cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex-Specific Prediction Models for Sleep Apnea From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Objective We developed and validated the first-ever sleep apnea (SA) risk calculator in a large population-based cohort of Hispanic/Latino subjects. Methods Cross-sectional data on adults from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (2008-2011) were analyzed. Subjective and objective sleep measurements were obtained. Clinically significant SA was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 15 events per hour. Using logistic regression, four prediction models were created: three sex-specific models (female-only, male-only, and a sex × covariate interaction model to allow differential predictor effects), and one overall model with sex included as a main effect only. Models underwent 10-fold cross-validation and were assessed by using the C statistic. SA and its predictive variables; a total of 17 variables were considered. Results A total of 12,158 participants had complete sleep data available; 7,363 (61%) were women. The population-weighted prevalence of SA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 15 events per hour) was 6.1% in female subjects and 13.5% in male subjects. Male-only (C statistic, 0.808) and female-only (C statistic, 0.836) prediction models had the same predictor variables (ie, age, BMI, self-reported snoring). The sex-interaction model (C statistic, 0.836) contained sex, age, age × sex, BMI, BMI × sex, and self-reported snoring. The final overall model (C statistic, 0.832) contained age, BMI, snoring, and sex. We developed two websites for our SA risk calculator: one in English ( https://www.montefiore.org/sleepapneariskcalc.html ) and another in Spanish ( http://www.montefiore.org/sleepapneariskcalc-es.html ). Conclusions We created an internally validated, highly discriminating, well-calibrated, and parsimonious prediction model for SA. Contrary to the study hypothesis, the variables did not have different predictive magnitudes in male and female subjects.
The Trial of the Century: A Resource Guide to the State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes

Before O.J. Simpson, before Sam Sheppard and the Boston Strangler, and before the Lindbergh kidnapping, there was the first "Trial of the Century" in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925. It featured the greatest lawyers and orators of the day; Clarence Darrow - the "Big City" agnostic advocate of the ACLU vs. William Jennings Bryan - the "Great Commoner" of American populism. There were the deeply held and socially divisive issues of modern evolutionary science vs. "old-time" religious fundamentalism. And there was the courtroom presided over by the self-proclaimed "mountaineer judge" Raulston vs. the media event presided over in the public eye by newspaper reporter H. L. Mencken of Baltimore, and the first ever real-time radio transmission of courtroom proceedings. But ultimately, it was the State of Tennessee prosecuting John Thomas Scopes for teaching a science that was unpopular with religious fundamentalists who, from that day on have viewed public education with suspicion and the classroom as a battlefield in their cause.
Imaging features of chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcomas are malignant neoplasms of mesenchymal origin and represent a heterogeneous group of tumors ranging from indolent, low-grade lesions to aggressive, high-grade neoplasms. The early diagnosis and treatment of chondrosarcomas is paramount to achieving a better prognosis. Multiple imaging modalities have been used for the purpose of initial detection, characterization, and staging, as well as for the performance of image-guided biopsies. As imaging techniques continue to evolve, radiologists are assuming an increasingly important role in the management of chondrosarcomas. This review describes the imaging characteristics of chondrosarcomas on multiple modalities and emphasizes the imaging features that may assist in differentiating these tumors from their benign counterparts, enchondromas and osteochondromas, which frequently still pose challenging diagnostic dilemmas.
Subcellular Imaging of Voltage and Calcium Signals Reveals Neural Processing In Vivo

A mechanistic understanding of neural computation requires determining how information is processed as it passes through neurons and across synapses. However, it has been challenging to measure membrane potential changes in axons and dendrites in vivo. We use in vivo, two-photon imaging of novel genetically encoded voltage indicators, as well as calcium imaging, to measure sensory stimulus-evoked signals in the Drosophila visual system with subcellular resolution. Across synapses, we find major transformations in the kinetics, amplitude, and sign of voltage responses to light. We also describe distinct relationships between voltage and calcium signals in different neuronal compartments, a substrate for local computation. Finally, we demonstrate that ON and OFF selectivity, a key feature of visual processing across species, emerges through the transformation of membrane potential into intracellular calcium concentration. By imaging voltage and calcium signals to map information flow with subcellular resolution, we illuminate where and how critical computations arise.
Mortality and Rates of Graft Rejection or Failure Following Intestinal Transplantation in Patients With vs Without Crohn’s Disease

Background & Aims Treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) may require multiple bowel resections that lead to short bowel syndrome. Intestinal transplantation is an effective treatment for short bowel syndrome, but limited data are available on long-term outcomes in CD. We aimed to characterize the long-term risk of rejection, graft failure, and death among patients with CD after intestinal transplantation, and compare their outcomes with those of patients without CD. Methods We performed a retrospective study of adults in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients who received intestinal transplants in the United States from May 1990 through June 2014. Outcomes data were collected at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and every year after the procedure. We compared risks of rejection at 1 year after transplantation between patients with and without CD using the chi-square test and logistic regression. Longitudinal risks of graft failure and death were compared between patients with and without CD using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards. Multivariable analyses adjusted for recipient, donor, and institutional characteristics. Results Of 1115 cases of intestinal transplantation, 142 were performed for CD and 973 for non-CD indications. One year after the procedure, the transplant was rejected in 36.9% of patients with CD and 33.3% of patients without CD ( P = .48). For patients with CD, the actuarial risk of graft failure at 1, 5, and 10 years after intestinal transplantation was 18.6%, 38.7%, and 49.2%; the risk of death was 22.5%, 50.3%, and 59.7%, respectively. The risk of graft failure was greater for patients with CD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.03–2.13; P = .04), but patients with versus without CD had similar risks of death (aHR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.64–1.20; P = .41). In subgroup analyses, the risk of graft failure was increased among patients with CD undergoing transplantation between 1990 and 2000 (aHR, 3.49; 95% CI, 1.23–9.92; P = .02), but not after 2000 (aHR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.92–2.04; P = .12). Conclusions In an analysis of patients who received intestinal transplants, the risks of graft rejection or death were similar between patients with versus without CD. Before year 2000, patients with CD had an increased risk of graft failure, but not thereafter. Changes in posttransplant immunosuppression around the same time might be analyzed to learn more about the mechanisms and management strategies to reduce graft failure in CD.
Lexical Processing and Ambiguity Resolution: An Autonomous Process in an Interactive Box

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses lexical processing and ambiguity resolution. Examinations of the nature of lexical ambiguity resolution have formed the major arena for the study of a number of the basic questions concerning understanding of natural language. Chief among these, and one which has been most clearly elaborated and detailed, is that concerning mental modularity. This issue, which revolves around the question of whether human cognition comprises of a set of informationally encapsulated, autonomous subsystems, or whether it is a totally interactive system, lies at the heart of our basic conception of the nature of cognitive activity. The lexical ambiguity resolution is a complex function of four general types of issues: (1) the nature of the temporal processing requirements during perception, (2) the nature of the available contextual information in which the ambiguity occurs, (3) the nature of the processing strategies recruited for analysis, (4) the nature of the response required of the processing system or, in experiments, of the experimental situation. The chapter elaborates on certain aspects of each of these issues in ambiguity resolution.
Awareness of the CDC "Heads Up!" to Youth Sports Campaign among Pediatric Sports Coaches: A Pilot Survey Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to: 1) estimate the penetrance (in terms of youth coaches being aware of them) of the CDC "Heads Up!" guidelines, 2) determine whether these guidelines changed the coaches' practice, and 3) understand whether these guidelines resulted in a perceived decrease in the number of concussions. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of pediatric sports coaches in the United States designed to assess the impact of the CDC "Heads Up!" GUIDELINES: "Heads Up!" Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussions. The "Heads Up!" fact sheet provides important information on preventing, recognizing, and responding to a concussion. RESULTS: Half the cohort had heard of the CDC "Heads Up!" campaign. Fifty-five percent of the cohort thought that pediatric concussions in youth sports was a "big deal" (rated on a Likert scale from 1-10). Coaches who were also parents (58%) were significantly more likely to have heard of the campaign (P=0.0032, 95% CI=0.1153-0.5513). Having heard of the "Heads Up!" campaign was significantly associated with how important coaches thought pediatric concussions are (P=0.0133, 95% CI=0.0590-0.4960), as was higher income of the coaches (P=0.0100), and this was significantly correlated with the coach being more likely to call the athlete's parent at injury (P=0.0030, 95% CI=0.1160-0.5471). Coaches of football/soccer were significantly more likely to think pediatric concussions were a "big deal" (P=0.0021,95% CI=0.1374-0.5947). More than a third of coaches 35% reported that the "Heads Up!" campaign decreased the number of concussions on their team. Language: en
Multiferroic thin film characterization probed by terahertz transient pulses(Conference Presentation)

Ultrashort THz pulses overlap with resonances through which magnetism or ferroelectricity can be probed or controlled. Low energy modes like soft mode phonons associated with the atomic displacements that result in ferroelectricity, or spin waves in magnetically ordered systems which can be either magnetic dipole active, in the case of the magnons, or electric dipole active in the case of electromagnons can be controlled using THz pulses. The interesting thing about multiferroics is that these modes can potentially be used for ultrafast magnetoelectric control. In common ferroics and multiferroics these modes often overlap well with the spectra of typical ultrashort THz pulses. In this work we exploit that unique feature of Terahertz ultrashort pulses to report on the multiferroic domain characterization of Bismuth Ferrite and Lead Iron Niobate correlating its ferroic behaviors, enhanced or reduced,with its varying doping concentration in the terahertz regime.The material properties like index of refraction and absorption coefficient thus derived using optical interferometry can be further explored for ultrafast device configuration.
Maisonneuve Ankle Injuries

Maissoneuve fractures are syndesmotic ankle injuries typically associated with a high fibular fracture and a medial malleolus fracture. Associated with more extensive interosseous disruption and syndesmotic instability, these injuries can be potentially missed on standard ankle radiographic series. Utilization of full-length tibial radiographs and stress radiographs, coupled with the physical examination findings, help to determine the correct diagnosis. Treatment for Maissoneuve fractures typically requires operative intervention and involves stabilization of the syndesmosis and mortise. The postoperative rehabilitation for Maissoneuve fixation and the role of routine syndesmotic hardware removal remain controversial.
Radiolytic decomposition of 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]-fluoro-D-glucose

1920 Objectives: The radiolysis of radiopharmaceuticals depend on high levels of radioactivity and specific activity. The radiolytic decomposition of [F-18]FDG to [F-18] fluoride is a well known phenomenon however little data exists which profile the decomposition over time. We are investigating the effects of both radioactive concentration and the ethanolic free radical scavanger on the radiochemical purity of [F-18]FDG preparations. Methods: [F-18]FDG was produced using the 18O(p,n)18F nuclear reaction. Labeling was completed using the GEMS TracerLab Fx-FDG module. The final product was formulated in 0.9% sodium chloride solution and was not doped with stabilizing material. All quality assurance testing met the current United Stated Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph. Radiochemical purity was determined by thin layer chromatography according to the monograph and completed each hour for up to 10 hours from the end of synthesis (EOS). Results: 7 Batches of [F-18]FDG were produced with radioactive concentrations in the range of 184-271 mCi/mL [table]. The decomposition profiles of the [F-18]FDG preparations are illustrated in figure 1. The data shows that it is possible for a batch of [F-18] FDG to fail the USP acceptance criterea of 10% total radiochemical impurities in less than 90 minutes from EOS. Conclusions: These results support the fact that [F-18]FDG exhibits radiolytic instabilty. Analysis of the data presented in table 1 also support the role of ethanol as a free-radical scavenger which helps stabilize the [F-18]FDG preparation. The data shows that relatively low radioactive and ethanol concentrations can be sufficiently unstable to result in an [F-18] fluoride concentration well above 10%. Stability of [F-18]FDG preparations can be achieved by the presence of ethanol. The data suggests that as little as 0.02% ethanol will stabilze preparations with concentrations in the range of 250-270 mCi/mL. Since ethanol is present in residual amounts in most PET facility [F-18]FDG preparations it is a natural choice as a stabilizer. The amount of residual ethanol is difficult to control, however doping of the final product formualtion is a practical solution to the radiolytic decompostion of [F-18]FDG
Polygenic risk score of shorter telomere length and risk of depression and anxiety in women

Abstract Prior studies have reported significant cross-sectional associations between depression or anxiety and shorter telomere lengths, but the temporality of associations is uncertain. Little is known regarding whether shorter telomere length is related to increased risk of developing depression or anxiety. In this study, using the genetic tool of polygenic risk score (PRS), we evaluated the association between genetic predisposition to shorter telomere length and the risks of lifetime clinically significant depression (defined by self-reported clinician/physician diagnosis, antidepressant use, and/or presence of severe depressive symptoms) and of clinically meaningful anxiety symptoms among 17,693 female participants of European ancestry. The weighted PRS of telomere lengths (TLs) combined the dosage of nine alleles that were significantly associated with inter-individual variation in TLs in published genome-wide association studies. Higher score of PRS, corresponding to shorter TL in the literature, was significantly associated with shorter relative TLs ( p = 0.008). However, higher PRS was not associated with the lifetime risk of either depression or anxiety. Furthermore, higher PRS was not associated with long-term patterns of depressive symptom trajectories or specifically with later-life onset of depression or anxiety. In summary, this study did not observe a significant association between genetic predisposition to shorter telomere length and risk of depression and anxiety in a large sample of mid-life and older white women. However, these genetic variants jointly account for a limited proportion of interpersonal variation in leukocyte telomere length. Future studies will need to incorporate more genetic variants to improve the accuracy of predicted power, as such data become available.
A Generative Bayesian Approach for Incorporating Biosurveillance Sources into Epidemiological Models

Biosurveillance "systematically collects and analyzes data for the purpose of detecting cases of disease, [and] outbreaks of disease." (Wagner, Moore and Aryel, 2006) This typically involves using a set of known sources of epidemiological data, instead of opportunistically using the data sources which become available over time. This work attempts to partially remedy that limitation by using an easily adapted generative Bayesian econometric model to allow incorporation of novel data sources. This is done by building a generative model of the information sources, then using Bayesian Markov-chain Monte-Carlo to find the relationships between data and actual caseloads to use in an epidemiological model. While the application presented is limited to three data sources for a single disease (influenza), the methodology is potentially widely applicable, and enables rapid incorporation of a variety of sources and source types.
Postpublication Processing of Scientific Information

This chapter discusses postpublication processing of scientific information. Between the time an article is published and the time it is cited in another article, a great deal of digesting, interpreting, and evaluating of its content takes plac,e which serves to integrate the new information in that article into the existing body of scientific information. This is all a part of the continuous filtering and integrating that synthesizes scientific information into knowledge. As a process, it is pervasive in science. While it is presumed to be especially interactive with and to some extent evolving from activities on the research front, the process becomes formal some time after publication when citations of the work begin to cluster with citations of related work. Subsequently, these clusters begin abstractly to take on identities of their own, displacing the individuality of the separate items. Clusters of cited articles may be replaced by an integrative review that cites them or by another article that presents new work in a different perspective so that several individual pieces of work become organized under a single integrative concept.
Cation Effects in Organoalkali Metal Chemistry

Organoalkali metal compounds can be regarded as substances in which the organic anion is joined to the counter alkali metal cation primarily by electrostatic forces between cations and anions. This generalization [1] is believed to hold even for organolithium compounds with localized negative charge, although here some small carbon-lithium covalency may enhance bonding [2]. From the simplified structure R-M+, it is tempting to think that the nature of M+ is unimportant, in other words, that one is concerned only with the chemistry of “carbanions” in discussing the reaction of R-M+.
Tweet of Hope

The idea of creating a community of political supporters is not a new concept (Vaccari 2008). However, the way in which the Obama campaign used social media to mobilize a historically difficult group (Rice et al. Social Science Computer Review, 31(3), 257–279, 2012), as well as the size of the resulting social media communities, was a new concept during the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. Previous online campaigns had failed to effectively mobilize young adults, due to the political campaigners unsuccessfully translating the existing campaign formula, which focused more on older adult voters from the real world, rather than voters who frequently interact in the virtual realm (Vaccari 2008; Haynes and Pitts Symposium, 53–58, 2009). During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama’s team improved upon the strategies of the previous Internet mobilization campaigns, by placing great emphasis on social media (Godsall 2010; Bronstein Online Information Review, 37(2), 173–192, 2012). His online campaign deviated from the disciplined and traditionally structured format of previous Internet campaigns (Johnson and Perlmutter Mass Communication and Society, 13 554–559, 2010), encouraged the formation of online coteries among users (Bronstein Online Information Review, 37(2), 173–192, 2012), and facilitated civic political involvement (Fernandes et al. Mass Communication and Society, 13, 653–675, 2010). Obama re-built a sense of community assumed to have been previously lost (Jefferson-Jenkins, as cited in Dudash and Harris American Behavioral Scientist, 55(4), 469–478, 2011), and created a link between the lives of young adults and the election (American Behavioral Scientist, 55(4), 469–478, 2011).
ADVANCED ENHANCEMENT FOR HEAT EXCHANGERS

Energy and materials saving considerations, as well as economic incentives, have led to efforts to produce more efficient heat exchange equipment. Common thermal-hydraulic goals are to reduce the size of a heat exchanger required for a specified heat duty, to upgrade the capacity of an existing heat exchanger, to reduce the approach temperature difference for the process streams, or to reduce the pumping power. The first two objectives translate to an increase in the average heat flux of the heat exchanger, or the encouragement of high heat fluxes. In the case of systems with a specified heat dissipation, the goal is to cool the device, or accommodate a high heat flux, at moderate temperature difference. Implicit in these objectives, energy reduction (improvement of first law efficiency) and temperature difference reduction (improvement of second law efficiency) are important to global environmental protection.
Rational-Emotive Behavior Group Therapy with Children and Adolescents

Humans are social creatures and we begin functioning as members of groups the moment we are born. We continue to work, play, and live in groups for the entire span of our lives. Therefore, it is not surprising that group therapy has been a common and popular treatment option for over half a century. There are a number of key considerations about the application of group therapy when working with children and adolescents, and, more specifically, about the application of REBT and cognitive change methods in these groups. According to Ellis (1997), Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) lend themselves particularly well to use in group settings. Ellis (2002) stated that:
Experimental Designs for In Vitro Assessment of Valve Thrombosis

Abstract Valve thrombosis is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication following heart valve replacement. To prevent thrombotic complications, lifelong anticoagulation therapy is required in patients who receive mechanical heart valves. Bioprosthetic valves, on the other hand, are generally believed to be less thrombogenic than mechanical valves. However, there is an increasing awareness of decreased leaflet mobility in both surgical and transcatheter bioprosthetic heart valves. Minimizing the thrombogenicity of prosthetic heart valves is important to ensure long-term undisturbed valve function and improve outcomes in patients. In this chapter, we review the most relevant studies regarding in vitro assessment of prosthetic heart valve thrombosis. In addition, we summarize the recent attempts toward minimizing the risk of valve thrombosis in mechanical and bioprosthetic heart valves.
Academic Productivity of Spine Surgeons at United States Neurological Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery Training Programs.

Objective Spinal surgery is taught and practiced within 2 different surgical disciplines, neurological surgery and orthopedic surgery. We have provided a unified analysis of academic productivity measured using the h-index attributable to spine-focused faculty at U.S. residency programs. Methods A total of 278 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education training programs were assessed to identify 923 full-time faculty members with a spinal surgery designation, as defined by spine fellowship training or case volume >75% in spine surgery. The faculty were assessed with respect to academic rank, duration of practice in years, and academic productivity (h-index). Results The comparison showed a significantly greater mean h-index for neurological spine surgeons. The mean h-index for both disciplines increased significantly as faculty rank increased. Within the academic ranks of assistant and associate professor, neurological spine surgeons had significantly greater mean h-indexes. Neurological spine surgeons had a significantly lower practice duration. At all ranks except for assistant professor, the mean practice duration was not significantly different statistically between the neurological spine and orthopedic spine surgeons. A positive correlation between the h-index and practice duration was found for both spine surgical disciplines. The proportional odds models for neurological and orthopedic spine surgeons were moderately successful at predicting faculty rank according to the h-index. Conclusions We present a unified view of academic productivity as measured by the h-index among neurosurgical and orthopedic surgery spine faculty, with some noticeable differences. These results can be used for benchmark purposes to assess the relative productivity of its faculty and could be of interest to those pursuing academic opportunities in spine surgery.
Information needs for designing a home monitoring system for children with medical complexity.

Abstract Background Children with medical complexity (CMC) are a growing population of medically fragile children with unique healthcare needs, who have recurrent emergency department (ED) and hospital admissions due to frequent acute escalations of their chronic conditions. Mobile health (mHealth) tools have been suggested to support CMC home monitoring and prevent admissions. No mHealth tool has ever been developed for CMC and challenges exist. Objective To: 1) assess information needs for operationalizing CMC home monitoring, and 2) determine technology design functionalities needed for building a mHealth application for CMC. Methods Qualitative descriptive study conducted at a tertiary care children’s hospital with a purposive sample of English-speaking caregivers of CMC. We conducted 3 focus group sessions, using semi-structured, open-ended questions. We assessed caregiver’s perceptions of early symptoms that commonly precede acute escalations of their child conditions, and explored caregiver’s preferences on the design functionalities of a novel mHealth tool to support home monitoring of CMC. We used content analysis to assess caregivers’ experience concerning CMC symptoms, their responses, effects on caregivers, and functionalities of a home monitoring tool. Results Overall, 13 caregivers of CMC (ages 18 months to 19 years, mean = 9 years) participated. Caregivers identified key symptoms in their children that commonly presented 1–3 days prior to an ED visit or hospitalization, including low oxygen saturations, fevers, rapid heart rates, seizures, agitation, feeding intolerance, pain, and a general feeling of uneasiness about their child’s condition. They believed a home monitoring system for tracking these symptoms would be beneficial, providing a way to identify early changes in their child’s health that could prompt a timely and appropriate intervention. Caregivers also reported their own symptoms and stress related to caregiving activities, but opposed monitoring them. They suggested an mHealth tool for CMC to include the following functionalities: 1) symptom tracking, targeting commonly reported drivers (symptoms) of ED/hospital admissions; 2) user friendly (ease of data entry), using voice, radio buttons, and drop down menus; 3) a free-text field for reporting child’s other symptoms and interventions attempted at home; 4) ability to directly access a health care provider (HCP) via text/email messaging, and to allow real-time sharing of child data to facilitate care, and 5) option to upload and post a photo or video of the child to allow a visual recall by the HCP. Conclusions Caregivers deemed a mHealth tool beneficial and offered a set of key functionalities to meet information needs for monitoring CMC’s symptoms. Our future efforts will consist of creating a prototype of the mHealth tool and testing it for usability among CMC caregivers.
The Mediating Effect of Social Controls on Marijuana Use Among Adolescent Bullies, Victims, and Bully-Victims: A Comparison of Various Approaches to Mediation.

This study examines the impact of social control measures (e.g. parental attachment and prosocial peer attachment) on marijuana use among adolescents who were pure bullies, pure victims, and bully-...
Utilization of a specimen retrieval bag during laparoscopic appendectomy for both uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis is not associated with a decrease in postoperative surgical site infection rates

Abstract Background To determine whether utilization of a retrieval bag during laparoscopic appendectomy for uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis (perforation/abscess) is associated with postoperative surgical site infection rates. Methods We studied patients presented in the database of the 2016 Appendectomy-Targeted American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for pathology-confirmed appendicitis. The primary predictor variable was intraoperative utilization of a specimen retrieval bag for removal of the appendix from the peritoneal cavity. The primary outcome variable was 30-day postoperative surgical site infection. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between use of a specimen retrieval bag and postoperative surgical site infection rate after adjustment for patient- and disease-related variables. Results A total of 10,357 patients were included for analysis. Of these procedures, 9,585 (92.6%) included the use of a specimen bag and 772 (7.5%) did not. The 30-day incidence of postoperative surgical site infection was 4.2% in the group in which no bag was used and 3.6% in the group in which a bag was used (adjusted odds ratio of surgical site infection with no bag utilization was 1.15 [95% confidence interval 0.78–1.69; P = .49]). The lack of a statistically significant association between bag utilization and postoperative surgical site infection incidence was also demonstrated for a subgroup of patients with perforated appendicitis. Conclusion Utilization of a retrieval bag during laparoscopic appendectomy is not associated with a statistically significant decrease in postoperative surgical site infection for either uncomplicated or complicated acute appendicitis.
IgG4-Related Ophthalmic Disease Presenting as Meningitis and Panuveitis

Purpose. We report an uncommon case of immunoglobulin gamma 4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) presenting as meningitis and panuveitis. Observations. A 35-year-old male with no prior ophthalmic history presented with headaches, altered mental status, and fever of unknown origin. A lumbar puncture (LP) revealed an elevated white count with lymphocytic predominance, confirming a suspected meningitis. After an extensive work-up, he was discharged on oral acyclovir to cover for presumed aseptic meningitis. The patient initially improved, however, bilateral eye pain, redness, and photophobia 2 weeks after discharge prompted his first visit to the ophthalmology clinic. Exam at that time was consistent with bilateral anterior uveitis for which he was given topical prednisolone and cyclopentolate. In addition to the preceding work-up, quantitative immunoglobulin serology including IgG4 levels was added. At follow-up, he was found to have increased ocular inflammation with vitreitis, nerve head edema, and subclinical macular thickening. Visual acuity (VA) had decreased in both eyes. Serology titers for IgG had resulted in a significant elevation in IgG subclass 4 (IgG4). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) confirmed posterior retinal involvement. The patient was diagnosed with presumed bilateral panuveitis secondary to IgG4-ROD. Conclusions and Importance. IgG4-RD can be a serious condition that requires careful consideration and intuition to diagnose. This report serves to encourage ophthalmologists to consider IgG4-ROD in cases of idiopathic systemic inflammation with ophthalmic involvement.
Cell surface vimentin-positive circulating tumor cell-based relapse prediction in a long-term longitudinal study of postremission neuroblastoma patients.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a deadly childhood disease that carries a 50% chance of relapse for anyone in remission and similar level of 5-year survival. We investigated the value of our proprietary approach-cell surface vimentin (CSV) positive circulating tumor cells (CTC) to monitor treatment response and predict relapse in NB patients under remission in a Phase II long-term preventative clinical trial. We longitudinally analyzed peripheral blood samples from 93 patients for 27 cycles (~25 months) and discovered that the presence of CSV+ CTCs in the first two sequential samples (baseline, cycle 4 [month 3-4]) was a significant indicator of earlier relapse. We observed strong correlation between relapse-free survival (RFS) and lack of CSV+ CTCs in first 4 cycles of therapy (95%). There was sensitivity reaching 100% in predicting RFS in patients who had neither CSV+ CTCs nor MycN amplification. Of note, the low number of CSV+ CTCs seems equivalent to low tumor load because the prevention therapy difluoromethylornithine yields faster reduction of relapse risk when none or only 1-2 CSV+ CTCs (every 6 mL) are present in the blood samples compared to >3 CSV+ CTCs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that directly observes CTCs in under remission NB patients for relapse prediction and the first to gather sequential CSV+ CTC data in any study in a long-term longitudinal manner.
Impact of a Pharmacist-Driven Protocol to Improve Guideline-Concordant Prescribing of Diabetes Medications in Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Pilot Study:

Purpose:To determine whether a pharmacist-driven protocol improves guideline-concordant prescribing of diabetes medications in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).Methods:A...
Baltimore Orioles, Inc. V. Major League Baseball Players Association: The Right of Publicity in Game Performances and Federal Copyright Preemption

This Note focuses on the Seventh Circuit's holding that federal copyright law preempts players' state law rights of publicity in their game performances. Part I outlines the procedural history of the Baltimore Orioles litigation to explain how the court reached a decision without addressing the underlying contract claim. It then discusses the right of publicity and its relationship to professional athletes. Next, it summarizes requirements for federal copyright preemption. The remaining parts of this Note evaluate the validity of the Baltimore Orioles holding that federal copyright law preempts the state right of publicity. Part II analyzes the copyrightability preemption requirement as applied to (1) players' performances, and (2) videotapes of performances. Part III examines equivalency, the second condition of preemption, under three different methodologies: legislative history review, the ‘additional element’ test, and ‘nature of the right’ analysis. Part IV gives an overview of courts' positions on federal preemption of state right of publicity actions since the enactment of section 301(a) of the Copyright Act. Finally, this Note assesses the Baltimore Orioles decision's potential impact on right of publicity protection for athletes and other professional performers.
Racial and Regional Disparities in Utilization and Outcomes of Heart Transplant: An Analysis of Nis Database

Purpose Heart transplant remains the therapy of choice in patients with end stage heart failure. However, the benefit of heart transplant is not uniform across all ethnicities. Studies done previously showed poor outcomes in Black patients if heart transplant was performed at less experienced centers. We aim to evaluate the racial and regional disparities in heart transplantation irrespective of performing center. Methods Patients who underwent heart transplantation between 2010 and 2017 were selected from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample. Race was classified as Caucasians vs African Americans (AA) vs Hispanics and the outcomes were mortality, length of stay and hospital cost. One-way ANOVA test was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 3137 patients who underwent heart transplantation were included in the analysis. Among this, 67% is Caucasians, 22.6% is AA and 10.3% is Hispanics. Caucasian heart transplant recipients were older, had higher rate of males and coronary artery disease. AA heart transplant recipients had higher rate of females and more frequently had median income in the lowest quartile but with lower rates of coronary artery disease. Hispanic heart transplant recipients were younger and with lower comorbidity index. Outcomes was adjusted for comorbidity index. In-hospital mortality following the heart transplant procedure was 5.3% in Caucasians compared to 6.6% in AA and 6.2% in Hispanics (p=0.28). Median length of stay was 23 days in Caucasians vs 25 days in AA vs 27 days in Hispanics (p=0.07). Median hospital billed cost in Caucasians was $563,438 compared to $584,221 in AA and $720,934 in Hispanics. (p Conclusion Regionally in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in Northeast and higher hospital costs in west region compared to other regions. Among various ethnic groups, there was no difference in mortality but there was significant difference in median hospital cost.
The Effects of Race/Ethnicity and Physician Recommendation for Physical Activity on Physical Activity Levels and Arthritis Symptoms Among Adults With Arthritis

BACKGROUND Among U.S. adults with physician-diagnosed arthritis, we examined the association of 1) participant race/ethnicity with meeting physical activity guidelines and arthritis symptoms, and 2) the association of receipt of a physician exercise recommendation with physical activity levels and arthritis symptoms, and whether race/ethnicity moderates these associations. METHODS Retrospective, cross-sectional study of National Health Interview Survey pooled data from 2002, 2006, 2009, and 2014 from 27,887 U.S. adults aged ≥18 years with arthritis. Outcomes were meeting aerobic (yes/no) and strengthening guidelines (yes/no), arthritis-associated activity limitations (yes/no) and arthritis-related pain (0-10; higher score = more pain). Predictors were race/ethnicity (White, African American, Latino, and Asian) and receipt of physician recommendation for exercise (yes/no). Covariates included demographic and health characteristics. RESULTS Adjusting for covariates, African Americans were more likely (AOR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.12, 1.43) and Asians were less likely (AOR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.61, 0.92) than Whites to meet muscle strengthening activity guidelines. Compared to Whites, African Americans (B = 0.48; 95% CI 0.24, 0.72) and Latinos (B = 0.44; 95% CI 0.15, 0.72) reported more severe, while Asians reported less severe (B = -0.68; 95% CI -1.22, - 0.14) joint pain. Controlling for covariates, physician exercise recommendation was associated with meeting aerobic (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.11, 1.30) and strengthening (AOR = 1.21; 95% CI 1.11, 1.33) guidelines, regardless of race/ethnicity except for a weak negative association with meeting strengthening guidelines (AOR = 0.85; CI 0.74-0.99) among Latinos. CONCLUSIONS Disparities in pain exist for African Americans and Latinos with arthritis. Physician exercise recommendation is critical among patients with arthritis to relieve symptom burden.
A macrophage attack culminating in microthromboses characterizes COVID 19 pneumonia.

Introduction A neutrophilic infiltrate characterizes bacterial pneumonia. Macrophage infiltration is similarly characteristic of the viral pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. These infiltrating macrophages, while phagocytic and capable of engulfing virus laden alveolar cells, are also rich in tissue factor-a thromboplastin. This prothrombotic aspect likely explains how a respiratory virus whose malign effects should be confined to the oropharynx, bronchi and lungs, can cause a panoply of extra-pulmonary organ disorders. Elevated ferritin levels in ICU Covid 19 patients, and elevated acute phase proteins suggest immune overreaction. Elevated d-dimers implicate clotting as well. This evidence links hyperactive innate immunity (macrophage lung infiltrates) with the elevated levels of oligomeric fibrin present in the bloodstream of these patients. Methods An in-house assay measuring oligomeric (soluble) fibrin (also referred to as soluble fibrin monomer complexes or SFMC) in whole blood, previously developed for monitoring incipient disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) during liver transplantation, was made available to COVID ICU attendings. Since SFMC constitutes the input to intravascular fibrin clots and d-dimer reflects fibrin clot dissolution, it was thought that the two tests, run in tandem along with assays of immune activation, might clarify the frequency and possibly the cause of DIC in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Results Classical DIC with intravascular clotting and thrombocytopenia was documented only rarely. However, early in the pandemic shortly after the assay was made available, it identified three patients undergoing acute defibrination. In each patient virtually all of the body's fibrinogen was transformed into SFMC over 3-4 days and deposited somewhere in the vasculature without any gross clots being detected. Conclusions Three COVID-19 patients with evidence of a hyperactive immune response (elevated ferritin and acute phase proteins) defibrinated while blood levels of SFMC were being monitored. SFMC levels that were five times higher than normal appeared in the circulation during the defibrination process. SFMC at these levels may precipitate as showers of microclots, damaging heart, kidney, brain, and so forth.
Open Problem: Learning Quantum Circuits with Queries

We pose an open problem on the complexity of learning the behavior of a quantum circuit with value injection queries. We dene the learning model for quantum circuits and give preliminary results. Using the test-path lemma of Angluin et al. (2009a), we show that new ideas are likely needed to tackle value injection queries for the quantum setting.
Experimental Searches for Slowly-Moving Magnetic Monopoles

The mythological Dirac monopole has been the object of experimental searches for nearly 50 years. In its modern context (since grand unified theories) it is massive and primordial. Experimentally, such an object should be slow (with solar or galactic escape velocity) and possibly very lightly ionizing. In the flurry of excitement surrounding B. Cabrera’s observations of last spring, 1 many groups attempted to observe or set limits on the flux of slow monopoles with “traditional” electronic particle detectors—plastic scintillators or proportional wire chambers. These experiments are the main subject of this talk, since older searches for relativistic monopoles, for monopoles at rest, etc., have recently been reviewed elsewhere.2,3 There have also been improvements in the theory of ionization by slowly-moving monopoles, and new looks at astrophysical limits. As a result, a new generation of electronic detectors is being developed which take advantage of the theoretical improvements and with sufficient aperture to improve upon astrophysical limits.
Pausing as an operant: Choice and discriminated responding

The effects of intermittent schedules of reinforcement for pausing were evaluated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, across a series of conditions, a variable-interval (VI) baseline schedule, in which pigeons' key pecks produced food, alternated with conditions in which food was delivered according to a concurrent VI (for key pecking) tandem variable-time differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) 5-s schedule. Time spent pausing within a session was proportional to the reinforcement rates associated with the tandem schedule. To examine the control of pausing by antecedent events, Experiment 2 arranged a multiple schedule in which pecking and pausing in either component were maintained according to concurrent schedules like those used in the first experiment. The availability of reinforcement for pausing was signaled in one component while signals uncorrelated with reinforcement were presented in the other. Signaled reinforcement for pausing, relative to the presentation of uncorrelated signals, decreased time spent pausing, a finding consistent with existing research on the effects of signaled VI reinforcement for key pecking in pigeons. The results of the two experiments show that pausing functions as an operant in much the same way that discrete responses, like key pecks, do, and that pausing and other operants are similarly affected by both antecedent and consequent events.
A Prototype for Adaptive Association of Street Names with Streets on Maps

We present work in progress on the development of a partially-automated system for interpretation of map images. The principal aim of our project is to demonstrate that an adaptive system can decrease operator intervention with increasing conversion volume. The extracted information is evaluated against an established database. The current level of automation yields a 35% saving in operator time over manual entry. A further 30% appears achievable with known techniques.
Stereochemistry of olefins—X: Optically active charge-transfer absorption of π-molecular complexes

Abstract The sign of the Cotton Effect has been related to the chirality of a series of π-molecular complexes of olefins with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE).
Tradeoffs for Multi-Rate Controller Design and Exact Comparisons With Single-Rate Control

In [2] it was shown that, for many specifications of engineering interest, linear controller design is a convex optimization problem. For a simple plant, and for two robustness measures and an RMS noise merit figure, Barratt and Boyd used convex optimization in [4] to compute performance trade off curves showing the best performance achievable with any linear singlerate digital controller. In this paper show how the theory of multi-rate lifts and convex optimization can be used to calculate linear multi-rate performance tradeoff curves for the same plant considered in [4]. The performance differences that can be obtained with multi-rate sampling are exposed, and a simple exact comparison between multi-rate and single-rate sampling is possible.
Electrophilic displacement reactions

Abstract The kinetics of the protonolysis in methanol containing 4% water of nine acyclic allyltins and four cyclic allyltins have been measured and activation parameters computed from the temperature dependence on rate. Structural variations represented include changes in the substituents on the tin atom, substitution on the allyl group, and ring size. Primary solvent kinetic isotope effects have also been determined for a selected group of substrates. These reveal that the proton transfer occurs in the rate determining step of the reaction. The effects of the structural variations on rate are discussed in terms of the activation parameters.