cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Irritable Bowel Syndrome on Patient-reported Outcomes in CCFA Partners.

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with persistent symptoms despite no or minimal inflammation are frequently described as having an overlap of IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBD-IBS). Limited data are available on how IBS impacts the individual patient with IBD. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IBD-IBS and investigate its impact on patient-reported outcomes. METHOD We performed a cross-sectional analysis within the CCFA Partners Study. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between IBD-IBS and various demographic, disease factors, and patient-reported outcomes including anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, pain interference, and social satisfaction. RESULTS Of the 6309 participants included, a total of 1279 (20%) reported a coexisting IBS diagnosis. The prevalence of IBD-IBS in this cohort was similar within disease subtypes. A diagnosis of IBD-IBS was associated with higher narcotic use compared with those with no IBS diagnosis for both Crohn's disease, 17% versus 11% (P < 0.001) and ulcerative colitis/indeterminate colitis, 9% versus 5% (P < 0.001). Quality of life, as measured by Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ) was lower in patients with IBD-IBS compared with those without. IBD-IBS diagnosis was associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, pain interference, and decreased social satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS In this sample of patients with IBD, high prevalence of concomitant IBS diagnosis was observed. IBD-IBS diagnosis was associated with increased narcotic use and adverse patient-reported outcome. Appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and counseling may help improve the functional status of IBD-IBS patients and decrease narcotic use.
Formation of simultaneous denitrification and methanogenesis granules in biological wastewater treatment

Abstract In this study, simultaneous denitrification and methanogenesis (SDM) granules were formed for the first time from dispersed digested and denitrifying sludges. The successful formation of the SDM granules occurred through an increase in substrate concentration of wastewater. Comparatively, formation of conventional methanogenic granules requires an increase in upflow velocity as well as substrate concentration. Nitrate, which is known to inhibit methanogenesis, was key in increasing extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production because of the protection mechanism of methanogens. The produced EPS clearly enhanced the formation of the SDM granules. The formed SDM granules showed high simultaneous removal efficiencies above 90% for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrate under high organic and nitrate loading rates (10 g-COD L −1 d −1 and 0.67 g-NO 3 − -N L −1 d −1 , respectively). Although the methane concentration in biogas from the SDM granules were relatively low (60%) compare to the conventional methanogenic granules, it remains feasible for energy recovery.
Power Poseur: Bodily Expansiveness Does Not Matter in Dyadic Interactions

Strong claims have been made that power poses can significantly improve one’s life. Starting from an evolutionary perspective, we reason that expansive poses will have no impact in more realistic s...
Role of Epithelial Cells in Chronic Inflammatory Lung Disease

Airborne pathogens entering the lungs first encounter the mucus layer overlaying epithelial cells as a first line of host defense [1, 2]. In addition to serving as the physical barrier to these toxic agents, intact epithelia also are major sources of various macromolecules including antimicrobial agents, antioxidants and antiproteases [3, 4] as well as proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines that initiate and amplify host defensive responses to these toxic agents [5]. Airway epithelial cells can be categorized as either ciliated or secretory [6]. Secretory cells, such as goblet cells and Clara cells, are responsible for the production and secretion of mucus along the apical epithelial surface and, in conjunction with ciliated cells, for the regulation of airway surface liquid viscosity. In addition, submucosal mucus glands connect to the airway lumen through a ciliated duct that propels mucins outward. These glands are present in the larger airways between bands of smooth muscle and cartilage. See Fig. 1.
FULL-SCALE UPPER-SURFACE-BLOWN FLAP NOISE

A highly noise suppressed TF 34 engine was used to investigate the noise of several powered lift configurations involving upper surface blown (USB) flaps. The configuration variables were nozzle type (i.e. slot and circular with deflector), flap chord length, and flap angle. The results of velocity surveys at both the nozzle exit and the flap trailing edge are also presented and used for correlation of the noise data. Configurations using a long flap design were 4 db quieter than a short flap typical of current trends in USB flap design. The lower noise for the long flap is attributed primarily to the greater velocity decay of the jet at the flap trailing edge. The full-scale data revealed substantially more quadrupole noise in the region near the deflected jet than observed in previous sub-scale tests.
Competency Based Residency Training, Empathy, and Interpretation

This article describes the establishment of a core list of clinical competencies expected of all residents by the end of their training at the University of Illinois Department of Psychiatry. These competencies currently serve as a basis for ongoing curricular revisions and for developing comprehensive methods to evaluate resident performance. Two major considerations guided the work. First, the list was to specify what the residents will be expected to do “in the field” rather than the knowledge, skills and attitudes considered necessary for learning these competencies. Second, while focusing on observable behaviors the list was to include and highlight competencies in the area of interpretation and empathy which cut across all patient related activities.
Kinetically controlled indium surface coverage effects on PAMBE-growth of InN/GaN(0001) quantum well structures

We report the effects of nitrogen (N) plasma and indium (In) flux on the In adatom adsorption/desorption kinetics on a GaN(0001) surface at the relatively high plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy-growth temperature of 680 °C. We experimentally demonstrate that under an active N flux, the (3×3)R30° surface reconstruction containing In and N quickly appears and the dynamically stable In adlayers sitting on this surface exhibit a continuous change from 0 to 2 MLs as a function of In flux. Compared to the bare GaN 1×1 surface which is stable during In exposure without an active N flux, we observed a much faster desorption for the bottom In adlayer and the absence of an In flux window corresponding to an In coverage of 1 ML. Moreover, when the In coverage exceeds 2 MLs, the desorption rates become identical for both surfaces. Finally, the importance of In surface coverage before GaN capping was shown by growing a series of InN/GaN multiple quantum well samples. The photoluminescence data show that a consistent quantum well structure is only formed if the surface is covered by excess In droplets before GaN capping.
The Relationship of Assisted Reproductive Technology on Perinatal Outcomes in Triplet Gestations.

Objective To assess whether assisted reproductive technology (ART) is associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in triplet gestations compared with spontaneous conception. Study Design Secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial for the prevention of preterm birth in multiple gestations. Triplets delivered at ≥ 24 weeks were studied. The primary outcome was the rate of composite neonatal morbidity (CNM) that included one or more of the following: bronchopulmonary dysplasia, respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, culture proven sepsis, pneumonia, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, or perinatal death. Results There were 381 triplets (127 women) of which 89 patients conceived via ART and 38 patients spontaneously. Women with ART were more likely to be older, Caucasian, married, nulliparous, have higher level of education, and develop pre-eclampsia. Spontaneously conceived triplets were more likely to delivery at an earlier gestation (31.2 ± 3.5 vs 32.8 ± 2.7 weeks) (p = 0.009) with a lower birth weight (p Conclusion Triplets conceived by ART had similar perinatal outcomes compared with spontaneously conceived triplets.
The Nonbacterial Thrombotic Vegetation

The normal endothelial surface is highly resistant to microbial infection, since bacteremia in normal man and animals rarely results in the establishment of intravascular infection. Rickettsial infection is probably the outstanding exception to this statement, since in these infections it would appear that normal endothelial cells are regularly colonized.(1) Vibrio fetus infection is often associated with a septic thrombophlebitis, but the pathogenesis of these lesions is not well understood.(2)
Acute liver failure in pregnancy. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Liver disease in pregnancy can be grossly divided into those disorders coincidentally occurring during the pregnant state and hepatic diseases limited to pregnancy. Numerous infectious agents can result in acute hepatitis and include not only the hepatitis viruses-A, B, C and E-but herpesvirus and cytomegalovirus as well. Coxsackie B viruses can cause several clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic to mild febrile illness to myocarditis and meningitis. Rarely has coxsackievirus infection been associated with fulminant hepatic failure. CASE: A Coxsackie B virus infection resulted in acute liver failure in a gravid woman. The patient was managed expectantly, with resolution of the liver disease and delivery five weeks after discharge. CONCLUSION: The onset of hepatic disease is insidious, with only vague symptoms or minor complaints often heralding the progression to liver failure. A careful history, physical examination and appropriate diagnostic tests can help determine the etiology of hepatic disease and help decide whether expectant management of the gravid patient or immediate delivery is appropriate.
Hip Arthroscopy in Adolescence and Childhood

Arthroscopy of the pediatric and adolescent hip has traditionally not been performed because of the complexity of surgery and the consideration of the physis in the skeletally immature. Arthroscopy offers less morbidity than traditional open techniques, and evolving techniques have widened the indications. Hip arthroscopy is currently performed on a variety of diagnosis, including slipped capital femoral epiphysis, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and femoroacetabular impingement. As our understanding and long-term outcomes are refined, the ability to alter disease outcome from arthroscopy will increase.
Myoclonic jerks as a unique clinical manifestation in a patient with Murine Typhus (P5.137)

Objective: To report the first case of Rickettsia typhus infection manifesting with myoclonic jerking. Background: Murine typhus is a flea-borne infection caused by Rickettsia typhi through the inoculation of flea feces in bite wounds. It has been associated with sensory alternation, meningeal inflammation and CN VI and VII palsies. Moreover, myoclonic jerks has only been reported in scrub typhus, but not in murine typhus. Design/Methods: Retrospective review of a case of myoclonus jerks in a patient with murine typhus infection. Results: A 61-year-old male presented acutely with new onset fever, orofacial myoclonic jerking and altered sensorium. Prior to the admission, he had acutely developed headache, chills and intermittent dry cough after working in the lower parts of his house known to harbor opossums and rats. In hospital, patient was intubated due to concern for respiratory failure secondary to spontaneous persistent facial and proximal upper extremity myoclonic jerks. Blood work was negative, except for positive rickettsia antibody-IgG/IgM. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis demonstrated xanthochromia, white blood cell count of 31 with segmented cells 61% and lymphocytes 10%, glucose was 38 and protein was 75 with negative infectious workup. Electroencephalogram and brain MRI were unremarkable. After switching antibiotic to doxycycline, patient significantly improved clinically with resolution of myoclonus. Conclusions: Aseptic meningitis and meningo-encephalitis are known CNS manifestations of murine typhus. This case exemplifies the importance of expanding the secondary causes for myoclonus and aseptic meningitis to include murine typhus as a possible diagnosis in prevalent areas, and in the appropriate clinical context. Also, further imaging and electro-diagnostic tests may not be helpful in the diagnosis and maybe misleading. Appropriate recognition of sign and symptoms of CNS murine typhus can significantly improve the clinical outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Yusuf Solaiman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hasan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Patel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fang has nothing to disclose.
What Kind of Opportunities Do Abstract Algebra Courses Provide for Strengthening Future Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching?

The previous two chapters drew insights from studies featuring very different methodologies, but focused on very similar types of connections between abstract algebra and preservice teacher education. A central idea of each chapter was the way that preservice teachers’ learning of abstract algebra could both reinforce and build on their knowledge of secondary mathematics. We focus our commentary primarily on this idea. First, we will characterize the possible benefits of this bidirectional relationship in terms of supporting the development of preservice teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching. Then, we will critically consider whether such benefits are worthy of being intentionally pursued by teacher education programs and (if so) how they might be best realized.
A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of a Full-Service Community School on Student Achievement*

This article reports the effects of attending an elementary full-service community school (FSCS) on a variety of student academic outcomes in high school. The focal FSCS, Key Elementary, serves stu...
Inferring Generative Model Structure with Static Analysis.

Obtaining enough labeled data to robustly train complex discriminative models is a major bottleneck in the machine learning pipeline. A popular solution is combining multiple sources of weak supervision using generative models. The structure of these models affects the quality of the training labels, but is difficult to learn without any ground truth labels. We instead rely on weak supervision sources having some structure by virtue of being encoded programmatically. We present Coral, a paradigm that infers generative model structure by statically analyzing the code for these heuristics, thus significantly reducing the amount of data required to learn structure. We prove that Coral's sample complexity scales quasilinearly with the number of heuristics and number of relations identified, improving over the standard sample complexity, which is exponential in n for learning n-th degree relations. Empirically, Coral matches or outperforms traditional structure learning approaches by up to 3.81 F1 points. Using Coral to model dependencies instead of assuming independence results in better performance than a fully supervised model by 3.07 accuracy points when heuristics are used to label radiology data without ground truth labels.
Lymphadenectomy in the Management of Gynecologic Cancer

Among nearly all gynecologic cancers, knowing whether the cancer has metastasized to lymph nodes impacts the ultimate management of the cancer. Lymph node status assists in cancer staging, prognostication, guidance of surgical intervention and adjuvant therapy, and removal of positive lymph nodes may be therapeutic in some cancers. Surgical staging through lymph node removal and pathologist assessment is standard of care for most gynecologic cancers. This section reviews the anatomic lymphatic drainage patterns of each gynecologic organ and the evolution and current practice of surgical lymph node assessment along the spectrum of gynecologic cancers.
Oxytocin Compared to Buccal Misoprostol for Induction of Labor after Term Prelabor Rupture of Membranes.

Objective This study was aimed to determine if admission-to-delivery times vary between term nulliparous women with prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) who initially receive oxytocin compared with buccal misoprostol for labor induction. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort of 130 term, nulliparous women with PROM and cervical dilation of ≤2 cm who underwent induction of labor with intravenous oxytocin or buccal misoprostol. The primary outcome was time from admission to delivery. Linear regressions with log transformation were used to estimate the effect of induction agent on time to delivery. Results Women receiving oxytocin had faster admission-to-delivery times than women receiving misoprostol (16.9 vs. 19.9 hours, p = 0.013). There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes between the groups. In the adjusted model, women who received misoprostol had a 22% longer time from admission to delivery (95% CI 5.0–42.0%) compared with women receiving oxytocin. Conclusion In term nulliparous patients with PROM, intravenous oxytocin is associated with faster admission-to-delivery times than buccal misoprostol.
Dietary Cholesterol Affects Lipid Metabolism in Rabbits

Effects of dietary cholesterol (0 (control), 1, 2, 4 or 8 g cholesterol/kg diet for 12 wks) on lipid contents and fatty acid compositions in red blood cell (RBC) membranes and plasma of rabbits and pathological changes and lipid oxidation in their livers were determined. Contents of total lipid and unsaturated fatty acids in RBC membrane and plasma of rabbits fed ≥4 g and ≥2 g dosages, respectively, were significantly higher (P 2 times higher (P < 0.05) than those fed lower dosages. The results indicated that dietary cholesterol can modify lipid metabolisms of rabbits, including biosynthesis and transportation of lipids and fatty acids and incorporation of fatty acid into RBC membranes.
A plant host enables the heterologous production and combinatorial study of fungal lignin-degrading enzymes

Abstract Lignin has significant potential as an abundant and renewable source for commodity chemicals yet remains vastly underutilized. Efforts towards engineering a biochemical route to the valorization of lignin are currently limited by the lack of a suitable heterologous host for the production of lignin-degrading enzymes. Here, we show that expression of fungal genes in Nicotiana benthamiana enables production of members from seven major classes of enzymes associated with lignin degradation (23 of 35 tested) in soluble form for direct use in lignin activity assays. We combinatorially characterized a subset of these enzymes in the context of model lignin dimer oxidation, revealing that fine-tuned coupling of peroxide-generators to peroxidases results in more extensive C-C bond cleavage compared to direct addition of peroxide. Comparison of peroxidase isoform activity revealed that the extent of C-C bond cleavage depends on peroxidase identity, suggesting that peroxidases are individually specialized in the context of lignin oxidation. We anticipate the use of N. benthamiana as a platform to rapidly produce a diverse array of fungal lignin-degrading enzymes will facilitate a better understanding of their concerted role in nature and unlock their potential for lignin valorization, including within the plant host itself.
Self-Healing Properties of 1-Amino,2,4-Dibromoanthraquinone Dye Doped in PMMA Polymer

We used fluorescence spectroscopic measurements as a probe to study the self-healing properties of anthraquinone derivative molecules doped in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). 2,4-Dibromoanthraquinone dye doped in PMMA recovers after photodegradation. Its dynamics differs from other anthraquinone derivative molecules. This could be due to the relatively heavier bromine atom attached to one of the carbon atoms of the benzene ring. In this article, we will discuss the self-healing properties of 2,4-dibromoanthraquinone doped in PMMA matrix. We also tested the correlated chromophore domain model (CCrDM) and have characterized the self-healing properties by determining the CCrDM parameters. We also estimated the self-absorption of fluorescence signal by the dye molecule without which the analysis of the self-recovery of the molecule would be incomplete.
Eye Movement Disorders in Patients with Epilepsy

A broad spectrum of eye movement disorders can be observed in patients with epilepsy, many of which are consequences of antiepileptic medications but can also occur secondary to epileptic discharges. In this chapter, we will review clinical phenomenology and mechanistic underpinning of the eye movement deficits in epilepsy patients due to both etiologies.
Human health benefits of very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from microalgae

Microalgae are single-cell, photosynthetic organisms whose biodiversity places them at the forefront of biological producers of high-value molecules including lipids and pigments. Some of these organisms particular are capable of synthesizing n-3 very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs), known to have beneficial effects on human health. Indeed, VLC-PUFAs are the precursors of many signaling molecules in humans involved in the complexities of inflammatory processes. This mini-review provides an inventory of knowledge on the synthesis of VLC-PUFAs in microalgae and on the diversity of signaling molecules (prostanoids, leukotrienes, SPMs, EFOX, isoprostanoids) that arise in humans from VLC-PUFAs.
Do US Social Work Students View Social Work as a Human Rights Profession? Levels of Support for Human Rights Statements Among BSW and MSW Students

Social work practice not centered on human rights may unintentionally perpetuate human rights abuses, and these abuses can have global implications. US-based social work educators have made efforts to directly focus social work education on human rights since 2008, when the US-based Council on Social Work Education included a human rights competency. However, insufficient data exists regarding US-based social work students’ views on human rights, as well as the possible relationship between exposure to human rights content in social work education and student endorsement of human rights. The present research attempts to address both issues: Using McPherson and Abell’s (2012) 25-item Human Rights Engagement in Social Work scale (HRESW), the author assessed the overall endorsement of human rights perspectives by students in a social work program in the western United States, and examined differences between students at different levels in the program to evaluate the effectiveness of increased exposure to human rights content. Descriptive results from 171 BSW and MSW students showed overall endorsement of human rights. Ten of the 25 HRESW items showed stronger agreement among upper-division BSW and MSW students when compared with their lower-division BSW peers at statistically significant levels; these items were related to social and economic rights. When comparing online and face-to-face students, one HRESW item showed a statistically significant difference. Overall results indicate that social work students have a relatively high level of human rights endorsement, which has the potential to increase with continual exposure to human rights content in social work courses.
Discrete Morse Theory by Nicholas Scoville

With his landmark 1998 paper [7], Robin Forman launched the study of “Morse theory on cell complexes.” The subsequent two decades have seen a tremendous burst of related activity, leading to applic...
Challenges of acute phase neuroimaging in VA-ECMO, pitfalls and alternative imaging options:

Large vessel occlusion in patients on ECMO is challenging to appreciate clinically secondary to sedation or induced paralysis, thus placing more emphasis on neurovascular imaging. However, emergent CTA and CTP are both inaccurate and unreliable in ECMO patients due to altered circuitry and interference with normal physiologic hemodynamics. In this review, the utility of DSA is discussed in evaluating the altered hemodynamics of VA-ECMO circuits and patency of major vasculature. In addition, the potential use of TCD in ECMO patients is discussed.
A Retrospective Study Comparing Radiological to Histopathological Diagnosis After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Suspected Cholecystitis.

Introduction Acute calculus cholecystitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal pain in patients presenting to the emergency department, representing a third of all surgical emergency hospital admissions. Laparoscopic surgery is typically performed within 24 to 48 hours of hospital admission. Due to similarities in presentation, it is often difficult to differentiate between biliary colic and acute cholecystitis. Currently, it is not clear how the clinical and radiological diagnosis of acute calculus cholecystitis correlates with the histopathological diagnosis. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 350 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our community hospital for acute calculus cholecystitis. The aim was to compare pre-operative radiological diagnoses of acute calculous cholecystitis to post-operative histopathological diagnosis. Four radiographic modalities were used for diagnosis of acute calculous cholecystitis: ultrasound, computerized tomography, MRI, and hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HIDA scan). A correlation was found between both the clinical pain of biliary origin and radiological diagnosis with subsequent histopathological diagnosis after laparoscopic surgery. Results When the four commonly used imaging modalities were compared, HIDA scan had the highest sensitivity and ultrasound had the highest specificity in successfully diagnosing acute calculus cholecystitis that had been confirmed with histopathological analysis. Conclusion No absolute correlation was found between any of the imaging modalities when compared to the pathological diagnosis. The ultrasound had maximum specificity, while the HIDA scan had maximum sensitivity when radiological imaging was compared to histopathology.
Statistical Inference via Data Science: A Modern Dive into R and the Tidyverse: by Chester Ismay and Albert Y. Kim. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Chapman & Hall, 2020, 460 pp., $63.96 (paperback) and eBook, $160 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-3674-0982-1.

The book starts with an introduction to R, and after that it is organized into three main parts.1,2 The title of Part 1 is “Data Science with tidyverse.” It tackles basic statistical graphics, “dat...
Framing economic inequality and policy as group disadvantages (versus group advantages) spurs support for action.

Given the near-historic levels of economic inequality in the United States, it is vital to understand when and why people are motivated to reduce it. We examine whether the manner in which economic inequality and policy are framed—in terms of either upper-socio-economic-class advantages or lower-socio-economic-class disadvantages—influences individuals’ reactions to inequality. Across five studies, framing redistributive policy (Study 1) as disadvantage-reducing (versus advantage-reducing) and economic inequality (Studies 2–5) as lower-class disadvantages (versus upper-class advantages or a control frame) enhances support for action to reduce inequality. Moreover, increased support is partly driven by perceptions that inequality is more unjust if framed as lower-class disadvantages. Using diverse methodologies (for example, social media engagement on Facebook) and nationally representative samples of self-reported upper-class and lower-class individuals, this work suggests that the ways in which economic inequality is communicated (for example, by the media) may reliably influence people’s reactions to and concern for the issue. Dietze and Craig find that framing economic inequality as group disadvantages (versus advantages) increases Americans’ engagement with the issue and support for mitigating action. This is partly driven by perceptions of disadvantages as more unjust.
JA&WMA recognizes the outstanding efforts of its reviewers and editors.

S. Trivikrama Rao, Ph.D The Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (JA&WMA) continues to rely on rigorous peer review to maintain the high quality and integrity of the research papers pu...
Hydrogen Sulfide: A Potential Therapeutic Target in the Development of Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose Hyperglycemia damages the retinal mitochondria, and the mitochondrial damage plays a central role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Patients with diabetes also have higher homocysteine levels, and abnormalities in homocysteine metabolism result in decreased levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous gasotransmitter signaling molecule with antioxidant properties. This study aimed to investigate the role of H2S in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Methods Streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were administered a slow releasing H2S donor GYY4137 for 6 months. The retina was used to measure H2S levels, and their retinal vasculature was analyzed for the histopathology characteristic of diabetic retinopathy and oxidative stress, mitochondrial damaging matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and mitochondrial integrity. These parameters were also measured in the isolated retinal endothelial cells incubated in high glucose medium containing GYY4137. Results Administration of GYY4137 to diabetic mice ameliorated decrease in H2S and prevented the development of histopathology, characteristic of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes-induced increase in oxidative stress, MMP-9 activation, and mitochondrial damage were also attenuated in mice receiving GYY4137. Results from isolated retinal endothelial cells confirmed the results obtained from diabetic mice. Conclusions Thus, supplementation of H2S donor prevents the development of diabetic retinopathy by ameliorating increase in oxidative stress and preserving the mitochondrial integrity. H2S donors may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to inhibit the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Reduction of Opioid Quantities at Discharge After TKA Did Not Increase the Risk of Manipulation Under Anesthesia: An Institutional Experience.

Abstract Background In response to the opioid epidemic, our arthroplasty service sequentially reduced the opioid quantities prescribed at primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) discharge. However, its effect on postdischarge pain control and rehabilitation is unknown. We assessed if this decrease was associated with an increase in the risk of manipulation under anesthesia (MUA). Methods We retrospectively reviewed 8799 patients undergoing primary TKA from 2016 to 2019 at a single institution. There were two institution-wide reductions in the amount of opioids prescribed at discharge; therefore, we divided patients into 3 periods (P1, P2, and P3). The mean discharge morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) went from 900 MMEs to ~525 MMEs to ~320 MMEs in P1, P2, and P3, respectively. We analyzed MUA rates and if lower discharge MMEs was a risk factor for MUA in a multivariate model. We also compared refill patterns (rates, number, refill MMEs, and total MMEs) between MUA and non-MUA patients. Results The rate of MUA did not increase with reduced discharged opioids (5.5% in P1, 5.8% in P2, and 4.6% in P3, P = .74). In a multivariate analysis, discharge MMEs of Conclusion Serial reductions in discharge MMEs after primary TKA did not significantly affect the rate of MUA, a surrogate marker for pain control and the rehabilitative process.
WS3.7. Repetitive Nerve Stimulation Testing

Repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) is the most frequently used electrodiagnostic test to diagnose neuromuscular junction disorders. Although seemingly simple, attention to technique is essential to avoid technical errors. Stimulation at low rates (2–5 Hz) (LF-RNS) depletes acetylcholine stores at diseased motor endplates, causing failure of neuromuscular transmission. A decrement of at least 10% to trains of 2-3 Hz stimulation at rest or immediately after a period of maximal muscle contraction (“activation”) is the usual criterion of abnormality; 5% can be used if technical artifacts can be excluded. Take care to deliver adequate stimulation and prevent movement of the tested muscle throughout nerve stimulation; peripheral muscles should be kept warm during testing. RNS is reportedly abnormal in up to 90% of generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and in up to 60% of ocular myasthenia – sensitivity is strongly dependent on the muscles selected for testing. RNS is more often abnormal in proximal, facial and clinically weak muscles; even so, RNS is frequently normal in mild or purely ocular disease. For maximal diagnostic yield, test several muscles, including those that are weak. The characteristic findings in Lambert-Eaton myasthenia (LEM) are: small CMAPs at rest, a decrement to LF-RNS, and marked facilitation. In MG, activation for 30–60 seconds is used to unmask a mild decrement. In LEM, activation is used to demonstrate facilitation; the simplest procedure is to elicit a single CMAP from the rested muscle, have the patient contract the muscle for 10 seconds, then immediately elicit a single CMAP. Facilitation of at least 60% is evidence of a pre-synaptic disorder, but may not be seen in all muscles. A decrement in at least one hand muscle is the most frequent RNS abnormality in LEM and may be seen even when CMAPs are not small and diagnostic facilitation cannot be demonstrated. In MG the decrement is usually greatest in the 4th or 5th response and is less during subsequent responses, producing a so-called ‘‘U-shaped” pattern. A continually progressive decrement is usually seen in LEM. The pattern in MuSK MG resembles that in LEM.
eGHWT: The extended Generalized Haar-Walsh Transform.

Extending computational harmonic analysis tools from the classical setting of regular lattices to the more general setting of graphs and networks is very important and much research has been done recently. The Generalized Haar-Walsh Transform (GHWT) developed by Irion and Saito (2014) is a multiscale transform for signals on graphs, which is a generalization of the classical Haar and Walsh-Hadamard Transforms. We propose the extended Generalized Haar-Walsh Transform (eGHWT), which is a generalization of the adapted time-frequency tilings of Thiele and Villemoes (1996). The eGHWT examines not only the efficiency of graph-domain partitions but also that of "sequency-domain" partitions simultaneously. Consequently, the eGHWT and its associated best-basis selection algorithm for graph signals significantly improve the performance of the previous GHWT with the similar computational cost, $O(N \log N)$, where $N$ is the number of nodes of an input graph. While the GHWT best-basis algorithm seeks the most suitable orthonormal basis for a given task among more than $(1.5)^N$ possible orthonormal bases in $\mathbb{R}^N$, the eGHWT best-basis algorithm can find a better one by searching through more than $0.618\cdot(1.84)^N$ possible orthonormal bases in $\mathbb{R}^N$. This article describes the details of the eGHWT best-basis algorithm and demonstrates its superiority using several examples including genuine graph signals as well as conventional digital images viewed as graph signals. Furthermore, we also show how the eGHWT can be extended to 2D signals and matrix-form data by viewing them as a tensor product of graphs generated from their columns and rows and demonstrate its effectiveness on applications such as image approximation.
Layered g-C3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites for efficient photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction: A review

Abstract Solar-driven photocatalysts for water splitting and CO2 reduction have been widely studied for dealing with environmental pollution and energy sustainability issues. Among the most promising semiconductor photocatalysts, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and TiO2 (anatase) with band gaps of ∼2.7 and ∼3.2 eV, respectively, are investigated extensively. However, the high photo-generated carrier recombination efficiency of g-C3N4 and the relatively wide band gap of TiO2 (responsive to UV light only) are the factors that can lower the photocatalytic activities of the materials. Thus, one of the prevalent strategies is to construct g-C3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites to promote charge carrier separation and to improve photo-absorption in visible region for attaining efficient utilization of solar energy in photocatalytic water splitting, CO2 reduction and organic pollutant photo-degradation. Here, a comprehensive overview is made on the exploitation of g-C3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites for photocatalytic applications, emphasizing layered heterostructures, for solar-driven H2 generation and CO2 reduction. Challenges in resolving various issues such as low efficiency, low stability, and noble metal co-catalysts dependency, as well as band gap narrowing accompanied reduction in redox ability of the g-C3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites are discussed.
The Effects of a Fluoride Releasing Orthodontic Primer on Demineralization around Brackets: An in-vivo study.

The Effects of a Fluoride Releasing Orthodontic Primer on Demineralization around Brackets: An in-vivo study By Daniel Ryan Pennella, D.M.D. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Thesis Director: Eser Tufekci, D.D.S., MS, Ph. D. Associate Professor, Department of Orthodontics The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a fluoride releasing orthodontic primer on demineralization adjacent to brackets. Twenty-two patients were recruited for this study. One premolar was randomly chosen as the experimental tooth, the contralateral tooth was the control. Teeth were visually analyzed for white spot lesions (WSLs). Knoop microhardness was used to determine hardness. Visual examination results showed no significant difference in the number of WSLs observed between Opal Seal and Transbond XT over the duration of this study. Solid conclusions could not be drawn from the results of microhardness testing. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that there is a difference in enamel hardness between Opal Seal and Transbond XT. However, prior to 90 days, teeth showed a significant difference in WSLs. Suggesting a protective effect of Opal Seal that diminished with time. Future studies are necessary to determine the clinical performance of this product.
SU-E-T-139: Automated Daily EPID Exit Dose Analysis Uncovers Treatment Variations

Purpose: To evaluate a fully automated EPID exit dose system for its ability to detect daily treatment deviations including patient setup, delivery, and anatomy changes. Methods: PerFRACTION (Sun Nuclear Corporation) software is a system that uses integrated EPID images taken during patient treatment and automatically pulled from the Aria database and analyzed based on user-defined comparisons. This was used to monitor 20 plans consisting of a total of 859 fields for 18 patients, for a total of 251 fractions. Nine VMAT, 5 IMRT, and 6 3D plans were monitored. The Gamma analysis was performed for each field within a plan, comparing the first fraction against each of the other fractions in each treatment course. A 2% dose difference, 1 mm distance-to-agreement, and 10% dose threshold was used. These tight tolerances were chosen to achieve a high sensitivity to treatment variations. The field passed if 93% of the pixels had a Gamma of 1 or less. Results: Twenty-nine percent of the fields failed. The average plan passing rate was 92.5%.The average 3D plan passing rate was less than for VMAT or IMRT, 84%, vs. an average of 96.2%. When fields failed, an investigation revealed changes in patient anatomy or setup variations, often also leading to variations of transmission through immobilization devices. Conclusion: PerFRACTION is a fully automated system for determining daily changes in dose transmission through the patient that requires no effort other than for the imager panel to be deployed during treatment. A surprising number of fields failed the analysis and can be attributed to important treatment variations that would otherwise not be appreciated. Further study of inter-fraction treatment variations is possible and warranted. Sun Nuclear Corporation provided a license to the software described.
Whither E-Government? Web 2.0 and the Future of E-Government

After the initial excitement, enthusiasm about e-Government has greatly diminished over time as the term has come to be equated with simple administrative services such as driver’s license renewal and online income tax filing and no real transformation seemed to be taking place from e-Government as anticipated. The future of e-Government also seemed bleak and, to many, e-Government has reached its ultimate destination of mediocrity and the past trend seemed to suggest that e-Government is not going to get any better than what we have now. In such context, this chapter explores the implication of the rise of Web 2.0 in the future of e-Government in America. The emergence of Web 2.0 and increasingly available public data and information has created a synergy in which nongovernmental actors such as citizens and NGOs became increasingly capable of developing e-Government type services that have typically been developed by the government. This shift from a single-developer (monopolistic) model of e-Government to a multiple-provider model can work as a foundation from which the real transformative potentials of e-Government may materialize as the new model introduces a much wider spectrum of resources, innovativeness, and political incentives than the traditional model. The implications of the emerging trend in the future of e-Government as well as the changing role of government in e-Government are discussed.
Synaptic cytoskeleton at the neuromuscular junction.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the general organization of cytoskeleton at presynaptic endings and postsynaptic muscle cells, emphasizing the synaptic cytoskeleton regulation during synapse expansion, and provides some of the latest insights into the mechanism of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor anchoring. Because of the availability of genetic tools, the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is fertile ground to study cytoskeletal reorganization during synapse development. At the NMJ, presynaptic microtubules (MTs) organize into a bundle that traverses nerve terminal branches, but at certain boutons MTs splay into thinner bundles and loops. Studies at the postsynaptic compartment of the NMJ reveal the presence of a dense actin network enriched in spectrin, which surrounds the presynaptic boutons and which may limit the extension of muscle MTs localized more distal to synaptic boutons.
Age-0 Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus Growth Related to Environmental Conditions in the Channelized Missouri River, Nebraska

Large river paradigms suggest that natural flow regimes are critical for maintaining instream habitats and promoting production and growth of native aquatic organisms. Modifications to the Missouri River, Nebraska, within the past 100 years have drastically reduced shallow water habitat, homogenized the flow regime, and contributed to declines in several native species. Despite drastic flow modifications, several metrics of the Missouri River's flow regime still vary across years. We related age-0 channel catfish growth to environmental conditions in the channelized Missouri River, Nebraska, between 1996 and 2013 using an information theoretic approach. Growth rate was most influenced by growing season duration and duration of discharges below the 25th percentile of 30-year daily Missouri River discharges. Periods of low water may be important for juvenile growth because of channel modifications that limit critical shallow water habitat during higher within-bank flows. Exclusion of peak discharge and peak discharge timing in the best model to predict growth is counter to conventional thoughts on river fish responses to hydrological conditions but may be reflective of the general lack of high-magnitude flooding during the majority of our study. Future efforts to relate juvenile fish growth to environmental conditions can provide guidance for water management in the Missouri River and other regulated North American rivers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of Accident Attention, Ideology, and Environmentalism on American Attitudes Toward Nuclear Energy

This study involves the analysis of three waves of survey data about nuclear energy using a probability-based online panel of respondents in the United States. Survey waves included an initial baseline survey conducted in early 2010, a follow-up survey conducted in 2010 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and an additional follow-up conducted just after the 2011 Fukushima, Japan, nuclear accident. The central goal is to assess the degree to which changes in public views following an accident are contingent on individual attention and respondent predispositions. Such results would provide real-world evidence of motivated reasoning. The primary analysis focuses on the impact of Fukushima and how the impact of individual attention to energy issues is moderated by both environmental views and political ideology over time. The analysis uses both mean comparisons and multivariate statistics to test key relationships. Additional variables common in the study of emerging technologies are included in the analysis, including demographics, risk and benefit perceptions, and views about the fairness of decisionmakers in both government and the private sector.
An Improved Procedure for Prediction of Drag Polars of a Joined Wing Concept Using Physics-Based Response Surface Methodology

Presented at the SAE Aerospace Congress and Exhibition, Seattle, WA, September 10-13, 2001.
Single versus multiple submissions in the publication process

In this dissertation, we develop a model to investigate some implications of single and multiple submissions policies of academic journals. We make the following four assumptions. First, authors are identical and they produce papers with the same quality distribution; Second, there are only two journals and their quality standards are common knowledge; Third, the errors in the referee's assessment of papers' quality are uncorrelated. Finally, if a paper is rejected by a journal it can not be resubmitted to the same journal in the future. We find that if multiple submissions were allowed, the average quality of accepted papers could be higher or lower than those in the single submission case. Therefore, a multiple-submission policy may not necessarily deteriorate the quality of published papers. In addition, we find that, as authors become less patient they are more likely to choose multiple submissions, and if authors are sufficiently patient they never choose multiple submissions. Thus, authors who are not very patient suffer more from the prevailing policy of prohibiting multiple submissions. We also found that under the situation that authors are patient enough, whether multiple-submission may occur in their optimal submission strategy depends on the magnitude of publication benefit in the high quality journal. When the publication benefit in the high quality journal is small enough, authors will never include multiple-submission in their optimal strategy.