students are often restricted in retrieving patient health information, charting assessment data and delivered care, and using medication administration systems. Students alternatively use faculty or staff nurses' system security access. Conclusions Results suggest the need for critical review of nursing curriculum related to informatics competency and clinical site health records access policies.
On Sex Roles and Representations of Emotional Experience: Masculinity, Femininity, and Emotional Awareness

The hypothesis was that individuals higher in femininity and lower in masculinity would evidence more complex representations of the emotions they and others might experience in a range of evocative situations. Participants initially completed the short form of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI-SF; S. Bem L. 1981). Approximately 2 months later, they completed an abridged Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS; R. D. Lane, D. M. Quinlan, G. E. Schwartz, P. A. Walker, & S. B. Zeitlin, 1990), which consists of describing, in an open-ended format, the emotional reactions another and oneself may experience in various scenes. Responses to the LEAS are scored for degree of complexity. As expected, higher masculinity was associated with lower complexity in representations of one's own and others' emotions. However, no relation was found between femininity and complexity of representation.
James Cone’s Legacy for White Christians

This article explores James Cone’s lesson and legacy for white Christians. Specifically, it analyzes Cone’s claim that whites can “become black.” Cone insists that a process of conversion to blackn...
What is brandjacking? Origin, conceptualization and effects of perceived dimensions of truth, mockery and offensiveness

This paper defines brandjacking as an anti-commercial parody of an ad that sabotages and re-appropriates that ad's message out of its original context to unravel important truths and concerns about...
Ear Molding Therapy: Laypersons' Perceptions, Preferences, and Satisfaction with Treatment Outcome.

This study investigates laypersons' perceptions of congenital ear deformities and preferences for treatment, particularly with ear molding therapy-an effective, noninvasive, yet time-sensitive treatment. Methods Laypersons were recruited via crowdsourcing to view photographs of normal ears or one of the following ear deformities, pre- and post-molding: constricted, cryptotia, cupped/lopped, helical rim deformity, prominent, and Stahl. Participants answered questions regarding perceptions and treatment preferences for the ear. Statistical analyses included multiple linear and logistic regressions and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results A total of 983 individuals participated in the study. All deformities were perceived as significantly abnormal, likely to impair hearing, and associated with lower psychosocial quality of life (all P < 0.001). For all deformities, participants were likely to choose ear molding over surgery despite the logistical and financial implications of ear molding (all P < 0.02). Participants were significantly more satisfied with the outcome of ear molding in all deformities compared with control, except constricted ears (all P < 0.002, except Pconstricted = 0.073). Concern for hearing impairment due to ear deformity was associated with increased likelihoods of seeing a physician (P < 0.001) and choosing ear molding despite treatment logistics and costs (all P < 0.001). Conclusions Laypersons perceived all ear deformities as abnormal and associated with low psychosocial quality of life. Despite logistical and financial implications, laypersons generally desired molding therapy for ear deformities; treatment outcomes were satisfactory for all deformities except constricted ears. Timely diagnosis of this condition is crucial to reaping the benefits of ear molding therapy.
Abstract 2118: Using electronic medical records to assemble a lung cancer cohort for prognosis study

Background: Electronic medical records (EMRs) provide a low-cost means of accessing longitudinal data on large populations with detailed information regarding diagnosis, clinical procedures, medications and tests. A lung cancer cohort assembled from EMR represents a powerful resource for studying prognosis. Methods: EMRs are from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women9s Hospital using Partners HealthCare System Research Patient Data Registry from 1988 to October 18, 2018. A previously validated phenotyping algorithm was developed to identify lung cancer patients based on a gold standard set of 200 patients. Demographics and clinical characteristics were extracted from both structured data and clinical notes utilizing natural language processing tools. The quality of EMR cohort was assessed by comparing to Boston Lung Cancer Study (BLCS) cohort using overlapped population. Specifically, we assessed: 1) absolute differences: the agreements of diagnosis dates, histological type and clinical stage; 2) relative differences: the effect sizes of variables on overall survival estimated from Cox regression models. Results: The initial study population included 76,643 patients with a diagnostic code related to primary lung cancer. The phenotyping model identified 42,069 lung cancer patients with sensitivity of 75.2%, specificity of 90.0%, PPV of 94.4% and AUC of 0.927. A total of 5,053 patients overlapped in BLCS and EMR cohorts were used for quality assessment. The diagnosis dates from EMR agreed with diagnosis dates from BLCS cohort with median of 0 days. 10.9%, 7.5%, and 5.1% of the population had an absolute date discrepancy of more than 90 days, 180 days, and one year, respectively. The agreements of histological type and clinical stage were 90.1% and 82.8% respectively. Further analysis for overall survival showed high consistency in the two cohorts as Cox regression models controlled for age, sex, race, smoking status, histological type, stages and treatments yielded similar estimates. Conclusion: We assembled a large lung cancer cohort from EMRs using phenotyping algorithm and extraction strategies combining structured and unstructured data. The quality of analytic data from EMRs were compared with the well curated epidemiology study to ensure their suitability for lung cancer prognosis research. Citation Format: Qianyu Yuan, Tianrun Cai, Chuan Hong, Tianxi Cai, David Christiani. Using electronic medical records to assemble a lung cancer cohort for prognosis study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2118.
A quick bite and instant gratification: A simulated Yelp experiment on consumer review information foraging behavior

Abstract In the post-industrial information-based economy, classical information economics models are often used to explain consumer choices and decision-making behaviors. However, many heuristic consumer behaviors are better explained by behavioral ecology models, such as information foraging. In this study, we examined how consumers explore task-oriented review information in an online environment where they may or may not have prior visiting experience. Our findings indicate that consumers overestimate their expected search effort before using a review site. Compared with consumers who had used Yelp before, those who had never used the site expect their browsing duration and review counts to be 42% and 93% higher, respectively. In addition, before making a decision, most consumers spend only five minutes or less, read five or fewer reviews, and browse seven to eight pages. This finding indicates the review information consumers choose to use within those limited-time ranges may significantly influence the restaurant choices of those foraging consumers.
Leveraging Image Analysis to Compute 3D Plant Phenotypes Based on Voxel-Grid Plant Reconstruction

High throughput image-based plant phenotyping facilitates the extraction of morphological and biophysical traits of a large number of plants non-invasively in a relatively short time. It facilitates the computation of advanced phenotypes by considering the plant as a single object (holistic phenotypes) or its components, i.e., leaves and the stem (component phenotypes). The architectural complexity of plants increases over time due to variations in self-occlusions and phyllotaxy, i.e., arrangements of leaves around the stem. One of the central challenges to computing phenotypes from 2-dimensional (2D) single view images of plants, especially at the advanced vegetative stage in presence of self-occluding leaves, is that the information captured in 2D images is incomplete, and hence, the computed phenotypes are inaccurate. We introduce a novel algorithm to compute 3-dimensional (3D) plant phenotypes from multiview images using voxel-grid reconstruction of the plant (3DPhenoMV). The paper also presents a novel method to reliably detect and separate the individual leaves and the stem from the 3D voxel-grid of the plant using voxel overlapping consistency check and point cloud clustering techniques. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, we introduce the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 3D Plant Phenotyping Dataset (UNL-3DPPD). A generic taxonomy of 3D image-based plant phenotypes are also presented to promote 3D plant phenotyping research. A subset of these phenotypes are computed using computer vision algorithms with discussion of their significance in the context of plant science. The central contributions of the paper are (a) an algorithm for 3D voxel-grid reconstruction of maize plants at the advanced vegetative stages using images from multiple 2D views; (b) a generic taxonomy of 3D image-based plant phenotypes and a public benchmark dataset, i.e., UNL-3DPPD, to promote the development of 3D image-based plant phenotyping research; and (c) novel voxel overlapping consistency check and point cloud clustering techniques to detect and isolate individual leaves and stem of the maize plants to compute the component phenotypes. Detailed experimental analyses demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method, and also show the potential of 3D phenotypes to explain the morphological characteristics of plants regulated by genetic and environmental interactions.
Farnesoid X Receptor Activation Impairs Liver Progenitor Cell-Mediated Liver Regeneration via the PTEN-PI3K-AKT-mTOR Axis in Zebrafish.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Following mild liver injury, pre-existing hepatocytes replicate. However, if hepatocyte proliferation is compromised, such as in chronic liver diseases, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) contribute to hepatocytes through liver progenitor cells (LPCs), thereby restoring hepatic mass and function. Recently, augmenting innate BEC-driven liver regeneration has garnered attention as an alternative to liver transplantation, the only reliable treatment for patients with end-stage liver diseases. Despite this attention, the molecular basis of BEC-driven liver regeneration remains poorly understood. APPROACH AND RESULTS By performing a chemical screen with the zebrafish hepatocyte ablation model, in which BECs robustly contribute to hepatocytes, we identified farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists as inhibitors of BEC-driven liver regeneration. Here we show that FXR activation blocks the process through the FXR-PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog)-PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)-AKT-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) axis. We found that FXR activation blocked LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation, but not BEC-to-LPC dedifferentiation. FXR activation also suppressed LPC proliferation and increased its death. These defects were rescued by suppressing PTEN activity with its chemical inhibitor and ptena/b mutants, indicating PTEN as a critical downstream mediator of FXR signaling in BEC-driven liver regeneration. Consistent with the role of PTEN in inhibiting the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, FXR activation reduced the expression of pS6, a marker of mTORC1 activation, in LPCs of regenerating livers. Importantly, suppressing PI3K and mTORC1 activities with their chemical inhibitors blocked BEC-driven liver regeneration, as did FXR activation. CONCLUSIONS FXR activation impairs BEC-driven liver regeneration by enhancing PTEN activity; the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway controls the regeneration process. Given the clinical trials and use of FXR agonists for multiple liver diseases due to their beneficial effects on steatosis and fibrosis, the detrimental effects of FXR activation on LPCs suggest a rather personalized use of the agonists in the clinic.
When It Was Grand: The Radical Republican History of the Civil War: by LeeAnna Keith, New York: Hill and Wang, 2020, Pp. 340, $30.00 (hbk), ISBN 9780809080311

When the great southern rebellion came to an ignominious end in 1865, Radical Republicans could be forgiven if they felt a greater degree of satisfaction or indulged in heartier self-congratulation...
Echocardiographic measures and subsequent decline in kidney function in older adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

AIMS Heart failure increases the risk of kidney disease progression. However, whether cardiac function and structure are associated with the risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not well characterized in a community setting. METHODS AND RESULTS Among 4188 participants (mean age 75 years and 22% blacks) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study without prevalent CKD in 2011-13, we examined the association of echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) mass index, ejection fraction, left atrial volume index (LAVi), right ventricular (RV) fractional area change, and peak RV-right atrium (RA) gradient, with the subsequent risk of incident CKD, as defined by >25% decline to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, hospitalization with CKD diagnosis, or incident end-stage kidney disease. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). The risk of incident CKD was monotonically increased with each of higher LV mass index [adjusted HR 2.61 (1.92-3.55) for highest quartile (Q4) vs. lowest (Q1)], lower ejection fraction [1.54 (1.17-2.04) for Q1 vs. Q4], higher LAVi [2.12 (1.56-2.89) for Q4 vs. Q1], and higher peak RV-RA gradient [2.17 (1.45-3.25) for Q4 vs. Q1] but not with RV function. The associations were consistent between subgroups by sex and race. CONCLUSION Among community-dwelling older individuals, LV mass index, ejection fraction, LAVi, and peak RV-RA gradient were independently associated with the risk of incident CKD. Our results further support that heart disease is associated with the risk of kidney disease progression and suggest the value of echocardiography for assessing cardiac and kidney health in older populations.
Bidirectionality of language contact: Spanish and Catalan vowels

The disproportionate number of studies in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands observing Spanish contact effects in Catalan production, rather than Catalan contact effects in Spanish production, is an oversight of bidirectionality and the probabilistic nature of social factors in situations of language contact. Accordingly, the present study analyzes both Catalan and Spanish mid front vowel production data from Barcelona to investigate whether Catalan contact effects occur in Spanish via a process of dissimilation, and whether such effects are strengthened in younger speakers due to the relatively recent implementation of Catalan linguistic policy in the educational and public spheres. The results are suggestive of dissimilation, where phonetic distinctions are maintained between Spanish /e/ and the two Catalan mid front vowels across both F1 and F2. Additionally, analyses of variance across F1 and F2 reveal that Spanish /e/ productions across F1 are more diffuse in younger speakers and Catalan mid front vowels across F2 are less diffuse, providing evidence of reciprocity in contact effects. These results underscore the bidirectional nature of language contact and advocate for the use of variance of F1 and F2 as a metric of phonological contact effects.
Colorectal cancer screening at a younger age: pitfalls in the model-based recommendation of the USPSTF.

Over the last 15 years, there have been dramatic changes in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In 2008, grade A USPSTF screening recommendations for CRC suggested adults aged 50–75 receive either a flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), faecal occult blood test (FOBT) or colonoscopy.1 In 2016, the USPSTF expanded the screening recommendations to include faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) and blood-based cancer screening for methylated SEPT9 DNA,2 the latter of which is theorised to improve screening rates owing to its non-invasive nature and preference over stool testing.3 At the time, editorialists addressed the limited clinical utility of these modalities compared with conventional FOBT, notably the inferior predictive value and potential indication drift of serology tests.4 Since the addition of these more uncertain screening tests, the debate has centred on whether expanding options will improve outcomes by drawing more participants or whether additional options will lead to worse outcomes by diverting people towards less effective methods. Most recently, in 2021, the USPSTF took the additional step of using a model to extrapolate the lower limit of recommended screening to 45 years of age.5 These panel decisions seem to be more liberal in their approach to cancer screening, but they may actually lead to unanticipated outcomes, and there is currently little reliable evidence to establish if these recommendations are beneficial. As a result, two critical issues arise1: What are the potential consequences of making national clinical care recommendations based on lower levels of evidence?2 Is it appropriate for age cut-offs to be lowered based on modelling? The purpose of providing more screening options is ostensibly to increase the fraction of people …
Enhancing Student Experience in Team-Based Project Courses Using Essence Reflection Meetings

Background: Many software engineering curriculum contain a team-based project course. This is the case of Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley's masters of science in software engineering. In this context, we have been using Essence Reflection Meetings for five semesters with 17 teams and approximately 70 students. During these meetings, the teams reflect on various project's dimensions based on a systems thinking framework. The positive results have been published in research papers.Activity and Discussions: Participants will learn about Essence Reflection Meetings for team-based project courses by practicing in a classroom environment. They will discuss challenges and solutions for team-based project courses, and how the proposed approach could potentially be leveraged in their own teaching environment.Organization: We will start the workshop with a discussion revealing the participants positive and negative experiences with team-based projects. After briefly introducing the Essence's systems thinking framework and our research results, we will use hands-on training exercises to demonstrate how to use the approach. This will be followed with guided debriefing. Finally, we will go deeper into the Essence framework, and discuss our research results and their applicability in various teaching environments.Learning Objectives: By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with a systems thinking framework that they can leverage to coach their students teams and monitor their progress. They will be able to articulate the pros and cons of applying the approach in their own teaching environment.