cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orbital congestion complicating treatment of cerebral vascular anomalies.

Background The decision between conservative management and invasive treatment of juxtaorbital intracranial vascular anomalies can be challenging. Whereas arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can lead to vision loss and are potentially life-threatening if they rupture, invasive endovascular and surgical procedures also carry risks. Case Descriptions Two patients developed blinding orbital congestion soon after they were treated successfully for cerebral vascular anomalies. The first patient, a 36 year-old man, underwent partial embolization followed by resection of a congenital frontal-lobe AVM. The second patient, a 62 year-old woman, underwent embolization of a periorbital/skull base dural arteriovenous malformation. After intervention, both patients developed unilateral vision loss proptosis, chemosis, complete ophthalmoplegia, and increased intraocular pressure. The first patient suffered from acute orbital compartment syndrome in the absence of any acute localized hemorrhage or thrombosis. The second patient experienced refractory acute glaucoma from orbital congestion, secondary hyphema, and angle closure caused by superior ophthalmic vein and cavernous sinus thromboses. Conclusions These cases highlight the potential for orbital congestion to worsen acutely after invasive treatment of juxtaorbital cerebral vascular anomalies and suggest diverse mechanisms of resultant visual and orbital compromise. The first case represents the first report of orbital compartment syndrome after resection of a congenital AVM.
Laparoscopic orchiopexy: clinical experience and description of technique.

AbstractPurpose: We reviewed the experience, early followup and technique of laparoscopic treatment of the nonpalpable undescended testis at our institution.Materials and Methods: Charts of patients who underwent laparoscopic treatment of an intra-abdominal testis from September 1992 to October 1994 were reviewed.Results: A total of 13 laparoscopic orchiopexies was performed on 11 children with nonpalpable undescended testes. In 10 cases sufficient length was gained on the spermatic vessels using laparoscopic dissection to perform tension-free orchiopexy without the need for division of the spermatic vessels.Conclusions: When localization of an intra-abdominal testis is confirmed, orchiopexy can be performed safely with minimal morbidity using a laparoscopic approach. Length of hospital stay and postoperative morbidity may be improved in comparison to traditional techniques.
Strength enhancement of single crystal laser components

The effect of chemical etching on the surface roughness and fracture strength of Nd:yttrium-aluminum-garnet single crystals was investigated. Etching the laser host material in a 1:1 mixture of concentrated sulfuric and phosphoric acid at elevated temperatures enabled material removal from the surface of laser rods cored from single-crystal boules. The roughness on the rod surface increased from the as-drilled condition after etching, but after 17 μm of material was removed, the roughness remained approximately constant. The modulus of rupture increased from 133-530 MPa when 87 μm of material was removed by the chemical etching procedure.
Back pain in whitewater rafting guides.

Abstract Objective.—The purpose of this study was to quantify rates of back pain among whitewater rafting guides and to look for correlations between the presence of back pain and specific activities associated with guiding. The secondary objective was to provide suggestions for outfitters according to the results of this study, which may be of assistance to their guide staff. Methods.—A mail-out–mail-back survey was sent to 2510 rafting guides working in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and the Grand Canyon during the summer of 2004 to quantify whitewater raft guiding characteristics and incidence of back pain. Results.—Of the 390 surveys returned, 77.4% of guides reported back pain while guiding and 20.8% had back pain lasting longer than 1 week at the time of the survey. Stacking 5 or more inflated boats for transport was correlated with the presence of pain (χ2 = 8.4, ν = 1, P < .01), and loading and unloading rafts while guests are waiting was correlated with back pain lasting longer than 1...
Investigation of core structures for the electron-beam reproducing head in magnetic recording

The relative advantages of perpendicular versus longitudinal recording have been re-evaluated in term of the electron-beam pickup. It is shown that dc response can be obtained only with perpendicular or transverse recarding, but because of other considerations longitudinal recording appears to be more generally practicable, even though the resulting low-frequency response limit depends upon the extent to which the physical dimensions of the core may , b e increased and the speed of the recording medium may be reducqd. Measurement techniques have been devised to permit study of the magnetic circuit parameters which influence over-all pickup sensitivity; associated studies show the advantages of a core structure having unconventional configuration and physical dimensions. Procedures recentlypresented by other writers for the investigation of factors contributing t o high-frequency loss in conventional heads have been tested with the electron-beam pickup; tape-coating thickness appears to be responsible fm, a decibel loss approximately equal to the total contributed by all other factors. Relatively simple striptype core structures for use with the electron-beam tube have been developed - over-all performance data under typical recording conditions show an output of the order of 0.2 volt and an equalized response range of approximately one to 15,000 cycles per second, plus or minus three decibels, at a tape speed of 10 inches per second.
Teaching functional programming techniques in non-functional programming languages

This tutorial presents approaches to teach functional programming techniques in non-functional programming languages such as Java, C#, and even JavaScript.
Anticholinergic Use Is a Major Risk Factor for Dysphonia

Objective:We hypothesize that many cases of dysphonia of unclear etiology are a form of sicca caused by anticholinergic medication use, and we aim to determine their association.Study Design:This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a 6-month time period. Participants were drawn from a tertiary care laryngology practice within an academic institution.Methods:One hundred forty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Patients rated the symptom of chronic hoarseness; scores were compared with participants’ medication lists, comorbidities, age, and sex, and a multivariate logistic regression model was developed. Significance was set at P < .05. As a secondary analysis, participants rated a variety of other symptoms using the Voice Handicap Index-10, Reflux Symptom Index, and the GRBAS scale, which were likewise compared to anticholinergic use.Results:Any patient taking at least 1 anticholinergic medication had a 2.32 increased odds (P = .03) of experiencing hoarseness. If the patient was taking 2 or more ...
Extension Workers’ Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao) Production Technology Dissemination Constraints in EDO State, Nigeria: Implications for Sustainable Development Communication

The study assessed extension workers’ perception of technology dissemination constraints in Cocoa production in Edo State, Nigeria. The forty seven (47) extension agents in position constituted the respondents for the study. Data were gathered with the aid of structured questionnaire and analysed using frequency and means as well as Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to test relationships. Results showed that majority (78.7%) of the respondents were males and had working experience of between 6 and 10 years (53.2%). Most (95.7%) and (85.1%) sourced technology on hybrid variety and disseminated fertilizer technology respectively. The respondents perceived that they were mostly efficient in communicating/disseminating Cocoa hybrid variety (mean = 3.51) and were constrained by too much work load/areas to cover (mean = 3.85). Only age and grade level were significantly related to respondents’ perception of technology communication. It was recommended that seminars and workshops to impart communication skills for innovation dissemination in sustainable development be organised for extension workers regularly.
Los orígenes del nacionalismo mexicano

Los Origenes Del Nacionalismo Mexicano PDF Books 11 Los origenes del nacionalismo mexicano David Brading Patriotismo y nacionalismo en la historia de Mexico Nacionalismo Mexicano algunas aproximaciones NOTAS SOBRE LA CONSTRUCCION DEL NACIONALISMO DURANTE LA RACE CLASS AND NATION IN WARTIME SAN LUIS POTOSI museoamparocom Capitulo 1 Surgimiento del nacionalismo mexicano 11 EL NACIONALISMO MEXICANOpdf Instituto de Investigaciones El Guadalupanismo mexicano su impacto a traves de la 218 El transito hacia el estado nacional Mentalidad nacionalismo y estilo en el futbol mexicano Que es el patriotismo pdf gaxirocfileswordpresscom NACIONALISMO Y EDUCACION LA REFORMA redalycorg Tacos joven” Cosmopolitismo proletario y la cocina References Project MUSE And Many Other Awesome Books...
Pharmacokinetics of Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole in Normal Subjects and in Patients with Renal Failure

The pharmacokinetics of trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) were studied in subjects with normal and impaired renal function after single doses of the drugs administered separately and in combination. Serum levels and urinary excretion of TMP and free and conjugated SMZ were fitted to appropriate pharmacokinetic models by nonlinear least-squares methods. Neither drug influenced the pharmacokinetics of the other, and the acid and alkaline loading used did not markedly affect the clearance of either drug from serum. Rates of elimination and urinary concentrations of both drugs were significantly reduced in uremic subjects. Levels of SMZ in serum were slightly lower in uremic than in normal subjects. Levels of TMP in serum were similar in both groups but tended to be higher in uremic subjects from 5 hr after dosing. Distribution of free SMZ in tissues increased during renal insufficiency, probably due to reduced binding to serum proteins, whereas distribution of TMP in tissues showed little apparent change. A dosage regimen involving reduced doses of both drugs, with an interval between doses of approximately 12 hr, is proposed for patients with severe renal failure.
Gene Mapping of a Narrow and Rolled Leaf Mutant Nrl3(t) in Rice

Nrl3(t)was a novel narrow and rolled leaf mutant from the indica restorer line Zhonghui 8015 after exposure to 60 Co-γray.Nrl3(t)exhibited significant adaxially-rolled leaves,reduced plant height,shortened panicle length,reduced grain length,grain width and thousand-grain weight,as well as the seed-setting rate.Cytological analysis showed that the rolled leaf phenotype was due to the reduced number of vascular bundleand the changed size of bulliform cells.In an initial mapping with F2 individuals derived from a cross between Nrl3(t)and japonica 02428,the narrow and rolled leaf gene Nrl3(t)was eventually mapped to a 70.3kb region on the long arm of chromosome 2between two newly developed sequence tagged site markers C9 and C10E.These results would lay agood foundation for molecular cloning and functional analysis of Nrl3(t).
Effect of tumor necrosis factor-α on adhesion of human endometrial stromal cells to peritoneal mesothelial cells: an in vitro system *

Objective To assess the effects of tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ) on adhesion of endometrial stromal cells to peritoneal mesothelial cells, a possible step leading to endometriosis. Design Analysis of cell adhesion in vitro. Setting University research laboratory. Patients Peritoneal fluid and biopsies were obtained from volunteers with regular cycles without endometriosis or endometrial pathology. Interventions Tumor necrosis factor- α (0.1 to 1,000 U/mL) was added to nutrient media with the following supplements: 10% fetal calf serum, epidermal growth factor 20 ng/mL, and gentamicin 10 ng/mL. Main Outcome Measures Radioactivity of chromium-51 was used as a reflection of adherent stromal cells. Results The adherence of endometrial stromal cells to mesothelial cells was significantly increased by pretreatment of mesothelial cells with TNF- α . Conclusions Tumor necrosis factor- α may play a facilitory role in the development of endometriosis.
The Day the Laughter Died: With the Passing of Justice Scalia, Who Becomes the New 'Court Jester' and with a Possible Female President, How Might a Majority of Female Justices Change the Court?

This article presents an overview of the Supreme Court’s humor for the 2015-2016 term, discusses the humorous and serious developments resulting from Justice Scalia’s death, and also considers the potential gender shift the Supreme Court faces.
Dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory networks are differentially altered by selective attention.

Excitation and inhibition interact to imbue neuronal networks with the computational power that enables cognitive processes, such as attention, yet the details of this interaction remain unknown. W...
Training Appraisees to Participate in Appraisal: Effects on Appraisers and Appraisees

This study examined the role of behavior modeling training (BMT) in enhancing appraisee participation during a performance appraisal discussion. In addition, the study examined the effects of enhanced participation on appraisee and appraiser perceptions toward several appraisal outcome variables; in particular, the fairness and accuracy of performance appraisal were of interest. The experimental design was a 2 × 3 completely crossed factorial design consisting of two levels of training (behavior modeling vs. lecture/discussion) and three levels of bogus evaluation feedback (low, neutral, and high). A series of multivariate and univariate comparisons were used to test the hypothesized outcomes. The findings suggest that appraisers exposed to the BMT group perceived appraisees as more proactive and better performers and, in addition, reported liking the appraisees more, and perceiving the appraisal process as more fair. The study also found support for the “egocentric bias” in perceived outcome fairness: appraisees in both training conditions who received a high evaluation perceived the appraisal evaluation as more fair than appraisees who received a low evaluation. In addition, the study found that favorable evaluations were also perceived as being more accurate. The results of the study are discussed in terms of procedural justice theory and related research examining the role of performance feedback on both the appraisee and the appraiser. Suggestions for future research in the areas of behavior modeling, voice-giving (high-input) procedures, and procedural justice are discussed.
Mechanisms of Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertensive Pregnancy and Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related disorder characterized by hypertension and could lead to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although the causative factors and pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear, endothelial dysfunction is a major hallmark of preeclampsia. Clinical tests and experimental research have suggested that generalized endotheliosis in the systemic, renal, cerebral, and hepatic circulation could decrease endothelium-derived vasodilators such as nitric oxide, prostacyclin, and hyperpolarization factor and increase vasoconstrictors such as endothelin-1 and thromboxane A2, leading to increased vasoconstriction, hypertension, and other manifestation of preeclampsia. In search for the upstream mechanisms that could cause endothelial dysfunction, certain genetic, demographic, and environmental risk factors have been suggested to cause abnormal expression of uteroplacental integrins, cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases, leading to decreased maternal tolerance, apoptosis of invasive trophoblast cells, inadequate spiral arteries remodeling, reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP), and placental ischemia/hypoxia. RUPP may cause imbalance between the antiangiogenic factors soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and soluble endoglin and the proangiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor, or stimulate the release of other circulating bioactive factors such as inflammatory cytokines, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, reactive oxygen species, and angiotensin AT1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies. These circulating factors could then target endothelial cells and cause generalized endothelial dysfunction. Therapeutic options are currently limited, but understanding the factors involved in endothelial dysfunction could help design new approaches for prediction and management of preeclampsia.
Child and adolescent overweight and obesity in Latin America: A broader view of the nutrition transition

O is now recognized as a major public health concern in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) as well as in High Income Countries (HIC). The several physiological and psychosocial consequences of this condition are threatening to collapse health systeMS around the globe. This epidemiologic panorama is a result of changes in physical activity and nutrition patterns fuelled by technology and economic changes known as the nutrition transition. Countries in the Latin American region are undergoing these changes in a heterogeneous fashion, where under-nutrition coexists with overweight and chronic diseases. Children and adolescents are a key group for the prevention of overweight and obesity as well as for the promotion of healthy lifestyles. This presentation will discuss the current state of the childhood obesity epidemic in Latin American countries (with particular emphasis in Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico) and the specific individual, social, and community factors that have shaped this panorama.
Meeting Report for NIH 2016 Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering 2016.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2016 Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium (PCBC) and Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (CVTE) Symposium was held on March 28, 2016 at Birmingham, AL (Figure). Over one hundred scientists, engineers, and trainees attended the symposium hosted by new joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The symposium was part of the NIH National Blood, Heart, and Lung Institute’s PCBC and featured information on the field’s latest accomplishments. The goal of the Symposium was to discuss novel approaches and cell and tissue engineering–based products to repair damaged heart and vasculature. The symposium sessions were aimed at the common topic of advancing the understanding of disease mechanisms and translating the most advanced basic science to preclinical and clinical trials. Because of the word limitation, this report could only highlight some of the presentations from this 1-day PCBC CVTE 2016 Symposiums. Many pertinent presentation summaries are not included, yet they certainly merit. Figure. 2016 PCBC symposium speakers. The opening remarks were given by Dr Jianyi Zhang and Dean J. Iwan D. Alexander (School of Engineering, UAB). Following the introductory remarks, 21 speakers presented their research topics in 12-minute lectures. This short presentation format was well acknowledged by the audience. Dr John P. Cooke (The Houston Methodist Research Institute) provided evidence that innate immune activation is essential for nuclear reprogramming to pluripotency, as well as transdifferentiation to another somatic lineage. His group showed that the viral vector for the Yamanaka factors was more than a mere vehicle.1 Stimulation of innate immunity by the viral vector (via TLR3 [toll-like receptor 3] and RIG-1 activation) causes global changes in epigenetic modifiers (eg, suppression of HDAC [histone deacetylases] family members and upregulation of HAT [histone acetyltransferases] proteins) that increases the probability of an open chromatin configuration. Antagonism of innate immunity …
Design of a randomized controlled trial for genomic carrier screening in healthy patients seeking preconception genetic testing.

Abstract Population-based carrier screening is limited to well-studied or high-impact genetic conditions for which the benefits may outweigh the associated harms and costs. As the cost of genome sequencing declines and availability increases, the balance of risks and benefits may change for a much larger number of genetic conditions, including medically actionable additional findings. We designed an RCT to evaluate genomic clinical sequencing for women and partners considering a pregnancy. All results are placed into the medical record for use by healthcare providers. Through quantitative and qualitative measures, including baseline and post result disclosure surveys, post result disclosure interviews, 1–2 year follow-up interviews, and team journaling, we are obtaining data about the clinical and personal utility of genomic carrier screening in this population. Key outcomes include the number of reportable carrier and additional findings, and the comparative cost, utilization, and psychosocial impacts of usual care vs. genomic carrier screening. As the study progresses, we will compare the costs of genome sequencing and usual care as well as the cost of screening, pattern of use of genetic or mental health counseling services, number of outpatient visits, and total healthcare costs. This project includes novel investigation into human reactions and responses from would-be parents who are learning information that could both affect a future pregnancy and their own health.
Pedestrian safety under permissive left-turn signal control

Abstract At intersections with permissive only signal control, pedestrians will move at the phase with the parallel through vehicular movement and the permissive left-turn movement. The left-turn vehicles have to yield to both opposing vehicles and pedestrians at the crosswalk. Under such complicated driving conditions, collision risks rise if left-turn vehicles make misjudgments and fail to yield to the pedestrians. In this research, driving-simulation based experiments were conducted for identifying and assessing the impacts of the factors that contribute to the collision between the left-turn vehicles and the pedestrians during the permissive left-turn phase. The results of this study showed that the percentage of left-turn trucks and the pedestrian volume has significant impacts on the pedestrian safety under permissive left-turn signal control.
Initial construct validity evidence of a virtual human application for competency assessment in breaking bad news to a cancer patient.

BACKGROUND Despite interest in using virtual humans (VHs) for assessing health care communication, evidence of validity is limited. We evaluated the validity of a VH application, MPathic-VR, for assessing performance-based competence in breaking bad news (BBN) to a VH patient. METHODS We used a two-group quasi-experimental design, with residents participating in a 3-hour seminar on BBN. Group A (n=15) completed the VH simulation before and after the seminar, and Group B (n=12) completed the VH simulation only after the BBN seminar to avoid the possibility that testing alone affected performance. Pre- and postseminar differences for Group A were analyzed with a paired t-test, and comparisons between Groups A and B were analyzed with an independent t-test. RESULTS Compared to the preseminar result, Group A's postseminar scores improved significantly, indicating that the VH program was sensitive to differences in assessing performance-based competence in BBN. Postseminar scores of Group A and Group B were not significantly different, indicating that both groups performed similarly on the VH program. CONCLUSION Improved pre-post scores demonstrate acquisition of skills in BBN to a VH patient. Pretest sensitization did not appear to influence posttest assessment. These results provide initial construct validity evidence that the VH program is effective for assessing BBN performance-based communication competence.
Military, civilian, and rural application of the damage control philosophy.

Damage control surgery is a useful salvage strategy for the most critically injured patients. Conceptually, this approach to individual patients can be extrapolated to situations such as military field surgery, civilian mass casualty events, and long-range transfers from rural areas. The logistic realities of Army forward surgery teams are addressed with regard to typical damage control maneuvers and evacuation. Specific areas requiring improvement through directed research are identified. Initial civilian mass casualty strategies are discussed, and a plan to prevent transfer delays of rural trauma patients is presented. By transferring the lessons learned from individual damage control patients to military, civilian mass casualty, and rural casualty events, resource utilization is optimized. The concept of minimal acceptable care rather than optimal trauma care can be applied to these three seemingly different situations. Language: en
Ureteral Injury After Lumbar Sympathetic Block

Ureteral injury caused by lumbar sympathetic block is a rare but potentially serious complication. To date, seven cases have been reported in the literature [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The postulated etiology includes chemical irritation of the ureter and subsequent stenosis caused either by direct injection into the ureter or by spread of the agent from the injection site. Patients may present with symptoms ranging from systemic constitutional symptoms to more localized manifestations; timing of presentation may occur as early as 4 days and as late as 6 months post-procedure. Diagnosis is made by imaging, often initially including an ultrasound demonstrating a urinoma and/or hydronephrosis of the ipsilateral kidney. Management is patient-dependent and has ranged from conservative management with drainage to ureteral repair and nephrectomy.
Intertrochanteric Femur Fractures: Plates and Screws

Intertrochanteric fractures remain some of the most common injuries that are treated in the elderly worldwide. With population increases and the prevalence of osteoporosis, the appropriate and timely treatment of intertrochanteric fractures is vital in improving patient function, decreasing morbidity and mortality, and providing reproducible results. Many methodologies of fixation have been popularized and are currently used, including sliding hip screw (SHS) with side plates, other fixed angle plates (95° screw and side plate devices, blade plates, locked plates, etc.), and intramedullary devices with cephalomedullary fixation. This chapter will focus on commonly used plating types, indications, and accomplishing appropriate goals of stable fixation including early weight bearing, reliable healing, and acceptable maintenance of anatomy. As well, an understanding of fracture pattern evaluation will be addressed to allow the readership to make an informed decision if plating is appropriate to treat an injury presented.
The Importance of Scale in Understanding the Natural History of Diatom Communities

Diatom communities can be composed of hundreds of different species with unique needs and abilities. Although there is a considerable size range amongst species, diatoms are relatively small when considering the size of sympatric aquatic organisms and especially considering the size of humans that study diatom ecology. To get a clearer understanding of environmental factors important in structuring diatom communities, it is important to measure variables at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. An examination of the ecology of diatom communities from various microhabitats (epipsammon, epipelon, epiphyton, epilithon, and subaerial) can be enhanced by appreciating their microbial nature and by the application of appropriate tools and approaches.
Computer Aided Nodule Analysis and Risk Yield (CANARY) characterization of adenocarcinoma: Radiologic biopsy, risk stratification and future directions

The majority of incidentally and screen-detected lung cancers are adenocarcinomas. Optimal management of these tumors is clinically challenging due to variability in tumor histopathology and behavior. Invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) is generally aggressive while adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) may be extremely indolent. Computer Aided Nodule Analysis and Risk Yield (CANARY) is a quantitative computed tomography (CT) analysis tool that allows non-invasive assessment of tumor characteristics. This analysis may obviate the need for tissue biopsy and facilitate the risk stratification of adenocarcinoma of the lung. CANARY was developed by unsupervised machine learning techniques using CT data of histopathologically-characterized adenocarcinomas of the lung. This technique identified 9 distinct exemplars that constitute the spectrum of CT features found in adenocarcinoma of the lung. The distributions of these features in a nodule correlate with histopathology. Further automated clustering of CANARY nodules defined three distinct groups that have distinctly different post-resection disease free survival (DFS). CANARY has been validated within the NLST cohort and multiple other cohorts. Using semi-automated segmentation as input to CANARY, there is excellent repeatability and interoperator correlation of results. Confirmation and longitudinal tracking of indolent adenocarcinoma with CANARY may ultimately add decision support in nuanced cases where surgery may not be in the best interest of the patient due to competing comorbidity. Currently under investigation is CANARY's role in detecting differing driver mutations and tumor response to targeted chemotherapeutics. Combining the results from CANARY analysis with clinical information and other quantitative techniques such as analysis of the tumor-free surrounding lung may aid in building more powerful predictive models. The next step in CANARY investigation will be its prospective application, both in selecting low-risk stage 1 adenocarcinoma for active surveillance and investigation in selecting high-risk early stage adenocarcinoma for adjuvant therapy.
Effects of Hypertension in Young Adult and Middle-Aged Rhesus Monkeys

It is now clear that hypertension is among the leading risk factors for the development of stroke, cerebrovascular disease (CVD), and related disorders. Elevated blood pressure is the most common risk factor for brain hemorrhage (1) and virtually doubles one’s risk of cardiovascular disease (2). More recently, hypertension has also been implicated in the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and even as a contributory factor to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Hypertension is a common condition and affects more than one-quarter of the adult population of the United States alone (3,4). The effects of extremely high levels of hypertension are also well known and include a fourfold greater risk for CVD than normotensive individuals and may have marked effects on several body organs (5,6). However, for the most part, hypertension is an asymptomatic disorder with a substantial number of individuals going undiagnosed or unaware of their condition. Because the incidence of hypertension increases significantly with age, together with the coming “graying of America,” concern over hypertension as a major health issue will become paramount and research in the area must keep pace.
Metrological evaluation of contrast target center algorithm for terrestrial laser scanners

Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLSs) are used in a variety of large scale scanning applications such as reverse engineering, assembly of aircraft or ships and surveying. Contrast targets are used with such instruments for enabling scene registration or to establish a scale when used on a scale bar. Currently, the algorithms to calculate the centers of contrast targets (CCT) are either proprietary to the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or not precise and accurate. Some of these algorithms may also operate only on OEM's proprietary data format. To overcome these limitations, a novel algorithm was developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to calculate the center of contrast targets. Several targets in various orientations were scanned by one TLS and their centers were calculated by both the NIST algorithm and one OEM software. The results show that the NIST algorithm is robust, addresses many data quality issues and has better precision than the OEM software in most cases.
Surgical management of postcastration spermatic cord stump infection in horses: A retrospective study of 23 cases.

Objective To report the surgical management and the short- and long-term follow-up of postcastration spermatic cord infection in horses. Study design Retrospective case series. Animals Twenty-three client-owned horses. Methods Medical records (2001-2017) of horses that had been surgically treated for spermatic cord stump infection after castration were reviewed. Time from castration to presentation, diagnostic procedures, surgical complications, bacterial culture and ancillary testing, and survival to discharge were collected. Long-term follow-up was obtained by owner survey when possible. Descriptive statistics were used to report results. Results Horses ranged in age from 2 to 14 years (mean age 4.1) and presented 33 days (median; range, 12-3561) after castration. Five of 23 horses required revision surgery because of hemorrhage (2) or persistent infection (3). All horses survived to discharge. Long-term follow up was available for 16 horses at a mean time of 27.4 months postsurgery (range 6-135). Complete resolution of clinical signs and return to previous use was documented in 14 of 16 horses; 1 horse had persistent purulent drainage and a second horse was retired because he did not return to adequate performance. Conclusion Postcastration infection of the spermatic cord had a favorable prognosis for short- and long-term survival in this population, although complications included postoperative hemorrhage and persistent infection. Clinical significance This study describes the treatment of postcastration infection of the spermatic cord which results in a good survival rate.
Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians

This Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians contains highlights from Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, Clinical Practice Guideline No. 14, which was developed by a private-sector panel of health care providers and consumers. The Quick Reference Guide is an example of how a clinician might implement the panel's findings and recommendations on the management of acute low back problems in working-age adults. Topics covered include the initial assessment of patients presenting with acute low back problems, identification of red flags that may indicate the presence of a serious underlying medical condition, initial management, special studies and diagnostic considerations, and further management considerations. Instructions for clinical testing for sciatic tension, recommendations for sitting and unassisted lifting, tests for identification of clinical pathology, and algorithms for patient management are included. Decisions to adopt particular recommendations from either publication must be made by practitioners in light of available resources and circumstances presented by the individual patient.
Biologics and 30-Day Postoperative Complications After Abdominal Operations for Crohn's Disease: Are There Differences in the Safety Profiles?

BACKGROUND:The evidence regarding the association of preoperative biologic exposure and postoperative outcomes remains controversial for both antitumor necrosis factor agents and vedolizumab and largely unknown for ustekinumab.OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to determine differences in the r
Bone Health and BMD Research in Pediatric and Adolescent Individuals with ASD: Current Data, Evaluation, and Next Steps

Austin spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that can include impairments in communication skills and social interaction as well as behavioral challenges. Recent research has evaluated bone health and bone mineral density (BMD) in cohorts of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult participants. Consistent findings across publications indicate that individuals with ASD have decreased BMD when compared to non-ASD age-matched peers. Factors raised in the literature for consideration of impact on BMD status include dietary intake, feeding behavior, nutrient status, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and diagnoses, physical activity, and prescription medication usage. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of published research evaluating BMD in those with ASD, analyze potential issues of correlation with lowered BMD in this population, offer perspective for future research consideration, and propose evaluation and intervention strategies to address and potentially ameliorate both the short-term and long-term impact of decreased BMD in children and adolescents.
Modeling Interstate Banking in the United States: the Spatial 3-Stage Least Squares Approach

This study uses a spatial 3-stage least squares approach to model interstate banking of the United States in 1994 and 2014. The method simultaneously takes into account spatial dependence, outward and inward interstate banking and their interaction, and the temporal effects in interstate banking. The study shows that a healthy economic structure, an expanding market, and permissive banking legislation encourage inward interstate banking. A healthy economic structure is a basis for strong banking firms to rise and to expand in other states. Large banking institutions were dominate in outward interstate banking while smaller firm sizes tend to be associated with inward interstate banking. By 2014, large and well-capitalized banking firms from states with a healthy economic structure had expanded into states with lower income levels, and lower capital-to-labor ratios, higher labor resource use, and lower profitability in their banking industry. Evidence shows some banking geographical fragmentation remains.
Mindfulnes-Based Stress Reduction for Older Couples with Metabolic Syndrome: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

We examined the feasibility and explored the physical, psychological, relational, and biological effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), an 8-week standardized mindfulness program, involving older married couples (60 years or older) with metabolic syndrome (one or both partners had metabolic syndrome). We also explored gender differences. A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared MBSR to a Wait List Control (WLC) arm at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up clinic visits. Twenty-two spouses (11 couples) self-reported stress, physical and mental functioning, mindfulness, and relationship satisfaction at each time point. Fasting glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference were measured. MBSR couples answered questions about partner influences on participation, adherence, and practice at the post-intervention visit. In terms of adherence to MBSR sessions, four of the six couples attended all ten sessions; one couple attended 7; and one wife attended 6 and her husband attended 5 sessions. In terms of efficacy, there were no significant intervention effects; however, there were significant gender by intervention effects. Pre- to post-intervention, MBSR wives displayed greater increases in physical functioning (β = 1.18, t(36) = 3.17, p = .003) and relationship satisfaction (β = .72, t(36) = 2.81, p = .007) than WLC wives. Effects for husbands were not significant. Qualitatively, participants reported encouragement and increased relationship closeness. Engaging in MBSR as a couple to address symptoms of metabolic syndrome was well-received and feasible. Preliminary effects suggest more benefits for wives than husbands in terms of physical functioning and relational well-being.
Leveling Up? Video Game Play in Adolescence and the Transition into Adulthood

Most research on video games has examined short-term psychological consequences, leaving the long-term effect on social outcomes unclear. To address this limitation, this study utilized the life co...
Patient Satisfaction with Outpatient Cervical Ripening in Parous Women

Objective This study aimed to assess whether patient satisfaction differs between women beginning cervical ripening in the outpatient versus inpatient setting. Study Design We performed a planned secondary analysis evaluating patient satisfaction randomized to outpatient versus inpatient cervical ripening. In the original randomized controlled trial, low-risk parous women ≥39 weeks who required cervical ripening for induction and had reassuring fetal heart rate monitoring were included and randomized to inpatient versus outpatient ripening with a transcervical Foley's catheter. All women were then admitted to the labor ward on the following day. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using three separate surveys. The first two surveys, Six Simple Questions and Lady-X, were previously validated. The third survey used visual analog scales to assess overall pain experienced during Foley's placement, overall pain experienced during labor, how likely they would be to choose the same type of care for their next pregnancy, and how likely they would be to recommend their method of cervical ripening to friends/family. Results From May 2016 to October 2017, 129 women were randomized (outpatient, 65; inpatient, 64). Based on survey results, there was no difference in satisfaction between outpatient and inpatient cervical ripening with transcervical Foley's catheterization, with high satisfaction in both groups. Patients in both the outpatient and inpatient groups would choose the same type of care for their next pregnancy (on a scale of 1–7, median (25th–75th percentile): 7 [7–7] vs. 7 [6–7], respectively, p = 0.75) and would be very likely to recommend their method of induction to a friend or family member (on a scale of 0–100, 99 [80–100] vs. 99 [65–100], respectively, p = 0.60). Conclusion Parous women's satisfaction does not differ between inpatient and outpatient cervical ripening with transcervical Foley's catheterization.
Acute and chronic traumatic cartilage injuries of the knee

Traumatic articular cartilage injuries to the knee are common and associated with more than half of knee arthroscopies. Although typically located in the medial compartment, acute and chronic cartilage injuries have variable and perhaps an unclear natural history. Predictable chondral injuries are seen with associated injuries to the knee including an anterior cruciate ligament tear and a patellar dislocation.
Looseness detection in cup-lock scaffolds using percussion-based method

Abstract Across multiple construction processes, the cup-lock scaffolding systems have been widely applied as temporary facilities, while several catastrophes caused by scaffolding collapse have been reported. Therefore, in this paper, we conduct an exploratory study to attempt to research one issue that can affect the stability of scaffolding systems, namely the looseness of the cup-lock joint. In this paper, to detect looseness of cup-lock scaffold, we develop a new percussion-based method to avoid current structural health monitoring (SHM) methods that depend on constant contact between structures and sensors. Particularly, inspired by the rapid development of automatic speech recognition (ASR), we propose a convolutional bi-directional long short-term memory (CBLSTM) model to classify the Mel frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) features extracted from percussion-induced sound signals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of ASR technique in looseness detection of cup-lock scaffold. The working mechanism of CBLSTM is given as follows: a convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to craft characteristics from MFCC features, and a bi-directional long short-term memory architecture (BLSTM) can improve classification accuracy by assimilating the learned CNN features. Finally, a laboratory experiment is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, and we demonstrate that CBLSTM outperforms the CNN and BLSTM in classifying the MFCC features. Overall, the percussion-based method proposed in this paper can provide a new direction for the investigation, particularly health monitoring, on the cup-lock scaffolding system.
An at-sea assessment of Argos location accuracy for three species of large whales, and the effect of deep-diving behavior on location error

Argos satellite telemetry is used globally to track terrestrial and aquatic megafauna, yet the accuracy of this system has been described empirically only for a limited number of species. We used Argos-linked archival tags with Fastloc GPS deployed on free-ranging sperm (Physeter macrocephalus), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), and fin (B. physalus) whales to derive empirical estimates of Argos location errors for these species, examine possible behavior-related differences, and test the effect of incorporating species-specific error parameters on performance of a commonly used movement model. Argos location errors for blue and fin whale tags were similar and were combined (n = 1712 locations) for comparison against sperm whale tags (n = 1206 locations). Location error magnitudes for tags attached to sperm whales were significantly larger than blue/fin whale tags for almost all Argos location classes (LC), ranging from 964 m versus 647 m for LC 3, respectively, to 10,569 m versus 5589 m for LC B, respectively. However, these differences were not seen while tags floated at the surface after release. Sperm whale tags were significantly colder than ambient temperature when surfacing from a dive, compared to blue/fin whale tags (16.9 °C versus 1.3 °C, respectively) leading to larger changes in tag temperature during post-dive intervals. The increased rate of tag temperature change while at the surface was correlated to increased error magnitude for sperm whales but not blue/fin whales. Movement model performance was not significantly improved by incorporating species-specific error parameters. Location accuracy estimates for blue/fin whales were within the range estimated for other marine megafauna, but were higher for sperm whales. Thermal inertia from deep, long-duration dives likely caused transmission frequency drift and greater Argos location error in sperm whales, as tags warmed at the surface during post-dive intervals. Thus, tracks of deep-diving species may be less accurate than for other species. However, differences in calculated error magnitude between species were less than typical scales of movement and had limited effect on movement model performance. Therefore, broad-scale interpretation of Argos tracking data will likely be unaffected, although fine-scale interpretation should be made with more caution for deep-diving species inhabiting warm regions.
Dasykothon leptomiscus gen. et sp. nov., a fossil flower of possible Lauralean affinity from Myanmar amber

A new fossil angiosperm, Dasykothon leptomiscus, is described from mid-Cretaceous amber deposits in the Hukawng Valley of northwestern Myanmar (Burma). The flower is post-anthesis except for one stamen that retains its pollen. The perianth is slightly irregular and composed of 5 ovate or lance-linear, erect or incurved sepals. The ca. 12 stamens have slender, elongate filaments and dorsifixed, bithecal, longitudinally dehiscent anthers. The superior ovary bears 2 long, curved styles. Germinating pollen grains observed on the stigmas are monoporate and have the peculiar feature of a grooved ridge encircling the grain from pole to pole. This structure is hypothesized to be an evolutionary elaboration of the meridionally syncolpate sulcus found in some members of the Atherospermataceae. The generalized floral morphology of the fossil prevents ready taxonomic assignment to a modern family.