cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The top 10 things foot and ankle specialists wish every primary care physician knew.

Foot and ankle problems are common complaints of patients presenting to primary care physicians. These problems range from minor disorders, such as ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, bunions, and ingrown toenails, to more serious conditions such as Charcot arthropathy and Achilles tendon rupture. Early recognition and treatment of foot and ankle problems are imperative to avoid associated morbidities. Primary care physicians can address many of these complaints successfully but should be cognizant of which patients should be referred to a foot and ankle specialist to prevent common short-term and long-term complications. This article provides evidence-based pearls to assist primary care physicians in providing optimal care for their patients with foot and ankle complaints.
A Nomogram to Predict Distant Metastases After Multimodality Therapy for Patients With Localized Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND Among patients with localized esophageal cancer (LEC), 35% or more develop distant metastases (DM) as first relapse, most in the first 24 months after local therapy. Implementation of novel strategies may be possible if DM can be predicted reliably. We hypothesized that clinical variables could help generate a DM nomogram. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with LEC who completed multimodality therapy were analyzed. Various statistical methods were used, including multivariate analysis to generate a nomogram. A concordance index (c-index) was established and validated using the bootstrap method. RESULTS Among 629 patients analyzed (356 trimodality/273 bimodality), 36% patients developed DM as first relapse. The median overall survival from DM was only 8.6 months (95% CI, 7.0-10.2). In a multivariate analysis, the variables associated with a higher risk for developing DM were poorly differentiated histology (hazard ratio [HR], 1.76; P<.0001), baseline T3/T4 primary (HR, 3.07; P=.0006), and baseline N+ LEC (HR, 2.01; P<.0001). Although variables associated with a lower risk for DM were age of 60 years or older (HR, 0.75; P=.04), squamous cell carcinoma (HR, 0.54; P=.013), and trimodality therapy (HR, 0.58; P=.0001), the bias-corrected c-index was 0.67 after 250 bootstrap resamples. CONCLUSIONS Our nomogram identified patients with LEC who developed DM with a high probability. The model needs to be refined (tumor and blood biomarkers) and validated. This type of model will allow implementation of novel strategies in patients with LEC.
Role of Receptor Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase γ in Sensing Extracellular CO2 and HCO3

Regulation of blood pH-critical for virtually every facet of life-requires that the renal proximal tubule (PT) adjust its rate of H(+) secretion (nearly the same as the rate of HCO3 (-) reabsorption, JHCO3 ) in response to changes in blood [CO2] and [HCO3 (-)]. Yet CO2/HCO3 (-) sensing mechanisms remain poorly characterized. Because receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors render JHCO3 in the PT insensitive to changes in CO2 concentration, we hypothesized that the structural features of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase-γ (RPTPγ) that are consistent with binding of extracellular CO2 or HCO3 (-) facilitate monitoring of blood CO2/HCO3 (-) concentrations. We now report that PTs express RPTPγ on blood-facing membranes. Moreover, RPTPγ deletion in mice eliminated the CO2 and HCO3 (-) sensitivities of JHCO3 as well as the normal defense of blood pH during whole-body acidosis. Thus, RPTPγ appears to be a novel extracellular CO2/HCO3 (-) sensor critical for pH homeostasis.
Sunflower Moth: Feeding Behavior of the Larva

A study of feeding behavior for the larva of the sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst) on ‘Hybrid 896’ sunflower showed that 1st instars fed predominantly on pollen. Second-instar larvae also ate pollen, but they fed significantly more (5% level) on corollas than did 1st instars. It was not until the 3rd instar that larvae fed significantly on floral ovaries. Twelve, 15, and 18 days after infestation the number of ovaries damaged averaged 8.2, 19.6, and 22.8/larva, respectively, and whole floret destruction averaged 24, 54.8, and 95.5/larva, respectively. These results show that management strategies should be directed at 1st- and 2nd-instar larvae, and that the development of sunflower cultivars having floral toxicants would be an ideal resistance mechanism for reducing damage by larger larvae of the sunflower moth.
O2-S4.03 The cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination of females over age 12 years in the USA

Background Although the recommended age for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination of females is 11 to 12 years in the USA, catch-up" vaccination is recommended for females aged 13–26 years who have not been previously vaccinated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of catch-up vaccination strategies for females aged 13–30 years in the USA. Method We revised and updated a previously-published, spreadsheet-based model of HPV vaccination to estimate the costs and benefits of female HPV vaccination. The health outcomes we included were: cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, genital warts, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, and HPV associated cancers (cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, oropharyngeal, and penile). We examined the cost-effectiveness of catch-up vaccination for three age groups: ages 13–21 years, ages 21–26 years, and ages 27 to 30 years. We examined a 100-year time horizon. Routine vaccination of 12 year olds was assumed to occur in all 100 years, with coverage set at 20%, 30%, or 75%. The annual probability of receiving catch-up vaccination was 5% for ages 13 to 18 years and 1.25% for ages 19 years and older. The duration of the catch-up vaccination program was varied from 1 to 20 years. Results Catch-up vaccination generally became less cost-effective as routine coverage increased and as the duration of the catch-up program increased. When vaccine coverage and the duration of the catch-up program were varied (and all other parameters were set to their base case values), the incremental cost per QALY gained by extending the duration of catch-up vaccination ranged from $5000 to $40 000 for ages 13 to 21, from $50 000 to $85 000 for ages 21 to 26, and was >$140 000 for ages 27 to 30 years. The relatively favourable cost-effectiveness ratios for vaccination of ages 13 to 21 years and the relatively unfavourable cost-effectiveness ratios for vaccination of ages 27 to 30 years were consistent regardless of routine vaccine coverage and the duration of the catch-up vaccine program. Conclusion Our preliminary findings support the current recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) for female vaccination. However, although catch-up vaccination for ages 21 to 26 years might be considered cost-effective now, the cost per QALY gained by catch-up vaccination may increase as time goes by and as vaccine coverage increases.
ATRIAL SEPTAL ANEURYSM AND CHIARI NETWORK ARE NOT INNOCENT BYSTANDERS: ASSOCIATION WITH CARDIOMYOPATHY, CARDIAC CONDUCTION ABNORMALITIES, AND ARRHYTHMIAS EXIST

Chiari network and atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) are considered “normal” anatomic variants though ASA has been associated with embolic events. The relationship of these variants with cardiomyopathy, cardiac conduction abnormalities and arrhythmias has not been described. From all adult patients
A metamaterial transmission/reflection method based on bi-directional coupling compensation

Ignoring the coupling effect between metamaterial unit cells,traditional transmission/reflection method shows error in calculating the effective electromagnetic parameters.To address this issue,this paper discusses the coupling and compensation method of unit cells in different directions,and proposes an improved transmission/reflection method based on bidirectional coupling compensation.The results of this improved method indicate that comparing with traditional methods,this method can effectively predict multiple resonant regions,and calculate electromagnetic parameters of the whole material more accurately.The simulation results fit well with the results by using Ansoft HFSS software,but the corresponding computing time and hardware requirements of this method are obviously reduced due to the application of local modeling computation.
Incidence of Measles Trend and Immunization Strategy in Anding District from 1986 to 2009

OBJECTIVE To know my area and its epidemiological characteristics of measles immunization strategies on the incidence of measles,the enhanced control measures to achieve the planned target to eliminate measles.METHODS Descriptive epidemiology of measles epidemic on the strength of three of its distribution and impact of immunization strategy.RESULTS 1986—2009 24 years cumulative incidence of 845 cases of measles,the annual average incidence rate was 7.95/10 million,the total incidence rate was significantly decreased.CONCLUSION The current focus of the work to eliminate measles:maintaining high routine immunization of measles vaccine inoculation rate;focus on the two-pin measles vaccination rate and the full rate of timely issues;measles vaccine immunization is another important strategy to eliminate measles,vaccination must be guaranteed rate of implementation indicators;consider women of childbearing age and adult problems of measles vaccine.Further improve measles surveillance,provide the basis for the elimination of measles.
Speed of Ca2+ channel modulation by neurotransmitters in rat sympathetic neurons.

Zhou, Jiuying, Mark S. Shapiro, and Bertil Hille. Speed of Ca2+ channel modulation by neurotransmitters in rat sympathetic neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 2040–2048, 1997. We have measured the onset ...
Diffusion Model for Electrolytic Reduction of Uranium Oxides in a Molten LiCl-Li2O Salt

In this study, a diffusion-based kinetic model essential for design and operational analysis of spent nuclear fuel reduction has been developed. The model considers the cathode side of the system t...
Comment on "No evidence of displacement due to wind turbines in breeding grassland songbirds"

ABSTRACT A recent article published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications by Hale et al. (2014) is entitled, “No evidence of displacement due to wind turbines in breeding grassland songbirds.” The conclusion stated in that title, unfortunately, is based on inappropriate statistical analysis of data collected by the authors. In fact, their data provide evidence of potential displacement by wind turbines in 2 of the 3 species considered.
itsblue: A Bluetooth-Based Framework for Intersection Management ITS Applications

Insufficient intersection management is one of the top congestion causes. Intersection performance enhancement requires its usage data and statistics, such as vehicle queue lengths, waiting times, etc. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) provide transportation researchers and engineers with access to such data. However, the majority of the state of the art ITS are expensive, hard to maintain or inadequate. Over the last decade, the widely spread mobile devices and vehicles have become heavily equipped with wireless communication technologies like Bluetooth, which is broadly adopted to address variety of challenges due to its popularity and simplicity. Yet, Bluetooth utilization in ITS is limited. In this paper, we present itsBlue, a Bluetooth-based framework that utilizes Bluetooth advantages to collect Bluetooth data from off-the-shelf road users devices and extract their features to provide ITS applications with required statistics and information. itsBlue is a cost-effective framework for intersection management ITS applications that overcomes recent practices drawbacks such as installation complications and third-party application requirement. The evaluation showed itsBlue ability to provide intersection management ITS applications with reliable information.
The Tension Matrix and the Concept of Elemental Decomposition: Improving Identification of Conflicting Requirements

Conventional approaches to system design use requirements as boundary conditions against which the design activity occurs. Decisions at a given level of the architecture decomposition can result in a flowing down of conflicting requirements, which are easy to fulfill in isolation but extremely difficult when dealt with simultaneously. Designing against such sets of requirements considerably limits system affordability. Conventional approaches to identifying these conflicts are either time efficient, yet ineffective, or effective, but time consuming. This paper proposes a novel method that sits between those extremes. It enables quick identification of conflicts, while still maintaining a good level of effectiveness. The proposed method, which is called the tension matrix, is built on three pillars: 1) heuristics to identify conflicting requirements, aimed at reducing completeness uncertainty; 2) targeted modeling; and 3) elemental decomposition. The effectiveness of the method was validated with a case study, on which a combination of retrospective assessment with a prospective analysis was employed. The results confirmed that the proposed tension matrix and the concept of elemental decomposition provide higher levels of effectiveness in identifying conflicting requirements, before initiating architectural or design activities, than conventional approaches.
Communication training for scientists and engineers: A framework for highlighting principles common to written, oral, and visual communication

Engineers and scientists need to be skilled in writing, speaking, and using visuals. This paper explores how instruction in communication can draw upon principles common across modes of communication. I first survey guidelines for the design of scholarly posters and categorize the types of advice they provide. Second, I use the categories of advice to develop a framework which highlights principles of communication common to written, oral, and visual communication. This framework should help instructors to (1) identify opportunities for facilitating the transfer of communication skills among modes and contexts, and (2) to balance instruction between fundamental principles of communication and techniques specific to a mode or software tool.
VoxPL: Programming with the Wisdom of the Crowd

Having a crowd estimate a numeric value is the original inspiration for the notion of "the wisdom of the crowd." Quality control for such estimated values is challenging because prior, consensus-based approaches for quality control in labeling tasks are not applicable in estimation tasks. We present VoxPL, a high-level programming framework that automatically obtains high-quality crowdsourced estimates of values. The VoxPL domain-specific language lets programmers concisely specify complex estimation tasks with a desired level of confidence and budget. VoxPL's runtime system implements a novel quality control algorithm that automatically computes sample sizes and obtains high quality estimates from the crowd at low cost. To evaluate VoxPL, we implement four estimation applications, ranging from facial feature recognition to calorie counting. The resulting programs are concise---under 200 lines of code---and obtain high quality estimates from the crowd quickly and inexpensively.
Penn's Sylvania: "A Holy Experiment"

In 1681, King Charles II of England granted land in the New World to William Penn. The colony which Penn established, Pennsylvania, was a unique social experiment in religious liberty that lasted for seventy-five years. In order to understand Penn's experiment, and its impact, it is necessary to look at two factors. The first is Penn's convincement to Quakerism, in the face of societal and parental opposition. 1 The second is the unique friendship he enjoyed with the Stuart monarchs--his radical religious views notwithstanding. Penn's ideologies shaped the character of the colony which later became the center pf the fledgling government of the United States of America. Penn's "holy experiment", as he called it, became the proving ground for religious tolerance and individual liberty.
Abstract 1268: Bitter melon efficacy against human pancreatic cancer cells: possible involvement of cellular stemness and metabolome targets

Pancreatic cancer (PanC) has a dismal 5-year survival rate of Citation Format: Deepanshi Dhar, Gagan Deep, Sushil Kumar, Chapla Agarwal, Natalie Serkova, Michael Wempe, Komal Raina, Rajesh Agarwal. Bitter melon efficacy against human pancreatic cancer cells: possible involvement of cellular stemness and metabolome targets [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1268. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1268
Lanthanum-containing ternary solid solutions with the NaZn 13 -, ThMn 12 -and Th 2 Zn 17 -type crystal structures. Pt. I. Lattice dimensions and magnetic property analysis

Phase equilibria and extensions of solid solutions based on the binary La-phases of the NaZn 13 , ThMn 12 , and Th 2 Zn 17 structure types in several ternary systems are described. In the La-Fe-Al system, besides the ternary phases with the above given structure types, three other ternary phases of unresolved structures are obtained at compositions La 5 Fe 6 Al 4 , LaFe 2 Al 10 and La 2 Fe 2 Al 15 . The phase LaCo 13 (NaZn 13 ) dissolves up to 5.5 atoms of Fe per formula unit in place of Co leading to a steady increase of lattice parameter. Ternary phases with unresolved crystal structures are encountered in the La-Co-Fe alloys, one near LaCo 5 and another near the 2:17 stoichiometry. Likewise, LaCo 13 dissolves up to 3 atoms of Al per formula unit in place of Co. However, it dissolves very little, < 1 atom each of Mn, Cu, or Ni. Possibly two different Th 2 Zn 17 -type phases, one on the Co-rich side and the other on the Mn-rich side, occur in the La-Co-Mn alloys. Addition of Fe to LaCu 13 (NaZn 13 ) possibly leads to structural distortions. LaFe 9 Al 4 (NaZn 13 ) is softly ferromagnetic at 77 K; its Curie temperature is around 170 K. The La (Co, X) 13 solid solution phases with Fe and Al have much stronger ferromagnetic moments even at room temperature. The ThMn 12 -type phase in the La-Fe-Al system and the Mn-rich Th 2 Zn 17 -type phase in the La-Co-Mn system are weakly paramagnetic at room temperature.
An Adjoint-Based Forecast Impact from Assimilating MISR Winds into the GEOS-5 Data Assimilation and Forecasting System

AbstractThis study examines the benefit of assimilating cloud motion vector (CMV) wind observations obtained from the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) within a Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), configuration of the Goddard Earth Observing System-5 (GEOS-5) model data assimilation system (DAS). Available in near–real time (NRT) and with a record dating back to 1999, MISR CMVs boast pole-to-pole coverage and geometric height assignment that is complementary to the suite of atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) included in the MERRA-2 standard. Experiments spanning September–November of 2014 and March–May of 2015 estimated relative MISR CMV impact on the 24-h forecast error reduction with an adjoint-based forecast sensitivity method. MISR CMV were more consistently beneficial and provided twice as large a mean forecast benefit when larger uncertainties were assigned to the less accurate component of the CMV oriented along the MISR satellite ground tr...
Hydromorphone use for acute pain: Misconceptions, controversies, and risks

Hydromorphone (HM) is a potent opioid analgesic that is commonly administered in the emergency department (ED) and other acute care settings, such as medical surgical wards. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the ED administration of HM relative to other opioids. Although HM is an effective analgesic, its use has been commonly implicated in adverse drug events and medication errors. In addition, intravenous HM has potent euphoric effects that may contribute to its abuse liability. There are limited data regarding how acute parenteral administration of opioid analgesics in the setting of high rates of preexisting chronic opioid use (medical or nonmedical) may contribute to or reinforce addictive behavior, making the potential contribution of rising HM administration to subsequent prescription opioid abuse and overdose uncertain. This review addresses the pharmacology of HM, recommended dosing, its efficacy for acute pain, as well as its tolerability, safety, and abuse profiles. Controversies and strategies for appropriate use of this medication are also described.
A Bibliographic Note and Bibliography on Bakhtinian Studies in Poetry

The “Bibliographic Note and Bibliography on Bakhtinian Studies in Poetry” contains a brief bibliographical note on the subject matter, followed by a bibliography with more than 160 entries. The Note describes the content of the Bibliography, the consensus in the scholarship on Bakhtin’s theory of poetry, and my reconsideration of that agreement in my dissertation: "A Bakhtinian Reading of a Selection of Poems by Holderlin and Whitman” (Purdue University 2010; DAI-A 72/03). The relationship between my Bibliography and the Analytical Database of the Bakhtin Centre is also sketched. The Bibliography, the largest of its kind, should be an invaluable resource for scholars.
Managing Risk Using Renewable Energy Technologies

This paper investigates the potential of owning renewable energy technologies to mitigate risk faced by the electric utility industry. It considers the effect of market structure on the plant ownership decision and how the attributes of renewable energy technologies can help to manage risk. Explicit consideration is given to the renewable energy technology’s attributes of fuel costs, environmental costs, modularity, lead time, location flexibility, availability, initial capital costs, and investment reversibility. It concludes that renewable energy technologies, particularly the modular technologies such as photovoltaics and wind, have the potential to provide decision makers with physical risk-management investments.
Reflection symmetry of a sphere’s internal field and its consequences on scattering: behavior of the Stokes parameters

In this chapter we examine the reflection symmetries of the field inside a spherical particle. Consequences of this symmetry are identified that relate to the angular behavior of the far-field scattered wave’s polarization state. To do this, a connection between the internal and scattered waves is developed in terms of a microphysical model in which each volume element in a particle is associated with a wavelet contributing to the scattered wave. The influence of the symmetry manifests through cancellation between vector-components of the wavelets at points in the planes defining the symmetry. Thus, a conceptual explanation emerges accounting for aspects of the angular structure of the polarization state. The utility of this explanation is demonstrated by predicting features in the polarimetric behavior of nonspherical particles, even though such particles are beyond the mathematical scope of the initial analysis. Specifically, the angular degree of linear polarization is shown to differ from that of the incident wave for a Rayleigh-sized, absorbent, spheroidal particle provided that its orientation breaks the reflection symmetry present for a spherical particle. If however, this same particle is symmetrically oriented, the degree of linear polarization does not change.
A40 Session 11: Cardiovascular Disease Intervention

Introduction Presently pulmonary vein (PV) occlusion (OCCL), ice formation and thickness monitoring is lacking. It was hypothesized that measurement of the impedance (Imp) and temperature (T) at the front of the Cryo balloon can be calibrated to measure PV OCCL, ice formation and thickness. Methods One mm thick ring electrode and Thermocouple sensor were placed on the balloon shaft adjacent to the anterior surface of the balloon with a reference electrode behind it. Continuous Imp (using 12.5 kHz electrical current) and T measurements were made throughout Cryo in a T constant bath, constant 5 mmHg pressure perfused superior vena cava (SVC) – right atrium (RA) setup and intact hearts’ PV (2 pigs and 2 canine). Ice thickness was assessed with 1.5–3.6 MHz ultrasound transducer and directly in the SVC circulating bath. Electrical isolation was used to define efficacy in the intact hearts. Results As shown in the figure below, circumferential OCCL caused the Imp to rise rapidly with T crossing the 0 °C mark beginning 60 s (sec) into Cryo and continued until saturation at 2000 ohms ( Ω ) and −37.8 ± 3.3 °C at 120 ± 25 s. Without OCCL, Imp did not rise above 500 Ω, with the T reaching only −9.2 ± 12.1 °C. Ice thickness was measured on the epicardial SVC tissues growing significantly starting at 60 s. into Cryo before stabilizing at 3 ± 0.5 mm. Impedance rose 950 Ω in chronic PV sleeve ablations. (Panel B). Conclusion 1. The use of Imp and distal T provides evidence of OCCL. 2. Ice thickness correlates with Imp if OCCL is present. 3. PV isolation was achieved with 3 mm of ice formation and Imp rise of >2000 Ω. Download : Download full-size image
Islet encapsulation with tannic acid-containing nanothin coatings modulates immune responses and restores euglycemia upon islet transplantation

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting in pancreatic b-cell lysis via reactive oxygen species (ROS), pro-inflammatory cytokines, and islet-infiltrating leukocytes. One promising treatment for T1D is islet transplantation, but its clinical application is constrained due to islet availability, adverse effects of immunosuppressants on islet function, and declining graft survival. Islet encapsulation may provide an immunoprotective barrier to aid in preserving function and curbing immune-mediated rejection post transplantation. We previously demonstrated that a cytoprotective nanothin multilayer coating consisting of tannic acid (TA), an immunomodulatory antioxidant, and poly (N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVPON), curtailed immune responses involved in transplant rejection. We hypothesized that (PVPON/TA) coating may hinder the synthesis of redox-sensitive chemokines that recruit immune cells to sites of islet engraftment and blunt ROS-dependent cues necessary for M1 macrophage differentiation. (PVPON/TA) coatings elicited a 7-fold decrease in M1 macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory chemokines CCL5 and CXCL10, blunted M1 macrophage activation markers, and curbed diabetogenic CD4 T cell migration approximately 2-fold. Importantly, murine islet encapsulation with (PVPON/TA) material restored euglycemia in immunodeficient-diabetic mice post transplantation. Our studies demonstrate that (PVPON/TA) multilayer coatings represent a promising immunomodulatory biomaterial for islet transplantation. Future studies will evaluate the efficiency of PVPON/TA coated islets in curbing hyperglycemia by allotransplantation into diabetic rodent models.
Rethinking professional quality of life for social workers: Inclusion of ecological self-care barriers

This study conducted a survey among social workers in a mid-Atlantic state in the U.S. and examined the relationship between self-care behaviors, self-care barriers and compassion satisfaction, bur...
A case for direct seeding of woody species on highway roadsides.

The use of woody species on highway rights-of-way is a long standing practice which is coming under closer scrutiny as costs of landscape materials and maintenance increase. Direct-seeding of woody...
Comparisons of ISO depth of cure for a resin composite in stainless‐steel and natural‐tooth molds

The purpose of this study was to compare the depth of cure (DOC) of a resin-based composite (RBC) using the ISO DOC protocol with stainless-steel and molar-tooth molds (4 mm cylindrical cavity). The tooth mold included testing with and without the occlusal surface being covered with black tape around the cavity opening. The RBC was cured with either halogen (HAL) or light-emitting diode (LED) light. The results showed that specimens made in the non-taped tooth mold had DOCs that were significantly greater (28%-35%) than those in the stainless-steel mold. The taped tooth mold also produced significantly greater DOCs, but only by 6%-8%. Knoop hardness (KNH) measurements along the central axis of the RBC specimens showed that depths for 80% of maximum hardness were substantially greater than those determined by the ISO DOC protocol but were limited to the center and quickly dropped below 80% in a lateral direction. The KHN mapping for each of the three molds found that the ISO DOCs could validate a KHN of ≥80% across the RBC to the periphery, only for the non-taped tooth mold. This was due to light incident on the tooth surrounding the RBC being scattered into the RBC.
Auto-Regulation of Leptin Neurobiology.

The clinical use of the hormone leptin, a key regulator of food intake, to treat the most common instances of obesity has so far failed. In this issue, Zhao et al. (2019) report that, paradoxically, reducing leptin levels in obese mice increases their sensitivity to the concentrations that remain, and leads to reductions in weight gain, thus suggesting why these earlier trials may have failed and possibly a new approach to treating obesity.
Endoscopic spine surgery-increasing usage and prominence in mainstream spine surgery and spine societies.

While Dr. Parvis Kambin described the first endoscopic view of the herniated disc in 1988, technical and technological limitations prevented initial widespread adoption of spinal endoscopy (1). However, shortly thereafter, Dr. Kambin’s description of the safe working zone, Kambin’s triangle (2), helped to establish the viability of endoscopic and other minimally invasive spinal surgical (MISS) techniques. A relatively rapid expansion in the number of relevant surgical techniques followed over the next several decades.
The Importance of Mental Imagery in Map Reading

How do we relate what we see in a map to the world around us? A map provides a bird’s eye view of an extended area with the spatial relationships presented in terms of two-dimensional euclidean geometry. As we look out into the world, we are presented with a horizontal or straight-on view of a limited area -- the extended view is usually cut off by buildings or trees or other objects, and the spatial relationships are presented in terms of perspective geometry. I am currently investigating how people translate between the bird’s eye view with two dimensional euclidean geometry and the horizontal or straight-on view with perspective geometry.
Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Rounding Practices

Aims and objectives To explore practitioner perspectives on the facilitators, barriers and outcomes associated with interdisciplinary rounding practices (IDR). Background Interdisciplinary rounding practices is frequently used intervention to promote collaboration and patient-centred care in hospital units. Previous research supports that having IDR in place can lead to greater perceptions of collaboration and practitioner satisfaction; however, the practice does not always lead to better outcomes for patients. For IDR to be successful, unit leadership needs a greater understanding of facilitators and barriers as perceived by team members. At both the individual and organisational levels, there is limited understanding on what influences the success of IDR. This study seeks to explore factors influencing interdisciplinary rounding and perceived outcomes by team members. Design A quasi-qualitative design was used to address the aim of this study. Four open-ended questions were emailed to practitioners across fifteen units in two academic health centres. All units identified as having IDR in place. Methods A directed content analysis of practitioner responses was used to identify key themes. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was consulted for reporting of the results. Results A total of 141 practitioners responded to the open-ended questions. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) setting the stage; (b) the work of the team; and 3) benefits to patient care. Conclusions The study provides a nuanced perspective of facilitators, barriers and potential outcomes associated with IDR. Future research is needed to gain additional perspective on the role the organisation plays in promoting a healthy workplace environment as well as providing patient-centred care. Relevance to clinical practice This study provides insight into facilitators and barriers to conducting interdisciplinary rounding practices in the inpatient setting. Results can be useful to unit leaders and staff that advocate for more collaborative and patient-centred rounding practices.
Deep learning-guided attenuation and scatter correction without using anatomical images in brain PET/MRI

Attenuation correction (AC) is essential component for quantitative PET imaging. However, in PET/MR imaging and dedicated brain PET devices, the attenuation map either suffers from a number of limitations or is not readily available in the absence of CT or transmission scan. To tackle this issue, a deep convolutional neural networks is proposed to perform joint attenuation and scatter correction in the image domain on the non-attenuation corrected PET images (PET-nonAC). The deep con-volutional neural network used in this work benefits from dilated convolutions and residual connections to establish an end-to-end PET attenuation correction (PET-DirAC). For the training phase, data of 30 patients who underwent brain 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were used to generate reference PET-CTAC and PET-nonAC images. A five-fold cross-validation scheme was used for training/evaluation of the proposed algorithm. The quantitative accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated against the commercial segmentation-based method (2-class AC map referred to as MRAC). For quantitative analysis, tracer uptake estimated from PET-DirAC and PET-MRAC was compared to PET-CTAC. The relative SUV bias was calculated for bone, soft-tissue, air cavities and the entire head, separately. The proposed approach resulted in a mean relative absolute error (MRAE) of 4.1±7.5% and 5.8±10.4% for the entire head and bone regions, respectively. Conversely, MRAC led to a MRAE of 8.1±10.2% and 17.2±6.1% for these two regions, respectively. A mean SUV difference of 0.3±0.6 was achieved when using the direct method (DirAC) while the MRAC approach led to a mean SUV difference of -0.5±0.7. The quantitative analysis demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed deep learning-based AC approach over MRI segmentation-based method. The proposed approach seems promising to improve the quantitative accuracy of PET/MRI without the need for concurrent anatomical imaging.
Financial burden of discarded weight-based cancer drugs to payers and patients in private insurance market.

7083Background: Studies assessing wastage of discarded weight (WT)-based cancer drugs (can-RX) derived their estimates from Medicare Average Sales Prices + 6% mark-up. With higher mark-ups, financi...
A comparative study between the operation age and result of 204 cases of arterial switch operation-a report of surgical experl-ence of 142patients who had missed operation age

Objeettve To investigate and compare the operation age on the surgical result in patients who received the arterial switch operation(ASO).Methods The ASO procesure was performed in 264 consecutive patients(194 males and 70 fe-males)frera May 2000 to stptember 2008.84 patients were diagnosed as transposition of the great arteries with intact ventricular septal (TGA/IVS),28 of them were≤0ricular sptal defect(TGA/VSD,31cases),or Taussing-Bing anomaly(TBA,50 cases).Among all the TGA/VSD and TBA patients,the age of 94 of them were≤6 months,86 of them were >6months.According to the operation age, 122 patients were within the optimal operaation age scope(TGA/IVS≤2 weeks,TGA/VSD、TBA≤6 months),142 patients missed the the optimal operation age(TGA/IVS>2 weeks,TGA/VSD、TBA>6 months).Operation approaches:ASO procedure was performed in all the TGA/IVS patients,among them the left ventricular training procedure was performed in an earlier stage in l8 patients whose ages were >2 weeks.VSD repair+ASO procedures were performed in all the TGA/VSD、TBA patients including4 patinents who had receuved pulmonary banding previously.Results 26 patients died after ASO,the overall mortality rate was 9.85%.Follow up [(29.5±7.6)months ] showed 2 patients who were >6 months'TGA/VSD died 2 months and l.5 years respectively after surgery, 1 patient received re-do operation for the pulmonary anastomotic stoma stenosis 1.5 years after ASO,all other survivals have no com-plications and death,cyanosis was significantly reduced,physical activities increased obviously.The moanlity rate of pastients who were within the optimal operation age scope was 13.11%,while the mortality rate of patients who had missed the optimal operation age scope was 7.04%.The overall mortality rate decreased from 19.09% to 03.25%(P<O.05)after Jaury 2006.In the while, for patients who within the optimal operation age scop,the mortality rate decreased for 22.64%to 5.80%(P<0.05);far patients who had missed the optimal operation age,the mortality rate decressed significantly from 15.79%to 1.18%(P<0.05).Conclusion Satisfactory result still can be acquired in patients who had missed the optimal surgery age . Key words: Transposition of greart vessels Tsussing-Bing anomaly Age Cardiac surgical procedures
Stepwise gating of the Sec61 protein-conducting channel by Sec63 and Sec62

Many proteins are transported into the endoplasmic reticulum by the universally conserved Sec61 channel. Post-translational transport requires two additional proteins, Sec62 and Sec63, but their functions are poorly defined. In the present study, we determined cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of several variants of Sec61-Sec62-Sec63 complexes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Thermomyces lanuginosus and show that Sec62 and Sec63 induce opening of the Sec61 channel. Without Sec62, the translocation pore of Sec61 remains closed by the plug domain, rendering the channel inactive. We further show that the lateral gate of Sec61 must first be partially opened by interactions between Sec61 and Sec63 in cytosolic and luminal domains, a simultaneous disruption of which completely closes the channel. The structures and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that Sec62 may also prevent lipids from invading the channel through the open lateral gate. Our study shows how Sec63 and Sec62 work together in a hierarchical manner to activate Sec61 for post-translational protein translocation.
Seronegative Arthritis as a Complication of Whipple's Disease.

Whipple’s disease (WD) is an uncommon cause of seronegative arthritis. WD is known for its gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. However, arthritis may precede gas...
Comparison and application of multiple methods for temporal interpolation of daily soil moisture

Six interpolation methods for infilling daily in situ soil moisture are evaluated at 36 Oklahoma Mesonet stations from 2000 to 2007. The performance of artificial neural network (ANN), coefficient of correlation weighting, inverse distance weighting, daily average replacement (DAR), ordinary kriging, and spatial regression are compared using a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. These six methods are evaluated based on their accuracy as well as their computational complexity and applicability to the North American Soil Moisture Database. We conclude that the ANN and DAR methods are the most accurate. Both methods were applied to infill soil moisture for cross-correlation analysis. The analysis was used to examine the relationship between near-surface and deeper soil moisture layers. Peak cross correlations between the 5 and 25 cm layers varied between sites, ranging from 0.62 to 0.95 with an overall site average of 0.78. The lag at which the highest correlation between the 5 and 25 cm layers occurred ranged from 1 to 4 days. The relationship between the near-surface and deep soil layers is strongly modulated by spatial patterns of precipitation.
DNA sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene have low levels of divergence among deep-sea octocorals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa)

We are analyzing genetic diversity in deep-seamount octocorals with the ultimate goal of studying the effect of retention and dispersal of larvae on genetic population structure. Here we report on the sequence diversity of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene among 11 species. Uncorrected pairwise sequence divergences ranged from 0.4–10.3% for comparisons among species spanning the intrageneric to interordinal levels. Relative to other invertebrates, these divergences are very low, suggesting that COI may not be useful as a genetic marker for studying dispersal among deep-sea octocoral populations. Possible explanations for the reduced rates of divergence observed include a lower rate of evolution for octocoral mitochondrial genomes and the presence of a gene, mtMSH, which may code for a mitochondrial DNA mismatch-repair system. We report the finding of mtMSH in three deep-sea octocorals (Acanthogorgia sp., Corallium ducale, and Paramuricea sp.), which brings the total published observations of this gene to six species, all in the subclass Octocorallia.
All-in-One Sequence Analysis

In reviewing MacVector from Oxford Molecular Group, Inc., Rajagopal describes this sequence analysis software program for Macintosh or PowerPC computers as outstanding and easy to use. The application can be used to create contig sequences, to design primers for sequencing or polymerase chain reaction, or to choose probes for library screening. The recently released update (MacVector 6.5) has improved graphics and quickly analyzes user-designed primers for potential success.
Thermal inactivation of type E botulinum toxin.

The theoretical required cooking times for inactivation of type E Clostridium botulinum toxin (5,000 ld50 mouse units per 0.5 ml) in haddock fillets of various sizes were calculated by graphical integration of the toxin inactivation rate and heat penetration data. The results indicated that normal cooking procedures should suffice to inactivate this amount of toxin. This conclusion was substantiated by the following additional experimental observations which revealed that the original experiments had been conducted under conservative conditions. First, maximal heat stability of the toxin was found to occur at about pH 5.5, with decreasing resistance upon increasing pH. The theoretical cooking times were based on destruction of the toxin at pH 6.7. The pH of radio-pasteurized inoculated haddock, when toxin production had occurred, was on the alkaline side, at which condition the toxin is heat-labile. Second, when spoilage was discernible in radio-pasteurized inoculated haddock, the toxin titer was low, about 50 ld50 mouse units per 0.5 ml. Third, the toxin was adequately inactivated in toxic fillets after deep-fat frying for 3 min at 375 F (190.6 C) or after pan frying for 5 min per side at 400 F (204.4 C). Fourth, in this study, residual toxin activity was assayed by intraperitoneal injection of mice. It was shown that the oral toxic dose was 50 to 100 times greater than the intraperitoneal toxic dose.
Limitations of LET in Predicting the Radiation Response of Advanced Devices

The impact of high-Z metals on energy deposition in thin volumes due to direct ionization by ions in space environments is examined. The importance of energy loss straggling in small volumes typical of those found in advanced devices is also evaluated. It is found that direct ionization by protons over a large energy range may contribute significantly to error rates in advanced silicon on insulator devices due to energy loss straggling. This improves on conventional event rate analysis based on linear energy transfer, which does not describe the contributions of direct ionization by protons to the error rate.
Optimum ANN Empirical Model of Capacitive Deionization Desalination Unit

Capacitive deionisation (CDI) has emerged as a robust energy efficient for water desalination. In this paper, a novel CDI electrosorption process is proposed to increase the efficiency based on real experimental data. It is achieved by artificial neural network (ANN) to develop four models. For problem formulation, closed forms mathematical equations were derived, thus, resulting in a very efficient programming algorithm. Optimum patterns ANN models were validated by implementing two ANN units to drive the CDI electrosorption process. This proposed method was tested and verified using actual and predicted ANN values which yielded excellent results with regression factors between 0.99983 to 1. Optimum patterns are validated in the form characteristics comparisons between genetic and original one. The ANN models their algebraic equations are adopted for various characteristics estimation process. They created with suitable numbers of layers and neurons that provided fast and accurate network training.
Boundedly Rational Borrowing: A Consumer's Guide

Excessive borrowing, no less than insufficient savings, might be a product of bounded rationality. Identifiable psychological mechanisms are likely to contribute to excessive borrowing; these include myopia, procrastination, optimism bias, "miswanting," and what might be called cumulative cost neglect. Suppose that excessive borrowing is a significant problem for some or many; if so, how might the law respond? The first option involves weak paternalism, through debiasing and other strategies that leave people free to choose as they wish. Another option is strong paternalism, which forecloses choice. Because of private heterogeneity and the risk of government error, regulators should have a firm presumption against strong paternalism, and hence the initial line of defense against excessive borrowing consists of information campaigns, debiasing, and default rules. On imaginable empirical findings, however, there may be a plausible argument for strong paternalism in the form of restrictions on various practices, perhaps including "teaser rates" and late fees. The two larger themes, applicable in many contexts, involve the importance of an ex post perspective on the consequences of consumer choices and the virtues and limits of weak forms of paternalism, including debiasing and libertarian paternalism.
Stochastic analysis of therapeutic modalities using a database of patient responses

Proposes a new method for stochastic analysis and control which does not require a model, but which is constructed directly from a raw database of patient responses to therapy. Roughly speaking, the basic idea is to evaluate a control (a therapeutic policy or modality) which has, on the average, proved to work well for similar patients in the database. By "similar" is meant patients who have the same covariates and who are in similar dynamical states. The proposed stochastic analysis and control approach for databases is new, although it is motivated by methods of machine learning put forth by D.P. Bertsekas et al. (1996) and R.S. Sutton et al. (1998) and methods of dynamic programming for stochastic control given by D.S. Bayard (1991, 1992).
One-step purification and concentration of DNA in porous membranes for point-of-care applications

The emergence of rapid, user-friendly, point-of-care (POC) diagnostic systems is paving the way for better disease diagnosis and control. Lately, there has been a strong emphasis on developing molecular-based diagnostics due to their potential for greatly increased sensitivity and specificity. One of the most critical steps in developing practical diagnostic systems is the ability to perform sample preparation, especially the purification of nucleic acids (NA), at the POC. As such, we have developed a simple-to-use, inexpensive, and disposable sample preparation system for in-membrane purification and concentration of NAs. This system couples lateral flow in a porous membrane with chitosan, a linear polysaccharide that captures NAs via anion exchange chromatography. The system can also substantially concentrate the NAs. The combination of these capabilities can be used on a wide range of sample types, which are prepared for use in downstream processes, such as qPCR, without further purification.