cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract TP114: Post-stroke Fatigue Is Linked To The IL1RN Polymorphism rs4251961

Background: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is common, but the biological basis of PSF is unknown. We explored the relationship between PSF, systemic inflammation and genetic polymorphisms that affect the immune response. Methods: In a substudy of a larger trial that evaluated the role of the immune response on stroke outcome, patients were asked about their level of fatigue at 30, 90, 180, and 365 days after ischemic stroke. (The degree fatigue of was quantified using the Fatigue Assessment Scale [FAS], with possible scores of 10 (minimal fatigue) to 50 (severe fatigue). Plasma cytokine concentrations were analyzed and patients genotyped for polymorphisms in the promoter of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) gene (IL1RN; rs4251961). The minor allele (C) is associated with decreased IL-1ra in healthy adults in comparison with the major (T) allele. Results: Of patients for whom FAS scores were available (N=38), there were 16 (41%) with TT, 14 (36%) with CT and 8 (21%) with CC genotypes. The degree of fatigue (median [interquartile range]) was remarkably constant over time (22 [16, 29]) and tended to be higher in patients with a C allele (Figure). The FAS scores for patients with the minor C allele was 26 (17, 32) and was 18 in those without (13, 26; P=0.046). If fatigue is defined as an FAS score greater than the 75th percentile value for all patients (>29), 8/22 (36%) of patients with the C allele experienced fatigue while only 1/16 (6%) patients with TT did (P=0.031). Controlling for stroke severity, age and gender, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for developing fatigue (FAS>29) with a C allele was 9.96 (1.13-87.42; P=0.038). The concentration of IL-1ra did not differ among patients with the C allele and those without at any time point and was not associated with the FAS score. Conclusions: The rs4251961 polymorphism of IL1RN appears to be associated with PSF. This finding, and the relationship to systemic markers of inflammation, will need to be validated in a larger cohort.
Recent advances in AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis treatment with an emphasis on resource limited settings

Introduction: Recent advances in the treatment and prevention of cryptococcal meningitis have the potential to decrease AIDS-related deaths.Areas covered: Targeted screening for asymptomatic crypto...
Electronically Augmented Timed-Up-and-Go Test (EATUG) Differentiates Sit-To-Stand (STS) Mobility and Balance in Ambulatory Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ambALS) and Parkinson Disease (ambPD) (P3.290)

Objective: To test the feasibility of using a body-fixed Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), an electronic device that measures velocity, acceleration, and change in position, to provide insight into TUG performance in ambALS patients. Background: TUG evaluate mobility, balance, and risk of fall. It record the time required for a participant to stand up from a chair (STS), walk with 180 degree turn (WT), turn before sitting (TS), and sit down (SD). Patients with balance and mobility problems have longer TUG times. How each of the TUG segments relate to the impairment of balance and mobility in ambALS is not known. Methods: Maximum torso flexion/extension angle in degree (MTFEA), Peak Flexion/Peak Extension Angular Velocity (PFAV/PEAV in degrees per second), Peak Vertical Acceleration (PVA in meters per second2), Mean and peak turning angular velocity (MTAV/PTAV) were evaluated in 20 ambALS and 18 ambulatory individuals with Parkinson disease (ambPD) in 2 consecutive TUG tests wearing a chest-mounted IMU. Average of 2 consecutive trials was used for analysis. Independent t-tests were used to compare the performance of ALS vs. PD in the parameters of each TUG segment. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between EATUG and patient clinical measures. Results: EATUG correlated with ALSFRSR-gross motor score (r=-0.584, p=0.007) and the UPDRS III score (r=0.773, p=0.001). No difference in total EATUG time (11±4 and 10±2) which slower than normal, or the percent of total EATUG time taken to perform each TUG segment between ALS and PD. In the STS segment, ambALS had statistically significant differences in MTFEA (p<.005) and PEAV (p<.001). Conclusions: EATUG significantly differentiates early abnormality during STS segment in ambALS compared with the AmbPD. AmbALS increase torso MTFEA, PFAV, and PEAV during STS, possibly to compensate for lower extremity weakness. Study Supported by: Carolinas ALS Research Fund, Carolinas HealthCare Foundation Disclosure: Dr. Sanjak has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hirsch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Habet has nothing to disclose. Dr. Peindl has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zheng has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holsten has nothing to disclose. Dr. Morgan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mash has nothing to disclose. Dr. Englert has nothing to disclose. Dr. Iyer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lucas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Russo has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience and Biogen Idec as a consultant. Dr. Bravver has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bockenek has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brooks has nothing to disclose.
The Ganges water treaty: 20 years of cooperation, on India's terms

International cooperation has become a universal mandate for governing transboundary waterbodies. Diverse stakeholders promote cooperation as a desirable, if not indispensable, approach to achieving sustainable and equitable benefits from and for transboundary waterbodies. However, calls for international water cooperation operate from the presupposition that cooperation is an unambiguous concept. While cooperation appears self-evident and unproblematic, cases of formal cooperation reveal points of contestation about cooperation itself . For example, India and Bangladesh disagree about the extent to which cooperation is occurring over the Ganges River despite having penned a bilateral treaty that has been in force for 20 years. I analyze qualitative interviews and previously unpublished hydrological data to evaluate assertions that hydrological hazards in Southwestern Bangladesh result from India9s activities and that India is failing to uphold the 1996 agreement. The analysis indicates that these assertions are true and false: India is broadly adhering to the Ganges Treaty but unilaterally withdraws water during a critical period of the dry season when regional livelihoods are most vulnerable. The study concludes that transboundary water cooperation as an abstract ideal overlooks the fact that cooperation as a practice emerges from and operates within specific historical, political, cultural, and economic contexts.
The Use of Dehydrated Human Amnion/Chorion Membrane Allograft Injection for the Treatment of Tendinopathy or Arthritis: A Case Series Involving 40 Patients

Abstract Background Degenerative joint and tendon injuries remain difficult to treat, with few effective conservative treatment options available. Regenerative approaches aim to promote the inherent healing capacity of injured tissues. Micronized dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) injection is an emerging regenerative option with promising preclinical results. Objective To test the clinical effectiveness of dHACM injection in patients with chronic tendinopathy and arthropathy. Design Case series. Setting Academic medical center outpatient sports medicine clinic. Patients A total of 40 patients with chronic tendinosis or arthropathy who received dHACM over a period of 9 months. Methods A structured interview was administered to patients by telephone to supplement the clinical information available in the medical chart. All patients received an ultrasound-guided injection of dHACM. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was change in pain level, and the secondary outcome was change in activities of daily living (ADLs) and sports/recreation function. More than 30% improvement in average pain and function was considered a successful outcome. Results Patient pain and function were measured at 1, 2, and 3 months after the procedure. Patient-reported average pain scores decreased from a baseline value of 6.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.7-7.0) to 2.7 (95% CI=2.1-3.3; P P P P P P Conclusion In the setting of tendinosis or arthropathy, dHACM injection was clinically effective in reducing pain and improving function in a majority of adults. Level of Evidence IV
Use of Intelligent Water Drops (IWD) for Intelligent Autonomous Force Deployment

This paper presents a decentralized method for autonomously directing the movement of troops or battlefield robots from areas where their capabilities are being underutilized to areas where they are needed. This technique, which relies on limited message passing, does not require a centralized controller and is thus well suited to the battlefield environment where natural or deliberately created conditions may limit communications or render a centralized controller inaccessible. The Colonel Blotto Game (simulation scenario) is extended to provide a testing framework for Intelligent Water Drops (IWD)-derivative methods. The performance of the conventional approach to the Colonel Blotto Game is characterized in application to this extended scenario. Then, an IWD approach is presented and its performance is compared to the conventional method. The IWD approach is shown to outperform the conventional approach, from a gameplay perspective, while having significantly greater processing costs. Finally, the performance of an extended approach, which plays out possibilities for the remainder of the game multiple times before making a decision, is compared with an approach based on making the best decision in the short term without extended network information. The gameplay utility of this extended solver is not demonstrated, despite it having significantly higher computational costs.
A Theology of Possibilities: Mormon Doctrine and Open Folk Beliefs

This paper proposes that the Latter-day Saint community embrace the idea of what I term open folk beliefs. In contrast to closed folk beliefs (CFBs), open folk beliefs (OFBs) are recognized as individual folk beliefs, recognizing that other faithful Latter-day Saints may believe differently. An OFB community would be grounded at some level in more authoritative LDS teachings, but it would also consist of a pluralism of open folk beliefs. Collectively, such a community could be considered to embrace a theology of possibilities. Relying on the philosophy of William James, I attempt to demonstrate some qualities of an OFB community, and discuss how such a community may be crucial for individual and collective spiritual progression.
Digital Design Theory: Readings from the Field edited by Helen Armstrong

In her most recent book, North Carolina State University Associate Professor of Graphic Design Helen Armstrong follows the trajectory of computational influence on graphic design. She assembles a c...
“In the Soul of the Sidereal World” Mining Barbara Hodgson and Claudia Cohen’s The WunderCabinet for a Critical Model of Interdisciplinary Curiosity

This awe-inspiring essay uses the holistic experience of reading and engaging with The WunderCabinet as a model for interdisciplinary scholarship of the twenty-first century. The essay punctuates its inventive reading of The WunderCabinet with an ergodic invitation of its own—one that will allow the reader of this essay to experience some of the same choice, serendipity, association, and discovery that reading The WunderCabinet is designed to provoke in its readers. The traditional abstract included here is merely a content teaser and, we hope, reads ironically against the innovative critical work that follows. If you wish to read more about the process by which this author undertook writing this essay, as well as the critical stakes of its production, please see the introduction to the volume as well as the accompanying anti-abstract at the close of the chapter.
Preventive Health for Transgender Men and Women.

Transgender men and women experience an incongruity between their assigned sex at birth and their identified gender. Gender dysphoria is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) as clinically significant distress or impairment resulting from misalignment in assigned and experienced gender. Transgender people have a history of negative experiences in health care and efforts should be made to create a welcoming environment through staff training, gender neutral restrooms, and gender inclusive electronic medical record systems. Transgender men and women face unique preventive health concerns in areas of metabolic screening, cancer screening, immunizations, and anticipatory guidance secondary to cross-sex hormone therapy, gender confirming surgical procedures, and certain high-risk behaviors. Here, the available data are reviewed and suggested best practices are outlined to optimize the preventive health for this patient population.
Rx for physician prescribing practices.

The theme editor introduces a special issue that addresses ethical issues surrounding physician prescribing practices. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
How do compact, accessible, and walkable communities promote gender equality in spatial behavior?

Abstract Directing growth towards denser communities with mixed-use, accessible, and walkable neighborhood design has become an important strategy for promoting sustainability, but few studies have examined whether compact development strategies could help reduce within-household gender disparities in spatial behavior by increasing accessibility. We analyze spatial behavior of heterosexual married couples in Southern California based on the 2012 California Household Travel Survey and find that households living in areas with greater regional accessibility and neighborhood walkability have smaller, more centered, and more compact activity spaces overall compared to households in less compact areas, and that married pairs living in more accessible areas have greater equality in the size and centeredness of their activity spaces. We account for residential selection bias in our multivariate analysis and find that a ten unit increase in near-residence Walk Score was associated with a 12–18% decrease in activity space size, a 6–8% decrease in residential distancing, and a 12–13% increase in spatial concentration for both men and women. Men and women, however, had significantly different activity space behaviors regardless of their neighborhood type. Compared to women, men on average had larger activity spaces and conducted their activities farther from home. Overall, results support our hypothesis that compact development provides married couples greater flexibility in how they divide household out-of-home activities by making destinations more convenient and lowering the overall spatial fixity of these activities. Future research and planning efforts should carefully consider which aspects of compact, accessible development are most effective for a given local context.
Mental Health Leaves of Absence in College and Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Student Experiences.

Mental health leaves of absence have increased among college students, but little is known about their experiences. We explored the role of psychotherapy among college students before, during, and ...
The neo-Redemption Era? APD in the age of #Black lives matter

The Black Lives Movement reflects the latest stage in the United States’ racial orders. The Civil Rights State, much like the Reconstruction Period, faces significant political, institutional and i...
Embedding Professionalism into Legal Education

There has been a repeated call to incorporate professionalism training in legal education in order to assist students in developing professionalism. While law schools have begun to answer this call, they often fail to teach and assess actual professionalism behaviors of their law students. Such failure results in lost opportunities to impart to law students the expectations of the legal profession, as well as to help them to develop the highest standards of conduct. This article will present information about a model of professionalism assessment in medical education and how it can be integrated into legal education to facilitate the teaching and evaluation of professionalism in law students.
Iron Absorption in Chronic Renal Disease

1. Absorption of inorganic iron was studied in thirty-four patients with chronic renal failure by a double isotope technique. 2. Eight patients with normal iron balance had a mean absorption of 3·5%, ten patients with iron overload had a mean absorption of 3·6%, and sixteen patients with iron depletion had a mean absorption of 58%. Thus, alterations in absorption appeared to be related to disturbances in iron balance. 3. The rate of erythropoiesis had no evident effect on iron absorption nor did the degree of anaemia. 4. The presence of renal disease and the degree of azotaemia likewise did not appear to affect absorption.
Commentary on 'Initial clinical experience with the ADAPT technique: a direct aspiration first pass technique for stroke thrombectomy'.

This article was the first to describe the successful use of large-bore (5 French) intermediate catheters as the primary modality to treat large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke.1 This case series represents an important technical description, which highlights the advances in engineering technology that allowed for safe delivery of large catheters into the intracranial circulation. The impact of this article has been significant, with multiple downstream effects beyond the technical aspects. …
Pathologic Findings in Bronchopulmonary Leukemic Infiltrates in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract Introduction Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common lymphoproliferative disorder worldwide. Although thoracic complications are frequent in CLL, only limited data exists regarding these complications. Pleural, parenchymal, and airway disease may occur owing to CLL itself, treatment-related adverse events, typical or opportunistic infections, or from preexisting comorbidities. The etiology of parenchymal infiltrates is often attributed to pneumonia and can be difficult to properly identify without a diagnostic procedure. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients admitted from 2000 through 2016 with a diagnosis of CLL and abnormal radiography that underwent a bronchoscopy with biopsy, surgical lung biopsy, or transthoracic biopsies for nonresolving infiltrates after a course of antibiotics. We described the incidence of bronchopulmonary leukemic infiltrates (BPLI), describe other diagnosis achieved by the biopsy, and also describe the pathologic findings associated with BPLI in these patients. Results There were 111 procedures performed on 98 patients that yielded a diagnosis in 82 patients. In 16 patients, no histologic or pathologic diagnosis was identified after the biopsy. BPLI was diagnosed in 32 (39%) cases. In 27 (85%) of 32 cases, the biopsies returned with only BPLI owing to CLL (without inflammation), whereas 5 (15%) of 32 cases showed concomitant acute or chronic inflammation. Conclusion Direct infiltration by leukemic cells may cause pulmonary symptoms and signs indistinguishable from infection. Biopsy is necessary to establish a definitive diagnosis, and physicians caring for these patients, including pathologists, should be aware of the clinicopathologic picture of BPLI to render an informative diagnosis.
Cytology and the cell block method in diagnostic characterization of canine lymphadenopathy and in the immunophenotyping of nodal lymphoma

Minimally invasive techniques used to evaluate canine peripheral lymphadenopathy (PLN), including fine needle aspiration biopsy with cytological evaluation (FNAB-C) and flow cytometry (FC), have benefits and limitations. The cell block (CB) method is an alternate processing technique in which fine needle aspirate biopsy samples are concentrated, fixed, and embedded in paraffin for routine histological processing/staining. Utilizing three observers, we determined the diagnostic value of the CB in evaluating canine PLN across six categories (non-diagnostic, reactive, inflammatory/infectious, probable lymphoma and lymphoma, metastatic neoplasia) and correlated findings to immunophenotypic and clonal antigen receptor rearrangement results in canine nodal lymphoma. Eighty-five paired FNAB-C and CB samples were evaluated from canine patients presenting to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Oncology or Internal Medicine services. Diagnostic quality samples were obtained in 55/85 (65%) CB and 81/85 (95%) FNAB-C samples, respectively, and nodal pathology impacted CB diagnostic yield. Overall percent agreement between diagnostic-quality FNAB-C and CB samples was 86%, but increased to 95% if the categories of lymphoma and probable lymphoma were combined. There was 100% agreement for both the diagnoses of metastatic neoplasia and reactive lymph nodes and 92% agreement for the diagnosis of lymphoma/probable lymphoma. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), CB samples correctly immunophenotyped 22/23 (96%) cases of B-cell lymphoma, but only 1/6 (17%) cases of T-cell lymphoma. IHC was not completed on nine cases of lymphoproliferative disease because of insufficient cellularity. When the CB method (CBM) yielded diagnostic quality samples there was good to excellent agreement with FNAB-C samples and CB samples were suitable for some IHC tests.
Network Topology and Fault-Tolerant Consensus

Abstract As the structure of contemporary communication networks grows more complex, practical networked distributed systems become prone to component failures. Fault-tolerant consensus in message-...
At What Cost: The Minimum Cost of Criminalizing Homelessness in Seattle and Spokane

Many studies around the country have demonstrated significant savings on incarceration, adjudication, and medical costs when funds are directed toward the creation of affordable housing. However, with the increasing prevalence of criminalization ordinances — ordinances that disparately impact the homeless — funds that could be used for affordable housing are being diverted toward their enforcement. Although existing studies address general costs and savings associated with housing homeless people, they do not address the costs directly attributable to criminalization ordinances. In an effort to shed light on these direct costs, the Seattle University Homeless Rights Advocacy Project has traced the following total costs directly to the enforcement of less than half of the identified criminalization ordinances in Seattle and Spokane:Seattle: An estimated 5-year minimum of $2,300,000 is directly attributed to enforcing just 16% of the city’s criminalization ordinances.Spokane: An estimated 5-year minimum of $1,300,000 is directly attributed to enforcing 75% of the city’s criminalization ordinances.Affordable Housing Alternatives: Investing the $3.7 million spent in criminalization ordinances over the five years covered in this study in housing the homeless could save taxpayers over $2 million annually and over $11 million total over the five years. Although these figures are substantial, they still underestimate the total overall costs that these two cities spend on criminalizing homelessness. For example, the vast majority of available data exists only for criminal violations, not civil infractions, which may constitute the largest percentage of enforcement costs in any given city. Finally, due to limitations in data, this report focuses only on two cities as Washington case studies. Although these estimates are necessarily a mere fraction of the total costs of criminalizing homelessness in Washington state, at least two things are clear: (1) these ordinances are costly and do not address the underlying problems of homelessness; and (2) the redirection of funds currently being used to criminalize homelessness to support affordable housing would result in substantial cost savings.
A Rank-based Estimation Procedure For Linear Models With Clustered Data

A rank method is presented for estimating regression parameters in the linear model when observations are correlated. This correlation is accounted for by including a random effect term in the linear model. A method is proposed that makes few assumptions about the random effect and error distribution. The main goal of this article is to determine the distributions for which this method performs well relative to existing methods.
Auditory brainstem response demonstrates that reduced peripheral auditory input is associated with self-report of tinnitus

Tinnitus is one of the predicted perceptual consequences of cochlear synaptopathy, a type of age-, noise-, or drug-induced auditory damage that has been demonstrated in animal models to cause homeostatic changes in central auditory gain. Although synaptopathy has been observed in human temporal bones, assessment of this condition in living humans is limited to indirect non-invasive measures such as the auditory brainstem response (ABR). In animal models, synaptopathy is associated with a reduction in ABR wave I amplitude at suprathreshold stimulus levels. Several human studies have explored the relationship between wave I amplitude and tinnitus, with conflicting results. This study investigates the hypothesis that reduced peripheral auditory input due to synaptic/neuronal loss is associated with tinnitus. Wave I amplitude data from 193 individuals [43 with tinnitus (22%), 150 without tinnitus (78%)], who participated in up to 3 out of 4 different studies, were included in a logistic regression analysis to estimate the relationship between wave I amplitude and tinnitus at a variety of stimulus levels and frequencies. Statistical adjustment for sex and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) was included. The results suggest that smaller wave I amplitudes and/or lower DPOAE levels are associated with an increased probability of tinnitus.
Charge-Separated Metal–Organic Frameworks Derived from Boron-Centered Tetrapods

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are an emerging class of microporous materials that have potential applications in a wide range of areas. As a subclass of MOFs, ionic MOFs, especially charge-separa...
Reward presentation reduces on-task fatigue in traumatic brain injury.

Abstract While cognitive fatigue is experienced by up to 80% of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), little is known about its neural underpinnings. We previously hypothesized that presentation of rewarding outcomes leads to cognitive fatigue reduction and activation of the striatum, a brain region shown to be associated with cognitive fatigue in clinical populations and processing of rewarding outcomes. We have demonstrated this in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Here, we tested this hypothesis in individuals with TBI. Twenty-one individuals with TBI and 24 healthy participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants performed a task during which they were presented with 1) the Outcome condition where they were exposed to monetary rewards, and 2) the No Outcome condition that served as the control condition and was not associated with monetary rewards. In accordance with our hypothesis, results showed that attainment of rewarding outcomes leads to cognitive fatigue reduction in individuals with TBI, as well as activation of the striatum. Specifically, we observed a significant group by condition interaction on fatigue scores driven by the TBI group reporting lower levels of fatigue after the Outcome condition. fMRI data revealed a significant main-effect of condition in regions previously implicated in outcome processing, while a significant group by condition interaction was observed in the left ventral striatum as revealed by a priori region of interest analysis. Results suggest that a salient motivator can significantly reduce fatigue and that outcome presentation leads to increased activation of the ventral striatum in TBI. These findings can inform the development of future non-pharmacological cognitive fatigue treatment methods and contribute to the growing body of evidence showing the association between cognitive fatigue and the striatum.
On sharp rates and analytic compactifications of asymptotically conical Kähler metrics

Let X be a complex manifold, and let S↪X be an embedding of a complex submanifold. Assuming that the embedding is (k−1)-linearizable or (k−1)-comfortably embedded, we construct via the deformation to the normal cone a diffeomorphism F from a small neighborhood of the zero section in the normal bundle NS to a small neighborhood of S in X such that F is in a precise sense holomorphic up to the (k−1)th order. Using this F, we obtain optimal estimates on asymptotic rates for asymptotically conical (AC) Calabi–Yau (CY) metrics constructed by Tian and Yau. Furthermore, when S is an ample divisor satisfying an appropriate cohomological condition, we relate the order of comfortable embedding to the weight of the deformation of the normal isolated cone singularity arising from the deformation to the normal cone. We also give an example showing that the condition of comfortable embedding depends on the splitting liftings. We then prove an analytic compactification result for the deformation of the complex structure on an affine cone that decays to any positive order at infinity. This can be seen as an analytic counterpart of Pinkham’s result on deformations of cone singularities with negative weights.
CHAPTER 4 – Resolution

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clausal form of resolution. An inference procedure based on a simple yet extremely powerful rule of inference known as the resolution principle is presented. It uses just one rule of inference, and the procedure is simple to analyze, and implement, yet it is known to be both sound and, in a sense, complete. The resolution procedure takes as argument a set of expressions in a simplified version of predicate calculus, called clausal form. The symbols, terms, and atomic sentences of clausal form are the same as those in ordinary predicate calculus. Instead of logical and quantified sentences, however, clausal form has literals and clauses. A clause is a set of literals representing their disjunction. For any sentence in predicate calculus, there is a set of clauses that is equivalent to the original sentence in that the sentence is satisfiable only if the corresponding set of clauses is satisfiable.
On Calculating Free Energy Differences Using Ensembles of Transition Paths.

The free energy of a process is the fundamental quantity that determines its spontaneity or propensity at a given temperature. In particular, the binding free energy of a drug candidate to its biomolecular target is used as an objective quantity in drug design. Recently, binding kinetics-rates of association (kon) and dissociation (koff)-have also demonstrated utility for their ability to predict efficacy and in some cases have been shown to be more predictive than the binding free energy alone. Some methods exist to calculate binding kinetics from molecular simulations, although these are typically more difficult to calculate than the binding affinity as they depend on details of the transition path ensemble. Assessing these rate constants can be difficult, due to uncertainty in the definition of the bound and unbound states, large error bars and the lack of experimental data. As an additional consistency check, rate constants from simulation can be used to calculate free energies (using the log of their ratio) which can then be compared to free energies obtained experimentally or using alchemical free energy perturbation. However, in this calculation it is not straightforward to account for common, practical details such as the finite simulation volume or the particular definition of the "bound" and "unbound" states. Here we derive a set of correction terms that can be applied to calculations of binding free energies using full reactive trajectories. We apply these correction terms to revisit the calculation of binding free energies from rate constants for a host-guest system that was part of a blind prediction challenge, where significant deviations were observed between free energies calculated with rate ratios and those calculated from alchemical perturbation. The correction terms combine to significantly decrease the error with respect to computational benchmarks, from 3.4 to 0.76 kcal/mol. Although these terms were derived with weighted ensemble simulations in mind, some of the correction terms are generally applicable to free energies calculated using physical pathways via methods such as Markov state modeling, metadynamics, milestoning, or umbrella sampling.
Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy decreases the risk of clinically relevant post-operative pancreatic fistula: a propensity score matched NSQIP analysis

Abstract Background A single-institution study demonstrated robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) was protective against clinically-relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) compared to open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD). We sought to compare the national rate of CR-POPF by approach. Methods Procedure-targeted pancreatectomy Participant User Data File was queried from 2014 to 2017 for all patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy. A modified fistula risk score was calculated and patients were stratified into risk categories. Multivariate logistic regression and propensity score matching was used. Results The rate of CR-POPF (15.6% vs. 11.9%; p = 0.026) was higher in OPD compared to RPD. On subgroup analysis, OPD had higher CR-POPF in high risk patients (32.9% vs. 19.4%; p = 0.007). On multivariable analysis OPD was a predictor of increased CR-POPF (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.61 [1.15–2.25]; p = 0.005). Other operative factors associated with increased CR-POPF included soft pancreatic texture (OR = 2.65 [2.27–3.09]; p Conclusions This is the largest multicenter study to evaluate the impact of RPD on POPF. It suggests that RPD can be protective against POPF, especially for high risk patients.
Intersection of Agriculture and Karst Terrains, Risks, and Solutions

Agriculture in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (the Upper Mississippi Valley region, or UMV) is an important component of each state’s economy. Karst landscapes though in the UMV can be locally common and can complicate agricultural activities. Complications include thin and rocky soil, nutrient and fertilizer management concerns, and effects on groundwater resources. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for agricultural activities have historically been written for surface water concerns, with minimal consideration for the interconnection between surface and groundwater in karst areas. This chapter documents the concerns of higher livestock concentrations in karst landscapes and presents examples (and case studies) of approaches and innovative techniques to minimize agriculture’s environmental impacts in karstic areas. The goal of this chapter is to provide helpful information that will facilitate changes in agricultural practices in karstic landscapes of the UMV that will aid in protecting groundwater and soil resources.
Array Manifold Calibration for Multichannel Radar ICE Sounders

Airborne sounders with cross-track antenna arrays coherently combine measurements from multiple sensors to isolate nadir echoes from co-range lateral surface clutter. The array size, which is limited by the constraints of the platform, determines the degree to which clutter may be suppressed. Array processing techniques offer strategic advantages for suppressing interference in the cross-track dimension but require a well constrained model of the array's response to directional sources (referred to as the array manifold). We propose and test an empirical array manifold characterization using a fine-resolution digital elevation model of the Arctic and multibeam data collected by a Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) sensor, the Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS), during NASA's Operation Ice-Bridge. The results outline our first efforts to estimate the manifold and evidence improvements observed in combined images.
Atopic keratoconjunctivitis

Atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) represents a disease usually classified under the term of allergic conjunctivitis together with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC) and vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). However, AKC and VKC have clinical and pathophysiological features quite different from SAC and PAC, in spite of some common markers of allergy. This article aims to review personal studies suggesting that allergic conjunctivitis (similarly to asthma, rhinitis and atopic dermatitis) is a heterogeneous disease entity with different preferential pathogenetic mechanisms and a spectrum of clinical expression which varies according to individual cases. AKC and VKC may thus represent a model of atopy quite distinct from the classical type-1 hypersensitivity mechanism.
High dose intravenous vitamin C treatment in Sepsis: associations with acute kidney injury and mortality.

Background The effects of vitamin C on clinical outcomes in critically ill patients remain controversial due to inconclusive studies. This retrospective observational cohort study evaluated the effects of vitamin C therapy on acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality among septic patients. Methods Electronic medical records of 1390 patients from an academic hospital who were categorized as Treatment (received at least one dose of 1.5 g IV vitamin C, n = 212) or Comparison (received no, or less than 1.5 g IV vitamin C, n = 1178) were reviewed. Propensity score matching was conducted to balance a number of covariates between groups. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted predicting AKI and in-hospital mortality among the full sample and a sub-sample of patients seen in the ICU. Results Data revealed that vitamin C therapy was associated with increases in AKI (OR = 2.07 95% CI [1.46-2.93]) and in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.67 95% CI [1.003-2.78]) after adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. When stratified to examine ICU patients, vitamin C therapy remained a significant risk factor of AKI (OR = 1.61 95% CI [1.09-2.39]) and provided no protective benefit against mortality (OR = 0.79 95% CI [0.48-1.31]). Conclusion Ongoing use of high dose vitamin C in sepsis should be appraised due to observed associations with AKI and death.
Solubilization by Heparin of the Phospholipase A1 from the Plasma Membranes of Rat Liver

Abstract The phospholipase A1 of rat liver plasma membranes was stimulated 2- to 3-fold by physiologic concentrations of heparin (1 to 2.4 µg per ml for humans). The stimulation did not change appreciably with increasing enzyme or substrate concentration, nor with the time of incubation. However, activation of hydrolysis by Ca2+ was altered by the addition of heparin. Treatment of the plasma membranes with heparin displaced the enzyme from the membrane which accounts for the stimulation of heparin. Heparin at high concentrations inhibited the enzyme. The amount of [35S]-heparin bound to the membrane (about 10 µg per mg of plasma membrane protein) was the same as the amount required for maximal stimulation and solubilization of the membrane-bound enzyme. The enzyme freed from the membrane was stimulated only 2-fold by Ca2+. Gel filtration of the solubilized enzyme indicated that the enzyme was heterogenous in size. Linoleic acid, NaCl, albumin, deoxycholate, and protamine inhibited the activity of the enzyme. Protamine prevented binding of heparin to the membrane and probably blocked displacement of the enzyme from the membrane. We believe our results support the hypothesis that the liver plasma membrane is the origin of the postheparin phospholipase A1.
Development of a New Image-Guided Prostate Biopsy System

This paper presents a new image-guided prostate biopsy system under development. The system features a 3-D prostate cancer distribution atlas and new biopsy protocols optimized based on the cancer atlas using a nonlinear integer programming approach. Both the cancer atlas and the optimal protocols are being dynamically registered and superimposed onto the trans-rectal ultrasound images during live-patient biopsy procedures. Clear visual guidance will be provided to the physicians by color-coded spots on top of the ultrasound images, which represent best possible targets for biopsy. Clinical test will be performed to evaluate the system.
Unit bar-visibility layouts of triangulated polygons

A triangulated polygon is a 2-connected maximal outerplanar graph. A unit bar-visibility graph (UBVG for short) is a graph whose vertices can be represented by disjoint, horizontal, unit-length bars in the plane so that two vertices are adjacent if and only if there is a non-degenerate, unobstructed, vertical band of visibility between the corresponding bars. We give combinatorial and geometric characterizations of the triangulated polygons that are UBVGs. To each triangulated polygon G we assign a character string with the property that G is a UBVG if and only if the string satisfies a certain regular expression. Given a string that satisfies this condition, we describe a linear-time algorithm that uses it to produce a UBV layout of G.
A framework for a junior level design course

Engineering design courses' content and timing have been the subject of debate for a long time. What is the appropriate content of an engineering design course and when is the appropriate time to introduce it in the curriculum? In this paper we present a look at a one semester junior level design course offered at New Mexico Tech, in which we propose a framework for introducing design in an engineering curriculum at that level. Furthermore, we present three years of system of systems projects within this framework.
Effects of sex, age, and visits on receipt of preventive healthcare services: a secondary analysis of national data

Background Sex and age may exert a combined influence on receipt of preventive services with differences due to number of ambulatory care visits.
Making sense of latent TGFβ activation

TGFβ is secreted as part of a latent complex that is targeted to the extracellular matrix. A variety of molecules, `TGFβ activators,' release TGFβ from its latent state. The unusual temporal discontinuity of TGFβ synthesis and action and the panoply of TGFβ effects contribute to the interest in TGF-β. However, the logical connections between TGFβ synthesis, storage and action are obscure. We consider the latent TGFβ complex as an extracellular sensor in which the TGFβ propeptide functions as the detector, latent-TGFβ-binding protein (LTBP) functions as the localizer, and TGF-β functions as the effector. Such a view provides a logical continuity for various aspects of TGFβ biology and allows us to appreciate TGFβ biology from a new perspective.
Effect of low levels of ozone on rat lungs: I. Biochemical responses during recovery and reexposure☆

Abstract Studies were made of the effect of 0.8 ppm ozone on selected metabolic activities of rat lungs during initial exposure, recovery, and subsquent reexposure. At the end of a 3 day exposure to 0.8 ppm ozone, the activities of glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, GSH reductase, and glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) dehydrogenase were elevated 25, 18, and 46% above controls, respectively. The level of nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) was increased by 24%, general protein synthesis rose by 85%, and the rate of mitochondrial succinate oxidation was 48% above respective control values. During recovery in filtered room air, all the biochemical augmentations began to return toward normal within 2 days and reached control values 6–9 days after the end of initial exposure. Reexposures to 0.8 ppm ozone for 3 days after 6, 13, or 27 days of recovery caused elevations in all the biochemical parameters studied of approximately the same magnitude as the initial exposure. The biochemical findings indicate that, under these experimental conditions, the population of cells present after 6 days of recovery has approximately the same degree of susceptibility to ozone damage as the preexposure population.
Recent advances in wide-band optical parametric mixer synthesis

This paper reviews the recent advances in parametric mixers enabled by a newly developed highly-nonlinear fiber. Precise phase-matching allowed by the new highly-nonlinear fiber enables synthesis of 750-nm tunable, Brillouin-managed parametric response.
Scalable Extrinsic Calibration of Omni-Directional Image Networks

We describe a linear-time algorithm that recovers absolute camera orientations and positions, along with uncertainty estimates, for networks of terrestrial image nodes spanning hundreds of meters in outdoor urban scenes. The algorithm produces pose estimates globally consistent to roughly 0.1° (2 milliradians) and 5 centimeters on average, or about four pixels of epipolar alignment. We assume that adjacent nodes observe overlapping portions of the scene, and that at least two distinct vanishing points are observed by each node. The algorithm decouples registration into pure rotation and translation stages. The rotation stage aligns nodes to commonly observed scene line directionss the translation stage assigns node positions consistent with locally estimated motion directions, then registers the resulting network to absolute (Earth) coordinates. The paper's principal contributions include: extension of classic registration methods to large scale and dimensional extents a consistent probabilistic framework for modeling projective uncertaintys and a new hybrid of Hough transform and expectation maximization algorithms. We assess the algorithm's performance on synthetic and real data, and draw several conclusions. First, by fusing thousands of observations the algorithm achieves accurate registration even in the face of significant lighting variations, low-level feature noise, and error in initial pose estimates. Second, the algorithm's robustness and accuracy increase with image field of view. Third, the algorithm surmounts the usual tradeoff between speed and accuracys it is both faster and more accurate than manual bundle adjustment.
Analyses for the translation of OpenMP codes into SPMD style with array privatization

A so-called SPMD style OpenMP program can achieve scalability on ccNUMA systems by means of array privatization, and earlier research has shown good performance under this approach. Since it is hard to write SPMD OpenMP code, we showed a strategy for the automatic translation of many OpenMP constructs into SPMD style in our previous work. In this paper, we first explain how to interprocedurally detect whether the OpenMP program consistently schedules the parallel loops. If the parallel loops are consistently scheduled, we may carry out array privatization according to OpenMP semantics. We give two examples of code patterns that can be handled despite the fact that they are not consistent, and where the strategy used to translate them differs from the straightforward approach that can otherwise be applied.
Navigating Large Comment Threads with CoFi

Comment threads contain fascinating and useful insights into public reactions, but are challenging to read and understand without computational assistance. We present a tool for exploring large, community-created comments threads in an efficient manner.
Placental Vascular Morphogenesis and Oxidative Stress

The placenta is a hemochorial organ, meaning that it is directly bathed by maternal blood. Favorable fetal growth depends on optimal placental evolution and development, as it represents the interface between the maternal and fetal environments. The placenta plays a crucial role in fetal nutrition, respiration, and hormone synthesis. Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis are essential for normal placental development and effective maternal-fetal exchange. The onset of maternal circulation to the placenta is associated with a burst of oxidative stress (OS). This OS can serve at a physiological level to trigger pathways of differentiation in the regulation of villous remodeling, trophoblastic invasion, and production of angiogenic factors. In excess, however, OS can lead to the development of complications involving the placenta, such as fetal loss, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction.