cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Framework for enhancing clinical practice guidelines through continuous patient engagement

Background Patient engagement in clinical practice guideline (CPG) development is recommended by multiple institutions and instruments measuring guideline quality. Approaches to engaging patients, however, vary between oversight organizations, quality tools and guideline developers. Objective We propose a ten-step framework outlining steps and options for patient engagement in guideline development with the goal of highlighting steps for patient engagement and methods by which this can be achieved. Discussion This framework provides a model for continuous patient engagement in CPGs by outlining ten steps of guideline development occurring at the levels of the developer/committee and the individual guideline project. At the developer level, patients can assist in topic nomination (step 1), topic prioritization (step 2) and guideline development group selection (step 3). Within specific guideline projects, patients’ opinions may be incorporated when framing the question (step 4), creating an analytic framework and research plan (step 5), conducting the systematic review and conclusion formation (step 6), development of recommendations (step 7) and dissemination and implementation (step 8). At the end of process, patients can again be engaged at the developer level by helping determine when guidelines need updating (step 9) and evaluating the developer's approach to patient engagement (step 10). Conclusions Patient engagement at each CPG development step has different purposes, mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages, and implications for resource utilization. This framework can serve as a resource for guideline developers desiring to increase patient engagement and reference for researchers investigating engagement methodology at different steps of the CPG lifecycle.
Afferent Inputs to Neurotransmitter-Defined Cell Types in the Ventral Tegmental Area

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays a central role in the neural circuit control of behavioral reinforcement. Though considered a dopaminergic nucleus, the VTA contains substantial heterogeneity in neurotransmitter type, containing also GABA and glutamate neurons. Here, we used a combinatorial viral approach to transsynaptically label afferents to defined VTA dopamine, GABA, or glutamate neurons. Surprisingly, we find that these populations received qualitatively similar inputs, with dominant and comparable projections from the lateral hypothalamus, raphe, and ventral pallidum. However, notable differences were observed, with striatal regions and globus pallidus providing a greater share of input to VTA dopamine neurons, cortical input preferentially on to glutamate neurons, and GABA neurons receiving proportionally more input from the lateral habenula and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. By comparing inputs to each of the transmitter-defined VTA cell types, this study sheds important light on the systems-level organization of diverse inputs to VTA.
Relationship between Liao and Clayton-Engquist absorbing boundary conditions: Acoustic case

In this short note, we derive the differential form of Liao's multi-transmitting formula. The reflection coefficient of the multi-transmitting formula in the acoustic case is obtained in closed form. These formulas are compared with Clayton-Engquist absorbing boundary condition and are shown to have a very close relationship.
CCE Audiovisual Teaching Aids

The CCE audiovisual library — a wide selection of topics for supplemental lecture materials, practical teaching tools for on-the-job training
WALT: fast and accurate read mapping for bisulfite sequencing.

Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) has emerged as the gold-standard technique in genome-scale studies of DNA methylation. Mapping reads from WGBS requires unique considerations that make the process more time-consuming than in other sequencing applications. Typical WGBS data sets contain several hundred million reads, adding to this analysis challenge. We present the WALT tool for mapping WGBS reads. WALT uses a strategy of hashing periodic spaced seeds, which leads to significant speedup compared with the most efficient methods currently available. Although many existing WGBS mappers slow down with read length, WALT improves in speed. Importantly, these speed gains do not sacrifice accuracy. Availability and implementation WALT is available under the GPL v3 license, and downloadable from https://github.com/smithlabcode/walt. Contact andrewds@usc.edu or tingchen@usc.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
“Render unto Caesar”: Religion and (Dis)Obedience to Law

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed. … Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but because of conscience. Romans 13:1–2, 5. “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one: for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:16–21. One way of putting the question with which this chapter is primarily concerned is whether, and if so how, the message of these two passages can be reconciled in one's life. The moral duty to obey the secular law is an embedded aspect of both the Christian and the Jewish traditions; the extent, in those traditions, to which that duty should control action is a matter that cannot be readily summarized and will not be addressed here. This chapter will rather focus on examples of expressions of a religiously grounded duty to disobey in certain cases.
Finite Element-Derived Surrogate Models of Locked Plate Fracture Fixation Biomechanics.

Internal fixation of bone fractures using plates and screws involves many choices—implant type, material, sizes, and geometric configuration—made by the surgeon. These decisions can be important for providing adequate stability to promote healing and prevent implant mechanical failure. The purpose of this study was to develop mathematical models of the relationships between fracture fixation construct parameters and resulting 3D biomechanics, based on parametric computer simulations. Finite element models of hundreds of different locked plate fixation constructs for midshaft diaphyseal fractures were systematically assembled using custom algorithms, and axial, torsional, and bending loadings were simulated. Multivariate regression was used to fit response surface polynomial equations relating fixation design parameters to outputs including maximum implant stresses, axial and shear strain at the fracture site, and construct stiffness. Surrogate models with as little as three regressors showed good fitting (R 2 = 0.62–0.97). Inner working length was the strongest predictor of maximum plate and screw stresses, and a variety of quadratic and interaction terms influenced resulting biomechanics. The framework presented in this study can be applied to additional types of bone fractures to provide clinicians and implant designers with clinical insight, surgical optimization, and a comprehensive mathematical description of biomechanics.
Do Slower Life History Strategies Reduce Sociodemographic Sex Differences

This study examines the relations between sociodemographic sex differences and life history strategies in the populations of Mexican States. Sex differences in anatomy and behavior was measured with traits such as educational achievement, mortality, and morbidity. The data were obtained from the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) and sampled from thirty-one Mexican states and the Federal District (N = 32). An extension analysis was performed selecting only the sex ratio variables that had a correlation with the slow Life History factor greater than or equal to an absolute value of .25. A unit-weighted sex ratio factor was created using these variables. Across 32 Mexican states, the correlation between latent slow life history and sex ratio was .57 (p < .05). These results are consistent with our hypothesis that slower life histories favor reduced sexual dimorphism in physiology and behavior among human subnational populations. The results of the study further understanding of variations in population sex differences, male-biased behaviors toward sexual equality, and the differences among subnational (regional) populations within the United States of Mexico.
Adenovirus sensing by the immune system

The host immune system developed multiple ways for recognition of viral pathogens. Upon disseminated adenovirus infection, the immune system senses adenovirus invasion from the moment it enters the bloodstream. The soluble blood factors, FX, antibodies, and complement, can bind and activate plethora of host-protective immune responses. Adenovirus binding to the cellular β3 integrin and endosomal membrane rupture trigger activation of IL-1α/IL-1R1 proinflammatory cascade leading to attraction of cytotoxic immune cells to the site of infection. Upon cell entry, adenovirus exposes its DNA genome in the cytoplasm and triggers DNA sensors signaling. Even when inside the nucleus, the specialized cellular machinery that recognizes the double-strand DNA breaks become activated and triggers viral DNA replication arrest. Thus, the host employs very diverse mechanisms to prevent viral dissemination.
Growing pains for global monitoring of societal events.

There have been serious efforts over the past 40 years to use newspaper articles to create global-scale databases of events occurring in every corner of the world, to help understand and shape responses to global problems. Although most have been limited by the technology of the time ( 1 ) [see supplementary materials (SM)], two recent groundbreaking projects to provide global, real-time “event data” that take advantage of automated coding from news media have gained widespread recognition: International Crisis Early Warning System (ICEWS), maintained by Lockheed Martin, and Global Data on Events Language and Tone (GDELT), developed and maintained by Kalev Leetaru at Georgetown University ( 2 , 3 ). The scale of these programs is unprecedented, and their promise has been reflected in the attention they have received from scholars, media, and governments. However, they suffer from major issues with respect to reliability and validity. Opportunities exist to use new methods and to develop an infrastructure that will yield robust and reliable “big data” to study global events—from conflict to ecological change ( 3 ).
Review: Concrete and Culture: A Material History by Adrian Forty

Adrian Forty Concrete and Culture: A Material History London: Reaktion Books, 2012, 336 pp., 127 b/w illus. $36 (cloth), ISBN 9781861898975 The ubiquitous use of concrete in modern infrastructure and architecture often symbolizes urbanity; it also connotes modernity, civilization, culture, and human pride in technology, alongside efficiency, industry, and progress. Concrete can also be quite ugly (many people find it aesthetically repellant) if not ecologically unsustainable. As Adrian Forty notes, concrete manufacturing accounts for up to 10 percent of all the world’s CO2 emissions, contributing to drastic changes in our planet’s climate conditions.1 With somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 billion tons of cement manufactured each year, the unsustainability of our global concrete production is inarguably shocking; and since concrete often weathers badly in comparison to stone or other building materials, the ecological problem of its manufacture is compounded. With the demand for cement estimated to double by 2042, as Forty observes, we should be concerned that despite continued technological advancements, our apparently insatiable desire to build with concrete is becoming a serious problem. Forty’s concern about the sustainability of concrete as a building material is compelling, particularly coming from an author who has written a 300-page book celebrating the rhetorical meaning of concrete in our recent history. This ambiguity about the value of concrete, if seemingly contradictory, reveals the challenges facing architecture and architectural historians today. Many building construction techniques developed in the modern era have initiated unsustainable practices that are consuming world resources at an alarming rate, permanently altering the physical makeup of our planet and not necessarily for the better. How are we to wrestle with such substantive human problems while maintaining our fetishistic love for industrial technologies and materials? This is a question that Forty’s book challenges us to consider. Structured into ten readable chapters that explore concrete from its roots in building structure to more recent uses as predominantly nonstructural interior surface treatments, Forty’s book …
Update on Crystal-Induced Arthritides

The prevalence of gout increases with age. Once serum concentration of urate exceeds the saturation/solubility point, it deposits in and around the joints. Clinical presentation in the elderly often has "atypical" features and is challenging to diagnose. Treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the patient's health status and comorbidities. Elderly patients often have several confounding issues; thus, treatment decisions can be complicated and therapeutic options limited. To prevent the recurrence of gout attacks, serum concentration of urate should be maintained well below the saturation threshold of 6.8 mg/dL, leading to dissolution of urate deposits and prevent recurrence.
The Moral Limits of Family Law

Questions about the moral limits of state intervention have usually been asked about intervention in the actions of individuals, and only rarely asked about intervention in the behavior of families. In this chapter we will discuss these questions as they pertain to families by using the same normative principles employed in familiar discussions about the limits of state intervention in the conduct of individuals: harm-to-others, legal paternalism, and moralism. In this discussion we will introduce and critically examine the doctrine of family privacy which says that the state has no business intervening in internal family conduct which does not harm the interests of anyone outside the family. Using the language of J.S. Mill (quoted in the epigraph), we will ask whether it is true to say “Over itself, over its own members, the family is sovereign.” Before we attempt to answer this question we need to respond to the objection that questions about the limits of state intervention wrongly assume that there is a concept of the family that is pre-political or pre-legal. It has been argued that this assumption is false because the family, like the personal, is essentially political. Is the assumption false? Or is there a concept of family that allows us to refer meaningfully to unjust or wrongful legal interventions in family life?
Educational Cultural Negotiators for Students of Color: A Descriptive Study of Racial Advocacy Leaders.

AbstractThe research presented in this study focuses on Educational Cultural Negotiators (ECNs). The participants were teachers, administrators, and graduate students in an after-school program in the Midwest and a community-based school/university partnership in the Western U.S. We posit that the roles of the ECNs function as advocacy leaders to invoke racial affirmation, and academic intervention on behalf of African-American and Latina/o students at these school sites. Relying on critical race theory as the methodological analysis of the findings, this study seeks to identify the role of the ECNs as advocates for students in these settings to promote their academic and personal growth and success. This work illustrates how these particular educational leaders provide academic direction and challenge racial neglect and color-blindness within the public school system.
Application-Aware Resource Allocation of Hybrid Traffic in Cellular Networks

The hybrid traffic, a composite of elastic and inelastic data generated by delay-tolerant and real-time applications respectively, forms the bulk of what is carried over modern cellular systems. Since a smooth performance of real-time and delay-tolerant applications is tied to their distinctive needs for resources, networks’ intelligence about representative characteristics of applications’ traffic, networks’ ability to prioritize subscribers, and networks’ sophistication to cope with temporal variations in traffic amounts from the real-time and delay-tolerant applications can help efficiently assign resources accordingly to the preceding issues and consequentially elevate the quality-of-experience. To this end, the manuscript at hand aims at concocting a convex proportional fairness resource allocation method for cognitive cellular systems equipped with the intelligence to consider the traffic type, its temporal variations, and user prioritization. The devised method is formalized as mathematically equivalent centralized and distributed formulations with provided solution algorithms and convergence conditions. It is proved that the centralized approach has a lower transmission overhead, whose some lower bounds are derived for the centralized and distributed methods. Analyses of the sensitivity to changes of user equipments quantity and of application usage are presented under a variation of bidding scenarios in the face of the system dynamics.
Protein Science by DNA Sequencing: How Advances in Molecular Biology Are Accelerating Biochemistry

A fundamental goal of protein biochemistry is to determine the sequence–function relationship, but the vastness of sequence space makes comprehensive evaluation of this landscape difficult. However, advances in DNA synthesis and sequencing now allow researchers to assess the functional impact of every single mutation in many proteins, but challenges remain in library construction and the development of general assays applicable to a diverse range of protein functions. This Perspective briefly outlines the technical innovations in DNA manipulation that allow massively parallel protein biochemistry and then summarizes the methods currently available for library construction and the functional assays of protein variants. Areas in need of future innovation are highlighted with a particular focus on assay development and the use of computational analysis with machine learning to effectively traverse the sequence–function landscape. Finally, applications in the fundamentals of protein biochemistry, disease pred...
Other Special Nonlinear Compact Systems

In this chapter we present an interesting back up of the previous chapters devoted to solitons on closed free surfaces, like drops. Namely, one can predict the possibility of existence of such exotic shapes from some first geometric principles. In the frame of geometric collective models, for example, it can be shown that these types of shapes can be created through the formalism of nonlinear symmetry groups. We conclude the chapter by presenting an example of Hamiltonian structure for systems with free closed boundaries.
Patterns of family management for adolescent and young adult brain tumor survivors

Little is known about how families systemically incorporate the work of caring for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood brain tumors who often remain dependent on their families well into adulthood. The primary aim of this study was to develop a typology of family management (FM) patterns for AYA survivors. The secondary aims were to compare them with FM patterns previously described for children with chronic health conditions and to validate the patterns using quantitative and qualitative data. Guided by the Family Management Styles Framework, a sequential, mixed-methods design was used to gather quantitative data from 186 mothers (primary caregivers) and 134 AYA survivors. FM patterns (family focused; somewhat family focused; somewhat condition focused; and condition focused) were identified using cluster analysis of data from the Family Management Measure. FM patterns were found to be similar to those for children with chronic health physical conditions and were significantly related to maternal quality of life, survivor quality of life (health-related quality of life [self- and mother proxy report]), cancer-related variables (treatment intensity, medical late effects), and family functioning in theoretically meaningfully ways. Significant demographic characteristics included private insurance and AYA survivors' engagement in school or employment. Qualitative analysis of data from 45 interviews with mothers from the larger sample provided additional support for and elaborated descriptions of FM patterns. Identification of FM patterns moves the science of family caregiving forward by aggregating data into a conceptually based typology, thereby taking into account the complex intersection of the condition, the family, and condition management. (PsycINFO Database Record
Does Hormone Therapy Use Increase Perioperative Complications in Abdominally Based Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction

Background The use of hormone therapy (tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors) has been shown to increase venous thromboembolism. As breast cancer patients undergoing microsurgical breast reconstruction are often receiving hormone therapy, it is unclear whether this increased thrombotic risk is associated with increased flap loss. Methods A retrospective review was performed on patients undergoing abdominally based microsurgical breast reconstruction at an academic institution from 2004 to 2015. Patients were divided by use of hormone therapy at the time of surgery. Complication rates, including complete or partial flap loss and overall complications, were compared and analyzed using univariate and logistic regression models. Results Among a total of 853 patients (1253 flaps), 193 patients (269 flaps) were receiving hormone therapy and 660 patients (984 flaps) were not. Patients on hormone therapy had higher rates of previous breast surgery, advanced cancer stage, chemoradiation before reconstruction, and delayed and unilateral reconstruction. There were no statistically significant differences between hormone therapy patients and nontherapy patients in complete flap loss (1.0 percent versus 1.1 percent) and partial flap loss (2.2 percent versus 1.5 percent). Hypertension and previous breast surgery were the only independent risk factors for minor complications (adjusted OR, 2.1; 95 percent CI, 1.3 to 3.6; p = 0.005; and adjusted OR, 1.8; 95 percent CI, 1.2 to 2.7; p = 0.009, respectively) and overall complications (adjusted OR, 2.2; 95 percent CI, 1.3 to 3.7; p = 0.004; and adjusted OR, 1.9; 95 percent CI, 1.3 to 3.0; p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusions Hormone therapy was not associated with a higher incidence of complete or partial flap loss or overall complications. The authors propose an individualized approach to the preoperative cessation of tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
Cloned neoplastic B cells release a growth factor which augments lymphokine-mediated proliferation of normal B cells.

Several types of neoplastic cells secrete growth factors which bind to the producer cells and stimulate their growth (autocrine factors). (Todaro 1980; Kaplan 1982; Bishop 1983). As a first step in identifying a putative B cell-derived autocrine growth factor, we have examined a series of neoplastic B cell clones which were derived from the in vitro-adapted BCL1 cell line and were selected for their lack of spontaneous IgM secretion (Brooks 1983). Based on other autocrine models, it was predicted that a putative growth factor might act during G1 of the cell cycle. Thus, BCL1cells were synchronized at the G1/S border using either a triple thymidine block or the a DNA polymerase inhibitor, aphidicolin. The cells were washed free of the blocking agent, cultured and the supernatants (SN) were harvested at various times. These SN were evaluated for their ability to sustain the proliferation of anti-Ig-stimulated normal splenic B cells.
United States Warehouse Act

In the marketing process, large quantities of raw agricultural products and other food products are placed in the custody of warehouses. The United States Warehouse Act, one of the oldest federal food laws, provides protection for the owner or consignee of the merchandise through mandatory licensing and bonding of warehousemen. The act, which is given as Chapter 10—Warehouses under Title 7 of the United States Code, is presented in its entirety below.
Social vs. Non-Social Measures of Learning Potential for Predicting Community Functioning Across Phase of Illness in Schizophrenia

Studies demonstrate that dynamic assessment (i.e., learning potential) improves the prediction of response to rehabilitation over static measures in individuals with schizophrenia. Learning potential is most commonly assessed using neuropsychological tests under a test-train-test paradigm to examine change in performance. Novel learning potential approaches using social cognitive tasks may have added value, particularly for the prediction of social functioning, but this area is unexplored. The present study is the first to investigate whether patients with schizophrenia demonstrate social cognitive learning potential across phase of illness. This study included 43 participants at clinical high risk (CHR), 63 first-episode, and 36 chronic schizophrenia patients. Assessment of learning potential involved test-train-test versions of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (non-social cognitive learning potential) and the Facial Emotion Identification Test (social cognitive learning potential). Non-social and social cognition pre-training scores (static scores) uniquely predicted concurrent community functioning in patients with schizophrenia, but not in CHR participants. Learning potential showed no incremental explanation of variance beyond static scores. First-episode patients showed larger non-social cognitive learning potential than CHR participants and were similar to chronic patients; chronic patients and CHR participants were similar. Group differences across phase of illness were not observed for social cognitive learning potential. Subsequent research could explore whether non-social and social cognitive learning potential relate differentially to non-social versus social types of training and rehabilitation.
Cyclopentannulation and cyclodehydrogenation of isomerically pure 5,11-dibromo-anthradithiophenes leading to contorted aromatics

Isomerically pure 5,11-dibromo-2,8-dihexylanthra[2,3-b:76-b′]dithiophene, a brominated analog of anthracenedithiophene (ADT), was prepared and utilized for a palladium catalyzed cyclopentannulation reaction with 3,3′-dimethoxy-phenylacetylene to give cyclopentannulated ADT (CP-ADTs). A further Scholl cyclodehydrogenation reaction gave contorted aromatics with large splay angles, low optical gaps, and low LUMOs.
Basic number theory

In this chapter we cover basic number theory and set up notations that will be used freely throughout the rest of the book.
The Use of Non-pharmacological Therapy

There are a number of non-pharmacological forms of therapy for managing motion sickness. These have had varying degrees of success over the years. The biggest problem I see in comparing the results of these various desensitising programmes is that all but mine excluded an undisclosed number of potential candidates who showed less than desirable enthusiasm for continuing to fly. Despite the fact that my cognitive-behavioural desensitisation training programme had no such pre-selection criteria, it was found to have the highest success rate. Most of the other desensitisation training programmes involved biofeedback. I do not support that approach because it relies on mental relaxation techniques to control the individual’s physiological state, whereas I believe that the subject’s mind should be both strongly focused and targeted elsewhere; that alone can protect against provocative motion. In addition it is my strongly held opinion that it is better to avoid the need to record physiological responses, for two reasons. First, it seems to conflict with the idea that motion sickness is a normal protective response. Second, military professionals and astronauts tend to be suspicious of physiological recordings lest they have an adverse effect on their medical status.
Digital Demagogue: Authoritarian Capitalism in the Age of Trump and Twitter

In Digital Demagogue: Authoritarian Capitalism in the Age of Trump and Twitter, Christian Fuchs delivers a thorough account of fascism’s rise in the United States and the world through the prominen...
Cigarette smoking history is associated with poorer recovery in multiple neurocognitive domains following treatment for an alcohol use disorder

Cigarette smoking is associated with neurocognitive dysfunction in various populations, including those seeking treatment for an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study compared the rate and extent of recovery on measures of processing speed, executive functions, general intelligence, visuospatial skills and working memory in treatment-seeking alcohol dependent individuals (ALC) who were never-smokers (nvsALC), former-smoker (fsALC), and active smokers (asALC), over approximately 8 months of abstinence from alcohol. Methods: ALC participants were evaluated at approximately 1 month of abstinence (AP1; n = 132) and reassessed after 8 months of sobriety (AP2; n = 54). Never-smoking controls (CON; n = 33) completed a baseline and follow-up (n = 19) assessment approximately 9 months later. Domains evaluated were executive functions, general intelligence, processing speed, visuospatial skills and working memory; a domain composite was formed from the arithmetic average of the foregoing domains. nvsALC showed greater improvement than fsALC, asALC and CON on most domains over the AP1-AP2 interval. fsALC demonstrated greater recovery than asALC on all domains except visuospatial skills; fsALC also showed greater improvements than CON on general intelligence, working memory and domain composite. asALC did not show significant improvement on any domain over the AP1-AP2 interval. At 8 months of abstinence, asALC were inferior to CON and nvsALC on multiple domains, fsALC performed worse than nvsALC on several domains, but nvsALC were not different from CON on any domain. Our results provide robust evidence that smoking status influenced the rate and extent of neurocognitive recovery between 1 and 8 months of abstinence in this ALC cohort. Chronic smoking in AUD likely contributes to the considerable heterogeneity observed in neurocognitive recovery during extended abstinence. The findings provide additional strong support for the benefits of smoking cessation and the increasing clinical movement to offer smoking cessation resources concurrent with treatment for AUD.
Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Risk Factor for Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Male Patients.

BACKGROUND Male patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty have a higher risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) compared with female patients. The exact reason for this finding is not well known. This study aimed to determine if patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are at increased risk of PJI. METHODS A total of 12,902 male patients who underwent primary or revision total joint arthroplasty from January 2006 to April 2017 were retrospectively identified. The mean patient age was 62.47 years and the mean patient body mass index was 30.1 kg/m. The majority of patients were Caucasian or African American. Most surgical procedures involved the hip joints (57.8%) and were primary arthroplasties (86%). Of these patients, 386 (3%) had symptomatic BPH. Among this group, 250 patients with symptomatic BPH were identified and were matched in an approximate 1:3 ratio with 708 control patients. Using the International Consensus Meeting criteria, patients who developed PJI were identified. RESULTS The PJI rate was 7.9% in the symptomatic BPH group and 2.8% in the control group. Multivariate regression analysis in unmatched groups showed that symptomatic BPH was a strong independent risk factor for PJI. After matching for variables related to outcomes, symptomatic BPH remained a significant risk factor for PJI (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Patients with symptomatic BPH had a higher risk of PJI compared with the control patients. This may partly explain the higher rate of PJI that is seen in male patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Abstract WMP54: Estimates of the U.S. Burden of Pregnancy-Associated Stroke Attributable to Common Vascular Risk Factors

Background: The incidence of pregnancy-associated stroke may be increasing. The degree to which this increase is associated with increases in common stroke risk factors is uncertain. Methods: We us...
Biomass combustion produces ice-active minerals in biomass-burning aerosol and bottom ash

Ice nucleation and the resulting cloud glaciation are significant atmospheric processes that affect the evolution of clouds and their properties including radiative forcing and precipitation, yet the sources and properties of atmospheric ice nucleants are poorly constrained. Heterogeneous ice nucleation caused by ice-nucleating particles (INPs) enables cloud glaciation at temperatures above the homogeneous freezing regime that starts near -35 °C. Biomass burning is a significant global source of atmospheric particles and a highly variable and poorly understood source of INPs. The nature of these INPs and how they relate to the fuel composition and its combustion are critical gaps in our understanding of the effects of biomass burning on the environment and climate. Here we show that the combustion process transforms inorganic elements naturally present in the biomass (not soil or dust) to form potentially ice-active minerals in both the bottom ash and emitted aerosol particles. These particles possess ice-nucleation activities high enough to be relevant to mixed-phase clouds and are active over a wide temperature range, nucleating ice at up to -13 °C. Certain inorganic elements can thus serve as indicators to predict the production of ice nucleants from the fuel. Combustion-derived minerals are an important but understudied source of INPs in natural biomass-burning aerosol emissions in addition to lofted primary soil and dust particles. These discoveries and insights should advance the realistic incorporation of biomass-burning INPs into atmospheric cloud and climate models. These mineral components produced in biomass-burning aerosol should also be studied in relation to other atmospheric chemistry processes, such as facilitating multiphase chemical reactions and nutrient availability.
Cause analysis and Countermeasures for shaft fracture of closed pump

Two 350MW supercritical wet cooling units in a power plant, the closed water pump adopts horizontal single-stage double suction split centrifugal pump. In recent two years, the shaft of the closed pump B of 1 unit has been fractured twice. In this paper, the fracture causes of the closed pump shaft are analyzed from the aspects of closed pump operation, material analysis and micro organization, and treatment measures are taken to solve the problem.
Structural tuning of nonlinear terahertz metamaterials using broadside coupled split ring resonators

We present an experimental and numerical study of a terahertz metamaterial with a nonlinear response that is controllable via the relative structural arrangement of two stacked split ring resonator arrays. The first array is fabricated on an n-doped GaAs substrate, and the second array is fabricated vertically above the first using a polyimide spacer layer. Due to GaAs carrier dynamics, the on-resonance terahertz transmission at 0.4 THz varies in a nonlinear manner with incident terahertz power. The second resonator layer dampens this nonlinear response. In samples where the two layers are aligned, the resonance disappears, and the total nonlinear modulation of the on-resonance transmission decreases. The nonlinear modulation is restored in samples where an alignment offset is imposed between the two resonator arrays. Structurally tunable metamaterials and metasurfaces can therefore act as a design template for tunable nonlinear THz devices by controlling the coupling of confined electric fields to nonlinear phenomena in a complex material substrate or inclusion.
APPLICATIONS OF DATA MINING IN FINANCE

Data mining as a discipline of computer science has been widely employed in several domains as a result of the need to find methods to evaluate fast expanding data. Finance is one of the most appealing data mining application areas in these new technologies. As a means of managing large data, enterprise efficiency, and business intelligence, data mining and machine learning are critical. In the financial business, data mining is extremely valuable. To date, data mining has shown to be a viable solution for detecting financial data dynamics and linkages. It's been used in a variety of financial situations. In this work, we concentrate on the use of data mining in stock forecasting, portfolio management, and investment risk analysis, as well as the prediction of bankruptcy and foreign exchange rates and the identification of financial fraud.
Infilling on Painted Surfaces With Special Reference to Paintings On Canvas, Wood and Metal.

(1981). Infilling on Painted Surfaces With Special Reference to Paintings On Canvas, Wood and Metal. ICCM Bulletin: Vol. 7, No. 2-3, pp. 43-47.
Joint Encoder and VBR Channel Optimization with Buffer and Leaky Bucket Constraints

Video sequences present varying degrees of complexity and thus, when encoded with most practical compression algorithms at a fixed quality level, generate a variable bit rate (VBR) sequence. In order to transmit such a VBR sequence over a constant bit rate (CBR) channel, a buffer is used to absorb the variations in source bit rate, and a rate control algorithm is needed to prevent buffer overflow. The size of the buffer depends on the total end-to-end delay allowed between encoder and decoder (excluding channel transmission delay). A larger buffer size can allow the encoder to perform better in terms of distortion with the same available channel rate, but such improvement is obtained at the price of larger end-to-end delay.
Dynamic Representation in the American States, 1960–2012

One of the most fundamental assumptions of democratic theory is that the views of citizens should influence government policy decisions. Previous studies have found a strong cross-sectional relationship between public opinion and state policy outputs. But the ultimate metric of responsiveness is the extent to which changes in popular preferences cause changes in public policies. In this paper, we reassess the quality of representation in the American states over the past half century using a large battery of historical evidence and new statistical techniques. We show that changes in the mass public’s policy views are associated with changes in state policy outputs. In addition, we evaluate the influence of institutions, such as direct democracy, term limits, and legislative professionalism. We find that term limits increase responsiveness, but legislative professionalism and direct democracy have no consistent impact on responsiveness. Our findings have large implications for both the study of representation and institutions in the American states.
Singular Value Analysis, Balancing, and Model Reduction of Large Space Structures

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the application of singular values, balancing, Hankel-norm, and related model reduction techniques to the control of large scale, lightly damped, vibrating mechanical structures, i.e., "Large Space Structures."
CLIMATIC VARIABILITY AND CROP PRICE TRENDS IN WEST TENNESSEE: A BIVARIATE GRANGER CAUSALITY ANALYSIS

Weather aberrations like drought and extremely high temperatures have been associated with adverse impacts on crop yields particularly in agricultural production areas that extensively rely on rainfall. Extremely dry weather accompanied with low or negligible precipitation often leads to crop failure, resulting in decline of supplies and increasing crop prices. Among the recent climatic events of importance, U.S agriculture as a whole experienced one of its worst droughts in mid-year 2012 over a three decade horizon. The 2012 drought had serious implications particularly in the major production areas of Midwest and Southeast U.S damaging vast portions of field crops like corn and soybeans subsequently leading to increase in farm prices. The objective of this study is to conduct a bivariate granger causality analysis for climatic indicators causing soybean price changes over a study period from 1975-2013. The results indicate that a significant causality was detected for precipitation impacting commodity price movements for soybeans. No significant evidence was obtained for the presence of Granger causality between temperature related indicators (maximum, minimum, and average) and soybeans prices. The outcome of this study provides an initial insight into the causality between climatic indicators and commodity price movements for soybeans in the study region, and emphasizes the existence of causality for commodity prices by precipitation changes as compared to changes in temperature, especially in the absence of irrigation based production in the region.
Membrane H Conductance of Clostridium thermoaceticum and Clostridium acetobutylicum: Evidence for Electrogenic Na/H Antiport in Clostridium thermoaceticum.

H+ conductance in de-energized cells of Clostridium thermoaceticum and Clostridium acetobutylicum was determined from the rate of realkalinization of the medium after an acid pulse. In both organisms, cell membrane proton permeability was increased by fermentation end products and ionophores. In C. thermoaceticum, H+ conductance was increased by Na+ ions compared with K+ as counterions. In these cells, addition of Na+, but not K+, elicited efflux of H+; H+ efflux was stimulated by SCN− and decreased by various ionophores. We concluded that C. thermoaceticum possesses an electrogenic Na+/H+ antiporter. In contrast, C. acetobutylicum cells did not have an electrogenic Na+/H+ antiporter.
1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a tool to measure dehydration in mice

Dehydration is a prevalent pathology, where loss of bodily water can result in variable symptoms. Symptoms can range from simple thirst to dire scenarios involving loss of consciousness. Clinical methods exist that assess dehydration from qualitative weight changes to more quantitative osmolality measurements. These methods are imprecise, invasive, and/or easily confounded, despite being practiced clinically. We investigate a non-invasive, non-imaging (1)H NMR method of assessing dehydration that attempts to address issues with existing clinical methods. Dehydration was achieved by exposing mice (n = 16) to a thermally elevated environment (37 °C) for up to 7.5 h (0.11-13% weight loss). Whole body NMR measurements were made using a Bruker LF50 BCA-Analyzer before and after dehydration. Physical lean tissue, adipose, and free water compartment approximations had NMR values extracted from relaxation data through a multi-exponential fitting method. Changes in before/after NMR values were compared with clinically practiced metrics of weight loss (percent dehydration) as well as blood and urine osmolality. A linear correlation between tissue relaxometry and both animal percent dehydration and urine osmolality was observed in lean tissue, but not adipose or free fluids. Calculated R(2) values for percent dehydration were 0.8619 (lean, P < 0.0001), 0.5609 (adipose, P = 0.0008), and 0.0644 (free fluids, P = 0.3445). R(2) values for urine osmolality were 0.7760 (lean, P < 0.0001), 0.5005 (adipose, P = 0.0022), and 0.0568 (free fluids, P = 0.3739). These results suggest that non-imaging (1)H NMR methods are capable of non-invasively assessing dehydration in live animals.
The Impact of Social Movements on a Profession in Process Advocacy in Urban Planning

The process model of professions enables the observer to build internal conflict and change into an analysis of a given profession. An analysis of a new specialty in city planning—advocate planning—suggests that this model be extended so that social movements are seen to enter a profession through the creation of new specialties or segments. By showing that the new practitioners of advocacy planning were highly, though variably, influenced by social movement organizations of the 1960s, this paper suggests the outlines of conflict and difference within the new segment itself Based on interviews with 112 advocate planners in ten cities, the study finds the new practitioners to be young and of similar background to those composing the activist youth movements of their times in college and graduate schools. The differences among them, in regard to their orientation to politics and professionalism, are also examined in the light of new developments in the analysis of reform movements.
Effect of methotrexate exposure on subsequent fertility in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation

Objective To evaluate the pregnancy rate, ovarian responsiveness, and endometrial thickness in infertility patients with a history of methotrexate exposure who subsequently underwent controlled ovarian stimulation. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting University reproductive endocrinology and infertility program. Subject(s) Forty-eight women with infertility undergoing ovarian stimulation after receiving methotrexate treatment for ectopic gestation. Intervention(s) Methotrexate administration and controlled ovarian stimulation. Main Outcome Measure(s) Pregnancy rate, cycle day 3 FSH levels, number of oocytes retrieved, and endometrial thickness. Result(s) The cumulative intrauterine pregnancy rate achieved with controlled ovarian stimulation at 2 years after methotrexate exposure was 43%, with a mean time to conceive of 181 days. Thirty-five patients with similar fertility treatments pre- and post-methotrexate were identified. Within this group, when an IVF cycle occurred within 180 days of methotrexate exposure, a significant decline in oocytes retrieved was observed. Cycles performed later than 180 days after methotrexate exposure did not exhibit a decrease in oocyte production. Endometrial development was similar at all time points examined. Conclusion(s) These findings suggest a time-limited and reversible impact of methotrexate on oocyte yield. If confirmed by larger clinical series and/or animal data, these results may impact the management of ectopic gestation in the patient with a history of infertility or the timing of subsequent treatments.
Upsilon pi epsilon: New happenings

Greetings! This year has been very active and exciting for Upsilon Pi Epsilon. Between hosting the UPE National Convention at SIGCSE 2008 to our continuing sponsorship of the ACM International Computer Programming Contest and supporting another outstanding group of scholarship winners, things have been quite busy.