cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of regression of left ventricular hypertrophy from systemic Hypertension on systolic function assessed by midwall shortening (hot echocardiographic study)

Abstract Depressed midwall shortening has been shown to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbid events in hypertensive patients with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy despite normal endocardial fractional shortening. The effects of LV mass changes in hypertensive patients on midwall shortening are unclear. To determine the impact of LV hypertrophy regression on LV systolic function assessed at the endocardium and the midwall level, 508 patients (58% men, 57% Caucasians, mean age 60 ± 7 years) participating in the Hypertension Optimal Treatment study were prospectively studied by serial echocardiography at baseline, year 1, year 2, and at the end of the study. The Hypertension Optimal Treatment study was designed to challenge the existence of the J-curve phenomenon in hypertension. This study enrolled men and women between 50 and 80 years of age with mild to moderate hypertension. Patients were treated with a regimen based on felodipine with the addition of other antihypertensive drug classes as needed to reduce the diastolic blood pressure to a predefined target of ≤80, ≤85, or ≤90 mm Hg. From baseline to year 1, year 2, and end of the study, body mass index was unchanged (30.4, 30.1, 30.2, and 30.5 kg/m 2 ); however, diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced (99, 83, 80, and 80 mm Hg, p 2 , p
yuDetecting the percent of peripheral blood mononuclear cells displaying p-STAT-3 in malignant glioma patients

Background: The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3) is frequently overexpressed in cancer cells, propagates tumorigenesis, and is a key regulator of immune suppression in cancer patients. The presence of phosphorylated STAT-3 (p-STAT-3) in the tumor can induce p-STAT-3 in tumor-associated immune cells that can return to the circulatory system. We hypothesized that the number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) displaying pSTAT-3 would be increased in glioma patients, which would correlate with the extent of tumorexpressed p-STAT-3, and that higher p-STAT-3 levels in peripheral blood would correlate with a higher fraction of immune-suppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs). Methods: We measured the percentage of PBMCs displaying p-STAT-3 in 19 healthy donors and 45 patients with primary brain tumors. The level of p-STAT-3 in tumor tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry. The degree of immune suppression was determined based on the fraction of Tregs in the CD4 compartment. Results: Healthy donors had 4.8 ± 3.6% of PBMCs that expressed p-STAT-3, while the mean proportion of PBMCs displaying p-STAT-3 in patients with GBM was 11.8 ± 13.5% (P = 0.03). We did not observe a correlation by Spearman correlation between the degree of p-STAT-3 levels in the tumor and the percent of PBMCs displaying p-STAT-3. Furthermore, the percent of PBMCs displaying p-STAT-3 in glioma patients was not directly correlated with the fraction of Tregs in the CD4 compartment.
A Comprehensive Review of Spontaneous Pneumothorax Complicating Sarcoma

Background Spontaneous pneumothorax (SPTX) is an uncommon phenomenon in the general population and is most commonly associated with prior bulbous emphysema, cystic parenchymal lung disease, and tuberculous lung disease. A rare cause of SPTX is malignant disease, either in the form of primary lung or pleural cancers, or in metastatic disease to the lungs. The purpose of this investigation was to compile patient characteristics, treatments received, and outcomes of patients with SPTX complicating sarcomatous cancer. Methods Case reports and series published in the medical literature were identified through a MEDLINE search and compiled to determine similarities among patient characteristics, treatments received, and outcomes. Results One hundred fifty-three cases representing 20 different sarcoma cell types were included; 126 (82.3%) had received some form of treatment prior to the development of pneumothorax, and 70 (45.7%) experienced recurrence of pneumothorax at an average of 61 (± 112) days. Patients had poor survival, with only seven of 81 subjects remaining alive 2 years after the initial diagnosis of SPTX. Conclusions SPTX complicating sarcoma is associated with most cell types and is associated with increased mortality compared with patients without this complication.
Antioxidant therapy for pain reduction in patients with chronic pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ObjectivesOxidative stress is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP); however, clinical studies evaluating antioxidant therapy (AOT) in the management of CP pain have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of AOT in pain
State barriers to appropriating public health emergency response funds during the 2009 H1N1 response.

Objectives. We examined state-specific administrative barriers to allocating 2009 H1N1 influenza public health emergency response (PHER) funds.Methods. We conducted a qualitative review of PHER grants management reports to identify and code barriers reported by states in allocating funds. Using linear regression, we examined the relationship between the percentage of funds allocated and each individual barrier and, separately, the cumulative effect of multiple barriers.Results. States reported 6 barrier types, including regulatory issues (n = 14, or 28%), contracting issues (n = 14, or 28%), purchasing issues (n = 6, or 12%), legislative issues (n = 5, or 10%), staffing issues (n = 5, or 10%), and issues transferring funds between state and local health departments (n = 4, or 8%). In multivariate models, having experienced a purchasing barrier was associated with a significant decrease in PHER allocation (B = −26.4; P = .018). Separately, the cumulative effect of having 3 barriers was associated with a de...
The Integrity of Creation and the Social Nature of God

L'integrite de la nature repose sur la mise en societe de toutes les creatures, une societe dans laquelle Dieu est lui-meme un etre social- une trinite. Si nous echouons dans le respect de l'ordre de la nature, nous allons vers notre propre ruine de la meme facon que lorsqu'il y a desobeissance a l'egard des lois divines. L'ordre de la nature, tel qu'il apparait a travers les Ecritures Saintes et dans la plus grande partie de l'histoire de l'Eglise, ne doit pas plus a l'homme qu'aux autres especes. Cet ordre persistera aussi longtemps que le voudront la sagesse, la parole et l'esprit de Dieu
RELIABILITY BASED DESIGN OPTIMIZATION FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY SYSTEMS USING RESPONSE SURFACES

This paper investigates reliability based design optimization (RBDO) using response surface approximations (RSA) 1;2 for multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO). In RBDO the constraints are variational (reliability based) since the design variables and the system parameters can have variation and can be subjected to uncertainties 18 . For these problems the objective is to minimize a cost function while satisfying reliability based constraints. This class of problems is referred to as reliability based multidisciplinary design optimization (RBMDO) problems 5 . The reliability constraints, which can be formulated in terms of the reliability indices or in terms of the probability of failure, themselves represent an optimization problem and can be very expensive to evaluate for large scale multidisciplinary problems. Response surface approximations of the constraints are used in estimating the reliability indices or probability of failure when solving an approximate optimization problem using FORM. In this research RSAs are integrated within RBDO to significantly reduce the computational cost of traditional RBDO. The proposed methodology is compared to traditional RBDO in application to multidisciplinary test problems, and the computational savings and benefits are discussed.
Contested Narratives, Fragmented Spaces, and Subalternity

As a Third World subject in U.S. academe, I became aware of my Third Worldliness in the very first semester of graduate coursework and was socialized into the position of being a silent observer of stories circulated about the Third World by first world people. As I looked for opportunities for questioning the dominant logic in communication scholarship that operated on the first-Third dichotomy, the traditional practices of literature reviews and graduate coursework into which I was socialized taught me that the discipline of communication is historically situated within the rubric of US-based systems of knowledge production, maintaining its West-centric hegemony through articulations of discursive configurations that construct and limit the possibilities for engaging with subaltern voices from the global South. Drawing from postcolonial and subaltern studies theories, I seek to perform scholarship in subalternity in this essay by engaging with the erasures, silences, and omissions propagated through the epistemological and ontological tools of US-based communication knowledge production systems.
An Sem Study of Stridulatory Structures of a Grasshopper from Afghanistan

An SEM study of a unique stridulatory organ of males of the grasshopper, Paktia gardezae Pfadt, reveals dome-shaped pegs in the file and conical pegs in the scraper. A file is on the upper surface near the anal margin of each of the tegmina; the scraper pegs are on the veins of the ventral surface of each tegmen, also in the anal vein area.
The Effects of Access to Mainstream Financial Services on the Poor: Evidence from Data on Recipients of Financial Education

I examine the causal effects of access to mainstream financial services, as provided by opening a bank account, on a sample of participants in financial education workshops. Exploiting quasi-random variation in the likelihood of account opening at specific institutions following the workshop, I find that account opening lowers delinquency and increases the likelihood of credit score improvement among previously unbanked participants. I find no effects on saving, self-reported overspending, and several measures of “financial wellbeing” such as finances-related stress. There appear to be important complimentarities between financial education and access to mainstream services: I present evidence suggesting that a minimal level of financial literacy is needed in order for account opening to induce participation in the mainstream credit system. I also find that opening an account increases self-reported literacy.
ODS Data Update Strategy Based on WAN and Heterogeneous Environment

To satisfy the multi-level requirements of information process and supply the up to the second and exact global data view for decision-maker and analyzer in enterprise,the three-leveled architecture DB-ODS-DW in which ODS takes a connecting link functions between the preceding and the following is come forth.The data update strategy,an essential technique of ODS is studied in this paper.Contrasting with the traditional ODS data update strategies,a new strategy based on WAN and heterogeneous environment is proposed,in which the XML is used to implement the delta data updating in heterogeneous databases and to transmit the delta data file efficiently.This kind of strategy has been applied in practice and perfect effect has been obtained.
Topology Optimization and Advanced Manufacturing as a Means for the Design of Sustainable Building Components

Abstract This paper presents research exploring the potential of topology optimization as a means for the design of sustainable building components. Topology optimization is a mathematical, gradient-based design procedure that can be used to determine the distribution of required material within a design domain based upon defined loads and boundary conditions while meeting a prescribed target objective, such as minimizing deflection. The concept of topology optimization has been utilized by the automotive and aerospace industry for almost thirty years now, since its early development, where problems associated with solutions meant to satisfy maximum stiffness with minimum weight are of the utmost importance. The recent saturation of digital design tools and techniques within the architecture industry have led more and more architects to seek computationally driven, data-centric, methodologies to assist in the design process. Topology optimization is well suited as a methodology to assist in the development of form that is rooted in sound structural logic while striving for material efficiency. This paper presents case studies of recent architectural projects that utilize topology optimization for projects ranging from long-span roof structures to high-rise buildings. Advances in advanced manufacturing are also examined as a means of more easily realizing sustainable building systems through this use of topology optimization.
Exclusion and the Evolution of Contract Theory in James Tyrrell’s Patriarcha non Monarcha

The story of the social contract, that exceedingly influential theory of the foundations and legitimacy of government, underwent crucial development in British thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Embedded within this political theory was an important political fiction, the fiction of an original group or body of people who acted as primary movers in the founding story. This political fiction was to play an important part in the development of a Whig theory of resistance. Contract theory was certainly not new to Whig thinkers; there was a long natural law tradition in continental and British political thought that relied upon the notion of a founding community from which authority derived.1 This image of an original people took on particular significance, however, in the political theory and historical writing of the late seventeenth century.
Pre-Agricultural Man

Biologists used to tell us that the human race has been in existence on this earth for half a million years. More recently, they have been telling us that remains of what were obviously genuine humans can be dated a million years back — though how the dating is done is not precisely explained, and indeed biologists seem so casual over the whole matter that one sometimes wonders whether they have even got the right number of zeroes.
Using the Pharmacist Interaction Tracking Tool for Capturing Student-Patient Interactions in Direct and Simulated Patient Care Activities

Objective. To create and implement a standardized data collection tool for capturing student-patient interactions in direct and simulated patient care activities.Design. Faculty members and students determined key elements, design, and an implementation plan for the tool, which was to be used by students across professional years to quantify numbers and types of interactions with patients for tracking student progression toward achievement of curricular outcomes.Assessment. During the 2013-2014 academic year, 27 778 entries were completed, with 17 767 (64%) advanced pharmacy practice experiences, 7272 (26%) introductory pharmacy practice experiences, and 2739 (10%) simulation. Direct patient care interactions occurred with 11 090 patients and 10 983 providers, with 14 252 drug-related problems identified. Data was used by students for their professional portfolios, by administrators for curricular assessment, and to student impact on patient care.Conclusion. The PITT Form enabled the collection of data fr...
Larval Biology and Environmental Tolerances of the King Crab Parasite Briarosaccus regalis

Abstract Rhizocephalan barnacles in the genus Briarosaccus parasitize and castrate king crab hosts, thereby preventing host reproduction and potentially altering host abundance. To better understand how environmental factors in Alaska may influence Briarosaccus prevalence, we studied the effects of temperature and salinity on the larvae of Briarosaccus regalis (previously Briarosaccus callosus). Nauplius larvae were reared at 7 temperatures (2 to 16 C) and 8 salinities (19 to 40) to determine larval survival and development rates. Maximum survival occurred from 4 to 12 C and at salinities between 25 and 34. In the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, ocean temperatures and salinities are often within these ranges; thus current conditions appear favorable for high B. regalis larval survival. In addition, temperature was negatively correlated with larval development time; thus warmer waters can reduce the time larvae are exposed to the dangers of the planktonic environment. Since only female B. regalis larvae can...
Purification of baculovirus vectors using heparin affinity chromatography.

Baculoviruses are commonly used for recombinant protein and vaccine production. Baculoviruses are nonpathogenic to vertebrates, have a large packaging capacity, display broad host and cell type tropism, infect both dividing and nondividing cells, and do not elicit strong immune or allergic responses in vivo. Hence, their use as gene delivery vehicles has become increasingly popular in recent years. Moreover, baculovirus vectors carrying mammalian regulatory elements can efficiently transduce and express transgenes in mammalian cells. Based on the finding that heparan sulfate, which is structurally similar to heparin, is an attachment receptor for baculovirus, we developed a novel scalable baculovirus purification method using heparin-affinity chromatography. Baculovirus supernatants were loaded onto a POROS heparin column, washed to remove unbound materials, and eluted with 1.5 mol/l NaCl, which yielded a recovery of purified baculovirus of 85%. After ultracentrifugation, baculovirus titers increased from 200- to 700-fold with overall yields of 26–29%. We further show that baculovirus particles were infectious, normal in morphology and size, despite high-salt elution and shear forces used during purification and concentration. Our chromatography-based purification method is scalable and, together with ultracentrifugation and/or tangential flow filtration, will be suitable for large-scale manufacturing of baculovirus stocks for protein and vaccine production and in gene therapy applications.
Edmund Husserl, Hannah Arendt and a Phenomenology of Nature

I would like to investigate in this chapter what at first might seem a difficult position: a phenomenology of nature in an Arendtian vein. It might seem that such a position would be fundamentally anthropocentric given the tendencies of phenomenology to begin from the subject position and, in particular, given Arendt’s focus on how the human being differs from “nature.” What I would like to tease out, however, are the ways in which phenomenology and Arendt can help us to understand nature not as something over against which we formulate ourselves, nor as some thing that is in itself, but as that with which we are intimately intertwined and without which we are not. I will begin by describing generally how we can conceive of a phenomenology of nature through Husserl’s notion of lifeworld. Then, I will examine how Arendt’s notion of the vita activa supports a phenomenology of nature that is neither anthropocentric nor objectifying of nature, but is an interweaving of human and world. Finally, I will show how this phenomenological understanding offers us a richer way to conceive of ourselves in relation to other beings and to the world.
Introduction: Not in Kansas Anymore: Adaptation Networks

In this chapter, I examine the manner by which definitions of adaptation draw boundaries between “adaptations” and other forms of sourced cultural and artistic production. I argue that the challenge of defining and delineating adaptation increases for works that have been adapted numerous times in a range of media and across multiple media platforms. Using The Wizard of Oz as a test case, I consider a myriad of Oz-based and Oz-inspired works within the model of a network. The adaptation network, I hold, is the aggregate of narrative moments, reference points, and iconography that comes to be associated with a particular work through successive acts of adaptation.
Dynamic Characterization of Multiple Arch Dams: A Finite Element Approach

In this study, a typical large multiple arch dam located in the Sierra Nevada of California was evaluated for possible retrofit options to enhance its seismic performance. Field data was collected and used to validate the behavior of a detailed finite element model of this specific dam. By examining this computational model in the time and frequency domains, structural features influencing performance were identified, with particular attention paid to strut elements. A lumped element approximation of an n-dimensional multiple arch dam was created and analyzed; from this model, novel retrofit options were conceptualized and tested using the original finite element model. This process, although executed on a single specific dam, was designed to be general enough to be used as a valid approach to analyze and retrofit other dams of this type.
Male Greater Prairie-Chickens adjust their vocalizations in the presence of wind turbine noise

ABSTRACT The potential for wind energy facilities to affect species of grouse in the grasslands of the Great Plains of North America is a conservation concern. Communication by male Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) is essential for lek mating displays and includes low-frequency vocalizations that could be disrupted by wind turbine noise. We studied the effects of wind turbine noise on the boom, cackle, whine, and whoop vocalizations of male Greater Prairie-Chickens recorded at 14 leks located 703 m to 23 km away from a wind energy facility near Ainsworth, Brown County, Nebraska, USA, in 2013 and 2014. First, we assessed ambient sound levels at our study sites. Wind turbine noise contributed to the soundscape; leks <1,000 m from wind turbines had higher levels of ambient sound than expected on the basis of recordings obtained at remote locations. Our second objective was to determine whether the acoustic characteristics of the 4 vocalizations recorded near the wind energy facility dif...
Energy storage: Market power and social welfare

As energy storage systems (ESSs) become economically competitive, it is natural to expect significant increases in deployments in the near future. Consequently, these systems will form a nontrivial part of the energy market and may exhibit strategic actions as ESS owners strive to maximize their profits. In this work we study the impact of strategic bidding of ESSs on the rest of the power system players and propose a non-uniform pricing scheme designed to mitigate adverse impacts. We show that while strategic bids increase the ESS's profits, it has negative impacts on the social welfare and mixed impacts on other players. We also show that the proposed pricing scheme incentivizes the ESSs to behave in a socially optimal manner and allows for profit regulation and welfare distribution among the players.
A Comparison of the Self-Esteem Levels in Evangelical Christian and General Populations:

Self-esteem is a central mechanism in psychological health and is reported to be readily accessible to Christians due to their unique relationship with an unconditionally accepting God. The self-es...
Catalysis of alkene epoxidation by manganese(II) and (III) complexes of both Schiff base and reduced Schiff base ligands utilizing environmentally benign H2O2

Abstract Mono and disubstituted tridentate Schiff base ligands were synthesized from the reaction of 2(2-aminoethyl)pyridine with 5-bromosalicylaldehyde (H-L1) and 3,5-dibromosalicylaldehyde (H-L2) respectively, which were subsequently reacted with NaBH4 to yield the corresponding reduced Schiff base ligands H-rL1 and H-rL2. The complexes; MnIII-(L1)2 (1), MnIII-(rL1)2 (3), and MnII-(L2)2 (2), MnII-(rL2)2 (4) were obtained by the reaction of the ligands with {Mn(ClO4)2·6H2O}. The ligands and complexes were characterized by UV–Vis, ESI-MS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The 1H NMR spectra of the ligands as well as the crystal structures, and electrochemical properties of the complexes were obtained. The crystal structures of MnIII-(L1)2 and MnII-(L2)2 show coordination of the ligands in tridentate mode in octahedral geometry. Cyclic voltammetric studies of Mn-(L1)2 and Mn-(L2)2 in acetonitrile solution show two prominent reversible peaks attributed to the redox processes: Mn(II)/Mn(III), (E1/2 = 0.203–(−0.204 V) and Mn(III)/Mn(IV), (E1/2 = 1.103–0.195 V) versus Ag/AgCl while that of Mn-(rL4)2 showed three quasi reversible peaks suggesting three redox couples: Mn(II)/Mn(III) (E1/2 = −0.109); Mn(III)/Mn(IV), (E1/2 = 0.125 and (Mn(IV)/Mn(V), (E1/2 = 0.649) vs Ag/AgCl. Epoxidation of cyclohexene and 1-hexene by hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by the manganese complexes gave epoxide yield of 42–53% with a turnover of 10.50–13.25 after 20 h of reaction for the reduced Schiff base complexes {MnIII-(rL1)2 and MnII-(rL2)2} at 0 °C.
High brightness, sub-nanosecond, and compact passively Q-switched laser with intracavity volume Bragg gratings

A high brightness, high energy passively Q-switched (PQS) Nd:YAG laser is presented using volume transmitting Bragg gratings (TBGs) as angular filters. A planar cavity with a length of 1 cm, an 800 μm diameter pump beam, a 20% transmission Cr:YAG saturable absorber, and a 40% output coupling resulted in output pulse energies greater than 1 mJ and durations near 600 ps. In order to increase brightness without altering cavity length, a TBG with narrow angular selectivity placed in the cavity to suppress the higher order transverse modes allowing for near diffraction limited output.
Simulated Humans, Graphical Behaviors, and Animated Agents

A variety of issues involved in visualizing human task behavior will be examined, focusing on the broad, yet vertically-integrated, effort at the University of Pennsylvania. Computer graphics visualization of the appearance, capabilities and performance of humans is a challenging task. From modeling reasonable body size and shape, through control of the highly redundant body linkage, to simulation of plausible motions, human figures offer numerous computational problems and constraints. Our research has produced a system, called Jack, for the definition, manipulation, animation, and human factors performance analysis of simulated human figures. Human motion can be visualized by interactive specification and simultaneous execution of multiple constraints. Enhanced control is provided by natural behaviors such as looking, reaching, balancing, lifting, stepping, walking, grasping, and so on. As an alternative to interactive specification, a simulation system allows a convenient temporal and spatial parallel “programming language” for behaviors. At an even higher level, we have been exploring the possibility of using Natural Language instructions, such as are found in assembly or maintenance manuals, to drive the behavior of our animated human agents.
Single-Molecule Recognition: Extracting Information from Individual Binding Events and Their Correlation

Communication between cells via their surface receptors can be studied by ultrasensitive single-molecule techniques designed to operate with two apposing surfaces. Two-dimensional (2D) kinetics measured with this approach is physically distinct from and biologically more relevant than three-dimensional kinetics with at least one interacting molecule in the fluid phase. Two assays for measuring 2D kinectics are reviewed: the adhesion frequency assay and the thermal fluctuation assay. Both techniques allow one to extract force-free 2D kinetics parameters. The adhesion frequency assay measures the binding frequency as a function of contact duration, which is nonlinearly fitted with a probabilistic model. The thermal fluctuation assay detects bond formation/dissociation by monitoring the reduction/resumption of the thermal fluctuation of the force sensor. Both techniques record the outcomes in a time sequence of events. Different events in the sequence can be independent from or correlated between each other, depending on the molecular interaction. The strategy for analyzing statistical properties of the sequence by a mathematical model to test whether the i.i.d. assumption (i.e., all measurements in the sequence are identical yet independent from each other) is valid in the interaction in question is reviewed.
The Reactor Plasma Physics of Tandem Mirror Startup and Fractional Power Operation

Plasma behavior and the performance of plasma technologies are studied during the startup and fractional power operation of tandem mirrors. Five phases of machine operation are identified, some of which require plasma. The plasma phases include plasma initiation and heating, a standby phase with plasma at the density and temperature characteristics of full design performance in reactors, a deuterium-tritium fractional power operating phase in which the fusion plasma undergoes staged power increases to full power, and rated power operating phase. Plasma initiation and heating uses electron cyclotron resonance heating preionization of background gas in the plug and ion cyclotron resonance heating in the central cell. Operation of the radio-frequency systems, the neutral beams, and the direct converter are studied to determine constraints affecting plasma operation. Studies of fractional power operation, carried out using a quasi-steady-state analysis, show that the plasma Q value can be made remarkably insensitive to the level of fusion power by controlling the plasma radius. Copper insert coils used to increase the maximum choke field require considerable power and cause the recirculating power fraction to increase sharply as the fusion power is reduced. Moreover, when an efficient drift pumping scheme is used, achieved improvements in plasma Qmore » by using high-field choke coils must be weighed against their power consumption and other technological difficulties.« less
The role of cEEG as a predictor of patient outcome and survival in patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhages.

Abstract Purpose The objective of this study was to determine if continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) results are associated with functional outcome and survival in critically ill patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhages (IPH). Methods Patients diagnosed with IPH were selected using a Critical Care EEG Monitoring Consortium Database at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Functional Outcome in Patients with Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage (FUNC) scores and Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH) scores were calculated as covariates. Outcomes of interest were functional outcome (modified Rankin scale [mRS] Results A total of 94 patients admitted between March 2013 and December 2015 were selected. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the presence of Stage II Sleep is independently associated with good functional outcome at discharge after correcting for FUNC (p = 0.0080) and ICH (p = 0.0088). The absence of anteroposterior (AP) gradient in an EEG is associated with increased likelihood of mortality at discharge after correcting for FUNC (p = 0.013) and ICH (p = 0.019) scores. Conclusions cEEG measures were significantly associated with functional and mortality outcome measures in patients with IPH even after accounting for known clinical and radiological covariates. Further research is needed to determine whether prediction models are improved by inclusion of cEEG features.
Self-selection into payments for ecosystem services programs.

Designers and funders of payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs have long worried that payments flow to landholders who would have conserved forests even without the program, undermining the environmental benefits (“additionality”) and cost-effectiveness of PES. If landholders self-select into PES programs based on how much conservation they were going to undertake anyway, then those who were planning to conserve should always enroll. This paper discusses the less-appreciated fact that enrollment is often based on other factors too. The hassle of signing up or financial costs of enrollment (e.g., purchasing seedlings) can affect who participates in a PES program. These enrollment costs reduce overall take-up, and, importantly, they can also influence the composition of landholders who select into the program—and thereby the program’s environmental benefits per enrollee. Enrollment costs can increase a program’s benefits per enrollee if they are systematically higher for (and thus deter enrollment by) landholders who would have conserved anyway. Alternatively, enrollment costs can dampen per-enrollee benefits if their correlation with status-quo conservation is in the opposite direction. We illustrate these points with evidence from two studies of randomized trials of PES programs aimed at increasing forest cover in Uganda and Malawi. We also discuss how in other sectors, such as social welfare, policy designers have purposefully adjusted the costs of program enrollment to influence the composition of participants and improve cost-effectiveness. We propose that these ideas for targeting could be incorporated into the design of PES programs.
Abstract 592: The potential effect of smoking cessation on mortality among patients diagnosed with smoking-related cancers

Background: The benefit of smoking cessation on mortality after cancer diagnosis is unclear, particularly given ethical restrictions of randomizing patients who are smokers to a smoking cessation intervention or continued smoking. We thus aimed to assess the effect of a hypothetical smoking cessation intervention on mortality among patients diagnosed with smoking-related cancers using observational data. Methods: We used data from the JPS Oncology Registry, for which the source population is cancer patients in Tarrant County, TX who received care at a public health care system regardless of their ability to pay. Our eligible population included patients diagnosed with primary lung, head and neck, or colorectal cancer between January 2008 and June 2013 with follow-up through 2016, and self-reported current or former use of cigarette, cigar, or pipe tobacco products. We used a potential outcomes framework to estimate cancer-specific effects of a hypothetical smoking cessation intervention on 1- and 3-year all-cause mortality. Under certain assumptions, the estimated marginal risk ratios and risk differences from this approach are analogous to intention to treat estimates from a randomized controlled trial. Results: Our study population comprised 1,058 patients diagnosed with lung (n=582), head and neck (n=248), or colorectal cancer (n=228). The median age at diagnosis overall was 57 years (interquartile range=51-63). Patients were predominantly male (64%), non-Hispanic White (63%), and uninsured (50%). Modeled smoking cessation decreased mortality for head and neck cancers but not lung or colorectal cancers (Table 1). Conclusion: Albeit with certain limitations, our findings suggest that a hypothetical smoking cessation intervention initiated at the time of cancer diagnosis may not have homogeneous effects on mortality across cancer types. These results provide insight about target populations for whom smoking cessation may benefit cancer survival. Citation Format: Bradford E. Jackson, Tracey E. Barnett, Yan Lu, Bassam Ghabach, Rohit P. Ojha. The potential effect of smoking cessation on mortality among patients diagnosed with smoking-related cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 592.
Metabolic Cost and Exercise Intensity During Active Virtual Reality Gaming.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the exercise intensity of active virtual reality games (AVRGs) by oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exe...
Bleeding Complications after Pediatric Kidney Biopsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and objectives Kidney biopsy is an essential tool for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with kidney disease; however, because of its invasive nature, bleeding complications may arise. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We performed a meta-analysis of prospective or retrospective observational studies and randomized, controlled trials in pediatric patients undergoing native or transplant kidney biopsy in an inpatient or outpatient setting in MEDLINE-indexed studies from January 1998 to November 1, 2017 to determine the proportion of patients who develop hematoma, need blood transfusion, or need an additional intervention due to a complication after kidney biopsy. Results Twenty-three studies of 5504 biopsies met inclusion criteria. The proportion of patients developing hematoma after biopsy was between 11% (95% confidence interval, 7% to 17%) and 18% (95% confidence interval, 9% to 35%) using two analyses that included different time periods. The proportion needing blood transfusion was 0.9% (95% confidence interval, 0.5% to 1.4%). The proportion needing an additional intervention due to postbiopsy complication was 0.7% (95% confidence interval, 0.4% to 1.1%). Secondary analysis was not possible due to lack of data in the original manuscripts on laboratory values, needle gauges, number of needle passes, age of patient, or performer (attending versus trainee). Analysis with metaregression found that use of real-time ultrasound during biopsy did not modify the risk for hematoma, requirement of a blood products transfusion, or requirement of an additional procedure after biopsy. Analysis with metaregression comparing native biopsies with transplant biopsies did not reveal that biopsy type (native kidney biopsy versus transplant kidney biopsy) was associated with the need for a blood transfusion or requirement of an additional intervention after biopsy. Conclusions The development of perinephric hematoma after kidney biopsy is not an infrequent finding. The proportion of patients requiring blood transfusion or needing an additional intervention as a result of kidney biopsy in pediatric patients is significantly smaller.
Free-Floating Scapular Spine: A Rare Shoulder Injury

A specific treatment protocol for managing scapular spine fractures does not currently exist. The purpose of our report is to describe this type of injury and detail our treatment management in order to better elucidate this rare pathology. We present a case of a 26-year-old female with an acute scapular spine and base fracture after a motor vehicle collision. Successful treatment of an acute free-floating scapular spine fracture was achieved with open reduction and internal fixation utilizing an elbow plate. Since scapular spine fractures are an unfortunate, rare injury, it may impose difficult challenges to the treating surgeon. With our case report, we hope to contribute to the overall knowledge of scapular spine fractures and offer our experience with a successful and appropriate treatment option in our patient.
Influenza viruses that require 10 genomic segments as antiviral therapeutics.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) encode their genome across eight, negative sense RNA segments. During viral assembly, the failure to package all eight segments, or packaging a mutated segment, renders the resulting virion incompletely infectious. It is known that the accumulation of these defective particles can limit viral disease by interfering with the spread of fully infectious particles. In order to harness this phenomenon therapeutically, we defined which viral packaging signals were amenable to duplication and developed a viral genetic platform which produced replication competent IAVs that require up to two additional artificial genome segments for full infectivity. The modified and artificial genome segments propagated by this approach are capable of acting as “decoy” segments that, when packaged by coinfecting wild-type viruses, lead to the production of non-infectious viral particles. Although IAVs which require 10 genomic segments for full infectivity are able to replicate themselves and spread in vivo, their genomic modifications render them avirulent in mice. Administration of these viruses, both prophylactically and therapeutically, was able to rescue animals from a lethal influenza virus challenge. Together, our results show that replicating IAVs designed to propagate and spread defective genomic segments represent a potent anti-influenza biological therapy that can target the conserved process of particle assembly to limit viral disease.
Word embeddings trained on published case reports are lightweight, effective for clinical tasks, and free of protected health information

Abstract Rationale Word embeddings are used to create vector representations of text data but not all embeddings appropriately capture clinical information, are free of protected health information, and are computationally accessible to most researchers. Methods We trained word embeddings on published case reports because their language mimics that of clinical notes, the manuscripts are already de-identified by virtue of being published, and the corpus is much smaller than those trained on large, publicly available datasets. We tested the performance of these embeddings across five clinically relevant tasks and compared the results to embeddings trained on a large Wikipedia corpus, all publicly available manuscripts, notes from the MIMIC-III database using fastText, GloVe, and word2vec, and using different dimensions. Tasks included clinical applications of lexicographic coverage, semantic similarity, clustering purity, linguistic regularity, and mortality prediction. Results The embeddings trained using the published case reports performed as well as if not better on most tasks than those using other corpora. The embeddings trained using all published manuscripts had the most consistent performance across all tasks and required a corpus with 100 times as many tokens as the corpus comprised of only case reports. Embeddings trained on the MIMIC-III dataset had small but marginally better scores on the clustering tasks which was also based on clinical notes from the MIMIC-III dataset. Embeddings trained on the Wikipedia corpus, although containing almost twice as many tokens as all available published manuscripts, performed poorly compared to those trained on medical and clinical corpora. Conclusion Word embeddings trained on freely available published case reports performed well for most clinical task, are free of protected health information, and are small compared to commonly used embeddings trained on larger clinical and non-clinical corpora. The optimal corpus, dimension size, and which embedding model to use for a given task involves tradeoffs in privacy, reproducibility, performance, and computational resources.
Prescribing Patterns of Oral Opioid Analgesic for Long Bone Fracture at Tertiary Care Children's Hospital Emergency Departments and Urgent Cares.

OBJECTIVES Disparities in opioid prescribing in children can lead to underprescribing and poorly controlled pain. On the contrary, unnecessary overprescribing can increase the risk for misuse, abuse, and diversion. The primary objective of this study was to compare the demographics and clinical characteristics of children with an extremity fracture who did and did not receive an opioid prescription from a tertiary care children's hospital. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of children younger than 22 years with extremity fracture evaluated at a tertiary care children's hospital emergency department (ED) and surrounding satellite locations (3 EDs and 4 urgent cares), from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. RESULTS There were 3325 patients younger than 22 years who were seen for evaluation of an extremity fracture. The overall median age of patients was 8 years (interquartile range [IQR], 4-11), and 1976 (59.4%) were male. Patients with extremity fractures who received opioid analgesics were older than those who did not receive opioids (median age of 10 years [IQR, 6-13 years] vs 7 years [IQR, 4-11 years], P < 0.001). There was a significant difference found between insurance types, specifically those patients receiving Medicaid and private insurance. Patients who received opioid analgesics had a higher initial pain score (7 [IQR, 4-9] vs 5 [IQR, 2-7], P < 0.001), were more likely to have an physician (MD/DO) provider (P < 0.001), and were more likely to present to the ED (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Younger patients, patients with Medicaid insurance, patients treated by an advanced care provider, and patients who presented to an urgent care were less likely to receive opioid analgesics upon discharge. These findings demonstrate that more standardization and guidance on opioid prescribing are needed in pediatrics, to both adequately treat pain and reduce harms from overprescribing of opioid analgesics.
How Information Diversity and Integration Relate to Team Creativity and Innovation: A Meta-Analysis

Although having diverse knowledge and perspectives is considered crucial to team creativity and innovation, research examining diversity’s relationship to team creativity and innovation has been de...
Validation of a Novel Confocal Microscopy Imaging Protocol With Assessment of Reproducibility and Comparison of Nerve Metrics in Dry Eye Disease Compared With Controls.

Author(s): Takhar, Jaskirat S; Joye, Ashlin S; Lopez, Sarah E; Marneris, Athanasios G; Tsui, Edmund; Seitzman, Gerami D; Keenan, Jeremy D; Gonzales, John A | Abstract: PurposeThe purposes of this study were to assess the reproducibility of a novel standardized technique for capturing corneal subbasal nerve plexus images with in vivo corneal confocal microscopy and to compare nerve metrics captured with this method in participants with dry eye and control participants.MethodsCases and controls were recruited based on their International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) diagnoses. Participants completed the following 3 ocular symptom questionnaires: the Ocular Surface Disease Index, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, and Dry Eye Questionnaire 5. A novel eye fixation-grid system was used to capture 30 standardized confocal microscopy images of the central cornea. Each participant was imaged twice by different operators. Seven quantitative nerve metrics were analyzed using automated software (ACCmetrics, Manchester, United Kingdom) for all 30 images and a 6-image subset.ResultsForty-seven participants were recruited (25 classified as dry eye and 22 controls). The most reproducible nerve metrics were corneal nerve fiber length [intraclass correlation (ICC) = 0.86], corneal nerve fiber area (ICC = 0.86), and fractal dimension (ICC = 0.90). Although differences were not statistically significant, all mean nerve metrics were lower in those with dry eye compared with controls. Questionnaire scores did not significantly correlate with nerve metrics. Reproducibility of nerve metrics was similar when comparing the entire 30-image montage to a central 6-image subset.ConclusionsA standardized confocal imaging technique coupled with quantitative assessment of corneal nerves produced reproducible corneal nerve metrics even with different operators. No statistically significant differences in in vivo corneal confocal microscopy nerve metrics were observed between participants with dry eye and control participants.
An Exploratory Investigation of Companion Animal Custody Disputes following Divorce

The overarching purpose of this paper was to explore the legal resolution of companion animal custody disputes in the event of a couple’s divorce or dissolution of a cohabiting union. I conducted c...