cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Chorionic Gonadotropin Administration Reverses the Testosterone Secretory Defect of Leydig Cells from Old Rats

Old male rats have decreased serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle -stimulating hormone (FSH), Leydig cell testosterone secretory responsiveness to chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and gonadotropin binding capacity. Although prolonged in vivo hCG administration restores serum testosterone, in vitro hCG exposure of Leydig cells does not reverse their age-related hyporesponsiveness. To explore this discrepancy, we studied Leydig cell function before and after hCG administration in vivo (treatment). Before treatment, old rats had lower serum testosterone, in vitro testosterone and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production, both basally and in response to hCG, and reduced hCG binding capacity. After treatment, old and young rats did not differ in any of these parameters. hCG binding and cAMP responses were reduced in both old and young rats. Thus, prolonged in vivo exposure to hCG appeared to reverse both the in vivo and in vitro age-related Leydig cell secretory defect, despite gonadotropin receptor down-regulation. This suggests that the "aging" defect(s) are caused by chronic gonadotropin deprivation.
Effect of Deposition Parameters on the Microstructure and Growth Rate of CVD Mullite Environmental Barrier Coatings

Si-based ceramics such as SiC require environmental barrier coatings to protect against hot-corrosion and recession in gas turbine applications. Dense, crystalline mullite coatings of uniform thickness have been deposited by hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on SiC substrates, using the AlCl 3 -SiCl 4 -CO 2 -H 2 system. The effects of the CVD deposition parameters such as temperature, total reactor pressure, and metal-chloride partial pressure on the coating microstructure and growth kinetics have been investigated, and are discussed in this paper.
Nutritional model of hepatocarcinogenesis. Rats fed choline-devoid diet

Rats fed a choline-devoid diet as the sole treatment develop hepatocellular carcinomas, the pathogenesis of which appears to reside exclusively in effects of the diet on the liver. Among the latter, most prominent is the induction of repeating cycles of liver cell injury, death, and regeneration. Two other models have been described recently in the literature, in which development of hepatic neoplastic lesions occurs after protracted periods of liver cell injury, death, and regeneration, without exposure of the animals to chemical carcinogens. The possibility is considered that an abnormal increase in cell turnover may result in all of the genomic alterations that are required for initiation, promotion, and neoplastic transformation of liver cells in these models of hepatocarcinogenesis. The possible involvement, in the same models, of endogenously initiated liver cells also is discussed briefly.
Comparing the conservation effectiveness of private water transactions and public policy reforms in the conserving California landscapes initiative

Recent efforts by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce the environmental impacts of water impoundment and diversion have pursued two distinct but interacting strategies in California9s complex water resources management system: (1) the private acquisition of water rights (wherein the NGO dealt directly with a private citizen and purchased water rights through a willing seller model) for instream or environmental flows or, through water rights transfers, in order to avoid further diversion of groundwater or surface water that could cause environmental harms and (2) active participation in public policy-making processes that attempt to influence the implementation of regulatory mechanisms, federal contracts or other forms of governmental influence to affect the diversion of water or the allocation of water rights in ways that directly address the environmental consequences of water impoundment or diversion. Determining the relative effectiveness of these two distinct (but complementary) strategies and how they interact is therefore relevant to a wide range of water stakeholders. This article compares the relative effectiveness of these two approaches, as well as their interactions, through an evaluation of efforts funded by the Packard Foundation in its Conserving California Landscapes Initiative from 1998–2002.
Richard Sherman Speaks and Almost Breaks the Internet: Race, Media, and Football1

ABSTRACTOn January 19, 2014, NFL star Richard Sherman made a game winning play, blocking a pass intended for receiver Michael Crabtree in a matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. In an interview with Erin Andrews immediately following the game, Sherman, with great intensity, shouted, “I'm the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that is the result you are going to get. Don't you ever talk about me. […] Crabtree. Don't you open your mouth about the best, or I'm going to shut it for you real quick. L-O-B.” The brief interview, captured live on camera, provided a visual drama as arresting as the script and exploded through social media and mainstream news. Through the lens of symbolic convergence theory (SCT) informed by visual rhetoric and critical race theory (CRT), the authors examine news and citizen coverage of the Sherman interview during the week following the incident. Responses to this incident highlight how sexism, racism, and vari...
RNA nanoparticles harboring annexin A2 aptamer can target ovarian cancer for tumor-specific doxorubicin delivery

A novel modified nucleic acid nanoparticle harboring an annexin A2 aptamer for ovarian cancer cell targeting and a GC rich sequence for doxorubicin loading is designed and constructed. The system utilizes a highly stable three-way junction (3WJ) motif from phi29 packaging RNA as a core structure. A phosphorothioate-modified DNA aptamer targeting annexin A2, Endo28, was conjugated to one arm of the 3WJ. The pRNA-3WJ motif retains correct folding of attached aptamer, keeping its functions intact. It is of significant utility for aptamer-mediated targeted delivery. The DNA/RNA hybrid nanoparticles remained intact after systemic injection in mice and strongly bound to tumors with little accumulation in healthy organs 6 h post-injection. The Endo28-3WJ-Sph1/Dox intercalates selectively enhanced toxicity to annexin A2 positive ovarian cancer cells in vitro. The constructed RNA/DNA hybrid nanoparticles can potentially enhance the therapeutic efficiency of doxorubicin at low doses for ovarian cancer treatment through annexin A2 targeted drug delivery.
Solving DEC-POMDPs by Expectation Maximization of Value Function

We present a new algorithm called PIEM to approximately solve for the policy of an infinite-horizon decentralized partially observable Markov decision process (DEC-POMDP). The algorithm uses expectation maximization (EM) only in the step of policy improvement, with policy evaluation achieved by solving the Bellman's equation in terms of finite state controllers (FSCs). This marks a key distinction of PIEM from the previous EM algorithm of (Kumar and Zilberstein, 2010), i.e., PIEM directly operates on a DEC-POMDP without transforming it into a mixture of dynamic Bayes nets. Thus, PIEM precisely maximizes the value function, avoiding complicated forward/backward message passing and the corresponding computational and memory cost. To overcome local optima, we follow (Pajarinen and Peltonen, 2011) to solve the DEC-POMDP for a finite length horizon and use the resulting policy graph to initialize the FSCs. We solve the finite-horizon problem using a modified point-based policy generation (PBPG) algorithm, in which a closed-form solution is provided which was previously found by linear programming in the original PBPG. Experimental results on benchmark problems show that the proposed algorithms compare favorably to state-of-the-art methods.
Implications of inaccurate clinical nodal staging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background Many patients with stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma do not undergo resection. We hypothesized that (1) clinical staging underestimates nodal involvement, causing stage IIB to have a greater percent of resected patients and (2) this stage-shift causes discrepancies in observed survival. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) research database was used to evaluate cause-specific survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 2004–2012. Survival was compared using the log-rank test. Single-center data on 105 patients who underwent resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma without neoadjuvant treatment were used to compare clinical and pathologic nodal staging. Results In SEER data, medium-term survival in stage IIB was superior to IB and IIA, with median cause-specific survival of 14, 9, and 11 months, respectively (P Conclusion Both SEER and institutional data support substantial underestimation of nodal involvement by clinical staging. This finding has implications in decisions regarding neoadjuvant therapy and analysis of outcomes in the absence of pathologic staging.
Both antenatal and postnatal inflammation contribute information about the risk of brain damage in extremely preterm newborns

BackgroundPreterm newborns exposed to intrauterine inflammation are at an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. We hypothesized that adverse outcomes are more strongly associated with a combination of antenatal and postnatal inflammation than with either of them alone.MethodsWe defined antenatal inflammation as histologic inflammation in the placenta. We measured the concentrations of seven inflammation-related proteins in blood obtained on postnatal days 1, 7, and 14 from 763 infants born before 28 weeks of gestation. We defined postnatal inflammation as a protein concentration in the highest quartile on at least 2 days. We used logistic regression models to evaluate the contribution of antenatal and postnatal inflammation to the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.ResultsThe risk of white matter damage was increased when placental inflammation was followed by sustained elevation of C-reactive protein or ICAM-1. We found the same for spastic cerebral palsy when placental inflammation was followed by elevation of TNF-α or IL-8. The presence of both placental inflammation and elevated levels of IL-6, TNF-α, or ICAM-1 was associated with an increased risk for microcephaly.ConclusionCompared with a single hit, two inflammatory hits are associated with stronger risk for abnormal cranial ultrasound, spastic cerebral palsy, and microcephaly at 2 years.
Treatment of Heart Failure with Abnormal Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Older Adults

Heart failure (HF) with abnormal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction should be identified and treated. Treat hypertension with diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and β-blockers. Treat myocardial ischemia with nitrates and β-blockers. Treat volume overload and HF with diuretics. Treat HF with ACE inhibitors and β-blockers. Sacubitril/valsartan may be used instead of an ACE inhibitor or ARB in chronic symptomatic HF and abnormal LV ejection fraction. Add isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine in African Americans with class II to IV HF treated with diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and β-blockers. Exercise training is recommended. Indications for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy are discussed.
Patterns of referral in high school concussion management programs: A pilot study of consultants from different disciplines.

ABSTRACTSchool-based concussion management programs cover thousands of young athletes, yet there is little in the way of research to assess program processes or outcomes. This study examined the referral patterns of consultants working with ten high school concussion management programs. In addition to the number of referrals made to specialists, other potential outcome variables were explored. The sample included over 5,000 athlete-seasons and 298 concussions managed directly by certified athletic trainers. All programs used computerized neuropsychological testing (both baseline and post injury). Two groups were compared: five programs used a clinical neuropsychologist (NP) as the testing consultant and five used nonneuropsychologists (non-NP) with advanced clinical degrees as the testing consultant. There was no significant difference in concussion incidence rates between groups. Referrals to outside specialists were significantly higher for the non-NP group: X2(1) = 16.474, p < .0001. Further, concussi...
Reproductive Vocabularies: Interrogating Intersections of Reproduction, Sexualities, and Religion among U.S. Cisgender College Women

Although feminists often examine the ways reproduction shapes women’s lives, such research typically only focuses on the effects of reproduction after the fact while leaving reproductive decision-making beforehand unexplored. In the present article, we flip this pattern by outlining the “vocabularies of motive” (Mills 1940) cisgender women offer for wanting to engage in or abstain from reproduction. Based on in-depth interviews with 20 class-privileged, cisgender U.S. women in college who possess the resources to forego reproduction, we analyze how they define their reproductive intentions as (a) conforming to social expectations, (b) seeking fulfillment, (c) replicating past experience, and/or (d) rejecting reproduction and parenting. Further, we compare and contrast the reproductive vocabularies of motive offered by heterosexual and bisexual as well as religious and nonreligious cisgender women in our sample. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding women’s reproductive decision-making and the social construction of reproductive norms.
Are Religious Factors Associated with Political Consumerism?An Exploratory Study

A national survey with 876 responses examined whether political consumerism is related to religious factors including beliefs about gay marriage, if the Bible is the literal word of God, re...
Type 2 SLAP Tear in 22 Year Old Male with Associated Buford Complex Treated with SLAP Repair with Care to Avoid Overconstraining Anteriorly

Normal anatomic variants of the anterosuperior labrum are common and include the sublabral foramen and the Buford complex. The Buford complex is a rare variant found in a subset of patients with absent anterior-superior labral tissue and a “cordlike” middle glenohumeral ligament (MGHL) originating directly from the superior labrum at the base of the biceps tendon (Williams, Snyder, Buford Jr. Arthroscopy 10:241–7, 1994). The incidence of the Buford complex varies between 1.5% and 6% (Williams, Snyder, Buford Jr. Arthroscopy 10:241–7, 1994; Ide, Maeda, Takagi. Arthroscopy 20:164–8, 2004; Ilahi, Labbe, Cosculluela. Arthroscopy 18:882–6, 2002). A sublabral foramen variant may also be present with or without a “cordlike” middle glenohumeral ligament. When present, the Buford complex is typically associated with an absent superior glenohumeral ligament and a well-developed inferior glenohumeral ligament. Furthermore, this variant may predispose patients to possible superior labral injury (Bents, Skeete. J Shoulder Elb Surg 14:565–9, 2005; Rao, Kim, Chronopoulos, McFarland. J Bone Joint Surg Am 85-A:653–9, 2003).
Race and the New Policing

Several observers credit nearly 25 years of declining crime rates to the “New Policing” and its emphasis on advanced statistical metrics, new forms of organizational accountability, and aggressive tactical enforcement of minor crimes. This model has been adopted in large and small cities, and has been institutionalized in everyday police-citizen interactions, especially among residents of poorer, often minority, and higher crime areas. Citizens exposed to these regimes have frequent contact with police through investigative stops, arrests for minor misdemeanors, and non-custody citations or summons for code violations or vehicle infractions. Two case studies show surprising and troubling similarities in the racial disparities in the new policing in vastly different areas, including more frequent police contact and new forms of monetary punishment. Low-level “public order” crimes and misdemeanors are the starting point for legal proceedings that over time evolve into punishments leading to criminal records with lasting consequences. In these regimes, warrants provide the entry point for processes that move from civil fines to criminal punishment. The chapter concludes with a menu of reforms to disincentivize the new policing while creating new forms of accountability to mitigate its harms.
Have Cytokines, Will Travel

In many contexts, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are primarily tissue resident. By contrast, in a recent issue of Science, Huang et al. (2018) show that inflammatory type 2 ILCs migrate from the intestine to the lungs and that this movement is guided by sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors.
Current Strategies for Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Endophthalmitis

We review the prevention and treatment of postoperative endophthalmitis. Postoperative endophthalmitis is rare but has potentially blinding consequences. There is no consensus on prevention, but there are a few controlled studies with methods of decreasing the infection rate, such as use of povidone iodine and intracameral antibiotics. There remains only one randomized controlled study (Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study or EVS) on the treatment of postoperative endophthalmitis, but there are retrospective studies which examine the timing and various methods of vitrectomy and intravitreal antibiotics. The application of povidone iodine remains a proven method of preventing endophthalmitis, but evidence suggests that intracameral antibiotics further minimize this risk. Further research is needed to define the efficacy of intravitreal antibiotics at the time of cataract surgery. There are many questions regarding treatment, including performance of vitrectomy for eyes with visual acuities better than light perception, smaller vitrectomy port sizes, and intravitreal antibiotics and/or oral steroids.
Techniques for Detecting Flame Arrival in Premixed-Charge Spark Ignition Engines

Experimental techniques for detecting the arrival of a freely propagating flame at specified locations within and at the walls of a combustion volume are reviewed. The methods discussed are all fast, real-time techniques capable of the cycle-resolved measurements necessary to study premixed-charge combustion in spark ignition engines. The one non-optical technique discussed is the ionization probe, which detects the flame at a single point. The optical methods discussed include laser beam refraction, direct imaging and in situ optical fibers, which are all line-of-sight techniques.
Multidimensional Green’s Functions: Applications

The previous chapter gathered together some general properties of the GFs and their companion, the Dirac delta function. This chapter considers the Green’s functions for elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic equations that satisfy the BCs appropriate for each type of PDE.
Transmission Electron Microscopic Imaging of Casein Submicelle Distribution in Mozzarella Cheese

The increased demand for reduced-fat dairy products has spurred research into low fat (LF) cheeses, including Mozzarella. The LF Mozzarella procedure developed in our laboratory has been scaled up and tested in schools1 and is now being served on pizzas in the National School Lunch Program2. We have conducted studies with different cooking temperatures and homogenization pressures to determine the effects on casein breakdown, rheological properties, and microstructure in LF Mozzarella3,4, and are using these results to improve the quality of this cheese.
Genetically Engineered Mice as Experimental Tools to Dissect the Critical Events in Breast Cancer

Elucidating the mechanism of pathogenesis of breast cancer has greatly benefited from breakthrough advances in both genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models and xenograft transplantation technologies. The vast array of breast cancer mouse models currently available is testimony to the complexity of mammary tumorigenesis and attempts by investigators to accurately portray the heterogeneity and intricacies of this disease. Distinct molecular changes that drive various aspects of tumorigenesis, such as alterations in tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis, invasion and metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance have been evaluated using the currently available GEM breast cancer models. GEM breast cancer models are also being exploited to evaluate and validate the efficacy of novel therapeutics, vaccines, and imaging modalities for potential use in the clinic. This review provides a synopsis of the various GEM models that are expanding our knowledge of the nuances of breast cancer development and progression and can be instrumental in the development of novel prevention and therapeutic approaches for this disease.
Adaptation Without Attribution? The Genesis of Schumpeter's Innovator

Schumpeter’s innovator provided the economics profession with an attractive explanation of the nature and function of entrepreneurship.
Optimism and Healthy Aging in Women

Introduction Optimism—the expectation that good things will happen—has emerged as a promising health asset, as it appears to be related to healthier behaviors and reduced disease risk. Growing research finds that higher optimism is associated with lower mortality, yet it is critical to understand whether this prolonged longevity is accompanied by good health. This study tested whether higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging. Methods Prospective data analyzed in 2018 from the Nurses’ Health Study included 33,326 women with no major chronic diseases at baseline. Poisson regression models evaluated if optimism was associated with healthy aging 8 years later, considering potential confounders (sociodemographic variables, depression) and intermediate variables (health behaviors). Optimism was assessed in 2004 by validated self-report using mailed questionnaires and healthy aging was assessed in 2012, defined as (1) remaining free of major chronic diseases; (2) having no subjective memory impairment; (3) having intact physical function; and (4) surviving through follow-up. Results Overall, 20.5% of women (n=6,823) fulfilled the definition of healthy aging in 2012. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depression, the most (top quartile) versus least (bottom quartile) optimistic women had a 23% greater likelihood of healthy aging (95% CI=1.16, 1.30). Associations were similar in white and black participants, although the sample of black women was small (n=354). Conclusions Higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging, suggesting that optimism, a potentially modifiable health asset, merits further research for its potential to improve health in aging.
Parental awareness of Meningococcal B vaccines and willingness to vaccinate their teens.

Abstract Background In the US, Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines were first licensed in 2014. In 2015, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that parents of teens talk to their provider about receiving MenB vaccine, rather than issuing a routine recommendation. We assessed parental awareness of MenB vaccines and willingness to vaccinate their teens with MenB vaccines compared to MenACWY vaccines, which have been routinely recommended for many years. Methods We surveyed parents of teens attending high school in 2017–18 during the Minnesota State Fair. Parents reported via iPad their knowledge of and concern about meningococcal disease and their awareness of and willingness to vaccinate with MenB and MenACWY vaccines. We assessed the relationship between meningococcal disease knowledge and concern, MenB and MenACWY vaccine awareness, and willingness to vaccinate with MenB and MenACWY using adjusted logistic regression. Results Among 445 parents, the majority had not heard of the newly introduced MenB vaccines Bexsero® (80.0%; 95% CI: 76.0–83.6) or Trumenba® (82.0%; 95% CI: 78.1–85.5) or the MenACWY vaccines Menactra® or Menveo® (68.8%; 95% CI: 64.2–73.0). The majority were at least somewhat willing to vaccinate their teen with MenB vaccine (89.6%; 95% CI: 86.5, 92.3) and MenACWY vaccine (91.2%; 95% CI: 88.2, 93.7). Awareness of MenB vaccines (OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.2–12.2) and concern about meningococcal disease (OR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.5–6.3) were significantly associated with willingness to vaccinate with MenB vaccine. Conclusions Awareness of MenB vaccine is lacking among parents of teens but is an important predictor of willingness to vaccinate with the newly licensed MenB vaccines.
THE BIRCH CREEK CANIDS AND DOGS AS TRANSPORT LABOR IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST

Historically, domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have been documented as central features of Intermountain West and Great Plains Native American camps. Some of these dogs were bred specifically for largeness and stamina to haul travois and to carry pannier-style packs. Ethnographic accounts frequently highlight the importance of dogs in moving through the Intermountain West and the plains, reporting loads as heavy as 45 kg (100 lbs). We calculated body mass from skeletal morphometric data and used these to estimate prehistoric and historic dog load capacities for travois and pannier-style packs in the Intermountain West, Great Plains, and Great Basin. Specimens of large dogs recovered from sites in the Birch Creek Valley in Idaho and on the Great Plains indicate the animals could carry weights comparable to ethnographically recorded loads. Further, direct dating of the Birch Creek dog specimens indicated that dogs of this size have been present in the Intermountain West for more than 3,000 years. These data have important implications for our understanding of prehistoric mobility in the Intermountain West and the plains and suggest that the use of dogs in transporting cargo may have begun as early as 5,000 years ago.
Registering large caustic distortions for high dynamic range diffuser wavefront sensing

Wavefront sensing is typically accomplished with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWS), where a CCD or CMOS is placed at the focal plane of a periodic, microfabricated lenslet array. Tracking the displacement of the resulting spots in the presence of an aberrated wavefront yields measurement of the relative wavefront introduced. A SHWS has a fundamental tradeoff between sensitivity and range, determined by the pitch and focal length of its lenslet array, such that the number of resolvable tilts is a constant. Recently, diffuser wavefront sensing (DWS) has been demonstrated by measuring the lateral shift of a coherent speckle pattern using the concept of the diffuser memory effect. Here we demonstrate that tracking distortions of the non-periodic caustic pattern produced by a holographic diffuser allows accurate autorefraction of a model eye with a number of resolvable tilts that extends beyond the fundamental limit of a SHWS. Using a multi-level Demon’s image registration algorithm, we are able to demonstrate that a DWS demonstrates a 2.5x increase in number of resolvable prescriptions as compared to a conventional SHWS while maintaining acceptable accuracy and repeatability for eyeglass prescriptions. We evaluate the performance of a DWS and SHWS in parallel with a coherent laser diode without (LD) and with a laser speckle reducer (LD+LSR), and an incoherent light-emitting diode (LED), demonstrating caustic-tracking is compatible with coherent and incoherent sources. Additionally, the DWS diffuser costs 40x less than a SHWS lenslet array, enabling affordable large-dynamic range autorefraction without moving parts.
Incidence of vocal cord paresis following ultrasound-guided interscalene nerve block: An observational cohort study.

Background Interscalene brachial plexus block (IBPB) has become a standard practice for perioperative analgesia for shoulder procedures. However, several side effects may occur owing to its anatomic location. We have chosen to evaluate vocal cord paresis and dysphonia following interscalene blocks. Methods After IRB approval, eight patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder procedures were recruited into this prospective cohort study. Following informed consent, vocal cords were assessed by standardized fiberoptic evaluation. Subsequently, IBPB was performed under ultrasound (US) guidance. Patients were re-evaluated for vocal cord changes by a repeat fiberoptic assessment one hour following IBPB. Our primary outcome measure was incidence of vocal cord immobility. Results No patients had diminished vocal cord motion, dysphonia, or dysphagia. Conclusions Although larger studies are required to determine the true incidence of vocal cord paresis following US-guided IBPB, our results suggest that incidence of unwanted nerve blockade other than brachial plexus is much lower than that previously described.
Medical 3D Printing Cost-Savings in Orthopedic and Maxillofacial Surgery: Cost Analysis of Operating Room Time Saved with 3D Printed Anatomic Models and Surgical Guides.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE Three-dimensional (3D) printed anatomic models and surgical guides have been shown to reduce operative time. The purpose of this study was to generate an economic analysis of the cost-saving potential of 3D printed anatomic models and surgical guides in orthopedic and maxillofacial surgical applications. MATERIALS AND METHODS A targeted literature search identified operating room cost-per-minute and studies that quantified time saved using 3D printed constructs. Studies that reported operative time differences due to 3D printed anatomic models or surgical guides were reviewed and cataloged. A mean of $62 per operating room minute (range of $22–$133 per minute) was used as the reference standard for operating room time cost. Different financial scenarios were modeled with the provided cost-per-minute of operating room time (using high, mean, and low values) and mean time saved using 3D printed constructs. RESULTS Seven studies using 3D printed anatomic models in surgical care demonstrated a mean 62 minutes ($3720/case saved from reduced time) of time saved, and 25 studies of 3D printed surgical guides demonstrated a mean 23 minutes time saved ($1488/case saved from reduced time). An estimated 63 models or guides per year (or 1.2/week) were predicted to be the minimum number to breakeven and account for annual fixed costs. CONCLUSION Based on the literature-based financial analyses, medical 3D printing appears to reduce operating room costs secondary to shortening procedure times. While resource-intensive, 3D printed constructs used in patients’ operative care provides considerable downstream value to health systems.
Integrating Behavioral and Social/Emotional Supports Within the Response to Intervention (RtI) Model

Youth experience numerous mental health and behavioral challenges in schools. School counselors are uniquely qualified to address these issues via prevention programming and interventions. This art...
Abstract MP73: Years of Potential Life Lost Due to Premature Cardiometabolic Mortality in The United States, 1999-2017

Introduction: Age of onset for heart disease (HD), cerebrovascular disease (CBD), and diabetes (DM) has shifted earlier, with increases in avoidable cardiometabolic deaths. We quantified total and ...
Propofol administration during catheter-directed interventions for intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism is associated with major adverse events.

ABSTRACT Objective Catheter-directed interventions (CDIs) have been increasingly used for selected patients with acute intermediate-risk (submassive) pulmonary embolism (sPE) to prevent decompensation, mortality, and potentially long-term sequelae. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the choice of anesthetic during these interventions has an effect on the postprocedural outcomes. Methods Patients who had undergone CDI for acute sPE from 2009 to 2019 were identified and grouped according to the intraprocedural use of propofol. The primary outcome was in-hospital intra- or postprocedural major adverse events, defined as the need for intubation, progression to massive pulmonary embolism, and in-hospital death. Major bleeding events (ie, intracerebral hemorrhage, transfusion of ≥2 U, the need for reintervention) were also assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictors of the studied outcomes. Results During the study period, 340 patients (age, 58.74 ± 15.22 years; 51.2% men) had undergone CDI for sPE (85 standard thrombolysis, 229 ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis, 26 suction thrombectomy). Propofol had been used for 36 patients (10.6%); the remaining 304 patients (89.4%) had received midazolam plus fentanyl, morphine, or hydromorphone for anesthesia. The baseline characteristics of both groups were similar, except for age, hypertension, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and procedure type, with ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis the predominant procedure for the no-propofol group (74%). Overall, 18 patients had experienced ≥1 events of the composite outcome (ie, 10 intubations, 11 decompensations, 2 surgical conversions, 3 deaths). The propofol group had a significantly greater adverse event rate (13.8%; n = 5) compared with the no-propofol group (4.2%; n = 13; P = .015). On multivariate analysis, propofol was still a predictive factor for adverse events (odds ratio, 3.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-12.93; P = .03). A total of 16 patients had experienced major bleeding or other procedure-related events, including stroke in 4 (1.17%), coronary sinus perforation in 1, tricuspid valve rupture in 1, and the need for transfusion in 10 patients. The type of intervention (ie, standard thrombolysis, ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis, suction thrombectomy) was not a predictive factor for any studied outcome. Conclusions CDIs are low-risk procedures with minimal postoperative morbidity and mortality in the setting of acute sPE. However, the use of propofol for intraprocedural sedation should be avoided because it can have detrimental effects.
Tumor Size Differences Between Preoperative Endoscopic Ultrasound and Postoperative Pathology for Neoadjuvant-Treated Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Predict Patient Outcome.

Background & Aims The assessment of therapeutic response after neoadjuvant treatment and pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been an ongoing challenge. Several limitations have been encountered when employing current grading systems for residual tumor. Considering endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) represents a sensitive imaging technique for PDAC, differences in tumor size between preoperative EUS and postoperative pathology after neoadjuvant therapy were hypothesized to represent an improved marker of treatment response. Methods For 340 treatment-naive and 365 neoadjuvant-treated PDACs, EUS and pathologic findings were analyzed and correlated with patient overall survival (OS). A separate group of 200 neoadjuvant-treated PDACs served as a validation cohort for further analysis. Results Among treatment-naive PDACs, there was a moderate concordance between EUS imaging and postoperative pathology for tumor size (r = 0.726, P Conclusions The difference in tumor size between preoperative EUS imaging and postoperative pathology among neoadjuvant-treated PDAC patients is an important prognostic indicator and may guide subsequent chemotherapeutic management.
Compiling issues for supercomputers

Two issues for supercomputer compilers are considered. Exact and inexact tests for computing data dependences and focus on the linearization scheme are first discussed. A program transformation call loop spreading is then presented that can be used to execute in parallel adjacent loops with interloop dependences.
Assessing Comfort in Conducting Research Among Medical Students Interested in Dermatology

Introduction: Participation in research has become increasingly popular amongst US medical students hoping to match into dermatology residency. While medical students have increasingly high research output by the time of graduation, the preparedness of medical students for independent research is unknown. Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to 137 dermatology interest groups across the country. The survey contained 21 multiple choice and free text questions that assessed students’ research experiences and self-assessed competency in key research components. Fifty-seven students participated. Results: Students were most comfortable with creating posters for presenting research, writing an abstract and reviewing charts to gather pertinent data for research projects. Students reported a below-average comfort level with data analysis. Medical students who participated in more than eight research experiences and those who perform epidemiological research or commentaries have greater confidence in their ability to conduct research. Conclusion: Experience in research is associated with the ability to conduct research independently, but there is significant variance in the comfortability to perform essential research-related tasks.
Genetic diagnosis of endocrine disorders

Since the beginning of the current century, endocrine disease diagnosis and treatment have moved beyond the standard hormone measurements. While, indeed elevated thyroid hormone levels or low insulin levels signal a specific endocrine disease, correct diagnosis (and therefore correct treatment) depends on an understanding of the molecular basis for the disease. This book presents the "bench to bedside" approach of our understanding of the genetic basis for endocrine disease. It is organized by endocrine grouping (e.g. Thyroid, Pancreas, Parathyroid, Pituitary, Adrenal, Reproductive and Bone) and genetic/molecular basis for the diagnosis of the various disorders will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the practical nature of diagnosing a disease. For example: 1. Which tests should be done for the diagnosis of Diabetes mellitus Type I in children who presented at less than 6 months; at less than 12 years, in adulthood, etc., and why should those tests be done?; 2. Which genes should be evaluated for subjects with congenital hypothyroidism; 3. Which genetic tests should be ordered in obesity?; 4. Which genetic test should be ordered in a patient with Parathyroid Carcinoma?; 5. What is the rationale behind testing for Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia? The field of genetic diagnosis of disease is exploding now, with multiple laboratories developing tests for current clinical use. Most practicing endocrinologists, pediatricians and internal medicine physicians don't understand which test to order, how the tests are done, or how to interpret the results. One of the most exciting development in medicine today is the pharmacogenomics revolution - enocrinologists and geneticists need to understand how personalized medicine will fit into the daily care of patients. While this is a quickly growing area and there are textbooks on pharmacogenomics, there is no one source for the spectrum of Endocrine diseases. * Selected for inclusion in Doody's Core Titles 2013, an essential collection development tool for health sciences libraries* Presents a comprehensive, translational look at all aspects of genetic diagnosis of endocrine disorders in one reference work* Endocrinology experts (the researchers who discovered the majority of the gene mutations for a particular disease) teach readers about the molecular basis for diseases in each major endocrine organ system* Clear presentation by geneticists of pharmacogenetics and the actual assays used in detecting endocrine diseases * Genetic counselors offer expert advice on how to use genetic information in counseling patients
Integration of Nitrate and Ammonium Assimilation in Higher Plants

Because of its role in proteins and nucleic acids, nitrogen can be viewed as the central element around which carbon metabolism is organized in living material. Nitrogen accumulates to high levels in soils and vegetation of natural systems but it is strongly limiting to the productivity of most agricultural systems. One reason is that more nitrogen is removed in exploitation than returns from sources such as rainfall, dust, seed and fixation by free-living or symbiotic bacteria. Another is that the annual plants as employed in agriculture are capable of placing greater demands on nutrient cycling than occur in natural systems. The result is that nitrogen economy is a critical issue in crop management and thus also in agricultural research.
ATRIOVENTRICULARIS COMMUNIS; CLINICAL ASPECTS AND SURGICAL TREATMENT.

Abstract Our surgical experience with 77 patients having atrioventricularis communis has been reviewed. Twenty-two of the patients had the complete form and 55, the incomplete. The anatomic variations of this lesion have been described with particular reference to the mitral valve. Operative mortality for the complete form was 63 per cent and for the incomplete, 25 per cent. Three late deaths have occurred three months to three years following operation. The mortality rate has been related mainly to heart block, pulmonary hypertension, associated lesions and to the complexity of malformations encountered in some of the cases. The operative technic employed in this group of patients has been described with particular regard to the problems involved in the correction of mitral insufficiency. Long term follow-up by heart recatheterization has demonstrated hemodynamic, improvement in the majority of patients. Residual mitral insufficiency, however, demonstrated by selective left ventriculography, was still common (in 3 of 7 patients) and residual shunts (by oximetry) in 4 of the 24 patients undergoing right heart catheterizations. The preoperative electrocardiograms in 74 patients were typical for A-V canal and atypical in 3. Postoperatively, P-R interval shortening and shift of the frontal plane QRS axis to the right has occurred in the majority of the patients. In 3 of the latter, normal QRS axis was recorded following operation.
Virtual machines in transnational digital government: a case study

Governments of different countries are increasingly expected to work together to address regional and global problems, provide disaster relief, satisfy international agreements, enable trade and movement of people across borders, and, in general, collaborate in achieving mutually-agreed goals. Information technology plays a key role in these transnational collaborations, particularly when country-specific information and IT resources are needed for each and every involved country to play their role in the collaborative efforts. In general, heterogeneity across IT systems is inevitable as it results from differences in economical and technical capabilities across countries, as well as from conceptual differences due to differences in agency missions and their regulatory context (which may, for example, specify what kind of software must be used) and differences in human IT resources. Integration may require use of new and/or existing hardware and/or software at different locations, processing and accessing data located in distinct agencies, and communication among many IT entities. In this context, heterogeneity can lead to several forms of incompatibilities among infrastructures, namely: (1) Hardware incompatibility: when machines do not have the expected architecture or capabilities to run machine-dependent software; (2) Software incompatibility: when needed software components require additional software that is either unavailable or conflicts with software used for local government functions; (3) Communication incompatibility: when multiple software components miss (a) interfaces for communication and (b) commonly understood protocols for communication; (4) Data incompatibility: when data maintained by software components use different organization, structure, semantic and natural language; and (5) Security and accessibility incompatibility: when integrating components with distinct or absent mechanisms for network security and access control.
Impact of Layout on 90nm CMOS Process Parameter Fluctuations

A test chip has been built to study the effects of layout on the delay and leakage of digital circuits in 90nm CMOS. The delay is characterized through the spread of ring oscillator frequencies and the transistor leakage is measured by using an on-chip ADC
Filming the Nuns of Regina Laudis: Old and New Evidence for Monastic Studies

Monastic communities dominated the physical and intellectual landscapes of the Latin Middle Ages; the manuscript production, the musical, liturgical, architectural, and artistic enterprises of nuns and monks, as well as monastic influences in commerce, education, and politics were central to the culture. Since the revival of Benedictine monasticism in Europe in the mid-19th century, and the spread of new and reformed communities to the United States, scholars and their students have carried out studies of medieval monasticism in the light of these groups, especially those that consciously mirror the life and practices of distant times. What can be learned from comparative study of medieval communities and modern ones, especially when they followed the same rule of life? This paper demonstrates the ways in which a documentary film made in 2004 (Work and Pray: Living the Psalms with the Nuns of Regina Laudis) in conjunction with a (2007) bibliography by Antoinette Bosco of the foundress Mother Benedict (Vera Duss) can be of special use in the classroom, whether studying the Middle Ages, contemporary practice, or comparative monasticism. The same kinds of evidence that are crucial for the study of medieval communities can be found and engaged through these materials, sometimes in genres that demand somewhat different approaches, but that teach about both the old and the new.
The Complexity of Andersen's Analysis in Practice

While the tightest proven worst-case complexity for Andersen's points-to analysis is nearly cubic, the analysis seems to scale better on real-world codes. We examine algorithmic factors that help account for this gap. In particular, we show that a simple algorithm can compute Andersen's analysis in worst-case quadratic time as long as the input program is k -sparse , i.e. it has at most k statements dereferencing each variable and a sparse flow graph. We then argue that for strongly-typed languages like Java, typical structure makes programs likely to be k -sparse, and we give empirical measurements across a suite of Java programs that confirm this hypothesis. We also discuss how various standard implementation techniques yield further constant-factor speedups.
Making a smarter color camera

One meaning of ''smart camera'' is that it images objects in the class(es) of interest while not imaging objects in other class(es). Such a camera would be most useful if it were software controlled and operated at TV frame rates. In this paper, Artificial Color is applied in the design of such a camera. We show here how to segregate objects by color even when there are nearly identical neighboring colors. The process uses a multiple stage (''divide and conquer'') approach. The method used employs only linear discriminants, so it is simple to implement in software, firmware, or hardware. An example of undoing one of nature's best camouflage efforts is shown.
Assessment of children's social skills

Abstract Various methods of social skills assessment with children were reviewed. Based upon an extensive review of the literature, it was found that behavioral observations, sociometrics, and teacher ratings have been the most often used methods of assessing children's social skill deficits. Advantages and disadvantages of each assessment technique were discussed within a psychometric and social validation context. Conclusions were that school psychologists should utilized all three measures to secure a comprehensive picture of children's social behavior and to obtain some measure of social validation.