cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes following Structural Grafting of Distal Femoral Osteochondral Injuries in Patients Aged 40 Years and Older

Osteochondral lesions of the distal femur represent a challenging clinical entity, particularly in patients > 40 years of age. Microfracture has demonstrated inferior results in this population with clinical deterioration beyond 1 to 2 years postoperatively. Limited evidence exists to support alternative cartilage restoration procedures. The purpose of this study was to report functional outcomes and activity levels following cartilage restoration procedures in patients > 40 years with symptomatic distal femoral osteochondral lesions. From 2000 to 2012, 61 patients with distal femoral osteochondral injuries were retrospectively identified. Mean follow-up was 3.6 ± 1.4 years; mean age was 51.6 years (range 40–71); 59% were male. Of 61 patients, 35 patients (57%) were treated with synthetic scaffold (SS) plugs (off-label), 14 (23%) with osteochondral allograft (OCA), and 12 (20%) with autologous osteochondral transfer (AOT). Validated outcome measures including activity of daily living (ADL) score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective evaluation form, and Marx activity scale (MAS) were used. The average lesion size was 3.8 ± 2.1 cm2. Lesion size was significantly greater in the OCA group (5.8 ± 1.8 cm2), compared with the SS (3.2 ± 1.9 cm2) and AOT group (3.3 ± 1.8 cm2, p ≤ 0.0024). Collectively, outcome scores for the entire population demonstrated significant improvement in ADL (61.36 ± 17.76–76.81 ± 17.2, p
The Materials Commons: A Collaboration Platform and Information Repository for the Global Materials Community

Accelerating the pace of materials discovery and development requires new approaches and means of collaborating and sharing information. To address this need, we are developing the Materials Commons, a collaboration platform and information repository for use by the structural materials community. The Materials Commons has been designed to be a continuous, seamless part of the scientific workflow process. Researchers upload the results of experiments and computations as they are performed, automatically where possible, along with the provenance information describing the experimental and computational processes. The Materials Commons website provides an easy-to-use interface for uploading and downloading data and data provenance, as well as for searching and sharing data. This paper provides an overview of the Materials Commons. Concepts are also outlined for integrating the Materials Commons with the broader Materials Information Infrastructure that is evolving to support the Materials Genome Initiative.
The Phonon Dimensionality in a Thin Metal Film

Nonequilibrium heating experiments on thin metal films have been used for sometime to obtain information about electron energy relaxation processes [2]. In an analysis of these experiments a knowledge of the phonon dimensionality in the film is important [3]. For perfect acoustic coupling between the film and a three dimensional substrate, the phonons will be three dimensional. In the other extreme of a self-supporting film in a vacuum, the acoustic phonons are expected to be spatially confined by the film thickness, d, and be of two dimensional character. In a real situation the acoustic coupling is between these extremes, thus the phonon dimensionality is difficult to evaluate.
Assessing the early literacy skills of toddlers: the development of four foundational measures†

ABSTRACTSeveral challenges arise when researchers or practitioners attempt to assess the literacy skills of toddlers, including a lack of developmentally appropriate measures, toddlers' more limited communication ability, and how literacy is defined in the years before age three. This paper describes four new measures of early literacy development and provides preliminary evidence of their reliability and validity. Results show that the measures of Representational Knowledge, Concepts About Symbols, Book Handling Skills, and Environmental Symbols all performed well in a sample of 148 toddlers. The findings hold several implications for the study of the literacy development of toddlers.
Perpetua in Medieval England

Depictions of Perpetua in medieval England seem to differ from those most popular on the continent, as the Old English Martyrology, the Cotton-Corpus Legendary, and Goscelin of St. Bertin’s Liber Confortatorius, or Book of Consolation and Comfort all emphasize the martial, rather than maternal, aspects of Perpetua. Cotter-Lynch argues that rather than eliding the gender ambiguity of Perpetua’s text, texts in the medieval English tradition often emphasize the simultaneity of Perpetua’s male and female aspects, returning to the more syncretic conception of gender identity portrayed in the Passio Perpetuae. This emphasis on gender ambiguity also includes a privileging of Perpetua’s own agency in her martyrdom, and an exploration of the ways in which she might be seen as exemplary for medieval English women.
A Bayesian Approach to Calibration Intervals and Properly Calibrated Tolerance Intervals

In this article we consider a Bayesian approach to inference in which there is a calibration relationship between measured and true quantities of interest. One situation in which this approach is useful is for unknowns inwhich calibration intervals are obtained. The other situation is when inference about a population is desired in which tolerance intervals are produced. The Bayesian approach easily handles a general calibration relationship, say nonlinear, with nonnormal errors. The population may also be general, say lognormal, for quantities which are nonnegative. The Bayesian approach is illustrated with three examples and implemented with the freely available WinBUGS software.
Nonlinear metamaterials: Breaking the dipole approximation

Second order nonlinearity vanishes for centrosymmetric materials in the dipole approximation. For metamaterial this means second-harmonic-generation is negligible in highly symmetric meta-atoms. We show a new type of meta-atom in which the dipolar approximation breaks down.
Hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an abnormal increase in left ventricular mass. which is a marker for and contributes to coronary events, stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension (1-12). LVH is commonly measured by electrocardiography, echocardiography, and magnetic resonance imaging Concentric LVH is an increased left ventricular mass index with a relative wall thickness ≥0.45 (1). Eccentric LVH is an increased left ventricular mass index with a relative wall thickness <0.45 (1). Concentric left ventricular remodeling is a relative wall thickness ≥0.45 with a normal left ventricular mass index. Factors influencing left ventricular geometry in persons with hypertension include: (I) the severity, duration, and rapidity of onset of the increased pressure load; (II) the volume load; (III) age, race/ethnicity, and sex; (IV) comorbidities such as coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and valvular heart disease; (V) the neurohormonal milieu; (VI) alterations of the extracellular matrix; and (VII) genetic factors (13). Blacks with hypertension are more likely than whites with hypertension to develop concentric LVH (13). Women with hypertension are more likely than men with hypertension to develop concentric LVH (13). Increasing age in patients with hypertension is associated with concentric LVH (13). Diabetes mellitus in patients with hypertension is associated with concentric LVH, whereas obesity, which is a volume overload state, and coronary artery disease in patients with hypertension are more likely to be associated with eccentric LVH (13).
Shape memory activation can affect cell seeding of shape memory polymer scaffolds designed for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

The ability of a three-dimensional scaffold to support cell seeding prior to implantation is a critical criterion for many scaffold-based tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies. Shape memory polymer functionality may present important new opportunities and challenges in cell seeding, but the extent to which shape memory activation can positively or negatively affect cell seeding has yet to be reported. The goal of this study was to determine whether shape memory activation can affect cell seeding. The hypothesis was that shape memory activation of porous scaffolds during cell seeding can affect both the number of cells seeded in a scaffold and the distribution (in terms of average infiltration distance) of cells following seeding. Here, we used a porous shape memory foam scaffold programmed to expand when triggered to study cell number and average cell infiltration distance following shape memory activation. We found that shape memory activation can affect both the number of cells and the average cell infiltration distance. The effect was found to be a function of rate of shape change and scaffold pore interconnectivity. Magnitude of shape change had no effect. Only reductions in cell number and infiltration distance (relative to control and benchmark) were observed. The findings suggest that strategies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that involve shape memory activation in the presence of a cell-containing medium in vitro or in vivo should consider how recovery rate and scaffold pore interconnectivity may ultimately impact cell seeding.
Approach for Modeling Coherent Radar Ground Echoes in Planetary Landing Simulations

An approach is proposed for modeling coherent radar echoes from a distributed ground surface in planetary landing simulations. Such simulations pose unique challenges for radar echo modeling given ...
Incorporation of control systems in early stage conceptual ship designs

The objective of this paper is to establish a methodology to evaluate the performance of candidate ship concept designs in the context of mission scenarios. To automate the design evaluation, it is necessary to properly set in an automated way system variables that identify the desired operating point. This is accomplished by defining a constrained static optimization problem. A cost function is minimized in the presence of system constraints to determine the control variable values that provide the optimal ship operation for the given scenario. An example system is analyzed using two different algorithms and the optimal operating point for a specific mission scenario is determined. Design requirements and future efforts are discussed.
Incidence, outcomes, and resource use in children with Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis

Background/objectives Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are life-threatening cutaneous reactions, typically to drugs or infection. The incidence and outcomes of these conditions in children are unknown. The objective of this study was to report the overall burden of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in children in the United States. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of children and adolescents younger than 18 years of age using the 2009 and 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database. Results We identified 1486 children and adolescents hospitalized with a diagnosis of Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis. The national incidence per 100 000 was 6.3 for Stevens-Johnson syndrome, 0.7 for Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap syndrome, and 0.5 for toxic epidermal necrolysis. The highest incidence in children was in those aged 11-15 years (38.4 per 100 000). Toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap syndrome were associated with longer stay, greater mortality, and higher hospital charges than those with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Hospital mortality was highest in children with toxic epidermal necrolysis and in children aged 0-5 years. Conclusions The incidence of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in children is higher than reported in adults, and there are significant age-based variations in incidence and outcomes across the pediatric population. Further study is needed to determine the most effective treatment strategies to reduce costs and improve outcomes in children hospitalized with severe cutaneous reactions.
Random walks on combs and brushes

Random walks is a rare example of a mature and still very active research field which allows a relatively easy access for undergraduate students. While requirements for the theoretical background may be quite high (typically, of the graduate school level), numerical simulations of many random walks problems may be an excellent choice for undergraduate research projects for students specializing in computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Here we describe an example of such a project and discuss its possible extentions. Some of the findings were presented as a conference talk [1] and published in Ref. [2].
Modeling biases in laser-altimetry measurements caused by scattering of green light in snow

Abstract Laser altimetry offers the potential to monitor ice-sheet elevation changes with millimeter accuracy. While previous missions have used infrared lasers to make these measurements, NASA's upcoming ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite)-2 mission will use a green laser. Because ice absorbs green light very weakly, in the absence of light-absorbing impurities, green photons can scatter off many snow grains before returning to the surface, delaying the return pulse and leading to an apparent downward shift in the snow surface. In this paper, we explore the effects of snow-grain size and impurity content on these measurements, and investigate strategies that might help minimize the biases they introduce. We find that an uninformed choice of measurement parameters (a windowed mean including a large range of photons around the surface) can result in >0.45 m of apparent surface-height variation between large and small grain sizes. Other choices of measurement parameters, such as a windowed median, can reduce this uncertainty by a factor of two to three. In addition, measurements of surface reflectance at green and infrared wavelengths, and interpretation of return-pulse shapes may be used to estimate and correct for these biases.
Fault-controlled contaminant plume migration: Inferences from SH-wave reflection and electrical resistivity experiments

Abstract A contaminant plume migrates within a shallow late-Tertiary gravel aquifer in an anomalous curvilinear pattern aligned with the general orientation of an underlying early-Paleozoic fault system. The bedrock faults are masked by ~100-m of overlying Late Cretaceous through Quaternary sediment. Fault reactivation has been as late as Pleistocene with near-surface deformation affecting the aquifer. Near-surface geophysical attributes indicate a potential structural influence for the anomalous plume migration pattern. Specifically, the fault zones exhibit lower shear-wave velocity (100 m/s) and electrical resistivity (80 Ω-m) relative to surrounding sediment. In addition, shear-wave splitting across a well-constrained fault strand indicates the sediment has an average 3.6% azimuthal anisotropy coincident with fault strike. Variation in elastic and electrical properties , as well as spatial coincidence of the plume and geologic structure, suggest neither mechanical (i.e., consolidation) nor chemical (i.e., cementation) “healing” of the sediments have completely occurred since deformation cessation. The variation in geophysical characteristics are also indicative of a non-uniform hydraulic conductivity , thus providing a structurally controlled preferential pathway for fluid migration. These results demonstrate that integrated non-invasive geophysical methods are effective for evaluating complex geologic conditions in environmentally sensitive areas .
Limit Equilibrium Stability Analysis of Layered Slopes: a Generalized Approach

Traditionally, application of the conventional logarithmic spiral in limit equilibrium (LE) analyses has been limited to homogenous materials. Herein, a modification of the conventional logarithmic spiral LE approach is proposed to account for transitions in soil conditions and provide insight into the internal statics associated with this approach, termed the compound log-spiral (CLS). Comparing both factor of safety (FS) and failure surfaces for a range of frictional strength combinations, the CLS approach demonstrates good agreement with results derived from both generalized, commercially available rigorous LE analyses and finite element analyses. The utility of the CLS method is further demonstrated through an example where the stability of a heavily stratified seacliff is considered. The proposed method satisfies equilibrium at a limit state without resorting to internal statistical assumptions associated with traditional LE approaches. Furthermore, it enables the explicit determination of internal statics, such as inter-slice shear forces, inter-slice normal forces, inter-slice angle, line of thrust, and normal stress distributions, which is a less-than-trivial task for the complex slip surface geometry realized in heterogeneous slope failures. Subsequently, the reasonableness of results could be assessed.
Cross-sectional nanoprobing sample preparation on sub-micron device with fast laser grooving technique

Abstract Cross-sectional sample preparation is one of the most important failure analysis (FA) techniques in the semiconductor industry. It was commonly used for film stack critical dimension measurement, defect identification, electrical fault isolation and etc. However, cross-sectional sample preparation to a specific target location on a sub-micron device is very challenging and time-consuming. This is because of mechanical polishing easily caused metal smear, delamination, film peel-off, micro-cracked and etc. This paper focused on cross-sectional nanoprobing (XNP) sample preparation improvement in quality and quantity. A laser blast to deprocess or create a groove at near to target location before conventional mechanical polishing and focus ion beam (FIB) fine milling. The proposed technique not only reduces the sample preparation time to the sub-micron target location but also prevent mechanical damages that caused by mechanical polishing technique.
Parkin Function in Parkinson Disease.

In 1886, architect Louis Sullivan wrote “Whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight, or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work-horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds, over all the coursing sun, form ever follows function and this is the law. Where function does not change, form does not change.” (1) Nature at molecular, cellular, and systems levels is perhaps one of the most efficient examples of “form ever follows function.” However, when natural form is beset by aberrantly coded DNA, as in the case of pathologic gene mutations, the principle is turned on its head to “dysfunction ever follows form.” As reviewed by …
Isoindigo-Based Binary Polymer Blends for Solution-Processing of Semiconducting Nanofiber Networks

Molecular self-assembly in isoindigo-based binary polymer blends as a novel platform for facile and robust formation of semiconducting nanofibers is studied. We designed structurally complementary ...
A Hybrid Control Strategy for Autonomous Navigation while Avoiding Multiple Obstacles at Unknown Locations

We consider the problem of steering an autonomous robot to a target position in the presence of multiple obstacles. We propose a modification of the potential field method where the robot is repulsed from an obstacle. We use a Lyapunov-based hybrid state-feedback controller that, using logic, executes an algorithm suitable for steering a point-mass robot to the target while avoiding multiple unknown obstacles. Global convergence and stability properties induced by the closed-loop hybrid controller are verified in simulations.
Reducing Postoperative Opioids for Outpatient Endoscopic Urological Surgery: A Resident Driven Quality Improvement Initiative

AbstractIntroduction:Opioid dependency has become a public health crisis in the United States and surplus prescriptions of opioids after surgery may be contributing to this problem. This resident d...
A Real Estate Market Research Method to Screen Areas for New Construction Potential

This study uses a structured analysis to systematically examine demand factors needed to support any increase in supply of real estate space. The recent changes in population, employment, income an...
Cyclicity, estrus expression and pregnancy rates in beef heifers with different reproductive tract scores following progesterone supplementation.

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine effects of progesterone (P4) on cyclicity, estrus expression rate (EER) and artificial insemination pregnancy rate (AIPR) in beef heifers with various reproductive tract scores (RTS; 1 to 5; 1, immature, acyclic; 5, mature, cyclic). In Experiment 1, Angus-cross heifers (n = 100, 20 per RTS category; mean (±SEM) age, 15 ± 0.8 mo) were randomly assigned to receive a CIDR (Days −17 to −10) or no CIDR (untreated control), with weekly blood samples and ultrasonography (Days 0–85). Among heifers with RTS 2 to 4, median interval to cyclicity were shorter (P
Recurrent Rectal Carcinoma Post Radiotherapy

A 66-year-old black man had an abdominal-perineal resection for a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the rectum, stage C2. Hepatic metastases were proven by biopsy. Fourteen months postoperatively, a local pelvic recurrence was given 3000 cGy in ten fractions.
9 – Academic Entrepreneurship

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the academic entrepreneurship. It is possible to develop a successful graduate training program on the model of self-capitalization. The model requires an ability on the part of the academic discipline involved to provide a needed service for a fee, a means of leveraging the fees earned, and a flexible academic institution in which to situate the program. Fulfilling each of these requirements involves its own set of challenges. The chapter focuses on the means, by which fees for services delivered have been leveraged in such a way as to support the growth and development of the academic training program. Higher education appears to be undergoing a transition, the outcome of which promises to be considerable institutional support for the development of training programs on an entrepreneurial model. In the course of pursuing the model of self-capitalization, it discovers some of its advantages over traditional practices. Among them are a significantly greater potential for program growth and development, and a much greater opportunity for the comprehensive training of students.
Abstract A08: Cadmium elicits a differential cytotoxic response in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Understanding the relationship between heavy metal exposure and triple-negative breast cancer cells may help to elucidate the high breast cancer mortality rate and health disparity in African-American women, as they may be exposed to these heavy metals at higher rates when compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Triple-negative breast vancer (TNBC) accounts for about 15% of all breast cancers and is characterized by cancer cells that lack the expression of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2/Neu receptors. For this reason, TNBC cells do not respond to hormone therapies or HER2/Neu-targeted treatments. The human body utilizes some metals in small amounts as micronutrients; however, metals such as cadmium-2 that are introduced to the body are not needed physiologically. Human exposure to trace metals in higher-than-needed amounts or exposure to nonessential metals can cause damage to the body as they can be toxic or even carcinogenic. Here we expose the TNBC cell lines HCC 1806 and HCC 70 to cadmium-2. While less is known about the long-term carcinogenic potential of cadmium exposure in the broader population and for other organs, evidence suggests its potential association to lung, breast, and endometrial cancer and mortality. Previous lab data revealed that exposure to high concentrations of cadimum-2 ions causes a differential cytotoxic cell death response in TNBC cells and demonstrates different genotoxic targets and implications in their mutagenic potential when HCC 1806 and HCC 70 cell lines were exposed to this ion. Here, the cell lines have been treated with 5 ug/ml of cadmium-2 ion, revealing increased toxicity using the lactate dehydrogenases assay (LDH), decreased viability (MTS assay), and flow cytometry reveals an abrogation of the cell cycle. The LDH assay revealed that the cells exposed to cadmium resulted in a P-value less than 0.0001 and assay data present percent cytotoxicity of 14.13 and 12.58, respectively, for control and treated cells. A similar trend was exhibited in HCC 70, where the LDH assay resulted in a p-value less than 0.0001 and assay data demonstrated a percent cytotoxicity of 11.57 and 6.92, respectively, for control and treated cells. The MTS assay alongside trypan blue exclusion assay demonstrated a trend of decreasing viability among the treated cells. The flow cytometric analysis revealed an increase in the S-phase in the cadmium-treated cells compared to the controls. These results are potentially early indicators of a molecular effect of Cd ions on breast cancer cells that could elucidate the role that cadmium may play in promoting the aggressive behavior of TNBC or could potentially lead to future treatment regimens. Citation Format: Sherette Godfrey, Checo Rorie. Cadmium elicits a differential cytotoxic response in triple-negative breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Environmental Carcinogenesis: Potential Pathway to Cancer Prevention; 2019 Jun 22-24; Charlotte, NC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2020;13(7 Suppl): Abstract nr A08.
Validating 1-Year Reliable Change Methods.

OBJECTIVE reliable change methods can assist in the determination of whether observed changes in performance are meaningful. The current study sought to validate previously published 1-year standardized regression-based (SRB) equations for commonly administered neuropsychological measures that incorporated baseline performances, demographics, and 1-week practice effects. METHOD Duff et al.'s SRB prediction equations were applied to an independent sample of 70 community-dwelling older adults with either normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment, assessed at baseline, at 1 week, and at 1 year. RESULTS minimal improvements or declines were seen between observed baseline and observed 1-year follow-up scores, or between observed 1-year and predicted 1-year scores, on most measures. Relatedly, a high degree of predictive accuracy was observed between observed 1-year and predicted 1-year scores across cognitive measures in this repeated battery. CONCLUSIONS these results, which validate Duff et al.'s SRB equations, will permit clinicians and researchers to have more confidence when predicting cognitive performance on these measures over 1 year.
Development of a Stakeholder Driven Serious Illness Communication Program for Advance Care Planning in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Serious Illness

Objectives To develop a generalizable advance care planning (ACP) intervention for children, adolescents, and young adults with serious illness using a multistage, stakeholder-driven approach. Study design We first convened an expert panel of multidisciplinary health care providers (HCPs), researchers, and parents to delineate key ACP intervention elements. We then adapted an existing adult guide for use in pediatrics and conducted focus groups and interviews with HCPs, parents, and seriously ill adolescents and young adults to contextualize perspectives on ACP communication and our Pediatric Serious Illness Communication Program (PediSICP). Using thematic analysis, we identified guide adaptations, preferred content, and barriers for Pedi-SICP implementation. Expert panelists then reviewed, amended and finalized intervention components. Results Stakeholders (34 HCPs, 9 parents, and 7 seriously ill adolescents and young adults) participated in focus groups and interviews. Stakeholders validated and refined the guide and PediSICP intervention and identified barriers to PediSICP implementation, including the need for HCP training, competing demands, uncertainty regarding timing, and documentation of ACP discussions. Conclusions The finalized PediSICP intervention includes a structured HCP and family ACP communication occasion supported by a 3-part communication tool and bolstered by focused HCP training. We also identified strategies to ameliorate implementation barriers. Future research will determine the feasibility of the PediSICP and whether it improves care alignment with patient and family goals.
The price of access to jobs: Bid-function envelopes for commuting costs✰

Abstract The relationship between commuting costs and housing prices is a key determinant of urban residential structure. This paper provides the first estimates of both housing/commuting bid functions of heterogeneous households and the associated bid-function envelope. This approach clarifies the distinction between movement along a household's bid function and a change in the slope of the envelope caused by household sorting. It also leads to tests of the hypotheses that households sort according to the slopes of their bid functions and that higher-income households tend to live farther from worksites. Estimates based on house sales in the Cleveland area in 2000 largely support these two hypotheses and indicate that the price of housing may be as much as one-third lower at a location that is 34 minutes from a worksite than it is at a location that requires a minimal commute, all else equal.
Invasive Hemodynamic and Metabolic Evaluation of HFpEF.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex and heterogeneous condition of multiple causes, characterized by a clinical syndrome resulting from elevated left ventricular filling pressures, with an apparently unimpaired left ventricular systolic function. Although HFpEF has been long recognized as a distinct entity with significant morbidity for patients, its diagnosis remains challenging to this day. In recent years, few diagnostic algorithms have been postulated to aid in the identification of this condition. Invasive hemodynamic and metabolic evaluation is often warranted for the conclusive diagnosis and risk stratification of HFpEF, in patients presenting with undifferentiated DOE. Rest and provoked hemodynamics remain the golden-standard diagnostic tool to unequivocally confirm the diagnosis of both established and incipient HFpEF, respectively. Cycle exercise hemodynamics is the paramount provocative maneuver to unveil this condition. Rapid saline loading does not offer a significant benefit over that of cycle exercise. Vasoactive agents can also uncover and confirm incipient HFpEF disease. The role of metabolic evaluation in patients presenting with idiopathic dyspnea on exertion (DOE) is of unparalleled value for those who have expertise in cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) interpretation; however, the average clinician who focuses solely on oxygen consumption will find it underwhelming. Invasive CPET stands alone as the ultimate diagnostic tool to discriminate between pulmonary, cardiovascular, and skeletal muscle disorders and their respective contribution to DOE and exercise intolerance. Several hemodynamic and metabolic parameters have demonstrated not only strong diagnostic value but also predictive power in HFpEF. Additionally, these diagnostic methods have given rise to several therapeutic interventions that are now part of our clinical armamentarium. Regrettably, due to the heterogeneity and multicausality of HFpEF, none of the targeted interventions have been so far successful in decreasing the mortality burden of this prevalent condition.
Detailed total scattering analysis of disorder in ZIF‐8

This work investigates the X-ray scattering signatures of disorder in the zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8. Two layer disorder models are examined in reciprocal space and compared with conventional Rietveld analysis. Stacking faults along the [001] direction of the cubic lattice are in poor agreement with experimental powder diffraction data, consistent with previously reported density functional theory studies showing that these defects are energetically unfavorable compared with amorphization. Meanwhile, fluctuation of layer position along the [110] direction of the cubic lattice shows a significant agreement with experimental data. This result is interpreted analogously to an anisotropic strain mechanism, suggesting links between elastic anisotropy and crystallographic imperfections found in metal–organic framework materials. In direct space, it is demonstrated that models accounting for the static position disorder amongst the linker and metal sublattices are required to fit the experimental pair distribution function data.
Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Lung Resection in United States Veterans: Trends and Outcomes versus Thoracotomy.

Background Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) offers reduced morbidity compared with open thoracotomy (OT) for pulmonary surgery. The use of VATS over time has increased, but at a modest rate in civilian populations. This study examines temporal trends in VATS use and compares outcomes between VATS and OT in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Methods Patients who underwent pulmonary surgery (wedge or segmental resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy) at Veterans Affairs centers from 2008 to 2018 were retrospectively identified using the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Project database. The cohort was divided into OT and VATS and propensity score matched, taking into account the type of pulmonary resection, preoperative diagnosis, and comorbidities. Thirty-day postoperative outcomes were compared. The prevalence of VATS use and respective complications over time was also analyzed. Results A total of 16,895 patients were identified, with 5,748 per group after propensity matching. VATS had significantly lower rates of morbidity and a 2-day reduction in hospital stay. Whereas 76% of lung resections were performed open in 2008, nearly 70% of procedures were performed using VATS in 2018. While VATS was associated with an 8% lower rate of major complications compared with thoracotomy in 2008, patients undergoing VATS lung resection in 2018 had a 58% lower rate of complications (p Conclusions VATS utilization at VHA centers has become the predominant technique used for pulmonary surgeries over time. OT patients had more complications and longer hospital stays compared with VATS. Over the study period, VATS patients had increasingly lower complication rates compared with open surgery.
Quantifying and Improving Performance of Distributed Deep Learning with Cloud Storage

Cloud computing provides a powerful yet low-cost environment for distributed deep learning workloads. However, training complex deep learning models often requires accessing large amounts of data, which can easily exceed the capacity of local disks. Prior research often overlooks this training data problem by implicitly assuming that data is available locally or via low latency network-based data storage. Such implicit assumptions often do not hold in a cloud-based training environment, where deep learning practitioners create and tear down dedicated GPU clusters on demand, or do not have the luxury of local storage, such as in serverless workloads. In this work, we investigate the performance of distributed training that leverages training data residing entirely inside cloud storage buckets. These buckets promise low storage costs, but come with inherent bandwidth limitations that make them seem unsuitable for an efficient training solution. To account for these bandwidth limitations, we propose the use of two classical techniques, namely caching and pre-fetching, to mitigate the training performance degradation. We implement a prototype, DELI, based on the popular deep learning framework PyTorch by building on its data loading abstractions. We then evaluate the training performance of two deep learning workloads using Google Cloud's NVIDIA K80 GPU servers and show that we can reduce the time that the training loop is waiting for data by 85.6%-93.5% compared to loading directly from a storage bucket - thus achieving comparable performance to loading data directly from disk - while only storing a fraction of the data locally at a time. In addition, DELI has the potential of lowering the cost of running a training workload, especially on models with long per-epoch training times.
Microsomal metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide: Effects of acetone and other compounds

Oral acetone exposure delays and potentiates acetonitrile toxicity in rats. Results of previous pharmacokinetic studies suggested that acetone exerted a biphasic effect on the metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide; the presence of acetone in vivo appeared to inhibit the metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide, whereas the disappearance of acetone from serum was followed by stimulation of acetonitrile metabolism. The current experiments were designed to characterize further the metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide and the effects of acetone and other compounds upon this metabolism. Liver microsomes were isolated and pooled 24 hr after oral pretreatment of female Sprague-Dawley rats (180-250 g) with acetone (1960 mg/kg) or water. Microsomal metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide was found to be oxygen and NADPH dependent, and heat-inactivated tissue was unable to catalyze the reaction. NADH antagonized the NADPH-dependent metabolism of acetonitrile. The metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide was linear with protein concentrations of 0-8 mg per incubation. Following a characteristic lag period of 10 min, the reaction was linear from 15 to 30 min. This metabolism was inhibited by carbon monoxide, metyrapone and SKF 525-A. Acetone pretreatment (-24 hr) in vivo increased the apparent Vmax for acetonitrile metabolism without affecting the apparent Km. When added in vitro, acetone competitively inhibited the metabolism of acetonitrile, with a KI of 0.41 mM. Dimethyl sulfoxide (KI = 0.51 mM) and ethanol (KI = 0.11 mM) were also competitive inhibitors of acetonitrile metabolism, and aniline HCl (KI = 4.77 microM) appeared to be a mixed inhibitor. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the metabolism of acetonitrile to cyanide is mediated by a specific acetone-inducible isozyme of cytochrome P-450.
Macrophytes as indicators of land‐derived wastewater: Application of a δ15N method in aquatic systems

[1] We measured δ15N signatures of macrophytes and particulate organic matter (POM) in six estuaries and three freshwater ponds of Massachusetts to assess whether the signatures could be used as indicators of the magnitude of land-derived nitrogen loads, concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the water column, and percentage of N loads contributed by wastewater disposal. The study focused specifically on sites on Cape Cod and Nantucket Island, in the northeastern United States. There was no evidence of seasonal changes in δ15N values of macrophytes or POM. The δ15N values of macrophytes and POM increased as water column dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations increased. We found that δ15N of macrophytes, but not of POM, increased as N load increased. The δ15N values of macrophytes and groundwater NO3 tracked the percent of wastewater contribution linearly. This research confirms that δ15N values of macrophytes and NO3 can be excellent indicators of anthropogenic N in aquatic systems.
Research note: Can decreased transpiration limit plant nitrogen acquisition in elevated CO2?

N acquisition often lags behind accelerated C gain in plants exposed to CO2-enriched atmospheres. To help resolve the causes of this lag, we considered its possible link with stomatal closure, a common first-order response to elevated CO2 that can decrease transpiration. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that declines in transpiration, and hence mass flow of soil solution, can decrease delivery of mobile N to the root and thereby limit plant N acquisition. We altered transpiration by manipulating relative humidity (RH) and atmospheric (CO2). During a 7-d period, we grew potted cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) trees in humidified (76% RH) and non-humidified (43% RH) glasshouses ventilated with either CO2-enriched or non-enriched air (~1000 vs ~380 µmol mol -1 ). We monitored effects of elevated humidity and/or CO2 on stomatal conductance, whole-plant transpiration, plant biomass gain, and N accumulation. To facilitate the latter, NO3 - enriched in 15 N (5 atom%) was added to all pots at the outset of the experiment. Transpiration and 15 N accumulation decreased when either CO2 or humidity were elevated. The disparity between N accumulation and accelerated C gain in elevated CO2 led to a 19% decrease in shoot N concentration relative to ambient CO2. Across all treatments, 15 N gain was positively correlated with root mass (P<0.0001), and a significant portion of the remaining variation (44%) was positively related to transpiration per unit root mass. At a given humidity, transpiration per unit leaf area was positively related to stomatal conductance. Thus, declines in plant N concentration and/or content under CO2 enrichment may be attributable in part to associated decreases in stomatal conductance and transpiration.
Synthesizing a Multivariable Predictive Algorithm for Noninteracting Control

A simple and effective multivariable digital control algorithm has been derived from open-loop responses. The algorithm inherently compensates for process dead-time and interactions. Process modeling is not required and the order of the process is not at all important. Inverse response behavior poses no special problems for the algorithm although an open-loop unstable plant must be stabilized with conventional feedback control first before the new algorithm can be applied. Constraints on inputs or outputs can be accommodated and robustness issues can be addressed during the design phase. The memory requirements of the algorithm are modest enough that it can be implemented on a personal computer. Simulation results are presented which show excellent capability of the algorithm.
Competition and Advertising in Specialized Markets: A Study of the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry

This paper analyzes advertising incentives and strategies in specialized markets, where consumers' decisions are dictated by experts. By analyzing the market stealing and market expanding aspects of advertising, this study shows that in a sub-game perfect equilibrium only some (and not all) firms may choose to advertise to consumers. From the welfare perspective, consumer advertising is socially optimal when advertising has only market expanding effects. Furthermore, a simple game-theoretic model shows that when only some firms advertise to consumers, the crucial determinant of advertising is the number of advertisers. In particular, with increased competition from rival advertisers, each firm's advertising decreases. Modeling specific features of the U.S. prescription drugs market the theoretical analysis suggests that the wide variation in direct-to-consumer-advertising (DTCA) by U.S. pharmaceutical companies both within and across drug classes is due to differences in disease-familiarity and heterogeneity in patients' types. Using annual, brand-level DTCA expenditure data for prescription drugs, empirical results give evidence of the negative impact of competition on advertising.
Environmental Flows in a Human-Dominated System: Integrated Water Management Strategies for the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin

Water management in the transboundary Rio Grande/Bravo (RGB) Basin, shared by the US and Mexico, is complicated by extreme hydrologic variability, overallocation, and international treaty obligations. Heavy regulation of the RGB has degraded binationally protected ecosystems along the Big Bend Reach of the RGB. This study addresses the need for integrated water management in Big Bend by developing an alternative reservoir operation policy to provide environmental flows while reducing water management trade-offs. A reach-scale water planning model was used to represent historical hydrology (1955–2009), water allocation, and reservoir operations, and key human water management objectives (water supply, flood control, and binational treaty obligations) were quantified. Spatially distributed environmental flow objectives and an alternative reservoir rule curve were developed. We simulated current and alternative water management policies and used an iterative simulation–evaluation process to evaluate alternative policies based on water system performance criteria with respect to specified objectives. A single optimal policy was identified that maximized environmental flows while maintaining specified human objectives. By changing the timing but not the volume of releases, the proposed reservoir re-operation policy has the potential to sustain key ecological and geomorphic functions in Big Bend without significantly impacting current water management objectives. The proposed policy also improved water supply provisions, reduced average annual flood risk, and maintained historical treaty provisions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Making of Bronze Age Eurasia: The Circulation of Peoples and Materials – Evolution, Devolution, and Recurrent Social Formations on the Eurasian Steppes and in West Asia: Patterns and Processes of Interconnection during Later Prehistory

The Bronze Age was, however, unique even in ancient times in that the great river valley civilizations relied on metal for production and that metal (copper, tin, lead, etc.) was scarce and had to be procured from afar, from less developed regions. Thus trade involved not just luxuries but also basic requirements, interaction between societies at contrasting levels of technology and social organization, and organization by ruling elites … Bronze Age societies [however] were not inchoate versions of our own. (Ratnagar 2001: 351) Over against the processes of divergent development leading to the separation of distinct peoples – and confusion – can be traced no less clearly a process of convergence…. At least in the Old World the peoples accessible to archaeological study were constantly interchanging material objects, ideas and inventions…. What we call Civilization is the product of this collective tradition, transcending all national frontiers. (Childe 1933: 418–419) This study has attempted to relate an interconnected story of developments from Chalcolithic through Bronze Age times that affected archaeologically defined peoples from the Balkans east to the borders of China. It has stressed the importance of contacts among different cultures and has emphasized the continuous circulation of materials, peoples, technologies, and ideas over long distances. At the same time it has inveighed against anachronistic reasoning, insisting that the dominantly herding economy that developed on the western Eurasian steppes during the Bronze Age qualitatively differed from the mounted steppe pastoral nomadism that emerged during the Iron Age and that is richly documented in later historical and ethnographic sources.
An overview of risk based security assessment

We describe weaknesses in using deterministic methods for performing security assessment for bulk transmission systems. We also present motivation for using probabilistic risk and provide fundamental relations for making the associated calculations. The benefits and applications of using a risk index for security assessment are discussed, and an illustration is provided for line overload security assessment in the operational context.