cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreased levels of folate receptor-β and reduced numbers of fetal macrophages (Hofbauer cells) in placentas from pregnancies with severe pre-eclampsia.

Problem Pre-eclampsia (PE), a pregnancy complication of unknown etiology, is a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. Previous studies have described placental genes that are up-regulated in expression in PE, but few studies have addressed placental gene suppression in this syndrome. Method of study Gene profiling and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRTPCR) analyses were used to identify genes down-regulated in placentas from women with severe preterm PE compared with gestational age-matched normotensive controls with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate levels and patterns of cell type–specific protein expression in PE and sPTB group placentas. Results Levels of macrophage marker [folate receptor (FR)-β, CD163, and CD68] mRNA and FR-β protein were significantly down-regulated in PE group placentas compared with the sPTB group. Numbers of Hofbauer cells (HBCs, fetal macrophages) and FR-β protein in these cells were reduced in PE group placentas. Conclusion Severe PE is associated with decreased placental expression of FR-β and a reduction in the number of HBCs. Reduced placental macrophage function is likely to play a key role in the pathophysiology of PE.
Knowledge Through Partnering: Business-to-Business Relationships in the Information Economy

(2002). Knowledge Through Partnering: Business-to-Business Relationships in the Information Economy. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 49-82.
Patient Attitudes Toward Orthopedic Surgeon Ownership of Related Ancillary Businesses.

Abstract Background Physician ownership of businesses related to orthopedic surgery, such as surgery centers, has been criticized as potentially leading to misuse of health care resources. The purpose of this study was to determine patients’ attitudes toward surgeon ownership of orthopedic-related businesses. Methods We surveyed 280 consecutive patients at 2 centers regarding their attitudes toward surgeon ownership of orthopedic-related businesses using an anonymous questionnaire. Three surgeon ownership scenarios were presented: (1) owning a surgery center, (2) physical therapy (PT), and (3) imaging facilities (eg, Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner). Results Two hundred fourteen patients (76%) completed the questionnaire. The majority agreed that it is ethical for a surgeon to own a surgery center (73%), PT practice (77%), or imaging facility (77%). Most (>67%) indicated that their surgeon owning such a business would have no effect on the trust they have in their surgeon. Although >70% agreed that a surgeon in all 3 scenarios would make the same treatment decisions, many agreed that such surgeons might perform more surgery (47%), refer more patients to PT (61%), or order more imaging (58%). Patients favored surgeon autonomy, however, believing that surgeons should be allowed to own such businesses (78%). Eighty-five percent agreed that patients should be informed if their surgeon owns an orthopedic-related business. Conclusion Although patients express concern over and desire disclosure of surgeon ownership of orthopedic-related businesses, the majority believes that it is an ethical practice and feel comfortable receiving care at such a facility.
Some Effects of the Tarnished Plant Bug on Sweet Peppers

In greenhouse experiments it was found that pepper transplants which had nymph and adult tarnished plant bugs, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), confined to them showed a significant increase in the drop of buds and blossoms over control plants the same age. Subsequent field experiments, in 2 widely separated areas of Delaware, corroborated the initial laboratory evidence. In caged treatments where no tarnished plant bugs were introduced, or in treatments where a systemic insecticide was applied to the soil as a granular subsurface application and adult tarnished plant bugs were subsequently added, a significantly larger number of buds, blossoms. and fruit resulted when compared with caged pepper plants to which adult bugs had been introduced and no control measures were taken.
A study on paper strip method of food molds detection

ObjectiveEstablish a simple and rapid method for detecting molds in food.Methods:The rapid detection of mold disk diffusion method and the national standard mold test method were controlled trial in 367 food samples.Results:The rapid detection of mold disk diffusion method can be finished in 3 days,the total coincidence rate in the detected ratio and in the passing rate was 96.73% and 96.46% by the national standard method,there was no significant difference in statistics.Conclusion:The rapid detection of mold disk diffusion method can reflect the real quantity of the molds in food accurately and quickly.
Vaccination effect surveillance of Rabies Vaccine in Jiangshan from 2009 to 2011

Objective:To analyze the immune effect and its influencing factors such as sex,age,years and immune procedure after the vaccination of rabies vaccine in Jiangshan from 2009 to 2011.Methods: The serum antibody of 6387 cases with full vaccination of rabies vaccine were detected and analyzed.Results: The total antibody positive rate of the people detected was 91.37%.Females had a higher positive rate than males(92.88% versus 90.07%);positive rate of low age group was higher than high age group,seroconversion rate was decreasing with the rise of age;there was no statistical significance of positive rates between different groups of immunization programs or years.Conclusion: Timely full vaccination is necessary after bitten by animals.
I, robotic surgeon.

The use of robots in surgery raises ethical questions regarding training, reporting standards, and financial conflicts of interest.
Banishment and the Post-Industrial City: Lessons from Seattle

Seattle deploys several mechanisms by which individuals’ presence in particular spaces can constitute a crime. Through a range of means, police in Seattle are given wide authority to question and arrest those who appear as human manifestations of the “disorder” that is of concern to many. Importantly, these programs accentuate the power of criminal law by mobilizing other forms of law, most notably civil law and administrative law. This legally-hybrid structure works to accentuate the police’s power notably. Yet increased police power does not actually work to reduce “disorder” to any appreciable extent. For this reason, and others, we suggest that different approaches to addressing social marginality represent more promising avenues for cities like Seattle to explore.
The uses of intelligence tests.

Intelligence tests of retarded school children. Numerous studies of the age-grade progress of school children have afforded convincing evidence of the magnitude and seriousness of the retardation problem. Statistics collected in hundreds of cities in the United States show that between a third and a half of the school children fail to progress through the grades at the expected rate; that from 10 to 15 per cent are retarded two years or more; and that from 5 to 8 per cent are retarded at least three years. More than 10 per cent of the $400,000,000 annually expended in the United States for school instruction is devoted to re-teaching children what they have already been taught but have failed to learn.
Rapid Immune Reconstitution after a Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Regimen and a CD3-Depleted Haploidentical Stem Cell Graft for Pediatric Refractory Hematologic Malignancies.

Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HaploHSCT) from a mismatched family member (MMFM) donor offers an alternative option for patients who lack an HLA-matched donor. The main obstacles to successful haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a mismatched family member donor are delayed immune reconstitution, vulnerability to infections, and severe graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Method: We designed a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen that excluded total body irradiation and anti-thymocyte globulin. The graft was immunomagnetically depleted of CD3 + T-cells (CD3 negative selection) and contained a large number of both CD34 + and CD34 − stem cells and most other immune cells especailly NK cells. This protocol was used to treat 22 pediatric patients with refractory hematologic malignancies. Results and Discussion: After transplantation, 91% of the patients achieved full donor chimerism. They also showed rapid recovery of CD3 + T-cells, T-cell receptor excision circle counts, TCRβ repertoire diversity and NK-cells during first four months post-transplantation. The incidence and extent of viremia were limited and no lethal infection was seen. Only 9% of patients had grade 3 acute GvHD, while 27% patients had grade 1 and another 27% had grade 2 acute GvHD. This well-tolerated regimen appears to accelerate immune recovery and shorten the duration of early post-transplant immunodeficiency, thereby reducing susceptibility to viral infections. Rapid T-cell reconstitution, retention of NK-cells in the graft, and induction of low grade GvHD may also enhance the potential anti-cancer immune effect.
Transverse Vorticity Measurements in the Wake of an Inverted Oscillated D-Shaped Cylinder

An oscillating inverted D shaped obstruction has been used to provide a well defined vortex street at Reynolds number (U0d/v) equal to 23,000. U0 and d are defined in Fig i which also presents a schematic of the flow based upon phase averaged results.
Complications of Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery in Urology

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) as an evolution of the conventional laparoscopic approach, in the pathway of minimally invasive surgery, should be evaluated comparatively to widely accepted procedures. According to a multi-institutional compilation of cases (Kaouk et al. Eur Urol. 60(5):998–1005, 2011), most LESS procedures (86 %) were performed in the upper urinary tract, with most of these being extirpative or ablative (84 %).
Henrietta Maria: The Esther to Her Oppressed People

This chapter uses Henrietta Maria’s court masques to trace the queen’s transformation from a young French princess in a foreign land to a powerful queen consort who pushed her agendas in a variety of personal, political and theatrical ways. The chapter examines the ways in which Henrietta Maria sought to carve out a space for Catholic worship in her new Protestant home. In particular, the chapter will consider Henrietta Maria’s religious and political interests and alliances as presented in three of her well-known masques Chloridia, The Temple of Love and Luminalia. In these masques, feminine beauty and chastity act in ways that foreground the female sacred as a source of authority and support the queen’s desire to restore Catholicism to England.
Hand Detection from Cluttered Images Based on a Hierarchical Strategy

Due to the variations of hand posture and the intricacy of environment/background, hand detection is a challenging task in human-computer and human-robot interactions. A hierarchical method is proposed in this paper to detect hand from images with cluttered background. In order to remove the most skin-like background of the image, upper body is detected from the image in the first hierarchy. Secondly, a novel approach, which combines samples threshold with experiential threshold, is proposed to detect skin/skin-like regions in images, and then skin regions are obtained according to the thresholds of area and length-width ratio of connected areas. At last, hand patches are determined by the hand model which is produced by support vector machine. The efficiency of this method is proved by corresponding experiments in hand detection in our dataset.
Psychosocial Treatment of Irritability in Youth.

Chronic, severe irritability is a common presenting problem in children and adolescents. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) was added to the DSM-5 in recognition of this public health need. Currently, there are no well-established, evidence-based pharmacological or psychosocial treatments specifically for DMDD. Here, we focus on psychosocial interventions. In addition to reviewing published research, we present preliminary, open trial data on a novel exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targeting severe irritability, as is present in DMDD. In the published literature, parent management training (PMT) comprises parent-based interventions designed to treat youth disruptive behavior. Child-based interventions for disruptive behavior include CBT focused on social cognition and problem-solving. Based on identified treatment gaps for severe irritability in children and adolescents, novel psychosocial interventions are being developed. We have developed a CBT for severe irritability that integrates exposure techniques, drawn from anxiety treatment, with selected PMT techniques. Data from an open pilot trial (N = 10) suggest feasibility. Promising psychosocial treatments are being developed for DMDD. Future directions include testing these new therapies against extant interventions. Increased research on the biological and psychological mechanisms mediating irritability will further bridge the treatment gap for youth and families.
Temporal Dynamics of Pseudoprogression After Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannomas-A Retrospective Volumetric Study.

Background The optimal observation interval after the radiosurgical treatment of a sporadic vestibular schwannoma, prior to salvage intervention, is unknown. Objective To determine an optimal postradiosurgical treatment interval for differentiating between pseudoprogression and true tumor growth by analyzing serial volumetric data. Methods This single-institution retrospective study included all sporadic vestibular schwannomas treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (Eketa AB, Stockholm, Sweden; 12-13 Gy) from 2002 to 2014. Volumetric analysis was performed on all available pre- and posttreatment magnetic resonance imaging scans. Tumors were classified as "stable/decreasing," "transient enlargement", or "persistent growth" after treatment, based on incrementally increasing follow-up durations. Results A total of 118 patients included in the study had a median treatment tumor volume of 0.74 cm3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.34-1.77 cm3) and a median follow-up of 4.1 yr (IQR = 2.6-6.0 yr). Transient tumor enlargement was observed in 44% of patients, beginning at a median of 1 yr (IQR = 0.6-1.4 yr) posttreatment, with 90% reaching peak volume within 3.5 yr, posttreatment. Volumetric enlargement resolved at a median of 2.4 yr (IQR 1.9-3.6 yr), with 90% of cases resolved at 6.9 yr. Increasing follow-up revealed that many of the tumors initially enlarging 1 to 3 yr after stereotactic radiosurgery ultimately begin to shrink on longer follow-up (45% by 4 yr, 77% by 6 yr). Conclusion Tumor enlargement within ∼3.5 yr of treatment should not be used as a sole criterion for salvage treatment. Patient symptoms and tumor size must be considered, and giving tumors a chance to regress before opting for salvage treatment may be worthwhile.
Help for Runaways and Their Parents

A follow-up outcome study evaluates the effectiveness of counseling services that were made available primarily by supervised volunteers at a center
A Game-Theoretic Adversarial Approach to Dynamic Network Prediction

Predicting the evolution of a dynamic network—the addition of new edges and the removal of existing edges—is challenging. In part, this is because: (1) networks are often noisy; (2) various performance measures emphasize different aspects of prediction; and (3) it is not clear which network features are useful for prediction. To address these challenges, we develop a novel framework for robust dynamic network prediction using an adversarial formulation that leverages both edge-based and global network features to make predictions. We conduct experiments on five distinct dynamic network datasets to show the superiority of our approach compared to state-of-the-art methods.
5 – High-Voltage Transmission

This chapter deals with the explanation of high-voltage transmission. Reliable and economical transport of power from generating stations to the load centers is accomplished by overhead lines operating at a high voltage. Transmission by underground cables is limited to special cases and for short spans as in water crossings and in metropolitan areas. Voltage in excess of 69 kV is considered transmission, and voltage below 69 kV is considered distribution The conductor current for a given Kilovoltampere [kVA] rating is inversely proportional to the voltage used; hence the higher the voltage, lower is the current and even lower is the power losses occurring during the transmission process. The most popular conductor type used for transmission lines is the aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR). Other conductor types such as all aluminum conductor (AAC), and all aluminum alloy conductor (AAAC) are also used and offer advantages such as higher operating temperature and low weight. The conductor size is determined by the current. The electric field on the conductor's surface and at any other point in space is determined by the voltage. For overhead lines, clearances to ground are determined both by the voltage and current. The chapter also discusses established methods that are employed for installation in-service.
The future of valproate

Valproate (VPA) currently has established efficacy and its use is expanding for the treatment of epilepsy, migraine headache and acute mania, as addressed elsewhere in this volume, but the future of VPA is unknown because it depends on whether safer and more effective medications become available for these conditions. Nevertheless, in this chapter we speculate on the future of VPA based on the current knowledge of its properties and use.
Design of a Sensory Augmentation Walker with a Skin Stretch Feedback Handle

Mobility aids such as canes, crutches, and walkers are widely used among the elderly and people with poor balance as a means for physical support to improve balance during walking. Advances in technology have led to the development of robotic walking aids which can provide active physical support and navigation by incorporating sensors and actuators in conventional walking aids. These devices have shown great potentials in enhancing mobility; however, few studies have employed the functionality to detect user's posture or have investigated the feedback approaches to augment this information. Thus, it is important for those with impaired balance not to just be passively supported by mobility aids but to also actively be engaged in correcting their posture. In this paper, we introduce the concept of a sensory augmentation walker that can provide real-time directional information via skin stretch feedback to the user. The design and the user study of perceiving directions on a novel skin stretch handle are presented. Results show that the directional cues rendered by skin stretch feedback can be accurately perceived by all healthy young subjects (n = 8) at their fingertips, while the palm is shown to be a less effective location for perceiving this kind of feedback. Positive feedback about the benefits in helping people with improper posture is also reported. Based on the results of this pilot study, a full system for improving balance performance in elderly or people with impaired balance will be undertaken.
Meaning-Making, Communication, and Terror Management Processes

Abstract The chapter considers how communication theory may relate to and inform our understanding of various terror management processes, particularly as they concern the meaning-making systems people use to face, comprehend, and cope with their everyday world. In addressing a range of domains and situations relevant to communication theory—including interpersonal, relational, organizational, intercultural, and social influence contexts—the chapter focuses on the nature of meaning as it is created both within individuals and cultures. Themes emphasized in terror management theory (TMT) research relevant to how communication processes are motivated and articulated during the common routines of social interaction are explored with suggestions for how TMT may inform and suggest future communication research.
Aluminum-doped strontium ferrites for a two-step solar thermochemical air separation cycle: Thermodynamic characterization and cycle analysis

Abstract Separation of O2 from air to produce a high-purity stream of N2 is considered via a two-step solar thermochemical cycle based on aluminum-doped strontium ferrite reduction/oxidation reactions. The cycle steps encompass the (1) thermal reduction, driven by concentrated solar irradiation; and (2) re-oxidation with atmospheric air to produce a N2 stream. Samples were synthesized via the sol-gel method, and crystalline structures were confirmed with x-ray powder diffractometry. Thermogravimetry was used to measure the nonstoichiometry at chemical equilibrium for molar B-site Al dopant fractions between 0 and 0.20, temperatures between 673 and 1373 K, and volumetric gas flow compositions between 1 and 90% O2–Ar. The compound energy formalism was applied to thermogravimetric measurements to predict equilibrium nonstoichiometry as a function of dopant fraction, temperature, and O2 partial pressure. The results were used to predict partial reaction enthalpies and entropies. Aluminum doping increased the strontium ferrite oxygen affinity but reduced the range of nonstoichiometries. A strontium ferrite sample underwent 10 thermal reduction-oxidation steps in an upward flow reactor coupled to a high-flux solar simulator to study cyclability. A thermodynamic cycle analysis was performed, and cycle efficiencies were determined relative to an ideal separation process. For a solar reactor at 1073 K, 0.59 mol N2 per mol strontium ferrite could be produced at a purity of nearly 99% with a cycle efficiency of 4.0%.
A preliminary validation of Linux system administration learning outcomes

This paper shares our experience in a four-year long NSF-funded project to build an online Linux program as a 2+2 articulation between a state college and a research-intensive university. We present the process used to design and validate a specific list of learning outcomes which served as the foundation of our development efforts. The benefits of a synergy between certification training, higher education, and industry requirements are discussed along with the difficulties in implementing such a model.
Serious Camp: Juan Gabriel’s Queer Repertoire in ¿Qué le dijiste a Dios?

Cosentino explores how the recent Mexican film ?Que le dijiste a Dios? (Teresa Suarez, 2014) employs serious, queer camp to denaturalize domestic labor norms. Countering disparaging reviews by critics, Cosentino underscores the subversive qualities of the musical comedy that utilizes Juan Gabriel’s queer “repertoire” (Diana Taylor) to question household power dynamics that are tied to gender, race, and class in contemporary Mexico. The chapter analyzes the mise-en-scene—settings, costumes, props—to consider the film’s politicized prioritization of the domestic worker, departing from trends in neoliberal cinema, and offers close readings of the highly theatrical, choreographed campy musical sequences surrounding Juan Gabriel’s soundtrack.
Matrix-targeted Nanoparticles for MMP13 RNA Interference Blocks Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and prevalent chronic disease, but there are no approved disease modifying OA drugs (DMOADs), only pharmaceuticals for pain management. OA progression, particularly for post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), is associated with inflammation and enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix. In particular, Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) breaks down collagen type 2 (CII), a key structural component of cartilage extracellular matrix, and consequently, matrix degradation fragments perpetuate inflammation and a degenerative cycle that leads to progressive joint pathology. Here, we tested targeted delivery of endosome-escaping, MMP13 RNA interference (RNAi) nanoparticles (NPs) as a DMOAD. The new targeting approach pursued here deviates from the convention of targeting specific cell types (e.g., through cell surface receptors) and instead leverages a monoclonal antibody (mAbCII) that targets extracellular CII that becomes uniquely accessible at early OA focal defects. Targeted mAbCII-siNPs create an in situ NP depot for retention and potent activity within OA joints. The mAbCII-siNPs loaded with MMP13 siRNA (mAbCII-siNP/siMMP13) potently suppressed MMP13 expression (95% silencing) in TNFα-stimulated chondrocytes in vitro, and the targeted mAbCII-siNPs had higher binding to trypsin-damaged porcine cartilage than untargeted control NPs. In an acute mechanical injury mouse model of PTOA, mAbCII-siNP/siMMP13 achieved 80% reduction in MMP13 expression (p = 0.00231), whereas a non-targeted control achieved only 55% silencing. In a more severe, PTOA model, weekly mAbCII-siNP/siMMP13 long-term treatment provided significant protection of cartilage integrity (0.45+/− .3 vs 1.6+/−.5 on the OARSI scale; p=0.0166), and overall joint structure (1.3+/−.6 vs 2.8+/−.2 on the Degenerative Joint Disease scale; p<0.05). Intra-articular mAbCII-siNPs better protected articular cartilage (OARSI score) relative to either single or weekly treatment with the clinical gold stand steroid treatment methylprednisolone. Finally, multiplexed gene expression analysis of 254 inflammation-related genes showed that MMP13 inhibition suppressed clusters of genes associated with tissue restructuring, angiogenesis (associated with synovial inflammation and thickening), innate immune response, and proteolysis. This work establishes the new concept of targeting unique local extracellular matrix signatures to sustain retention and increase delivery efficacy of biologics with intracellular activity and also validates the promise of MMP13 RNAi as a DMOAD in a clinically-relevant therapeutic context.
Population Health Indicators Associated with a Statewide Telestroke Program.

Background: Studies show that telestroke (TS) improves rural access to care and outcome for stroke patients receiving TS services, but population health impacts of TS are not known. We examine impa...
A Plan to Combine Individualized Instruction with the Lecture Method.

Attempts at devising approaches to mathematical instruction that allow for a degree of individualized pacing are be coming very common at all grade levels: the elementary and secondary (Indelicato 1972; Osmundson 1972), the community college (Burris and Schroeder 1972; Rob erts and Michels 1971), and the university (Riner 1972). Most of these programs divide the mathematical content into mod ules (or small units). Each unit of content is analyzed. Behavioral objectives for the unit are written along with one or more tests based on these objectives. Finally, learning activities are prescribed that are designed to allow the students to attain the desired behaviors. These activities may include reading sections in a text book; working some exercises; working through some programmed materials; viewing video tapes, films, or film strips ; and so on. These activities vary from pro gram to program but they nearly all take a multimedia approach and, for the most part, the activities are completed by the student working individually at his own pace. On demonstrating attainment of the objective (by passing a pretest or post test at a prescribed level), the student may go on to the next of the logically sequenced modules. The teacher's role in these programs becomes that of planner and manager. Lectures or large-group dis cussions are few, although most of the programs do include small-group and indi vidual tutoring. Students in most of these programs have successfully met the behaviors prescribed. The programs have allowed bright stu dents to move rapidly through the content, and the teachers have been able to give more individual help to the students who need it. However, critics of this approach say that the objectives are often too nar row?that they include only low-level learning such as manipulative skills, rec ognition, and recall; more complicated, but very important, learning like heur istics and proof are neglected (see Nichols 1972). The above plaudits, as well as the criti cisms, seem warranted. It may be that a more careful writing of objectives or de signing of learning activities would elimi nate the existing shortcomings of the indi vidualized programs. On the other hand, a detailed set of behavioral objectives, objective tests to facilitate quick scor ing, and independent student activities
Can interpretive graphics influence visitor behavior in an exhibit space

Exhibit signage and graphics projects are most successful when they involve collaborative planning and formative evaluation throughout the process. Lincoln Park Zoo set out to combine interpretive ...
ACR BI-RADS Category 3 Lesions in Women Younger Than 30: Follow-up Outcomes and Factors Associated With Biopsy.

OBJECTIVE Investigate imaging follow-up patterns and assessment of malignancy rate of BI-RADS 3 lesions in women younger than 30 years. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed consecutive studies between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2015 with BI-RADS 3 assessment in women 2 cm in diameter (OR: 4.4 [95% CI 2.1-9.4], P <.01). The malignancy rate in our cohort was 0% (95% CI 0-1.7%). Of the 188 women expected for follow-up imaging, 58 (30%) were lost to follow-up, while 103 (55%) had 6-month follow-up, 74 (39%) 12-month follow-up, and 56 (30%) 24-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS BI-RADS 3 lesions identified in our cohort had high biopsy rates and low compliance with no cancers. Our findings suggest that probable fibroadenomas in young women may only warrant abbreviated short-term follow-up at 6-months.
Safety profile of outpatient vs inpatient ACDF: An analysis of 33,807 outpatient ACDFs.

Abstract Introduction Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is commonly performed to treat symptomatic cervical spondylolysis. Recently, many spine surgeons have begun performing ACDF in the outpatient setting. However, as this is a relatively new trend, many studies are either outdated or have small sample populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes following elective outpatient ACDF in comparison to those performed in the inpatient setting. Methods Patients in Mariner Claims Database (2011–2017) undergoing outpatient elective ACDF were propensity score matched using age, gender and comorbidity burden. Chronic and peri-operative complications were assigned based on medical claims codes. All outcomes of interest were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression and compared to those undergoing inpatient ACDF. Significance was defined as p Results Outpatient surgery had significantly lower risk of dysphagia within 24 h in both single (OR 0.44, p Conclusion Outpatient single and multilevel ACDF may be performed safely in properly selected patients. Since there are relatively low rates of readmission and significant complications within the days following outpatient ACDF, many surgeons should consider transitioning carefully selected patients to an outpatient setting.
Influence of Race/Ethnicity on Cesarean Delivery by Year in the United States

Objective: Attempts have been made to reduce the rate of cesarean delivery in the United States. The intent of this study was to examine the trends of cesarean delivery rates over time by race/ethnicity in the United States, stratified by parity and history of prior cesarean delivery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study in the United States between 2011 and 2018 using linked vital statistics data derived from National Center for Health Statistics. Race/ethnicity was categorized into non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian & Alaska Native (AIAN). Chi-square tests were used to compare rates of cesarean delivery between years among all racial/ethnic groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association of race/ethnicity with cesarean delivery, controlling for maternal age, BMI, parity, education, number of prenatal visits, insurance, diabetic disease and hypertensive disease. Our main outcomes were rates of cesarean delivery in each considered racial/ethnic group and year by parity and history of prior cesarean delivery. Results: Our cohort of 27,779,284 patients consisted of 14,982,866 (53.9%) white, 4,046,238 (14.6%) Black, 6,750,058 (24.3%) Hispanic, 1,773,798 (6.4%) Asian, and 226,324 (0.8%) AIAN individuals. When examining nulliparous parturients, the rates of cesarean delivery decreased for white, Asian, and AIAN nulliparas, but increased from 33.1% to 33.5% (p=0.01) for Black nulliparas between the years of 2011 to 2018. The rates of cesarean delivery in multiparous individuals decreased across all racial/ethnic groups. Conclusion: Rates of cesarean delivery increased in Black individuals but decreased in all other races/ethnicities over time among nulliparas. During a time when efforts were made to reduce the risk of cesarean delivery, rates both increased in Black individuals and health disparities increased. As these associations persisted even when controlling for confounders in multivariate analysis, investigation of structural contributors of these varied outcomes is needed. Funding: None to declare. Declaration of Interest: None to declare.
The Theoretical Foundations of Critical Juncture Research: Critique and Reconstruction

This chapter reviews the theoretical foundations of critical juncture research and, based on a consideration of how foundational issues should be addressed, suggests that some changes to the core ideas used in this research are needed. The aim of the chapter is to show how the critical juncture framework can be reconstructed on stronger foundations.
The risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer following diagnosis with gastric precancerous lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Gastric cancers are classified as diffuse-type (DTGC) or intestinal-type (ITGC). DTGCs have distinct clinical and histopathologic features, and carry a worse overall prognosis compared to ITGCs. Atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) are known precursors to ITGC. It is unknown if AG and IM increase risk for DTGC. We performed a systematic review to identify studies reporting on the association of AG/IM and DTGC. We extracted the odds ratio (OR) of the association from studies, and performed pool analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed on studies reporting histologic severity (using operative link systems) to assess if histologic severity of AG/IM was associated with higher risk. We identified six case–control and eight cohort studies for inclusion. Both AG (pooled OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.4, p < 0.001) and IM (pooled OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.9 to 2.9, p < 0.001) demonstrated an association with DTGC. High AG severity was associated with increased risk for DTGC compared to low AG severity (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3, p = 0.002). Similarly, high IM severity was associated with increased risk compared to low IM severity (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.7, p = 0.001). Both AG and IM are associated with DTGC. Increasing histologic severity of both AG and IM increases risk for DTGC. There may exist a common pathway between ITGC and some DTGCs mediated through mucosal precursor lesions. These data may inform future strategies of cancer risk attenuation and control.
Unidimensional Theories: An introduction to geometric stability theory

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces the stability theory from the geometric point of view. The unidimensional theories are those theories, which involve only one geometry. Most of the recent achievements in this area are reflected in the chapter. The best understood corner and the basis for more general conjectures is the subclass of totally categorical structures.
Reduction of tumor growth and spontaneous metastasis through induction of carbohydrate cross-reactive apoptotic antibodies

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 4275 Induction of immune responses against metastatic disease is the most challenging strategy in cancer vaccine development. Tumor cells, however, escape an ongoing immune response using various mechanisms including loss of target antigen and down regulation of MHC molecules or disruption of complement cascade. Therefore, employing novel anti-tumor immunological mechanisms in the immunotherapy array are needed. Induction of humoral responses that mediate apoptosis is perceived to be beneficial in vaccine formulations. Some plant lectins like Griffonia simplicifolia lectin I (GS-I) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) mediate apoptosis of tumor cells. We hypothesize that using these lectins as a template to select peptide mimotopes enables us to develop mimotope vaccines capable of inducing carbohydrate cross-reactive apoptotic antibodies upon immunization. We selected a peptide mimotope based on its specific reactivity with the above-mentioned lectins. Immunization of animals with the selected mimotope induced serum IgM antibodies that bound to murine 4T1 and human MCF7 cell lines as assayed by flow cytometry. Serum antibodies mediated apoptosis in both cell lines as assayed by annexin V surface expression, paralleling the apoptotic activity of the lectins. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that serum IgM antibodies internalized after co-incubation with the cells. Using 4T1 as a spontaneous metastatic tumor model, we observed that immunization of tumor-bearing animals with the mimotope significantly increased the survival time that was attributed to an observed diminished metastatic ratio of the tumor cells colonizing the liver. In prophylactic immunization of naive mice, we found that the vaccine is able to also affect solid tumor and lung metastasis. This finding parallels suggestions that carbohydrate reactive IgM can function as apoptotic mediators of tumor cell. Therefore, induction of apoptotic IgM antibodies might be targeted as an end-point in the development of vaccination strategies against cancer especially in the adjuvant setting for metastatic disease.
Environmental Sensing of Expert Knowledge in a Computational Evolution System for Complex Problem Solving in Human Genetics

The relationship between interindividual variation in our genomes and variation in our susceptibility to common diseases is expected to be complex with multiple interacting genetic factors. A central goal of human genetics is to identify which DNA sequence variations predict disease risk in human populations. Our success in this endeavour will depend critically on the development and implementation of computational intelligence methods that are able to embrace, rather than ignore, the complexity of the genotype to phenotype relationship. To this end, we have developed a computational evolution system (CES) to discover genetic models of disease susceptibility involving complex relationships between DNA sequence variations. The CES approach is hierarchically organized and is capable of evolving operators of any arbitrary complexity. The ability to evolve operators distinguishes this approach from artificial evolution approaches using fixed operators such as mutation and recombination. Our previous studies have shown that a CES that can utilize expert knowledge about the problem in evolved operators significantly outperforms a CES unable to use this knowledge. This environmental sensing of external sources of biological or statistical knowledge is important when the search space is both rugged and large as in the genetic analysis of complex diseases. We show here that the CES is also capable of evolving operators which exploit one of several sources of expert knowledge to solve the problem. This is important for both the discovery of highly fit genetic models and because the particular source of expert knowledge used by evolved operators may provide additional information about the problem itself. This study brings us a step closer to a CES that can solve complex problems in human genetics in addition to discovering genetic models of disease.
Blackwood's Magazine and the “Schooling” of Taste

Writers for periodical magazines and reviews in the late Romantic period became increasingly aware of the role that such publications played in actively shaping public taste. This article turns to Blackwood's Magazine and investigates how it uses writing about food to reflect on the shaping of literary tastes. I argue that the magazine uses gastronomy both to justify its judgments of taste as naturalized, universal truths, and to reflect upon the processes of periodical production that belie such naturalness. Particularly through the logic of schooling – classifying writers into groups like the Cockney School or the less famous Leg of Mutton School – Blackwood's asserts a pre-existing, fixed standard of taste that the magazine at other moments claims to create, amend and defend against threats to its stability. Food culture's shifting significations offer means for writers to negotiate between taste as either a necessary precondition for literary production or a contingent product of those processes. Like...
Experimental studies of chaos and localization in quantum wave functions.

Wave functions in chaotic and disordered quantum billiards are studied experimentally using thin microwave cavities. The chaotic wave functions display universal density distributions and density autocorrelations in agreement with expressions derived from a 0D nonlinear \ensuremath{\sigma} model of supersymmetry, which coincides with random matrix theory. In contrast, disordered wave functions show deviations from this universal behavior due to Anderson localization. A systematic behavior of the distribution function is studied as a function of the localization length, and can be understood in the framework of a 1D version of the nonlinear \ensuremath{\sigma} model.
Longitudinal description of the disability rating scale for individuals in the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research traumatic brain injury model systems national database.

Abstract Objective To develop a detailed understanding of temporal change (ie, estimated trajectories) at the individual level as measured by the Disability Rating Scale (DRS). Design Individual growth curve (IGC) analysis of retrospective data obtained from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems National Database. Setting Multicenter longitudinal database study. Participants Individuals with TBI (N=8816) participating in the TBI Model Systems National Database project. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure DRS. Results The negative exponential consisting of 3 growth parameters (pseudointercept, asymptote, rate) was successfully used to predict trajectory of recovery on the DRS qualified by the following covariates: race, sex, level of education and age at admission, rehabilitation length of stay, and cognitive and motor FIM scores at rehabilitation admission. Based on these results, an interactive tool was developed to allow prediction of the trajectory of recovery for individuals and subgroups with specified characteristics on the selected covariates. Conclusions With the use of IGC analysis, the longitudinal trajectory of recovery on the DRS for individuals sharing common characteristics and traits can be described. This methodology allows researchers and clinicians to predict numerous individual-level trajectories through use of a web-based computer automated interactive tool.
Porous Ceramic Bodies with Interconnected Pore Channels by a Novel Freeze Casting Technique

Porous ceramic bodies with interconnected pore channels were fabricated by a novel freeze casting technique using camphene-based slurries. The pore channels are surrounded by almost fully dense walls and have nearly circular cross-sections. The pore volume fraction and the channel size were controllable by the solid content in the slurry. The channels are replicas of entangled dendrites of frozen camphene, which sublimed during the freeze-drying process. This porous structure with entangled pore channels is considered potentially useful in many applications such as implantable bone scaffolds.
Determination of needed radiographic room capacity to serve an emergency department

This study describes a method for determining the number of radiographic rooms devoted to emergency radiology that would be required to keep mean patient waiting time at a desired level. A desired mean waiting time for patients must be determined. In our setting, a mean waiting time of 8 minutes resulted in few complaints. The waiting time then sets the required utilization rate of available capacity. Daily and hourly volume and variability in volume of examinations were measured over a 3-month period. This represents the demand. The needed number of rooms is determined by comparing demand with effective available capacity for different numbers of rooms. To maintain an 8-minute mean waiting time, 50% utilization of capacity is required. Mean demand on Sundays is 176 examinations. Five rooms are required, since this gives a 180-examination effective capacity. Using waiting time as the primary decision criterion for making capacity decisions in emergency radiology has several advantages: the method is easy to use, volume variability is taken into account, and the focus is on service to patients.
Is de novo stress incontinence after sacrocolpopexy related to anatomical changes and surgical approach

The objective was to investigate the relationship between new onset postoperative stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after sacrocolpopexy (SCP) and anatomical change/surgical approach. We analyzed a retrospective cohort of patients with negative preoperative testing for SUI who underwent SCP from 2005 to 2012. Our primary outcome was new onset postoperative SUI. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship among anatomical change, defined as ΔAa, ΔBa, ΔC, and ΔTVL, and surgical approach, categorized as abdominal (ASCP) for open cases and minimally invasive (MISCP) for laparoscopic and robot-assisted cases, and postoperative SUI. Of 795 cases, 33 ASCP (43%) and 44 MISCP (57%) met the inclusion criteria for analysis. New onset SUI was demonstrated by 15 patients (45%) of the ASCP group and 7 patients (15%) of the MISCP group (p = 0.005). New onset SUI was significantly associated with route of SCP and ΔAa (p = 0.006 and p = 0.033 respectively). Controlling for ΔAa, the odds of new onset SUI were 4.4 times higher in the ASCP group compared with the MISCP group (OR 4.37, 95% CI 1.42, 13.48). Controlling for route of SCP, the odds of new onset SUI were 2.2 times higher with moderate ΔAa compared with low ΔAa (OR 2.16 95% CI 1.07, 4.38). The odds of new onset SUI was 4.7 times higher in those with high ΔAa than in those with low ΔAa (OR 4.67 95% CI 1.14, 19.22). ΔBa, ΔC, and ΔTVL were not associated with new onset SUI. Greater reduction in point Aa and abdominal surgical route are risk factors for new onset postoperative SUI after SCP.