cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iliac Arteriovenous Fistula With Renal Insufficiency, Ascites, Hepatomegaly, and Abnormal Liver Test Results

Arteriovenous fistula presents rarely with liver involvement. A 73-year-old man had new-onset ascites, hepatomegaly, and abnormal liver and renal function test results. An abdominal computed tomogram revealed a 7.6-cm internal iliac aneurysm but no other abnormality to account for his ascites. An aortogram demonstrated a 1.5-cm internal iliac arteriovenous fistula that subsequently was repaired, leading to resolution of his symptoms and laboratory abnormalities. High-output cardiac failure should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with new-onset massive ascites, hepatomegaly, and liver test abnormalities.
Awareness and Coping with Emotion in Schizophrenia: Acceptability, Feasibility and Case Illustrations

Although current treatments help to alleviate some of the symptoms of schizophrenia, people with schizophrenia often continue to experience residual symptoms. An emotion-focused treatment approach may help to improve well-being in this population by increasing positive experiences and resources. In this article, we discuss the feasibility and acceptability of a skills-based group treatment for people schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. As part of the Awareness and Coping with Emotion in Schizophrenia (ACES) intervention, group members learned eight empirically supported cognitive and behavioural skills covering emotional awareness and coping. Group member feedback and three case illustrations illuminate participants’ experiences with the group, as well as the potential benefits and challenges of this treatment approach. These data suggest that ACES is a feasible and acceptable group intervention. Future research is needed to examine whether ACES has a selective impact on well-being, but these initial findings point to the promise of this intervention to improve quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, thus filling a void in existing treatments options.
Modeling and characterization of thin film broadband resistors on LCP for RF applications

Resistors have several applications in high frequency circuits including uses in attenuators, terminations, and power dividers among others. To date, there has been very little attempt to characterize embedded resistor performance on organics above 18 GHz. In this paper, RF measurements of embedded thin film resistors up to 40 GHz are presented on a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate using a commercially available laminated foil to form the thin film NiCrAlSi resistors. Measurements have been demonstrated to be accurate to 5% of their simulated values across the frequency band.
A high-throughput, quantitative cell-based screen for efficient tailoring of RNA device activity

Recent advances have demonstrated the use of RNA-based control devices to program sophisticated cellular functions; however, the efficiency with which these devices can be quantitatively tailored has limited their broader implementation in cellular networks. Here, we developed a high-efficiency, high-throughput and quantitative two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based screening strategy to support the rapid generation of ribozyme-based control devices with user-specified regulatory activities. The high-efficiency of this screening strategy enabled the isolation of a single functional sequence from a library of over 106 variants within two sorting cycles. We demonstrated the versatility of our approach by screening large libraries generated from randomizing individual components within the ribozyme device platform to efficiently isolate new device sequences that exhibit increased in vitro cleavage rates up to 10.5-fold and increased in vivo activation ratios up to 2-fold. We also identified a titratable window within which in vitro cleavage rates and in vivo gene-regulatory activities are correlated, supporting the importance of optimizing RNA device activity directly in the cellular environment. Our two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based screen provides a generalizable strategy for quantitatively tailoring genetic control elements for broader integration within biological networks.
Up or down chirping - a recipe to generate sub-200 fs pulses from a dispersion-managed semiconductor laser

SHG-FROG measurements revealed 185 fs pulses generated by linear down chirping in a dispersion-managed semiconductor mode-locked laser. Compared to up chirping, temporal and spectral semiconductor gain dynamics broaden a mode-locked spectrum for down-chirped pulses.
Evaluation of handle diameters and orientations in a maximum torque task

Abstract The effects of gender, handle diameter (25–50 mm), and handle orientation (horizontal and vertical) on the perceived comfort, torque, total finger force, and efficiency of flexor and extensor muscle activity were examined in a maximum torque task. A 16-force sensor glove system was applied to measure finger and phalangeal forces, and a surface EMG was recorded to investigate muscle activities in the torque task. Average maximum torque in the horizontal orientation was about 23.4% more than that in the vertical orientation. The maximum torque was the largest with the 45 and 50 mm diameter handles and least with the 25 mm diameter handle. In both orientations, torque increased as the handle diameter increased, whereas total finger force showed a decreasing pattern which can explain the positive and non-linear correlation between torque output and handle diameter. The efficiency of muscle activity in both orientations followed a similar trend with the torque output for the handle diameters (i.e., the efficiency increased when the handle diameter increased). 35–45 mm handles were rated as the most comfortable for maximum torque exertions. According to a polynomial regression, 37–44 mm and 41–48 mm diameter handles (23.3% of the user's hand length) maximized perceived comfort and were thus recommended for females and males, respectively in this study. Relevance to industry This study will provide guidelines for designing better workstations and hand-tools maximizing performance, muscle efficiency, and user's comfort in manual torque tasks.
Differentiation and concordance in smallholder land use strategies in southern Mexico's conservation frontier

Forest cover transitions in the developing tropics are conditioned by agricultural change. The expansion, intensification, and diversification of agricultural land uses are tied to regional economic/environmental regimes and decisions of local farming households. Land change science and agrarian systems research share an interest in the drivers of household strategies, land use impacts, and typologies of those land uses/drivers. This study derives a typology of farming households in southern Mexico based on emergent patterns in their land use combinations and analyzes their household and policy drivers. The results reveal broadly diversified household land use portfolios as well as three emergent clusters of farmstead production orientation: (i) extensive subsistence-oriented conservationists, (ii), dual extensive-intensive farmers, and (iii) nonextensive diversified land users. Household membership in these clusters is uneven and strongly related to tenancy, land endowments, wage labor, and policy subsidies. Although most households are following a nonextensive agricultural strategy incorporating off-farm incomes, the likelihood of a regional forest transition remains debatable because of the disproportionate deforestation impacts of the less common strategies. Conservation development policies in the region need to accommodate diverse smallholder farming rationales, increase off-farm opportunities, and target sustainable development with the assistance of community conservation leaders.
Social work in the Bahamas A profession helps to build a nation

As an independent state since 1973, the Bahamas continues in its struggle to achieve social stability in a rapidly changing global economy. Social workers are called upon to become nation-builders, utilizing their knowledge and skills to help individuals adjust to their social environment. While Bahamian social work has historically focused on the function of remediation, steps are currently underway to strengthen its role in the areas of development and prevention.
Laser photoelectron sources of high apparent brightness

By focusing an ultraviolet laser beam to a small spot on an appropriately shaped cathode, one can obtain photoelectron beams of 106A . cm-1. sr-1brightness. Such a continuous electron source may be useful in electron beam lithography and other applications. Calculations of current densities, brightness, and emitter temperature rises are presented.
Haeckel’s embryos: fraud not proven

Through the last half of the nineteenth century and the first part of the twentieth, no scientist more vigorously defended Darwinian theory than the German Ernst Haeckel (1834‐1919). More people learned of the new ideas through his voluminous publications, translated into numerous languages, than through any other source, including Darwin’s own writings. He enraged many of his contemporaries, especially among the religiously orthodox; and the enmity between evolutionary theory and religious fundamentalism that still burns brightly today may in large measure be attributed to Haeckel’s unremitting attacks on the ingressions of religion into science. Though he retained a life-long friendship with and the support of Darwin, some in the scientific community who were critical of evolutionary theory—Emil Du Bois-Reymond, Rudolf Virchow, and Louis Agassiz, for instance—accused him of deception. That charge has been renewed in our time based on seemingly incontrovertible evidence. In a Science magazine article published in 1997, ‘‘Haeckel’s Embryos: Fraud Rediscovered,’’ Haeckel, was indicted of having intentionally misrepresented embryological development (Pennisi 1997). The article reported that the work of Michael Richardson and his colleagues demonstrated this malfeasance through a comparison of Haeckel’s illustrations of early-stage embryos with photographs of the same species at a comparable stage (see Fig. 1). The photos showed embryos of various species that differed among themselves and certainly from Haeckel’s images. The differences were striking and the implication obvious: fraudulent misrepresentation. Richardson, as quoted in the article, affirmed the charge: ‘‘It looks like it’s turning out to be one of the most famous fakes in biology’’
The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale: a factor analysis study.

BACKGROUND The practice of medicine demands that its physician practitioners are self-directed, lifelong learners. The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) intends to measure adults’ readiness to engage in self-directed learning. PURPOSE The present study assesses the underlying factor structure of the SDLRS for a sample of entering medical students. METHODS Over a period of 6 years, 972 first year medical students at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine completed the SDLRS. To summarise the inter-relationships among variables, a principal axis factor analysis with oblique rotation was used on the 58 SDLRS items. A series of confirmatory factor analyses using LISREL 8.54 was performed to further examine the measurement model underlying the SDLRS. RESULTS A 4-factor confirmatory model representing 4 correlated substantive factors and a reverse coding method factor fits these data well. CONCLUSIONS Medical educators should hold limited expectations of the SDLRS to measure medical students’ readiness to engage in self-directed learning. The definitions and theoretical assumptions that inform readiness for self-directed learning should be reconsidered. Alternative approaches to studying self-directed learning should be explored.
Evaluation of a Web-Based Professional Development Program (Project ACE) for Teachers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

This article describes the development, implementation, and second-year evaluation of Project Autism Competencies for Endorsement (ACE), a web-based professional development (PD) program that is de...
Management Information Systems, Communications, and Departmental Power: An Integrative Model

After a review of related theoretical and empirical research, I develop a theoretical framework that positively relates the use of management information systems to determinants of departmental power, including interdepartmental communications. The determinants of power are adapted from the theory of strategic contingencies [Hickson, Hinings, Lee, Schneck, & Pennings, 1971] and this theory is modified by the introduction of the importance of departmental tasks as a mediating variable in the relationship between power and its determinants.
Shaping the Future of Academic Health Centers: The Potential Contributions of Departments of Family Medicine

Academic health centers (AHCs) must change dramatically to meet the changing needs of patients and society, but how to do this remains unclear. The purpose of this supplement is to describe ways in which departments of family medicine can play leadership roles in helping AHCs evolve. This overview provides background for case studies and commentaries about the contribution of departments of family medicine in 5 areas: (1) ambulatory and primary care, (2) indigent care, (3) education in community and international settings, (4) workforce policy and practice, and (5) translational research. The common theme is a revitalization of the relationship between AHCs and the communities they serve across all missions. Family medicine leadership can provide dramatic organizational improvement in primary and ambulatory care networks and foster opportunities for leadership by AHCs in improving the health of the population. Departments of family medicine can also play a leading role in developing new partnerships with community-based organizations, managing the care of the indigent, and developing new curricula in community and international settings. Finally, family medicine departments and their faculty have a central role in helping AHCs respond to workforce needs and in developing translational research that emphasizes the health of the population and effectiveness of care. AHCs are a public good that must now evolve substantially to meet the needs of patients and society. By pushing for substantial change, by helping to reinvigorate the relationship between AHCs and the communities they serve, and by emphasizing fundamental innovation in clinical care, teaching, and research, family medicine can help lead the renewal of the AHC.
Optimal control of a problem in structural acoustics

abstract ODE's of the type (2.1), a complete theory is given for both cases T < oc and T = oc, under the operating assumptions that A generates an analytic semigroup, and that AB is a bounded linear operator in the appropriate Hubert spaces (WLOG say 0 p(A)) (see [11], [12]).However, the system (1.1) does riot fit into these two described cases; the inapplicability of theprior work stems from the intrinsic coupling of the parabolic and hyperbolic dynamics seen in (1.1),along with the fact that B is "badly" unbounded, and that the necessary assumptions (includingthe so-called "trace condition") needed for the hyperbolic cases are not satisfied (see [11], [6]).Moreover, because of the disparate arguments employed in establishing results for hyperbolic asopposed to parabolic equations—arguments which take critically into account the specific characterof dynamics—a totally original treatment is required to handle (1 .1) which cannot be classified asone or the other.
Design of an optical reconfigurable shared-bus–hypercube interconnect

We propose and evaluate the feasibility of a multiprocessor interconnect based on free-space optics for reducing network latency. The proposed interconnect supports high-throughput network links and can exploit locality of memory references through reconfiguration. Our analysis shows that the proposed interconnect can, in principle, support hundreds of nodes in the static mode and tens of nodes in dynamic mode.
Quality Performance In our World: What Fast Service Should Really Mean

The service-producing industries have experienced problems in quality in the 1980s because of intense competition. The author discusses how these problems have been compounded in the fast food industry and how quality control can lead to success.
MET: An Enterprise Market for Tasks

Crowdsourcing platforms have been rapidly harnessed by organizations for business uses, but enterprises continue to use traditional hierarchical forms of work allocation within their own boundaries. Using crowd work models within enterprises requires addressing enterprise-specific concerns such as how to maintain focus on employees' primary work while providing the right incentives to perform crowd work, how to promote wide employee participation while preserving management oversight and control. We present a novel crowd work system for the enterprise, the Market for Enterprise Tasks (MET), that addresses these concerns via two novel features: an incentive system tied to real-world dollars and multiple means of indirect control offered to the management, especially the ability to limit the size of tasks performed in the market. We have deployed MET in several groups within a large IT enterprise and report on initial experiences.
Modal analysis of transverse Anderson localization near the boundary of a one-dimensional disordered optical lattice

Using modal analysis, it is shown that Anderson localized modes near the boundaries of a disordered lattice have the same decay exponent on the lattice side as any other mode in the bulk.
Effects of age on mechanical and structural properties of myocardium of Fischer 344 rats

To determine whether the mechanical and structural characteristics of the myocardium from the left and right ventricles are comparable in the adult rat and whether aging affects the two ventricles in a similar manner, the left and right posterior papillary muscles of rats at 10-11 and 19-20 mo of age were studied in terms of function and quantitative morphology. At 10-11 mo of age, the duration of isometric contraction was shorter and resting tension higher in the right muscle than in the left muscle. Isotonic velocity of shortening and relengthening were quicker in the left, but time-to-peak shortening was faster in the right. With aging (19-20 mo), velocity of shortening fell in the left ventricle while duration of contraction became prolonged. No such age-related effects were found in the right papillary muscle. On a structural basis, myocardial damage in the form of replacement scarring was present in the left and right muscles at 10-11 mo of age. However, the left muscle was more severely injured, and this difference persisted with age because a comparable increase in replacement fibrosis occurred in both muscles. It was concluded that cardiac performance is distinctly different in the left and right papillary muscles and aging exerts its detrimental impact on the left more than in the right myocardium, an observation that is further supported by the magnitude of tissue injury.
On the control design of wave energy converters with wave prediction

This paper presents a shape-based approach to compute, in an optimal sense, the control of a single degree-of-freedom point absorber wave energy converter. In this study, it is assumed that a prediction for the wave is available. The control is computed so as to maximize the energy extraction over a future time horizon. In the shape-base approach, one of the system states is represented by a series expansion. The optimization variables are selected to be the coefficients in the series expansion instead of the history of the control variable. A gradient-based optimizer is used to optimize the series coefficients. The available wave prediction is used to compute an initial guess for the unknown series coefficients. This concept is tested on two different dynamic models: a simplified reduced-order model and a dynamic model with radiation dynamic states necessary to compute the radiation force. Several test cases are presented that cover a range of different sea states. The results show that the shape-based approach finds efficient solutions in terms of the extracted energy. The results also show that the obtained solutions are suitable for real-time implementation in terms of the smoothness of the obtained control and the speed of computations. Comparisons between the results of the shape-based approach and other techniques are presented and discussed.
Explicit State-Estimation Error Calculations for Flag Hidden Markov Models

State estimation is studied for a special class of flag Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), which comprise 1) an arbitrary finite-state underlying Markov chain and 2) a structured observation process wherein a subset of states emit distinct flags with some probability while other states are unmeasured. For flag HMMs, an explicit computation of the probability of error for the maximum-likelihood filter and smoother is developed. Also, the form of the optimal filter is further characterized in terms of the time since the last flag, and this result is used to further simplify the error-probability computation. Some preliminary graph-theoretic insights into the error probability and its computation are discussed. Finally, these algebraic and structural results are leveraged to address sensor placement in two examples, including one on activity-monitoring in a home environment that is drawn from field data. These examples indicate that low error-probability filtering and smoothing can be achieved with relatively few sensors.
Mask continuous positive airway pressure in AIDS

Respiratory failure is the most common major complication in pabērns with AIDS, and in many pacients, therapy with continuous positive airway pressure via mask is a viable alternative to endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. This article reviews the history, technique, benefits, and complications of mask positive pressure therapy in this patient population.
Science of Information

The main objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the modern field of data science and some of the current progress in this field. The overview focuses on two important paradigms: (1) big data paradigm, which describes a problem space for the big data analytics, and (2) machine learning paradigm, which describes a solution space for the big data analytics. It also includes a preliminary description of the important elements of data science. These important elements are the data, the knowledge (also called responses), and the operations. The terms knowledge and responses will be used interchangeably in the rest of the book. A preliminary information of the data format, the data types and the classification are also presented in this chapter. This chapter emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the experts from multiple disciplines and provides the information on some of the current institutions that show collaborative activities with useful resources.
An Experimental Technique to Measure Gas Transport Properties of Fruit

Abstract Models were developed for the description and interpretation of gas transport through fruit tissue in a newly developed set up. In this set up a slice of tissue is put in between two gas chambers and the gas flux through the tissue is measured by gas chromatography. The best model described diffusion through the tissue, loss of gas due to sampling and filtration caused by the overall pressure gradient over the tissue. Gas consumption and production by respiration and oxidation of fruit tissue interfere with gas transport. Therefore the models were first tested on foil data to study a system with gas transport only.
Does Scale Impact Skill

Borrowing insights from the literature on cross-country economic growth, we study the impact of scale on fund performance within a new econometric framework that features fund fixed effects, fund-specific impact of scale, and a simultaneous estimation of the impact of scale and exposures to benchmark risk factors. Applying our method to mutual fund data, we find an economically and statistically significant impact of individual fund scale. For an average fund in the cross-section, we estimate a drop in alpha of 20 basis points if the fund doubles its size over one year. We also find a non-negligible impact of the size of the fund industry, although its magnitude is significantly smaller than the impact of individual fund scale. We reconcile our findings with existing empirical studies. Taken as a whole, our results lend considerable support to theoretical models that build on the premise of decreasing return to scale for active portfolio management.
Case 40: Acute Abdomen

A 13-year-old girl (120 lbs) presents with acute colicky abdominal pain and is scheduled for an emergency appendectomy. Her history is unremarkable. The mother informs you that the onset of the pain may be related to the patient having her first menses. Neither the patient nor the immediate family has had a general anesthetic. The mother informs you that she believes that the girl’s father’s family has an “upset metabolism.” She knows nothing more about this abnormality except to say that she is sure it has nothing to do with succinylcholine. The father is unavailable for comment. The patient is taking no medication and is classified as an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status II (ASA 2). The patient complains of severe abdominal pain and is very nauseous. You examine the patient and nothing abnormal is detected. The abdominal wall is lax. Some rebound tenderness is noted in the right iliac fossa, but much less than would be expected from acute appendicitis. No blood analysis or urinalysis is done. The surgeon is anxious to proceed.
Efficient Language Model Generation Algorithm for Mobile Voice Commands

The Single Multimodal Android Service for HCI (SMASH) framework implements an automated language data generation algorithm to support high-accuracy, efficient, always-listening voice command recognition using the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) PocketSphinx n-gram speech recognizer. SMASH injects additional language data into the language model generation process to augment the orthographies extracted from the input voice command grammar. This additional data allows for a larger variety of potential outcomes, and greater phonetic distance between outcomes, within the generated language model, resulting in more consistent probability scores for in-grammar utterances, and fewer false positives from out-of-grammar (OOG) utterances.
Abstract 1940: Prenatal stress increases malignancy of neuroblastoma tumors in TH-MYCN animal model

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric malignancy arising due to defects in sympathetic neuron differentiation. NB is a heterogeneous disease, with phenotypes ranging from spontaneously regressing to highly aggressive, incurable tumors. This clinical variability cannot be explained solely by genetic aberrations. Even in families with hereditary NB the penetrance of the disease is incomplete and the same genetic mutation often results in tumors with phenotypes varying from differentiating ganglioneuromas to undifferentiated, highly aggressive NBs. Thus, other, perhaps non-genetic factors can contribute to the disease development and modify its phenotype. Strikingly, the two factors promoting de-differentiation of NB cells and their malignant phenotype, hypoxia and glucocorticoids, are elevated in the fetus during maternal stress, suggesting a role for prenatal stress in NB tumorigenesis. Previously, using TH-MYCN mice as a model of aggressive NB, we have shown that an increase in maternal corticosterone levels during pregnancy attained by inserting slow release pellets resulted in increased tumor frequency in TH-MYCN offspring. The goal of the current study was to determine the effect of prenatal stress on NB metastasis. To this end, pregnant mice carrying TH-MYCN hemizygous offspring were subjected to chronic stress at embryonic days 10-17, the time of sympathetic neuroblast proliferation and differentiation. Two established stress paradigms were used - chronic unpredictable stress, in which mice were subjected daily to various stressors, and chronic cold stress comprising of daily 30 min exposure to cold. The phenotypes of the disease and its dissemination were compared between offspring of control and stressed mothers. The offspring from both prenatally stressed groups presented with more malignant disease, as manifested by the presence of advanced lung metastases disseminating from small primary tumors ( 1,000 mm3). Although not common, lung metastases occur preferentially in NB patients with MYCN amplification and are associated with significantly worse prognosis, as compared to patients with metastatic disease, but no pulmonary involvement (14 vs 43% 3-year event-free survival, respectively). Thus, the profound pulmonary dissemination observed in prenatally-stressed TH-MYCN mice mimics one of the most malignant NB phenotypes observed in human disease. Altogether, our data implicate maternal stress during pregnancy as a potential environmental factor modifying the effects of genetic aberrations and promoting malignant phenotype of NB. Citation Format: Sung Hyeok Hong, Larissa Wietlisbach, Susana Galli, Akanksha Mahajan, Shiya Zhu, Jason Tilan, Yichien Lee, Olga Rodriguez, Chris Albanese, Joanna Kitlinska. Prenatal stress increases malignancy of neuroblastoma tumors in TH-MYCN animal model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1940. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1940
The New Story of Business: Towards a More Responsible Capitalism

Business is undergoing a conceptual revolution. Since the Global Financial Crisis there are many new ideas and proposals to make capitalism more responsible. The purpose of this paper is to identify key flaws in the “old story” of capitalism. Six principles are explained that taken together form the basis for a new story of business, one of responsible capitalism.
What drives violence against civilians in civil war? Evidence from Guatemala’s conflict archives:

Dominant theories of mass violence hold that strategic concerns in civil war drive the deliberate targeting of civilians. However, the causal mechanisms that link strategic objectives to large-scal...
Connecting Your Ideas

Although your sentences are precise, clear, and energetic, your writing still might not succeed at the paragraph level.
Laser-Assisted Indocyanine Green Imaging for Assessment of Perioperative Maxillary Perfusion During Le Fort I Osteotomy: A Pilot Study.

Purpose To determine the changes in maxillary perfusion during different stages of Le Fort I osteotomies as measured by laser-assisted indocyanine green imaging (LAICGI) and to determine whether various clinical factors affect maxillary vascular perfusion. Materials and Methods The medical records of those who had undergone Le Fort I osteotomy with LAICGI at the University of Illinois from 2016 to 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. The maxillary perfusion levels using LAICGI were measured before induction, after induction, after down fracture, after segmentalization (for segmental osteotomies), and after wound closure. The effects of clinical variables, including gender, race, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, type of Le Fort I osteotomy, intraoperative status of the descending palatine vessels, maxillary movements (anteroposterior, vertical, transverse), and hemodynamic data (mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate), were analyzed. Results Compared with the preoperative baseline values, the indocyanine green (ICG) levels decreased after down fracture and mobilization, segmentalization, and wound closure; no statistically significant differences were found among these 3 points. Segmentalization did not affect the ICG levels compared with the nonsegmentalized cases. Male gender and the amount of maxillary impaction were significantly associated statistically with decreased ICG levels, although the difference was not clinically significant. Conclusions Compared with the baseline levels, maxillary perfusion, as measured by LAICGI, decreased from down fracture to wound closure. Segmentalization did not appear to influence maxillary perfusion, although male gender and impaction were associated with decreased perfusion. Because of its safety and convenience, LAICGI shows promise as a method of assessing maxillary perfusion in future largescale prospective studies linking perioperative perfusion to the occurrence of aseptic necrosis.
Broadening applicability of swarm-robotic foraging through constraint relaxation

Swarm robotics (SR) offers promising solutions to real-world problems that can be modeled as foraging tasks, e.g. disaster/trash cleanup or object gathering for construction. Yet current SR foraging approaches make limiting assumptions that restrict their applicability to selected real-world environments. We propose an improved self-organized task allocation method based on task partitioning that removes restrictions such as: (1) a priori knowledge of foraging environment, and (2) strict limitations on intermediate drop/pickup site behavior. With experiments in simulation, we show that under the proposed constraint relaxation, our approach still provides performance increases when compared to an unpartitioned strategy within some combinations of swarm sizes, robot capabilities, and environmental conditions. This work broadens the applicability of SR foraging approaches, showing that they can be effective under ideal conditions while continuing to perform robustly in more volatile/challenging environments.
Association mapping identifies loci for canopy temperature under drought in diverse soybean genotypes

Drought stress is a global constraint for crop production, and improving crop tolerance to drought is of critical importance. Because transpiration cools a crop canopy, a cool canopy under drought indicates a genotype still has access to soil moisture. Because measurements of canopy temperature may be increased in scale in field environments, it is particularly attractive for large-scale, phenotypic evaluations. Our objectives were to identify genomic regions associated with canopy temperature (CT) and to identify extreme genotypes for CT. A diverse panel consisting of 345 maturity group IV soybean accessions was evaluated in three environments for CT. Within each environment CT was normalized (nCT) on a scale from 0 to 1. A set of 31,260 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a minor allele frequency ≥ 5% was used for association mapping of nCT. Association mapping identified 52 SNPs significantly associated with nCT, and these SNPs likely tagged 34 different genomic regions. Averaged across all environments, eight genomic regions showed significant associations with nCT. Several genes in the identified genomic regions had reported functions related to transpiration or water acquisition including root development, response to abscisic acid, water deprivation, stomatal complex morphogenesis, and signal transduction. Fifteen of the SNPs associated with nCT were coincident with SNPs for canopy wilting. Favorable alleles from significant SNPs may be an important resource for pyramiding genes, and several genotypes were identified as sources of drought-tolerant alleles that could be used in breeding programs for improving drought tolerance.
Potential Causes of Titanium Particle and Ion Release in Implant Dentistry: A Systematic Review

Implant surface characteristics, as well as physical and mechanical properties, are responsible for the positive interaction between the dental implant, the bone and the surrounding soft tissues. Unfortunately, the dental implant surface does not remain unaltered and changes over time during the life of the implant. If changes occur at the implant surface, mucositis and peri-implantitis processes could be initiated; implant osseointegration might be disrupted and bone resorption phenomena (osteolysis) may lead to implant loss. This systematic review compiled the information related to the potential sources of titanium particle and ions in implant dentistry. Research questions were structured in the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) framework. PICO questionnaires were developed and an exhaustive search was performed for all the relevant studies published between 1980 and 2018 involving titanium particles and ions related to implant dentistry procedures. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed for the selection and inclusion of the manuscripts in this review. Titanium particle and ions are released during the implant bed preparation, during the implant insertion and during the implant decontamination. In addition, the implant surfaces and restorations are exposed to the saliva, bacteria and chemicals that can potentially dissolve the titanium oxide layer and, therefore, corrosion cycles can be initiated. Mechanical factors, the micro-gap and fluorides can also influence the proportion of metal particles and ions released from implants and restorations.
Saturation unbound

In previous work, we proposed a "saturation" algorithm for symbolic state-space generation characterized by the use of multivalued decision diagrams, boolean Kronecker operators, event locality, and a special iteration strategy. This approach outperforms traditional BDD-based techniques by several orders of magnitude in both space and time but, like them, assumes a priori knowledge of each submodel's state space. We introduce a new algorithm that merges explicit local state-space discovery with symbolic global state-space generation. This relieves the modeler from worrying about the behavior of submodels in isolation.
Concomitant Annular Enlargement in Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVE Aortic root enlargement may be necessary to implant adequately sized valves to avoid patient-prosthetic mismatch. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of annular enlargement during aortic valve replacement via a right anterior minithoracotomy. METHODS Twelve consecutive patients undergoing elective minimally invasive aortic valve replacement requiring annular enlargement over a 2-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A right anterior minithoracotomy was performed in all patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times, hospital length of stay, postoperative complications, rate of reoperation, echocardiographic data, and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS Mean age was 66 years ± 14. Mean body mass index was 34 ± 7.8 kg/m2. All patients had normal preoperative ejection fractions. Indications for aortic valve replacement were severe (3/12, 25%) or critical (9/12, 75%) aortic stenosis due to degenerative aortic valve disease (10/12, 83%) and congenitally bicuspid aortic valve (2/12, 17%). Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times were 144.7 ± 14.7 minutes and 111.7 ± 10.6 minutes, respectively. The median postoperative length of stay was 4 days. Peak and mean aortic valve gradients on postreplacement intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography were 14.5 ± 9.4 mmHg and 7.2 ± 4.2 mmHg, respectively, with no perivalvular leak on intraoperative or follow-up transthoracic echocardiogram. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiography had peak and mean aortic valve gradients of 12.1 ± 6.9 mmHg and 6.3 ± 3.7 mmHg, respectively. There were no postoperative mortalities. Freedom from reoperation was 100%. CONCLUSIONS Annular enlargement performed during minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is feasible. Basic minimally invasive skills are recommended prior to instituting these more advanced techniques.
THE 1990S TEEN HORROR CYCLE: FINAL GIRLS AND A NEW HOLLYWOOD FORMULA By Alexandra West. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2018. 185 pages. $29.95 paper.

In The 1990s Teen Horror Cycle: Final Girls and a New Hollywood Formula, Alexandra West provides a critical analysis of this frequently overlooked period in horror-film history. As West explains in...
Correlating fragility and heterogeneous dynamics in polystyrene through single molecule studies.

Many macroscopic properties of polymers depend on their molecular weight, with one notable example being glass transition temperature: polymers with higher molecular weights typically have higher glass transition temperatures than their lower molecular weight polymeric and oligomeric counterparts. Polymeric systems close to their glass transition temperatures also exhibit interesting properties, showing both high (and molecular weight dependent) fragility and strong evidence of dynamic heterogeneity. While studies have detailed the correlations between molecular weight and fragility, studies clearly detailing correlations between molecular weight and degree of heterogeneous dynamics are lacking. In this study, we use single molecule rotational measurements to investigate the impact of molecular weight on polystyrene’s degree of heterogeneity near its glass transition temperature. To this end, two types of fluorescent probes are embedded in films composed of polystyrene ranging from 0.6 to 1364.0 kg mol−1. We find correlation between polystyrene molecular weight, fragility, and degree of dynamic heterogeneity as reported by single molecule stretching exponents but do not find clear correlation between these quantities and time scales associated with dynamic exchange.Many macroscopic properties of polymers depend on their molecular weight, with one notable example being glass transition temperature: polymers with higher molecular weights typically have higher glass transition temperatures than their lower molecular weight polymeric and oligomeric counterparts. Polymeric systems close to their glass transition temperatures also exhibit interesting properties, showing both high (and molecular weight dependent) fragility and strong evidence of dynamic heterogeneity. While studies have detailed the correlations between molecular weight and fragility, studies clearly detailing correlations between molecular weight and degree of heterogeneous dynamics are lacking. In this study, we use single molecule rotational measurements to investigate the impact of molecular weight on polystyrene’s degree of heterogeneity near its glass transition temperature. To this end, two types of fluorescent probes are embedded in films composed of polystyrene ranging from 0.6 to 1364.0 kg mol−1....
Adaptation to the abiotic environment in insects: the influence of variability on ecophysiology and evolutionary genomics.

Advances in tools to gather environmental, phenotypic, and molecular data have accelerated our ability to detect abiotic drivers of variation across the genome-to-phenome spectrum in model and non-model insects. However, differences in the spatial and temporal resolution of these data sets may create gaps in our understanding of linkages between environment, genotype, and phenotype that yield missed or misleading results about adaptive variation. In this review we highlight sources of variability that might impact studies of phenotypic and ‘omic environmental adaptation, challenges to collecting data at relevant scales, and possible solutions that link intensive fine-scale reductionist studies of mechanisms to large-scale biogeographic patterns.
Resource Rush: Towards An Open-Ended Programming Game

Programming games provide players opportunities to practice and learn the fundamentals of coding in engaging ways. Many games have players program in block-based languages similar to environments like Scratch and Snap! as a means to scaffold student learning and reduce syntax errors. Block-based environments (BBEs) have been praised for their open-ended, constructionist designs allowing students to develop what they wish, express themselves, and explore the possibilities of the system. However, programming games tend to be more linear, usually designed as a fixed series of puzzles. We present Resource Rush, a game designed to resemble BBEs and present users with a game world that allows users to learn the fundamentals of programming in an open-ended game environment.
Acute Gonococcal Osteomyelitis and Arthritis of Hip: An Interesting Case and Review of Literature

Gonorrhea is the most common sexually transmitted disease globally, affecting both men and women equally. It has a myriad of presentations which can vary from local disease to disseminated gonococcal infection. We are reporting the first case of gonococcal arthritis leading to acute osteomyelitis of the femoral head in a young adult with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease that occurred over a period of 2 weeks. Gonorrhea can affect joints and cause arthritis, and there have been case reports of untreated gonococcal arthritis leading to osteomyelitis after months. Here we report the first case of acute gonococcal spread to the bones causing osteomyelitis in a young adult. A high index of suspicion is needed to recognize this condition which if left unnoticed, can lead to erosive bone damage, and severe consequences.
A Structured Quality Improvement Educational Curriculum Increases Surgical Resident Involvement in QI Processes.

Objective Patient safety and quality improvement (QI) processes are vitally important to healthcare systems. Training and experience in QI processes are mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for general surgery residents. The execution and efficacy of these training programs in residencies have thus far been inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of our surgical residency's QI educational program. Methods We instituted a formalized QI educational program for all residents in our academic general surgery residency program from 2018 to 2019. The curriculum included didactics, online educational resources, peer-group collaboration, and faculty mentorship. Residents performed a self-assessment survey of their knowledge, skill, and comfort levels with QI processes before and after the program using a 10-point Likert scale. The number of QI projects conducted, presented, and subsequently prepared for publication was enumerated. The ACGME resident survey program results regarding resident involvement in QI processes before and after program implementation were compared. Results After 1 year of the program, residents demonstrated significant increases in average self-assessed knowledge of QI processes (6.4 vs. 4.0, p Conclusion Implementation of a formalized, structured quality improvement education program for surgery residents significantly increased residents' participation in QI projects, as well as increasing their confidence in their knowledge and skillset to perform QI processes. The residency program's ACGME resident survey results regarding resident involvement in QI also improved during program implementation.