cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrent Selection for Transgene Activity Levels in Maize Results in Proxy Selection for a Native Gene with the Same Promoter

High activity levels of a transgene can be very useful, making a transgene easier to evaluate for safety and efficacy. High activity levels can also increase the economic benefit of the production of high value proteins in transgenic plants. The goal of this research is to determine if recurrent selection for activity of a transgene will result in higher activity, and if selection for activity of a transgene controlled by a native promoter will also increase protein levels of the native gene with the same promoter. To accomplish this goal we used transgenic maize containing a construct encoding green fluorescent protein controlled by the promoter for the maize endosperm-specific 27kDa gamma zein seed storage protein. We carried out recurrent selection for fluorescence intensity in two breeding populations. After three generations of selection, both selected populations were significantly more fluorescent and had significantly higher levels of 27kDa gamma zein than the unselected control populations. These higher levels of the 27kDa gamma zein occurred independently of the presence of the transgene. The results show that recurrent selection can be used to increase activity of a transgene and that selection for a transgene controlled by a native promoter can increase protein levels of the native gene with the same promoter via proxy selection. Moreover, the increase in native gene protein level is maintained in the absence of the transgene, demonstrating that proxy selection can be used to produce non-transgenic plants with desired changes in gene expression.
Microfluidics Technologies for Low Cell Number Chromatin Immunoprecipitation

Protein-DNA interactions are responsible for numerous critical cellular events: For example, gene expression and silencing are mediated by transcription factor protein binding and histone protein modifications, and DNA replication and repair rely on site-specific protein binding. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is the only molecular assay that directly determines, in a living cell, the binding association between a protein of interest and specific genomic loci. It is an indispensible tool in the biologist's toolbox, but the many limitations of this technique prevent broad adoption of ChIP in biological studies. The typical ChIP assay can take up to 1 wk to complete, and the process is technically tricky, yet tedious. The ChIP assay yields are also low, thus requiring on the order of millions to billions of cells as starting material, which makes the assay unfeasible for studies using rare or precious samples. For example, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of cancer stem cells (CSCs) obtained from primary tumors, rarely yields more than ~100,000 CSCs per tumor. This protocol describes a microfluidics-based strategy for performing ChIP, which uses automation and scalability to reduce both total and hands-on assay time, and improve throughput. It allows whole fixed cells as input, and enables automated ChIP from as few as 2000 cells.
Visualizing Electrical Activity in Neural Systems Using a New Family of Fast Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators

Methods for visualizing electrical activity in neurons would be useful for understanding circuit function. We describe the ASAP family of voltage indicators featuring cofactor independence, bright fluorescence, large responses, efficient membrane localization, and fast kinetics. Article not available.
Urological complications following use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 in anterior lumbar interbody fusion Presented at the 2012 Joint Spine Section Meeting ; Clinical article

Object The goal of this study was to compare the urological complications in patients after anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with and without the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein–2 (rhBMP-2). Methods The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent ALIF with and without rhBMP-2 between January 2002 and August 2010. Patient demographic, operative, and complication information was analyzed. Male patients who underwent ALIF between L-4 and S-1 were contacted to assess postoperative urological complications. Results Of the 110 male patients who underwent ALIF and were included in this study, 59 were treated with rhBMP-2 and 51 did not receive rhBMP-2. The mean follow-up duration was 17.5 months for the rhBMP-2 group and 30.8 months for the control group. No difference was found regarding the total number of urological complications in the rhBMP-2 group versus the control group (22% vs 20%, respectively; p = 1.0) or for retrograde ejaculation spec...
The Effects of Sex, Marital Status, and Educational Background on Selection Decisions

Graduate students in administration (n = 80) rated bogus resumes on applicant suitability for two managerial positions in a simulation of the conditions typically encountered by decision makers in ...
Bioherbicides in Organic Horticulture

Organic horticulture producers rank weeds as one of their most troublesome, time-consuming, and costly production problems. With the increasing significance of organic horticulture, the need for new bioherbicides to control weeds has grown. Potential bioherbicides may be developed from pathogens, natural products, and extracts of natural materials. Fungal and bacteria pathogens are two important types of microbial agents that have potential to be used as bioherbicides. The byproducts of natural sources such as dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten meal (CGM), and mustard seed meals (MSMs) have shown herbicidal activities in controlling many weed species. Some essential oil extracts have shown bioherbicide potential as well. The efficacy of a bioherbicide is the main limiting factor for its application, and it may be affected by environmental factors such as humidity and moisture, the application method, the spectrum of the bioherbicide, and the type of formulation. In addition to efficacy, costs and concerns about potential human health threats are also limitations to bioherbicide use. As the integration of bioherbicide technology into current weed management systems may help manage herbicide resistance, reduce production costs, and increase crop yields, future research should involve the development of more cost-effective and efficient bioherbicides for control of weeds, as well as the optimization of production methods and cultural practices with use of candidate bioherbicides.
Long-Term Follow-Up After Bariatric Surgery

The evolution of bariatric surgery has demonstrated that sustained weight loss and resolution of the metabolic syndrome are commonly seen postoperatively. The birth of metabolic surgery occurred with the observation that diabetes is almost always controlled and frequently in remission in these patients. Metabolic surgery results in sustained weight loss of approximately 30 % of baseline weight and over 60% of excess weight in large series and meta-analyses. The ability of metabolic surgery for diabetes remission has been verified with randomized controlled trials showing early remission. We and others have demonstrated that remission occurs in 62–97 % of diabetic patients who undergo metabolic surgery, with results in the higher end of this spectrum for the gastric bypass and duodenal switch. The other components of the metabolic syndrome also respond to metabolic surgery; over 80 and 60 % of hypertensive patients show improvement and resolution, respectively. Similar outcomes are reported for dyslipidemia and obstructive sleep apnea. There is evidence that metabolic surgery is associated with decreased cancer incidence, cancer-related mortality, cardiovascular risk, and overall mortality. At the same time, surgeons need to keep in mind the risk for malnutrition and vitamin and trace metal deficiencies that can be found in these patients. Vitamin B12 is most commonly deficient, but abnormalities in calcium, vitamin B6, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc can be present. Metabolic surgery has allows us to care more effectively for the severely obese and diabetic patients, and represents one of the biggest medical milestones in our lifetime.
Listeria prevalence and Listeria monocytogenes serovar diversity at cull cow and bull processing plants in the United States.

Listeria monocytogenes, the causative agent of epidemic and sporadic listeriosis, is routinely isolated from many sources, including cattle, yet information on the prevalence of Listeria in beef processing plants in the United States is minimal. From July 2005 through April 2006, four commercial cow and bull processing plants were sampled in the United States to determine the prevalence of Listeria and the serovar diversity of L. monocytogenes. Samples were collected during the summer, fall, winter, and spring. Listeria prevalence on hides was consistently higher during cooler weather (28 to 92% of samples) than during warmer weather (6 and 77% of samples). The Listeria prevalence data collected from preevisceration carcass ranged from undetectable in some warm season samples to as high as 71% during cooler weather. Listeria on postintervention carcasses in the chill cooler was normally undetectable, with the exception of summer and spring samples from one plant where >19% of the carcasses were positive for Listeria. On hides, L. monocytogenes serovar 1/2a was the predominant serovar observed, with serovars 1/2b and 4b present 2.5 times less often and serovar 1/2c not detected on any hides sampled. L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a, 1/2c, and 4b were found on postintervention carcasses. This prevalence study demonstrates that Listeria species are more prevalent on hides during the winter and spring and that interventions being used in cow and bull processing plants appear to be effective in reducing or eliminating Listeria contamination on carcasses.
Accelerating database workloads by software-hardware-system co-design

The key objective of this tutorial is to provide a broad, yet an in-depth survey of the emerging field of co-designing software, hardware, and systems components for accelerating enterprise data management workloads. The overall goal of this tutorial is two-fold. First, we provide a concise system-level characterization of different types of data management technologies, namely, the relational and NoSQL databases and data stream management systems from the perspective of analytical workloads. Using the characterization, we discuss opportunities for accelerating key data management workloads using software and hardware approaches. Second, we dive deeper into the hardware acceleration opportunities using Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for the query execution pipeline. Furthermore, we explore other hardware acceleration mechanisms such as single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) that enables short-vector data parallelism.
Neonatal metabolic encephalopathies, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hyperbilirubinemia.

This report reviews the signs, symptoms, pathophysiology, and treatment of selected neonatal metabolic disturbances.
Automated Scene Analysis by Image Feature Extraction

Automated scene analysis can classify images into semantically meaningful categories and can be achieved by various means [1][2]. In this study, we have used spatial envelope to extract features from 529 images of 3 semantic scene categories i.e. indoor, landscape and outdoor scenes. Spatial envelope was represented by a Gist descriptor, resulting in 256 features per image. A Principle component analysis was used to reduce dimensionality of feature space from 256 dimensions to 25, persevering 90% of the variance in feature space. This reduced dimensional dataset was subjected to unsupervised learning method k-means clustering. Our results show 82% accuracy in scene categorization with few images assigned to wrong clusters, possibly due to the similarity in spatial envelope. Furthermore, we accessed quality of found clusters using isolation distance metric.
Bank Networks and Systemic Risk: Evidence from the National Banking Acts

The reserve requirements established by the National Banking Acts (NBAs) dictated the amounts and locations of interbank deposits, thereby reshaping the structure of bank networks. Using unique data on bank balance sheets, along with detailed interbank deposits in 1862 and 1867 in Pennsylvania, we study how the NBAs changed the bank network structure. Further, we quantify the effect on financial stability in a model of interbank networks with liquidity withdrawal. We find that the NBAs led to a concentration of interbank deposits at both the city and the bank level, creating systemically important banks in major financial centers. Our quantitative results show that the newly emerged system was "robust-yet-fragile": while the concentration of linkages made the system more resilient in general, it increased the likelihood of contagion when financial center banks faced large shocks.
Accurate Reference Data for the Nonadditive, Noninteracting Kinetic Energy in Covalent Bonds

The nonadditive, noninteracting kinetic energy (NAKE) is calculated numerically for fragments of H2, Li2, Be2, C2, N2, F2, and Na2 within partition density functional theory (PDFT). The resulting fragments are uniquely determined, and their sum reproduces the Kohn–Sham molecular density of the corresponding XC functional. We present the NAKE of these unique fragments as a function of internuclear separation and compare the use of fractional orbital occupation to the usual PDFT ensemble method for treating the fragment energies and densities. We also compare Thomas–Fermi and von Weizsacker approximate kinetic energy functionals to the numerically exact solutions and find significant regions where the von Weizsacker functional is nearly exact. In addition, we find that the von Weizsacker approximation can provide accurate NAKE in stretched covalent bonds, especially in the cases of Li2 and Na2.
Thermoelectric heat recovery from glass melt processes

Abstract Thermoelectric energy recovery from waste heat in glass melting process is investigated without any detrimental design or process changes. Melting glass pellets require a furnace with temperature over 1500 °C for downstream glass shaping processes and hence a large amount of exergy is available but currently destroyed. Due to high temperature gradients, parasitic losses are investigated in conjunction with the optimum thermoelectric design for maximum power output and the lowest cost. Among variations of thermal paths, the fireports are identified as the best potential for lowest cost. By partially replacing the refractory wall in thickness with a thermoelectric generator, heat loss is kept at the current 9 kW/m2. High temperature gradients across the thermoelectric generator requires a water cooling heat sink. The cost of the heat sink is included in the overall energy and cost analysis. Based on a typical thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT = 1), optimally designed thermoelectric integrated system generates 55.6 kW of electricity with efficiency of over 15% from a 500 ton/day (5.8 kg/s) scale glass production at an additional cost of $ 1–2/W. This technology can provide 1.37 billion kWh of primary energy savings annually, if it is implemented throughout the whole glass industry in U.S.
New Cretaceous lungfishes (Dipnoi, Ceratodontidae) from western North America

Abstract. Ceratodontid lungfishes are generally rare, poorly represented elements of North America's Mesozoic ecosystems, with previously known maximum diversity in the Late Jurassic. Herein we describe four new species of the form genus Ceratodus, from the Cretaceous of the Western Interior, considerably expanding fossil representation of post-Triassic dipnoans in North America. To model taxonomic and morphologic diversity, we adopt a four-fold system of phenetically based species groups, named for exemplars from the Morrison Formation. Ceratodus kirklandi n. sp. (Potamoceratodus guentheri group) and C. kempae n. sp. (C. frazieri group) represent a hitherto unsampled time interval, the Valanginian. Ceratodus nirumbee n. sp. and C. molossus n. sp. extend the temporal ranges of the C. fossanovum and C. robustus groups upward to the Albian and Cenomanian, respectively. These new occurrences show that ceratodontids maintained their highest diversity from the Late Jurassic through the mid-Cretaceous (Albian—C...
Imaging and Response Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Imaging plays crucial roles in identifying lesions, staging workup, and more importantly, in assessing treatment response following molecular targeted therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Often, GIST is detected incidentally during endoscopic procedures for unrelated cause, and endoscopic ultrasound with or without fine-needle aspiration aids in the diagnosis. Computed tomography (CT) with and without iodinated intravenous contrast is currently the imaging modality of choice for detecting, characterizing, staging, and assessing treatment response in GISTs. Positron emission tomography (PET) is highly sensitive in detecting primary GISTs and metastasis throughout the body and highly specific in evaluating early treatment response. PET is indicated for imaging borderline resectable GISTs, for problem solving in response evaluation, and as a therapeutic monitoring modality on follow-ups. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is preferred over CT in rectal GIST, particularly for presurgical planning, and is indicated when the use of iodine contrast is contraindicated. MRI can be a preferred modality for evaluating metastatic liver lesions; however, it is not used routinely owing to relatively low sensitivity for peritoneal disease.
Abstract 4516: The effects of microbeam radiation therapy on the pharmacokinetics of PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin in a triple negative breast cancer GEM model

Background: Carrier-mediated agents (CMAs), such as nanoparticle and liposomes, can achieve greater exposure in tumors compared with small molecule drugs; however, the overall percent of CMAs that distribute from the plasma to tumor is relatively low (e.g. Methods: Studies were performed in mice bearing p53 null syngeneic orthotopic tumor transplants. This model, named “T11”, has been characterized by gene expression array to reflect the claudin-low subtype of triple-negative breast cancer. Prior to administration of PLD, mice received a single treatment of 28Gy or 34Gy (peak dose at skin entrance) MRT to the tumor site (treatment area is ∼1cm x 1cm), or no radiation treatment. All groups were then administered PLD at 6 mg/kg IV x 1 at 16 h after MRT. Mice (n = 3) were sacrificed at 5 min, 6 h, and 24 h after PLD. Mice treated with 34 Gy MRT were only sacrificed at 24 h after PLD. The PK of PLD in plasma and tumor was evaluated. Results: Mice treated with 28 Gy MRT prior to PLD administration and PLD alone had a total doxorubicin tumor AUC of 206,040.0 ng/mL•h and 55,506.5 ng/mL•h, respectively. After treatment with 28 Gy and 34 Gy MRT the concentration of total doxorubicin in tumor at 24 h after administration of PLD were 10,665.8 ng/ml and 20,779.0 ng/ml, respectively. The plasma PK of PLD was similar in all groups. Conclusions: MRT treatment prior to PLD administration significantly improves the delivery of PLD to tumors without altering the plasma PK. In addition, higher doses of MRT resulted in a greater increase in the delivery of PLD to tumors. The improved delivery of PLD to tumors may be due to MRT9s acute effects on tumor microvasculature; however, the exact mechanism needs to be further evaluated. Future studies include evaluation of the effect of duration and dose of MRT on drug uptake in tumor, effects of MRT on other CMAs, and the mechanisms of enhanced tumor delivery. Citation Format: Xiao S. Chang, Andrew Jacob Madden, Judith Rivera, Charlene Santos, David Darr, Lucas Hunter, William C. Zamboni. The effects of microbeam radiation therapy on the pharmacokinetics of PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin in a triple negative breast cancer GEM model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4516. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4516
Ripple Effects of CEO Awards: Investigating the Acquisition Activities of Superstar CEOs’ Competitors

Research Summary This study proposes that CEOs may undertake intensive acquisition activities to increase their social recognition and status after witnessing their competitors’ winning CEO awards. Using a sample of U.S. S&P 1500 firm CEOs, we find that CEOs engage in more intensive acquisition activities in the period after their competitors won CEO awards (i.e., post-award period), compared to the pre-award period. Moreover, this effect is stronger when focal CEOs themselves had a high likelihood of winning CEO awards. Our findings also show that acquisitions by focal CEO firms in the post-award period realize lower announcement returns compared to acquisitions by the same CEOs in the pre-award period. Managerial Summary Each year a few CEOs receive CEO awards from business media and CEOs who receive such awards become instant celebrities, i.e., superstar CEOs. This study explores how superstar CEOs’ competitors react to not winning CEO awards. We find that superstar CEOs’ competitors undertake more intensive acquisition activities in the post-award period compared to the pre-award period. This is particularly true for competitors who were close yet did not win CEO awards. In addition, acquisitions by superstar CEOs’ competitors are associated with lower announcement returns in the post-award compared to the pre-award period. These findings collectively indicate that acquisitions may be used as a channel for superstar CEOs’ competitors to elevate their own social status, but at a cost to shareholders.
Approximate Family: The Taxonomy of Motherhood in Theodor Storm's Viola Tricolor

Unlike the trope of culpa patris in Carsten Curator, Theodor Storm's representation of matrilineal heredity in Viola Tricolor does not follow the strict limits of a bloodline. This article argues that the mechanism of influence in this novella should be read as an experimental deviation from Storm's typical construction of the family as biologically or legally determined. In the denial of female reproductive sexuality in the two wives (“Mutter,” “Mama”) and the literal resemblance between stepmother and child (“Ines,” “Nesi”), Storm imagines a system of female kinship constructed as a visible field rather than as the result of an unseen natural force. Through the multiplicity of female names, Storm's taxonomic strategy relies on proximity and similitude as the basis for circumscribing maternal step-relations in Viola Tricolor. Storm thus envisions motherhood as issuing from an act of naming that, like the nested hierarchy of Linnaeus's Systema Natura, relies on visual resemblance and spatial arrangement.
Proteome-Wide Modeling of Transmembrane Alpha-Helical Homodimers by TMDOCK

A novel energy-based method, TMDOCK, has been developed for ab initio modeling of 3D structures of parallel homodimers in membranes. Instead of exploring the entire conformational space, the method employs a fast template-driven global energy optimization procedure that combines the knowledge of geometrically feasible packing arrangements and local energy minimization with a novel force field. Ranking and selection of optimal dimerization modes is based on the calculated free energy of α-helix association (ΔGassoc) which includes van der Waals, hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions between helices, side chain conformational entropy, and solvation energy in the anisotropic lipid environment. The fast version of the TMDOCK method is available through the web server (http://membranome.org/tm_server.php).TMDOCK successfully reproduced 26 experimental dimeric structures formed by transmembrane (TM) α-helices of 21 single-pass membrane proteins (including 4 mutants) with Cα atom r.m.s.d. from 1.0 to 3.3 A. Additional testing demonstrated consistency of calculated dimer structures with published TOXCAT, mutagenesis, or other experimental data for more than 80 bitopic proteins. Subsequent application of the method to 6041 bitopic proteins from six proteomes included in the Membranome database (membranome.org) shows that ∼70% of the proteins tend to form stable dimers with ΔGassoc<-3 kcal/mol. Results of modeling indicate three different types of dimerization behavior of TM α-helices. A unique dimerization mode is usually observed for TM domains carrying a single GxxxG-like motif, interhelical disulfide bridges, or polar residues in the middle of a helix. Proteins with several GxxxG-like motifs usually have a few dimerization modes with similar energies. Proteins with Phe-rich sequences often show multiple helix association modes. The preferred modes of dimerization are frequently evolutionarily conserved (e.g. in cadherin, HLA histocompatibility antigen, receptor tyrosine kinase, and cytochrome P450 families), but they can also change even after a single mutation.
Examining Latina/o Students’ Experiences of Injustice: LatCrit Insights from a Texas High School

ABSTRACTWe used Latina/Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to re-analyze survey and interview data from earlier research in which we found that Latina/o students reported less positive experiences than other students in this high school. We found racial injustice in class enrollments, in students’ experiences with stereotypes and prejudice, in student-teacher relationships, and in school policies and norms. LatCrit principles illustrate interconnections among racism, interest convergence, and colorblindness that create racial injustice for Latinas/os. We argue that counterstorytelling could emerge to resist that injustice and that educators must understand how racism functions in their schools and interrogate relevant policies and norms.
Applying fractal analysis to pupil dilation for measuring complexity in a process monitoring task.

This laboratory experiment was designed to use fractal dimension as a new method to analyze pupil dilation to evaluate the level of complexity in a multitasking environment. By using the eye-head integrated tracking system, we collected both pupil responses and head positions while participants conducted both process monitoring task and Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB-II) tasks. There was a significant effect of scenario complexity on a composite index of multitasking performance (Low Complexity » High Complexity). The fractal dimension of pupil dilation was also significantly influenced by complexity. The results clearly showed that the correlation between pupil dilation and multitasking performance was stronger when the pupil data was analyzed by using the fractal dimension method. The participants showed a higher fractal dimension when they performed a low complexity multitasking scenario. The findings of this research help us to advance our understanding of how to evaluate the complexity level of real-world applications by using pupillary responses.
G478(P) We want everything done

Background Increasingly we are faced with some parents who want everything done for their babies in neonatal units although their neurodevelopmental outcome is likely to be extremely poor. This results in conflict with parents regarding the best interest of these babies and moral distress caused among the neonatal staff looking after them. Case studies Case A: A 23 week infant who developed major parenchymal haemorrhagic infarct with midline shift and clinical seizures on day 3 of life. Parents were counselled of the very poor prognosis but declined re-orientation to palliative care. Baby never demonstrated a suck or gag reflex. Baby remained in low flow oxygen and required nasogastric feeds. Baby was eventually transferred to a paediatric ward and died following an aspiration episode. Case B: A 24 week infant who became extremely sick before and following NEC surgery. We were never able to establish any enteral feeds. Despite multiple discussions with parents from neonatologists, paediatric surgeons and second opinion from another independent tertiary neonatologist, they refused re-orientation to palliative care. Baby subsequently died from multi-organ failure. Case C: A 28 week infant with multi-organ failure and severe periventricular leukomalacia following a severe case of NEC requiring surgery. Despite seeking second opinions and multiple attempts at counselling parents, palliative care was declined. This case eventually went to court and the judgment was to re-orientate to palliative care which the parents accepted. Conclusion These increasingly challenging ethical cases result in significant moral distress among neonatal staff that already operate in an high stress environment. In some cases it results in the prolongation of suffering of these babies. This impacts on the moral well being of the nursing and medical staff looking after these babies over this challenging period. We need to remain focused as advocates for these vulnerable babies and continue to keep their best interest at the heart of care we provide. Staff support is also paramount in ensuring that their moral distress is addressed and supported.
Newer and Evolving Endoscopic Therapies for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common disorder of the esophagus and the most common reason for gastroenterology consultation. Pharmacotherapy with proton pump inhibitors and histamine receptor antagonists has revolutionized the treatment of GERD and is able to yield symptomatic relief in the majority of compliant patients. However, many patients have incomplete or unsatisfactory responses to maximal medical management due to a number of factors, including hypersensitivity, volume or bile refluxate, poor compliance, and the inability of pharmacotherapy to address the underlying anatomic and neuromuscular deficits responsible for GERD. Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication remains the gold standard for invasive therapy for GERD. This chapter will discuss existing and evolving endoscopic treatments for GERD and the available evidence to support their use.
The Shortest Path Isolation Index: A New Measure for Individual-Level Residential Segregation.

The study of segregation is essential for understanding how place influences life outcomes. Traditional segregation indices rely heavily on the use of areal units for calculation, which risks intro...
Radiation and Chemotherapy

Cholangiocarcinoma is an uncommon tumor that may occur anywhere along the intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary tree. In the United States approximately 5,000 cholangiocarcinomas are diagnosed per year while many more biliary malignancies occur in Asia. The hepatic duct bifurcation is the most frequently involved site, and approximately 50–70 % of cholangiocarcinomas are found in this perihilar region [1]. The role of radiation therapy, chemoradiation and chemotherapy as adjuvants to surgical resection in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma remains controversial. Aggressive surgical resection obtaining a negative microscopic margin offers the only chance for long-term survival. However, many patients will only be candidates for nonoperative stenting or palliative surgery aimed to provide biliary drainage and prevent cholangitis and hepatic failure. Radiation therapy, chemoradiation and/or chemotherapy also can be used in these patients with nonresectable disease in an attempt to palliate symptoms and extend survival.
Maturity status of youth football players: a noninvasive estimate

PURPOSE: To estimate the biological maturity status of youth football players 9-14 yr old using a noninvasive method and to compare the body size of players of contrasting status. METHODS: Subjects were members of youth football teams in two central Michigan communities. Height and weight were measured on 653 boys 8.7-14.6 yr. Heights of biological parents of 582 boys were reported and subsequently adjusted for overestimation. Decimal age, height, and weight of the player and midparent height were used to predict mature (adult) height for the boy. Current height of each player was expressed as a percentage of his predicted mature height to provide an estimate of biological maturity status. Percentage of predicted mature height of each boy was expressed as a z-score to classify players into maturity groups. ANCOVA, controlling for age, was used to compare body size in contrasting maturity groups. RESULTS: Mean percentages of predicted mature height of the players matched those of longitudinal reference samples, but there was a trend for higher percentages among older players, suggesting advanced maturation. Overall, 405 boys were classified as on time/average in maturity status (69.6% [95%CI 65.7-73.3]), 154 were classified as early/advanced (25.5% [95%CI 23.0-30.3]), and only 23 were classified as late/delayed (3.9% [95%CI 2.6-6.0]). The gradient for height, weight, and BMI was as follows: early > on time > late, and differences were greater for weight and the BMI than for height. CONCLUSION: Percentage of predicted mature height attained at a given age appears to be a reasonable indicator of maturity status. The method needs to be validated with other more direct indicators (skeletal age, sexual maturation) and applied to other samples. Language: en
Prescription drug abuse. A question of balance.

The term prescription drug abuse attracts immediate attention and strong feelings among physicians. Prescription drug abuse emphasizes the problems of overprescribing and drug diversion, at the expense of attending to equally important problems of underprescribing. 1 This article identifies the drug factors, patient factors, and physician factors involved in the development and perpetuation of prescription drug abuse in the practice of medicine.
How Useful is the Information Provided by the National Practitioner Data Bank

Article-at-a-Glance Background The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) serves as a federal information clearinghouse on malpractice payments for and disciplinary sanctions against health care practitioners. Hospitals are required to query the NPDB biannually for practitioners with clinical privileges, and other health care entities with significant peer review are encouraged to query the NPDB. A study was conducted to determine whether health care organizations find the NPDB useful. Methods A survey was conducted of 1,038 organizations that queried the NPDB between March 1998 and February 1999; 653 of those respondents also answered questions regarding 1,639 specific matched responses (feedback from the NPDB when the practitioner in question had one or more reports). Results Overall, the entities rated querying the NPDB as very useful (6.16 on a 7-point scale). More than 21% of matched responses contained new information, and this information altered institutional credentialing decisions in more than 5% of the cases. Discussion Many of the results from this study are consistent with findings in Office of Inspector General reports. The fact that 5% of credentialing decisions were altered because of NPDB information suggests that practitioner self-report is an inadequate mechanism for soliciting credentialing information. Summary and conclusions NPDB reports provide accurate and complete information that is useful to providers in their credentialing process.
Duration of U.S. forest products trade

Abstract The United States has been a leading participant in the global forest products market. Duration analysis is employed to measure the duration of U.S. exports and imports of forest products over 1996–2016 and to examine the underlying determinants. Outcomes from the descriptive statistical analysis reveal that the duration of U.S. forest products trade is remarkably short, with a median duration of one quarter based on the quarterly data, or one year for the annual data. The duration of trade spells also varies across different types of forest products. Based on the discrete-time duration model, several determinants of export and import duration are identified at the country and product level. Gravity-type variables (e.g., distance and income) are found to affect the likelihood of trade ceasing. Better endowments in forest resources can improve the survival rate of forest products trade. In designing policies to reduce the pressure of import growth, promote exports of forest products, or have a better trade balance, the differences in trade direction and product features should be considered.
Dynamic Smagorinsky Modeled Large-Eddy Simulations of Turbulence Using Tetrahedral Meshes

Eddy-resolving numerical computations of turbulent flows are emerging as viable alternatives to Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) calculations for flows with an intrinsically steady mean state due to the advances in large-scale parallel computing. In these computations, medium to large turbulent eddies are resolved by the numerics while the smaller or subgrid scales are either modeled or taken care of by the inherent numerical dissipation. To advance the state of the art of unstructured-mesh turbulence simulation capabilities, large eddy simulations (LES) using the dynamic Smagorinsky model (DSM) on tetrahedral meshes are carried out with the space-time conservation element, solution element (CESE) method. In contrast to what has been reported in the literature, the present implementation of dynamic models allows for active backscattering without any ad-hoc limiting of the eddy viscosity calculated from the subgrid-scale model. For the benchmark problems involving compressible isotropic turbulence decay as well as the shock/turbulent boundary layer interaction benchmark problems, no numerical instability associated with kinetic energy growth is observed and the volume percentage of the backscattering portion accounts for about 38-40% of the simulation domain. A slip-wall model in conjunction with the implemented DSM is used to simulate a relatively high Reynolds number Mach 2.85 turbulent boundary layer over a 30° ramp with several tetrahedral meshes and a wall-normal spacing of either Δγ& = 10 or Δγ& = 20. The computed mean wall pressure distribution, separation region size, mean velocity profiles, and Reynolds stress agree reasonably well with experimental data.
Brief communication: Rapid machine-learning-based extraction and measurement of ice wedge polygons in high-resolution digital elevation models

Abstract. We present a workflow for the rapid delineation and microtopographic characterization of ice wedge polygons within high-resolution digital elevation models. At the core of the workflow is a convolutional neural network used to detect pixels representing polygon boundaries. A watershed transformation is subsequently used to segment imagery into discrete polygons. Fast training times ( min) permit an iterative approach to improving skill as the routine is applied across broad landscapes. Results from study sites near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow) and Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, demonstrate robust performance in diverse tundra settings, with manual validations demonstrating 70–96 % accuracy by area at the kilometer scale. The methodology permits precise, spatially extensive measurements of polygonal microtopography and trough network geometry.
The Skull and Head Muscles of Archosauria

Archosaurs is the clade composed by birds (Aves) and crocodiles, alligators, and the gharial (Crocodylia). This relatedness is not obvious and for a long time was not taken into account, as birds were seen as a group separate even from the rest of reptiles. Both avians and crocodylians are morphologically very distinct and in many aspects different from each other and from the ancestral forms within Archosauria. The skulls of birds are composed of thin and light bones, many fused to each other, and others articulating in mobile joints allowing the beak to move and bend with respect to the rest of the skull. In crocodylians the skulls are massive and heavy, a solid akinetic structure built to crush prey. The accompanying muscle system, attaching onto and responsible for the movement of the head, jaws, eyes, or tongue, is equally distinct. As a result of the striking differences and the relatively recent realization of crocodylians and avians being closely related, the comparison of their anatomy has never been very straightforward. This chapter’s goal is to provide a review of archosaur anatomy and to give at least some sense of the similarities and differences between archosaur musculature.
Recovery of shoulder abduction in traumatic brachial plexus palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of nerve transfer versus nerve graft

Brachial plexus palsy is a surgically manageable condition. Re-animating the shoulder is a high priority for restoring upper extremity function. Methods for reinnervating injured nerves include the transfer of a healthy nerve or fascicle distal to the site of injury, or grafting a healthy sensory nerve to restore motor function. Studies aiming to compare these two techniques for restoring shoulder abduction have yielded conflicting results. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA guidelines. We reviewed the PubMed database for studies comparing nerve transfer and nerve grafting for shoulder abduction published by December 2018. Outcomes using the Medical Research Scale (MRC) for muscle strength were assessed using a random effects model meta-analysis. Five studies comprising a total of 212 patients (n = 158, nerve transfer; n = 54, nerve grafts) were used for the analysis. The rate of functional recovery of shoulder function was slightly better for nerve transfer (n = 114/158, 72%) than for nerve graft patients (n = 36/54, 67%). However, this was not statistically significant (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.27–6.72, I2 = 62.9%). Nerve transfer and grafting are similarly effective in terms of shoulder abduction. Future prospective studies are needed to validate our results and identify the optimal shoulder re-animation strategy in patients with brachial plexus injuries.
Design Perspectives of Learning at Scale: Scaling Efficiency and Empowerment

How do we design technology for learning at scale? Based on an examination of a large number of influential systems for learning at scale, I argue that designing for scale is not an amorphous design undertaking. Instead, it builds on two distinct perspectives on scale. Systems built with a scaling through efficiency perspective make learning more efficient and allow the same number of instructors to help a much larger set of learners. Systems with a scaling through empowerment perspective empower a larger number of people to assist learners effectively. I outline how these simple differences in design perspective lead to large differences in design concerns, techniques, and evaluation criteria. Articulating prevalent design perspectives should make overlooked design opportunities more salient, help systems designers design for scale more deliberately and understand their tradeoffs, and open up new opportunities to designers who shift their perspectives.
Nuclear physics without high-momentum potentials: Constructing the nuclear effective interaction directly from scattering observables

Abstract The traditional approach to nuclear physics encodes phase shift information in a nucleon-nucleon (NN) potential, producing a nucleon-level interaction that captures the sub-GeV consequences of QCD. A further reduction to the nuclear scale is needed to produce an effective interaction for soft Hilbert spaces, such as those employed in the shell model. Here we describe an alternative construction of the effective interaction that is simple and quite precise, proceeding from the QCD scale directly to the nuclear scale. This eliminates the need for constructing and renormalizing the high-momentum NN potential. Instead, continuum phase shifts and mixing angles are used directly at the nuclear scale. The method exploits the analytic continuity in energy of HOBET (Harmonic-Oscillator-Based Effective Theory) to connect bound states to continuum solutions at specific energies. The procedure is systematic, cutoff independent, and convergent, yielding keV accuracy at NNLO or N3LO, depending on the channel. Lepage plots are provided.
Toward Automated Simulink Model Implementation and Optimization using High-Level Synthesis for FPGA

FPGAs have shown great potential in accelerating the execution of a wide variety of workloads, including simulations of physical and electrical systems. However, many users do not possess sufficient expertise in modern digital design techniques to achieve the greatest benefit from FPGA technology and limitations in current commercial tools do not support the simulation of arbitrary models in FPGAs. Toward that end, we present the challenges to implementing Simulink models via high-level synthesis design techniques, the potential benefits of using this approach, and a preliminary tool that demonstrates one key step toward the automated simulation of arbitrary models. Such a tool would enable transparent, automated model translation from a graphical user interface to an FPGA for users without expertise in FPGA-based digital design.
Role of Coronary Calcium Score to Identify Candidates for ASCVD Prevention

In this review, we describe the mechanism behind coronary artery calcification formation and detection, as well as its implication in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification, intervention, and prognosis in asymptomatic individuals. Multiple cohort and population studies have shown that coronary artery calcium scoring is effective and reproducible in predicting the risk for cardiovascular disease. The updated 2018 ACC/AHA guideline has incorporated consideration of coronary artery calcification testing into cardiovascular disease risk stratification and therapy guidance. Coronary artery calcification’s evidence-based role in detection, risk stratification, and ultimately its unique influence on therapeutic intervention and prognosis of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic population is increasingly being recognized..
A case of dyskeratosis congenita with squamous cell carcinoma of the maxilla: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is commonly diagnosed clinically with three classic findings of 1) oral leukoplakia, 2) nail dystrophy, and 3) abnormal skin pigmentation. It is commonly associated with bone marrow failure, increased predisposition for malignancies and a variety of additional somatic features. Nearly 70% of patients with DC present with oral leukoplakia, a lesion with up to a 34% chance of malignant transformation [5,13]. Although oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant transformation of long-standing leukoplakia, a limited number of cases have been reported in patients with DC. Most of which, involved the tongue and buccal mucosa. A retrospective chart review and literature review of DC and OSCC was completed for this article. We present a patient with DC who presented with OSCC involving the maxilla. The patient underwent a partial maxillectomy, skin grafting and obturator placement. There was no evidence of recurrence or new disease at the 15-month mark. OSCC in patients with DC is uncommon, but with close surveillance and thorough oral cavity examinations by a health professional, malignant transformations can be detected and treated at an early stage.