cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma Biomarker Analysis in Pediatric ARDS: Generating Future Framework from a Pilot Randomized Control Trial of Methylprednisolone: A Framework for Identifying Plasma Biomarkers Related to Clinical Outcomes in Pediatric ARDS.

Objective: Lung injury activates multiple pro-inflammatory pathways, including neutrophils, epithelial and endothelial injury, and coagulation factors leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Low-dose methylprednisolone therapy (MPT) improved oxygenation and ventilation in early pediatric ARDS without altering duration of mechanical ventilation or mortality. We evaluated the effects of MPT on biomarkers of endothelial (Ang-2, sICAM-1) or epithelial (sRAGE) injury, neutrophil activation (MMP-8), and coagulation (PAI-1). Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial Setting: Tertiary-care Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients: Mechanically ventilated children (0-18 years) with early ARDS. Interventions: Blood samples were collected on Days 0 (before MPT), 7, and 14 during low-dose MPT (n=17) vs. placebo (n=18) therapy. The MPT group received a 2mg/kg loading dose followed by 1mg/kg/day continuous infusions from days 1-7, tapered off over 7 days; placebo group received equivalent amounts of 0.9% saline. We analyzed plasma samples using a multiplex assay for 5 biomarkers of ARDS. Multiple regression models were constructed to predict associations between changes in biomarkers and the clinical outcomes reported earlier including: P/F ratio on days 8&9, plateau pressure on days 1&2, PaCO2 on days 2&3, racemic epinephrine following extubation, and supplemental oxygen at ICU discharge. Results: No differences occurred in biomarker concentrations between the groups on Day 0. On Day 7, reduction in MMP-8 levels (p=0.0016) occurred in the MPT group, whereas increases in sICAM-1 levels (p=0.0005) occurred in the placebo group (no increases in sICAM-1 in the MPT group). sRAGE levels decreased in both MPT and placebo groups (p<0.0001) from Day 0 to Day 7. On Day 7, sRAGE levels were positively correlated with MPT group PaO2/FiO2 ratios on Day 8 (r=0.93, p=0.024). O2 requirements at ICU transfer positively correlated with Day 7 MMP-8 (r=0.85, p=0.016) and Ang-2 levels (r=0.79, p=0.036) in the placebo group, and inversely correlated with Day 7 sICAM-1 levels (r=-0.91, p=0.005) in the MPT group. Conclusion: Biomarkers selected from endothelial, epithelial, or intravascular factors can be correlated with clinical endpoints in pediatric ARDS. For example, MPT could reduce neutrophil activation (MMP-8), decrease endothelial injury (sICAM-1) and allow epithelial recovery (sRAGE). Large ARDS clinical trials should develop similar frameworks.
Aromaticity Decreases Single-Molecule Junction Conductance.

We have measured the conductance of single-molecule junctions created with three different molecular wires using the scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique. Each wire contains one of three different cyclic five-membered rings: cyclopentadiene, furan, or thiophene. We find that the single-molecule conductance of these three wires correlates negatively with the resonance energy of the five-membered ring; the nonaromatic cyclopentadiene derivative has the highest conductance, while the most aromatic of this series, thiophene, has the lowest. Furthermore, we show for another wire structure that the conductance of furan-based wires is consistently higher than for analogous thiophene systems, indicating that the negative correlation between conductance and aromaticity is robust. The best conductance would be for a quinoid structure that diminishes aromaticity. The energy penalty for partly adopting the quinoid structure is less with compounds having lower initial aromatic stabilization. An...
A Survey of Power System Emission Trading and Emission Congestion

The current status and development of emission trading are introduced through aspects like reduction target,participants,initial allocation,accounting,etc.Characteristics of carbon credit as a special commodity in carbon trading are induced through its processes of accumulation,circulation and consumption.Inter-relationship among emission trading,physical law of power system and economic performance of power market are discussed.Factors that introduce difficulties in corresponding researches are highlighted,including multi-timescale dynamics,massive uncertainties,multi-player game and cross-discipline interaction.The implementation of experimental economics under the generalized congestion framework are emphasized and suggested for further researches.
Echocardiographic Assessment of Cor Pulmonale in Cystic Fibrosis

The early clinical recognition and assessment of cor pulmonale are frequently difficult. To evaluate the usefulness of echocardiographic measurement of right ventricular dimension and septal motion in assessing cor pulmonale, we studied 94 patients with cystic fibrosis of varying severity. There was a significant relationship between increasing right ventricular dimension index (RVDI) and (1) decreasing clinical score, vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and maximal midexpiratory flow rate (MMFR); and (2) increasing residual volume and thoracic gas volume. There was no correlation between right ventricular dimension index and PaO2. These findings were supported by electrocardiogram and pathologic evidence of right ventricular involvement. Abnormal septal motion was observed more frequently in patients with severe obstructive airway disease as measured by decreased vital capacity, FEV1, and MMFR. The data show that there is echocardiographic evidence of mild right ventricular enlargement and/or hypertrophy much earlier in the course of cystic fibrosis than previously suspected and that the echocardiogram is a useful tool in the evaluation of cor pulmonale in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Neural response to pictorial health warning labels can predict smoking behavioral change

In order to improve our understanding of how pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) influence smoking behavior, we examined whether brain activity helps to explain smoking behavior above and beyond self-reported effectiveness of HWLs. We measured the neural response in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the amygdala while adult smokers viewed HWLs. Two weeks later, participants' self-reported smoking behavior and biomarkers of smoking behavior were reassessed. We compared multiple models predicting change in self-reported smoking behavior (cigarettes per day [CPD]) and change in a biomarkers of smoke exposure (expired carbon monoxide [CO]). Brain activity in the vmPFC and amygdala not only predicted changes in CO, but also accounted for outcome variance above and beyond self-report data. Neural data were most useful in predicting behavioral change as quantified by the objective biomarker (CO). This pattern of activity was significantly modulated by individuals' intention to quit. The finding that both cognitive (vmPFC) and affective (amygdala) brain areas contributed to these models supports the idea that smokers respond to HWLs in a cognitive-affective manner. Based on our findings, researchers may wish to consider using neural data from both cognitive and affective networks when attempting to predict behavioral change in certain populations (e.g. cigarette smokers).
Synthesis and photochemical studies of a tris(4-iodophenoxy) subphthalocyaninato boron(III)-fulleropyrrolidine dyad

A subphthalocyanine-fullerene dyad, 1 was newly synthesized through axial functionalization via central boron of subphthalocyanine with p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and subsequent dipolar cycloaddition reaction of fullerene. The subphthalocyanine entity was peripherally functionalized with moderately electron rich 4-iodophenoxy substituents to probe their effect on photoinduced processes within the SubPc-C60 dyad. Optical absorbance studies revealed presence of both entities of the dyad while steady-state fluorescence studies revealed quenching of subphthalocyanine emission in the dyad in both nonpolar toluene and polar benzonitrile solvents. Further, redox potentials of the donor and acceptor entities were obtained by differential pulse voltammetry, and energy of different photochemical processes was evaluated. Femtosecond transient absorption studies revealed occurrence of charge separation in the SubPc-C60 dyad either from the 1SubPc* or 1C60* in both nonpolar and polar solvents. That is, transient peaks in the 665 nm range corresponding to SubPc•+ and at 1015 nm corresponding to C60•− was possible to spectrally identify. The measured rate of charge separation, kCS was found to be ∼7.0 × 1010 s−1 irrespective of the solvent. The rate of charge recombination, kCR from the decay of the C60•− peak was found to be 1.1 × 109 s−1 in toluene and 1.3 × 109 s−1 in benzonitrile, respectively. The SubPc•+-C60•− radical ion-pair populated the low-laying 3SubPc* prior returning to the ground state.
Building an Effective WMD Control Regime

The history of the WMD control regime began in the early years of the United Nations with the most ambitious plan, the Baruch Plan, to create an international authority responsible for the development and peaceful use of nuclear energy. It would take custody of all fissionable material and technological information essential for producing nuclear weapons. It would also verify the freeze on weapons production and the destruction of existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Although the plan was not accepted, it launched a process that broadened the arms control objective to include chemical and biological weapons and classified them all together as weapons of mass destruction, a concept used to distinguish them from conventional weapons. All the proposals that evolved during the first decade were then pulled together to form a comprehensive model for General and Complete Disarmament (GCD). The model was then considered to be unrealistic as a basis for negotiating a convention for phased across-the-board disarmament to be implemented by a single international disarmament and verification organization. However, it established a firm conceptual foundation and an outline of partial or collateral measures that would be separately negotiated as building blocks towards verified disarmament in all areas.
Protocol-independent identification of encrypted video traffic sources using traffic analysis

This paper presents a mechanism to use Traffic Analysis (TA) for identifying sources of tunneled video streaming traffic. The key idea is to probe encrypted and tunneled video streaming traffic at a client-side firewall so that the firewall can identify the traffic source using traffic analysis, and block or throttle traffic from that particular source. The key contribution in this paper is to evaluate Packet Arrival Interval (PAI) as a classification feature for identifying sources of tunneled video streaming traffic. Using OpenVPN servers for creating encryption tunnels, experiments are conducted for a large number of popular video steaming servers and multiple client devices located in different geographical locations. It was experimentally demonstrated that using PAI as a classification feature it is indeed possible to identify video streaming sources with high accuracy and low false-positive rates. The paper also does a thorough analysis of PAI to reveal that the feature embeds two very important classification sub-features, namely, Inter Packet Delay Variation (IPDV), and Inter Packet Generation Delay (IPGD), Classification is then performed using those two sub-features to demonstrate their abilities for video source identification.
Highly Ordered Mesoporous Bimetallic Phosphides as Efficient Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts

Oxygen evolution from water using earth-abundant transition-metal-based catalysts is of importance for the commercialization of water electrolyzers. Herein, we report a hard templating method to synthesize transition metal phosphides with uniform shape and size. By virtue of the structural feature, synergistic effects among metals, and the in situ formed active species, the as-prepared phosphides with optimized composition present enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline solution. In detail, the catalyst with optimized composition reaches a current density of 10 mA/cm2 at a potential of 1.511 V vs a reversible hydrogen electrode, which is much lower than that of a commercial RuO2 catalyst. Our work offers a new strategy to optimize the catalysts for water splitting by controlling the morphology and composition.
Scatterer size estimation using a generalized ultrasound attenuation-compensation function to correct for focusing

The frequency statistics of the backscattered waveform observed between tissue boundaries can be matched to a model to estimate the characteristic size of the scatterer in the tissue region of interest. In the past, the models have all assumed plane wave propagation requiring the use of unfocused or weakly focused sources in the experiment. In our work, we challenged this assumption by re-deriving the scattering equations assuming that the focused field can be accurately modeled as a 3D Gaussian distribution in addition to the traditional assumptions that the scatterers are a sufficient distance from the source and that the field is approximately constant across the scatterer. We showed that correcting for focusing when estimating the scatterer size only requires a generalized attenuation-compensation function that includes the impact of focusing along the beam axis. We then generated computer simulations to aid in the understanding of the impact of diffraction along the beam axis and compared the performance of our attenuation-compensation function to the performance of previously proposed attenuation-compensation functions for various levels of focusing (f/1, f/2, f/4), attenuation (0.05 to 1 dB/cm/MHz), and rectangular window length used to gate the time domain signal (1 to 13 mm). The generalized attenuation-compensation function yielded results accurate between 2% and 7.2% while the traditional attenuation-compensation functions that neglected focusing had errors greater than 50% for moderate attenuation and window lengths.
Role of Agricultural Trade in Economic Development

able within the allotted time and space, I have decided to concentrate, after a brief review of the purported role of international trade, mainly upon the export of agricultural commodities from low-income countries as a means to economic growth within those countries. In doing so, of course, I realize that many important parts of the general topic are given only a light touch or omitted entirely.
Predicting the breakdown strength and lifetime of nanocomposites using a multi-scale modeling approach

It has been found that doping dielectric polymers with a small amount of nanofiller or molecular additive can stabilize the material under a high field and lead to increased breakdown strength and lifetime. Choosing appropriate fillers is critical to optimizing the material performance, but current research largely relies on experimental trial and error. The employment of computer simulations for nanodielectric design is rarely reported. In this work, we propose a multi-scale modeling approach that employs ab initio, Monte Carlo, and continuum scales to predict the breakdown strength and lifetime of polymer nanocomposites based on the charge trapping effect of the nanofillers. The charge transfer, charge energy relaxation, and space charge effects are modeled in respective hierarchical scales by distinctive simulation techniques, and these models are connected together for high fidelity and robustness. The preliminary results show good agreement with the experimental data, suggesting its promise for use in the computer aided material design of high performance dielectrics.
Carbon fiber–reinforced polymer rod panels for strengthening concrete bridges:

The practice of using fiber-reinforced polymer laminates and fabric to repair and strengthen concrete structures is well established. What limits the application of fiber-reinforced polymer materials, especially in flexural strengthening, is the equipment and man power needed for continuous application when retrofits take place over waterways or multilane roadways. A carbon fiber–reinforced polymer rod panel system consisting of 1220-mm (48-in) panels made continuous through a finger joint/splice was developed to overcome these limitations. The system’s performance hinges on whether forces can be transferred from one panel to another. This study investigated the bond characteristics of carbon fiber–reinforced polymer rods, as well as the flexural behavior of concrete members strengthened with carbon fiber–reinforced polymer rod panels, to improve knowledge of the finger joint’s behavior. Bond tests were conducted using double-lap shear specimens on individual rods with both steel and concrete substrates. ...
Anatomic landmarks for arthroscopic suprapectoral biceps tenodesis: a cadaveric study.

Background Biceps tenodesis reduces the incidence of Popeye deformity occurring with tenotomy, but pain may occur with tenodesis superior to or within the bicipital groove. Arthroscopic suprapectoral tenodesis is an attractive alternative. The purpose of this study was to establish landmarks for arthroscopic suprapectoral tenodesis and determine the appropriate fixation point to optimize muscle tension. Methods Twelve fresh cadaveric shoulders were dissected. Urethane polymer was injected into the axillary artery. The position of the anterior branch of the axillary nerve was marked. The transverse humeral ligament was split, exposing the biceps (long head of the biceps [LHB]) from its origin to the pectoralis major tendon (PMT). The intra-articular portion was released. Measurements were taken from the proximal tendon to described landmarks. Results The mean length of the intra-articular LHB was 2.53 cm (range, 1.72-3.55 cm). The mean distance from the LHB origin to the inferior lesser tuberosity (LT) was 5.58 cm (range, 4.02-6.87 cm), and that to the superior border of the PMT was 8.46 cm (range, 6.46-10.78 cm). The suprapectoral tenodesis zone (inferior LT to superior PMT) was 2.96 cm (range, 1.54-4.40 cm). In all specimens, a branch of the anterior humeral circumflex arose medial to the LHB and distal to the LT and crossed the suprapectoral zone from medial to lateral at 1.49 ± 0.42 cm proximal to the PMT, approximately at the level of the axillary nerve. The musculocutaneous nerve was on average 3.06 cm (range, 1.86-3.76 cm) from the tenodesis zone. Conclusion A branch of the anterior humeral circumflex is a reliable landmark for identifying the mid-suprapectoral zone. The distance from the proximal LHB tendon to this crossing vessel averaged 6.32 cm in female specimens and 8.28 cm in male specimens. These findings allow appropriate tensioning of the LHB during arthroscopic suprapectoral tenodesis.
Post-operative physical therapy of the temporomandibular joint

The available physical therapy protocols after temporomandibular joint surgery are reviewed. In the immediate post-operative phase, physical therapy is provided primarily to reduce the traumatizing effects of surgery. In later post-operative phases, treatment is aimed at mobilizing joints and rehabilitating muscles. Eventually, the aim is optimal temporomandibular joint function, within the limits of the functional load capacity of joint, the surgical procedure, and subject’s individual circumstances.
Facilitating Low Latency and Reliable VR over Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Current VR headsets are tethered to computers which limits mobility and poses a tripping hazard. Delivering VR content over a wireless link is challenging due to the high data rates and stringent time delivery requirements. Millimeter wave communication at 60 GHz (WiGig) can meet these requirements, but, it is unreliable due to blockages and beam misalignments. In this poster, we present an idea of using both WiFi and WiGig interfaces to transmit the VR content. We divide a video frame into tiles and prioritize the tiles in the user's field of view. Based on the wireless link conditions, the tiles are encoded with varying qualities and transmitted over either WiFi or WiGig interface. We formulate an optimization framework to deliver the VR video with high reliability and low latency.
From blueprints to brain maps: the status of the Lemma Model in cognitive neuroscience

ABSTRACTWhen Levelt’s pioneering book about the Lemma Model of speech production appeared in 1989, cognitive neuroscience was just starting to take off. During the 30 years since then, this influen...
Identification and Quantification by Targeted Metabolomics of Antibiotic-Responsive Urinary Small Phenolic Molecules Derived from the Intestinal Microbiota in Mice

Background: Urinary levels of small molecules generated by the gut microbiota (GMB) constitute potential biomarkers for the state of the GMB. Such metabolites include numerous small phenolic molecules linked to anaerobic bacteria, particularly Clostridium species. Due to multiple technical challenges, however, the relationship between these chemicals and the GMB remains poorly characterized. Improved, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomic analysis can now reliably separate and quantify low levels of multiple small phenolic molecules and their structural isomers. Methods: CF-1 (female mice) were treated over 2 consecutive days with either i) vehicle, ii) one of 2 different antibiotic regimens (clindamycin or piperacillin/tazobactam) known to inhibit intestinal anaerobes and promote colonization by Clostridium difficile and other pathogens or iii) an antibiotic (aztreonam) that suppresses facultative Gram-negative bacteria but not enterococci or anaerobes and does not promote pathogen colonization Urine collected 24 hours after the last treatment was analyzed by LC-MS. Results: We identified over 25 compounds, many of which had not been previously reported in mouse urine. Eleven small phenolic molecules showed significant antibiotic-related changes. Urinary levels of the hydroxyphenylpropionic acids were suppressed by clindamycin and piperacillin/tazobactam treatment, but were elevated in aztreonam-treated mice. In addition, aztreonam treatment was associated with elevated levels of the dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acids. Conclusions: Profiles of differential changes in urinary small phenolic molecules may provide an index of anaerobic bacterial species in the GMB and could prove useful in monitoring susceptibility to overgrowth of pathogens such as C. difficile .
Producing the Crisis: Human Trafficking and Humanitarian Interventions

In spring 2017, I participated in a panel at a Midwestern university, titled The Human Trafficking Crisis: Strategies for Resistance. It was described to me as a debate on trafficking but turned ou...
Incident Mobility Disability, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Mobility disability and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are common in aging and both are associated with risk of death. This study tested the hypothesis that risk of death differs by the order in which mobility disability and MCI occurred. METHODS One thousand two hundred and sixty-two community-dwelling older adults were unimpaired at baseline and followed annually. Mobility disability was based on measured gait speed, and MCI was based on cognitive performance tests. A multistate Cox model simultaneously examined incidences of mobility disability and MCI to determine whether the order of their occurrence is differentially associated with risk of death. RESULTS The average age was 75.3 years and 70% were female. While mobility disability occurred more frequently than incident MCI, the subsequent risk of death was higher in participants who developed MCI alone compared to those who developed mobility disability alone (hazard ratio [HR] 1.70, p = 0.018). Of the participants who initially developed mobility disability, about half subsequently developed MCI that doubled their risk of death (HR 2.17, p < 0.001). By contrast, over two-third who developed MCI subsequently developed mobility disability, which did not further increase their risk of death. CONCLUSION Mobility disability occurs more frequently in community-dwelling older adults, but MCI is more strongly associated with mortality.
A Bioengineered In Vitro Osteoarthritis Model with Tunable Inflammatory Environments Indicates Context-Dependent Therapeutic Potential of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Recently, intra-articular injections of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used as a treatment for early osteoarthritis (OA) due to the known immunomodulatory effects of these cells. However, MSC therapy has shown variable clinical outcomes. This variability in efficacy likely reflects the interplay of a range of factors, which influence MSC immunoregulatory capacity. In particular, joint inflammatory state may impact MSC treatment efficacy due to the known dependence of the anti-inflammatory MSC phenotype on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the surrounding environment. To gain insight into the potential role of joint inflammatory state on MSC immunomodulatory effects, we first expanded a previously validated 3D in vitro model of OA to allow for tunable inflammatory conditions. We then utilized our expanded in vitro OA model to assess the therapeutic potential of MSCs in “high” (high-OA) versus “low” (low-OA) inflammatory contexts. The addition of MSCs to high-OA conditions stimulated significantly lower production of IL-1β, IFN-γ, MMP-9, and MMP-13 by osteoarthritic chondrocytes (OACs) and reduced macrophage activation. In contrast, the addition of MSCs to low-OA conditions increased OAC expression of OA-related markers IL-6 and IL-8 and induced a wound healing-like phenotype in macrophages. In addition to these results, we also assessed if MSCs primed with pro-inflammatory factors IFN-γ and TNF-α could improve MSC treatment efficacy in low-OA conditions. No improvements in MSC anti-inflammatory effects were observed for low-OA after priming. These findings suggest a key role for the inflammatory environment and MSC “activation” state in determining MSC immunomodulatory effects. If further validated, this knowledge could potentially be used to tailor the phenotype of injected MSCs to improve clinical outcomes. The inflammatory environment surrounding joint tissues is believed to underlie OA pathogenesis and may therefore hold a key to treatment. This work developed a system with control of inflammatory levels to assess OA therapies outside of living organisms. We then used this system to help study the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), an emergent yet controversial OA treatment. Our results suggest that MSC efficacy is context-dependent and sheds light on some of the specifics of these contexts. If further validated, this knowledge could potentially be used to screen patients and/or tailor the injected MSCs, improving clinical outcomes. Future work will be focused on the further development and validation of this model system towards its use as a discovery/development tool for OA therapies.
The values of narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability

Abstract Grandiose and vulnerable aspects of narcissism have been examined as a function of the five-factor model (FFM), but given narcissism's strong theoretical link to self-centered, self-enhancing motivation, personal values may be relevant predictors of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether personal values predict grandiose and vulnerable facets of narcissism beyond the FFM. Undergraduates (N = 409) completed online measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, values, and FFM personality traits. In line with hypotheses, bivariate correlations between personal values and both narcissistic dimensions exhibited sinusoid patterns, with strongest positive links to self-enhancement values and strongest negative links to self-transcendence values. Results also indicated that higher order personal values predicted additional variance in both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism beyond the FFM. Relationships between self-transcendence, self-enhancement values and grandiose narcissism were stronger than for vulnerable narcissism; however, vulnerable narcissism, but not grandiose narcissism, was positively linked to conservation values.
Spiritual Leadership and Crisis

The research on both spiritual leadership and crisis leadership is small but has grown steadily over the past 20 years. Overall, the research on spiritual leadership has tended to show that leaders who emphasize spirituality in the workplace typically inspire their employees more. Additionally, research shows that when workplace spirituality is encouraged employees tend to perform better (Williams et al. 2017). This chapter will provide an overview of the literature available and will explain where there is room for additional research to make a large impact on the crisis leadership field. This chapter will also discuss key characteristics for modeling workplace spirituality and will offer suggestions to leaders on how to incorporate spirituality in the workplace and in their leadership style. The role of spirituality in employees dealing with a crisis will be the main focus of this chapter. Several examples will be provided to show how leaders can use their Christian spirituality to help their organizations during a crisis.
Overview of multimodal analgesia initiated in the perioperative setting

Despite progress in pain management in the perioperative setting, the literature is full of evidence that managing postoperative pain is suboptimal. Since the mechanism of pain is complex, the use of multimodal technique allows clinicians to use a combination of two or more drugs targeting different areas of pain transmission because of surgery. As part of enhanced recovery initiatives after surgery, healthcare and professional organisations incorporate the use of multimodal analgesia in surgical guidelines to improve patient satisfaction. This review aims to understand and summarise the current body of evidence involving the most common pharmacological therapies to manage postoperative pain in the preoperative setting.
Engineering the cellulolytic extreme thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii to reduce carboxylic acids to alcohols using plant biomass as the energy source

Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is the most thermophilic cellulolytic organism yet identified (Topt 78 °C). It grows on untreated plant biomass and has an established genetic system thereby making it a promising microbial platform for lignocellulose conversion to bio-products. Here, we investigated the ability of engineered C. bescii to generate alcohols from carboxylic acids. Expression of aldehyde ferredoxin oxidoreductase (aor from Pyrococcus furiosus) and alcohol dehydrogenase (adhA from Thermoanaerobacter sp. X514) enabled C. bescii to generate ethanol from crystalline cellulose and from biomass by reducing the acetate produced by fermentation. Deletion of lactate dehydrogenase in a strain expressing the AOR–Adh pathway increased ethanol production. Engineered strains also converted exogenously supplied organic acids (isobutyrate and n-caproate) to the corresponding alcohol (isobutanol and hexanol) using both crystalline cellulose and switchgrass as sources of reductant for alcohol production. This is the first instance of an acid to alcohol conversion pathway in a cellulolytic microbe.
Thermal crop water stress index base line temperatures for sugarbeet in arid western U.S.

Abstract Sugarbeet is a deep-rooted crop in unrestricted soil profiles that can readily utilize stored soil water to reduce seasonal irrigation requirements. Soil water below 0.6 m is not commonly considered for irrigation scheduling due to the labor and expense of soil water monitoring at deeper depths and uncertainty in effective rooting depth and soil water holding capacity. Thermal-based crop water stress index (CWSI) irrigation scheduling for sugarbeet has the potential to overcome soil water monitoring limitations and facilitate utilization of stored soil water. In this study, canopy temperature of irrigated sugarbeet under full irrigation (FIT) and 25%FIT in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 in southcentral Idaho and FIT and 60%FIT in 2018 in northwestern Wyoming USA was monitored from full cover through harvest along with meteorological conditions and soil water content. A neural network (NN) was used to predict well-watered canopy temperature based on 15-min average values for solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed collected -1 to +2.5 hours of solar noon (13:00 – 16:00 MDT). A linear regression driven physical model for estimating the difference between a non-transpiring canopy and air temperature resulted in a value of 13.7 °C for the meteorological conditions of the study. A daily CWSI value calculated as the average 15-min CWSI calculated between 13:00 and 16:00 MDT was well correlated with irrigation amounts and timing. The daily CWSI value provided a more responsive indication of crop water stress than soil water monitoring in deficit irrigation treatments. The methodology used to calculate a daily CWSI could be used in irrigation scheduling to utilize soil water storage without knowledge of soil depth, crop rooting depth, or deep (> 0.6 m) soil water monitoring.
Therapeutic challenges in managing pediatric psoriasis.

Background Each year, 20,000 patients aged <10 years are diagnosed with psoriasis. Pediatric-onset psoriasis has many similarities to adult-onset disease, and previous studies suggest that the incidence might be increasing in both populations. Objective The challenges that arise when treating patients with psoriasis, especially those age <12 years, are summarized, as well as the limited available treatment options for treating pediatric patients with psoriasis and the evidence supporting each of them. Methods Recently published guidelines by the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Psoriasis Foundations, as well as guidelines published by the German Society of Dermatology, provide considerable insight in managing patients who have this condition. The latest studies on pediatric psoriasis treatment were reviewed, including recent and current clinical trials with U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and nonapproved medications, case reports, case series, and reviews. The authors also reviewed American and European guidelines, as well as recommendations from expert panels. Results Currently, only six medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pediatric psoriasis: three biologics and three topical. Many off-label topical treatments have been used in pediatric psoriasis, with variable effectiveness and safety profiles. Data from adult clinical trials, as well as case reports and series from pediatric patients, suggest that other biologic medications are effective for pediatric psoriasis. Conclusion Many questions remain unanswered, leaving clinicians facing multiple challenges when encountering pediatric patients with psoriasis. This summation will help provide an overview of current on- and off-label medications for pediatric psoriasis. Pediatric clinical trials should be implemented to obtain data that can result in expanding the therapeutic spectrum for this population, parallel to their adult counterparts.
An Operational Resilience Metric for Modern Power Distribution Systems

The electrical power system is the backbone of our nations critical infrastructure. It has been designed to withstand single component failures based on a set of reliability metrics which have proven acceptable during normal operating conditions. However, in recent years there has been an increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Many have resulted in widespread long-term power outages, proving reliability metrics do not provide adequate energy security. As a result, researchers have focused their efforts resilience metrics to ensure efficient operation of power systems during extreme events. A resilient system has the ability to resist, adapt, and recover from disruptions. Therefore, resilience has demonstrated itself as a promising concept for currently faced challenges in power distribution systems. In this work, we propose an operational resilience metric for modern power distribution systems. The metric is based on the aggregation of system assets adaptive capacity in real and reactive power. This metric gives information to the magnitude and duration of a disturbance the system can withstand. We demonstrate resilience metric in a case study under normal operation and during a power contingency on a microgrid. In the future, this information can be used by operators to make more informed decisions based on system resilience in an effort to prevent power outages.
The Economic Consequences of Regulatory Protection & Extraterritorial Reach

This paper analyzes recent legal and regulatory developments in the EU that will potentially significantly affect the landscape of the financial services industry in the EU and elsewhere. It focuses on four specific initiatives -- delegation, common ownership, MiFID II, and EMIR -- evaluates these developments in the context of an overarching economic framework that highlights the consequences of these initiatives from the standpoint of its effect on consumer welfare in the EU, in the U.S., and globally.
Wetland Invasion: a Multi-Faceted Challenge during a Time of Rapid Global Change

Wetlands are unique, highly biodiverse ecosystems of high conservation value that provide multiple ecosystem services to human society. However, the dynamic nature of wetlands creates abundant opportunities for the establishment and spread of invasive species, especially those well adapted to the current global prevalence of environmental change. Wetland invasibility is influenced by ongoing changes in climate and human land use (e.g., hydrologic modifications and eutrophication). Invasive species, in turn, can change the community composition and structure of the colonized wetlands through direct competition, predation, habitat alterations, hybridization, and pathogen transmission. Invaders can also alter ecosystem functioning, including hydrology, sedimentation, fire regimes, food webs, nutrient cycling, and succession. These changes in the biotic community and ecosystem functioning can affect human derived wetland services such as navigation, water distribution, and resource provision, as well as exaggerate problems related to human health. Although we currently possess diverse tools for managing individual species invasions, the current rate of global change may require creative approaches to achieve management success in the near future. Single-species or single-parameter approaches are unlikely to provide sustained biodiversity protection in this time of unprecedented environmental change, and hierarchical or multi-stressor approaches may become the new norm for managing wetland invasion.
Regulation of Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations: An International Perspective

The world is a remarkably diverse place, so any attempt to discuss recent trends in international regulation of nonprofits is fraught with difficulties. Comparing countries is very challenging, and local context differs from place to place. Virtually all countries have various forms of regulation of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in place—which is to say that virtually all countries do (with the exception of a few places, like North Korea).Discussing such trends is thus always subject to the dreaded caveat, “but in x….” Yet, even with an understanding of the broad diversity of local context and national approaches, we can see important trends under way in recent years in the regulation of nonprofit and philanthropic groups in countries around the world. Over the past year, a key development has been the increase of constraints on civic space—and those constraints are often accomplished using regulatory means. In order to give some specificity to this, I use China as an example, but this trend is occurring in a number of other countries and regions, as well.
The Need for Transfer Learning in CRISPR-Cas Off-Target Scoring

Abstract Motivation The scalable design of safe guide RNA sequences for CRISPR gene editing depends on the computational “scoring” of DNA locations that may be edited. As there is no widely accepted benchmark dataset to compare scoring models, we present a curated “TrueOT” dataset that contains thoroughly validated datapoints to best reflect the properties of in vivo editing. Many existing models are trained on data from high throughput assays. We hypothesize that such models may suboptimally transfer to the low throughput data in TrueOT due to fundamental biological differences between proxy assays and in vivo behavior. We developed new Siamese convolutional neural networks, trained them on a proxy dataset, and compared their performance against existing models on TrueOT. Results Our simplest model with a single convolutional and pooling layer surprisingly exhibits state-of-the-art performance on TrueOT. Adding subsequent layers improves performance on the proxy dataset while compromising performance on TrueOT. We demonstrate that model complexity can only improve performance on TrueOT if transfer learning techniques are employed. These results suggest an urgent need for the CRISPR community to agree upon a benchmark dataset such as TrueOT and highlight that various sources of CRISPR data cannot be assumed to be equivalent. Availability and Implementation Our code base and datasets are available on GitHub at github.com/baolab-rice/CRISPR_OT_scoring.
Simultaneous Controller and Lyapunov Function Design for Constrained Nonlinear Systems.

This paper presents a method to stabilize state and input constrained nonlinear systems using an offline optimization on variable triangulations of the set of admissible states. For control-affine systems, by choosing a continuous piecewise affine (CPA) controller structure, the non-convex optimization is formulated as iterative semi-definite programming (SDP), which can be solved efficiently using available software. The method has very general assumptions on the system's dynamics and constraints. Unlike similar existing methods, it avoids finding terminal invariant sets, solving non-convex optimizations, and does not rely on knowing a control Lyapunov function (CLF), as it finds a CPA Lyapunov function explicitly. The method enforces a desired upper-bound on the decay rate of the state norm and finds the exact region of attraction. Thus, it can be also viewed as a systematic approach for finding Lipschitz CLFs in state and input constrained control-affine systems. Using the CLF, a minimum norm controller is also formulated by quadratic programming for online application.
HIV infection and women's sexual functioning.

Objective To compare sexual problems among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, and describe clinical and psychosocial factors associated with these problems.
Modeling the early stages of reactive wetting.

Recent experimental studies of molten metal droplets wetting high-temperature reactive substrates have established that the majority of triple-line motion occurs when inertial effects are dominant. In light of these studies, this paper investigates wetting and spreading on reactive substrates when inertial effects are dominant using a thermodynamically derived diffuse interface model of a binary three-phase material. The liquid-vapor transition is modeled using a van der Waals diffuse interface approach, while the solid-fluid transition is modeled using a phase field approach. The results from the simulations demonstrate an $O({t}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2})$ spreading rate during the inertial regime and oscillations in the triple-line position when the metal droplet transitions from inertial to diffusive spreading. It is found that the spreading extent is reduced by enhancing dissolution by manipulating the initial liquid composition. The results from the model exhibit good qualitative and quantitative agreement with a number of recent experimental studies of high-temperature droplet spreading, particularly experiments of copper droplets spreading on silicon substrates. Analysis of the numerical data from the model suggests that the extent and rate of spreading are regulated by the spreading coefficient calculated from a force balance based on a plausible definition of the instantaneous interface energies. A number of contemporary publications have discussed the likely dissipation mechanism in spreading droplets. Thus, we examine the dissipation mechanism using the entropy-production field and determine that dissipation primarily occurs in the locality of the triple-line region during the inertial stage but extends along the solid-liquid interface region during the diffusive stage.
Estimates Independent of Dimension

The basic bounds for control over the infinite volume limit are given here. These tools are formally independent of dimension. We give proofs for the finite volume P(φ)2 measures of Chapter 8, but the same methods apply more generally. For example, applied to lattice fields of arbitrary dimension, the bounds of this chapter do not depend on the lattice spacing. This is in contrast to the ultraviolet bounds of Chapter 8, which depend strongly on dimension. Section 12.2, i.e. integration by parts, is similarly independent of dimension.
Stock Trading Before the Announcement of Tender Offers: Insider Trading or Market Anticipation?

Recent insider trading actions by the government against Dennis Levine, Ivan Boesky, Martin Siegel, and others have influenced the public's perception of mergers and acquisitions activity.' These well-publicized cases generally involve illegal insider trading based on nonpublic information about impending bids for takeover targets.2 Many regulators have interpreted public concern about illegal insider trading as political support for legislative proposals to restrict takeovers. These regulators argue that increased trading in stocks of tender offer targets before bid announcements indicates the pervasive nature of insider trading. Congressman Edward Markey (DMass.), chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee, provides an example of how policymakers connect hostile takeovers
Comparative Cell Wall Analyses of Morphological Forms Within the Genus Actinomyces

Comparative cell wall analyses were made of mycelial and smooth forms of Actinomyces bovis and A. israelii to determine the changes which occur in the cell wall composition concurrent with a change in morphology, and to evaluate cell wall analyses as a criterion for taxonomic identification within the genus Actinomyces. Cell walls of the spider forms of A. boyis had little or no aspartic acid and a high hexosamine concentration; cell walls of the smooth forms had a high aspartic acid content and low concentrations of hexosamine. Both forms had large amounts of glutamic acid, alanine, and lysine, as previously reported. A strain of Actinomyces, previously identified as A. naeslundii on the basis of morphology and aerobic growth characteristics, was found to have the basic cell wall composition of A. israelii. When transferred from the Actinomyces maintenance broth to a thioglycolate broth, the cells of this strain passed from a mycelial form through a transient filamentous morphology to become diphtheroidal with continued incubation. Concomitantly, the concentrations of glutamic acid relative to alanine decreased, and the hexosamine content increased. Variation in morphology within the species A. israelii and A. bovis could not be related to any mutual chemical change of their cell walls. Images