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We present a machine learning and computer vision approach for a localized, automated, and standardized scoring of Crohn's disease (CD) severity in the small bowel, overcoming the current limitations of manual measurements CT enterography (CTE) imaging and qualitative assessments, while also considering the complex anatomy and distribution of the disease. Two radiologists introduced a severity score and evaluated disease severity at 7.5 mm intervals along the curved planar reconstruction of the distal and terminal ileum using 236 CTE scans. A hybrid model, combining deep-learning, 3-D CNN, and Random Forest model, was developed to classify disease severity at each mini-segment. Precision, sensitivity, weighted Cohen's score, and accuracy were evaluated on a 20% hold-out test set. The hybrid model achieved precision and sensitivity ranging from 42.4% to 84.1% for various severity categories (normal, mild, moderate, and severe) on the test set. The model's Cohen's score (κ = 0.83) and accuracy (70.7%) were comparable to the inter-observer agreement between experienced radiologists (κ = 0.87, accuracy = 76.3%). The model accurately predicted disease length, correlated with radiologist-reported disease length (r = 0.83), and accurately identified the portion of total ileum containing moderate-to-severe disease with an accuracy of 91.51%. The proposed automated hybrid model offers a standardized, reproducible, and quantitative local assessment of small bowel CD severity and demonstrates its value in CD severity assessment. • Crohn's disease (CD) severity scores were assessed by two radiologists at 7.5 mm intervals (mini-segments) along the curved planar reconstruction (CPR) of the ileum, originating from the ileocecal valve, using 236 CTE unique scans of patients diagnosed with CD. • An AI model, combining clinically inspired and non-traditional features through a designed 3-D CNN and Random Forest model, achieved desirable disease severity classification at each mini-segment. It demonstrated an accuracy of 91.51% for moderate-to-severe disease. • The model's performance, as measured by weighted Cohen's score (κ = 0.83, accuracy 70.7%), was comparable to inter-observer agreement between experienced radiologists (κ = 0.87, accuracy = 76.3%) on the test set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

:Lung volume reduction surgery continues to have a high morbidity despite National Emphysema Treatment Trial selection criteria. This study evaluated the association between analytic morphomics on chest computed tomography scans and outcomes after lung volume reduction surgery. In a retrospective review of 85 lung volume reduction surgery patients from 1998-2013, dorsal muscle group area, subcutaneous and visceral fat area, and bone mineral density were assessed using analytic morphomics. Lung density was divided into five levels of increasing density (Lung density 1, emphysema; 2, normal lung; 4-5, scarring). Outcomes including survival, hospital length of stay, readmission at 30 days, and pulmonary complications were analyzed using univariate and multivariable techniques. Pulmonary complications developed in 27.1% (23/85). Mortality at 90 days was 9.4% (8/85). On multivariable analysis, lower bone mineral density (Odds ratio 0.61; 95% confidence interval 0.39-0.95) was associated with decreased survival, longer length of stay (0.83; 0.77-0.89), and readmissions (0.39; 0.15-1.00). Higher lung density 5:lung density 2 volume (1.84; 1.05-3.23), possibly due to scarring, was associated with pulmonary complications and longer length of stay (1.32; 1.23-1.41) while lower subcutaneous fat area:height was associated with readmissions which may reflect decreased metabolic reserve (0.35; 0.13-0.93). Patients with signs of frailty including lower bone mineral density may be at increased risk of adverse outcomes including decreased survival after lung volume reduction surgery. The results of this hypothesis-generating study will need to be confirmed in larger, multicenter trials to determine whether analytic morphomics can improve risk stratification and patient selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2004.11.003 Byline: Li Jin (a), Stewart C. Myers (b) Keywords: Corporate control; International financial markets; Firm-specific risks; Information and market efficiency; Crashes Abstract: Morck, Yeung and Yu show that R.sup.2 is higher in countries with less developed financial systems and poorer corporate governance. We show how control rights and information affect the division of risk bearing between managers and investors. Lack of transparency increases R.sup.2 by shifting firm-specific risk to managers. Opaque stocks with high R.sup.2s are also more likely to crash, that is, to deliver large negative returns. Using stock returns from 40 stock markets from 1990 to 2001, we find strong positive relations between R.sup.2 and several measures of opaqueness. These measures also explain the frequency of crashes. Author Affiliation: (a) Harvard Business School, USA (b) MIT Sloan School of Management, USA Article History: Received 9 February 2004; Accepted 2 November 2004 Article Note: (footnote) [star] We received helpful comments from Campbell Harvey, Simon Johnson, Dong Lee, Randall Morck, Tobias Moskowitz, Jeremy Stein, Rene Stulz, Robert Taggart, Sheridan Titman and seminar participants at the University of Alberta, Boston College, Duke University, Harvard Business School, the University of North Carolina, Tulane University, the 2005 American Finance Association Meetings, the 4th Asian Corporate Governance Conference, the Emerging Market Finance Conference at the University of Virginia and the Conference on Globalization and Financial Services in Emerging Economies at the World Bank. We thank the Research Computing Services Group at Harvard Business School, especially James Zeilter, for help with obtaining and understanding the data used in this paper. Anna Yu and Alvaro Vivanco provided helpful research assistance.

Background: While significant racial inequities in health outcomes exist in the United States, these inequities may also exist in healthcare processes, including the Emergency Department (ED). Additionally, gender has emerged in assessing racial healthcare disparity research. This study seeks to determine the association between race and the number and type of ED consultations given to patients presenting at a safety-net, academic hospital, which includes a level-one trauma center.Method: Retrospective data was collected on the first 2000 patients who arrived at the ED from 1/1/2015-1/7/2015, with 532 patients being excluded. Of the eligible patients, 77% (74.6% adults and 80.7% pediatric patients) were black and 23% (25.4% adults and 19.3% pediatric patients) were white.Results: White and black adult patients receive similar numbers of ED consultations and remained after gender stratification. White pediatric males have a 91% higher incidence of receiving an ED consultation in comparison to their white counterparts. No difference was found between black and white adult patients when assessing the risk of receiving consultations. White adult females have a 260% higher risk of receiving both types of consultations than their black counterparts. Black and white pediatric patients had the same risk of receiving consultations, however, white pediatric males have a 194% higher risk of receiving a specialty consultation as compared to their white counterparts.Discussion: Future work should focus on both healthcare practice improvements, as well as explanatory and preventive research practices. Healthcare practice improvements can encompass development of appropriate racial bias trainings and institutionalization of conversations about race in medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial- and host-derived secondary caries formation is a primary cause of dental treatment failure at the device-tissue interface, but the long-term nature of the problem limits the effectiveness of standard biomaterials solutions and effect/claim evaluation techniques. We previously developed ultra-long-term octenidine (OCT) antimicrobial/anti-degradative-releasing silica particles (ASPs) for dental materials to counter this material failure. A highly compatible form factor (silica particulate) has allowed incorporation and testing across a range of materials for secondary infection and decay prevention. Herein we detail progress on several recent interrelated in vitro and vivo efficacy evaluations across multiple applications of ASPs towards regulatory approval and clinical adoption. ASPs synthesized via a novel 1-pot method were incorporated into adhesives (bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate/hydroxyethyl)methacrylate blends [Sigma], Scotchbond Multipurpose and Easybond [3 M]), Clinpro Fissure Sealant (3 M), self-adhering composite (Vertise Flow [Kerr]), and endodontic sealers (AH Plus [Dentsply], BC Sealer [Brasseler]) at 1-10% wt. Material and select adhesive "in-use" specimens were incubated in simulated salivary esterase (20U∙mL-1 cholesterol esterase/0.01U∙mL-1 pseudo-cholinesterase, pH 7, 37 C). Release of OCT was monitored for up to 6 months by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Select material-tooth interfacial specimens of adhesive-dentin and endodontic sealer-root-dentin were incubated with S. mutans/L. rhamnosus co-culture or E. faecalis cultures, respectively, and interfacial biomarkers were assessed via confocal microscopy and micro-computed-tomography. Commercial adhesives+10%wt. ASPs and controls were used to restore teeth in 16 SD rats in a 7-week split-mouth secondary caries study. All material property-biological effect and potential clinical effect relationships were evaluated. All materials+ASPs retained physical and performance properties (endodontic sealants were limited below 4%wt ASPs to maintain suitable flow). Release of antimicrobial ranged from 0 µg∙cm-2∙d0.5 (highly hydrophobic AH Plus) to 53 µg∙cm-2∙d0.5 (Clinpro), with higher release from hydrophilic materials. Negligible OCT release outside the interface was seen from "in-use" specimens. Interfacial biofilm viability and biomass were significantly reduced in all materials that exhibited antimicrobial release (ANOVA p<0.05), with reductions in cavitated volume for adhesive samples and highly consistent results (Welch's T-test p<0.05). In vivo clinically observed primary and secondary caries counts were reduced on ASP-adhesive-restored teeth (contingency table χ2 p<0.05) but rampant caries increased variability. Comprehensive chemical/release and antimicrobial analysis of new materials, when in agreement as in adhesives above, can provide a comprehensive understanding of potential material mechanism of performance. Initial feedback from regulators suggests that further development of "in-use" in vitro models and more multi-species analysis will provide sufficient support of restorative material antimicrobial claims without animal or human data. Paffenbarger finalists [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, robust autoluminescence in plants has proven elusive. Two recent pioneering manuscripts (Khakhar et al. and Mitiouchkina et al.) expand our understanding of fungal bioluminescence to provide a new blueprint for engineering autoluminescence in plants. Here we discuss translating a fungal bioluminescence pathway into plants, along with potential future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia, visceral fat volume, and bone density have been associated with lung cancer survival. We developed a morphomic index based on computed tomographic measurements of these components, and assessed its relationship to survival after lung cancer resection. Patients who underwent lung cancer resection from 1995 to 2014 were evaluated. A morphomic index (range of 0 to 3) was developed as the sum of the scores for three body components—dorsal muscle area, vertebral trabecular bone density, and visceral fat area—measured at vertebral levels T10 to T12, with a point assigned to each component when in the lowest tercile. The relationship of the morphomic index to overall survival was assessed by the log rank test. Overall survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for relevant covariates. We included 944 patients (451 women; 48%). The mean age was 66.4 ± 10.3 years. Median follow-up was 4.5 years. Median survival was associated with the morphomic index scores on univariate analysis (P <.001). Morphomic index scores of 2 (P =.026) and 3 (P =.004) referenced to score 0 or 1 were independent predictors of survival on Cox regression analysis. A morphomic index is an independent predictor of survival after lung cancer resection. The index may help in calibrating patient expectations and in shared decision making regarding lung cancer surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) have the greatest benefit. The purpose of this study was to identify morphomic factors obtained from pretreatment computed tomography scans associated with a pCR in ESCC. We retrospectively analyzed patients with ESCC treated with nCRT who underwent esophagectomy between 2006 and 2016. Clinical and morphomic characteristics pre-nCRT were analyzed to identify factors associated with pCR using univariate and multivariable analyses. There were 183 patients with ESCC included in this study, and 45 (24.6%) patients achieved pCR. The overall survival in patients with pCR was better than that in patients without pCR (5.8 years vs 1.2 years; P <.001). On univariate analysis, increased age, radiation dose greater than or equal to 4000 cGy, and larger subcutaneous adipose tissue area were correlated with pCR. On multivariable logistic regression, increased age (odds ratio, 1.53; P =.03), radiation dose greater than or equal to 4000 cGy (odds ratio, 2.19; P =.04), and larger dorsal muscle group normal-density area (odds ratio, 1.59; P =.03) were independently associated with pCR. Increased age, radiation dose greater than or equal to 4000 cGy, and larger dorsal muscle group normal-density area were significantly associated with pCR. These factors may be useful in determining which patients are most likely to benefit from nCRT followed by esophagectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]